Not only did UMass fail to win the conference title, but last season also marked the first time since 1985 – coach Elaine Sortino’s sixth season at the helm – that it failed to at least reach the A-10 championship game.

This year’s Minutewomen (27-11, 13-0 A-10) have made a strong statement right out of the gates, outscoring their opponents 97-14 in their first 13 conference affairs, which is a level of success not matched by any other conference foe.

UMass is off to its best start in A-10 play since 2008, when it went 20-0 en route to a conference championship and an NCAA Regional appearance.

“I feel good about this team,” said Sortino. “This is a totally different team from last year. I can’t even compare them; never have and never will. Last year’s team, quite frankly, doesn’t really matter.

“This team has its own bill of goods” Sortino continued. “Across the board they are very sound and still getting better. Tomorrow’s team is a better team than they were today.”

As has been the case throughout much of Sortino’s 33-year tenure in Amherst, the Minutewomen are not only showing signs of dominance, but complete superiority over the rest of the A-10. The numbers speak for themselves, as UMass has only been involved in three conference matchups decided by fewer than five runs this season, including Sara Plourde’s sixth no-hitter of the season in a 2-0 triumph over George Washington on April 15.

The standings tell a similar story, as the Minutewomen sit atop the conference as the only undefeated team in the conference. Fordham, the defending A-10 champs, which UMass has yet to play, remains in the race for the top spot with a strong, 13-1 conference mark.

But the only team that comes any closer than that is Temple, which trails by five games following a 9-0 beat down courtesy of the Minutewomen.

One explanation for UMass’ unmatched success in conference play so far may be the significant discrepancy in talent between the Minutewomen and the rest of the A-10. That is especially the case in the circle, where Plourde ranks No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts (408), top-20 in shutouts (9) and in the top-100 in earned run average (2.12).

The only competition in the conference, from a pitching standpoint, comes from Rams’ senior Jen Mineau, who is second behind Plourde in strikeouts with 324. Mineau bested Plourde in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in the A-10 tournament last May.

The Minutewomen have also had a distinct advantage at the plate, as their .280 team batting average is first among A-10 teams, with URI’s .266 average as the next closest mark.

“I think the most impressive thing about our lineup that most teams in country don’t have is that all of our hitters besides the slappers [Cyndil Matthew and Christine Della Vecchia] have home runs,” said junior outfielder Katie Bettencourt, who homered in game two of Tuesday’s double-header. “It makes it tough on opposing pitchers because they can’t rest on one person.”

Bettencourt, who missed a majority of last season and UMass’ A-10 tournament run with a lacerated liver, feels the disappointment of last season has served as motivation for the team’s success so far.

“I feel motivation is key,” said Bettencourt. “We have more confidence because we have that experience from last season that we didn’t have the year before. The way S.P. [Sara Plourde] has been pitching well also gives us more confidence.”

“Not only has this team increased in talent, but we also have an increase in buying in [to Sortino's system], an increase in confidence and an increase in experience.”

This next pair of conference opponents presents arguably the biggest challenge for the Minutewomen if they look to keep the undefeated streak, and No.1 seed, alive as Charlotte and Fordham await UMass in the coming weeks.

By: Nick Canelas     @nickcanelas

Through their first 21 games, the Minutewomen (21-11, 8-0 Atlantic 10) were sitting at a mediocre 11-10 mark. National Player of the Year candidate Sara Plourde was struggling with her command, walking 109 batters – more than all of last season – and posting a higher earned run average (2.77) than each of her previous two seasons.

The offense didn’t make life any easier for Plourde as well. UMass had scored three or more runs in only nine of its first 21 affairs, while also losing nine of the 11 contests in which it failed to reach the three-run mark. At that point, the team had only two batters hitting over .300 and only six hitting over .200.

Since then, the Minutewomen have dominated their opponents, winning 10 of their last 11 games while outscoring opponents 65-9.

Plourde has been on top of her game as of late, posting six shutouts in that stretch to go along with three no-hitters and a perfect game. Arguably her most significant improvement is the fact that she has only issued 39 walks, helping minimize her ERA to 2.14.

