"Project PS"--November 7th, 2008

This is your chance to have YOUR review featured in the hardcover edition of Proud Souls!!!

If you have already shared a review of PROUD SOULS on Amazon.com, you are automatically in the running. For those of you who have considered writing a review, please, give me a chance to sway your minds...

In the hardcover edition of my book PROUD SOULS I am going to feature READER REVIEWS in the opening pages. Just as you open a best-selling novel with feature reviews written by major presses and magazines, I am going to feature YOU....my fans...in the same manner. So, if you want to see your name and your thoughts of my novel in the opening pages of this new edition, please, navigate to Amazon.com and post your review.

You don't have to be a professional reviewer to share your thoughts and you are NOT obligated to write a good review for my benefit. Trust me, I was a reader LONG before I became an author and it's only right and fair to your fellow book lovers out there [that] you are honest with your feedback. Write down a few lines on how you felt when you read the book or share a favorite passage, it's that easy.

If you ordered the book on Amazon then you already have an Amazon.com account--which is required in order to post a review for any product sold on the Amazon storefront. Simply navigate to the URL below and click the button that says "Create Your Own Review" It's THAT EASY!!!

WRITE YOUR AMAZON REVIEW HERE!!!

By the time the final cover is finalized, I will edit the original PROUD SOULS manuscript and add the reviews shared by my fans (YOU) within the opening pages of my novel. Then, as long as PROUD SOULS sales under my publishing company, your name and your thoughts will be viewed by the reading world. It's my special way of saying thank you...and proving just how much each individual reader means to me. I am fond of saying, I will make PROUD SOULS a best-seller...one reader at a time...and this is my chance to prove it...

I hope this gesture will be enough to sway you to consider sharing your thoughts on my novel, PROUD SOULS.


Thanks for the support everyone! OH! And don't forget....you can still share your thoughts and feedback on the new hardcover image, by visiting my previous posting and sharing your input.

~Bobby Ozuna

"Project PS"--November 5th, 2008

I have added the new picture...the one with the clouds breaking through over the cabin... Please tell me what you think...this may (or may not be) the one... Keep the comments coming!!!




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Okay, so my mini-vacation lasted a bit longer than usual....sorry!!!

I can promise this much, I have been busy since returning from my fishing trip with my family, but I haven't been operating at full-speed ahead..yet. I am happy to announce the new ISBN's have been ordered for my new editions to Proud Souls. What this means is I will FINALLY release the electronic (eBook) version of Proud Souls, which will probably retail for just under $9~10 bucks and within weeks following (maybe just after or just before Thanksgiving) I will release the hardcover edition.

I am still fumbling between cover ideas for the hardcover edition. I could offer the same image cover as the trade paperback but I wanted some variety, like the major book publishers offer with their books. Below are some potential cover images for the hardcover edition. I'd love to know what you think!!!

This photo above is an actual picture of Justin's cabin sitting on Lake Kemp in Seymour, Texas. It almost gives you an identical view of what Justin is looking at each night while he drinks himself to sleep. You can see the small hill across the lake and see (at least) one small Mesquite tree by the water's edge.

Although Justin drove a 1952 Chevrolet pickup truck, this truck is very similar. Not being the truck expert, I believe this is a 1954 model. I took this photo behind an old garage that reminded me a lot of what The Hawk's Nest would have looked like prior to becoming the small town watering hole. Something about the rustic look of this old truck seemed to epitomize the attitude of Justin Bower.


Here is another angle of the same pickup truck. You can see the Texas license plate which identifies the setting of my novel.

This is a shot of the old tire shop I found in Seymour back in March of this year. Behind this tire shop is the old rusted Chevy pickup truck. Again, this garage reminded me a lot of what The Hawk's Nest may have looked like prior to becoming the town's bar.


Let me know what you think of the images...and if you feel I am way off...I can get back to the drawing board...


I will be sure to notify everyone of the eBook release and also of the upcoming hardcover edition.

