I am exhausted, intrigued, excited, and thrilled. And I am home! After a year (more or less) abroad in the wide, wide world of China, I have returned to the wonderful US. It’s been a wild ride, but if you’ve kept up with my other, China-centric blog, you already know that.

After all that time away from home, I’m back and ready to revamp this blog of mine! I will probably be working on a few concepts that have been floating around my brain while participating in all kinds of things to keep me afloat. I have to get a job, of course, which could take longer than I really like to think about, but in the meantime I’ll be keeping up my online activity as well as my writing.

Speaking of writing, what was the first thing I did when I arrived home? Oh, that’s right: I gravitated instantly to the box with my CreateSpace proof copy, courtesy of the NaNoWriMo winner’s page. It arrived long before I did back in the States, and when I opened it up, I got my first taste of just what a book that I wrote could look like.

I would actually recommend purchasing a proof copy of a draft if you are an aspiring writer. It means so much more to have a professionally bound copy of your book with your name on the front in your hands, and it’s given me more motivation to edit and revise the book now that I’ve seen just how awesome it has the potential to be.

Fire & Ice Bound - Cover of my Proof Copy

As you can see, I decided to take a picture of my proof copy with my dog, Harley. Seriously, though, the cover was gorgeous. I will go ahead and admit I probably could not use the cover art if I were to self-publish the book because the amazing artist who designed it (another NaNoWriMo participant) mentioned the artwork potentially being licensed in such a way that I would need to pay for it. However, as this book is just for me at this point, I’m thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous cover.

Title Page of Fire & Ice Bound

I took quite a few photos of this to link to the NaNoWriMo forums, but the point is that seeing my name (or my pen name as the case may be) in print is enough to motivate me towards eventually ironing out all the kinks and making this shape up into a real novel.

The end result of this proof copy is a 333-page book on cream paper with few stylistic designs apart from the chapter font. The lines are spaced at 1.5, and the font is 11-point Times New Roman. It’s a little over 90,000 words long, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed rereading it since I haven’t read it since I finished writing it in February 2010 (written originally for NaNoWriMo 2009).

Random Inside Pages of My Novel

It’s stunning to see my novel in print. Like I said, I sincerely urge you to get a proof copy of your novel printed. With CreateSpace, you do nothing until you approve your proof for sale, which means you never have to approve your proof copy. So in essence, you can finish editing, revising, polishing that proof copy until you get it just right, and then you can start sending it in to agents.

A proof from CreateSpace is actually rather cheap when you get right down to it. Basic shipping will get it to most places in the States within a week of ordering, and I think it’s a definite investment in the future of my writing career to see what I’ve written in book format and really get a chance to read it like I would a novel.

The Back Cover of My Novel

I’ll probably update with a little more about how I’m using this proof copy to edit and revise my novel. I think it might be fun to do a few visual presentations on my editing process, especially if it becomes as “colorful” an experience as I imagine it will.

I thoroughly intend on doing a revision of the novel, printing it out on paper, revising again, doing a sweeping edit of grammar, and finally paying for a second proof copy from CreateSpace that will hopefully be the most polished version of the book.

Until then, there are novels to be written (in August), resumes to revamp (next week), blogs to write (soon and very soon), and other things that have to be finished.

I hope this visual blog post has warmed your little writer hearts and reminded you that I am, in fact, not dead. I will be around more soon, and hopefully we’ll see this blog revamped in the interim.

Looking forward to more posts soon -

- Rae

It’s the epitome of duckdom, the most succulent, sinful bit of roast duck I’ve ever encountered in my life. It’s exquisite, delightful, and certainly something I never would have expected to find so close to the Happy Dragon Hostel in Beijing. 

This is Beijing duck. It’s the way duck is supposed to be, and I give serious props to the chef, who trained with the best of them to roast a duck to such a degree that every bite is pure pleasure. 

Before I came to Beijing, I checked out my guidebook for information about where to go for great food, and I came up with a few suggestions for Beijing duck. According to the guidebook, the places to go were Da Dong’s Duck Restaurant and Made In China, both of which receive high reviews on The Beijinger, an English-language magazine that reviews restaurants and other things around town. 

I managed to find Da Dong’s the other night when I was out with Jana, a Missouri native who teaches in South Korea, and Rob. Da Dong’s is super classy and definitely not the place we should have walked in with capris and t-shirts. But it’s also ridiculously expensive. We were able to get hold of the wine list, and its extensive menu of thousand-kuai wines was enough to make you feel ill. I read that the restaurant itself had a 180-page food menu, which is just insane. Full ducks start at 199 kuai, and then you have to buy drinks (and let’s just assume buying water here is no 1-kuai expense) and side items since you won’t be just purchasing the duck. 

Needless to say, it’s a swanky place and one I was afraid I couldn’t afford. 

This is not to say that I wouldn’t pay premium dollar for good duck, but I didn’t want it that badly. And the place almost requires reservations unless you don’t mind a thirty-minute to one hour wait. So my vote was no to Da Dong’s. 

Made In China, the other restaurant listed in my guidebook gets even higher ratings on The Beijinger for slightly cheaper fare. Even so, I don’t think I need the reservations that much. I can probably find a good duck somewhere in this city, right? 

