The Death of Books?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Dear Friends:

As an author, and a new and self-published one at that, I am constantly trying to find ways to promote and sell my books. I have a myspace site, a myspace group, a blog and a website. Just recently I had a video done for my new book and placed it on Youtube.com. It's only been posted for a few weeks and I've got some positive feedback from people who viewed the video and were interested in buying a copy.

But what got me thinking was the question of can a video book or use of video in regards to a book be something that retailers use to sell children's books? Would it be feasible to have screens whereby the customer could push a button and have a 1 or 2 minute video of a book come on the screen, similar to listening or viewing stations at Best Buy or Circuit City? Would that persuade a parent or child to buy a book? Are video downloads of books something that is coming in the future?

So, is the use of video the wave of the future in book industry or a complete and utter waste of time (like an e-book)???? This is a much bigger question than someone like I can answer, but I think that video used to promote books in a store could be a good thing. But again, that's just my humble opinion.

So, you decide and check these out while your thinking this question over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5huicI6KxA

and

http://www.guba.com/watch/3000008874

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions or comments!


Thanks!


Howard
howard.shapiro@hotmail.com
www.howardshapiro.net
______________________

Destructo Boy and Spillerella

check this out!!!!!!!

Book Moot

It's the wave of the future, cutting edge, historic and well it's a cool ploy to bring attention to a book in the hopes that it won't get lost in the shuffle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5huicI6KxA

I have seen the future of Children's Book writing and it's name is Howard Shapiro.

CHILDREN'S BOOK/WRITING/PUBLISHING/JOLIE/SIMPSON/LOHAN/NUDE/NAKED/PARIS/HILTON/MILF

So, I have this wonderfully, spectacular, most awesome childrens book titled, "Destructo Boy & Spillerella...We Are Who We Are!" coming out later this year and I had a video of the text and illustrations done by a guy from Nashville, TN named Worth Baker. The video can be viewed at this addy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5huicI6KxA

check it out! Email me with questions, comments etc at:

howard.shapiro@hotmail.com

Thanks For Coming, See You Next Time!


Howard

Arcade Fire/Journey (Most Cliche's per capita EVER In a song)/Ebay

So, I'm listening to the Funeral CD by the great Arcade Fire on the way into work this AM and I'm just about to park so I shut off the CD and flipped around the radio dial. I came across "Don't Stop Believing" on our local Pittsburgh "BOB" station. Some cities have JACK FM, we have BOB FM here in Pittsburgh. It's slightly different radio, but in the end it's like any other crap FM station (Sirius is the way to go).

Anyway, the Arcade Fire cd is pretty heavy lyrically as it deals with a lot of death, hence the title. So, you go from songs about friends and parents dying to:

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world (CLICHE 1 & 2)
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere... (I'LL GIVE THEM A PASS ON THIS LINE)
Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit (I THOUGHT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A WORD TO RHYME WITH ANNOIT)
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere... (CLICHE 3-1)
A singer in a smokey room (CLICHE 3-2), the smell of wine and cheap perfume (CLICHE'S 4 & 5)
For a smile they can share the night (CLICHE 6)
It goes on and on and on and on... (CLICHE 7)

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion (CLICHE 8 LIVING JUST TO FIND EMOTION...HUH????)
Hiding, somewhere in the night
Working hard to get my fill, everybody wants a thrill (CLICHE'S 9 & 10)
Payin' anything to roll the dice, just one more time (CLICHE'S 11 & 12)
Some will win, some will lose (CLICHE'S 13 & 14)
Some were born to sing the blues (CLICHE 15)
Oh, the movie never ends (CLICHE 16)
It goes on and on and on and on (CLICHE 17 AND 17 AND 17 AND 17)
(chorus)
Don't stop believin' (CLICHE 18)
Hold on to the feelin' (CLICHE 19)
Streetlight people (DOES ANYONE KNOW A STREET LIGHT PERSON?????)


Don't get me wromg, Journey's OK in the guilty pleasure category, I personally loved the Steve Perry Oh Sherrie song and video, although the video where he can't decide to shave the porn star moustache or the other video that Beavis and Butthead used to make fun of are 2 of the absolute worst videos ever made.

But, seriously, I never listened long enough or with undivided attention to those lyrics. Cripe, I thought, it's just one cliche after the other.

So, buy Arcade Fire, laugh about Journey.

As far as ebay goes, check out seller HFS22, that's me, and bid on one of my items. I need the cash for my 2nd book!

More tomorrow on how this week sucked big time and see pictures of my favorite dog, Ernie!

Thanks and Adios Muchachos!

Howard
howard.shapiro@hotmail.com

Publishers, Literary Agents & American Idol Common Thread

What's the common thread between these 3 groups of people...in most cases they all suck.

I self published my kids Hanukkah book and it did, I think, very well selling aproximately 1,000 copies nationwide. So, I thought I am well on my way to finding a "real" publisher or at least finding a literary agent who could find a publisher to distribute the book. But nooooooo. Even with my track record I get the same crap, form letter that is sent out to anyone who sends into them. Agents are pretty much the scum of the world, to be honest. except for one awesome guy who i've talked to. It's almost like they all sit together is a room and hand out the double secret password to join the club and then they selectively pass out the password to their friends.

It drives me crazy, again in most cases, when I hear or read about someone who has a book deal because chances are they have a friend who passed their stuff to the right person at a publsihing house or they had a friend who had a friend who's cousin's sister has a neighbor who works at (fill in the blank). For those writers who work hard and are persistent and send their stuff to agents and publishers and who finally get a break, well I tip my cap to you.

But I really can't stand just about everyone I've had contact with in the publishing industry. They're so smart, they know exactly what will and won't sell. Especially the Children's agents and publishers. Jamie Lee Curtis is to blame for al of the "celebrity" kids books but then you have the authors who churn out the same lazy crap, different title garbage. Meanwhile, heaven help us if someone is actually trying to SAY something that will have an impact on a kid reading or listening.

Anyway, they make me sick.

As far as American Idol goes, they have one marketable (and very talented) contestant, Chris, one who will end up with a sitcom on UPN/WB Kellie and as far as the rest, well who knows.

I love the show, can't wait for next week!

Thanks for reading!

My 1st Blog & My 1st Book - Hanukkah Counts Too!

HI:

I AM NEW TO THIS, BUT HERE GOES! MY NAME IS HOWARD SHAPIRO AND I HAVE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED A WONDERFUL NEW CHILDREN'S HANUKKAH PICTURE BOOK CALLED "HANUKKAH COUNTS TOO! IT IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM AND VIA MYSELF. IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS JEWISH AND HAS KIDS OR GRAND KIDS AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A GREAT HANUKKAH BOOK TO READ TO THEIR KIDS, THIS IS IT!! PLS EMAIL ME AT HOWARD.SHAPIRO@HOTMAIL.COM OR CHECK OUT WWW.HANUKKAHCOUNTSTOO.COM

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE BOOK ON AMAZON:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1412072743/103-3876179-0444656?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

<>I am in the process of finishing my 2nd Book which is due out later this summer!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND TAKE CARE!!

HOWARD