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THE BARON SON: VADE MECUM 7

By Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton

Long & Silverman Publishing, Inc.

ISBN - 159575375

Today it seems nearly impossible to open a newspaper without finding a story of corruption, cover-ups, or ethical lapses in judgment from prominent figures in positions of authority. With corporate and political scandal rampant and executives headed to jail in record numbers, the unbridled pursuit of wealth and abusive use of power are no longer options. Now, as an instrument of change, Bestselling co-authors Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton step forward to present their new book, The Baron Son, as a revolutionary road map to ethically guide leaders and remake America’s organizations.

After completing The Baron Son, I found it to be as promised, a challenging and insightful work with a life-changing power. For those with no interest in the subject of leadership, not to worry, the teachings of The Baron Son reach far beyond the genre, adeptly covering such areas as building wealth, entrepreneurship, marketing and salesmanship to name a few.

The Baron Son is an instructional tale that reveals the wealth-building secrets of an oil merchant who through a string of successes and failures becomes the richest man the world has ever known. Having started from nothing, this wealthy Baron uses his life as the blueprint for the ethical attainment of riches both in material and non-material form. With many unexpected twists and turns, the story alone makes for a fascinating read, but the valuable leadership, financial, and business lessons formed into 11 “Supreme Principles” propel the book into an entirely different realm. Its archaic style is reminiscent of such classic works as The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clayson or The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino. In my opinion however, the story and depth of content in The Baron Son easily surpass both earlier books.

The authors do an excellent job of weaving their insights on a number of pertinent and diverse topics into a colorful and inspiring story. There are countless ideas that entrepreneurs will benefit from whether they are starting a new business or growing an existing enterprise. Investors will also notice subtle points that can help them improve their returns and avoid bad investments. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there is a clear road map for ethical leaders to help them direct their actions with vision, integrity, and passion to create the greatest value for all those they serve. Recent history has proven this to be a lost ideal.

As with all things, there will be some people who will not appreciate the book or realize that they are the ones that need it most, but for those individuals with creative vision, there will be no limit to what he or she can achieve through its teachings. It is one of those few unique works that will reveal a new understanding each time it is opened. A book of wisdom for all seasons of life, The Baron Son truly is, as the authors would say, one of the “Seedlings of Empires.”

Rating: 5 Stars

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Chapter One

I was ready to start the fourth grade, the year we moved to Izee. Prior to that time, the Miles family had lived in Bates, Oregon. Bates was a company owned, sawmill town, too. The biggest difference was that the houses in Bates were painted, on the outside.

My sister, Rita, had married her high school sweetheart, in June, and had moved to Eugene, Oregon. We would not be able to see her more than a couple of time a year - as it was ninety miles to the paved highway, and then over two hundred miles from there. My brother, Robert, would begin his high school in a few weeks. Robert would have to be boarded in Canyon City or John Day, Oregon. The Izee school had only first thru eight grades available in its two rooms.

Mom had assured Dad and me, “Robert will be just fine. He will only be fifty-eight miles away. He can come home on the weekends and for spring vacation. We know how important it is to get a good education.”

Mother had never attended high school, herself. Born Mildred Heck, with eight siblings, she was working in a Baker City laundry by the time that she was twelve years old. As the dominant parent, Mother never expected too much of my father. Her kids were her life and she could handle everything.

Mom had never known her father, a Nez Perse Indian, who, like her mother’s other three husbands, had died young in Baker City, Oregon. All that she had known about her father was that he was a Catholic. She had made his religion her own. Her mother was a Nazarene. Back then, some people called them ‘Holly Rollers’ and Mom wanted no part of embarrassment.

Being poor, born nearly deaf, offered enough ridicule for any smart child, as my Mother had been. When she had gone to grade school, she sat in the back of her class, ashamed, in her hand-me-down clothes. When called upon by a teacher, she usually answered, “I don’t know,” rather than admit that she couldn’t hear the question. She had educated herself by reading books and was anything but stupid. She wanted babies. She would handle everything herself. Her own Mother had, she expected to, and she did.

“Oh Buddy, Rusty, look! There’s the school… It says IZEE School Dist. # 31, over the door. The town must be right around the corner…” Mom was excited.

I looked. It wasn’t as big as my old school, in Bates. There were just two swings and two teeter-totters. Two school rooms, and two outhouses. We waited, expectantly, for the Izee town to appear. It didn’t.

