Friday, January 30, 2009

"Marketing 101"--January 30th, 2009

*Click here to SUBSCRIBE to this blog post and have the information directed to your email Inbox; learn how to successfully self-publish, market your book, promote your book and create a fan base for further sales. Also, staying connected allows you to stay current with all LIVE interviews for the Bobby Ozuna show: The Soul of Humanity*

I recently finished the introductory chapter to my first non-fiction title: "The Independent Author--a non-traditional approach to self-publishing." This book will be more than a simple "how-to" book on the world of independent publishing. Yes, you can easily pick up a book and follow the steps and (somehow) miraculously achieve your goals. But what if your approach to self-publishing is off? What if you are getting into something with hopes that should you follow the necessary steps you will create the success you are hoping for without realizing the "steps" are only half the battle???

What if you move forward with the wrong mindset and fall short of completing the tasks described? What then? I compare this scenario to the person who says they wish to lose weight. After all, we all know what to do in order to shed those excess pounds, right? Eat better and exercise a little more and you are surely on your way towards creating the look and feel you want, right? I once worked as personal trainer for a very reputable fitness center and I recall many conversations with people who came to me with and said, "I want to lose weight." They said it as if I had a magic wand and after waving it over their head, they would somehow lose weight. They asked me to help them as though walking into the gym to purchase a high-dollar membership were truly enough to accomplish their desires. In the end many of them were upset, not because the (how-to) process of information wasn't accurate, they were instead approaching the situation with the wrong mindset. And because of that, many of them (I would guess 90% of them) never came close to seeing that desire become a reality. And it was not necessarily their fault. A major reason why they failed was because they failed to prepare themselves mentally for the journey ahead. The key word in that statement is journey.

A major reason why many of us come short of accomplishing our goals isn't because we lack the effort but more so because we lack the proper mindset critical towards completing a project in its entirety. My hope for you--my fellow artist--is to provide a philosophical (mental) approach to self-publishing in conjunction with a procedural (how-to) method for accomplishing your book publishing needs. I have been very successful and it has little to do with luck or timing or effort, but rather it has more to do with opportunity meeting my efforts (luck), the amount of time I put into seeing my dream become a reality (timing) and how far I was willing to go (effort) to see my life become that which I set out to create: A life as a full time writer and book publisher.

Success, as the author Jeff Olson puts it, is a process not the end result. I am not successful as an author if you consider success a destination. I have not yet arrived where I wish to be in my career. But I am successful because I understand the process for creating success. And with that attitude and approach and the vast knowledge of information I have collected these past three years, I have been able to surrender the corporate chains around my neck and work for myself, supporting my family with the gifts and talents I have been given as a writer. And that my friends is the wealth of knowledge I wish to share in my upcoming book: "The Independent Author, a non-traditional approach to self-publishing."

I will be sharing a story here soon (the introductory chapter of the book) on my blog entitled: "The Boy and his Garden." It is a simple (5 page) story about a boy who wished to become a gardener. But I must tell you, everything you need to know, to learn how to "create" success in your life is written within the pages of that story. If you can grasp it and learn how to apply the techniques to your life and your career as an author and indie book publisher, then you too can sit back one day and say, "Wow, look how far I have come."
I look forward to hearing your response on this topic. Please be sure to send me your comments and stay connected with me so you can read the story of "The Boy and his Garden."

I only wish success for you and it has been a great pleasure in helping so many others up the ladder as they venture towards achieving success within their literary careers. I believe together, as independents, we can accomplish anything. And my hope is that this new book will do just that for you.
Bobby Ozuna
The Soul of Humanity Internet Radio Show--supporting the indie arts
817-812-2009


CALL TO BOOK YOUR SHOW TODAY! ALSO, BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT OUR SPONSOR RATES FOR WEB & RADIO ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

"Drawing The Story"--January 28th, 2009

LIVE interview with Tony Kay via the Artist First Radio Network...

