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Any author can get their book listed in an online catalog. But what if you want more? What if you want to rise above the digital masses and be relevant to booksellers and librarians? In today's digital age of publishing, it's easy to get your book listed on major retail and library sites around the world. But what about: * Attracting the attention of the curators of these sales channels. * Succeeding in getting some of these channels to highlight, spotlight, and promote your book to their customers or patrons. * Having a bookstore or library actually order and stock your print book * Being invited to either host or participate in a live event in a bookstore or library * Standing out as a talented and relevant professional or subject matter expert All of these things take a bit more effort than the average creative person is willing to invest. But that's where you come in; because this type of success is reserved for the truly dedicated author like you. With the right amount of foresight, preparation, effort, and determination, you can rise above the digital slush to a place where you and your book can stand out to exactly the right people. This book walks you through all that you need to know in order to leverage the tools available for successfully working with both bookstores and libraries. It is derived from the author's three decades of experience in the book industry as a writer, an editor, a bookseller, and a publishing industry representative. If you want to leverage insights into the systems and logistics associated with print, eBook and audiobook distribution to retailers and libraries, to maximize your availability in these formats as well as your overall sales and earnings, then this is the book for you. An Author's Guide to Working with Bookstores and Libraries is a no-BS overview of the publishing industry, bookstores and libraries. It outlines the basics of what authors need to know when navigating their way through the complex print, eBook and distribution options available to authors. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, this book provides guidance and insights to help you maximize your sales, your earnings, and your author brand.

The great escape of the African slaves out of bondage in the South in the 1850s and 1860s is told through the dramatic, danger-filled story of one young man, Tice, who flees from his master's plantation in Maysville, Kentucky. After he swims the Ohio River to Ripley, Ohio, Tice is connected to a network of people who rush him northeastward, ever northeastward toward New Brunswick, Canada. All along the way he is pursued by the ruthless Morgan, his master's foreman.Christian and Jewish families, even Henry David Thoreau, help the God-fearing, 19-year-old Tice who they find likeable, friendly and even funny despite his life of misery. Near the end of Tice's journey, one teenage boy in an "underground railroad" family becomes particularly close to him and another escaping slave who has renamed himself "Freeborn." This boy, Caleb Chadwick, is instrumental in the penultimate leg in Tice and Freeborn's escape when he takes them via horse-drawn wagon from Vassalboro to Bangor, Maine.As the slaves board a canoe to escape upriver, Morgan catches up and, in a battle to the death, the righteous prevail. "True North" is a prequel to "The Last Aliyah," when Tice's and Caleb's descendants team up as part of a modern-day "underground railroad" to help Jews escape America when the United Nations--with American acquiescence--bans Jewish emigration to Israel.

Are you looking for ways to stop being dependent upon only Amazon for your author earnings income? Are you hoping to expand and grow your sales on multiple platforms in global territories? Do you need strategies to help you get started NOW in terms of creating a successful "publish wide" author plan? Would you like to increase and optimize your sales on Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play and more? Then WIDE FOR THE WIN is the book for you. Based on knowledge derived from decades of working within the publishing and bookselling landscape, author Mark Leslie Lefebvre has compiled those learnings and in depth discussions, interviews, and insights shared from represenatives from the major publishing platforms along with tips, strategies, and pathways to success from hundreds of authors who have already discovered the thrill of forging their own unique pathways to success. If you're looking for a magic bullet, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're looking for ideas, inspiration, and strategies for planning out your own long terms success as an author selling globally on multiple platforms, then you've come to the right place.

There's nowhere to hide when everybody you know or meet is trying to kill you. Scotty Desmond's day begins like any other until his boss calls him into the office, pulls out a gun and starts shooting at him. Scott manages to escape the surprise assassination attempt, but everyone else he meets, colleagues, friends and strangers alike are all similarly obsessed with killing him. Will Scott survive long enough to understand what is behind the relentless attacks and how it might relate to the investigation into his father's mysterious death?

STOP SPREADING THE NEWS THERE'S NO LEAVING TODAY Not when the Big Apple comes under attack from an infectious worm threatening to rot it, and the entire nation, to the core. Michael Andrews thought he'd found the perfect woman. A companion whose own powers neutralize his werewolf curse and bring the balance he has always wanted. But his plans on settling down and giving up the vigilante lifestyle are fleeting. The hatred, the fear, and the monstrous attacks on innocent civilians grow and spread as supernatural monsters roam the city streets at night. The neo-Nazi Proud Fighters for America have already seeped their way across the continent and have nefarious plans for the city that never sleeps. With Michael's powers nullified in Lex's presence, the couple is forced to divide in their attempt to conquer, and Michael turns to his ex-girlfriend's knowledge of the occult and an ally he thought was his enemy to fight this rising evil. But will three supernatural humans and one paranormal scholar be enough to vanquish the growing legion of evil?

