It's good to get as much advice as you can from sites, but it's a lot of information to break down, overload is easy. One thing you should do is to get your own website, if you write under "Mindy Ross" then purchase the domain MindyRoss.com as soon as you can and get some content up there. Obviously, promote the hell out of your book there, but blog often on the site, try and encourage people to go on the site by updating the content (especially the blog) every few days. You want a place to refer people to.
One of the biggest parts of promoting a book (novel or otherwise) is to seek out people who review online. Their waiting list is often very long, so patience is the key, you may not hear from them for weeks. I'm unsure of your genre, I presume it's historical fiction of some type. Ensure that you pinpoint precisely what your genre is, and hit every website (and bookmark them) devoted to it, and actively make friends on those sites where social interaction is encouraged. Genre is super important in publishing at the moment, make sure you know yours precisely.
Also, seek out other authors in your genre and know their work as well as you know your own. This does a lot. First, you will know your competition which has obvious advantages. Second, you will know the fan base of your genre, and that is your target. Everything should revolve around your genre, I can't stress that enough, that's how publishing works in 2012.
Lastly, take out a FaceBook and a Twitter page under Mindy Ross. Add anyone and everyone in your genre who writes, reads, publishes, or represents. Even if you don't care to enlist a literary agent, add them if they represent writers in your genre. Become EXTREMELY active on those social networking sites. Don't over-promote your book, but promote it wisely and as often as possible in a smart way (for example, status update and tweet all good reviews of your book whenever they occur).
You'll have to become reasonably good at self-promotion in order to become successful these days in the book world. That's the best advice I can offer. Writing a novel isn't easy, but it's a cakewalk compared to what you'll need to do in order to make the novel successful. It's a bastard, I know. But if you're determined as a writer, then also be determined at the promotion end, it will pay off in the long run. — February 28, 2012 4:04 p.m.
Tijuana Police Respond to Concerned Residents
There's a bigger story here if you want it, Mennem. How about MOST Colonias are taking matters into their own hands? It isn't just remote outposts like Las Palmas. It's everywhere. While the local cops are tied up soiling themselves with drug runners and the like, local crime has increased greatly here. Of COURSE it isn't reported, why bother? If you live here, keep your eyes and ears open, you'll find a ton of great stuff to string. Tijuanenses are fed up, and they never have trusted the cops anyway. If you're into this sort of thing from a reporting standpoint, then you're sitting on a gold mine.— February 29, 2012 3:43 p.m.
Book
It's good to get as much advice as you can from sites, but it's a lot of information to break down, overload is easy. One thing you should do is to get your own website, if you write under "Mindy Ross" then purchase the domain MindyRoss.com as soon as you can and get some content up there. Obviously, promote the hell out of your book there, but blog often on the site, try and encourage people to go on the site by updating the content (especially the blog) every few days. You want a place to refer people to. One of the biggest parts of promoting a book (novel or otherwise) is to seek out people who review online. Their waiting list is often very long, so patience is the key, you may not hear from them for weeks. I'm unsure of your genre, I presume it's historical fiction of some type. Ensure that you pinpoint precisely what your genre is, and hit every website (and bookmark them) devoted to it, and actively make friends on those sites where social interaction is encouraged. Genre is super important in publishing at the moment, make sure you know yours precisely. Also, seek out other authors in your genre and know their work as well as you know your own. This does a lot. First, you will know your competition which has obvious advantages. Second, you will know the fan base of your genre, and that is your target. Everything should revolve around your genre, I can't stress that enough, that's how publishing works in 2012. Lastly, take out a FaceBook and a Twitter page under Mindy Ross. Add anyone and everyone in your genre who writes, reads, publishes, or represents. Even if you don't care to enlist a literary agent, add them if they represent writers in your genre. Become EXTREMELY active on those social networking sites. Don't over-promote your book, but promote it wisely and as often as possible in a smart way (for example, status update and tweet all good reviews of your book whenever they occur). You'll have to become reasonably good at self-promotion in order to become successful these days in the book world. That's the best advice I can offer. Writing a novel isn't easy, but it's a cakewalk compared to what you'll need to do in order to make the novel successful. It's a bastard, I know. But if you're determined as a writer, then also be determined at the promotion end, it will pay off in the long run.— February 28, 2012 4:04 p.m.