Bobby Ozuna host of The Soul of Humanity Internet Radio Show, author of Proud SoulsIf you missed my interview with Tony Kay on January 14th, you can listen to it now. The show has been archived as part of my show's archive history. If you are looking for insight into my new Internet Radio Show: The Soul of Humanity, you can find it here. Simply click under the Past Shows sidebar on the right hand side of the page.

I want to thank the Artist First Radio Network and Mr. Tony Kay for having me on their show and for allowing me the freedom to discuss every aspect of my literary career.

Be sure to bookmark the page and set a reminder for my first LIVE interview with children's fiction author, Melissa M. Williams of Long Tale Publishing. You can visit her site here and learn more about her and her work as an independent publisher.

~Bobby Ozuna
Ozuna Publications
"Drawing Stories...With Words"
817-812-2009


CALL TO BOOK YOUR SHOW TODAY! ALSO, BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT OUR SPONSOR RATES FOR WEB & RADIO ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

"The Soul of Humanity"--January 22nd, 2009


Hello everyone, I am pleased to announce the next phase of my independent publishing career: The Soul of Humanity Internet Radio Show. I will use this show to publicize and promote independent artists from every facet of the creative world, giving back as much as I have been given in my literary journey...

The shows will stream LIVE over the Internet each Wednesday night @ 7PM CST and every week I will host a different author, artist, musician, etc and feature their work so we can ask the questions that matter the most: How they got where they are today...

Like many of you I started out small--with only a dream, an idea, a vision for what I believed my life could become. Now, some ten years after the first day I ever dared to pick up the pen, I am not only working to publicize and promote my own novel: Proud Souls but the works of others using creative (outside the box) measures like this blog, to help others along their path. It is imperative, if you wish to obtain a goal or see a dream become a reality, that you FIRST learn to pay it forward and help others along the way. Unlike the corporate world, where everything is cut-throat and people step over you to "get ahead" we have the privilege of allowing others to use our backs to help move them up the ladder. And instead of saying, so-and-so moved up before me, we should say instead: I helped ten others up the ladder and NOW ten others will be there to lift me up the ladder...

I have already begun booking various artists for my show; February and March of 2009 are now full. Below is a quick list of some of the artists you can expect to see (hear) on my show in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to stop by and say hello and then on the day of their interview, I will post a blog featuring that artists and their work. During the interview you will be able to send me an email here and I will ask as many questions to my guests as possible. If you can't get through, a better way of contacting my guest is by posting a blog comment on the day of their interview (before, during and after) and my guests will work to respond to each of you after the interview is over. Also, some of my guests (and I hope all of them) will be raffling off free prizes for the comment of their choice.

I am looking for sponsors as well. So, if you have a business you would like to advertise (web) and promote (over the air) please feel free to contact me for rates. "The Soul of Humanity" is a spinoff of the Artists First Radio Network reaching over 1.2 Million listeners per month. Every interview will be archived on my show's page forever. So by being a guest on my show, you get a blog posting from me,w hich allows fans to comment and find you on the Web and an archived copy of our LIVE streaming interview.

I look forward to a great year everyone and I can't wait to meet and greet and discuss every aspect of your creative endeavors. It's time you get some credit for all your hard work.

FEBRUARY SHOWS!!! (all shows stream LIVE on Wednesday's @ 7PM CST)
  • Feb 18th: Rene Ozuna--musician/musical instructor and member of "The Tropix"
  • Feb 25th: J.K. Coi-- author and blog host for "Living With Immortals"
In summation...I wrote the following lines to express my purpose and my vision behind my show: "The Soul of Humanity"

"Artists of the world add color to the cultures of every society... The musicians and singers are the songs by which the culture is celebrated... the writers are the voice of the people of the times...the painters and sculptors draw the worlds and icons that identify a people. Artists teach us how to dance...and how to laugh and how to imagine a world outside the scope of our sight... If you stripped a society naked of their artists...you would be left with a bleak world of pawns on a black and white canvas without a voice, without a thought, a song, a dance or the imagination to know what you are missing."
~Bobby Ozuna, Jan. 2009
~Bobby Ozuna
Ozuna Publications
"Drawing Stories...With Words"
817-812-2009
Email: Bobby@OzunaPub.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I am LIVE on the air with Tony Kay!!!

