Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

Self-Publishing

An Interview with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords

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I was very fortunate to be able to sit down and talk with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords. Smashwords is a site where you can convert ebooks and distribute them through at least seven outlets, including the Smashwords ebookstore. We spent the last hour of BEA discussing self-publishing, the beginnings of Smashwords and where it's going, metadata, ebook distribution, and even the … [Read more...] about An Interview with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords

iAuthor

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Three weeks ago, Apple launched an exciting new app: iAuthor. It sounded very promising. Using iAuthor, you can drag and drop to make enhanced ebooks. iAuthor and iBooks2 were released on the same day with the intention of making it easier for students to use interactive textbooks. All textbooks sold on the iBookstore are priced at $14.99 or less. But anyone can use iAuthor to … [Read more...] about iAuthor

Writing Sex

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I'm taking an online class, via UCLA Extension, called Writing Sex. It's interesting. So far, I've learned that good sex writing revolves around good character development, and bad sex writing relies too much on cliches and the actual sex act. Does sex writing matter? Well, yes. Just like any other type of writing, it is used to convey a deeper meaning. Can it be thoughtful? … [Read more...] about Writing Sex

Taking online classes

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For the past five or six weeks I have been taking online creative writing classes via the UCLA Extension program. I had never taken an online class before, although I know some universities are starting to incorporate them into their coursework, so I did not know what to expect. As of now, I am about halfway through the courses, and I am enrolled in three classes, where I am … [Read more...] about Taking online classes

How to Write a Press Release

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Writing a press release may seem a little intimidating at first, but by following the following guidelines, it can be fairly easy. Press releases are meant to get specific information out to the media, so that the media can pass on that information to a mass audience. With that in mind, remember that all journalists need to answer the basic  questions of who, what, where, … [Read more...] about How to Write a Press Release

Types of Writing Part 1

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So, I have recently broken into the world of creative writing, and I was a little surprised to find out just how many types of creative writing forms exist. Here's a list with definitions of all the creative writing forms I have stumbled upon so far. I hope it helps those of you who are also just getting started on your creative writing. This is not meant to be an exhaustive … [Read more...] about Types of Writing Part 1

Writing For a Newspaper Part 2

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Here is the second part of my tips for writing for a newspaper. Writing Articles After all the interviewing and hunting for information, the actual writing of the article is fairly simple, and much like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You have to figure out the most important parts of the story, and then piece together the rest in a way that flows. Read more here. … [Read more...] about Writing For a Newspaper Part 2

Writing Styles

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There are many types of writing, and it's amazing how each style of writing is so different from other styles of writing. For example, technical writing tends to be more cut-and-dry and explanatory, whereas creative  writing is all about good descriptions and telling a story via a character's actions instead of explaining what is going on. And then there is legal writing, which … [Read more...] about Writing Styles

Writing For a Magazine

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Writing for a magazine can be a difficult transition from writing for a newspaper. At least that's how it was for me. The first time I wrote anything magazine style was actually for a class I took to earn my Professional Writing minor. I remember being a little smug. Since I had spent the last couple years working for a daily newspaper, I figured magazine writing would be … [Read more...] about Writing For a Magazine