American Booksellers Association introduce "Indie Bound"

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) announced the dissolution of the "Book Sense program" and repackaged it as "Indie Bound."

The President of the ABA Board of Directors, Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona said this.

"Independent booksellers in stores of all sizes will soon proudly be telling their customers and other indie retailers that 'we're IndieBound."

"Locally owned, indie booksellers introduce readers to great new writing, contribute far more to the health of their local economies, and play a crucial role in maintaining the unique character of their communities. I can't wait to begin working together with other indie retailers to spread the IndieBound movement."

We wish our bookselling friends and the staff and Board at ABA luck with this new program. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

Books are bullish on gold across the board: what could that mean

In searching for books about gold and gold-related stocks, it has become increasingly difficult to find a contrarian view of gold, that is an assessment that gold will become bearish. The book barometer says gold is going higher, much higher. One book recently released by John Wiley and Sons almost shouts advice.

Buy Gold Now!

Buy Gold Now: How a Real Estate Bust, Our Bulging National Debt, and the Languishing Dollar Will Push Gold to Record Highs by Shane McGuire touts buying gold: lots of it.

Here is what the publisher says about this book:
Masterfully researched, and written in a straightforward style, "Buy Gold Now" makes a case for buying gold as protection against the rising risks of an unprecedented global currency crisis and as a profitable investment vehicle. Divided into five comprehensive parts, this reliable resource examines our country's current financial situation from a historical perspective and addresses some of the alarming issues that many economists are currently pointing to with concern.

Another bullish book on gold is called The Collapse of the Dollar and How to Profit from It: Make a Fortune by Investing in Gold and Other Hard Assets by James Turk and John A. Rubino. Another strong argument of the case of a weak dollar and strong gold.

And then there is a rather expensive book (cover price is 34.95 for the paperback and I won't scare you with the hardcover price) called A Hundred Thousand Dollars in Gold: How to Make It George P. Burnham. I suppose if you are going to make $100,000 profit by taking this book's advice, you can afford $34.95 plus shipping plus tax. The book is about, well, you get the idea. "Buy gold." "Sell the dollar."

Books are great barometer of what is going on in the world. It can also be viewed as a contrarian viewpoint of what will not happen. If you believe in that viewpoint, and I do subscribe to it, then sell gold and buy the dollar. And stay away from commodities too. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

So you want to write a book and have it published too, well here are a few more tips

Try this book to help you send a winning "book query" and a winning "book proposal."

The book pictured to the left, Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman.

Publishers Comments about this book:

Charismatic authors and literary agents Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman have successfully sold hundreds of titles and learned--through trial and error--how to write a flawless book proposal that publishers can't resist. Now you can benefit from their hard work and publishing savvy. In this new edition, they offer guidance and advice that will inspire, educate, and, most importantly, give you the necessary edge to get your book published. They explain:

- How to shape your idea and create a title

- Ways to get to know the market and competition

- Tips on writing an effective outline, query letter, and sample chapter

- The art and science of fiction and nonfiction book proposals

- How ten actual proposals (included were successfully sold to publishers--and why

It is not enough to just write a book. You may have written the next great American novel. While that part is important (and essential), you must also sell your book to a publisher. While it is not essential, having a literary agent represent your work is a plus. Most of the major publishing houses do not accept book queries, proposals or manuscripts from unagented authors. It is no impossible to have a "major" publish your book. you must have a way of getting your foot in the door. A celebrity has a very good chance of picking up the phone and saying for example, "This is Brad Pitt and have I got a story for you."

The bottom line for the major publishers is the bottom line. Will the book sell? Why would I buy the book? Why would I be excited about your book?

My own selling points are compelling. I am a bookstore owner with a wealth of contacts with bookstore owners.

It is just as difficult to get a literary agent to represent you as it is to have a publisher even consider your work. The great majority of cases publishers will either reject your work or ignore your work. If a publisher likes your work, you will hear from them quickly. They will then pass it around the office and make a decision. I had the good fortune of having several agents and a couple publishers take a look at my work. I received a positive response to my "first query," which spoiled me. The book was ultimately rejected and the reason is that it was not well-written or thought out. Upon closer inspection, the book I submitted originally was literary garbage. But the query and the proposal were adequate enough to draw interest. The idea is to induce them to want to read more.

I have since improved my product and have every confidence I will find the right venue for my book. I have since re-read my own work and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. We will be discussing this next time. Reading on Walden Bookstore.