Last night, we went out for duck. I was with Rob and an Iranian who lives in Sweden and who has a name that’s rather impossible for me to pronounce. He was very nice, though, and it was cool to meet someone new again. We were originally going to follow the suggestions of David, one of the Happy Dragon employees, who told us about a nearby duck place we should try. 

We found the right street and were walking along. I have no idea if we actually found the correct restaurant or not because I’m hopeless when it comes to reading Chinese characters. We did, however, find a very pretty, tasteful restaurant that seemed a bit higher-end than the rest of the places we’d seen on the street. Feeling adventurous, we walked in and sat down. 

The menu was pretty par for the course. They had everything from roast duck (clearly a must!) to duck giblets to mustard duck feet to chicken with walnuts to mutton. It was a meat-lover’s paradise. And to be fair, they also offered a decent selection of vegetables as well, including one of my favorites from Wuhan: hand-shredded cabbage. The menu was a ridiculous number of pages long, and it took at least five minutes to go through the whole thing. 

The place had decent prices for duck, and I think it was around 158 kuai for a duck. So we ordered one duck, one set of pancakes, two sets of duck condiments, one order of chicken with walnuts, and one sauce plus drinks. Not a bad order and plenty of food to fill up three people very easily. 

We received the chicken with walnuts first, and as is par for the course here, we waited for about 30 minutes before seeing hide nor hair of the duck. The chicken with walnuts is definitely one of my new favorite dishes here in China, and we demolished that by the time the duck was almost finished roasting. 

Eventually the chef came out with the full duck on a platter. It was a crispy golden color with the head turned modestly down as if the duck were ashamed to be seen naked. The chef showed the duck to us, almost as if asking if it looked okay, and we all heartily agreed. Then he went off to one side and began slicing the duck into little bite-sized pieces. 

By the time all the food was laid out before us, we had two plates of succulent duck meat, one bowl of steaming pancakes, two condiment platters, a basket of greens, and a basket of crispy, thin rolls. Our eyes were a bit larger than our stomachs in hindsight, but we valiantly sallied forth and began eating our duck. 

Our waitress was kind enough to show us how to roll our Beijing duck pancakes and what to include with each pancake. The condiment platters had minced garlic, thick plum sauce, sugar, two kinds of minced pickled vegetables (one of which was pickled radishes), cucumber slices, onion slivers, and jelly-like vegetables that reminded me a bit of cranberry sauce. 

Another waitress pointed out that we were supposed to eat the duck meat pieces with the garlic and plum sauce while we were supposed to dip the skin and fat pieces in the sugar. I tried a piece of the fat in the sugar immediately after she pointed it out, and suddenly I found myself in duck heaven. 

I have no idea how this chef learned to make such delectable, tender, delightful duck, but the fat literally melted in your mouth. I don’t know how else to describe it. There was no need to chew because the fat and skin pieces just became a delicious goo that melted into your mouth, and when you put them in sugar, it was even more delicious. Even after they cooled off, the fat still seemed to just disappear, almost the way cotton candy dissolves into sweet nothingness. 

But duck this incredible has to be terrible for you. 

I don’t care. 

The meat pieces that he cut for us were also incredibly tender and excellent when paired with almost any of the condiments. Making the pancakes is a fun experiment, but honestly, I would just eat the duck with the condiments alone.

Either way, I have to say that if that’s the last truly Chinese meal I have in China, I am perfectly happy with it. I would go back in a heartbeat to this place and pay bookus of bucks to get them to make me duck again, but I am happy enough just living with having had this experience.

And now, sooner than ever, I get on a plane to fly home. Tomorrow morning at 6:55 a.m. my flight leaves Beijing for Detroit, and then it will only be a matter of time before I’m back on home soil. I think I’ve had a full trip, and I’m really happy that I came, but I’m also happy to go home.

There will be a few more posts before I end this blog to wrap up loose ends. And then I’ll be home and a new adventure will be starting.

Here’s to China and the best Beijing duck I’ve ever had!

- Rae 

Reason? Well, I’m in China. And if that isn’t reason enough, then I could regale you with tales of how much things change when you’re living abroad for a few months, or I could express my deep discontent with the way in which the administration at my particular school has been handling end-of-term procedures.

Suffice it to say that with an intermittent proxy that does not always work (thus keeping me off blogs and other social networking sites) and my own busy-ness, I’ve been a wee bit preoccupied.

I am coming back to the States in July. So things are quickly winding down for me. That said, I probably will not be posting again until I’m home due to some serious financial, packing, shipping, planning, and traveling issues.

In the meantime, I would be happy to suggest that those of you who have been commenting on my more recent posts start checking out one another’s websites and blogs. I’m sure there’s lots of fun things that you can read about there, and you won’t be missing my posts too much that way!

Well, that’s all for now, but I’ll be back. I’m not going to let this blog die off, and I have some plans for it upon my return Stateside!

- Rae

This is a part of the author interview Jennifer so graciously gave me, and I hope you’ll find her insight helpful when you consider Tate Publishing. Following today’s post, I’ll be putting up another post tomorrow featuring Jennifer’s background and history. I hope you’ll stick around to read more about this budding new children’s author.

