Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Team BookBuzzr Attends Amway Presentation
It was a bright sunny day and Bangalore had just got cooler with rainfall over the last 2 days. Compared to other days the climate was good enough that we did not need the airconditioner in the office. For us it was just another day of regular work trying to meet deadlines for the massive new release that's coming up in May.
The timeline below describes how the day unfolded for all of us at the office ...
11:30 AM
Srini (Our Office Manager): Vikram (our Chief Book Marketing Technologist) has informed that a guy will be coming from Amway today to address you boys by 12 Noon. If you people have any questions regarding the company or it's products, you can clarify with him.
12:30 PM
The Amway guy has still not reached our office. After sometime, the Amway guy calls and asks Srini for directions.
It’s almost 12:30 PM now and Srini sir is guiding the person to reach our office.
1:40 PM
We are feeling hungry and are about to leave for lunch.
Srini: The Amway guy will reach here in five minutes and will address you people for in 10 to 15 minutes.
Rishabh (one of my colleagues): Then we will have our lunch and come back.
Srini: Wait, have lunch later. If you want take a chocolate. That guy will be here in five minutes.
Now I'm thinking “Oh god, why should we be hungry till he finishes his presentation. Who can grasp the content of what he says when stomach is empty?”
Its 1:45 PM now and we finally convinced Srini that we'd have lunch and come back. The Amway guy still seemed to be lost. We left for lunch.
2:00 PM
The Amway guy enters the office, "I am Mr. Jayant Kulkarni, I am sorry, I am late."
Srini: Boys have gone for lunch. You may need to wait till they return back.
Mr.Kulkarni: Ok.
Srini Sir: How did you reach here?
Mr.Kulkarni: I have got a bike.
Srini Sir: Where have you parked your bike?
Mr.Kulkarni: Nearby. Behind the office.
Srini Sir: Have you finished your lunch?
Mr.Kulkarni: Yes.
Srini Sir: Please tell me about your company.
Mr. Kulkarni went on to give a description of Amway and multi-level marketing and the opportunity to create residual income.
Srini Sir: Are you working part time or full time?
Mr.Kulkarni: Part time actully. I am making around Rs. 25 to 30K per month.
Srini Sir: Please wait. Boys will be coming soon.
2:15 PM
We all returned back to the office after a hearty lunch and were ushered into the conference room for a presentation by the Amway guy.
I saw a guy sitting in our conference room. He was reading the newspaper.
I came near my system, kept my mobile there and headed towards conference room.
We all settled there. The guy was looking old, wearing glasses, with a big belly and a very funny moustache. The guy stood in front of us with head bent towards left and continuously blinking his eyes.
Srini: He is Mr. Jayant Kulkarni, working for Amway and heading Karnataka division. He will be introducing about his company.
Mr. Kulkarni: Hi Everybody. I am Mr. Jayant Kulkarni.
Do you know anything about Network Marketing or Multi Level Marketing.
All were looking at each others' faces.
Mr. Kulkarni went on to ask a number of other questions to which everybody answered. Mr. Kulkarni then asked "Do you know what is the day today?"
Ranga: 1st April sir.
Mr. Kulkarni: Hi Guys, I am Vikram. Happy fools day...(in original voice)
Bang… Hay it’s our boss. It’s Vikram in this posture with a fake moustache, fake glasses, cotton in his mouth and a complete disguise!
Only a few were able to recognize him but most were stunned to look at him in this way.
Nobody was ready to believe for a second that it was Vikram.
All we could say was "Ohh my god!” '
The seriousness of the conference room changed into laughter. All were stunned and not ready to accept ourselves as big fools. All were praising Vikram for his awesome acting.
Vikram left the office to fool someone else, but our conversation went on long thereafter discussing the same from each individual’s point of view and how each person felt...
That’s the end of this story…
But I'll end this post with another story concerning the history of April Fool's Day for you ...
