Not only can you decorate your leather item, leather itself can be the decoration. Book binding is a great example, which has recently enjoyed renewed popularity. The way you look at this project depends on the condition of the book.

You may need to repair the spine and actual page bindings in order to install a new cover. In any case, this first step would be to remove the old cover. http://www.philobiblon.com is a site that has very detailed instructions to walk you through this. Half of the fun of leather book binding is learning about it. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/dt/dt0412.html has information about book binding past, present, and future.

Their information is accurate and interesting! You can start from scratch with a hide, or order leather book binding supplies from a reputable supplier such as http://www.hewit.com

There is more to book binding than slapping a cover on. If you want a rich, professional appearance, you’ll find numerous books at your local library or in-depth information on the Internet on the process of book binding. Hand-bound books are considered rare, unusual, and in some cases priceless. Therefore, it would be worth your time and money to do it right and enjoy the results (or profits if you are doing it professionally).

Or maybe it’s the mind. Yeah, that sounds right! Now, the question is; how much and how often are you actually reading these days? From what I’ve observed, folks are seriously kicking books to the curb. They prefer a more quick-fix solution to entertainment, such as film and television. And I mean endless films and television. It’s a wonder we’re still able to function properly now considering all the garbage we watch night after night. Most likely what you need in your life is a good novel. And if you despise the current fiction gracing the shelves of Barnes and Noble, you can always test the waters of non fiction books.

I’ve always been a fan of fiction. In some respects, there’s nothing quite like delving into a well-written mystery/suspense novel. I used to lounge under trees for hours, reading countless chapters of cleverly plotted stories. However, I recently found a text from the genre of non fiction books, which really caught my attention. This book is entitled “Protecting the Gift”. Chances are you’ve never even heard of it. I had never come across it in a bookstore or library. But then the title was mentioned to me by a friend of the family. He basically instructed me to read this book by author and crime expert, Gavin De Becker. So I picked up a copy from Amazon.com and dove in, not knowing what to expect. I was taken-back by the way this book read. It contains a number of true occurences, which are referenced to help readers like you and me learn and better understand criminal violence and behavior. And while this book will certainly tug at your heartstrings and often keep you on the edge of your seat, it’s well worth a close read. I have never in my life learned more about the violence and realities of our world.

Okay, maybe non fiction books in general are not up your alley. However, I do suggest that you give “Protecting the Gift” a shot. This goes double for anyone who has a child/children. This book will assist you in keeping them safe more than any other attribute. Once I began reading it, I knew I had to finish in order to better protect my gift, a seven year old daughter.

In my opinion, there is nothing better than a good book. When I do get time to myself, which is rare, I eagerly grab a book and curl up on the couch. I just stocked up on some new books for the long winter months that are looming. Of course, with a hyper preschooler, I still might not get too much read during the winter months. I’m on a limited budget, so it makes it difficult to walk into a bookstore and purchase any book that I want. I have found ways to get my hands on cheap books, which is much easier on my finances and allows me to get more books at once.

Obviously, you can’t walk into Borders and ask an employee where the section of cheap books is located. But, you can walk into a library and find that on occasion, they may have some books for sale. They might not be in the best of condition, but if you want cheap books, they are a bargain. I’ve found cheap books in consignment shops, flea markets, book sales and fairs and even at yard sales. Granted, by looking for cheap books I’m not finding any new releases or current best sellers. My findings may be older books that have been through many sets of hands, but still hold wonderful content in the pages.

If you want to find cheap books that are best sellers or newer, you could join a book club. I joined the Literary Guild several years ago. When you first join, you get several books for free. 99% of all of the books that are purchased through this club are hardback, which does cost a bit more money to begin with. However, once you join, you do get special offers and discounts that allow you to get some new books for less money. They aren’t cheap books, but definitely discounted. However, if you’re thinking about getting someone a gift, consider some sort of book. You can get them a cookbook, a biography on someone they admire, a history book, art book – anything. Book clubs have some cheap books that would be perfect for gifts for people. In fact, there are lots of books for children that are discounted through a book club.

Though I have never tried it, I’ve known some people who have gotten cheap books through Amazon.com. According to these people, the books are not new, which is why they don’t cost as much. However, the books arrive in mint condition without any suspicion as to them not being brand new.

No matter how or where you buy books at, cheap books can be found. If you aren’t concerned about your budget, then you have no limitations as to where you can find a good book. As for the rest of us, take advantage of a good deal and curl up on your couch.