“[Plourde] has obviously [improved her command],” said UMass coach Elaine Sortino. “Two no-hitters on the weekend prove it. Even her walks are to good hitters, and she has no design to put the ball down the middle of the plate to them.”

Even as a senior, Plourde is getting better every day, says Sortino.

“Sara Plourde today is better than the Sara Plourde that pitched on Sunday against George Washington because she’s gotten better in practice,” she said.

The senior pitcher’s performance at the plate has also made her life easier in the circle. In only 38 at-bats, Plourde is hitting .342 – third on the team – with a team-high seven home runs and 18 runs batted in. Plourde also sits head and shoulders above the rest of the Minutewomen with her .921 slugging percentage, with the closest teammate to that stellar mark being freshman shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson at .574.

The rest of the team has picked up the offensive slack as well with three players hitting over .300 and nine hitting .200 or better, raising the team batting average to .271. In the last 11 games, UMass has failed to score at least three runs on just one occasion in a 1-0 triumph over Quinnipiac on March 28.

The key to the success of the Minutewomen has been getting back to the basics and doing the little things right, according to Sortino.

“We’ve had to really step it up in the last couple of weeks, and we’ve had great practices,” said Sortino. “With the extra days off, we’ve been able to really iron out some things.”

“I believe it’s a process of practicing for improvement. We’ve been working on the little things and made some adjustments and continue to get better,” Sortino added.

In last Friday’s practice before the weekend series with George Washington, Sortino held a practice that she referred to as “boot camp” in order to prepare her players for the stretch-run.

“We kind of went at things from the beginning again, you know, as a way to stay fresh,” said Sortino. “When you’ve been going for so long, and we still have weeks to go until postseason play, it’s what you need to do to stay fresh.”

UMass looks to continue its winning ways on Wednesday in a rematch with Boston College, whom the Minutewomen beat 4-2 on April 4 at the UMass Softball Complex.

Juniors Teea Rogers and Cyndill Matthew led the way with two hits apiece while Plourde struck out 12. The victory gives UMass its 14th consecutive win over the Eagles (20-18, 2-10 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have since lost five of their last six games.

Wednesday’s contest will be played at Shea Field, where BC is 4-4 thus far, including an 8-5 letdown against Virginia Tech on Sunday.

The Eagles have five players batting over .300 this season, most notably junior Nicole D’Argento.

D’Argento, leads the team with a .356 batting average to go along with team-highs in hits (42), home runs (7) and RBIs (27). The junior has also made 27 appearances in the circle this season, posting a 9-9 mark with a 3.47 ERA,

Another player to watch in BC’s lineup is freshman Andrea Filler. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak following a 4-for-4 performance on Sunday that included two homers and three RBIs.

Sortino expects the Eagles to pose a significant challenge with such a talented lineup, which is a challenge that she enjoys as a coach.

“I love the close games because that’s what you live for,” said Sortino. “I think being able to come through, hold on and maintain your composure are really important. Anything that is close, I think, makes you stronger and makes the team greater.”

“I think our kids, mentally, have grown with such significance and maturity,” Sortino continued. “They compete with a calm [mindset] and I think that’s why they’re in control.”

First pitch for Wednesday’s contest is set for 4 p.m. in Chestnut Hill.

By: Nick Canelas     @nickcanelas

Now 26 games into the 2012 season, the Massachusetts softball team is still searching for that consistency at the plate.

This was evident in UMass’ weekend series against Dayton, when the Minutewomen (16-10, 4-0 Atlantic 10) came away with a pair of victories by a combined score of 16-2.

The combined score is not a clear indicator of the lack of consistency, however, as UMass had to fight until the end to pull out the, 3-1, victory in game one, a game in which left 10 runners stranded on base.

Game 2 turned out to be a completely different story as a 10-run second inning lifted the Minutewomen to a 13-1 triumph, despite leaving eight runners one base.

“I think everyone is in the right mindset it’s just a matter of stringing hits together at the right time,” said junior outfielder Cyndil Matthew, who leads the team with a .420 batting average. “That is something we’re able to do much better in Game 1 than in Game 2.”

