Resources

Celebrate Short Fiction Day on December 21

PixelHallPressWRITERS. As the number of smartphones, e-readers, and tablets,soars, there is a growing desire for intriguing and entertaining material to read on them. With that in mind, author Nancy Christie is promoting December 21, 2013 as “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day. The goal is to recognize the resurgence of short story reading as a popular form of personal entertainment.

“December 21 marks both the start of winter and the shortest day of the year,” says Christie. “So why not take advantage of the long winter night to curl up with a good short story?”

Pixel Hall Press, a small boutique publisher, believes “The market for short stories and novellas is about to experience a renaissance. The length of a story is going to become irrelevant. All that will matter is whether it’s a great story that captures the readers’ interest and imagination.”

Whether you choose to enjoy a story on an e-reader or prefer the tactile pleasure of turning the pages, the result is the same:  A feeling of satisfaction comes from reading a complete, beautifully crafted story in one sitting.

So, this holiday season, Pixel Hall Press is challenging people to read a new short story and discover a new-to-you author. The following stories are only 99 cents each.

“Annabelle” by Nancy Christie is a lyrical portrait of a young woman, the daughter of a painter, and his devoted model. Their obsession with the creation of art binds the family and twists the soul of a child.

“Honor” by Daniel Grotta raises the question: “What is it to be honorable? In the eyes of others? In your own heart? Is it what you’ve done or who you are?” This novella (with flashbacks to the Vietnam War era) explores the human cost when patriotism, personal ethics, and the deep bond of friendship collide.

“Cautionary Tales for the New Millenium” by Eric Nielson, illustrated by Jay Munro. A droll, slightly jaundiced look at contemporary morés, this mini collection of very short illustrated stories reaches below the funny bone to expose insights and truths about who we are and what we are becoming.

“The Broken Bottle” by Sally Wiener Grotta. A suburban wife’s perceptions of life and self-awareness are irreparably altered when she witnesses a brief but vivid moment of violence in downtown Chinatown.

“Alice in Wonderland” by Nancy Christie. When life is unbearable, where can one go to escape? For Alice, constrained by circumstances and unwanted obligations, books transport her to imagined worlds beyond her own, nourishing her spirit — and her body. But what will Alice do when there are no more pages to devour and reality reclaims full dominion?

And for Free: “Mr. Eastman’s Empathy” by Daniel Grotta. A man vows to fight Death itself with the one weapon he has — his empathy. (A free excerpt — and complete short story — from “Seven From Haven” by Daniel Grotta, a collection of gentle tales of the paranormal, reminiscent of the old Twilight Zone TV series.)

Here are three collections of short stories (not published by Pixel Hall Press) that the editors have enjoyed. All four are available in print, or as ebooks.

“Stealing the Fire” by Jane Ciabattari is filled with character-driven, literary gems.

“The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirtieth Annual Collection”. This annual collection edited by Gardner Dozois, the best editor in SF, is curated with an eye for great writing, excellent tale-weaving and an unswerving sense of what makes a truly fine short story.

“USA Noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series.” An intelligent noir collection that is appropriately dark and brooding.

About Pixel Hall Press

Pixel Hall Press is a relatively new, old-fashioned small publishing house that takes pride in discovering literary gems and great stories that might have otherwise been overlooked.
They believe that amidst all of the disruption created by digital publishing and merger mania, mainstream publishers seem to have lost sight of the core principles and purpose of publishing. At the other end of the spectrum is an avalanche of self-published books that are notoriously uneven in quality.

Small boutique imprints, such as Pixel Hall Press, are reclaiming the heart and soul of publishing by reviving the idea that a publisher’s “raison d’être” is to find and nurture great writers, and to provide readers with beautiful, meaningful, truly enjoyable books.

Guidelines for Writers

PHP Shorts are standalone short stories and novellas published as eBooks. Some PHP Shorts may also be collected into print anthologies.

Pixel Hall Press welcomes queries from authors of short stories and novellas. Specifically, PHP is looking for highly polished, well-crafted stories about 4,000 to 15,000 words long.

More than genre, PHP editors consider how compelling the story is, how memorable the characters are, and how well the narrative develops (without clichés).More information and instructions for sending an email query can be found in the Writers Guidelines.

LINKS

About Pixel Hall Press

Pixel Hall Press Writers Guidelines

 

JWT Report Describes Ten Trends That Will Influence Consumer Behavior in 2014

JWT Intelligence has released its ninth annual forecast of ten key trends that will significantly affect how consumers think and behave in 2014.