Be sure to catch my upcoming interviews....I will have two written interviews posted on various blogs online and one LIVE interview on a national broadcast radio station!! Stay tuned for more details!

"Project PS"--NEW book formats coming soon!!!--October 20th, 2008

I am pleased to announce two new book formats for Proud Souls which I will release before the end of the year!!!

The first format which will be released in November of this year is the eBook version of Proud Souls. This download will be available for under $10USD. I should have released this format long ago, but there were many "particulars" I was not comfortable with in relation to how eBooks are released. I could have chosen from many vendors, such as the (ever-coming) popular Lulu.com, but being I have maintained my independent publishing company "in line" with the corporate giants, I felt it was imperative I released my electronic version with the same options, availability and security offered by the more established book publishers.

Proud Souls on Amazon

The second format to be released this year will be the hardcover. I am going to offer a new cover with this format. I am working on the cover changes now and once I find the right look, feel and image, this book format will be available for the standard retail (hardcover) cost of $24.99USD.

I am also busy working on the initial production stages of creating Proud Souls as an audio book/CD. Knowing how much I hate the sound of my own voice, I am debating whether to allow a guest to read the book in its entirety. Still fumbling around with ideas...

Please stay tuned for more details...

~Bobby Ozuna

"Drawing Stories...With Words"

"Under the spotlight at Melly's Spot"

Recently I was interviewed by the witty, incredible and super talented Melanie Anderson, author of "Racing for the Shore" (Linden Bay Romance, LLC), among several other titles. I have to say it was a very unconventional interview I believe you will find very entertaining. I mean seriously, just imagine an interview with me and the words My Little Pony???

Click the URL above (or click here) to navigate to my latest interview. Don't forget to leave a comment!!!

Click here to subscribe to my blog, "Drawing Stories...With Words" if you haven't done so already to stay current with my latest updates on "The Other Side of Glory", blogging and marketing tips and reader interviews.

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"

Win a FREE autographed copy of "Proud Souls" this Friday!!!

As everyone should know by now, tomorrow--Friday, October 3rd--is my Podcast interview with Angel Lesa, LIVE and UNSCRIPTED via BlogTalkRadio's, "The Odd Mind."

This will be--by far--my biggest platform. This is my greatest opportunity thus far to reach a new set of fans....a new audience...a greater reader-base...and I am as terrified as I am ready.

One thing I will be doing to help encourage listener support is offering one complimentary autographed copy of my book, Proud Souls to one commenter to my blog. Anyone who posts a comment to my blog--on Friday night--will automatically be included in the drawing and I will announce the winner next week. Be sure to post a comment that links to your email or web address so I can contact you!!!

All preparations have been made, with the exception of one slight change. Angel Lesa will not be able to interview me, as we have a schedule conflict, but her associate--Yvonne Mason--will be hosting the interview at the originally scheduled time, 8~9PM, CST.

Here is the web URL for the podcast interview: BlogTalkRadio--"The Odd Mind"

Be sure to set your reminder and listen in! If anyone knows me, an hour is a long time, but when dealing with Bobby Ozuna, it's just a moment...because I can talk!!!

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"

 

Buy Now from Amazon.com

"PS: We Wanna Know"--September 29th, 2008

"PS: We Wanna Know" is my dedication to responding to as many readers and fans as possible. I believe as a writer I owe it to the fans to make myself available, whenever they want to learn more about how I came to write the stories they love. And from an independent/self-publishing standpoint, I owe it to the countless other writers out there trying to "make it" to offer insight into my success as a self-published author, whether that be in guidance, inspiration, approach or simple tips & tricks to help them succeed.

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Jessie O. of Goose Creek, South Carolina asked the following questions:


Q:) I really enjoyed you blog post on MySpace. I was wondering if you could provide me with some info on what kind of writing advice you give?

