Book Publishing Insights from a Barnes & Noble Bookseller

A friend of mine who is a Barnes and Noble bookseller gave me some insights about book publishing which can be of help in preparing my blog-book for publication and sale.  I am a book publisher working with Lightning Source to make my books available.

If I want to work with booksellers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon, I will probably need to allow returns.  That can be expensive and I need to be aware up-front who pays for shipping, etc.

My friend suggested that I purchase some on my own for sale when I do a talk or webinar.  She also gave me some references to self-published authors who may have more insights into the business.

Marketing books to publishers can take five months or more.  Unsolicited manuscripts may receive nothing more than form letters.

Some authors have done their homework, having created supportive marketing websites, made the books highly marketable, have their own lists--via websites, webinars, podcasts, or speaking engagements, and are equipped to sell the book with or without the help of a bookstore.

Bookstores usually stay away from self-published, print-on-demand books and books that have a no-return policy.

New authors are advised to join writing groups--frequently found through local public libraries--for networking resources to improve their writing and for insights into how to create and market their written work.

While these insights are not intended to discourage authors, they do form a sort of reality check.

Social Security, FDIC, The New Economy, Baby Boomers, It's A Wonderful Life Movie

One of my favorite movies, especially at Christmas, is Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.  In 2003 I taught economics to English language learners (ELLs) at a high school in Elgin, Illinois, and we watched It's A Wonderful Life for almost two weeks.  The movie shows various times in American history--the end of World War I, the Great Depression, runs on banks, World War II, and life in small town America.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), an independent organization, was created by the U.S. Congress in 1933 "in response to the thousands of bank failures that occurred in the 1920s and early 1930s."  (Source:  http://www.FDIC.gov)  The movie also featured the role of the Savings and Loan institutions and their relationships with banks.  This relationship played out in 2009 when Washington Mutual was purchased by J.P. Morgan Chase. 

The Social Security Administration was also started after World War II.  Baby Boomers (babies born between 1944 and 1960) are a large demographic unit and have contributed money all of their working lives to the Social Security trust fund.  Fewer workers will be paying into the fund when the baby boomers retire--as many are starting to do now.  Congress has tapped into this fund and has drawn down its reserves.  There is concern that Social Security funding will be tapped-out by 1937--according to a media report I heard last month on ABC.

In the new economy ("after the great recession" [AGR]), baby boomers turning 62 are finding it difficult to keep or to find jobs that pay the salaries they need to pay mortgages, car payments, insurance, etc.  Many companies, while not claiming to discriminate against baby boomers, are offering salaries that are half or less of what baby boomers were getting for the same or similar jobs a few years ago.  Others are requiring specialty skills or training or experience that came after baby boomers earned their degrees.

Taking Social Security early results in a lower monthly payment--with everything adjusted based on individual contributions to social security.  People under full retirement age (66 for many baby boomers) may earn $14,140 per year before having their social security income adjusted.  If they earn more, any adjustments may come back to them when their social security benefits are reconfigured at full retirement age.

The point is this, by taking early retirement (social security) and working, baby boomers may be able to take jobs that pay half as much as they were used to because, with the social security income, they can still pay their bills.  When they reach full retirement age, they can earn as much as they want without a negative impact on social security benefits.

Double check everything in this post with Social Security.  It is as accurate as I can make it as of the date of posting.

Why Would Someone Want to Read This Blog as a Book?

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously was a successful blog published as a book and then as a movie.  Julie Powell focused on working with Julia Child's recipes.

Readers of this blog know that the posts may vary from day to day, based on what is "top of mind" for that day.  With this post I have 240 separate entries ready to edit and am now visiting public libraries and book stores to see how I can organize these entries in a way that will be both interesting and marketable.  (If anyone reading this has suggestions, they will be welcome.)

I have created categories (for chapters), though I am not fully happy with those categories yet.  I will probably edit the posts a little for publication.

I am also checking out a book on the stories of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) for inspiration.  My goal is to have this ready for the publisher this week.

I reviewed my earlier draft books (from 2001) and don't feel compelled to rework them at this point.  Publishing this blog as a book is something new.

