Hi all, sorry I've been MIA lately, I just had a baby so I have been SUPER busy. however, I am still dedicated to this blog and its readers. I have lots of great stuff planned this year. I will be doing seminars, contests, and interviews so be sure to keep checking back and share this page.
I will be posting within the next week BUT in the meantime, I have created a basic tutorial for those of you who want to learn how to create a blog.
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Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2015
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Book Buying
Bargaining
Going into a bookstore is like entering a new world, one scented with ink and paper, coffee and tea, dust and wood. I could browse the literary and young-adult sections forever but at the end of the day, I could never purchase any of them. The trip usually results in me buying something from the clearance or the bargain bin. However, I have gone into a Barnes & Nobles or a Books-A-Million and walked out feeling angry about the prices. For all who buy books, we know that at the end of the day it all comes down to money. How much are we willing to spend on a book when we can buy it elsewhere for a better price?
Below, I have ranked the order in which I purchase my books as well as the sites and stores I frequently visit or find the best deals:
You can find free books at your local library and online through give-a-way sites and e-books:
Free Book Friday- It is site that gives you the option to enter a “raffle” to win a free book in any of the four categories.
http://www.freebookfriday.com/
Get Free Books- It is a site that allows you to legally download free books.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/
Online Alternatives
You can find a multitude of discounted books! I use this to find a majority of my books (I almost never use any e-book format but I do own a kindle for schooling purposes). I would consider these the best options for those who like to have a physical copy of the book:
Best Bargain Books- It is a site that guarantee’s each book to start out at 60-80 percent off its original price. The fault is that books are almost always out of stock and you do pay around $3’s in shipping.
http://www.bestbargainbook.com/
Better World Books- It is an organization dedicated to improving literacy world-wide. It has a “bargain bin” where you can find a majority of popular titles and authors for under $3’s per book. For every book you do buy, the organization gives a book to a child or adult in a foreign country. Shipping is free!
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/
Trick-or-Treat Sellers
Barnes & Noble- It is probably the best known bookstore. However, it’s prices can be drastically lowered if you are willing to look around and price elsewhere. I would recommend checking their website for bargain-buys but shelf buying should be prohibited.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Books-A-Million- It is a smaller bookstore but a great place to find bargains. Here, you will find popular titles in each genre for under $5’s on clearance. No shelf buying unless you have a membership and even then, it can cheaper through online alternatives.
http://www.booksamillion.com/
Half-Price Books- It sells and buys used books. It is a great place to shop the bargain boxes and clearance shelves. I would recommend browsing the shelves for hidden bargains which cost about the same as a book and its shipping online.
http://www.hpb.com/
I know that finding a good bookstore is often hard simply because of prices. It is tragic that the publishers and owners must sell at a high rate to make their own profit. Over this past year, Border’s went out of business and I was heart-broken;. However, I never bought books except from the bargain table. It is the sad reality of books; it all comes down to price, quality, and format.
By
Going into a bookstore is like entering a new world, one scented with ink and paper, coffee and tea, dust and wood. I could browse the literary and young-adult sections forever but at the end of the day, I could never purchase any of them. The trip usually results in me buying something from the clearance or the bargain bin. However, I have gone into a Barnes & Nobles or a Books-A-Million and walked out feeling angry about the prices. For all who buy books, we know that at the end of the day it all comes down to money. How much are we willing to spend on a book when we can buy it elsewhere for a better price?
Below, I have ranked the order in which I purchase my books as well as the sites and stores I frequently visit or find the best deals:
You can find free books at your local library and online through give-a-way sites and e-books:
Free Book Friday- It is site that gives you the option to enter a “raffle” to win a free book in any of the four categories.
http://www.freebookfriday.com/
Get Free Books- It is a site that allows you to legally download free books.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/
Online Alternatives
You can find a multitude of discounted books! I use this to find a majority of my books (I almost never use any e-book format but I do own a kindle for schooling purposes). I would consider these the best options for those who like to have a physical copy of the book:
Best Bargain Books- It is a site that guarantee’s each book to start out at 60-80 percent off its original price. The fault is that books are almost always out of stock and you do pay around $3’s in shipping.
http://www.bestbargainbook.com/
Better World Books- It is an organization dedicated to improving literacy world-wide. It has a “bargain bin” where you can find a majority of popular titles and authors for under $3’s per book. For every book you do buy, the organization gives a book to a child or adult in a foreign country. Shipping is free!