A.) Jessie, I give tons of advice on an everyday basis. I pride myself in my willingness to help other artists--especially writers--get where they want to be with relation to their work--in print and available for purchase! I have tried to make myself available the past year to anyone and everyone who has questions related to the (indy) publishing business. I wouldn't call myself an "expert" but I have learned alot in the past two years and I have given away the information freely, in hopes that my experiences might help ease the burden and the pains of self-publication for other writers.

Now, in relation to writing advice...well...there is truly only one bit of advice that counts: Write and write often. I try to write at least 5 days per week for at least one hour. Normally, I write for 2 hours a day, seven days a week. With practice, you will improve. And to answer the question (I had when someone told me that a long time ago)...how do I know my writing is improving if I have no means to judge it? Well...read quality writing in the genre you wish to market and in time, you will (1.) pick up your own voice and (2.) gain a better understanding for quality work and clear and concise language use.

Q:) Are there any scams for new writers you would warn about?

A.) Like any business, there are always scams people should be wary of. I have been fortunate enough to say I haven't fallen victim to any of them out there--and yes, they are out there. The best advice I can give is this: Before you sign-up, sign or partake on any business venture with relation to YOUR writing or YOUR stories, efforts, name or money--do your research first!!! And, if you find something is not on the level, share it, immediately with everyone you can. Accoutability is the best way to lessen the scams out there facing artists.

Q.) Is there ever a charge for your services?

A.) No, I don't offer any services to anyone that would cost them any money. As of now, I provide as much helpful information as I can related to all things publishing, marketing and writing...free of charge here on my blog. One day I plan on releasing a brief how-to self-publish eBook with generalized information and topics to consider for anyone interested in releasing their own title. I am projecting a potential online release date of January/February 2009. And even that particular eBook will cost $10.00 or less.

Q.) I have been writing for a long time and have begun work on a book that I am very excited about. I have never been so engulfed with a story. I would love to get the inside scoop on "finding your own voice" that you mentioned in one blog entry. What exactly do you mean by this?

A.) That is a very good question and an important topic to address. A writer's own voice is the very essence of a writer's gift and soul and the place where natural born talent, hard work and many hours of practice come together. I noticed early on in my writing [that] if I was busy reading a particular author's work and trying to work on my own story, parts of my story seemed "similar" to the author I was reading. If they were methodical and slow in detail, so was I. If they were brief and short, my writing was also.

To find your own particular style and pattern for drawing stories with words you will need to spend countless hours developing that voice by practicing the craft on a daily basis. And I did say daily. Writing is not a hobby and if it is, then I wouldn't recommend tackling the novel. Stick to short-stories or poems. If you are serious about developing your writing skills--then find time everyday to write something--anything, as long as it's new material. In time, you will develop a pattern of style, voice and approach with relation to your creative ideas...and that my dear friend Jessie is a writer's voice. It's the beautiful balance of what you were born to do with what you learned to do--over time.

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If you have questions you would like to present as part of this blog, send them to: bobby@bobbyozunaonline.com with the subject line of: PS: We Wanna Know.
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I want to thank Jessie O of Goose Creek, South Carolina for her questions. In my next blog segment of "PS: We Wanna Know" I will answer the questions of another reader. So send them in!!!

Stay tuned for more insight into how I have successfully published my own novel, "Proud Souls" along with marketing tips and tricks, and last but not least, my mental journal of writing my second novel: "The Other Side of Glory."

Thanks,

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"
www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com

Countdown to "The Odd Mind" with Angel Lesa

Just a reminder...mark your calendars!!!

In exactly 5 more days I will go LIVE with Blog Talk Radio host Angel Lesa's podcast show--"The Odd Mind!"

Date: Friday, October 3rd
Time: 8~9PM, CST (LIVE)

This is the number you can use to call in, should you wish to participate with questions for the author:: 347-945-7025.

There is also a chat-room feature you can use to post questions while I am being interviewed.

URL: BlogTalkRadio--"The Odd Mind"



Click here to view the original blog post for this announcement.


~Bobby Ozuna
author of PROUD SOULS
www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com
"Drawing Stories...With Words"

"Marketing 101"-- September 24th, 2008

Make it easy for readers to locate your book on Amazon.com with the "Buy from Amazon.com" widget in your Blogger blog.