With no further ado, here is the Q&A session I had with Jennifer concerning her experiences with Tate Publishing. She was very thorough and answered all my questions with detailed information about her experience, and I think you’ll find it as informative and helpful as I did.

What process did you go through to finally find your current publisher?

A LOT!  I did a ton of research to figure out how I wanted to go about publishing.

I looked at what the process would be to get an agent and to hook up with one of the big NYC firms.  What I found, however, is especially in the children’s book genre, unless you are a previously published author or a celebrity with built-in marketing (think Tina Fey) where people will buy the book just because it was written by you, your chances of getting out of the slush pile are slim to none.  I wanted to make sure that this book got into print during a timeframe when my daughters would still be able to enjoy it.  It was, after all, for them that the story was written.

Next I looked at the vanity presses and also read a lot about self-publishing. The vanity presses out there offer little to no marketing support, they don’t have relationships with the major bookstore chains, and they will print anything as long as you are willing to pay. One can literally be nickeled and dimed up to the point of having to buy back your own work should you choose to sever the relationship.   Going the self pub route didn’t seem realistic for me either as you are completely on your own.  To be successful going either of those routes, one would need to be able to dedicate time as if it were their full time career.  I just don’t have that luxury.

Then I came across Tate Publishing.  Being a business woman myself and always trying to find non-traditional methods for achieving good business results, I immediately understood and appreciated their business model.  By requiring an author investment, they are mitigating their risk. They want to make sure that once they have invested their time and money into your book that you are going to reciprocate and work as hard as you can to sell your books when at signings and other marketing events that they schedule for you. (By the way, I did put together an Excel spreadsheet comparing what the vanity presses would charge for the same services that Tate provides and it ended up being from $12,000-$18,000.  Knowing that, the $4K charged by Tate is quite a deal!) Dangling the carrot of the 5,000th copy sold to get your money refunded (which also results in Tate publishing subsequent works by you at no cost to you), is their “insurance policy”.  It made perfect sense to me.

Did you attempt to get other agents and/or publishers before going to Tate? What was that like?

I did have a conversation with Mill City Press, however, based on how they do business, it would have cost me a minimum of $12,000 for a full color picture book.  They seemed reputable but that price tag was just too high for me to even consider.  Beyond that, there weren’t any out there that after all of the research I had done, I would seriously consider.

How long did it take you to find a publisher who wanted to publish your book?

As with the writing, I dove into this project head first so I think I had made a decision in a few weeks.

When you first began researching Tate, what were your thoughts on the company? Did you have any initial misgivings?

Honestly, I completely understood their business model from the get-go.  However, I don’t trust anything at face value so I checked the Better Business Bureau and they had an A+ rating.  They were also listed as one of Oklahoma’s Top 100 Companies to work for.  In addition, I set up a Google Alert for Tate Publishing and followed those for a while to see if any red flags popped up.  At the end of the day, I decided that they were indeed on the up and up.

If you had any questions or concerns about Tate, what made you change your mind?

After I looked at all of the information objectively, I didn’t really have any concerns.  All of my questions were answered as a result of the research I had done.

I know Tate is fairly up-front about the cost investment for first-time authors. Did that bother you in any way?

No…well, don’t get me wrong, of course I would have loved for them to have taken on my book without having to invest any money into it but that isn’t how they work.  It is exactly that model which allows them to take a risk on first time authors.

What is Tate’s process for vetting books from first-time authors? Can you tell us how the process worked for you from submitting your manuscript to getting the go-ahead for publishing?

In terms of the review process they go through, well, you’re going to have to ask them about that.  I wish I could tell you but once I hit the submit button on their website, my manuscript was off and I don’t know what they did with it from there.  All I know is I received an e-mail, about 6-7 weeks after submitting it asking me to respond to some questions about my motivation for writing the book.  I replied to that message and within 7-10 days, a contract had arrived via UPS at my house.  I remember because I had been taking an afternoon nap and when I came downstairs my husband had the package in hand.  It was very exciting!

How involved have the people at Tate been in getting your book from the manuscript stage to the final published format?

They have been extremely involved in getting it to this point!  I started off working with my editor, Hannah.  She was great and handled making sure all of the commas, quotation marks, etc. were in the right places.  She also made recommendations to me as to where she felt the story could be enhanced a bit more and even in some cases where she felt that something just didn’t flow properly.  I was very pleased with all of her feedback and my manuscript is definitely better because of it.

From there I worked with Liz, my illustrator.  Liz read the story and then contacted me to set up time to speak with me about the main characters in the book.  After going back and forth several times, we came to agreement on the character reference sketches (which can be seen in the photos section of my Facebook Fan Page).  A few days later, Liz contacted me so she could talk with me about her ideas for the storyboard.  She told me how she envisioned the illustrations and I was able to comment on some things that I thought should be included.  I will say, however, that I am a firm believer in letting the experts do what they do best so while I would share with her what I was thinking, I also made it clear to her to push back on me if anything I was saying wouldn’t have the desired effect…and she did in a couple of circumstances.

After the illustrations were complete, my file was passed on to Chris, in layout who was responsible for the cover design of the book.  Chris looked at the illustrations that Hannah had done and provided me with a few different options (they can also be seen in the photos section of my FB Fan Page) and this is where I decided to do something a little bit different.  I reached out to as many people as I could via e-mail and through Facebook and asked them to vote on their favorite.  In addition to voting, many people provided ideas for minor tweaks here and there that ended up getting incorporated into the final choice.