Book
Good luck, Mindy. Go out and promote the hell out of it. There are websites that review your genre, get those people to review your work, that's the best way to sell it. Readers camp out on those sites because they are hungry readers.— February 28, 2012 12:25 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
They don't seem to be engineered with screen replacement in mind. If iPads (or similar technology) is ever adopted large-scale into the classroom, that's a great point to consider. Of course, the other thing to consider is that by the time proper study and extensive planning for implementation has been completed, the technology very well might be relatively inexpensive. We could reach a point where a device such as an iPad is a throw-away device, similar to how your average cell phone is today.— February 25, 2012 2:49 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
I'm just glad to hear that folks are considering the new technology (iPad, or really anything similar) as potentially helpful and likely the solution in the long term. The main reason I opined here was that statement in the story about whiteboards and a few of the first comments rattled me. The way it's incorporated into the classroom certainly deserves a lot of thought and planning, but the results could be amazing in many ways. If folks can manage to somehow overturn THIS particular expenditure for iPads, that's great, because it doesn't sound as though a lot of planning went into it (not to mention that the money is supposed to be going elsewhere). So far as classroom repair/maintenance, one thing I'm surprised at (consistently) is how Bond measures are constantly needed for it. I mean, the whole idea behind the State Constitution is that "schools" are free, meaning that the State has a responsibility to ensure that the buildings are properly maintained. That's the MAIN idea, that and textbooks. Government amazes me sometimes. And here's something else I find ironic. While the State of California Constitution states that children shall have free schools, a lot of people seem to think that means free education. Yet, here in Baja, their State constitution explicitly states that children are to be provided with free "education". Yet, the government here seems to interpret that as "free schools". The classrooms here are bare-bones, quite crude, but they are maintained (as best that can be done with the lack of a tax infrastructure here).— February 25, 2012 2:43 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
Publishers have already lost some of that market share and they are panicking, and they WILL lose ALL of that market share eventually and there isn't a thing they can do to fix it. It's already happening. I will miss traditional books myself, I prefer them over the digital format, but I know that isn't the future. Sure, books will still be printed traditionally, but their print and distribution will be quite limited. Authors first rejected digital publishing - much of it because of what publishers fed them about it - but once some of them saw the difference in their profits they came around. The rest will follow shortly. Your comment about the infrastructure not being in place is well-stated, it isn't. But it will be. Once that happens, then the iPad thing (or whatever else might be better) should be something that every parent and concerned citizen demands be studied and then implemented. The eventual cost savings will be significant.— February 24, 2012 9:36 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
I'm not defending this "Brand" character in any way, but you are incorrect about the cost of digital textbooks being "not that much cheaper" than books in a traditional format. There are a lot of reasons for this. Most are in how the profits are distributed. One of the main reasons that textbooks cost so much money is because the distribution of textbooks is limited (as opposed to, say, some "Twilight" novel that could sell millions of copies). But this becomes multiplied when you consider how many people in the middle of the traditional publishing industry get their cut. Everyone in line marks everything up. With digital publishing, you can eliminate printers, book binders, and distribution, and that's just a start. Not only do you eliminate those costs but you eliminate those mark-ups, and any fees along the way due to a limited number of books printed. Also: it makes the capability of updating (modernizing) a good textbook a snap, no complete reprinting is required. Again, I'm not defending Brand, if the guy is a corrupt jerk-face then by all means, do what's required to expose that, and I'm not in any way stating that *these* funds should buy iPads for the kids. But I implore you all to not simply dump the idea of going digital because of all of this. In other words, don't toss out the baby with the dirty bathwater. Or whatever euphemism would be appropriate.— February 24, 2012 9 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
There are people capable, Annie. You are. You see this for what it is, politics. Never lose that insight, and if you so choose - and if you find a horse that needs a rider, jump on and take those reigns.— February 24, 2012 7:07 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
As usual, your work is stellar. Duty calls for me as well, I need to cook dinner, but if people are actively talking about how new technology can enhance the learning process, that's a very positive thing. The entire equality issue is a huge obstacle though, as I stated, the SOCC doesn't provide for that. I've often suggested that activists who are interested in that facet of education would be better served changing the SOCC to allow for it. My recommendation seems to fall on deaf ears. Meanwhile, all I can provide is empirical evidence that these machines are awesome tools. I have a 19 year old currently applying for college. About a month ago, her 25 year old brother paid her $20 to do his homework, the last class he needed in order to receive his AA degree, he didn't have time for it. That wouldn't have happened without this modern technology. No classroom was required. Not that I don't love teachers, but eventually, more iPads might mean less of them. And then maybe some teachers become programmers? Creative destruction?— February 24, 2012 5:55 p.m.
Sweetwater Union HS District Votes to Buy iPads for 7th-Graders
Annie, and everyone, let's back up. I don't know the "players" involved here, those who you want to toss or keep those people that make such decisions; my opinion is broad, not specific. The first thing I think should be clearly understood, is that the Constitution of the State of California (SOCC) specifically states that children are to be provided with "free schools". Not free education. Don't trick yourself into confusing the two, there is a clear difference, I don't care how Rose Bird "interpreted" it, the idea is clearly that the State will provide schools and textbooks (up to grade 8 or 10, I forget which, but look it up if you wish). The SOCC further provides funding for a State board to delegate available funding for what it deems necessary to provide "free schools" and "free textbooks". All of this trickles down to the local level, and there isn't very much specifically mentioned in the SOCC beyond that, concerning education. My point isn't about Prop. "O", please don't argue that with me, you're wasting your time, I understand that issue. My point is broad, in that students and taxpayers will ultimately benefit greatly by utilizing modern technology. I am arguing this assertion: "The student board representative, Barbara Padilla, said she thought the money would be more wisely spent on something that would enhance all the students’ learning, such as white boards." This is the type of backward thinking that inhibits real education. A lot of people wonder if civilization as we know it will come to an end this December because the Maya stopped hammering on stone tablets they once used in order to keep time. I think they simply got smart one day and tossed away the hammers and chisels, and embraced something new and modern. In a capsule, that's all I'm saying here.— February 24, 2012 5:20 p.m.