April 1st is called Fool's Day after Steve April. Steve April was born on 1st April 1579. He did 105 businesses in his lifetime. He lost all his father's assets and everyone started calling him as the father of Fools. At the age of 19, he married a 61 year old woman. She divorced him after a year because of his foolishness. He used to hear all kinds of fake stories like you. It's a great idea to fool you for fools day. Happy April Fools Day!
Many Thanks
Pavan S Shetiya
Team BookBuzzr/fReado
The timeline below describes how the day unfolded for all of us at the office ...
11:30 AM
Srini (Our Office Manager): Vikram (our Chief Book Marketing Technologist) has informed that a guy will be coming from Amway today to address you boys by 12 Noon. If you people have any questions regarding the company or it's products, you can clarify with him.
12:30 PM
The Amway guy has still not reached our office. After sometime, the Amway guy calls and asks Srini for directions.
It’s almost 12:30 PM now and Srini sir is guiding the person to reach our office.
1:40 PM
We are feeling hungry and are about to leave for lunch.
Srini: The Amway guy will reach here in five minutes and will address you people for in 10 to 15 minutes.
Rishabh (one of my colleagues): Then we will have our lunch and come back.
Srini: Wait, have lunch later. If you want take a chocolate. That guy will be here in five minutes.
Now I'm thinking “Oh god, why should we be hungry till he finishes his presentation. Who can grasp the content of what he says when stomach is empty?”
Its 1:45 PM now and we finally convinced Srini that we'd have lunch and come back. The Amway guy still seemed to be lost. We left for lunch.
2:00 PM
The Amway guy enters the office, "I am Mr. Jayant Kulkarni, I am sorry, I am late."
Srini: Boys have gone for lunch. You may need to wait till they return back.
Mr.Kulkarni: Ok.
Srini Sir: How did you reach here?
Mr.Kulkarni: I have got a bike.
Srini Sir: Where have you parked your bike?
Mr.Kulkarni: Nearby. Behind the office.
Srini Sir: Have you finished your lunch?
Mr.Kulkarni: Yes.
Srini Sir: Please tell me about your company.
Mr. Kulkarni went on to give a description of Amway and multi-level marketing and the opportunity to create residual income.
Srini Sir: Are you working part time or full time?
Mr.Kulkarni: Part time actully. I am making around Rs. 25 to 30K per month.
Srini Sir: Please wait. Boys will be coming soon.
2:15 PM
We all returned back to the office after a hearty lunch and were ushered into the conference room for a presentation by the Amway guy.
I saw a guy sitting in our conference room. He was reading the newspaper.
I came near my system, kept my mobile there and headed towards conference room.
We all settled there. The guy was looking old, wearing glasses, with a big belly and a very funny moustache. The guy stood in front of us with head bent towards left and continuously blinking his eyes.
Srini: He is Mr. Jayant Kulkarni, working for Amway and heading Karnataka division. He will be introducing about his company.
Mr. Kulkarni: Hi Everybody. I am Mr. Jayant Kulkarni.
Do you know anything about Network Marketing or Multi Level Marketing.
All were looking at each others' faces.
Mr. Kulkarni went on to ask a number of other questions to which everybody answered. Mr. Kulkarni then asked "Do you know what is the day today?"
Ranga: 1st April sir.
Mr. Kulkarni: Hi Guys, I am Vikram. Happy fools day...(in original voice)
Bang… Hay it’s our boss. It’s Vikram in this posture with a fake moustache, fake glasses, cotton in his mouth and a complete disguise!
Only a few were able to recognize him but most were stunned to look at him in this way.
Nobody was ready to believe for a second that it was Vikram.
All we could say was "Ohh my god!” '
The seriousness of the conference room changed into laughter. All were stunned and not ready to accept ourselves as big fools. All were praising Vikram for his awesome acting.
Vikram left the office to fool someone else, but our conversation went on long thereafter discussing the same from each individual’s point of view and how each person felt...
That’s the end of this story…
But I'll end this post with another story concerning the history of April Fool's Day for you ...