If you look at similar reports from previous years, it’s clear that JWT has remarkably keen insight into how our preferences and lifestyles continue to evolve. You will also notice that some of the trends identified in this report are outgrowths of trends that have been spotted in past JWT reports (such as “embracing analog” and appreciating physical objects.

According to JWT’s Ann Mack, “In this year’s report, we see how consumers are both welcoming and resisting technology’s growing omnipresence in our lives. For many, technology serves as a gateway to opportunity and an enabler of hyper-efficient lifestyles, but those who are most immersed are starting to question its effect on their lives and their privacy.”

Among other trends, the JWT forecast discusses

  • the growth of immersive experiences
  • the accelerating shift to a visual vocabulary
  • the new appeal of imperfection
  • the rise of telepathic technology
  • the remixing of cherished traditions with new ideas
  • the appeal of mindful living

The authors of the report noted that “Trends don’t happen in isolation. They tend to intersect and work in tandem with each other.”

 

You don’t have to be a brand owner to appreciate the insights in JWT’s Trend Reports. As a freelance writer, I use the reports to help me find timely and relevant story ideas and angles. Photographers, designers, and copywriters, can use the information in these reports to either create new services or tweak how they market their services.

LINKS

Executive Summary: 10 Trends for 2014 and Beyond

YouTube: 10 Trends for 2014

JWT Report: 10 Trends for 2014 and Beyond

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Book Explains How to Make Cool Infographics

Cool InfographicsCoverDESIGNERS. One of the fastest-rising forms of content marketing is infographics. According to a report on 2014 Content Marketing Trends published by the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs, the number of B2B using infographics jumped from 38% in 2012 to 51% in 2013.

In theory, an infographic enables a company to control how selected groups of facts are presented. When an infographic is presented in the form of an image file, the company doesn’t have to worry that statistics presented in text form in a press release will get misrepresented during editing. The trouble is: Not all infographics are equally effective or well-designed. Some infographics are visual mishmashes that might have benefitted from the storytelling expertise of an experienced editor.

To learn all of the nuances that make some infographics more effective than others, read Randy Krum’s new book: “Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design.” The book was published by Wiley in October, 2013. 

In the book’s introduction, Krum defines an infographic as “a graphic design that combines data visualizations, illustrations, text, and images into a format that tells a complete story.”

A data visualization is a visual representation of numerical values, such as a chart or graph. While charts and graphics make it possible to viewers to easily comprehend large amounts of data, a well-designed infographic is more than an artfully arranged collection of charts, graphs, or other types of data visualizations.

“Infographics have become more like articles or speeches,” observes Krum. Complete with introductions and calls to action, “Their purpose is to inform, entertain, and persuade audiences.”

In the book, Krum offers graphic designers, marketers, and business professionals practical tips for using infographics to present and promote data. In “Cool Infographics”, he:

  • Explains why infographics and data visualizations work.
  • Shares tools and techniques for creating great infographics
  • Discusses how to use social media and search-engine-optimization to promote infographics developed for online marketing purposes.
  • Demonstrates how to use an infographic resume to market your skills as a professional
  • Explores the many ways businesses use infographics, including board meeting presentations, annual reports, consumer research statistics, marketing strategies, business plans, and visual explanations of products and services to customers.

“Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design” is now available for purchase online and at retailers nationwide in both print and all e-book formats.

About the Author

Randy Krum is founder and president of InfoNewt, an infographic design and data-visualization company. He designs infographics for both online publications and internal communications, and consults on building infographic landing pages, social sharing links, infographic SEO, reaching key influencers, and tracking results. To see examples of effective infographics, visit Krum’s blog: Coolinfographics.com.

LINKS

Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design

Blog: Cool Infographics

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B2B Marketers Plan to Spend More on Content Marketing

 

 

Hybrid Photographer Will Crockett to Show Photo Pros How to Produce eCards for Clients

PHOTOGRAPHERS. Do you know how to produce an eCard to promote your photography services? Are you prepared to begin offering eProducts to your customers?

During the pre-show DIMA conference before the 2014 PMA@CES event, Hybrid Commercial Photographer Will Crockett of PHOTOchannel.pro will show professional portrait photographers how to create non-printed e-products that combine images with motion and sound.

WillCrockettatDIMA

Crockett will explain why the popular “eCardPRO” provides an exciting replacement to the printed business card, You will also see that  the eCard is just one type of eProduct that can generate new revenues for your professional photography business.

