Myspace is Back ... Really?

They’re back! 

Yup, the New Myspace has been rebranded and re-launched. What? You didn’t know the old one was gone? Technically, it never was really gone, just forgotten about.

Myspace has rebranded itself as a social entertainment network. It focuses heavily on music and comes off as a cross between Tumblr and Pinterest.

Myspace is currently in “beta” test. There is suppose to be connectivity with Facebook and Twitter, but as of this writing, the functionality was not working.

You can sign up at www.myspace.com.

Self Publishing vs Traditional Publishing via CJ Lyons

Here's a great post on self-publishing vs traditional publishing. Not your usual Good vs Evil. Great advice and a sound plan.

Check it out on Jane Friedman's blog 

http://janefriedman.com/2013/01/30/self-pub-and-traditional-pub-cj-lyons/

Devitt Consulting Quoted in Recent Article

Today is Community Manager Appreciation Day! Yeah, I know, you didn't even know it existed. 

Image courtesy Kozzi.com

It's fairly new... like only the second year for it's recognition. According to The Community Manager a community manager is engage in a businesses communication, moderation, guideline writing, day to day online (forums, owned communities, blogs, newsletters) and offline (events, conferences, meetups), strategy, working with the social teams/marketing/support/product/PR/management, surveying, customer service, and a variety of other activities. 

Phew!

Regardless, the cool thing is I was quoted via Devitt Consulting in the recent article published this morning as a social media expert. You can check it out here ...



Don't forget to give your Social or Community Manager a hug today!

Hugh Howey and Wool

Check out Chris James' post on Indie Author Hugh Howey and his leap to fame. Great story and a reaction by the author himself in the comments.

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/01/22/indie-news-beat-special-report-on-the-latest-self-publishing-success-story/

I'm Still Writing, How About You?

You’ve heard it all, Amazon is bowing to the Big Six, Barnes and Noble and Amazon are destroying self-publishing and the traditional publishers are taking over the industry while charging $25,000 dollars to get your book out.

Enough!

Dudes, who cares. Has anything really changed? Can you still put your product through the grinder and be making money in twenty-four hours? YES.

Can you upload to Kindle today and see sales by tomorrow? YES.

So what are we doing? We’re spending all our time lamenting about how the industry is disappearing. We won’t be able to sell books. My sales have plummeted in October so it must be because Amazon is not counting my sales!

That’s a pile of crap.

Burnout? But the Year Just Started! Five Steps to Being More Productive

We’re firmly entrenched into the New Year—the stress of the holidays is over, we’ve marketed like crazy to get to all those new device owners and the last thing we want to do is look at another social media tweet, blog, post or anything—especially, if you have to generate the content.

Burnout is serious business. It can kill your motivation and even leave you with a negative attitude toward the things that are an integral part of your overall writing/publishing career. So today, here are a few tips to avoid and even attack social media burnout.

Review: 47 Percent: Uncovering the Romney Video That Rocked the 2012 Election

47 Percent: Uncovering the Romney Video That Rocked the 2012 Election by David Corn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Regardless of which side you are on, this book is an excellent look behind the scenes at a political fundraiser. More importantly, it shows how intense the media circus is and the process one goes through to work with sources to gain trust.

If you are a political junkie or a journalism student, this is a must read.



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Review: The Twelve

The Twelve by Justin Cronin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I was really looking forward to this next in a series book. It was a little difficult in the beginning because it had been so long since The Passage came out, I had to go back and re familiarize myself the characters. Plus the story moves through a hundred years in a short time.

In the end, it was well worth it. Cronin delivered a great story and I'm anxious to continue with the final book when it is published. If you like The Passage, you'll re-acquaint yourself with some old friends and have fun on the way.



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Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This sequel started out slow and I was a little disappointed in the beginning. Once I got into it, the pace picked up and the story became what we loved in the first of the series. I'm looking forward to the final book in the series.



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Review: Bill of Human Wrongs

Bill of Human Wrongs by C. Michaels

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The Bill of Human Wrongs is an exciting look at how political decisions today can effect life in the future. Interweaving the present with the future, this book looks at current issues and the struggle of a Senator as she decides on how to vote on life changing bills. Only in this surreal setting does one get to see the impact of their decision years into the future.

This quick and fun read sends a message without being preachy. C. Michaels does a great job of developing characters and sprinkles in a dose of current day personalities that I'm sure you'll recognize. While the election is just around the corner, this book should be a must read in every election cycle.



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The Card - video book trailer

Here's a little something I've messed around with. Let me know what you think ... consider it a work in progress!