April 1st is called Fool's Day after Steve April. Steve April was born on 1st April 1579. He did 105 businesses in his lifetime. He lost all his father's assets and everyone started calling him as the father of Fools. At the age of 19, he married a 61 year old woman. She divorced him after a year because of his foolishness. He used to hear all kinds of fake stories like you. It's a great idea to fool you for fools day. Happy April Fools Day!
Many Thanks
Pavan S Shetiya
Team BookBuzzr/fReado
Monday, February 8, 2010
Blogger Sidebar Problem Now Fixed
A few authors wrote in to let us know that posting the widget to the sidebar on Blogger was not working properly. This problem is now fixed. Authors, please try and let us know.
Thanks
Team BookBuzzr
Thanks
Team BookBuzzr
Monday, November 2, 2009
BookBuzzr interviews Michele Brenton – Author of Alternative Poetry…
A few months ago, we had the swine flu scare in India. Everywhere I went, I saw people wearing masks. And everybody kept cleansing their hands with hand-sanitizer. You could practically cut the fear in the air with a knife. At this point, I stumbled upon a BookBuzzr book with the words "Alternative Poetry - Lite" in the title. Intrigued, I flipped through a few pages. And before I knew it I was smiling ... and then laughing! Then I came across this little verse which was so relevant to the "lets-keep-everything-clean" mania that had enveloped me and all other people in my immediate surroundings:
Where There's Dirt There's Life
Nothing good comes from sterile and pure.
The best things in life spring up from manure.
I was able to draw my own conclusions from this poem and more importantly it lightened my heart and made me understand that the fear that people were feeling at that point in time did not mean anything. So when I recently got the opportunity to interview the author - Michele Brenton - I jumped at it:)
So here goes:
Hi Michele ... Can you tell our author community of readers, a little about yourself?
Hi Vikram... I'll try.
I read fluently when I was two years old and became known to friends and neighbours as 'The Professor' and as 'Bossy Boots' to my immediate family! I was extremely pompous and enjoyed telling everyone how to behave and lost my temper if I wasn't taken very seriously indeed!
'The Professor' would be quite disgusted at the fact that I am now known as banana_the_poet – but I'm quite happy about it. :)
As I grew up I found I was much happier standing on the sidelines, observing and writing rather than trying to control everything and everyone around me. I suppose the simple fact nobody ever did what I told them might have had something to do with that change of tactic LOL
And can you tell us about your book (in verse form if at all possible :))
Alternative Poetry Books - Yellow edition
It's yellow and red and will sit on your shelf
waiting for its friends;
There will be another six
before this series ends.
It isn't exclusively funny and it isn't entirely sad
like life my poetry series
will lead you through
times good and bad.
Each Alternative Poetry Book
will be of a different hue,
To send a rainbow message
of hope from me to you.
I don't expect to change the world
or even cause a riot,
But I'll know I got my message through
If you care enough to buy it.
On opening your book, I see the Tai Chi circle in a few places. What does this mean?
I love that symbol so much! It combines opposite/reflecting images to create an eternal harmonious circular completeness. Life is made up of good and bad, happy and unhappy, dark and light, night and day etc
Balance can only be found by using both sides of every equation.
I hope my poetry books embody balance by alternating fun, light, amusing and silly poems with serious, dark, earnest and thoughtful ones.
Any tips for someone looking to write funny poems?
Always put as much thought and care into writing funny poems as you would into a serious one. Just because a poem is intended to be amusing doesn't mean it needn't be a 'good' one. While I play with meter, cliches and rhymes etc I always do it purposefully. I believe that every facet of a poem should always have been chosen for a reason and if asked I should be able to justify each and every choice.
I noticed that you've got over 10,000 widget views and nearly 700 full screen views on BookBuzzr. Any tips for author looking to market their book on the Internet??
The BookBuzzr widget is a fantastic little gizmo and I love it! It has a few places where it could be improved – but nothing is perfect straight away and I am confident it will eventually be pretty close to perfect due to the marvelously responsive attitude you guys have to feedback.
I put my widget on my blogs for my visitors to preview the little sample e-book I put together as a precursor for my full 84 page paperback.