Editing Lots of Posts--Inspiration--Creativity-Perspiration--Perspective

Editing the posts in this blog to date--this is post #239--is lots of work.  I now have all of the posts in a format that allows editing.  To turn it into a book--or multiple books--requires lots more work and thinking about the details of the posts.

Lynn Pierce advised me that I could have the book ready to edit by the end of the weekend and she was right--it's ready for editing, though not yet edited.

I'll be working on the edits during the week and we'll see what I have to share as the work progresses.  I'm looking for inspiration and perspective as I work with creativity and perspiration. 

Wish me luck!! :-)

Preparing the DrM-Blog to be Published--categories, titles, and more

I have been organizing this blog for publishing today and have been working with categories for related posts.  While the labels help, I am already finding that I will be adjusting the categories a bit before the blog is ready to be published as a book.

An old friend, Jack Canfield, is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books.  I like the title of his books and the way he formats them.  This blog has covered lots of territory (categories) since it began last August.  I'll have to see what kind of titles evolve as I edit the material.

More work tomorrow.  I look forward to seeing what develops.

Editing this Blog into a Book

I've begun to organize the blog posts into categories for publishing in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format for eventual publishing in book form.  My goal is to have a pre-publishing draft ready by Monday, March 29th.

Categories are based on the tags I have added to each entry.  I have begun the process and have much more to do.

Books, Mentors, and Infopreneurship

In 2001 I became a protege of Robert G. Allen on the advice of a friend of many years, Jack Canfield (co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series). In March of 2001, along with many fellow proteges, I attended the Book Expo in Chicago where I met Lynn Pierce, a fellow protege who had just completed her first book and was promoting it at the expo.

I had started a book and did not have it ready for the expo.  In the morning of  September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.  That afternoon I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  I had the cancer removed and devoted the next six years to teaching K-12 students.  My book remained unfinished and my development as an infopreneur didn't move very far.  I completed an additional masters degree and published several research articles concerning education.

I had maintained contact with Lynn Pierce over the years and have been aware of her progress in her infopreneurship business.  I started listening to Lynn's SuccessBlueprintRadio programs and signed-up for her SuccessBuildingSecrets program.

Nine years after the Book Expo in Chicago I am ready to edit my first book for publication.  This blog will be the content and I will begin organizing the posts into chapters based on the tags I have embedded in each post.  I hope to complete the editing soon and will probably publish using my connection with Lightening Source Press.

Amazon Associates--Affiliate Marketing

In an earlier post addressing Lynn Pierce's Success Blueprint Radio, I mentioned that I was renewing my association with Amazon Affiliates.  They have developed a relationship with Google's BlogSpot.com, host for this blog.

I have now gone back and edited the links to Amazon books and movies in my earlier posts.  The purpose of affiliate marketing is to generate an income stream by sharing about quality products and services I use.  Affiliate marketing makes it easier for readers of the blog to access the recommended products and does not add to the price they pay for these products and services.

Part of my work at reinventing my services and websites is to add affiliate marketing whenever it appears to be a value add for all concerned.  I've started with Amazon.  I've been using Amazon products and services since it began and was an affiliate for many years in a former business, MetaLearning.com.  It is good to renew affiliation with my up-to-date business of DrM-Resources.

"We, the People" . . . and Health Care Reform

The preamble to the United States Constitution contains these words, "We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."

When Congress, elected by "the People" to represent them and their interests, is faced with legislation that should be "for the good of the People as a whole" (such as health care reform), it is surprising that members vote along party lines.  Regardless of political affiliation, we, "the People" are an amazing cluster of people who all need good health care.

How do members of Congress accurately reflect the needs and interests of "the People?"  How do they make their decisions in ways that are for the highest good of as many "of the People" as possible?

Health Care Reform

The Health Care Reform Bill passed by a vote of 219 to 212 on Sunday afternoon.  The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

We have needed health care reform for many years.  Is this bill what we need?  Who knows?  In the past, insurance companies and employers have regulated what insurance was available and how much it would cost.  When we left a job we lost the insurance--except for 18 months of COBRA when it was offered.