This inconsistency goes further back than this past weekend. The Minutemen have a dominant pitcher in Sara Plourde, who gives her team an opportunity every time she steps on the mound. However, far too often, Plourde does not receive enough run support from her offense. UMass posts a .266 team which has come back to hurt them, particularly in the team’s 10 loses thus far.

In those loses, only once have the Minutewomen pushed more than two runs across the plate, which came in their most recent, 13-5, loss to Northwestern on March 20.

Matthew feels confident about the direction the team is heading in offensively despite the scoring troubles in the early goings.

“We just have to take this motivation and confidence that we have here [and] keep rolling throughout the season and get better and better,” said Matthew.

One player who has provided an unexpected spark at the plate has been Plourde.

Plourde, UMass’ all-time strikeout leader, hit her third home run in the last five games with a solo shot to lead off the third inning of Game 1. The long ball gave the Minutewomen a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish. She got the job done on the mound as well with a 17-strikeout performance.

She also scored two runs, collected fours hits and knocked in two runs over the weekend, to go along with a pair of wins on the mound.

In her 16 at-bats this season, Plourde is hitting .500 with five runs, eight hits, three home runs, seven RBIs and 18 total bases. The Bristol, Conn., native hopes that this small sample will give her more chances to bat for the remainder of the season.

“I’ve always wanted to keep hitting since I’ve been here, but haven’t had the opportunity because of injuries to myself and other pitchers,” said Plourde. “When you have one pitcher, I understand coaches have a concept of not letting their one pitcher get hurt, but I never stopped practicing hitting because I kept saying I wanted to keep hitting, and was always asking [UMass coach Elaine Sortino] if I could hit.

“I kept practicing hitting and stayed ready just in case I got the chance,” said Plourde.

The road ahead

The Minutewomen will now play three straight non-conference games in three days, starting with a trip to Storrs, Conn., for a tilt with Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon.

The Huskies (13-14, 3-3 Big East) enter the game as losers of their last three games after being swept by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

What may play in UConn’s favor, however, is its undefeated mark at home thus far. The Huskies have shown signs of dominance at home despite only being three games into their home schedule, as they have outscored opponents 26-13.

UConn has three hitters batting over .300 this season, including senior catcher Amy Vaughan and junior outfielder Marissa Guches, who are hitting .373 and .369, respectively. Vaughan leads the team in both home runs (nine) and RBIs (29), while her and Guches are tied for the team lead in hits with 31 apiece.

Junior flamethrower Kiki Saveriano is likely to be Plourde’s counterpart in the circle. Saveriano has gone 8-7 with a 3.28 earned run average and 68 strikeouts in her 15 starts.

Neither Plourde nor Matthew are concerned going into the contest, despite it being the first of three games in three straight days, which also includes a trip back to Amherst for a home game against Boston College.

“It’ll be fun,” said Matthew. “It’s just like playing in a tournament.”

“When you play five [games] in three days or seven in four days [during the early-season tournaments] it becomes normal,” Plourde added.

First pitch for Tuesday’s matchup is set for 4 p.m.

By: Nick Canelas     @nickcanelas

If you feel like some light reading on the topic: Go here.

Heavier reading: Go here.

Indie distributors like Bookstrand and Smashwords have been scrambling to comply and this has led to some fireworks in (mostly) the indie ebook world. Some people (bloggers, authors, internet blowhards) are criticizing sites like Smashwords for moving so fast to comply with PayPal’s demands. I think that’s misguided, and here’s why.

While the word “censorship” is being flung around over this matter (umm… don’t look at my blog title), I think the reasons behind the PayPal mandate are money-related rather than morality-based. I’m just not convinced the decision came from some moral crusade within PayPal. You see, it looks like a business decision to me. Credit card returns/challenges are vastly higher in the porn/erotica and gambling industry, and that costs the industry money. Since PayPal is a middleman for the credit card companies, they shoulder much of that risk to allow smaller web companies to use their service instead of working directly with the credit card industry (at much higher buy-in and service charges).

Since PayPal only allowed 30 days for compliance, distributors had a choice to make: go out of business or comply and see what could be done on the back-end (though stay away from that cow’s back-end — no bestiality, mister!). It’s not as easy as flipping a switch for someone like a Smashwords. Truth is: it takes longer to change to another provider and PayPal offers a unique service.