“Well, it has to be just up ahead… Here comes another lumber truck toward us, Bud… For heaven sakes, move over a little bit…”

“That’s sure a fine looking load of lumber, Mildred. They say they’ve got enough trees to run for the next twenty years. They’re running three crews of fallers, now. That’s a lot of hungry lumberjacks to feed!”

“We’ll do just fine, Bud. Now, you relax. We’ll meet the superintendent and he’ll offer us the job. I’ll be right here with you. We’ll be fine.”

“You just remember, Mildred, they found the last cook hanging by a noose above his cook-stove. They said his food was bad,” Dad declared. ” He made good men eat beans, everyday,” My father continued, with genuine sympathy advocating for the collinearly abused laborers.

“Bud, you know, very well, that the poor man and his wife were having problems. They said that he committed suicide!”

“Well, he wouldn’t be the first cook that they’ve strung up in a logging camp!”

“Bud Miles, you stop thinking about such things” Mom demanded.

“Well, he won’t be the last one either, Mildred,” Dad persisted… before changing the subject. “Rusty, are you watching for this town, Son? Keep an eye open for a big buck! I saw some fresh tracks in the dust where he crossed the road, back there. It looks like a black bear, or something, has rubbed himself against that tree!”

I looked. There was some dark chocolate hair glistening on the broken branch of a green juniper. I could see some of the bark was missing from the tree trunk too. No one could spot game sign like my Dad.

I wanted to be the first to see the Izee. I was real thirsty. The dust stirred up by that last lumber truck was, still, hanging thick in our 1952 ford. I rolled the passenger window down to try to get some fresh air. Mom handed me another piece of Juicy Fruit gum.

“Throw the other one out, Rusty. This will make our mouth’s taste better. We’ll be there any minute and I’ll get you a cold glass of water, first thing.”

It seemed like we would never reach Izee. The ruts and bumps of the dirt road tossed our car and we helpless victims in every direction. Around each corner, lay dustier road and another corner that we couldn’t see beyond. The schoolhouse turned out to be twelve miles from the town. Dad was getting anxious.

“What time are we supposed to meet with this man, Mildred?”

“His name is Mr. Ellingson, Bud. He is expecting us at around 1:00 O’clock. It’s not even 12:30. We’re doing fine. Step on it, a little… You’re not even going thirty miles per hour… That last log truck - that passed us - was going twice as fast on this same road!”

The loud blast of the air horn behind us meant that another log truck driver agreed with Mom. Dad pulled to the right as far as he could, without leaving the road. The truck, loaded to the top with fresh cut pine trees, roared past us before I could roll up the window.

“I told you so, Bud. Now let’s go!”

“I’m not going to follow that crazy man, too close. Chains break on loads like that. You can’t stop by the time you see the logs through all the dust… So, you just calm down, Mildred. I want us all alive when we get to this mill.”

As the dust trail of the log truck settled in the distance, Dad increased the speed to thirty-five mph. Billowing from more bumps, a new layer of road powder inside the car, settled upon us. It was well over 100 degrees, inside the car and out. We continued on, in our hot pursuit of the elusive logging camp. I had, pretty much, given up hope on ever getting to Izee. At eight years old, you can keep the faith, while riding in a hot car, for just so long.

Mom saw it first. “Look, Rusty! A real ball park!”

The backstop appeared from out of nowhere. Except for a few wooden benches, it was the only thing there, situated in the gully between the creek and a hill. The hill had one small trailer, perched on the peak.

The next sights were less than encouraging. More single wide trailers and make-do-mobiles with clothes flapping on rusting lines. This was the “Upper camp,” where many of the less permanent workers with families lived.

“Keep on driving, Bud! These shanties are not the main town. It has real houses. They said we will see the mill when we get here.”

We continued on - around another two more corners - to the “Main camp.” Rounding the last curve, we saw the smoke from a sawdust burner drifting slowly over three rows of wooden structures, houses of the main camp. Steams and gasses could be seen bursting forth from the many operational buildings of the Ellingson Timber Company sawmill.

Arrogantly, on one side of the creek, the sawmill sprawled on the large, level side of the landscape. All but a few of the houses were close together on the other. Like bleachers in a stadium, rows of adiquate housing assended the mountainside due limited flatland on their side of the creek.

