My Self Publishing - Creative Partnerships!

Margaret Stead and Cynthia Walton have formed a Self Publishing partnership to showcase their distinctive styles using the power of blogs http://www.careersnet.co.uk/career-change-blog-on/

Margaret is a self-styled 'Dream Architect' and the 'Blogging Queen'. Cynthia is a member of 'Writers' News' and would like to share her experience resulting with the blogs - from conception to implementation.

Both Margaret and Cynthia are willing to share their expertise to fellow members of Writers' News.

My Self Publishing ^

In the past month my BLOGS have come up with some interesting results.

The first BLOG was for my book Birmingham Made a Difference 1926-1991 a History of Birmingham Women's Welfare Association and the Birmingham Family Planning Association. This is quite lengthy and I have quoted long passages from the book about the Birmingham family planning pioneers and their contribution to the family planning movement.

I suddenly received an email from Dr Malleson in Canada who is himself the son of Dr Joan Malleson a family planning pioneer. He had noticed that Dr Dorothy Sandilands and Dr Clara Macirone were the first Birmingham women doctors working in the up the first family planning clinic in 1927.

His grandfather was a Dr Macirone and he wondered whether there were any living relatives in Birmingham.

Mentioning this to my youngest daughter, she said she was at Edgbaston High School with a girl whose surname was Macirone.

So I emailed Dr Malleson this information and he is trying to trace this family. Another email came from Geoff Batten who has decided to write a biography of Lella Secor Florence, an American freedom fighter and the wife of Professor Sargant Florence of Birmingham University, who was the second Chairperson the Birmingham FPA.

It was due to her that Dr Pincus came to England to describe 'The Pill' at a meeting of the Birmingham FPA in 1956 and that Birmingham FPA subsequently was the first FPA clinic in the country to run a clinical trial of the FPA.

My Self Publishing "

My Self Publishing

Margaret discovered blogs in 1996 after spending a small fortune on publishing a web site. Luckily the site at www.careersnet.com became very popular and quickly top of the search engine results.

"But I didn't have ANY control" says Margaret, "I had to beg them to make a single change."

Working with coaching clients who were going through some sort of career transition she found that creating a blog not only helped them focus on their ideal work and working environment - but gave them the platform to build their new career and most importantly a vehicle to use in extensive networking. "They got job offers and major project opportunities, overnight! I couldn't believe it! Worked everytime and it was such fun."

One day on my way home from work, my partner was dropping off some books he had bound for a lady who lived locally. Within five minutes of our meeting, Cynthia had sold me copies of three books that she had self-published. She said to me: 'I need a web site to sell my books." And, I replied "No, you don't you need a blog. That is how we started, building blogs and playing with blogs to help build our presence as authors and to make those important sales and connections."

Since then we have built over nine blogs together and as a result, Cynthia has sold out one of her soft-back books and had many interesting conversations with visitors to her blogs.

Margaret has since completed a new book about blogging and career change and it is for sale online in her blog here Margaret's book shows you simply and easily - how to build your brand, become No 1 in your field and enjoy the income you deserve.

Does 'Free' figure in your budget? Blogs are a low-cost way for authors to self-publish - either by writing the book in a series of blogs (Cynthia's next job) or by publishing the availability of her ebook on blogs - in a blog, as Margaret has done.

Beware it is very easy to become addicted to blogging - it's more fun than TV, more interactive than Big Brother and nearly as good as a 'Good read.'

My Self Publishing *

My Self Publishing

Another BLOG for a book was for 'A Grounding for Life' – a 'History of Maltman's Green School'. This has already elicited several enquiries from old girls and old members of staff asking how they could get in touch with an old headmistress Miss Paula Burke. (1958 - 1978)

My Self Publishing ~

My Self Publishing

Further one BLOG was for a book of poetry and specially commissioned illustrations, Three Voices Three Visions. Out of the blue I received two e mails asking where the book could be bought.