Independent Publishers for Independent Authors

Being an independent writer is harder than ever these days. Finding a publisher that supports new authors who do not have agents is important. Generally speaking, in order to get published for a new author or an author that chooses to represent his or herself, it is sometimes necessary to actually to the publishing. Most publishing companies that are taking poetry, novels, short stories, how-to manuscripts and many other forms of writing have no desire to deal directly with an author. They prefer working with an agent and doing things in a very by-the-book manner. Often, these publishing companies are only interested in taking work that shows high commercial marketability as well, and that causes many amazing pieces of writing that were done by highly talented authors to be left to collect dust in a box somewhere, or end up sitting at the bottom of a pile of manuscripts considered to be financially unappealing.

This type of attitude is a real shame, as it is causing so much quality work to go unnoticed by the world. Imagine if the next Hemmingway or Fitzgerald were to come along trying to get their work out, only to be told that the material they are writing does not score high in the correct demographic category, and is therefore not desirable in terms of a cost-benefit scenario. Imagine someone in the spirit of Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson being told that romantic poetry collections have no commercial value, and perhaps they should consider writing a political thriller with an edgy feel and more car chase scenes. This is what we are in danger of having happen if we don’t support the new, up and coming artists that have a fresh perspective and classic talent.

Thankfully, with the advent of the internet and the accessibility of authors to smaller publishing houses they may not have previously been able to find, there are actually outlets for these talented individuals. It may require some time and patience to find, but once a small and open-minded independent publisher comes into contact with a talented author who simply needs some exposure and little break find each other, the results can be amazing. These smaller publishing houses are often looking for authors and subject matter that may fall outside of the mainstream and be deemed undesirable by the giant corporate publishing companies. This gives authors the opportunity to write from the heart, exploring material that they may not otherwise be able to try out. It is this type of creative support that makes these publishers the best way for an author to get new material out to the public.

Collecting Destination Tee Shirts

Collecting destination t-shirts from travel destinations all over the country and the world is a fun and enjoyable way to remember the wonderful locations you have visited during vacations, business trips, family outings or tours. Tourist tee shirt collections become a sort of photo album you can wear, with all of your unique t shirts reminding you of all the fun adventures you had in a particular place. Whether they are funny tee shirts, destination t shirts, or local t-shirts from a unique place that you visited, you can turn your tee shirt drawer into a walk down memory lane and have a cool t-shirt collection as a conversation starter every time you wear it.

Many people take great pride in their t shirt collection, carefully selecting the custom t shirt that best fits their personality and most accurately reminds them of the particular place that it represents. Having at least one tee from each location visited is a source of pride for many seasoned travelers, and along with postcards, key chains and other classic choices for memorabilia, tee shirts can become a sentimental object, inspiring fond memories of romantic getaways, group trips or all the wonderful people you met on a vacation someplace.

Tourist t-shirts can also become a great conversation starter, since whenever you wear your unique t-shirt from a particular travel destination you are telling the world that you have some kind of special connection or relationship to that location. On a trip to North Carolina you may have picked up a Blue Ridge t-shirt to commemorate your drive along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, or Chimney Rock tee shirt to tell the world you made it to the top of that amazing geological formation. If you happen to be wearing your cool tee shirt while out and about doing errands, and someone else who has visited those places sees your travel tee shirt, it is bound to inspire a sense of nostalgia that will perhaps make you a new friend and offer the chance to share your unique perspective and personal stories of the place your t shirt represents.

A t-shirt collection quite often becomes a very special thing to someone who travels a lot or to someone who feels like traveling is an important part of who they are. Special care is often taken to preserve the tee shirts as long as possible, such as washing on a gentle cycle in cool water to prevent fading and making sure that they don’t do messy work such as painting or gardening in their memorabilia t-shirts. On the other hand, some people like to wear their destination t shirts as much as possible to ensure that they get the most exposure and break in to that soft, comfortable, old tee shirt feel.