Actually, this creek was the “South Fork” of the John Day River. Our forner hometown, “Bates, Oregon,” lay eighty-eight miles to the North East, and was on the “Middle Fork.” There is, also, a “North Fork” of these tributaries. After the forks all join the “Main John Day,” it flows on to expand “The Columbia River.”

In those days, sawmills were built on creeks in remote areas where timber was in close proximity. A sawmill could be expected to operate for fifty to seventy five years. The towns were the necessary outgrowth of a place to house the laborers for the mill, loggers to cut the trees, log truck drivers -. to haul the fresh logs in - and lumber truckers - to transport the finished dry boards out.

The lumber companies that built the mills owned the towns. These were not “One horse towns.” There were no horses or cows or pigs or sheep. Just families who rented company owned houses, from the company, while the men held jobs at, or for, the mills. Permanent workers, at the mills, got first choice of the housing. The better the job, the better the house, made available from the cheaply constructed one-level structures. Most had only two bedrooms, no matter how many children were in the household. Most families had one or two dogs that roamed freely.

The mill workers were “Permanent.” So long as they could perform their work adequately, and their families did not disrupt anything, men had a job and a place to live. The companies made all of the rules. People with too many family problems were fired. There were, always, people who wanted a job. Many people worked their whole lives for these companies, raising families, perfectly content with their lots in life.

Then, like now, most problems developed when people felt too isolated or blamed each other for their own dissatisfaction. When a worker was injured on the job, the company took care of the medical. When the injury to a good worker was severe, the company might find him another job that he could do. Unmarried men, and those waiting for a house, “Batched” in bunkhouses. Women were not allowed to work in the mills. Once grown, single women were not even allowed to live in the towns.

Most sawmill towns had two sections, one where the “Permanent” workers lived and a second section, where the “Temporary” or seasonal workers, with families, resided. These might include the contract or “Gypo” loggers. People who worked at the mills usually didn’t get too close to the families of the people who might be gone in a few months or years when their jobs or contracts ran out. Izee was a “Logging-camp.” The company, that owned everything but the land it was built upon, made no pretense of this being - or ever becoming - a “Town.”

Our first stop in Izee was at the “Commissary.” That was the word used for the company owned store. It was the only store in the camp. Can goods, toilet paper, dog food, cleaning supplies, candy bars, and cigarettes, were the major items stocked. A gas pump was in front and the prices were “Sky-high.” Most people bought their groceries in John Day, when they went in to town to cash their paychecks. There was no bank in Izee. No alcoholic beverages were sold in the camp, either. The land lease agreement, allowing the mill with its necessary housing, clearly prohibited alcoholic sales of any kind. The mother of the rancher owning the land was a devout Catholic. When the mill shut down permanently, all evidence of it prior existence would have to be removed.

The wood floor of the commissary was raven black, having recently been oiled. Dad observed my hesitation to step on it. He assured me it was all right.

“They do this, Rusty, to cut down on wear and to make the floor easier to keep clean,” he said before asking the man where he could find Mr. Ellingson.

Mom found the ice-chest cooler and bought me a seven ounce 7-Up. Boy, did it taste good?

Johnson, the commissary clerk, who was also responsible for the separate mail section, pointed to the superintendent’s house. Dad and Mom were to apply for the job of running the “Cookhouse”. It was an important position for the company that had enjoyed, too much, turnover in years past. It would not, anymore.

Dad was hardly inside the door when he told Mr. Ellingson, “A man can’t do an honest day’s work on an empty stomach. You’ve got to feed him, and you’ve got to feed him real good!”

The Superintendent gleefully agreed and set about selling my parents on taking the job.

The position required that the “Cookhouse, husband and wife operators,” work about sixteen hours a day - seven days a week. Of course, the job wasn’t represented that way but that is actually what would be required, to handle it successfully. Included, with the position, were the attached living quarters, and all meals for the operator’s own family. Although no restaurant - or other eating establishment - was allowed in Izee, residents that occupied houses, neighbors, or even friends were not allowed to eat at the Cookhouse. It didn’t matter how much people were willing to pay.

Dad was offered the position, as “Head Chef” and Mom would be the “Second”. Her job would be to help Dad, bake all of the breads, make the deserts, and serve the tables. Together, they would prepare the meals for all of the forty five to eighty single men - mill workers and loggers - who lived in the bunkhouses.