Are you a writer who has just finished writing a book? If you are a first time author, you may be unsure as to how you should proceed, in terms of getting your book published. If that is the case, you will want to continue reading on, as a number of steps that you will want to take are highlighted below.

One of the first things that you will need to do is familiarize yourself with publishers. In addition to knowing where to send your book manuscript and who it should be addressed to, you will want to learn as much about the publisher in question as possible. What type of themes are they looking for? Will your book be a good fit? Are there are rules or restrictions in terms of formatting that you need to abide by? Does the publisher in question only accept agented submissions? These are all important questions that you need to have answers to.

As for how you can go about finding book publishers, you will be pleased with all of your options. You can look at the books that you own, the books in your local library, or the books in your local bookstores. Make note the publishers and perform a standard internet search with their names. Next, look for a section for writer’s guidelines. You can also perform a generalized standard internet search, such as with the phrase ‘book publishers’. There are also a number of printed resources, like the popular Writer’s Market books, that you can use as well.

As previously stated, you will want to learn what rules and restrictions publishing companies may have. If you can’t find this information online or in print, be sure to use your best judgment. Make sure that your book manuscript and all other documents are easy to read, formatted properly, and clean. Also, be sure to include a cover letter and a book proposal. Many authors choose to merge these two documents together. You can, but, be careful. Cover letters and book proposals should be right to the point and not clouded with too much information.

You should also consider using the services of professional literary agent and editor. They can be costly, but they are typically more than worth the costs. No matter how good you are at proofreading, you will likely miss some errors. A second set of professional eyes are advised. As for literary agents, they too have a number of benefits. If the publishers that fit your book the best only accept agented submissions, it may be in your best interest to hire a professional literary agent. They can help get your book into doors that you couldn’t.

As for follow-ups, they are okay, but also be sure to use your best judgment. Most publishers outline on their websites how long it should take for you to receive a response, like in two to four months. If you do not receive a response by that time, consider placing a phone call or sending a letter to the publisher in question. For your own protection though, do not make contact before the estimated response time.

By taking the above mentioned points into consideration, you may be able to see your book in print soon. As a reminder however, do not be scared of rejection letters. They are common, but that does not mean that you should give up.

Reading is an activity that should occur all year round but it can be made into a fun summertime activity too. If each child doesn’t have their own library card yet, that is a good place to start. While you are there, see if there is any summer reading programs available to join. If there are, great sign-up the kids but if there isn’t start one of your own.

Most summer reading programs will focus on getting children to read as many stories as they can in a set period of time. For younger children who can’t read yet, each book that is read to them will count as one book towards the final tally. You may want to break the program up into smaller chunks, either two-one month programs or hold one every two weeks.

Have the children keep a list of the name of the book they read and the day (or date range if it is a chapter book). You may find that you are taking frequent trips to the library as your kids are going through the books, but that is a great thing! This will teach children to be responsible for their library books and the importance of taking care of things that do not belong to them.

You can award prizes to the child with the most books read, something small like a bookmark or you can take them to a book store to purchase a book that they can keep. If you do decide to give out prizes, consider having small second and third place awards too. Whenever children are showing an interest in reading you want to cultivate and encourage it. Something as simple as a blue ribbon or a certificate printed from the computer with their name on it saying they completed the reading contest will be fine.

My friends and colleagues consider me as the audio books expert. They tell their friends that they know an audio books expert and the outcome is that I keep getting dozens of audio books questions and inquiries each day. I have decided to gather the most frequently asked questions for everyone’s benefit.

Here are the top five frequently asked questions about audio books (and the answers of course):

1. Are there free audio books? How do I get them?

In one word: NO. In two words: Not exactly. Depends of the type of audio book you are looking for (downloadable audio book are cheaper than the other types), and the audio book title (new audio books cost more), you could find low cost audio books.

I believe that one should pay for each product or service he gets. Yet, you could find free audio books mostly by signing up for the free trials most of the online audio book services give you.

2. What is better – Audio books rental or audio books buying?

I personally prefer audio books rental. Mostly because of the price, I read a lot of audio books and it will simply cost too much to buy them all. However, audio books that I really like, Ones that I want to listen to time after time, I buy and keep them on my audio books library.

Yet, I have friends who are more possessive – they are not willing to rent audio books and they must hold a remarkable huge audio book library.