I believe it’s wholly unreasonable for anyone to expect a small, online ebook retailer to raise arms in rebellion against the credit card industry. Do you know what would happen? I do. They would lose. Tragically. And that would be a decisive blow against writers, publishers and readers everywhere. I fully support efforts bySmashwords and others to remove the non-compliant material while they continue to engage PayPal to get some definition around the mandate. Nobody needs to be a martyr in this and perhaps an agreeable solution can be met down the road.

Matt, you’re a pig-fucker. Wait. Sorry CC Industry: I’m just a “plain” fucker. (I’d likely never fuck a pig… though everything from that glorious animal is so tasty… if there ever were an animal… *slap* Right, bestiality.)

So what do I say to the writers who had their content unceremoniously removed? Or to the other writers (like me) out there wondering if big business will someday attack our stories of murder, ghosts, wizards, unicorns, corrupt politicians, secret agents, angels and demons? Well, to the erotica writers, the unfortunate truth is many cultures view your work as “borderline” or “offensive” in some cases. Just like I’d have a more difficult time opening a 1-room casino in my hometown than if I wanted to open a store selling spatulas — you too will have a harder road ahead of you if you want to make money off your bestiality, incest or rape fiction. Until the views of the cultures you service change, this is just a truth.

To a lesser extent, some of the fiction removed as a result of this enforcement of PayPal’s policy was freely distributed anyway. There’s always sites like Wattpad which don’t sell the fiction — so, no “control” from the CC industry. I know it’s not a perfect solution for some erotica writers, but it may allow the free, creative expression you are looking for.

Free expression. Putting my “douchebag” hat on again, let’s remember that nobody is being told they cannot write and distribute what they want. But if they want to distribute it through certain channels, in partnership with a private corporation, then that private corporation has every right to act within the laws which mutually govern them, us and the distributor. While there’s nothing “illegal” about rape, incest and bestiality fiction – that’s a moot point. We’re not discussing criminal or constitutional law. The censorship isn’t at that level.

So, in the final analysis, where does Matt stand? I do understand the business case on PayPal’s side. They have rights too – rights to keep their own business viable. The reality exists that money is lost when credit card users challenge a charge or makes a return – and these two activities happen more for porn/erotica and casino-related activities (hence why you can’t “charge” a scratch ticket - same deal there, folks). Yes, I’m saddened by this because it means less books available. But I’m not going to expect a small business to go to war over this. We also can’t expect an industry (credit card, CC) to make bad business decisions just because some of us feel strongly about a certain topic. Their vision of this morality may be different than ours, and at the end of the day – it’s their business.

I will end by saying there is hope. From my rudimentary understanding, PayPal has been refining the language. For example, they clarified bestiality as involving “naturally occurring” animals. Yes, your stories about a human woman falling in love with a were-octupus are totally still viable. They also clarified some of the requirements around incest.  Some of the links above contain links to petitions and such – feel free to check them out if you are so inclined. However, I’m not sure your time won’t be wasted. The CC industry has successfully limited how consumers and partners can use their service in the past, and I don’t see this changing anytime soon. If you want to benefit from the services they offer, you gotta play by their rules. If you don’t like those rules, you can crusade to change them or look for other outlets to provide the services you require.

(as a closing note, I’m curious to see all the new traffic to this site with all the instances of bestiality, rape and incest in this post. gotta love the internets!)

Matthew C. Plourde is not only an official member of LitU, but an author, blogger, and an absolute writing machine! You can find his personal blog HERE.

Everyone’s first book seems to have a checkered past – a history complete with stops, starts, frustration, tears, wonk and (hopefully) joy. Eden was no different. I actually started the book on an Apple IIc computer, back in the days before hard drives. I rarely talk about the book’s *actual* beginnings because it’s embarrassing: I lost the disks long, long ago. Those first, few brain droppings are forever gone.

But the nuggets survived. They survived high school, college, cancer, marriage and my kids. They survived to make it onto one of my first PC’s. Then, those notes and chapters were migrated to an ancient, portable HP device. Then, the mangled bits made it back to a newer PC and I learned my lesson: I began to backup my work online.