By five O’clock A.M., the loggers and woods crews would sign in for breakfast. The mill workers came in at 6:00. By then, the woodsmen would have eaten, packed up their lunchboxes, and departed. All meals were deducted from worker’s paychecks. This was no free lunch.

Lunch for mill a worker was between when the lunch-time whistles blasted, at noon and at 1:00 P.M. A man might have to run to get there. Dinner was served from 5:30 until 7:30, seven days a week. The Superintendent spent more time selling them in taking the job than my folks spent trying to get it.

While Dad and Mom were going over details of what the position entailed, I asked if I could walk down to the swings that I had noticed when we had arrived. Mr. Ellingson thought it would be a great idea, a chance for me to meet some of the kids who were playing there. He was quite proud that the company, only recently, had the huge swings constructed for all of the children in the logging camp to use.

Mom walked me outside, with a stern reminder that I had my “New clothes on.”

“Don’t get into any fights,” she said. “I have heard that these Izee kids are the toughest and meanest on this earth… And, watch out for the rattlesnakes… If you see one, Rusty, promise me that you won’t go near it. Your father and I will pick you up in a few minutes. You see that big house across from the swings? That’s ‘The Cookhouse.’ It’s going to be our new home…”

Rattlesnakes! We don’t have rattlesnakes in Bates! I could feel my heart hammering against my stomach as I walked - what I believed to be - ‘The Rattlesnake Road.’ Maybe, I thought, if I kick that rock ahead of me, it will scare them away. But, I didn’t want too kick it too far. I might need it to kill a snake.

I could see two boys and two girls at the swings. They’re all watching me. The girls look friendly, but the boys - they want to fight. They’re both bigger than me. I remembered that my Dad had said, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall!” If they give me any trouble, I’ll show them that Bates kids are tough, too.

I wished that my brother, Robert, had come, this first time. Instead, he had gone camping with the Boy Scouts, that day. Robert can beat up anyone. Well, anyone but Okie Joe. He’s taught me to never back down from a fight. I ain’t never yet! Anyway, them boys are looking at me funny. I kicked the rock off the dirt road in the direction of the swings. The biggest boy stepped forward to challenge me.

“Whatta ya doin’ kickin that rock?”
“Lookin’ for rattlesnakes. What’s it to yea?”
“That’s my rock!”
“Oh, yea?”
“Yea!”
“Here, take it then!” I kicked the rock at him.
He had long legs and jumped out of the way. “Where da ya think yer goin’?”
” Those swings.”
” They’re mine, too…”
” Oh, yea?”
“Yea, my dad built ‘em!”
” Mr. Ellingson said they’s for everybody…”
” Yea, well, I’m next!”
“O.K.,”I said, willing to wait my turn. But, I could see that ‘Long-legs’ didn’t like it.
” That’s a funny looking shirt… you Roy Rogers?”
” No?”
” Sez Roy Rogers… whata ya doin wearin his shirt?”
” It’s mine. My mom bought it - for me - this morning … in John Day.”
” Oh, yea?”
” Yea! You wanna make somethin’ of it?”
” If I do, you’ll be sorry…”
” Oh, yea?

Two buttons flew off when he grabbed me by the collar. But, my head moved faster than his fisted fingers! When I slugged him in the stomach, Long-legs doubled over. So, I punched his snorting nostrils. Blood squirted, everywhere. It spurted at my new shirt, too. Fear gripped me! Mom’s gonna be mad.

Our fight was over for that day. Long-legs left holding his nose and swearing that he’d “Get even, later!” His faithful friend - who even looked a little like Tonto - went with him. So did one of the girls who had been on the swings.

” Do you want to swing, ” the other girl asked me?
“Okay,” I answered, trying to wipe some blood off my shirt.
” What’s your name?”
” Rusty Miles.”
” Are you going to live here?”
” Yeah, I guess so.”
” Which house? ”
” That one - right there…” I said, pointing.
” Oh, good. I live right across the street. I’m Diana. We can be friends.”

We were flying high, in the swings, when our family Ford pulled up. Mom got out of the car.

“Rusty, did you fall down? Honey, are you all right? Look at your shirt! What, on earth,
happened to you?”
” He started it… Mom, I didn’t mean to…”
” Hush up! Get into this car, right now… before anyone sees you like this… Let’s go, Bud… They want us back here, and on the job, Monday morning.,” Mother urged.