3. What do you suggest – downloadable audio books, audio books on CD or books on tape?

Well, that’s a tough question. Basically, I believe that the most worthy audio books format nowadays is downloadable audio books. You must own a media player (e.g. Ipod) to listen to it. Yet, it costs less than the others and has a better quality.

However, the widest collection of audio books could be found on the audio books on CD format. If you want to listen to old books you will find them only on CDs.

I do not recommend getting books on tape (also known as audio books on cassettes). They are expensive, low quality and not user friendly.

4. When can I read audio books?

The answer is – Anytime and anywhere. Here are a few examples: While cooking, cleaning the house, exercising, running, walking, driving, flying, before going to sleep, commuting, working etc.

5. Are audio books expensive?

Audio books are not expensive at all. In fact, Downloadable audio books are very cheap – they cost much less than real books and renting them is the most worthy deal. Audio books on CD cost about the same as real books and books on tape are the most expensive ones.

We have turned into a society dependent upon electronics and electricity to entertain us. This has some drawbacks and some merits. The drawbacks are that our children are less able to entertain themselves. There play involves gadgets, machines and players that require batteries and little imagination. The days of creating your own fun by using your imagination and whatever you find laying around the house are over. Also many of these activities are sedentary which contributes to the rising number of obese children that there are. Some of the merits are that the devices increase knowledge as well as eye hand coordination.

I am not a perfect parent. I rely on the modern devices to help me with entertaining my children, especially in the car. We ride in the car about four hours a month on the weekends to visit grandparents. My husband and I do not like to listen to the sounds of the hand held games and we refuse to have a car DVD player. We decided that we would use audio books for children during a portion of each drive. This would be educational and would allow us to discuss the books after they were done.

When I first talked about doing this my children thought the idea was lame and my husband did not like the idea either. We agreed to try it on the way to grandma’s house one Friday evening. Our daughter was crabby and my husband was tired. I did not want to listen to arguments so I simply said that we would spend thirty minutes listening to the audio books for children. I put the book on turned it to a volume level everyone agreed on and we listened. The story was interesting and the narration was very good. As the half hour approached the narrator announced that it was the end of a chapter so I stopped the recording. Both of our children and my husband said that I should leave it on. We ended up listening to the book the entire trip. When we arrived at my mother’s house the children were calm and ready for bed. On Sunday afternoon as we were getting ready to go home my children started their usual routine of complaining about having to leave. When I mentioned that I was anxious to find out how the story we were listening to ended they remembered the audio book and got in the car.

Since that first time we have used the audio books for children in most of our travels. It is a shared experience and many of the stories have great messages. Our local library has a nice selection of audio books for children as well as adult books. This saves us from having to purchase all the books that we are interested in hearing.

A quality bookcase is one that is practical, flexible and has a good functional design, so that every family member can have his or her own spot in it, the important element of an organized home office is having the right storage solutions.

An enormous range of bookcases and bookshelves, cabinets and libraries, can be bought online, for at home or in the office, they all are available to you from a multitude of outlets.

Bookcases are one of the most accessible and commonly built projects. Whether you want to buy modern or rather classic, fancy or rather cheap bookshelves, wooden, metal, or other bookcases, who doesn’t need or want open storage for their homes?

Bookcases include adjustable shelves that adjust in 1 1/4-inch increments and optional hinged doors that open to 110 degrees, and pocketing that slide into the cabinet, which is also available.

The very permanence of a built-in bookcase custom designed and stocked to your needs and tastes adds to a house’s character and substance in a way that freestanding bookcases simply can’t.

Besides familiar locations like lining a wall or flanking a fireplace, a bookcase can create an alcove, surround a window or door, sit under a stairway, follow you up the steps, even gracefully divide a room in two.

Promote reading in your community, reduce clutter around your home and your contribution of waste to the landfill, save a buck and benefit a charity while you are at it. Just how are you supposed to do all this? Well, it is actually quite simple. Go through your closets and bookshelves and look for all the used books and magazines that you no longer read.

Families that have moved repeatedly know the curse of hoarding is best avoided if at all possible. Moving literally hundreds of pounds of them certainly prompted us to systematically read our books once each and then decide whether it was a “keeper” or not.

Management of used books and magazines is a very environmental and community conscious thing for people to participate in. Extending the life of books and magazines is easily accomplished by taping the binding and edges of the covers. This repairs any damages, prevents wear and tear, and increases the value because it is nicer looking.

