The thread of Damocles (Full Version)

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mvic -> The thread of Damocles (8/1/2008 11:06:29 AM)

Seeing I don't know how these personal threads work - I've called mine the Thread of Damocles.

It will be cut short with lack of interest.

So here goes: frivolous or serious stuff can be posted here. Not too serious though ... it takes me ages to understand it.



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/1/2008 11:08:26 PM)

Good name!



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 3:53:34 AM)

Hi Maggie,

Thanx for helping to stop the thread of Damocles from breaking !



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 5:56:20 AM)

Well, we couldn't have that now, could we? You're a senior member. What folder do you most frequently post in? Have you told the folks you know there about this thread?



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 6:09:58 AM)

I normally visit the General Faith and the Protestants Only Folders. There are some good discussions there sometimes, and I learn a lot. Why do they call it Protestants Only? Are non-protestants unwelcome ???

I also visit the Theology and Ministry Leaders Folders for the same reasons.

Then from time to time I pick different Folders to see what goes on there. I've just discovered this Folder.

I haven't told anyone about this thread. I'm waiting to see whether it gets discovered like you did do, or whether it just fades ... a w a y ... and is forgotten for an eternity and ... ... b e y o n d .....

Thanx for visiting this thread. Really appreciated.



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 6:28:05 AM)

You're welcome. My observation is that when people come to this thread from other places at CW, they usually tell their friends who then follow them. It's often a great big party, so to speak, because you can talk about pretty much anything in your own PFY thread.

quote:

Why do they call it Protestants Only? Are non-protestants unwelcome ???

If I recall, they don't want non-Protestant viewpoints expressed. Not sure why, though I've heard at least one Catholic who posted here say she felt unwelcome because she is Catholic.

I used to visit a greater variety of different folders, back when CW was much smaller. Now I pretty much stay here and in Community Lounge with the rare foray elsewhere.



humbleinspirit -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 6:47:14 AM)

Welcome Mvic!



ShallbeRebuilt -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 7:53:35 AM)

Hey mvic;

Welcome to the friendly neighborhood. Do go invite your friends...they won't know you're here if they don't hang out here already.

PFY's are great places to party and express your opinion or your current state of being (hmmm...liquid? Solid? gaseous?[:D]). But you gotta have friends to read it, right?

feel free to pop over to the belfry and visit--one of the most boring threads here, but it's still alive!

besiderself



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 8:34:20 AM)

Hello again Maggie, and Humbleinspirit, and Besideherself.

You see ... I can't invite any friends to this thread. That would be interfering with the thread of Damocles. The thread must continue, or be cut short all by itself ... without any help from me.

There's nothing to stop you or anyone else from joining in and inviting as many friends as possible. The more the merrier. But I can't interefere by inviting people in. I can of course contribute to it. For example:

You'll remember that Damocles was Greek and during a banquet Dionysius hung a sword upon Damocles' head by a single piece of horsehair. Dionysius did this to show that no matter how great and successful one is there's always a constant sense of fear that things may change.

What do you think of that?

Frivolous responses welcomed - because my brain hurts already !!!



humbleinspirit -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 8:38:04 AM)

Hey Mvic, I'd say that Damocles is an interesting thing.



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 3:02:29 PM)

I checked out your links, Vic. How long ago was your book published? I see you used Xulon. Have you been happy with their service? I'd be interested to know about your experience with them because I'm in the process of self-publishing with one of their competitors. It was a toss-up between the two and I'm not very happy with the company I chose.



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 5:41:41 PM)

The book was published last September.

I've been happy with Xulon from submitting the book to its publication ...!!!

However think carefully about self-publishing. Go to the Writers Roundtable Forum (on this website). Read the thread entitled Concerning Agents started by SuspenseWriter. Read what he has to say and what Dancre has to say.

Think carefully before self-publishing ...



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 6:43:01 PM)

Too late. I'm in the final stages. It's been a year instead of the 90 days their website promised. But I might check out the thread you mentioned. Do you regret self-publishing? Have many of your books sold?



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 7:38:36 PM)

An author may be able to write a book but may not have the time, effort, knowledge or capability to promote it.

It's one thing having your book on booksellers' websites - it's making its availability known that's the problem.

Perhaps self-publishing organisations could do more to help in this respect.

More info on the thread I mentioned.



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/2/2008 8:31:13 PM)

Yeah. I've been giving a lot of thought to marketing. I thought Xulon gives you some guidance on that.

I did read the thread you mentioned and bookmarked a couple of the posts to look at again. The two posters you mentioned seem to be very knowledgeable and experienced.



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/3/2008 4:51:46 AM)

Guidance - yes. But the author has to do a lot of promotion work. And if you do that you can't work on your next book !!!