[ End Chapter One ]

* * *

Russ Miles is the author of the novel, For Sale By Owners:FSBO.
Seasoned Real Estate NAR® Broker Disabled by Multiple Sclerosis,
FOR SALE BY OWNERS:FSBO ISBN 0-595-28703-4,in trade paperback,
is available by phone or Internet:1-800-Authors to order direct!
Very HOT-LINK Adobe e-book & hard cover editions also available
FSBO at Amazon.com at Barnes and Noble and other fine booksellers.
Comments: MilesRuss@Gmail.com. Personal referrals to his publisher

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If you think you’ve seen and heard everything there is to say, The NEW Game of Business brings new distinctions and a fresh perspective to the world of business.

This slim, easy-to-read soft cover book is so good that it should be required reading in business schools around the world. Every entrepreneur and every company employee, from the janitor to the CEO should read and reread this book.

The author’s quote in Chapter Five quite nicely summarizes the topic of this book. Mitchell Axelrod says this “I help you get from where you are, to where you want to be.” The new game in town is that of reciprocity and no longer does the businessperson with the most toys win.

Consumers are tired of turning on the television every day to more bad news about badly run businesses. Corruption and scandal seem to rule the day and all this negativity takes a toll on the economy and well being of those who sell and those who buy. Mitchell Axelrod advises that thinking outside the box is so outdated that businesses need to throw away the box entirely and begin playing “The NEW Game of Business.” This game is inclusive rather than exclusive and it is based upon service. Reading this book will help teach you the value of throwing out the old rules and writing a new script for a new game. A game where everyone wins.

The chapters of this book include: Play by the New Rules… “Caveat Vendidor!” Design a New Strategy… It’s NOT just Business; It’s Personal!, Practice New Economics… Good Deals are Good Business!, Seek a New Mission… Put People Ahead of Products and Profits!, Send a New Message… What Business Are YOU In?, Chant a New Mantra… “Serve, Deliver, Serve Some More!”, Find New Solutions… Don’t Fall in Love with Products or Services!, Acquire New Skills… Master the Tools of the Game!, Build A New Model… Integrate or Disintegrate! and Generate New Money… Profit is EVERYBODY’S Business! The material covers everything a reader needs to know about generating a profit while gaining lifelong customers and keeping loyal and happy employees. Apply these proven principles used by companies such as Nordstrom and Starbucks and you will find your business growing exponentially while you achieve your dreams!

Mitchell Axelrod is a consultant, professional speaker, talk show radio host and frequently published author on the topics of marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, life skills and playing the new game. For over twenty-five years Mitch has been consulting with Fortune 500 companies, banks, insurance companies, small businesses and individuals on how to boost income, increase sales and profits while deriving more fun, fulfillment and satisfaction from work. You can purchase The NEW Game Of Business at http://www.TheNewGame.com

(c) 2004, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media reserved. Permission to reprint granted to all venues so long as the venue is opt-in only.

About The Author

Bonnie Jo Davis is a Virtual Assistant, author of the e-book Articles That Sell and webmaster of the Articles That Sell Center. To sign-up for her free monthly e-zine visit http://www.ArticlesThatSell.com/newsletter.htm

Bonnie@DavisVirtualAssistance.com

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Casa Dolce Casa is a Pension in Florence, located in Via San Zanobi, 27

Cheap like an hostel but warm and modern as an hotel, Casa dolce Casa is a clean and safe place where our friendly staff will make you feel right at home !

Casa dolce Casa stands in a privileged position, in the heart of the historical centre of Florence: it is just a few steps from the San Lorenzo market, 5 minutes by walk to Santa Maria Novella railway station and it is very close to the main places of artistic and cultural interest of Florence (the Brunelleschi’s Dome, Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi museum and Ponte Vecchio).

At your arrival, the Casa dolce casa staff will welcome you and will be glad to show you your room and the whole house with its facilities. Upon check, all our guests are supplied with a personal key so that you always have free access to the apartment at any time, just like if you were at home!

Casa dolce casa is equipped with all comforts to our customers; the Wi-Fi Internet connection (available with personal laptop) is available in the common room 24/ 24 hrs, together with a plasma TV screen 37’’, a smoker area, and a fully furnished kitchen open 24/24 hours (here you can enjoy coffee and tea for free).

Moreover, very close to Casa dolce casa is situated our affiliate Travel Agency where guests can get information about the city and its surroundings (map, nice restaurants, cool pubs, places to visit, exc..) .
They will give you interesting tips in order to plan your day, such as indications of the most famous shopping street for your purchase!