There are many options for you to consider for used books and magazines:

* Donating to any library is a good idea. Even well read publications are appreciated. If they do not make it to the library bookshelf, they will be sold in their annual fundraising book sale. There are many kinds of libraries to consider aside from public ones – including church libraries, retirement home libraries, coffee shops and mobile libraries.

* Consider participating in Book Crossing (www.bookcrossing.com) – a charming way to encourage reading and create a connection with the community. This program requests that people register their used book, place an informative label on it and leave it at a common destination place (i.e. bus stop). Individuals that pick up the book visit the website and describe where they found it and where they decided to leave it for the next person to read. It can be quite interesting to see how far the book travels!

* Operation Paperback (www.operationpaperback.org) accepts donated reading material for the military.

* Trading in at the used bookstore is one of our favorite past-times. It feels good to support a local store that focuses on ‘reuse’. The trouble is our shelf is filled once again when we return with bundles of ‘new’ books to read!

* Get involved in exchange loops with friends, family or co-workers. By doing this, we have found ourselves exposed to all sorts of subjects and writing styles that we may not have picked up ourselves.

* Using the Key Words “Book Swap” in a search engine reveals many places online where one can trade used books, including:

- www.paperbackswap.com

- www.titletrader.com

- www.frugalreader.com

- www.bookswap.com

* Leave a box of books near your door for guests to riffle through and have their pick. This way you don’t have to remember to trot out the box when people are visiting.

* Donate to any fund raising event held by schools, churches or non-profit groups.

* Sell, or give away in a garage sale. We always offer free stuff when we have a garage sale. One day we set out a box of magazines, thinking we would be lucky to see half of them off. One of the first bargain hunters happily scooped up the entire box. She couldn’t believe her luck.

* Many waiting rooms (doctor, lawyer, accountant and banking offices) and staff lunchrooms accept donated reading materials.

* Consider hospitals – their patients have to do something healthier than staring at a TV.

* A Local Literacy program.

* Coffee shops are another great place to try.

* Shelters for the poor or disadvantaged, Women’s shelters and missions are other places to consider for your donations. There are a number of less-privileged areas (i.e. Africa) that are hungry for our used school and university books in particular. In keeping with this topic, using the key words ‘book donation’ in a search engine turns up pages of places to donate to. Here are a few of the sites:

- www.asiahousinternational.org
- www.sabre.org/books/bookorg/bkdn_toc.htm
- www.loc.gov/rrr/amed/afs/alc/bkdncte.html
- www.ala.org – lists contact information for organizations that distribute used books.
- www.nationalbook.org/bookdonations.html – lists places that accept book donations.

Like most comic publishers I spend quite a bit of time thinking about the state of the industry and how to make it better – well, truthfully, how to make my little corner of it better. After spending a lot of time thinking it over and discussing what everyone perceives to be the main elements leading to the downfall of comics (the distributor monopoly, for example), I realized what the biggest problem and killer really is: the industry.

I believe most of the problems that we encounter ‘in the industry’ come from the industry itself. First off, comic companies tend to publish only for those who are already in the industry. Comic publishers usually target their marketing towards those who are already here and creators tend to create product only for those who are already well-versed in industry. Very rarely does the thought of bringing new readers in really ever pop up, which is insane. That would be like Hollywood only creating films for those who work in film and television. As wacky as it sounds, this seems to be the mentality of the industry at large.

Magazines like Cosmopolitan are fashion magazines, but their audience is the average woman (or girl) interested in fashion and not members of the industry itself. Their advertising stretches beyond fashion industry trade publications and into the mainstream itself, where its buyers reside. Why short sell your books only to the 50,000 or so members of the active comic community and not go for millions of people out there who enjoy action movies?

Comic publishers aren’t the only ones to blame, either. Creators themselves are as big a deterrent to new readership as anything else. If you want to know why, take a look at a modern comic versus one from as late as even the mid eighties and you’ll see one very big difference. No, I’m not talking about paper or printing processes. The art itself is the main problem with comics. Solid, clear storytelling has become a thing of the past. A new buyer will find most modern comics unreadable because the solid storytelling of days past (along with gutters remember, full page bleeds on every page get confusing) is gone.