Hello everyone. I am going LIVE ON THE AIR as a guest author for The Tony Kay Show in just a few hours...

I will be discussing all aspects of my writing career, from publishing and releasing my first title, my work as a ghost-writer for a new client based out of Dallas, Texas and my NEW INTERNET RADIO SHOW: "THE SOUL OF HUMANITY."

Please follow the URL below to listen live (streaming media via your Internet connection) at 5PM CST.


Date: January 14th, 2009
Time: 5PM (CST)
Location: LIVE via the Internet on The Tony Kay Show and click the link [On Air] icon (or click the link below...it will buffer and then it --should-- stream live)


~Bobby Ozuna
Ozuna Publications
817-812-2009

Monday, January 12, 2009

"Project PS"-- January 12th, 2009


To help jump start 2009 I will be opening this year with my first LIVE interview as a guest on The Tony Kay show. You can link to the show from the ArtistFirst Radio Network. ArtistFirst is a forum and spring board for promoting independent authors, book publishers, artists and musicians of every type. This Wednesday, January 14th, you can listen via streaming media on the Internet as Tony Kay and I discuss all facets of my indepdent book publishing endeavors and accomplishments, Proud Souls and my upcoming Internet Radio show: The Soul of Humanity.

Date: January 14th, 2009
Time: 5PM (CST)
Location: LIVE via the Internet on The Tony Kay Show
*click the URL above, bookmark it and save it to listen on Wednesday*


...AND COMING SOON!!!

The Soul of Humanity Internet Radio show will go LIVE on Wednesday, February 4th @ 7PM CST. The Soul of Humanity will be dedicated to all facets of the arts, independent artists and the worlds they create. I am presently looking for guests for the show. I have thus far booked seven tentative interviews and I am looking for more talent. So, if you have a book to promote, a publishing firm, a new CD or even artwork available for sale on the world wide web, please contact me here. Be sure to type: "The Soul of Humanity" in the subject line.

The cost of the interviews is $100 USD payable via PayPal to Ozuna Publications. What you get is a full one hour (roughly 52 mins) of streaming LIVE interview with me, Bobby Ozuna, author of Proud Souls. Also, I am in the works of creating a spin-off quarterly anthology that will feature articles about each of my previous 12 guests. In the quarterly anthology you will get a chance to further feature your work, a website and your artwork. Be sure to contact me first before transferring any funds, so we can talk about the interview and make sure my show is a fit for your creative endeavors.

**IF you have questions about the interview process or wish to discuss whether you are a fit for the show, call me here: 817-812-2009**
Sponsors & Advertisers Wanted

I am also looking for sponsors for the upcoming show. If you would like to purchase a banner ad (full,half,qtr) for my new website & blog, please contact me here. Be sure to put "TSOH-Sponsor" in the subject line. Also, advertisement rates for the quarterly magazine will be posted at a later time.

What do you get???

You get a banner advertisement on both my blog, "Drawing Stories...With Words" and my future website for "The Soul of Humanity" Internet Radio show. You also get an announcement at the end of four shows detailing your company name, slogan and website and/or telephone number. Right now, the cost for this service for a 30-day period (on the banner ad) and four radio shows advertising your business is available for the LOW cost of only $300 USD.

Be sure to bookmark the Tony Kay Show and be ready to tune-in and listen as I discuss the vast world of independent publishing!!!



Saturday, January 10, 2009

'Cause we're a movin' on up!!!! Movin' on up!!!

My recap on 2008 and a brief peek into what is waiting for me in 2009...

