Here's old news/events involving Charlsie Russell/Loblolly Writer's House, which the reader may find of interest

In the few weeks since that day, I’ve managed to pull off a nice Christmas and delved heavily into two new publishing initiatives. One deals with marketing--that’s my new blog Loblolly Log (yeah, it’s a play on words. The Log part is meant to conjure up visions of the felled limb of a pine tree as well as a running diary--in this case of author/publisher Charlsie Russell). Today, 30 December 2011, I will publish my fifth weekly blog. The subject of these initial posts is the publication of my newest book, River’s Bend, in Kindle format at Amazon. (Mastering the Kindle format, by the way, is my second initiative).

The blog posts are full of lessons learned and “how-to’s” regarding the creation of a Kindle book (mobipocket.azw), so if any of you out there are interested in creating your own Kindle book--prior to upload to Amazon’s DTP--take a look at my posts. Yes, the DTP will create a Kindle-readable book, but if you have it ready to go before uploading it, you will have your book looking the way you want it on Kindle, vice the more generic rendition the DTP will spit out. I’m speaking theoretically, of course. I haven’t done it yet. And you can still buy my books in Kindle format through Smashwords.

In addition to my blog, I’ve established accounts on Twitter, Linkedin, and I’ve created Facebook pages for Loblolly Writer’s House and my books. Go and friend Charlsie Russell. Not only are the winters cold, the summers are hot. I’m determined to establish an online presence--hence the blog and social networking.

I’ve been good keeping up with my blog so far, though.

Book poor and lacking a distributor, I've decided to print my books with Lightning Source (LSI), a print on demand (POD) printer having a working relationship with Ingram Distributor. No, this route will not get my books in every store across the country, but it will allow readers anywhere from sea to shining sea to walk into their favorite bookstore, be it an independent establishment or a Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million, and request the book be ordered--and the store representatives will be able to do so. I am hoping, however, that I can persuade the big chains here in Mississippi to carry one or two copies of my book on their bookstore shelves. And yes, I do intend to submit my three previous novels to LSI, so they, too, will be available everywhere. I trust, the very supportive independent book stores/gift shops/ and coffee houses across the state will continue to carry a few copies of my books on their shelves. These shops you can find listed below.

Not only does the new methodology have the potential to expand my marketing outlets, but being POD, the new paradigm will help me manage my inventory (significantly reduced) by allowing me to print small print runs, albeit at a greater cost per book. I figure what I put in extra on each book, will be offset by the interest I'm not paying on the loan needed to purchase the minimum 1,000 copies required for an offset print run.

Lastly, I'm in the early throes of creating an audio book. River's Bend will be the first book in this new format, and I intend to let interested self-publishers know what it took to create my listening masterpiece--once I've accomplished that feat, of course

Book News

Loblolly Writer's House recently made a second digital sale (Wolf Dawson) through Smashwords, but more importantly I was happy to learn I have my own profile page at the Apple iTunes store. That is the result of the folks at Apple picking up the three digital editions of my books produced by Smashwords. Now to drive readers that direction!

In addition to making my books available to readers who have fallen in love with their e-readers (I am one--I got a Nook for Christmas last year), Smashwords provides me the potential for marketing/distribution beyond my "hardcopy" limitation within the state of Mississippi, the setting for all my books. Logistics limits my marketing area. I have very small print runs, which makes me less than desirable to book distributors, even regional ones, but I can personally manage contact with independent bookstores throughout the state.

My primary venue for selling books is craft fairs, and each season I try to hit as many as I can from one end of the state to the other. Weekend after weekend beginning in April and ending in early December, I pack up my car with tent, table, chairs, and books and set up a booth at large and small towns across the state. In addition to the Mississippians who patronize these events, I have sold books to visitors from outside Mississippi and have subsequently received follow-up orders from outside Mississippi's boundaries and occasionally from outside the South. Still, when it comes to getting out there and hand-selling my books, I am limited by financial/logistical restraints, and I stick close to the place where I believe my books are most likely to sell in the greatest volumn--Mississippi, my niche market, so to speak. This website is my shop window to the world beyond Mississippi; I'm hoping Smashwords and the growing digital market will expand that market.

And for those of you who love the physical book, so do I. Epublishing supplements Loblolly Writer's House's products, not replaces them. I always intend to publish my books in hardcopy.

That said, I promised my fans I'd tell you, as best I could, how I turned my Quark-typeset book into a digital book. So if any of you are thinking about going that route (even if you are thinking of going with strictly an epubbed book--you don't have to print it first) then follow me to my Publishing on Smashwords for the Digital Market page.

And for those of you who wish only to read on your now treasured e-reader, visit Charlsie Russell's Page at Smashwords. From there you can also visit the pages of a myriad of other authors and get a feel for what Smashwords has to offer the growing e-reader community.

Already announced, Epico Bayou (July 2009) won Rebecca's Reads Spring 2010 Written Art Awards in the Mystery Category. The Written Art Awards is a biannual literary award founded to pay tribute to authors who are self-published or have had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, university press, or independent book publisher. Loblolly Writer's House/Charlsie Russell is a self-publisher and would like to thank Rebecca's Reads, not only for liking Epico Bayou, but for providing a positive venue for the little guys and gals to promote their writing.

Copyright Notice

"Loblolly Writer's House Site" Copyright © 2006 by Charlsie Russell

All rights reserved on all material on all pages in this site, plus the copyright

on compilations and design, graphics, and logos except as noted. For information

on reprinting material from this site, please contact

Charlsie Russell at loblollywriter@aol.com.