Many individuals could not afford health insurance.  With the new law requiring insurance for everyone, more affordable insurance can be expected.

Diagnostic Tools for Organizations Available on eBay

In order to make diagnostic tools more readily available to organizations, DrM-Resources has put three survey instruments on auction at eBay.  Multiple copies of the surveys are available.  See the photo below for the names of the surveys. 

(Double-click on the image to see it completely and separately.)

These surveys are sold under the category Specialty Services, Other Services on eBay.

While designed as self-help instruments, each can be supported by optional services from DrM-Resources.

Why would organizations want to make use of such tools?  These tools can inform an organization regarding important business indicators and can help decision-makers in the organizations make more informed decisions.  They are relatively inexpensive and, if someone who purchases an instrument on eBay chooses to receive additional services from DrM-Resources, that person is qualified for preferred pricing.

Social Networking--Connection and Communication?

Social Networking offers new opportunities in this age of global technology.  One of the challenges is that people who are connecting with each other using social networking sites may or may not be communicating.  Both are essential, as are the development of relationship and trust.

At least at present, social networking sites offer potential resources to help others with challenges.  This is a global connection and people can be helping each other from various points on the planet.

LinkedIn has helped me connect with resources in India and China, with French-speakers in Chicago, and with close friends and colleagues I had lost touch with many years ago.

The good news is that I am connecting and communicating with my network and am renewing relationships so that we can all benefit from what we do together.

Expertise in the New Economy

The New Economy I refer to is the economy of the USA experienced in 2010.  We still have double-digit unemployment and are experiencing a "jobless economic recovery" (whatever that means).  Aging baby-boomers have reached the age of 62 or more.  With few jobs and thousands of job applicants for each available job, many older workers find themselves on the sidelines.  Their education, expertise, and experience makes them too highly qualified and too expensive for the businesses to hire them to fill open positions.

Younger workers have more recent college degrees and have worked with new technology.  Recruiters rely more on computer programs to sort through the thousands of job applicants.  The technology programs are not geared to work with the experience of older workers and frequently eliminate these workers from further processing.

Social networking and other technology is beginning to make a bridge which will allow older workers to leverage their education, expertise, and experience while remaining independent of other companies.

These areas require more research and development to see how aging baby boomers can continue to remain productive while earning sufficient income to enjoy a quality lifestyle.

Qualifications for Global Learning and Organizational Development Leadership

Today I needed to review my qualifications for a leadership position in global learning and organizational development.  In working on those qualifications it was easy to reflect on my experience.  I have lots of stories backing up my comments on my website, http://www.joelmonty.net. 

The challenge is that, while I have all the qualifications for a leadership position, I have even more qualifications to be a trusted advisor for others in leadership positions in multiple companies.

I have been a consultant for many major companies.  Now I would like to help smaller companies who have similar needs. 

Multiple Streams of Income--Sources of Independence and Interdependence

In earlier posts I wrote about Robert Allen and Multiple Streams of Income.  Today I participated in Lynn Pierce's Success Blueprint Radio.  Lynn "interviewed herself" today.  Lynn spoke about multiple streams of income in a way I totally identified with.

Lynn spoke about the need to create income "while we are sleeping" "24/7" (24-hours per day, 7 days per week).  A great way to do this, for me, is to create information products and to offer them for sale over the Internet.  She also spoke of the need to create a stream of residual income--best coming from a successful Network Marketing business.  I've been involved in network marketing for many years and am now more selective about the businesses I involve myself with.  I am currently a representative for one network marketing business and look forward to building a steady stream of residual income.

Lynn also mentioned being involved in affiliate marketing programs.  I just renewed my affiliate status with Amazon Associates and can see the need to get involved in more programs whose products I already use and endorse.

Lynn had some very useful suggestions and I look forward to working with her to develop my own products in the near future.  I did sign-up for her Success Building Secrets program and look forward to learning more about her process.

Building productive streams of income by working with ideas I am passionate about makes perfect sense to me.  Once that is established I will have a good source of "independent" income though it will be based on interdependence--the sharing of information with people who find value in it and share the value in the form of referrals, repeated purchasing, memberships, and income.