From there, Chris (not my layout designer, Chris…another Chris) my marketing representative contacted me to set up time to talk about the pre-release marketing plan for my book.  I told him what I had in mind and what I was already doing and he also provided me with some additional suggestions.  Chris has been great about getting review copies out to those that have expressed interest in writing a review on the book.  He is also in the process of coordinating the development of my media kit which will be ready by the official release date of the book which is April 5^th.

Do you feel that Tate was the right choice for you in getting your book published?

I do.  Thus far, they have done everything that they said they would and there has not been one bump in the road.  Considering that the book was just printed, I am sure there is still much to write in terms of our relationship, however, for now, I have no complaints.

What were your experiences working with the people at Tate?

So far all of the interactions have been great!  My e-mails are always answered and my phone calls are always returned.

What would you say to those people who are curious about the claims that Tate is a vanity publisher?

I guess that I would say they are trying to stick a square peg into a round hole.  The fact is that as human beings, we like things to fit nice and neatly into predetermined definitions and whenever something is outside of the norm of how we understand things to work, we get uncomfortable.  I think that thus far, the publishing world has been defined by three means of publishing; traditional, vanity, and self-pub.  Tate doesn’t fit neatly into any of those and as opposed to creating a new “bucket,” folks would rather try to make Tate fit where they feel appropriate.

Do you believe the author investment is a fair one to make in order to get your book printed? And is Tate making good on their promise to invest a far heftier amount in publishing, advertising, and placing your book?

I do think it is a fair amount.  Like I had said previously, of course I would have preferred to not pay anything up front.  With that said, it’s the nature of the beast.  I am fairly confident that with the genre of my book and the fact that it appeals to a niche market, I would not have even gotten a first look from a traditional press.  They are looking for books that appeal to the market where everyone is a target reader.  There are few examples out there of a traditional press taking on a children’s picture book that was written by a first time author.  Also, I mentioned earlier that I had priced out what it would have cost me to go with a vanity press and get the same services that Tate offers and it was pretty astronomical.  Finally, if I had chosen to go the self-pub route, it would have cost me more than the author investment to hire an illustrator and layout designer.  On production alone, the investment has paid for itself.  I am, of course, definitely working towards selling the 5,000 copies to get the investment refunded altogether!

Since it is fairly early in the marketing phase, I can’t fully speak to all aspects of marketing yet as there is still much to be done once the official release date hits.  Perhaps we can touch base again in 6-9 months to follow up on that topic.

Overall, have you had a positive experience getting your first book published?

Yes, I can honestly say that I have had a very positive experience.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell the readers who are considering getting a book published?

Do your homework.  Don’t try to tackle something that’s been done a hundred times before unless you really believe that you have a truly unique way of telling the story.  Also, start making your own connections, even before you have been accepted for publication.  Of course the writing has to be good, however, never…never…never forget that books make it on “best-sellers” lists, not “best-written” lists so good writing is never enough!  Finally, do your own research on what method of publication is best for you.  Read everything that is out there and look at both the positive and the negative.

Then take all of that information into consideration when deciding what will work for you.  I believe that ultimately, when provided with all of the necessary information, people will make the right decision for themselves.

And there you have it! Jennifer Pereyra is the author of “Mommy and Daddy Work To Make Some Dough,” which will be coming out in stores on April 5, 2011. She has already agreed to speak with people who have questions about her experiences with Tate, and she was gracious enough to offer her thoughts to me for the purposes of my blog.

Check out her Facebook page for more information about the book and her writing! And check back here tomorrow for more information about Jennifer, her book, and my review of the book before it hits shelves! Feel free to leave a comment as well!

- Rae

For this, I’ve brought in a Tate author, Jennifer Pereyra. Jennifer has followed my blog a bit, especially when she found my original post. At the time, she was just beginning her relationship with Tate and starting the publishing process on what will be her first children’s book. She was a little disappointed to see my negative views on Tate and made a point of writing a comment about her experiences with the company.

Thus, Jennifer and I began a series of comment and subsequently email communications that have proved enlightening to me in their detail. I feel that I’m getting to see a side of Tate that few people see outside of those who work with the company or are published through the company. For that, I have to thank Jennifer, whose communication has been honest, straightforward, and pleasant.

In the interest of full disclosure, I spoke with Jennifer and asked her if she would be willing to interview with me. Her answer was a resounding yes, and I will be breaking up the interview into pieces. I’m going to give you a brief overview of what most people already know about Tate, followed by the Q&A I had with Jennifer concerning her experiences with the company. Then I will change pace a little and tell you Jennifer’s story, how she came to write a children’s book, and her background. The last bit I’ll post is a review of her new book, Mommy and Daddy Work To Make Some Dough.

If at any time you would like to offer some questions about Tate, some commentary of your own, or any other dissenting opinions, please feel free to post them into the comments section of the blog. I’m also interested in getting a round table discussion going with Jennifer or some of the Tate employees and those people who are either dissenters or curious about Tate. If you’d like to participate in this, please feel free to send me an email at the address I’ve posted in the contact me section of the blog.