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/
Trick-or-Treat Sellers
Barnes & Noble- It is probably the best known bookstore. However, it’s prices can be drastically lowered if you are willing to look around and price elsewhere. I would recommend checking their website for bargain-buys but shelf buying should be prohibited.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Books-A-Million- It is a smaller bookstore but a great place to find bargains. Here, you will find popular titles in each genre for under $5’s on clearance. No shelf buying unless you have a membership and even then, it can cheaper through online alternatives.
http://www.booksamillion.com/
Half-Price Books- It sells and buys used books. It is a great place to shop the bargain boxes and clearance shelves. I would recommend browsing the shelves for hidden bargains which cost about the same as a book and its shipping online.
http://www.hpb.com/
I know that finding a good bookstore is often hard simply because of prices. It is tragic that the publishers and owners must sell at a high rate to make their own profit. Over this past year, Border’s went out of business and I was heart-broken;. However, I never bought books except from the bargain table. It is the sad reality of books; it all comes down to price, quality, and format.
By
| Matthew Benton |
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Welcome Matthew Benton!
The Shaky Shelf would like to welcome our newest blogger Matthew Benton! We can't wait to see what wonderful things you have in store for us!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Dusting off the old books at 'The Shaky Shelf'!
Fellow writers, authors, and book lovers:
I am changing the look and feel of 'The Shaky Shelf'! Among the changes are: the layout, features, and there is even an official domain: www.theshakyshelf.com! Go books!
I am extremely excited about the new page launch (any day now). Be sure to bookmark the new site address. The servers are in the process of updating everything yet so it may take a few days to become live. I am in the process of transforming the lives of book lovers, writers and bloggers everywhere. I assure you, there is no place you would rather be than right here!
Join me as I kick this site into orbit!
I am changing the look and feel of 'The Shaky Shelf'! Among the changes are: the layout, features, and there is even an official domain: www.theshakyshelf.com! Go books!
I am extremely excited about the new page launch (any day now). Be sure to bookmark the new site address. The servers are in the process of updating everything yet so it may take a few days to become live. I am in the process of transforming the lives of book lovers, writers and bloggers everywhere. I assure you, there is no place you would rather be than right here!
Join me as I kick this site into orbit!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Tips to keep you focused as a writer
A good writer needs to be focused, dedicated, and committed. As a writer it can sometimes be very difficult to stay focused especially when there are so many distractions. Here are some tips that can help:
1. Set aside a time each day to write. Turn off the phone and the television.
2. Even if you are not working on any projects, write anyway. You never know when inspiration may come!
3. READ READ READ! It does now matter what you read as long as you read. You have to keep your mind sharp and it is difficult to write when you are not engaged in any outside content.
4. Keep a notepad beside the bed. Sometimes my biggest ideas come at night right before bed or in a dream.
5. Take a walk. You don't want to spend hours in front of your computer. Always give yourself a break and then come back to whatever you were working on.
These are just some quick tips to keep you focused and sharp. I also have several tools that I use as a writer that help me maximize my time. Check out the products (this also supports the site) to the right of this post. Almost every day I use my Kindle, the Livescribe Smart Pen, and Dragon Speech-to-text. These things are awesome because they allow me to get my ideas down quickly. Did you know that the Livescribe also has handwriting-to-text converting software that you can use when you upload your handwritten notes? I use this a lot as well and this saves LOADS of time! If you have any questions let me know. Please let me know how these tips have helped you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on 'The Shaky Shelf'.
Please sign up as a member of the site as well as our email list to receive a FREE ebook!
1. Set aside a time each day to write. Turn off the phone and the television.
2. Even if you are not working on any projects, write anyway. You never know when inspiration may come!
3. READ READ READ! It does now matter what you read as long as you read. You have to keep your mind sharp and it is difficult to write when you are not engaged in any outside content.