(Message edited to correct mistake in cut and paste sequence).



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/3/2008 3:00:22 PM)

Yeah, it is a dilemma I've been pondering all year. I've bought a couple of small books about marketing--one being specifically about marketing one's book online (can't remember the title)--and have been giving thought to how to market. I realize the onus is on me and no one else. It's scary, especially since I am NOT good at self-promotion, but I'm really hoping I can do this. I guess I see it the bigger job than the actual writing. THAT part was easy!



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/3/2008 7:04:36 PM)

As you say, writing the book is the easy part.

Marketing it is almost impossible for one person to do by him/herself.

You can design and launch your own website. I learnt to program and designed my website - because getting it done professionally is expensive. But once launched - you have to promote the website which itself promotes the book. No point having a website (or book) if no one knows about it.

There's Press releases. Xulon helped with that and I sent out umpteen copies to Christian TV/Radio stations and Christian Magazines and Newspapers. Xulon helped by providing a list of these.

There's work to do locally - i.e. visit Christian bookshops and ask them to have the book on their shelves. It's pointless just having it on their computers - the customer needs to see it on the shelf. The problem I found with this is that in the UK Christian book retailers are mostly part of big chains and they get their books from their HQ. Secondly: there just aren't many Christian bookshops - period. Christianity is not exactly a big thing around here !!! We had 2 Christian bookshops in an area with a population of about 90,000 people. Now we only have 1 - the other closed about two years ago.

So there you have it ... sometimes I wish there was an Organisation which would market/promote the book for you and take a percentage of the royalties.

What is your book about?



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/3/2008 8:12:33 PM)

I'll have to find the name of the book for promoting one's book online. I found it very interesting and plan to do as many things they suggest as I can. Ah! Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Hot-Internet-Publicity-Promoting/dp/1600370934 It was recommended by my friend's publisher.

Without many Christian bookstores in the UK, you are handicapped. Have you tried promoting it in non-Christian bookstores? The independents in your city/community might very well be interested. I plan to take my book to the large independent bookstore nearby. They like to promote local authors and aren't afraid of Christian books.

One thing that I heard suggested for local stores is to take them some books with a promise to take them back if the store can't seel them. This makes it risk-free for them and is what the book wholesalers do.

My book is about a portion of my spiritual journey. One thing I'm hoping to do (this is VERY scary) is make myself available for speaking engagements--first in my own city, but hopefully elsewhere. My publisher even put a statement at the back of my book to that effect--without checking with me first. I had been thinking of this on my own; I just wasn't sure I wanted to be so bold about it. But boldness is what will make it successful.

The other thing I've done is started a blog which I'm in the process of putting on my own website. The address for my site is also at the end of the book as is my e-mail address. The advantage of a blog is that, if you are posting to it frequently, you make your site more dynamic and attractive. If you can attract people to your blog/web site, you have access to more potential customers. ONe of the ways you do this is to spend time visiting the blogs of people who potentially could be interested in your book. You comment on those blogs and the blog owners and their readers may click on the link of your name to see what your blog is about.



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/4/2008 6:24:02 AM)

Thanx for the advice on the Red Hot Internet Publicity book. I'll look it up.

Best wishes with your book. I hope it's a success.

(Looks above head .... thread of Damocles still intact ... just !!!).



JimboFletch -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/4/2008 3:55:47 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: magdaleine

...You're a senior member....

To add to Maggie's observation, be sure to take advantage of your Senior Member Discounts! Just ckick on any of the ads on this or any other page and you will be taken directly to that advertisement site without having to pay a Transportation Fee.
[sm=thumbsup.gif]



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/4/2008 5:26:03 PM)

Ah HA! New blood, er, a new poster! Damocles' thread grows stronger!

Senior members get discounts? Since when? What other benefits are there? Do Super Members have benefits more than Senior ones?
Sheesh, Jimbo! You completely yanked my chain and had me believing you. Then I went back to re-read what you wrote. [sm=yummy.gif]



mvic -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/4/2008 8:25:44 PM)

Hi JimboFletch - welcome and thanx for keeping Damocles' thread intact for a while longer.

It's what Commander Riker would gave done.

So the honour is yours to start a new subject to keep the conversation going.



magdaleine -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/4/2008 8:46:10 PM)

If you're scrambling for subject matter, why don't you introduce yourself and tell a bit about who you are?



JimboFletch -> RE: The thread of Damocles (8/5/2008 7:57:28 AM)

I was once abducted by aliens and taken for ride around the galaxy. They put me to sleep when we returned, erased my memory of the events, and carefully removed all physical indications that they had ever been here. I submit as proof that it actually occurred my inability to recall anything that happened and my complete lack of even microscopic evidence.



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