Sometimes when you have visited a particular tourist destination, you might not have been able to get an awesome t shirt from that spot for any of several different reasons. Perhaps the gift shop was full, or the people you were traveling with were in rush, or the particular tee shirt you wanted was out of stock, or you were a little short of cash at the time of your visit. To ensure that they get a tourist tee from every place they have gone, some folks will take to ordering a tee shirt online. Many websites now offer destination t shirts from a variety of locations to ensure that no memories are lost or t shirt collections are incomplete.

Media Resource Website for Asheville

Found a new media arts resource site for asheville. This seems to me to be a good idea. There are many film festivals, grants, presses, and galleries devoting their efforts to the media and film arts. A site like this might help us locate them and have access to their events in one place.

Asheville Literary Press Accepting Manuscripts

Hey for all your writers in the area, check out our literary press as a possibility for getting published.


The Black Mountain Press is dedicated to promoting work of emerging authors of literary poetry, novels and short stories. As cinema, art and story telling has plummeted in literary quality to appeal to the lowest common denominator in recent years, the Black Mountain Press strives to find and publish works that aspire to a higher ideal, many times written by unknown, first time authors, without agents representing them. All too often their works are ignored By the corporate publishers who are more interested in serving up their chain store consumables for a public lost in our mass produced fast-food induced art world.
url: http://www.TheBlackMountainPress.com

Get the Destination Tee Shirt You Forgot to Purchase

Internet merchants are offering unique tourist tee shirts from those destinations you loved but didn't want to spend money on shirts at the time. Remember that last spectacular out-of-town trip you had? Chances are, you took home some souvenirs like destination tee shirts. But what if you forgot to pick up some memorabilia before heading home?

In the past, your only chance to buy adventure tee shirts was at gift shops located in the area itself. However, all of that has changed. You can now purchase destination tee shirts online after you've gone home!

No longer do you have to worry about getting souvenir destination tee shirts. There are plenty of websites that offer a selection of destination tee shirts featuring popular tourist locations.

Most of the time, you'll find destination tee shirts with the usual "I went to ___ and all I got was this lousy tee shirt." But there are more and more quality stores that offer something better than this.

For instance, some destination tee shirts are intentionally kitschy and feature a popular landmark from the location. Examples of which are mountains, lakes, well-known establishments and historically significant locations.

On the other hand, some tee shirts humorously incorporate an inside joke or catchphrase that's appreciated by tourists and locals alike. These destination tee shirts convey a certain attitude or state of mind that many of the residents share.

Others depict a warm and touching aspect of the location's cultural heritage. Since the appeal of many tourist spots comes from their natural environment, most destination tee shirts feature animals such as bears, moose and wolves. You'll also find destination tee shirts that are cleverly laid out with a postcard design complete with a postage stamp.

Additionally, there are some designs that include the map of the area to really help familiarize yourself with your destination of choice. You'll even find some tee shirts that have a list of the popular trails and rivers in the area.

Select tee shirts that are made of cotton. The natural properties of cotton make it easy to wash, dry and iron. It also allows the wearer to stay cool because the fabric absorbs moisture that helps the skin breathe.

Online stores carrying destination T-shirts offer you the convenience of having your items of choice shipped to you so you don't have to wait for your next road trip just to get a souvenir.

To ensure secure payment and fast delivery, look for stores that accept major credit cards and deliver within 24 hours. However, shipping could take anywhere from 2 to 10 business days depending on where you are.

For your own benefit, make sure that your merchant has a good return policy so you can have your money back in case you're not satisfied with your order. Most merchants ask for a copy of your receipt with a short description of why you're returning the shirt. Some also ship internationally while others don't.

Whatever destination tee shirts you fancy, make sure to pick one that captures the essence and spirit of the place you visited. Best of all, you have the option of ordering the tee shirt of your choice after your trip.

Top Floor Studio Moves in Asheville

Hey, looking for TopFloorStudio.com, they moved. I just got a notice from my friends at this quality web design group and SEO masters. Check out their new location---it rocks!