Do you know why a lot of new readers are picking up Manga titles? It’s because they are easier to read than US ones. Even with the flipped format, most Manga has straight forward enough storytelling that even the most uninitiated reader can follow what is going on and which panel comes next. This can’t be said about most US titles (indy or mainstream). The fact that the current trend in the US is for over rendered, poorly thought out computer coloring, doesn’t help readability at all.

Comics and comic art have become so inbred the only ones who can stomach them are their sister-mothers. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The general public will read comics if you can get yourself out of the industry mindset and start creating comics for readers instead of for an industry more interested in John Byrne’s latest social blunder than in buying your books.

Some places to consider for your books (depending on its target audience) are non-chain book stores, new age shops, record stores (Tower is starting to have a great selection of indy and small press ‘zines), libraries, corner markets, magazines with a similar areas of interest, schools, local area mailer compilations (such as the little coupon books you get in the mail), area events (concerts are a great spot), swap meets, arcades or game stores. There is an endless list of places that might be willing to carry your work if you let them know it’s out there. You might have to spend some money to advertise. Get used to it. The old adage, “you have to spend money to make money”, is true for any business.

Here are some tips for making your books more accessible to general audiences:

1) Market your books outside of comic-specific areas. Figure out who might be interested in your book and pursue those outlets. There are tons of places out in the world that would be willing to sell your comic but they have to know it exists first. I’ve had success at art festivals, flea markets, record stores, sci fi magazines and more. Get as creative with your marketing and sales as you do with actually producing your book. It’s worth the extra effort.

2) Get rid of full page bleeds on every page. Don’t be afraid of negative space around your pages. It will actually open up your pages and keep them from looking cramped.

3) Don’t forget the gutters! Overlap panels are interesting from time to time, but gutters help to keep the art readable and from blending together. They’re also great for pacing in your storytelling.

4) If you’re going to color your books, don’t go for the over-rendered look that most comics use. It’s muddy and unclear. Look at animation or places like Disney Adventures for reference on coloring. Most ‘cartoony’ books are well colored because they want to make sure the work is readily accessible to readers of all ages. Not every panel needs to be a fully digitally painted work of “art.”

5) Think of storytelling. The most important thing in a comic is that you do not lose your audience. If at any point your readers get confused as to where to read next, then you’ve failed at your job as a storyteller. And, remember, ‘style’ is no excuse for poor storytelling (or poor artwork in general, but that’s a rant for another time)

6) Don’t have large blocks of text or dialogue in each panel. There’s an old unwritten rule in mainstream comics (and one that has been largely forgotten or ignored): never have more than 26 words in any balloon or caption box. Anything more than that and the words will run together, potentially causing readers to skip over sections of what is on the page.

7) This one is going to cause any comic collector to cringe: get rid of issue numbers. Or, if you just have to have them, place them in the indicia only. Issue numbers are one of the big obstacles for new readers, especially in periodical product like comic books. A reader needs to be able to come in on any issue and not have to worry about having to read 10 back issues to know what’s going on. Sure you can let them know there are other stories they can read (and, which will be available in trade paperback), but don’t make those stories required reading. Follow Cosmo’s lead (or Playboy’s) and just have the month and year on each cover. Comics should be entertainment first and foremost. Get out of the collectible mindset.

Forget the mantra, “comics aren’t just for kids anymore”. It’s old, played out and is part of the death sentence of the industry. Creators have spent so much time trying to prove that comics can be for adults that they’ve forgotten to build the next generation of fans by only making comics for older fans who are already in comics. Without young readers there is no future in the industry. As a second part of this thought, just because your comic has adult language, nudity and graphic violence doesn’t automatically make the book for adults. Vertigo and Ultimate writers take note.

9) Be prepared to get your hands dirty and do some work. Publishing is a business and, at first, you may find yourself putting in as much time marketing as you do creating. That’s not a bad thing.

My heresy will end with this statement: the only way to save comics may be to let the comic industry, as it exists right now, shrivel up and die. It’s on the road as it is, with everyone racing to tear whatever pieces they can get from its still (barely) living corpse. The industry isn’t the heart of comics and didn’t make them, so dare to be different. Put down the latest issue of the comic industry death watch, Wizard. Ignore the party line that an indy book will sell less than 250 copies – there is a world outside of the Geppi chokehold.

A bit of inspiration for you: Nifty’s main title, the Cadre, sells over 5000 copies per issue and 90% of that is outside of the comic industry. Not bad for a black and white, mainstream style super hero comic.

The world is a big, beautiful place full of potential new readers. You just have to venture out and find them.