I also use my Twitter presence to point people at my BookBuzzr pages and have told people about it (with the link of course) on the various forums I frequent. I recently posted to a poetry genre forum on Amazon and included a link to BookBuzzr on that – I would have been mad not to as unfortunately the 'look inside' option on my Amazon listings proved to be rather disappointing.
I've been impressed by the recent addition on the BookBuzzr format of a page at the end of the widget that highlights other BookBuzzr books for readers. That's a great idea and means that for each BookBuzzr author that gets reads a group of other authors have a chance to be spotted as well. A win win situation for readers and writers.
This is the first book I've ever tried to market and so I am very new to how this all works but I was very pleased to find Freado and BookBuzzr – it has streamlined things considerably – and most people seem to like playing with the flippy pages :)
I also started a Blog Tour to promote my book – this being one stop on the Tour for which I am very grateful. I had no idea what a Blog Tour was a month ago – but now here I am doing one – and I still don't have much of an idea, but it seems to be a GOOD THING TO DO – so I am doing it and so far it has been a lot of fun.
Time will tell if it was useful in the marketing scheme of things, but as long as we're all having fun and it isn't costing anyone anything but time – it is worth a try.
Do you market your book on Facebook? Why or Why not?
I haven't ever been able to get into the Facebook vibe. Not sure why. Maybe because it feels very complicated to me and I like simple things best. Twitter is very simple so I quickly got hooked. BookBuzzr is quite simple to use and so I found it accessible to use, similarly the Blog.co.uk blogging community I use is simple and easy to make sense of – and that is why you'll find me there.
But Facebook – I joined but I haven't been back more than twice. I have asked friends and family who are Facebook members to mention me on there – but I don't know if they have, or if anyone has taken any notice if they have.
I have a nagging feeling I ought to do more on Facebook – but I spend so much time already on Twitter, my blogs, the forums I participate in and I am busy with putting together the next books in the Alternative Poetry Books series AND I have to fit real life in somewhere too – so Facebook is lost in the 'might have been' box at the back of my brain.
You are also offering 50 embossed signed certified limited editions of your book. I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea because it's like buying a souvenir. In fact, I feel like ordering one for myself! How should people go about getting a copy?
Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly
http://TheAlternativePoetry.blog.co.uk/2009/10/16/alternative-poetry-books-yellow-edition-here-it-is-7181615/
This is the direct link to the 'buy it here' page on the blog I set up specifically for the Alternative Poetry Books series, where the special signed copies can be purchased.
This link can also be found on the 'BUY' button on the BookBuzzr widget - which lists ALL the various purchasing options/links including for standard copies via the usual online stores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble and will soon carry details of local bookshops which will stock or order the books for you. I update the 'BUY' information regularly as the situation develops and once all 50 embossed signed copies are gone I will remove the link from the widget.
And finally, can you make up a verse / poem / limerick about BookBuzzr?
Behold the BookBuzzr widget!
It is so small and neat;
if you were out of your mind
and the oddball kind,
you could work it with your feet.
You'd have to take your socks off
in the privacy of your house,
and soon you'd be flipping pages
as your toes clicked away at your mouse.
But you might find one small problem
though the widget would work with ease,
If you use your feet to access it
your mouse might smell of cheese!
(Note: This interview with author Michele Brenton is part of her blog tour. She was previously featured on Dan Holloway's blog. Her next blog interview will be with Tom the Seasideman.)
Where There's Dirt There's Life
Nothing good comes from sterile and pure.
The best things in life spring up from manure.
I was able to draw my own conclusions from this poem and more importantly it lightened my heart and made me understand that the fear that people were feeling at that point in time did not mean anything. So when I recently got the opportunity to interview the author - Michele Brenton - I jumped at it:)
So here goes:
Hi Michele ... Can you tell our author community of readers, a little about yourself?
Hi Vikram... I'll try.
I read fluently when I was two years old and became known to friends and neighbours as 'The Professor' and as 'Bossy Boots' to my immediate family! I was extremely pompous and enjoyed telling everyone how to behave and lost my temper if I wasn't taken very seriously indeed!