Crockett will demonstrate how photographers can capture photo, video, and audio files that can wirelessly move from a remote location to a post-production workflow in seconds. After the files are edited into a short video clip by a hybrid-capable pro lab the lab will install the clip on a specialized delivery platform that gives the professional photographer complete control over how the files are delivered to clients for use on their smartphones and tablets.

In Will’s own eCard, he defines a hybrid commercial photographer as one who uses videos, graphics, images, audio, and new media to sculpt the perfect message for a company’s products or services.

The seminar will be held live from 3:00 to 4:15 on Sunday, January 4 and streamed out to the world through a Google+ hangout. It will be recorded for playback just in case you need a second look.

LINKS

eCard for Will Crockett

Pre-show conferences at PMA@CES

About PMA@CES

PMA@CES is the overall presence of PMA at the 2014 International CES produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

As part of PMA@CES presence, DIMA (Digital Imaging Marketing Association) PSPA (Professional School Photographers Association) and SPAA (Sports Photographers Association of America) are hosting their annual pre-show conferences at Bally’s Las Vegas January 5-6, 2014. Additional conference programming is offered by the AIE (Association of Imaging Executives) Future Imaging Summit.

The 2014 International CES®, runs Tuesday, January 7  through Friday, January 10, 2014. It will include PMA@CES conference sessions, the PMA@CES Exhibits plus other events at The LVH (formerly Las Vegas Hilton) next door to the Las Vegas Convention Center and just a short monorail ride away from Bally’s Las Vegas.

The International CES is described as the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years, and has become the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

Because it is produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, the technology trade association representing the $203 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers to a forum where the industry’s most relevant issues are addressed.

New SoDA Report Previews 2014 Trends in Digital Marketing

SODAReport2013-2.png-300For insights into where digital-marketing might be heading in 2014, download the 2H 2013 edition of “The SoDA Report: Digital Marketing Outlook.” Published by SoDA, the Global Society for Digital Marketing Innovators, the report has become a leading voice of digital agencies and production companies worldwide.

The 138-report includes 22 essays, 18 case studies, and interviews with luminaries such as predictive analytics guru Mike Kuniavsky of PARC Innovation Services. The content is designed to keep brands, agencies and consultants aware of issues that are likely to drive real business improvement in 2014.

“Keeping abreast of digital innovation is increasingly critical for marketers and agencies that want to be successful in 2014,” said Chris Buettner, SoDA executive director and managing editor of The SoDA Report. “This report gives not just a look at some of the most successful campaigns of 2013 but also key insights that will help readers ensure they don’t get left behind in this fast-changing business.”

This edition includes essays on how brands can:

  • speed up their innovation cycles:
  • cultivate smarter, more responsive online communities; and
  • use ethnographic research techniques to develop a stronger understanding of the motivations and behaviors of people

The SoDA Report is divided into five sections:

  • Industry Insider: Trends, issues, and best-in-class methods that are shaping the future of digital agencies and production companies worldwide.
  • Modern Marketer: Client-side innovations that are delivering a new generation of success stories in digital marketing.
  • People Power: Education and talent cultivation within the industry, including user-experience and the power of human understanding.
  • Tech Talk: Future technology developments and trends that are likely to have a powerful impact in 2014.
  • Advocacy: Communicating collective power and positions around key issues impacting digital agencies and production companies globally.

The case-study section includes projects executed by brands such as KLM, Google, Yamaha, Burberry, Philips, Lenovo, Adobe, Lynx and Gulfstream.

Some of the thought-provoking articles include:

  • The Digital Agency Paradox (teaching clients to do what we do) by David Maren, EffectiveUI
  • Brands: How to Get Agile with your Agency by Jack Skeels, AgencyAgile
  • Integrating Multiple Agencies into One Brand Team, by Stacie Hoffmeister
  • Simple and Valuable Recruiting Advice, by Matt Paddock, Grow Interactive
  • The Personalization of Everything, by Stephen Foxworthy, Reactive
  • Consumer Control: Coming to a Store Near You, by Alessandra Lariu, SheSays
  • A Call to (Legal) Action, by Brad Gross, SoDA

Now in its fifth year, the bi-annual SoDA Report trends publication is one of the most-read reports in the digital-marketing industry. The first edition of 2013, released in March, was viewed or downloaded by more than 150,000 people.

LINKS

Slideshare: The SoDA Report: Digital Marketing Outlook

About SoDA

 

Law College Workshop Explains Legal Strategies for Professional Artists in the Digital Age

SuccessStrategiesforProfessionalArtistThe Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) in Highland Heights, Kentucky is presenting a workshop on legal and business tactics for visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, video-game creators, and other creatives who are striving to earn a living from their passions.