Hey Guys,
We've recently relocated business operations to 9 W. Walnut St. and we are looking forward to starting the New Year off in our new home. All contact information will remain the same; you can still reach us by phone at (828) 225-8124 and check us out at www.topfloorstudio.com.

Thank you for your continued support!
Jessica Stouder

Project Manager
TopFloorStudio, LLC.
9 W. Walnut St., Suite 3D
Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Simplifies Book Buying Through Social Media Technology in Response to Amazon Attack

Amazon’s most recent divergence from good corporate citizenship, asking customers to spy on local stores, outraged bookstores nationwide, and now has local businesses crying foul. Local Publisher and Bookstore Grateful Steps at http://www.GratefulSteps.com a non-profit publisher and bookshop with a focus on local and regional authors, is using Twitter technology to fight Amazon’s new scanning intelligence software and to make ordering books much simpler for everyone.

Grateful Steps at 159 S. Lexington Avenue, with 40 titles of their own and the ability to order any book, is asking their clients and the community to simply order books from them using their twitter address @gratefulsteps. “The $5.00 you might lose with Amazon would support local business and goes back in supporting the local economy through our real brick and mortar stores that pay taxes that benefit the public at large,” explains Laura Hope-Gill, Marketing Director for Grateful Steps, “ The Amazon move is a go-for-the-jugular marketing move. Our twitter idea is a way of demonstrating that people need people, they don’t need apps that hurt other people.”

Amazon’s newest ploy to undermine local economies consists of convincing consumers to download a bar-scanning application to their phones., then go to local stores and scan the store bar code on the items they are interested in purchasing. The application displays the cheapest price that item is available for on Amazon encouraging the customer to leave the store and order online, while also providing Amazon intelligence on local prices and consumer interest trends. Amazon apparently feels that providing a $5.00 reward pays for this consumer marketing study.

Book stores nationwide are viewing this as an attack on Mom and Pop businesses by a technology driven giant. Oren Teicher, the CEO of the American Booksellers Association, (ABA) recently wrote the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos stating, “…despite your company’s recent pledge to be a better corporate citizen and to obey the law and collect sales tax, you created a price-check app that allows shoppers to browse Main Street stores that do collect sales tax, scan a product, ask for expertise, and walk out empty-handed in order to buy on Amazon. We could call your $5 bounty to app-users a cheesy marketing move and leave it at that. In fact, it is the latest in a series of steps to expand your market at the expense of cities and towns nationwide, stripping them of their unique character and the financial wherewithal to pay for essential needs like schools, fire and police departments, and libraries.”

Bookstores, Publishers, and individuals around the nation have mounted a new “Boycott Amazon” campaign with some offering “Occupy Amazon” buttons, and others offering discounts to customers showing that they have cancelled their Amazon accounts.

Grateful Steps prefers to fight technology with technology. Hope-Gill says, “In this tech age, it comes down to keystrokes, using Twitter is faster than using a website, particularly Amazon technology, and has the added advantage of allowing people to immediately order a book upon learning about it in a conversation with a friend, in a newspaper review, or while watching a TV talk show, without worry of losing the information before placing an order with an online store.”

This Twitter concept was originally conceived by Gary Charles of G Social Media, to be used in restaurants allowing a simple method for dining rooms and customers to connect directly with the kitchen for orders, questions, and status on their dinner. Charles recently ran with this idea that will premier at Latin Flavor Restaurant next month. Then, inspired by a wish for new reading material, Gary Charles tweeted a few orders to Hope-Gill and picked up his books the following day. Upon meeting with Hope-Gill, the new idea of tweeting for books, and turning the tables on Amazon’s tech-heavy attack on small business, came to life.

Incidentally, Hope-Gill lived near Seattle when the online giant first put out a call for jobs, “Some of my friends applied and went on to make a lot of money, I couldn’t do it. It just felt kind of evil to me. I love bookstores and love the experience of touching books, of having a good book handed to me by a human being.” To participate in this movement Twitter Grateful Steps at @gratefulsteps, or use the old-fashioned, call for orders or information at 828-277-0998 or email laura@gratefulsteps.com