It seems to me that I have many of the pieces in place and, by working with Lynn, I can bring the pieces together into an integrated whole.  That sounds like fun!!

Budget Cuts and Education--Layoffs for Teachers in Illinois

For March 16, 2010

In the local news on the morning of Tuesday, March 16, 2010, there was a report from School District U-46, the second largest school district in Illinois (after the Chicago School District).  The School Board, in a unanimous vote, laid off 1,079 employees of which 732 were full-time teachers.  These layoffs are effective at the end of this school year in June. 

Many of these cuts were caused by the withdrawl of $44 million in funding from the state of Illinois. The same news report says that class sizes are expected to grow to 37 next year.  I taught in School District U-46 for four years and was a middle school teacher working with English language learners (ELLs) for three years.  37 students  in a classroom with mixed learning levels (33 students in ELL classrooms because of a 10% dispensation in class size) does not allow students to learn what they need to learn.  The district serves an approximate 40,000 students from kindergarten through high school.

The budget cuts also apply to programs and support staff.  The end result is that students whom President Obama expects to be ready for work or college upon high school graduation will have even more challenges and less opportunities to learn what they need to learn.

Businesses lay off employees when facing budget crunches.  The concern for school districts--with this type of experience taking place throughout Illinois and the rest of the USA--is that not only is the education of students put at risk, qualified teachers are out of work.  The more highly qualified a teacher may be due to advanced degrees (with accompanying student loans), the higher their salaries (per union contracts) and the less likely they are to be hired by another school district facing budget shortfalls themselves.

This is certainly a "Catch 22" situation (a reinforcing problem without ready solution).  Again, due to the economy and high unemployment, residents cannot come up with more property taxes or higher income tax to fund local school boards.  Teachers (already dealing with low pay scales) cannot afford to take wage cuts and still pay their bills.

What does this mean for the future of education in Illinois?  While I cannot speak to the situation in the schools, I can say that both universities and businesses are going to have to gear up to help entering employees build learning skills they will not have picked-up by the time they graduate from high school.

(That type of learning happens to be one of my specialties.)  As a professional educator for businesses, I can see that, again, with this economy, businesses are not gearing up to meet what will be a greatly increased demand.

Ides of March--Risks of Being a Prophet of Change

March 15th--the Ides of March--the day Julius Caesar was murdered.   A prophetess predicted his death at the "Ides of March."  "Beware the ides of March" has become a commonly recognized phrase associated with this event which took place in 44 BC.

Prophecy is a risky profession.  Stemming from the murder of a prophetess to the Greeks who advised one city state that another was going to attack them, the phrase "Don't kill the messenger" is another phrase that has come into common use.

Telling people bad news in advance is risky.  It can be even more so when someone makes changes and the bad news doesn't happen.

More than merely avoiding "bringing bad news," some of my family members point out that, "if you can't fix it or do anything about it, what is your purpose in telling someone about a problem?"

What that kind of question makes me do is to reflect about what I was going to say and to rethink a bit--often leading to improving whatever remarks I was going to give and sometimes improving my input by keeping silent and observing.

When I lived in California I became an earthquake preparedness consultant, learning about earthquakes and how to prepare (physically) to survive them (assuming that you are not killed in the moment they happen).  While this was important for people to know in Los Angeles, in some businesses I was not even allowed to bring the subject up because it would bother people.  I helped develop one of the first Earthquake Preparedness courses and manuals offered by the American Red Cross in Los Angeles.  It has since been revised and is available in 11 languages to help residents know what to do to prepare for and to survive earthquakes.

In some of my work as an organizational change consultant, I advise clients about how to prepare for major change in their business.  Some of my clients don't want to think about the changes because it will disturb the comfort zones of many of their investors or employees.  At the same time, organizations can be more successful in dealing with change if they are prepared for the change and can take positive actions to allow the change to help them rather than to overwhelm them.

Daylight Savings Time

March 14, 2010 at 02:00AM the USA switched to Daylight Savings Time--spring forward one hour.  It is a good time to change batteries in clocks and smoke and carbon dioxide detectors in the home.

