eStir - pronounced (Eas-ter)

No I'm not talking to you about bonnets, baskets and bunnies ... so b not afraid, my friends.

DPP's favorite holiday is, eStir, is a celebration of all things e:
eCommerce
eMarketing
eZines
eBooks (o.k., this one is our favorite!)
eMagination
eASY
eVil empire (o.k., I'm not so hot on this one.)

You get the point ... this April 16th, take a moment to generate some eStir.
Come by the DPPstore and fill your eStir basket with eBooks and eMagination!

This message brought to you by the eggheads at DPPstore.

Taking Shape

I went out for a romp in the snow with my daughter yesterday. We live in California, and snow is most often seen, not felt. I have a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, and the view is the part I like. Every once in awhile one of my children talks me into the foolishness of going to play in the snow. Yesterday was one of those days.

Marissa was bound and determined to make a snow man. The snow left on the ground was that slightly wet icy mush that makes good snow cones, but bad snowmen. We saw a giant lump of snow that she wanted to shape into the base of her snow man. As we started to smooth it down, the big lump of snow croaked, "I want to be a frog." So given the shape of the snow lump ... We went to work.

DPP has been an endeavor much like our snow man who turned out to be a frog... A Really Great Frog!

Genene Miller Cote - our CEO - set out to find a way to publish the writings of her husband, David. She found out that it just made more sense to self-publish or perhaps to work with a small press. Then, she found out that it was not much harder to start a publishing company than it was to self-publish one book. Genene loves books and found this to be an inspiring idea. At further consideration, Genene thought about her experiences publishing digitally at the outset of CDROM technology about fifteen years ago. And Genene's big lump of ideas croaked, "I want to be an ePublisher." So, given the shape of the idea lump ... She went to work.

Since then, the lump of ideas has given shape to a publisher, a press, and an eBookstore ... The DPPstore.

In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.

- Michelangelo

So, I see frogs in snow. Genene saw eBooks. Her vision has produced a thing of beauty.

We are busier than ever at DPP. We are adding eBooks to the DPPstore daily! The community of independents is really coming together to shape the DPPstore into our own piece of artistry. The response from the small presses has been phenomenal. Plus, we have had the best possible affirmations that we are going in the right direction. Many of the people who we most respect in the world of self-publishing have agreed to sell their books as eBooks in the DPPstore. Ready for some shameless name-dropping: Dan Poynter, Marilyn Ross, and Judith Briles - to name a few! Brad Grochowski of AuthorsBookshop.com, a online retailer of independent's paper books, is working with Genene to find ways that we can combine our efforts. We will also be selling Brad's book in eBook form!

We'll continue to, "hew away," as DPP takes shape.

Just a Blurb for My Blog

Do you ever wonder what kind of craft goes into a blurb? You know, the little snippet of text to tell you just a bit about the book, the movie, the product - A BLURB.

I am of the mind that a well crafted sentence can be more difficult to produce than a shoddy epic novel. Now, I do not claim the kind of acumen of such craftsmen as my own... This is a blurb, not a boast. No, I am of an excessively wordy nature. In fact, I believe that the first time I had to look a word up in the dictionary was while reading "Ethan Fromme." I came to the word,"taciturn," and my mind shook ...

taciturn \TAS-uh-turn\, adjective:
Habitually silent; not inclined to talk.

I have a hard time conceiving of just two things:

1) INFINITY - It is just that big.
2) Taciturn - Not inclined to talk? I can't imagine!

The point is (that's one of my favorite phrases, because I am forever having to point out that I am FINALLY coming to a point), that I LOVE TO TALK. So, the idea of putting something in as few words as possible truly boggles my mind. The craft of the blurb, the greeting card, the reader's digest version of the whole sordid tale does not come readily to me.

So if, while shopping at the DPPstore, you should find our blurbs to be unusually wordy ... I am truly, very, deeply, hopelessly, obnoxiously SORRY. I can't help myself.

If I ever rewrite the novel in my own words and call it a blurb ... then you can tell me I've gone too far!

HAPPY BLURB READING EVERYONE!

eBooks Are Happier Here

Whether you want to buy, sell, or publish eBooks: DPP is the Key.

We have the DPPstore where our customers can find a wide array of eBooks for their ereading wants and needs.

We have DPPpress to bring your eBook to our eBookstore and give you a place to feature and sell your title.

We have Digital Pulp Publishing - the place to publish your book as an eBook!

We offer free conversion services to people who want to create eBooks, and we offer free listing services to people who want to sell eBooks... Visit our publishing site or our press site to find out more.

We offer eBooks for every budget, even FREE eBooks, at the DPPstore. We also offer generous rewards points for every dollar you spend at the DPPstore that can be used toward future purchases... Visit our store site to start shopping now.

WELCOME TO DPP! -- Where books grow up to be eBooks!

How do you really feel about it, Catherine?

Celebrate Read An E-book Week from March 5 - 11th. Read an e-book!

The upcoming week is Read an eBook week. Really, my kind of holiday. But I've got to be honest. If it is "Black History Month," I am suddenly less inclined to read books by black authors. Not normally a smoker, I really crave a big fat cigar every time "The Great American Smoke Out" rolls around. When my children's school celebrates "Red Ribbon Week", I feel the sudden urge to get some liquor, a few hookers and hole up in a local motel room. O.k., maybe that one's a bit of an exaggeration... I'd probably stick to one hooker (everything is more expensive with inflation, and some things just can't be expensed).

The point is, these jump-on-the-bandwagon-holidays just offend my American Individualism. I am terminally unique. But even I, synthetic holiday supercrumudgeon, cannot avoid the fact that I will be reading eBooks this week. I don't even want to boycott this holiday. I am more of a hopeless geek than an ingrained anarchist... I really like technology. Especially good technology. I hope that everyone gets a chance to read an eBook, because it's cool! The options offered by ereading DO enhance the experience of the reader; you can search text, you can optimize the font size for your viewing preferences, many devices are backlit allowing you to read in low light, and you can carry hundreds of books in a device the size of a single book!

So, do read an eBook. I really think you'll like it. But I understand if you want to wait until the 12th.

HAPPY READ AN EBOOK WEEK EVERYONE!

DPP Scores By Keeping It Simple

From a conversation between our C.E.O, Genene Miller Cote, and our newest publisher (who is preparing to distribute through the DPPstore), Gene Grossman ... the following dialogue was relayed to me:

Genene: Do you have any questions about the contract to sell your books at the DPP store?
Mr. Grossman: It seems pretty simple to me. It reminds me of the story of the South American soccer player who came to play in the US. When he was interviewed and asked what he thought of playing soccer in the states, he said the only two English phrases he knew, "Kick Ball. Cash Check."

Mr. Grossman summarized our strategy succinctly... If you want to play ball with us, all you need to know is "Kick Ball. Cash Check."

We will be selling Mr. Grossman's multiple detective stories along with his non-fiction self help title, "Female-to-English Dictionary," which offers men misleading and hilarious interpretations of what women really mean. I will be sure to blog when we get these up on our site for sale!

Check out DPPstore for our new listings added regularly.

If you are interested in the Kick Ball, Cash Check method of making money from your books, visit us at DPPpress.