So, the story survived, or rather: the bits of Eden’s story made it through the fire & rain. You see – there wasn’t a full story there. I had an “idea,” but it wasn’t complete. I knew in my heart it wasn’t ready to be told. It was missing something crucial – and that last puzzle piece came into place after hearing a song on the radio. At once, the story assembled itself into a complete “whole” for the first time.

After that immaculate realization, I re-wrote the beginning and started work in earnest. I woke up every morning 1-2 hours before work for ~8 years. (okay, maybe not *every* morning) I scrapped and rewrote major sections. Writing a novel-length manuscript was a new and scary process for me, so the going was rough. Perseverance is a quality I learned from my battle with cancer, so I wasn’t going to surrender despite the difficult journey. In the end, I competed the story that occupied my mind & heart for almost 2 decades.

Each writer blazes their own unique path from idea to completion, and I’m convinced there is no “right” or “wrong” in any of it.

Matthew C. Plourde is not only an official member of LitU, but an author, blogger, and an absolute writing machine! You can find his personal blog HERE.

Brillant, Pierre, Rev.

Caron, Adeline

Caron, Wilfrid

Cote, Evangele/Evangeline

Durning, Philippe

Gagnon, Clementine

Guignard, Valmore

Lavoie, Elie

Leblond, Theophile

Ouellet, Alphonse

Pelletier, Aurelie

Plourde, Palmire

Saindon, Celestin

Sirois, Marcellin
Theriault, Philomene (1932)

Vallee, M. Louise

Palmire Plourde

Related Posts:

Index: Cemeteries | QC/NB

Index: Headstones of Val Brillant (Matapedia, Bas-St-Laurent, Quebec)

Two unidentified, yet stunningly handsome, men ponder when Clovis Mann will put some info up about up-coming live perfomances. They appear to be playing cribbage in Casper, WY while consuming beer. Good news boys! Here's your fix!!

August:

5th IQ’s in Green Bay 9:30 PM

6th  Beach Harbor in Sturgeon Bay 9:00 PM

9th  Dan W. solo at The Comeback In in Madison 5:30-7:30

11th  People Fest (more details to follow)

12th  Cold Shot in Appleton 9:30 PM

13th  New Diggings General Store  in New D., 9:00 PM

18th  Majestic Theatre Summer Jam Series with Honest Monday 9:00 PM

19th  Fire on Water in Milwaukee

20th  Bird’s Nest in Chicago, IL

25th Quaker Steak in Middleton 6:00 PM

26th  The Waverly in Two Rivers 9:30 PM

29th  Dan W. solo at The Comeback In 5:30-7:30 PM (it’s his birthday)

We’re also at Mr. Robert’s every Wednesday from 10 to close, so pop in and say howdy.

Calendar for Fall is filling fast, so check back for updates!!

Expect fog, lights, and shiny backdrops when Clovis Mann comes to your town.

Everyone’s writing about this. But I can almost guarantee nobody else’s article will be full of monkey-math and unbased hypotheses!

So, what happened? According to the news stories I’ve read, Borders declared bankruptcy earlier this year. They closed a bunch of stores but kept some open in hopes an investor would come along to save them. All the while, they didn’t pay all their contracts for their inventory sold (they couldn’t) and this caused some publishers to stop sending them shit. That was the final spiral that spelled their doom.

At the 13th hour, nobody came to save them. They were forced to announce total liquidation and the loss of ~10,000 jobs and ~400 storefronts (I just saw a tweet about Books-A-Million maybe buying up a few dozen stores, so maybe it won’t be complete destruction).

Why the total failure by such a longstanding idol of book-buying and browsing?

Well, I can’t say for certain, but my gut tells me they held on to the brick-and-mortar life-raft for far too long. Also, others have researched and written about it far better than I could. Like it or hate it, the market has changed with the evolution of mobile devices, social media, the interwebs and publishing industry revolution. I blogged about Borders’ bankruptcy earlier this year, and many of those feelings still ring true in my heart. If you want to read about my feelings on the social change aspect of this whole mess, that post is better.