Now, with that said, let’s begin looking at Tate Publishing. This post will be an overview of the company and their practices. I’m no expert, and I am trying to be as objective as possible while pulling from different online resources. Please be aware that I am in no way employed by Tate or published through the company. I’m simply a person who is curious and trying to find the most up-to-date information about the company on the off chance that I ever decide to publish one of my works-in-progress.

First, I know that Tate has been criticized in the past for its author investment practice. On many websites, forums, and blogs, people have complained that this investment makes Tate a vanity publisher. I’ve read several author blogs that state quite firmly that no “traditional” publisher would ever require an author to pay to publish his works.

The argument here is that if a publisher likes your book enough, he will publish it. Simple as that. No author investment required.

This is my opinion, but I think there’s a bit of a problem with this scenario. Unfortunately publishing today has been changing. Instead of having publishers eager to see new names that might one day become best-sellers, there are more and more publishers balking at the idea that they should publish a no-name author who has never been seen in print before. Why? Because public opinion is king in this industry.

If you’re a no-name author, the chances that you will write something spectacular enough to get you listed on the best-sellers list are slim to none. That sounds harsh, and I’m criticizing myself here, but most authors today are unfortunately required to write to the audience instead of writing for themselves. If you want to write a story, most publishers will evaluate it based on whether it will sell to the mass of readers. That’s it. No consideration for the caliber of writing, no consideration to the uniqueness of a plot, nothing. Now, I can’t speak for publishers in general as I’m not affiliated with a publisher in any way, shape, or form, but it seems to me that the mass of books being published today are either big name, well-known authors who have a huge following, or concepts that are similar to the biggest trends in publishing right now (i.e. vampire fiction for young adult readers).

It’s obvious, isn’t it? Several big name authors have already begun “presenting” works by unknown authors. James Patterson, for example, “presents” several books that are not his own writing. This marketing ploy to get new authors out there sometimes flops because readers have recognized the way these things are phrased on the covers of books. But the point is not that it’s happening; the point is that this is one of the few ways unknown authors are finding to get recognized enough to get on the reading map, so to speak.

With that said, is it any wonder that more and more unknown authors are turning to self-publishing and e-books? Why wouldn’t they want to go with a publisher that promises to treat them fairly (as Tate does in their author FAQs) and work hard to get them noticed in the dog-eat-dog world that is the publishing market these days?

The only thing I can think of keeping people from flocking to Tate is the author investment. And I think that’s the way Tate wants it. With so much information out there claiming Tate as a vanity press or charging exorbitant amounts* for their authors, it’s not surprising that more people aren’t polishing up rough drafts to send in to the company.

Instead, countless authors are sending their manuscripts to agents and publishers, accepting the rote responses that tell them they aren’t worth the agent’s time or publisher’s money. And Tate, on the other hand, gets to sift through its smaller slush pile at a more leisurely pace, picking and choosing its authors with care as it considers what authors and books are going to be worth putting in a substantial investment of time and money to publish.

The author investment aside, Tate is also different from traditional publishers in another way. The company is doing everything right, as they claim on their website. Competing in the publishing world is a matter of marketing and placement. So Tate has started their own marketing via short TV commercials. Instead of simply allowing their books to go into a bookstore where they may or may not be seen, promoted, and sold, Tate puts money into marketing campaigns for the author, showing commercials, facilitating book signing events, and finding other ways to promote their authors.

On its website, Tate also claims to have good relationships with all of the big distributors. Ingram, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders – all are listed as companies that Tate has relationships with. While I don’t know the process of getting a book placed in a store, I do know that working with someone who already has relationships in place with the store I want my book in is a bit of a comfort to me. I somehow doubt that vanity publishers and self-publishers offer you quite the same deal.

Tate Publishing states that they will give each author a competent team of editors, marketers, and whatever else they believe is needed to get that author into the wider world of published works. I’ve read on other websites that many people don’t “see” Tate books listed on major bookseller websites, and I haven’t done enough research on that to comment. However, I can’t imagine a company that has won awards for being one of the best companies to work for in Oklahoma being so successful without practicing what it preaches at least to an extent.

So now I’ll end this little post by asking you not to lambast me with negative comments. If you have thoughts about this, please feel free to comment, and I will respond; however, if your only aim is to tout how terrible Tate is or vice versa, please do so in a structured, considerate manner. Most of the above consists of my own opinions mixed in with the facts about Tate Publishing, and I would appreciate if you read this post in that light.

I am going to be posting the Q&A with Jennifer Pereyra tomorrow for your reading pleasure. I hope you’ll all be looking forward to that. Again, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Jennifer has also been very responsive to the comments here, and I’m sure she would be happy to answer any questions that are not already answered in her interview.

Thanks again for reading, and I hope you do your own research into this and other publishing opportunities that come your way.

- Rae

Dr. Group was gracious enough to permit me a few questions about his successful career and the books he has written. Now I’m going to present the questions I asked and his detailed responses for you. I hope you’ll enjoy this brief Q&A and find it as enlightening as I have, and if you’re interested, please feel free to check out his books and company.

Can you tell me a little about who you are, your history, and your career background?