While intended to make better use of daylight hours available, there is still controversy and not everyone supports the practice.

Global and local implementation of daylight savings time.  Many countries around the world work with daylight savings time while, at the same time, it has local implementation.  Not all states accept the practice and some states have two time zones during the time it is implemented.  (The USA will revert to "standard time" [fall back one hour] at 02:00AM on November 7, 2010.)

Blogging--Purpose of this Blog

Someone spoke about my blog this morning and I wanted to think again about its purpose.  One of my goals is to begin publishing books and the discipline of writing a daily blog was intended to be a "baby step" toward publishing--the blog and beyond.

I mention the purpose of this blog in both my first post and in the header that appears with every post (see below).
(Click on the image to see it completely and bigger.  It is the same as the comment appearing at the top of this page.)

 The content of my blog posts is eclectic, reflecting my thoughts, observations, or reflections of the moment.  Overall the focus is on helping readers navigate the world with a few more insights and resources.  I maintain current links in the posts so that people can get back to source information.

It is a business and a personal post in that many of the topics are business related and all are influenced by my personal reflection, experience, and sense of values.  This is post number 224 and I expect to turn the posts into a book soon.  The question is, should I wait for a year of posts or do it earlier?  I also need a way to organize the posts by themes and to make sure that the links remain alive in the electronic version of the book I expect to publish.

"She's Out of My League"--the Movie

The movie, "She's Out of My League" was released this week.  While some of its language is raw, the basic concept is worth observing.  Kirk (Jay Baruchel) has several male friends who he works with at an airport.  They provide him with advice that "keeps him in his place" (even though he really doesn't fit with the picture they paint of him).  He does a favor for Molly (Alice Eve) and, contrary to everyone's expectations--including his own--she likes him and they start dating.

The male friends talk about a rating system with "10" as the top number.  (See the movie 10 directed by Blake Edwards.).  Molly is a "solid 10" and Kirk is rated by his friends as a "5."  There is also talk about a lower number not being able to date a number much higher than his or her own.

In the film, that rating system is shown to be totally false and people who find something to love in another person can do so.  Everyone is a "10" and the rating system seems to keep people doubting their own self-esteem rather than recognizing their own values, especially as seen through the eyes of someone who cares about them.

The movie has lots of comic scenes and the ending is very positive.  It's good to remember as we age that we are still "10's" for ourselves and others.

Networking--Finding People for Jobs and Jobs for People

I received two contacts today from headhunters (recruiters).  One was an e-mail with a position the recruiter thought might be right for me.  The second was a telephone call asking my help in finding someone bilingual in English and French who might be interested in telemarketing for a Canadian technology company.

I network with companies who provide services I endorse (see http://www.joelmonty.net/information_links/information_links.htm).  I decided to add a job board to my joelmonty.wikispaces.com website.

I also went to LinkedIn and joined two groups who may have contacts which could help someone find that job.  For one of the groups I actually posted a link to my job board page.

Why help someone who is looking to find someone a job?  These days, so many people need jobs it only makes sense to help people who are looking to fill jobs.  In fact, people who have a job still may need contacts for a supplementary (or next) job.

I'm still looking for clients and, in the mean time, I'm happy to help others be more successful in their own jobs and in finding jobs for others.

Learning Goals and Appropriate Learning Approaches

Learning goals influence which approach to learning is most appropriate.  For years learning has had two main approaches, topic-based (lecture, student mode) and experiential (practical, hands-on approaches including apprenticeships).  See the Learning Outcome Grid (Slide 7). 

(Click on the image to see it alone and in full detail.)

See the Learning Target Matrix (Slide 17).

Click on the image to see it alone and completely.

While lecture mode appears to be a relatively quick and relatively inexpensive way to deliver training, how much "sticks?"  The goals for the learning need to be considered when planning learning design and delivery.

Investing in Learning and Education

Post for March 9, 2010
Recent news reporting in Illinois shows that Governor Pat Quinn is planning to make cuts in education spending to cover some of the budget imbalance for the state.  This response is an echo of other cuts in investment in learning and education on the part of individuals, corporations, and state and federal government--in the USA and beyond.