The loss of in-person browsing will certainly have an impact upon all book sales, not just paperback. I’ve read posts and responses from people who would enter a Borders to find a book, and then go buy it online. Without a physical location to camp, these people may purchase less books. Of course, that act of browsing at the store and buying online speaks to the retail reality around us – there are better deals online. Heck, when you don’t need to maintain hundreds of physical locations along with rent, utilities, insurance, maintenance, sales force, theft, etc., etc. — of course you can offer something a brick-and-mortar cannot.

Following the liquidation announcement, the Alliance for Main Street Fairness (AMSF) fired a shot into the media slipstream:

“Special treatment for Amazon.com is decimating job providers like Borders and countless small businesses across the country. It is simply not fair that one business is able to operate with a government-sanctioned advantage that allows it to undercut its competitors forcing lost jobs and business closures. Lawmakers need to level the playing field and end the special deal that gives Amazon a competitive advantage over Main Street,” said Danny Diaz, spokesperson for the Alliance for Main Street Fairness (AMSF).

They claim the ability of Amazon to sidestep sales tax gives them an unfair advantage in the book-selling game. I wasn’t so sure, so I conducted a Matt-Monkey-Math survey yesterday! I asked my peeps what would most make them NOT purchase a book that catches their eye. Here’s the results:

Iffy on the “blurb”: 6

High Price: 5

The format they prefer is not available: 4

The quality is “suspect”: 1

Yeah, I know 16 responses isn’t actually a viable sample size, but I’m not exactly being paid for my research skillz.  So backdafuckup.

Maybe AMSF has the kernel of an argument here (many of my responders cited “price” as a deciding factor). I’d go as far as supporting them in the sales-tax thing if I knew more about it. I have no freakin’ clue how it works (Amazon must pay some sort of tax, right?), but I would argue the addition of sales tax to Amazon sales wouldn’t change my purchasing methods. Amazon can still set a better price because of all the things mentioned before – they have leveraged technology and business acumen (“people who bought this also bought this” is killer) to achieve superior results. *Shrug* They beat Borders (maybe), good for them. Isn’t that what our free market is about? (minus the sales tax thing – even it out if it’s not fair, makes no diff to me) I just don’t believe the sales tax issue is majorly responsible for Amazon’s success and Borders fall, that’s all.

One interesting fact from my lame survey was nobody picked this option: “Publisher you don’t know.” I’ve actually heard some opponents to self-publishing froth about readers “trusting” publishers and caring about that NYC print on the title page.

Yeah… riiiiight. I’m still not buying that argument; try again, fuckers.

We’re moving into a book-buying age where some books can succeed based upon social support and peer review. Imagine that! Your book can sell on its own merits, rather than wallow in obscurity because it didn’t fit some publishing house’s plans for the year. I don’t know about other self-published authors, but this fact excites me. I’m nobody and I’ve sold (with the help of my underpaid, awesome team) just under 2,000 copies of my books to complete strangers in less than a year. So far, I’ve yet to get a negative review – yeah, I count the “sacrilegious” Eden review as a positive. While those numbers are quite laughable to successful writers, I’m proud of them. The online age has allowed me to reach readers who enjoy my fiction. Sharing my work with even just 1 other person is all I ever wanted in my storyteller’s heart. 2,000 (and growing) is just a bonus.

I am quite transparent in all my research & self-pubbing numbers. If you have a question, please contact me. I love helping others and sharing useful data!

All the “data” aside, I still feel the online marketplace has much more to offer (including price) than a traditional bookstore, and that’s why Amazon rules the school. When you are about to make a purchase, isn’t more information better than less info? Online, you can see what other readers have said about the book, author info/links and (in Amazon’s case) similar purchases which may be in-line (or not) with your likes/dislikes. Heck, who wants to waste their money these days? While I think it’s noble to support “Main Street USA,” I like to have all the info I can before spending my entertainment dollars. Amazon just delivers on that front better than a bookshelf at a physical store can.

I dunno. At its most basic parts (less bookstores), I don’t like it. But, I’m also not one to fear social change. I actually despise those chain emails that talk about how the next generation is fucked/different/deprived, and our days of youth were full of nostalgic perfection. Times change. The world changes. Bookstore closings are just another symptom of this social flow.