I hold a variety of degrees related to natural health and healing from many established institutions including a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) from Texas Chiropractic College, a Naturopathic Physician (ND) degree from the Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy, an Alternative Medical Practitioner (AMP) certification from the American Alternative Medical Association, and more.

I’ve studied natural healing methods for over twenty years and now use that knowledge to educate individuals and practitioners throughout the world. My mission is to help as many people as I can by providing them with the most accurate health information in the world. I want to help educate and heal the world, promote a clean environment, and bring back good health, positive thinking, happiness, and love.

You are the CEO of Global Healing Center. What does this company do, and where is it based?

I founded Global Healing Center in 1998 with the goal of providing individuals with a variety of resources related to alternative, natural, and organic health. Global Healing Center offers a wide variety of products and home health equipment such as air purifiers, water purifiers, hi-tech supplementation, radiation protectors, books and educational material, colon cleanse supplements, custom designed health programs, personal consulting and more. The company’s goal is to educate people in understanding what causes poor health and to help them achieve their health goals by providing people with the tools that they need to live a long, healthy, happy life.

What inspired you the most to write the books that you have?

Over my 20 years of research and study, I’ve become disgusted with the mainstream medical community. It seems to me that the health care industry is more focused on treating the disease when its real goal should be to prevent disease. Following extensive research, I realized that our environment is full of toxins, and by living a toxin-free life, we can reach optimal health and happiness.

Can you tell me a little about what The Green Body Cleanse book is all about? What is the book’s biggest message to readers?

The Green Body Cleanse addresses disease with a different attitude than most health care professionals take: to prevent disease instead of simply treat it. A significant amount of the book focuses on the toxic state of the average person’s colon, and I provide readers with ways to test exactly how toxic his or her colon is. I then go on to discuss the overwhelming amount of toxins that we come into contact with during each and every day. I also supply solutions to the problems with a list of tips at the end of each chapter. Some of these tips are lifestyle-changing, but many of them are easy to implement and are promised to do a world of good. Finally, I give readers a complete plan: the Green Body Cleanse.

Who is your target audience for this book, and why do you think it’s important for that particular audience?

My target audience with The Green Body Cleanse is every single person in the world. I feel that people are grossly uneducated about the lifestyle choices they make on a daily basis, and many of these choices lead to an unhealthy state. Only through education can a person gain the knowledge they need to eradicate toxic living and lead a fulfilling, healthy life.

The Green Body Cleanse can be bought from the official website TheGreenBodyCleanse.com, or you can buy the Amazon Kindle edition for just $2.99.

And there you have it! I hope you’ve enjoyed this short interview with Dr. Group, and please feel free to leave any comments you may have! Tomorrow I’ll be starting a new series that you won’t want to miss. In the meantime, I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini-series on e-books and Dr. Group’s particular insight into the process!

- Rae

The Green Body Cleanse by Dr. Edward Group

The journey to getting a book published and having it released to the public is a difficult, but rewarding path. You must think about the message you’re trying to convey, and you must decide if print or electronic is the way to go.

When I first began writing The Green Body Cleanse, these worries were the furthest thing from my mind. I was concerned with one thing: telling what I knew in order to help my readers live healthy, toxic-free lives. I was more concerned with portraying the best information and advice to my readers than I was with worrying about if I should push for hardcover, paperback, or electronic book formats.

Once the book was published in hardcover in 2009, I sat back and basked in my glory. It was listed on Amazon.com, and I was thrilled that my message was now out there, ready to be received by all those looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

After a year, it was time to try out an electronic version. After all, it couldn’t hurt matters, right? So The Green Body Cleanse was converted into a version suitable for e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle.

I knew that it would take a lot of work to get attention drawn to the Kindle version of my book. By utilizing various forums and tools on the Internet, my team and I did all we could to get the word out that my book was now available in Kindle format. It made sense to first turn to Amazon to promote the e-book—that was where it was being sold, after all. We created an Amazon Listmania list focused on the best natural health books available for the Kindle and also created a So You’d Like To… guide on Amazon focused on natural cleansing. We got the word out on a number of e-book and Kindle forums, and then targeted sites that featured author interviews. The promotion never seemed to stop—but it was all worth it.

The result of all of our hard work? The Kindle version of The Green Body Cleanse went to the #1 spot on the Amazon Kindle Natural Health bestseller list! My book is just one true-life study of how you can make e-books work for you!

Dr. Edward F. Group III has authored several books including The Green Body Cleanse and Health Begins in the Colon. He is also the creator of the revolutionary Oxy-Powder colon cleansing program.

For those of you who are watching this blog, you’ll be happy to know that with my access to the proxy back in place, I should be updating more frequently. In fact, today begins a series of posts on e-books that will go through the weekend. I’m writing because I received a request from an author’s production coordinator about doing a possible guest post on the blog.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received the request and did not seek out the author. However, I believe you’ll find that his experiences are interesting, especially given his field and current occupation. That said, I’ll tell you a bit more about him when I post his guest post tomorrow. And on Sunday, I’ll post the author interview I did with him.

Now, onto the world of e-books!

Today I’d like to start with a discussion of how cyclical things seem to be. A few years ago, people were saying that print newspapers would be eclipsed by their online counterparts. Years before that, they were saying the DVD would be the end of VHS. And the same goes for cell phones and their older counterparts. So now the question is: will e-books grow more popular than their print companions?