2008 was a great year for my writing career. It began with a first column on DFW's CultureFeast.com where I wrote about the wild and trying world of self-publishing. I have to admit, it was my first real writing-gig (is that the right term???); I had deadlines (those dreadful little demons) and I had a responsibility to my small following of readers to provide insight into the world of indie publishing. It was great and I loved it and it became the spring-board for this blog, "Drawing Stories...With Words." I essentially realized I could generate the same traffic for my own site, writing for myself and meeting my own little demonic deadlines. Anyhow, I love the control and power and authority of ruling my own little world on the Internet. I did however learn that two of my articles made the runner-up list of the Top 12 Culture Feast Articles of 2008. Basically, if the list was written for the Top 17 Culture Feast Articles of 2008, well hell, I would have been recognized for two of them!! By the way, thank-you Mr. Dessinger for everything!!!
I managed to swing a couple of radio/podcast interviews to help publicize the story behind the story for my novel: Proud Souls. My first was an interview with Linda Bagwell, host of Weatherford College's Books-N-Authors and all that Jazz. The second interview came from Angel Lesa, host and owner of The Odd Mind show on Blog Talk Radio. They were both wonderful interviews and although my first in Weatherford was a bit constrained for time, the second interview with Angel Lesa was truly great and was full of insightful and resourceful information regarding the writing and publication process.
I was able to go back to Seymour, Texas and visit the Ponce family cabin, the home of my fictional hero: Justin Bower. While there I shot some "on-location" vids to help give my audience a better visualization for the setting behind my story. I also included some dialogue where I share more insight into the actual story writing process and detail how a chance visit to a cabin in small town Seymour, Texas led to the creation of my first novel. There are three videos total, so please feel free to get a more in depth look at how I wrote my first novel.




Proud Souls collected 22 wonderful reviews written by its fans and readers. Some of these reviews will be featured in the hardcover version of the novel, which will release later. Click here to read the reviews.

Both my book Proud Souls and I received a small cameo role in a wonderful short-story entitled The Tortured Soul, written by Jessy Oxner. It's an incredible read and I think you will really enjoy it! Thanks Jessy for the kudos and the spot in your story!!! I loved it!!!

I received some speaking engagements as well this past year (or two) and I have to say, second only to writing and helping others on their literary journey, talking is the best part of being an independent author/publisher. I spoke to some graduating students at North Side High School in Fort Worth as well as students from Tech High School. I have visited a wonderful group of students at North Side High School this past fall, discussing the vast array of opportunities waiting them after they graduate. I also spoke at the North Richland Hills Public Library, meeting the head of all Texas Libraries while on site. I also had some written interviews posted online where the feedback and reader response was incredible, including my interview here with J.K. Coi, host of "Living With Immortals" blog.

I am not one for book signings but I did make one attempt to perform one book signing in Hudson Oaks, Texas with Randy Cook, owner of Lark Bookstore. The turnout was low (as expected when you are a no one in this business) but I did make one new friend while there (apart from the wonderful staff). Thanks for buying my book!!!!

In closing...

I forsee great things for my writing career in 2009. Presently I am working on closing a book deal which will not only make me a full time writer this coming year, but solidify my place as a small independent press. If or when the book deal is finalized I will begin working as a ghost-writer for a money management company based out of Dallas, Texas. NOT ONLY THAT...but I will publish this non-fiction title under my publishing company: Ozuna Publications.




My last bit of news is first my radio/podcast interview on the Tony Kay Show, featured on ArtistFirst Radio Network. This show will be Wednesday, January 14th @ 5PM CST. The show will stream LIVE via the Internet so anyone and everyone can enjoy. Click here to visit ArtistFirst and bookmark the site for later use. Remember, this interview will be streamed LIVE via the WWW.

Not only will I be featured as the guest author of the day on Wednesday the 14th of January, but within the next month I will be hosting my very own show under the ArtistFirst Radio Network. So, if you are an independent author, book publisher, musician, band, painter, etc--or any independent free-thinking artist looking for a place to spring-board your work, publicize your tour or market your website and products, please feel free to contact me to book your interview LIVE with Bobby Ozuna, author of Proud Souls and host of "The Soul of Humanity" weekly podcast/Internet radio show!!!

I am off to prepare my first show....stay tuned for more details everyone and please, by all means....stay focused on your dream...believe it...say as though it already happened and when the moment of truth arises...don't back down!!!

~Bobby Ozuna
Ozuna Publications

Help Fund the Bible Studies

Search This Blog

Page Views