4. Keep a notepad beside the bed. Sometimes my biggest ideas come at night right before bed or in a dream.
5. Take a walk. You don't want to spend hours in front of your computer. Always give yourself a break and then come back to whatever you were working on.
These are just some quick tips to keep you focused and sharp. I also have several tools that I use as a writer that help me maximize my time. Check out the products (this also supports the site) to the right of this post. Almost every day I use my Kindle, the Livescribe Smart Pen, and Dragon Speech-to-text. These things are awesome because they allow me to get my ideas down quickly. Did you know that the Livescribe also has handwriting-to-text converting software that you can use when you upload your handwritten notes? I use this a lot as well and this saves LOADS of time! If you have any questions let me know. Please let me know how these tips have helped you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on 'The Shaky Shelf'.
Please sign up as a member of the site as well as our email list to receive a FREE ebook!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones
"A Song of Ice and Fire", better known as "The Game of Thrones"
is a series of fantasy novels that were written by George R.R.
Martin. While I cannot truthfully say that I have read these
novels, I can say that they are next on my list of must-reads.
If any of you have seen the HBO series "Game of Thrones", you
would want to read these book as well. While I am partial to
medieval stories, I am not easily amused. Many have failed to
deliver a captivating storyline but that is not the case with
this "Song of Ice and Fire" adaptation. I am a Game of Thrones
fan for life. I would like to do a mini-series about the show.
It should kick off next week. I want to do a brief re-cap
before the new season starts. While I will touch on some of
characters and general gist of the story, I will not be giving
out too many specifics. Like the show, these posts will leave
you wanting more and I shall not disappoint! Stay tuned!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire
is a series of fantasy novels that were written by George R.R.
Martin. While I cannot truthfully say that I have read these
novels, I can say that they are next on my list of must-reads.
If any of you have seen the HBO series "Game of Thrones", you
would want to read these book as well. While I am partial to
medieval stories, I am not easily amused. Many have failed to
deliver a captivating storyline but that is not the case with
this "Song of Ice and Fire" adaptation. I am a Game of Thrones
fan for life. I would like to do a mini-series about the show.
It should kick off next week. I want to do a brief re-cap
before the new season starts. While I will touch on some of
characters and general gist of the story, I will not be giving
out too many specifics. Like the show, these posts will leave
you wanting more and I shall not disappoint! Stay tuned!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Twitter contest
Hey guys, I am always looking around the Internet for good promotional opportunities. While it is usually a "swing and a miss", I just found something that could truly be beneficial to anyone who is trying to build their following and their brand. I joined a site called myblogguest.com and I found some contests while browsing the forum. One of the contests offers free retweets to bloggers who post information about their contest. It is a really interesting opportunity because we all know that Twitter is extremely popular and can be a powerful tool in any author's toolbox. Check out the contest here:
http://internetdreams.com/social-media/contest-1-win-free-prizes
http://internetdreams.com/social-media/contest-1-win-free-prizes
Monday, July 30, 2012
Hardest part of being an Author?
What is your biggest challenge as an Author? For me it has to be procrastination as well as marketing. Procrastination can shoot you in the foot before you even start because there is always something else that you could be doing. However, pushing past that has great rewards so sometimes I have to literally throw myself into it no matter what. Marketing is also difficult unless you understand things like demographics, niches, etc. I am learning as I go along and there is no shortage of lessons.
Writer's Group
Hey,
I have started a writer's group at:
http://bookblogs.ning.com/group/writer-s-group
Come check it out and feel free to join, it's gonna be a blast! Be sure to spread the word! If you are not a member of the site..join now, it's free.
Also, don't forget to check out my new Ebook..only .99 at Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/College-Boot-Camp-ebook/dp/B008FQGD9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343624838&sr=8-1&keywords=college+boot+camp
I have started a writer's group at:
http://bookblogs.ning.com/group/writer-s-group
Come check it out and feel free to join, it's gonna be a blast! Be sure to spread the word! If you are not a member of the site..join now, it's free.
Also, don't forget to check out my new Ebook..only .99 at Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/College-Boot-Camp-ebook/dp/B008FQGD9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343624838&sr=8-1&keywords=college+boot+camp
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