The internet age has opened up a great deal of opportunities for people to make money. Technology is advancing at a frightening pace, and with it, we’ve gotten more options to make our lives more convenient, comfortable, and technologically savvy.

With Apple’s introduction of the iPad, competitors like Amazon’s Kindle are having to amp up their offerings. Being able to get the Kindle app on your iPad means the best of both worlds: beautiful Apple graphics and functionality with access to the giant library associated with Amazon.com.

Here in China, you can buy a legitimate iPad for around 3,000 RMB, which is equivalent to US$450. Not a bad deal when you consider the reasons people are getting into e-books.

Some of the reasons are simple: convenience. Instead of purchasing a paper copy of a book, I have it on my computer and e-reader with the touch of a button and the transfer of a few dollars from my bank account. The ease of downloading multiple books to a device with graphics designed to make reading on a screen easier has many people purchasing the various e-readers on the market.

Not to mention the fact that several e-book sellers are promoting their services by offering free books on their software. With Amazon, there are a number of classics that you can download to your Kindle for free. You can’t go to your local Borders and pick up a classic off the shelf for free. And for most people, free offers are something they just can’t seem to pass up.

E-books are also convenient for the traveler. I should know. Since I have yet to really purchase an e-reader, I am lugging my limited amount of books around with me. Getting to China with packed luggage is hard enough. Adding extra weight in terms of novels that I want to read really limits my space for clothes and other things I might need.

With an e-reader, however, I could have brought many more books to China without having the added weight. I know that would be an easy solution to my desire to read; however, I balk at the idea of paying for books I already own in print to put them on an e-reader.

There are other advantages to having an e-reader. Manufacturers have really done their homework. They specifically design e-readers with screens that are easy to read. Some of them allow you to adjust the size of the print (and wouldn’t some people love to do that with their printed books!), others have LED backlights to keep the light crisp and clear without being too overwhelming, and still others have more perks to pique your interest.

I still have misgivings about e-books despite those things I listed above. Perhaps it’s because I’m a traditionalist, but I love the feel of pages under my fingertips. And I, like so many others, love the smell of new and old books. A new book always smells like an adventure to me. An old book smells like a familiar companion.

These are things you can’t experience with e-books. Sometimes I’m enticed by the feel of a book’s cover under my fingertips. You don’t get the same feeling when you’re looking at a cover on a screen. You can’t trace the imprints of letters and feel the shiny bits to see if they’re muted or not. Call me old-fashioned, but I love having a library.

My little girl dream was always to have a library like the one in the Beast’s castle in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. No offense, but that library was amazing. And I always dreamed of having my own home with a room full of books, even if it wasn’t as spectacular as that one.

That aside, though, I’m more willing to try e-books now than I used to be. And I’d be willing to publish one as well. The possibilities for e-book publishing are growing now, and new authors are paying attention. Getting your book published for the Amazon Kindle is as simple as going through a self-publisher who will format it for you. For first-time authors, that’s a tempting author.

Having an e-book to your name gives you another advantage: you’re potentially reaching a wider audience. I think the prices of e-books are typically comparable to print, but the audience you target grows exponentially. Many people have purchased Kindles, Kobos, Sony Readers, iPads, and others. The market is exploding, and it’s time that new authors find their niche in this field.

Think about the possibilities for writers. More and more people are moving to self-publishing venues, finding ways to market themselves, and gaining small but loyal audiences who will buy their books. Authors who do this might find publishing an e-book to be complimentary to their print versions. I may write a future article about marketing yourself and your e-book, but I think the obvious conclusion is that if you know how to market yourself properly, having an e-book only enhances your marketing strategy.

And having an e-book has enhanced the strategy of one Dr. Edward Group. His book, The Green Body Cleanse is a new edition of an earlier book. His research in the health field has given him insight into how the body functions and led him to write this book that explains the vital role keeping a “green” body and diet has in promoting total body health.

The Green Body Cleanse has made its debut on the Amazon Kindle and is now selling for $2.99 on the Kindle, which is a steal of a deal for readers who want to sample the book without having to purchase a bulkier print version.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting the gust post written by Dr. Group to explain his decision to make an e-book version of his book. I hope you’ll stick around and read it as it’s quite interesting. Look forward to that and a brief author interview with Dr. Group on Sunday.

Also, I’ll be following up on my previous Tate Publishing post with some new information. I’ve interviewed Tate author Jennifer Pereyra, whose new children’s book will be on sale in April. This series of posts will begin next week, and I’ll be reviewing Jennifer’s book and doing a two or three part series on the interview I did with her. For those of you who have paid attention to the Tate Publishing information here, you’ll be pleased to see what Jennifer has to say about the company and her experiences with it.

There are lots of things to look forward to here, so I hope you’ll bear with me. And I’ll be back tomorrow with the guest post from Dr. Group.

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave some comments and questions!

- Rae

If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, you’ll know I now teach a Devil, who is a rather sweet girl to be honest. But, as in all things, teaching in a place where students can choose their names is always an adventure. I can’t remember if I mentioned it in my last post, but Devil is one of my junior English majors, which means she’s kept her name for three years now. 

Also in her class is YoYo. 

