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May 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Going Beyond the Written Word | Books & Beer

Jeffrey Powers runs Geekazine and a pile of other “azine” properties. He’s a videographer, interviewer, podcaster and content creator that’s found an interesting creative outlet in all things digital media. He’s got some great ideas that should-be authors would do well to adopt, and he shares them with us on this 15-minute episode of The Books & Beer Hangout.


And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Goose Island Summertime, a Stone Enjoy By IPA (5.17.13), and an Old Chub by Oskar Blues. Tasty!

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

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April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

From Writer to Author — A Work In Progress | Books & Beer

imageIs writing without publishing worth the effort? Should publishing — for a fee — be the ultimate goal of all writers? Or is the concept of publishing changing, allowing for more models than creating a book that someone can only purchase? Adam Boenig joins us to discuss just that, in this interactive fifteen minute episode of The Books & Beer Hangout. Here’s what you’ll get:

  • Why Adam is more focused on writing than publishing
  • How to publish… without publishing as you may define it
  • Alternative publishing venues for those not quite ready to charge for their work
  • How to leverage Wattpad to build your audience base — and career
  • When a major marketplace fits into the publishing equation
  • The value of building a vast content library that you can publish later
  • Building a back catalog with a blog, Google+ and other services
  • Creating a network of collaborators and contributors that can help you publish later
  • The danger of publishing too quickly
  • For some examples of Adam’s work, check out the blog that features his writing, his Chaotic Motion page on Google+, and his YouTube channel!

And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Shiner’s Black Lager, Mr. Pineapple from San Tan, and the Cascara Quad from New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series.

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

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April 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Survival Tactics for Shipwrecked Authors | Books & Beer

shipwrecked-authorKimberly Chapman is a shipwrecked author. Her previous publisher is no longer in business, and she finds herself suddenly an indie author, figuring out the world of self-publishing. Sound familiar? Probably. And she has some lessons to pass along to the rest of you. Here’s what you’ll find in 15 minute so this episode of The Books & Beer Hangout:

  • Why not all traditional publishing deals are created equal. Or even good.
  • The good parts of traditional publishing, and how we can recreate it in an indie world
  • The better parts of indie publishing, and how they beat traditional publishing
  • But you’ll have to pay, indie author–Kimberly will tell you how much
  • Balancing the risk with the reward, when it’s all on your shoulders
  • Why you can and must professionally publish as an indie author
  • Avoid “fredited” at all costs and pay for a professional editor
  • Finding innovative ways to market your book
  • Tips on taking the plunge into indie publishing for those who’ve been on the other side

And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Mother Road’s Roadside American Ale and Epic Brewing’s Big Bad Baptist. The puppet had a Sweet Action by Sixpoint.

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

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March 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Publishing through Serial Fiction

serializedThis week, our guest is Claudia Hall Christian. She writes the Denver Serial series, a traditional serial fiction that she’s been writing six days a week, for almost five years. But she does more than that, actually publishing–and selling– books along the way. How does that work? Pretty well, as you’ll learn in this 15 minutes of The Books and Beer Hangout!

  • The good and the bad of hooking writers on your storytelling
  • The size of the audience interested in serial fiction
  • Writing arcs within a continuing story
  • Should you write well in advance, or on a daily basis
  • What it takes to keep a long-term serial story going
  • How serial fiction and full-length novels can be written at the same time
  • The complexity of keeping multiple storylines straight in serial fiction
  • How Claudia makes money selling the same stories she gives away for free
  • Why this will work for you, too.

And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Session Black , some homemade mead, and a Lagunitas Brown Shugga

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

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March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Kobo Writing Life for the Indie Author | Books & Beer

Writing-LifeMark Lefebvre is the Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations for Kobo. He’sbeen a bookseller for 20 years, an author for 30 years and a book nerd ever since he chewed on his first book as a toddler. We brought him on to cover Kobo Writing Life and to talk about the state of the ebook industry beyond Amazon.com. Here’s what we covered on this 15 minute episode of The Books & Beer Hangout:

  • A quick history of Kobo–and why you should use it!
  • How Kobo partners with independent booksellers in the U.S.
  • How independent bookstores support Kobo authors
  • Why Google got it wrong with ebooks
  • How independent bookstores benefit when customers buy Kobo books
  • The interoperability of books purchased from Kobo
  • How you can read books from Kobo on your ebook reading device
  • How to gain an international audience with Kobo
  • The realities of short-term exclusivity

And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Church-Key Brewing’s Northumberland Ale, Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout by Epic, and the Goose Island IPA. Tasty!

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! (almost) every Monday night at 6:00p PT. Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

Filed Under: Books & Beer, Featured, Headline
March 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

eBooks and Libraries | Books & Beer

librariesDaniel Messer is with Maricopoa County Library District. He’s worked in libraries for almost 20 years. As an author, he’s keenly interested in the interplay between libraries and ebooks, and has some intersting insight to share with you in 15 minutes on this edition of the Books and Beer Hangout:

  • How libraries acquire ebooks for lending to patrons
  • Vagaries of antiquated licensing systems that continue to plague libraries, even in ebooks
  • Working with Overdrive and Freeding
  • How DRM adds a new layer of complexity
  • How you can check out books from the library and read them on your ebook reading device
  • Yes, Amazon does play (nicely?) with your library
  • But in the world of $.99 and free ebooks… will libraries survive?
  • Conversations about the great fear publishers have of piracy from libraries, and why that’s stupid
  • How indie authors can get their books in the public library

And there was the obligatory drinking of beers. Tonight’s choices: Sex Panther by Santan Brewing and the last of Evo’s Bell’s Hopslam.

The Books & Beer Hangout is broadcast live as a Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube Live! Circle ePublish Unum on Google+ to watch live, and to join The Books & Beer Hangover right after the show to chat with hosts and participants live!

Can’t see the video embedded above? Download the video or watch it on YouTube.

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