You can express your gratitude and support for the Borders employees on Twitter:#ThankUBorders

Matthew C. Plourde is not only an official member of LitU, but a heck of a guy to boot. His blog can be found here.

I’ve crafted some various blog posts throughout the last year to assist my fellow self-publishing writers (and to also document what I’ve learnt so I can recreate the process when needed). Well, it’s been some time since I’ve gone through these, and I certainly have more commentary and such to divulge to my peeps here. Also, it’s always helpful to consolidate information/links. So, let’s start a dialog!

iBooks

Little known fact: Eden was published to iBooks before anywhere else. When I’m a household name, remember that! It will no doubt be a Trivial Pursuit question in the 2010 edition. No doubt.

All fancy aside, I foolishly thought the arrival of the iPad spelled doom for the Kindle & Nook. What a silly man-animal I am. While sales were still better than I could have hoped for (~30 Eden sales on the iBookstore during its first month), I rarely sell a book on the iBookstore these days. I’m not convinced Apple has done even a serviceable job on their marketplace. The whole “people who bought this also bought this” section on Amazon is killer. Hey, other online bookstores – you should have that. Far as I can tell, iBooks takes money to “spotlight/feature” certain major releases and that’s what sells. Of course, that data is based on completely zero research… so, take that as you will.

I created the ePub for Eden “manually” using these tips: Working With iworkspages To Create an epub

While that post is full of invaluable info for ePubbers, I’m not sure all of that work is even necessary. Instead of using Lulu to publish to iBooks, I recommend using Smashwords to get on the iBookstore. They will take your “generic” M$ Word file (formatted for e-readers) and convert it to an iBookstore ePub for you. No muss, no fuss. Also, Lulu doesn’t remove your title from the iBookstore when you ask them to. Lazy wankers. All I use Lulu for these days is the hardcover versions of my books. My experience with them has been absolutely terrible. They offer no support and rarely respond to your inquiries. Once Amazon’s Createspace allows me to make a hardcover, I’ll likely say farewell to Lulu.

Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes

Here’s the “big one”: Self-Publishing Tips & Tricks (print/ebook)

This is my master guide for self-publishing. I wrote it after Eden and used it for The Antaran Legacy. My advice in there will save the noob publisher many hours of frustration. Believe it!

Much of what I outline in there holds true. I can now say with confidence that Amazon is the ruler of all. (duh, I know) Publish there first, and publish there hard. Hard? Target reviewers who also review on Amazon. Fill out your author page. Get your sample going early. Maybe engage on the forums. Hit Amazon like you hit your wife (whoops – that last comment is only applicable in the South).

Here’s a little thing I recently learned about Amazon: Don’t lower and then try to raise your price. Amazon claims they only change yer price if they discover yer book being offered for less $ elsewhere. Well, I ASSumed this would take longer, but it was immediate. As soon as I re-raised the price on the Antaran Legacy (I’m messing with the price as part of several experiments), Amazon kept it at the lower price. I plan to message them once my new price filters everywhere and tell them what’s what. Good to know, though!

XinXii

I have some tips on XinXii here: Self-publishing On Xinxii

Someone mentioned I should check it out, so I did. The site claims to be “Europe’s leading online marketplace for all kinds of written works.” (their words, not mine) While I cannot refute that claim, my books have been on there for ~3 months and I have yet to net a single sale. Of course, I haven’t done any advertising in Europe, so who am I to complain? I can say that I average 3-10 monthly Eden sales on Amazon UK, so my previous assertion holds true: treat Amazon as your #1 market.

XinXii now also accepts the MOBI format (same as Kindle), but that’s really up to you if you want to provide it. Again, yer gonna do MOBI for Kindle and that’s really where your focus should be. If you get around to formatting another MOBI for XinXii, then more power to ya.

The Next Frontier?

I truly believe Amazon is the best vehicle to get your work noticed. You’re prolly sick of hearing it by now, but I’ll beat you over the head with it one more time: focus on Amazon, all the rest can come afterwards.

If anyone knows of any other self-publishing distro sites who offer something tangible, please post in the comments section! I will likely try it out, screenshot the hell out of it and then post my thoughts as I go through their process.