Are you a short fiction writer wondering what opportunities are open to you? Are you a long-form fiction writer wondering if short fiction is worth the investment of your time? Short fiction is enjoying a resurgence and provides both independently and traditionally published authors opportunities for creating income and connecting with readers. Matty Dalrymple and Mark Leslie Lefebvre will show you where those opportunities lie and how to take advantage of them. CREATING INCOME Traditional Publishing Market Anthologies & Collections Mechanics of Indy Anthologies Standalone e-books e-book Collections Serials Foreign Language Markets Audio Patron Support Getting Unstuck CONNECTING WITH READERS Offering Your Story for Free Reader Funnel Reader Magnet Video Author Readings Market Research Flash Fiction and Micro-Fiction Chapbooks Bonus Material Custom Story Location-based Apps When the Reader Is an Agent BEST PRACTICES Editing and Proofreading Cover Design Links and QR Codes Being an Active Member of the Community Create Once, Publish Everywhere Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts and the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers. She writes, speaks, consults, and podcasts on independent publishing as The Indy Author™. Mark Leslie Lefebvre (as Mark Leslie) has authored numerous horror short stories and edited horror anthologies. He writes, speaks, consults, and podcasts on topics related to writing, publishing, and bookselling. He was the founder of Kobo Writing Life and is the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital.

20 Years of Haunting Echoes For centuries, philosophers have pondered the Zen Buddhist koan: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" What, then, is the sound of one hand screaming? Silent screams bounce around Mark Leslie's head like an impending storm, brewing into a force that will escape in a wild dance of chaos and be lost forever if he doesn't stop to write them down. Within these pages you will find . . . A bookstore that keeps more than dusty old tomes on its shelves . . . a phantom limb that can reach into the next world . . . the exquisite taste of a book-aged skull . . . a comic that colors people's lives with terror . . . graves unable to hold their wares . . . a collector of haunted artifacts who gets more than he bargains for . . . a deserted northern highway that brings back a man's worst childhood fears . . . bogeymen, anthropomorphic terrors, and more . . . In 2004, Mark Leslie released his first collection of chilling fiction and disturbing poetry in a volume called One Hand Screaming. Twenty years later, this special anniversary edition includes all the original stories and poems plus new ones published in the past twenty years along with all original pieces crafted specifically for this volume. This collection includes previously published award-nominees alongside all original and never-before published works. These haunting tales are sure to bring a delicious shiver to any fan of The Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, and Black Mirror. If, that is, you're interested in opening your imagination to the sound of those silent screams.

Something Strange This Way Comes! We have been told, from the earliest days of our childhood, to be wary of strangers. From a fear of strangers who stalk their prey in their homes as darkness descends, and one mother's valiant attempt to protect her family, to an eerie encounter of two strangers in a seemingly innocent chance meeting on a lonely rural bus stop bench, and to an awkward transient who needs to avoid eye contact with the strangers he encounters lest they fall victim to his death curse, all three stand-alone shorts in this collection involve unexpected strangers meeting. Join Mark Leslie as he introduces you to Mary, to Rupert and to Peter; three people that he calls friends, but folks that are still strangers to you, and you should be weary of. At the end of the ficional jaunt, he also shares the inspiration and story behind each tale. If you enjoy weird and strange Twilight Zone, Outer Limits or Black Mirror styled dark and eerie tales, then you're sure to enjoy this collection of short tales that run about 12,000 words.

HIP-HIP-HOORAY FOR CHRISTMAS VACATION On December 1, 1989 the world was introduced to the third and most successful sequel in the Vacation franchise as Clark Griswold's dream of having a fun old-fashioned family Christmas descends into a hilarious nightmare of dark comedy misadventure. Released on the 35th Anniversary of the film's premier, this book is a celebration of the movie along with trivia and behind-the-scenes details related to Christmas Vacation, which originated from a John Hughes short story called "Christmas '59" originally published in the December 1980 issue of National Lampoon magazine. If National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is an annual must-watch film for you each holiday season, or if it's a movie you enjoy quoting from "the whole year through" then you'll love this collection of fascinating details about it and the people involved in making it.

Writer. Werewolf. Canadian. Michael Andrews seems to have it all. He's a successful author and a minor celebrity living in Manhattan. It's a pretty big step up from his humble Canadian upbringing. Of course, his lycanthropy poses a bit of a challenge. After waking up from his latest night on the town, he's naked, he's got a bullet hole in his leg, and he has a sneaking suspicion he ran into another wolf last night. If he's going to make an evening talk show appearance to promote his latest book, he'll need to figure out what happened the previous night without letting his occasional heroics get in the way. Standing in his way are an agent, an ex-girlfriend, a variety of goons, and a fellow wolf encroaching on his territory. It's just another day in the life of a polite, small-town Canadian trying to stay alive in the Big Apple. A Canadian Werewolf in New York is a humorous thriller about an ordinary man dealing with extraordinary circumstances. If you like seeing an everyman try to "do right" no matter the odds, then you'll love this suspenseful and comedic tale of a Canadian bumpkin who happens to be part wolf.