Our rooms are all large, clean and toasty and all equipped with TV-colour.
We can supply different types of accommodation: single, double, triple and quadruple room for small groups of friends.

Indeed, Casa dolce casa offer a special twin bedded room that has a direct access to the charming garden, where you can enjoy moments of relax and tranquillity comfortably being in the city centre. On demand it is also possible to ask for the keys in order to have a private bathroom.

If you think that Casa Dolce Casa is not exactly what you are looking for, click here to visit our catalogue for Hotels in Italy, and make a search for another hotel in Florence: we are pretty sure that you can easy find the Florence accommodation that can best fit your need for a perfect stay in Italy.

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What can I say about a writer that leaves me in awe of her talent and crying my heart out at the end? This book moved me in so many ways. I fully identified with each of the four main characters and just loved the way Sarah Playle walks the reader into this unique and emotional story line.

Here the reader is introduced to obsession, need, love and the ultimate sacrifice to save another. This is a dramatic world of crime and the dangers it brings.

The author’s entrance was fantastic and used excellent visuals in her style of writing. I related to the main character, AL, very much. Her emotions, her state, her appearance; of having no home, being on the run - her exhaustion, anger, pride, need, hate, and walls upon walls - were all so clearly engraved in my mind.

If you are looking for a book that you can curl up and disappear into for a few days, this one is for you!

~ Lillian Brummet, Book Reviewer, and co-author of the book Trash Talk - a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

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I recently read an article on this blog - “Internet Marketing Ideas & Resources”. The article was asking the question “Should a person who purchases an ebook expect the author to provide support and answer questions beyond fixing problems with the ebook?” It pointed out that when people buy books in the bookstore, they don’t later write the author asking for advice. You can read this article on this blog at
http://hightechmarketing.com/blog/2006/01/29/what-does-an-ebook-author-owe-his-customer/

The comments were divided on the issue. Some readers expected the author to consult with the reader; others disagreed. I would like to share with you my idea for dealing with customer support questions.

I believe you can provide support in a manner that will be profitable to you, so you will not feel like you are wasting valuable time. I suggest that you build a blog around the keywords and subject matter related to your ebook product. When you get a question from one of your ebook readers, direct them to your blog for the answer. Compose a blog article in which you address and answer the question. Submit your article to the search engines. Others will read the article and learn from your answer. In answering the question, you can presell your ebook, and add a link for interested customers to visit your sales page for your ebook. Your blog and support work becomes an effective sales tool for your ebook. You can also promote your other affiliate products or pay-per-click ads on your blog to earn extra income from the visitors who come to read your posts. You can add an opt–in feature on your blog to build your list while you are providing support for your ebook. You can even later use the questions and answers on the blog to create a second ebook. Increased sales, a larger mailing list, income from other products, and material for a second product all produced while you provide support to your ebook customers. Do you still think it is a waste of time to answer their questions?

Copyright (C) March 2006 AuctionSiteThrills.com Kelli Workman auction resources, auction ebooks, auction sites

You may use this article on your website or in your ezine provided you do not change anything. You must keep the about author clause, the website link, and the copyright statement as part of the article.

About The Author:

Kelli Workman is the webmaster of AuctionSiteThrills.com. Check Out The Auction Resources and Get Free Auction Ebooks - Increase your success on the auction sites.

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Set up a good working environment

An important first step is to create an ideal workspace. This should protect you from distractions, be ergonomic (a “u-shaped” desk works best) and be well-stocked with stationary and equipment. I would upgrade your PC, monitor and internet connection (if you have not done so in the last four years). I would also recommend getting top-notch software; main priorities being Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Adobe Photoshop, FTP Voyager and Mobipocket Creator Professional. Check out eBay for second-hand copies to cut costs.

Set yourself up as a publisher

Most authors would like to think that their eBook could one day become a printed book too. As such - and to give yourself maximum flexibility - I would recommend setting up as a publisher in your own right. Don’t both creating a limited company (unless you plan to also publish the works of others in large quantities and for this to be a full-time job). Instead, just simply select a single-word imprint name and register with your local International Standard Book Name (ISBN) Agency (e.g. Nielsen in the UK).

Purchase a minimum ISBN allocation to begin with (currently £77.50 for 10 in the UK) and obtain from the ISBNA an ISBN logbook and a Publisher Prefix certificate. Then complete the form to notify the ISBNA of your first title and it’s details.