I rest my case. 

I have had students choose names in my Concentration Camp Classes since I started teaching them. Some of them were very simple, ordinary names, like Bob and Sara. I noticed the increase of names like Bella and tend to attribute that to the insane love of the Twilight movies here in China. Many of my girls will ask me, “Do you like twee-lit? Twee-lit?” I have to wrap my head around their pronunciation sometimes, but I now know on cue that “twee-lit” is their pronunciation of “twilight” and can quickly answer their questions. 

However, in other CC classes, I’ve had students choose the most fascinating names imaginable. Their minds definitely intrigue me. Last semester, especially, I had some fun names. 

One girl chose the name Fridge. At first I wondered if she was trying to say French instead, until she told me “I choose the name Fridge because I think all good food goes in the fridge and all good food should go in me.” Well spoken. And at least she’s honest. I had a hard time not laughing about that. 

A boy in the same class told me his name was Bad Boy. His reasoning was that by calling himself Bad Boy (anyone else hearing the song in their heads?) he would prevent himself from really being a bad boy in class. “Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” Unfortunately his bad tendencies weren’t banished by his name, and he failed my final exam. 

This semester I’ve got a few new names that are tamer but definitely not what I expected in my CC classes. Three of my male students are named Blue, Green, and Brown, respectively. Blue explained that his favorite color was blue and that was why he chose that name. Simple enough. I also have a Sail in this group of classes who is also male. 

Another trend I’ve seen in this class has been the gods that have joined class. I have two so far; though I can’t remember if one was a god or just a son of the gods. One of my guys is named Jupiter. Another is named Cupid. Granted, we’re mixing Roman and Greek mythology, but I suppose that’s okay. I like Cupid; he’s a good kid, sits up front, and smiles a lot. He’s got a bit too much of a baby face for me to take him seriously when he says his name is Cupid, but it’s also kind of cute. 

One of my all-time favorite names so far has been Lary Jane. I spell it the way he spelled it; though I think it should have been Larry Jane. I did a double-take when I read the name initially and wondered if it was a guy or a girl and then if it wasn’t supposed to be Mary Jane. Nope, Lary Jane it is. 

Seriously, this has been a very interesting way of getting to know my students. They’re all wonderful kids, for the most part, and I really enjoy them. I just thought I’d share some of the better names they like to use. The best part is that the students who pick the most interesting names are some of the ones I remember the most. 

That said, I have a new friend I’m referring to as CCG, which stands for Crazy Conditioner Girl. It’s a really funny story, to be honest. So I’ll share, and you can enjoy my amusement as well. 

CCG caught me completely off-guard earlier in the week. I was in the store looking for conditioner, which isn’t as simple as it sounds because a lot of Chinese products are 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner deals. I may try one of those at some point, but that day I just wanted a bottle of conditioner and couldn’t decide where to look. A girl in the store noticed my puzzlement and asked in pain-staking English “What do you want?” 

I told her, and she directed me to the correct aisle. I started browsing, but few labels are in English, and even fewer are in good English. A salesgirl came up to me and asked me something in Chinese. Giving her my patented “stupid American” shrug, she giggled and then asked the girl who walked up to my side instead. It was the same girl as before, and she asked again what I wanted. When we finally ascertained that, yes, I wanted the “after shampoo” stuff, the salesgirl gave me more specific instruction by pointing to two shelves. Finally I could get my conditioner! 

I gravitated towards one brand when the salesgirl sidled back up to me and told me if I bought another one she had a free gift for me. Okay, whatever, promotional deals are always fun, and it was only a few kuai (RMB) extra. I went to the cash register to pay for it, and then I turned around and saw a table set up just behind the register where the salesgirl was already waiting for me. I picked my gift, signed my name and number on their little list for the odd-number of Chinese text messages I’ll most likely delete automatically since I can’t read them. Then I left the store. No big deal, right? 

Two hours later, I got a text from an unknown number saying it was the girl I’d seen in the “suppermarket” and she wanted to be friends with me. Oh, and could I help teach her English? She was a university student. I had no idea who it was until I got the second text saying she was the conditioner salesgirl. That’s when I realized she’d stolen my number off the list, and I have to admit, I wasn’t angry, just amused. 

We sent a few texts back and forth for a while and agreed to meet up on Tuesday after my first Chinese lesson. I’ll write more about Chinese lessons later, but when I met up with CCG, I had the hardest time pronouncing her name. It looks suspiciously easy, but you try saying Chun Xiao Bo and say it to a Chinese person. Just wait for all the laughs you’ll get! 

Xiao Bo, as she asked me to call her, is genuinely sweet and not overbearing in the least. She also mentioned she could show me places where I might find clothes my size and, even better, shoes in my size! So I’m going to spend some time with her, and she’s agreed that we can help each other learn our respective languages. 

I’ll probably write more about Xiao Bo later, but for now, I wanted to leave you with that wonderful Shakespearean quote “What’s in a name?” Seriously, though, what IS in a name when you can pick anything from Fridge to Bad Boy? Tell me that! 

Leave a comment, let me know what’s new with you, tell me if this made you laugh, and I hope you’re all doing well! Much love is sent your way from wonderful Wuhan, and I look forward to hearing from you! 

- Rae