If you have a book for sale, then you are surely doing all you can to make your book not only available to the public but visible to everyone who stumbles upon your blog. It is imperative that although you work to promote your work and the work of others who helped you get where you are, that you make buying your book as easy as possible for the casual passer-by. And one handy tool available to all authors who have a book to sale, is the "Buy from Amazon.com" widget available via your Amazon Associates program. (See image example below)

*Everyone who has something for sale on Amazon can easily join the Associates program and thereby advertise for Amazon and with Amazon.com.*

BUILD AMAZON WIDGET AND COPY HTML CODE:

To add this widget you simply navigate to Amazon.com and login to your account or simply click the [Join Associates] link at the bottom of the Amazon.com homepage. There you will find a quick and easy one page synopsis and summary of the program and also the link to complete your [online application]. Here you will be promoted to logon using your Amazon.com credentials and once through their secure server logon process you will begin setting up your payment options. These options are intended to help Amazon.com determine where and whom to make checks payable to. See with the Associates program, when you allow Amazon.com to post their widgets (although you can physically post them wherever you choose on your homepage or blog site), Amazon.com will reward you with a % of earnings based on sales generated by links from your websites.

Once you have completed the application process (takes less than the amount of time it takes for you to enter your name, address, & telephone) you will be on your way.  Once in your Associates account generalization page you can then select from a wide range of available Amazon widgets to post on your site (such as the one above which is a direct reference to my book) by selecting the "Build Links/Widgets" link on the left hand sidebar.

The whole process can take less than one hour (depending on how much time you want to spend perfecting the color, size, etc.) and then it's on to the next step: Posting the widget within your Blogger blog. The final step before posting the widget to your blog will be collecting the HTML source code. Amazon.com is so gracious, the developers even put a nice easy [copy] button on the last step. Take that HTML code and paste it into a Wordpad or Notepad document for the next step.

ADD AMAZON.COM WIDGET TO YOUR BLOGGER BLOG TEMPLATE:

Login to your Blogger account and @ the dashboard, select the [layout] option. Once in the layout editing screen, select (where on your blog layout you want the widget) and select (either) ADD PAGE ELEMENT or ADD A GADGET.

*You may need to be upgraded to the latest version of Blogger for these instructions to fit exactly. But keep in mind, you essentially are trying nothing more than to add some HTML/JAVA code as a page element or gadget.*

Navigate to the option that allows for a new HTML/Java SCRIPT option. The window that pops up (blank) is now ready to paste your code from previously--that you should have saved in either Wordpad or Notepad. Paste the code within that window and select Save and you are done.


~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories...With Words

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To subscribe to this blog, click the URL below (little dude reading the paper) and either choose your favorite feed reader or simply subscribe via email.

Subscribe to "Drawing Stories...With Words"

"Marketing 101"-- September 23rd, 2008

Need a spot on the WWW for a relaxed, unscripted, and casual interview to promote your writing style and stories? Or better yet, are you looking for a place to showcase the BEST aspect of you as the person, as opposed to you as the (busy body professional) writer? Stop by "Melly's Spot" and unwind...

I have made a new friend in Contemporary Romance author--Melanie Anderson. She is the author of such works as "On The Run" and "Born to Run" with her latest release "Racing for the Shore." You can view all her works at her homepage: Author Melanie Anderson

"Melly's Spot"

Melanie's blog--Melly's Spot--is the place where she showcases her writing, her creative side, her humor and also her interviews of other writers. So, if you are interested in an interview, stop by her blog and contact her. Tell her Bobby sent you!!!

You can also find her on MySpace here.... and yes, I do believe that is "My Little Pony" in the background...

Remember, we artist survive, NOT by stepping over one another...but by pushing and pulling one another up the ladder of success...after all...we are not corporate sharks in a suit!

~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories...With Words

"Project PS:"-- September 19th, 2008

Preparing to enter..."The Odd Mind"...