Set up your eBook template

In what remains a relatively immature market, there is a great diversity in the hardware, operating systems and file format used to view eBooks. You may wish to convert your book from a master copy to a variety of different formats (including PDF and PRC). I would thus opt to create your master book in Microsoft Word. I would standardise on a 1:1.5 ratio of width to height (which is that most commonly observed); using a Page Set-up (custom size) of 6 x 9 inches and an all-round margin of 1 inch (leaving a visible text area of 4 x 7 inches). With that size, you can halve any print-on-demand costs through two-up printing (i.e. two pages on one A4 sheet).

Formatting the text

In print media, serifed fonts like Times New Roman, Courier or Georgia are commonly used. Serifed fonts have tiny horizontal lines at the end of each character stroke which create a horizontal “track” for the eye to follow. However, computer screens are much less precise than typesetting machines and do a poor job of displaying serifs. For this reason, I would recommend you choose a non-serifed (also called “sans serif”) font for the main text formatting of your eBook. Popular examples include Helvetica, Arial, and Geneva.

You could also adjust the spacing between lines (”leading”) and space between characters (”kerning”) to help the reader scan the text. Use a bigger font than you might for a printed book and stick to even numbered font sizes. Avoid hard page-breaks. As you are not limited by printing costs, make your book colourful and fill it with attractive illustrations! Stick to the so-called web-safe palette of 216 colours to avoid cross-platform issues.

The title and cover

The normal rules of book naming (short, punchy and 68 point font) do not apply to eBooks! Use a main title and a sub-title which, together, tell the reader exactly what the book is about and are loaded with “keywords” that search engines will love. The title of my book, for example, is “The eBook Self Publishing Guide” and the sub-title is “Desktop to Amazon in 10 easy steps”.

Your front cover should, above all else, be professional (use Photoshop!) and observe the rules of contrast. White on dark-blue or black works well! Use a strong cover image but make sure you have obtained permission from the copyright holder or - better still - find “royalty free” images through a simple search on Google. Either way, always credit the image provider, optimise the image file to less than 50kb and save in a .jpg format.

Back cover, front and back matter

The content of the front inside flap is laid down by convention and law. Your ISBNA (Nielsen in the UK) will require you to send a copy of this page to them. You should include a copyright statement and the name of the imprint first publishing the book (together with the date of first publication). You should also include the ISBN number and any printing and distribution instructions.

You can use the 2-3 pages after this for a preface and table of contents. When formatting titles, use the Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles in the Microsoft Word format menu. Then when you create a standard table of contents (again from the menu) it will produce consistent and attractive results. Using a standard table of contents will also allow you to create bookmarks in your finished PDF eBook (more on this in the next chapter).

The back cover in a traditional book is what most prospective purchasers browse first. The page summarises the content of the book (by means of a “blurb”) and often contains some select reviews (e.g. from newspapers) or endorsements (e.g. from an eminent person in the field). Online, such pages receive less attention (which is good news for the new author). Most of your punters will instead place reliance on the Amazon sales rank, the number of online reviews on and the star rating given to those reviews.

I would thus advise using your back cover to provide a simple summary of “why would I buy this book?” and save your efforts on reviews and endorsements for your Amazon marketing efforts (covered in a later chapter). I would recommend including a barcode (in case you want to sell printed books in the future) and you can find out more at http://www.bowkerbarcode.com/barcode/

The back-inside-flap is normally where the “about the author” content best sits. Alongside a (preferably black-and-white) picture of yourself, you might consider something short and punchy that conveys your credibility & competence as an author.

Conclusions

Before you start writing, create a great working enviornment. With so many target eBook formats, it makes sense to build your master copy in Microsoft Word first. Use 2:3 ratio of width to height and remember that the conventions of traditional printed publishing do not apply to you.

David Viney (david@viney.com) is the author of the eBook Self-publishing Guide; Desktop to Amazon in 10 easy steps. The book is a handy pocket guide on how to get your eBook distributed via Amazon and other sites in the UK and US and marketed for maximum sales.

Read further free extracts from the guide at http://viney.com/free-ebook-self-publishing-guide/ or download the full copy of the book from there.

In the chapter 4 of my free eBook Publishing Guide (”compile your eBook”), I explore how to convert your master into the main eBook formats and upload them to the different sites.

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