However, I am quite pleased with the holy trinity: Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes/Noble. If you publish to these 3 places, you have some amazing coverage which actually nets sales. Well, you will sell if you put in the effort to get the word out there.

Happy hunting!

Matthew C. Plourde is not only an official member of LitU, but a heck of a guy to boot. His blog can be found here.

My grandfather (Pepere) Harvey Silvio Plourde
b. June 10, 1934 in Lewiston, ME
d. May 9, 1996 in NH

This photo is presumably from his Civil Air Patrol days or soon after.

Dan yelling, "Hooty Hoot, check out these dates!"

May 19th-21st   Jam for Jamaica Fest  One of WI’s truly finest musical weekends.  Members of Clovis Mann will be appearing Thurs. (Pat with Smokin’ Bandits) and Friday (the Dans with Dirty Diesel Jack’s Epic Bazaar).  Follw the link for ticket info!

June 4th  Madison Area Music Awards - We are up for Blues Album of the Year and a few other awards, so go vote.  The proceeds benefit children’s music programs.

June 10-12  Bandit County Fair  DeSoto, WI.  Clovis Mann plays,  Smokin’ Bandits, and many more!  Lots of bands, lots of B, lots of Pearl St. Beer.   Follow the link for ticket info!!!

June 16th Thursday – Up & Under in Milwaukee, WI.  A great old Milwaukee standard.  10-?

June 17th Friday – The Jay St. Joint in Lacrosse, WI.  Arguably, WI’s most loyal fans.  9-? A.M. with our good pals Circle of Heat.  This will be a slide guitar tour-de-force coutesy of Walkner and Alane.

June 18th Saturday – Ifdakamp  Kiel, Wi.  Another stop on the festival circuit, and this will be a nasty bunch of music!  Follow the link for ticket info!

June 23rd Thursday – Quaker Steak and Lube in Middleton, WI.  “Classic Car Night”  We’ll try not to peel the paint off of these classic hoopties with volume.  FREEE!!!

June 24th Friday - Nashotah Clubhouse in Nashotah, WI.  One of the best roadhouses out there.  9-1 A.M.  FREEEE!!!!  Ya never no who will stop by and sit in.  Well, you might.

June 25th Saturday – The Bank  in Dubuque, IA.  Love this place.  9-1 A.M.  FREEEE!!!!

July 1st Friday – Mr. Robert’s in Madison, WI.  Our home.  Always FREE, always funky!  10-?

July 2nd Saturday – Crivestivus in Crivitz, WI.  New stop on the festival tour.  Details at the link….

July 15th - Malarkey’s in Wausau, WI.  We’ll be joined by our new friends Meantooth Grin.  Both of our bands have appeared on the Great Northern Blues Society’s “Bake Sale” compilations.  9-1 for lots of, well, fun!

July 23rd – Cubby Bear North in Lincolnshire, IL  with our pals Steel Chops.  Legendary venue, big night of music. 

July 29th – Sugar River Shakedown  in Green County, WI.  Another sweet fest.  Check it out.

July 30th – Isenroo.  Top secret.  Also on the bill is Willie Walkner and Stray Voltage.  Contact a Mann directly for info.

More addition coming up including a bunch of solo and duet shows!  Check back!!

First of all, let me address the difference between MLM (which I believe is essential to success), and affiliate style income steams, like clickbank, etc.  They are both essential to your success.  Don’t let anyone tell you that multiple income streams are death.  In fact, they are absolutely essential to your success.  After all, why would anyone move out of the corporate world in the first place?  The reason, of course, is to generate additional income.  Why would we want to supplement our W2 income?  Our income is supposed to increase, not decrease.  Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to add income streams?  The home business is supposed to reduce risk, not increase it.

But here’s the gotcha.  We need to create income streams that do not rob us of our valuable time.  So we need to create a certain style of income stream, one that you own, not one that you manage. That is what inspired this website, and is my criteria for selecting affiliates, MLM, and any compounding income stream.  Please enjoy my links and my website, and feel free to contact me, as long as it is NOT by phone (LOL).  I wish you success in all your endeavors.