At the same time, politicians talk about the future in glowing terms--"Green energy jobs," much faster telecommunications capabilities, etc. 

We need to remember that each of us needs to be a lifelong learner and to find ways to invest in our education--even if it is with time more than money at any particular moment.  Public libraries (also suffering from cuts in funding) offer great resources for learning.

Basic skills of reading and understanding are important to be able to use the resources available to us for learning.  We need to keep an energy level up for exploring and learning more about our world and how we can make positive contributions to our world and our universe.

Learning--Classroom, Online, Blended--Synchronous, Asynchronous

Learning design involves different venues for learning.  Classrooms, computers (at home or at work), the Internet (online), and a combination of venues are all optional venues for learning.  Learning can be synchronous ("live"--with everyone participating at the same time as in a classroom) and asynchronous (delayed--with students participating at the time best for them--posting or e-mails as an example of asynchronous communication).

"Red Carpet Club" for DrM-Virtual3D-Learning Workshop

As one of the first steps in creating the DrM Virtual 3D Learning Workshop, I created a "Red Carpet Club" for the workshop on LinkedIn.  (Think of the Academy Awards when thinking of a "Red Carpet Club>") 

Members in this club will help design the learning workshop and will be participants in the workshop.  Because of their involvement in the club they will access "behind the scenes" experiences and events during the workshop and their feedback and insights can help improve the workshop and, possibly, the virtual 3D learning environment, created and maintained by Digitell's VirtualU.

One of the suggestions that came out of the Virtual Edge 2010 Summit was the use of "Red Carpet Clubs" to improve content and experience of virtual events. 

This club is a truly unique opportunity because it is open to LinkedIn professionals from many organizations who choose to be involved in creating and experiencing an online, virtual3D, learning workshop.  The workshop will be more than an event because its goals will be more expanded and it may take place over a broader span of time than a typical event.

It will probably combine both synchronous ("live") and "asynchronous" (done alone over a period of time) activities to take full advantage of the learning capabilities offered by the virtual platform.

If you're interested in participating, please sign-up for the group.  At this point in the planning, the learning workshop will be free.  Members of the group will have unique opportunities to develop and expand skills in online learning design and will get to experience their own design and give feedback.

Strategy Map for an Online, Virtual 3D Learning Workshop

What is "A strategy map for an online, virtual 3D learning workshop?"  This is the initial planning document for the creation of this learning workshop to be conducted online in a Virtual 3D environment.

If the learning workshop is being prepared for a single organization it can be preceded by a learning needs survey.  If the learning workshop is for multiple organizations, one of the initial steps is to invite ideas for learning needs for the workshop from these organizations.  For this workshop, LinkedIn will be used to contact many of the professionals who may be interested in participating in the free workshop.

Another part of the initial strategy is to explore with Digitell and VirtualU to learn the capabilities available for learning activities on the VirtualU platform.

Learning Needs Analysis--Prerequisite for Learning Design

A Learning Needs Analysis (see Workforce Training Needs Survey) needs to be run formally or informally as a first step or prerequisite for Learning Design.

In order to create a series of learning activities that invite positive engagement using and building skills and perspectives which are needed on the job, clear needs and related goals are needed to start the process.

Learning Design--Strategy, Goals, Outcomes, Assessments

In designing learning programs, it is important to follow a strategy that includes goals, outcomes, and assessments.

Today learning programs can take place in multiple venues.  Traditional classroom instruction, experiential classroom instruction, "asynchronous" ("stand-alone") computer-based or web-based training, "synchronous" ("real-time, interactive) web-based training, blended (a combination of classroom and web-based training, perhaps blending both asynchronous posting and synchronous dialog), Web2 design (including Wiki-based collaborative writing and dialogue).  Other tools include virtual environments and virtual 3D environments (web-based where learners have avatars (iconic representations of themselves) with or without skills and knowledge specific to the context of the learning environment.  Some learning can take place in Alternate Reality Game environments with activities focused on building the skills required to meet the learning goals of the program.