Entitled “Success Strategies for the Professional Artists in the Digital Age,” the workshop will take place from 4:30 to 8:30 pm on Wednesday, November 6 in the NKU Griffin Hall Rieveschl Digitorium. A live webcast will be offered to those who can’t attend in person.

The program includes panel discussions on three important topics:

  • Legal and Business Strategies for Local Film Production
  • Exhibiting, Licensing, Publishing, and Promoting
  • Crowdfunding and Project Financing: Getting the Professional Paid

“Success Strategies for the Professional Artist in the Digital Age” can help lawyers and their creative artist clients understand how easy online access to media, and changing business practices for media distribution can lead to digital exploitation of the artist’s work. Some of the business and legal practices to be discussed by the expert attorneys on the panels include:

  • Crowdsourcing for resources and distribution
  • Crowdfunding through gifts and pre-sales
  • Crowdfunding through capital investment and financing
  • Strategies for legal investor financing of creative projects beyond Kickstarter
  • Rights acquisition agreements
  • Music licensing for film and video games
  • Fair use and transformative works
  • Mash-ups, composites and derivative works
  • Do-it-yourself distribution through social media
  • Gallery and venue agreements, including online galleries
  • Insurance coverage
  • Stock photography agencies
  • Understanding licenses from iTunes, Amazon and others
  • Trends to watch

“In an age dominated by social media and digital distribution, creative artists are required to navigate self-promotion, online contracting, sophisticated financing, and a host of challenges that pull the artist away from the creative process and into the fast-paced world of digital commerce.”“explains Jon Garon, a professor at the NKU Chase College of Law and founding director of the NKU Chase Law + Informatics Institute.

Terry Hart, director of legal policy at the Copyright Alliance, notes that as more people become content creators, there is growing awareness that “there is real value to maintaining some control over what is shared” via social media.

“Success Strategies for the Professional Artists in the Digital Age” is sponsored by the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Cyberspace Law Committee, Copyright Alliance, the ArtWorks’ SpringBoard, and Frost Brown Todd LLC.

The webcast is hosted by the NKU Chase Law + Informatics Institute, which provides interdisciplinary research, coursework, and community outreach on issues involving media and information systems and emerging technologies across all areas of law. The Institute explores the legal and societal consequences resulting from the creation, acquisition, aggregation, security, manipulation, and exploitation of data.

LINKS

Success Strategies for the Professional Artist in the Digital Age

NKU Chase Law + Informatics Institute

Online Self-Publishing Conference Explains How to Build Readership for Your Books

A new, online self-publishing conference will be held from 9:45 am to 5:00 pm ET on Saturday, November 16 and Tuesday, November 19 at TheSelfPublishingConference.com. Organized by two self-published authors and experienced event planners, the conference will feature presentations by 22 experts. Combined, these speakers have helped sell over 500 million books and  generate $1 billion in book sales in print, online and via information products and courses.

TheSelfPublishingConference

The content of The Self Publishing Conference is geared for: writers; authors; small- to large self-publishers; traditional publishers; entrepreneurs; software developers; SEO, marketing and business experts; and anyone interested in writing better and selling more books.

The event organizers Julia Hidy and Jane Tabachnick  note that interest in self-publishing has grown exponentially since 2008. Every day about 2,000 new books are added to Kindle.com alone. This rapid expansion of self-publishing is making it increasingly difficult for authors to have their books discovered by interested readers.

Many self-published books only sell one or two copies, whereas others sell hundreds, or even hundreds of thousands of books.Many best-selling self-published authors consider the business side of writing as they create their content. While writing their books, they develop and execute fully integrated PR, media, social media, marketing and SEO campaigns that can help create a ready-to-read audience and expand the future discoverability of their titles.

The Self-Publishing Conference will cover new channels, formats, platforms and software tools that can help authors establish greater market saturation, expand readership and boost sales. The speakers will offer a combination of online training, strategic planning, and mentoring sessions. They will provide proven insights, tips, tools, and case studies that can help you create a road map for your own success in self-publishing.

Speakers include John Kremer, Daniel Hall, Brian Jud, Deltina Hay, James J. Jones, Jane Tabachnick, Jim Kukral, Julia Hidy, Colin Scott, Ginger Moran, Ronnie Bincer, Colin Martin and more.

LINKS

TheSelfPublishingConference.com

Program: The Self-Publishing Conference