Blog Talk Radio, hosted by Angel Lesa

I am pleased to announce [that] I will be a guest author on Angel Lesa's author podcast show: "The Odd Mind" featured on her Blog Talk Radio show. This interview will be conducted LIVE and completely UNSCRIPTED on Friday, October 3rd from 8~9PM CST.
I am prepared (as Angel Lesa so eloquently warned me...) to answer all things related to my writing style and my writing approach... apart from the size of my underwear!!!

The Odd Mind

You can navigate to her Blog Talk Radio site or directly to her homepage for "The Odd Mind" above using the reference URL's. Be sure to bookmark the URL's and save the date: Friday, October 3rd, 8~9PM, CST. There is a number you can call to ask me questions as well as a chat feature if you wish to remain a bit anonymous.

You can review the list of upcoming author interviews--especially the listing for yours truly--by clicking the microphone image below.

I expect GREAT things to come from this interview, as "The Odd Mind" has over 16,000 listeners!!! This is a wonderful opportunity for me to shine and (more importantly) tell the world about your favorite novel: Proud Souls.


Stay tuned for more details!!!

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"

"Marketing 101"-- August 25th, 2008

Get out there and "Plug Your Book!!!"

If there was any one written guide I might recommend as a valuable source to help independent authors and publishers with their book promotion, it would have to be Steve Weber's "Plug Your Book--Online Book Marketing for Authors."

I purchased a copy of this book over a year ago, just about the time I "went live" with "Proud Souls" and after all these months and countless reads and re-reads of the same material, there isn't a moment that goes by that I don't say--"I am sure glad I bought this book!"

Steve Weber has been working as an online book dealer since 2000 and has become one of the most successful and highly rated book sellers on eBay and Amazon.com. And in 2007 he released "Plug Your Book" as a means to help authors--both independent & self-published writers as well as those published the traditional route--with effective, planned and Internet-based marketing concepts and strategies all outlined in one bound guide.

Remember, marketing, like writing doesn't have structured written rules that apply to every type of artist in their artistic niche. There are however effective proven guidelines that must be applied in order to be successful, the same as a writer might consider story structure or an artist might consider perception and depth with relation to color. What Mr. Weber has done for us lowly writers out there trying to make a name for ourselves is this: He has provided a baseline for effective book promotion, with a table of content that can be utilized as a "to do" list to help us achieve our goals.

Some of the material covered in this book are effective social networking with sites like Facebook and MySpace, obtaining and gathering book reviews, beginning and maintaining a blog and more importantly, how to get the most from the largest online bookstore in the world: Amazon.com.

Some of the steps may not apply to your particular genre, but 90% of the content within the pages of this book will apply to anyone trying to market their book, regardless of whether its fiction or non-fiction. Like our writing we have to "think outside the box" with relation to our marketing campaigns and often that makes the road towards success an uphill battle. But regardless, that is the path we have chosen as writers. Like Robert Frost said: The Road Less Traveled. But regardless of whether we choose the path of lease resistance or the road less traveled, it is imperative that you have a solid and thorough understanding of what the vast majority of artists like yourselves are doing to market their work. "Plug Your Book" is a definite source of material that will help you understand where you are missing the mark with some steps you may already be applying and introduce you to other concepts you may not have considered.

So, whether you are in the infancy stage of self-publication or have already been racking your brain to market your finished work, I believe "Plug Your Book" can help (at the very least) provide an effective baseline to help you prepare, apply and follow-through with your marketing campaign. I have been working to promote "Proud Souls" for 13-months and I contribute a vast majority of my success to the content within the pages of this book. Had I learned a majority of this information on my own, I would not have come as far as I have with relation to my own novel this quickly.

And as an FYI..."Plug Your Book" is the ONLY book marketing guide I own thus far and for me, it has been just enough to get me where I am and I highly recommend you grab a copy and go!!!

Best of luck to you...and remember...I believe...because you believe!

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"
www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com