Regardless of the media platforms used to support the learning, learning design needs to follow the concept of strategy, goals, outcomes and assessments.  Ideally the strategy will be based on an understanding of how we learn and of how important positive engagement in learning activity and reflection are to the learning process.

Alternate Reality Games, Learning, and Youth Fiction and Fantasy

Alternate Reality Games (ARG) are amazingly popular around the world.  Total Engagement by Byron Reeves and J. Leighton Read, provides insights into these games and the way they relate to business.  (See my post regarding learning from the recent Virtual Edge 2010 Summit.)

Newberry Award Winning books for the youth market share alternate realities in their youth fiction and fantasy genre.  Readers identify with the heros and heroines in much the same way people identify with characters in the ARGs.  Harry Potter is one of many series of books that have become wildly popular.  Many new series are emerging and are very engaging for readers (and listeners when eAudiobooks are used).

This literature can be used as a model for new learning ARGs that allow students to build both academic and game-related skill sets for points and recognition within the ARG.  Priced correctly (and fairly), students could engage with these games and build skills on a daily basis.

Completing USA Tax Returns Refines Business Focus

While completing "Schedule C" on the USA Income Tax Return I needed to rethink and to redefine the business focus of DrM-Resources and Joelmonty.net.  While both are "sister companies," DrM-Resources focuses especially on Education Support Services and Joelmonty.net focuses on Internet Publishing, Virtual Coaching, and a host of additional, related services.

Having this refined focus will let me position both companies better in the market place, an unforeseen benefit from completing tax returns this year.

Early Retirement Plus Working?

In this economy I need to make a decision in the next few days whether or not to apply early for Social Security benefits in the USA.  I do not reach full retirement age for 2.5 years, so I would have a smaller benefit amount each month.  The benefits would be recalculated when I reach retirement age and, if I keep working on jobs that pay into social security (as opposed to teaching jobs in IL and to other jobs that do not pay social security) I could end up with a bigger benefit than if I just wait until later.  The difference between what I would earn at full retirement age and what I would earn now is about $300 per month--significant for a long-term view.

At the same time, while I am actively working three businesses and pursuing clients and customers, having a steady flow of income while I build more business--or take-on some contract or other part-time work--would do wonders for my "security" and sense of well being.

It takes a month for the process to start, so, if I plan to do something soon, I will need to act in the next day or so.  I will then have to make estimated tax payments for social security income, so I'll be back to Quicken before I know it.

Taxing and Trying--eFiles and Oops!!

I missed the post to this blog for yesterday--this one will do for February 28, 2010.  I was working on my USA taxes--both federal and state taxes using TurboTax software.  (I've been using TurboTax for about 17 years and use both their Business edition and their Home and Business editions.  With these services I can file returns for a corporation (form 1120), and individual returns (1040) with Schedule C (business) and (for Mom) investments. 

It takes quite a while to gather the information together.  It would be quicker if I kept up-to-date using two other Intuit products--Quicken and Quick Books.  All of the Intuit products are great.  I just don't keep up with yearly upgrades--except in the case of TurboTax.

I also feel much better about these returns (already triple-checked by TurboTax) when I sign-up for Audit Defense (also through TurboTax).

As of now, all of the required returns have been eFiled at the federal and state levels and I have secured Audit Defense for all three returns--Moms, mine, and the corporation.

Now I am thinking about what I need to do for next year.


This year, with the economic downturn, I had some questions and used the "Live Community" (free responses to tax questions) and the "Ask a Tax Expert" services offered by TurboTax.

When I first filed my corporate taxes, I used the wrong form and the IRS rejected my return.  I used the 1120S when I have an 1120 corporation.  TurboTax for Business has both packages and I just created a new 1120 return and filed it today.

I had three additional businesses this year to be reported on my individual tax return (1040).  TurboTax Home and Business helped me with all of that and I received some excellent advice from "Ask a Tax Expert."  TurboTax also guided me through working through the sale of stock on Mom's account and finding the "cash basis" for the stock to determine capital gains.