'The Professor' would be quite disgusted at the fact that I am now known as banana_the_poet – but I'm quite happy about it. :)
As I grew up I found I was much happier standing on the sidelines, observing and writing rather than trying to control everything and everyone around me. I suppose the simple fact nobody ever did what I told them might have had something to do with that change of tactic LOL
And can you tell us about your book (in verse form if at all possible :))
Alternative Poetry Books - Yellow edition
It's yellow and red and will sit on your shelf
waiting for its friends;
There will be another six
before this series ends.
It isn't exclusively funny and it isn't entirely sad
like life my poetry series
will lead you through
times good and bad.
Each Alternative Poetry Book
will be of a different hue,
To send a rainbow message
of hope from me to you.
I don't expect to change the world
or even cause a riot,
But I'll know I got my message through
If you care enough to buy it.
On opening your book, I see the Tai Chi circle in a few places. What does this mean?
I love that symbol so much! It combines opposite/reflecting images to create an eternal harmonious circular completeness. Life is made up of good and bad, happy and unhappy, dark and light, night and day etc
Balance can only be found by using both sides of every equation.
I hope my poetry books embody balance by alternating fun, light, amusing and silly poems with serious, dark, earnest and thoughtful ones.
Any tips for someone looking to write funny poems?
Always put as much thought and care into writing funny poems as you would into a serious one. Just because a poem is intended to be amusing doesn't mean it needn't be a 'good' one. While I play with meter, cliches and rhymes etc I always do it purposefully. I believe that every facet of a poem should always have been chosen for a reason and if asked I should be able to justify each and every choice.
I noticed that you've got over 10,000 widget views and nearly 700 full screen views on BookBuzzr. Any tips for author looking to market their book on the Internet??
The BookBuzzr widget is a fantastic little gizmo and I love it! It has a few places where it could be improved – but nothing is perfect straight away and I am confident it will eventually be pretty close to perfect due to the marvelously responsive attitude you guys have to feedback.
I put my widget on my blogs for my visitors to preview the little sample e-book I put together as a precursor for my full 84 page paperback.
I also use my Twitter presence to point people at my BookBuzzr pages and have told people about it (with the link of course) on the various forums I frequent. I recently posted to a poetry genre forum on Amazon and included a link to BookBuzzr on that – I would have been mad not to as unfortunately the 'look inside' option on my Amazon listings proved to be rather disappointing.
I've been impressed by the recent addition on the BookBuzzr format of a page at the end of the widget that highlights other BookBuzzr books for readers. That's a great idea and means that for each BookBuzzr author that gets reads a group of other authors have a chance to be spotted as well. A win win situation for readers and writers.
This is the first book I've ever tried to market and so I am very new to how this all works but I was very pleased to find Freado and BookBuzzr – it has streamlined things considerably – and most people seem to like playing with the flippy pages :)
I also started a Blog Tour to promote my book – this being one stop on the Tour for which I am very grateful. I had no idea what a Blog Tour was a month ago – but now here I am doing one – and I still don't have much of an idea, but it seems to be a GOOD THING TO DO – so I am doing it and so far it has been a lot of fun.
Time will tell if it was useful in the marketing scheme of things, but as long as we're all having fun and it isn't costing anyone anything but time – it is worth a try.
Do you market your book on Facebook? Why or Why not?
I haven't ever been able to get into the Facebook vibe. Not sure why. Maybe because it feels very complicated to me and I like simple things best. Twitter is very simple so I quickly got hooked. BookBuzzr is quite simple to use and so I found it accessible to use, similarly the Blog.co.uk blogging community I use is simple and easy to make sense of – and that is why you'll find me there.
But Facebook – I joined but I haven't been back more than twice. I have asked friends and family who are Facebook members to mention me on there – but I don't know if they have, or if anyone has taken any notice if they have.
I have a nagging feeling I ought to do more on Facebook – but I spend so much time already on Twitter, my blogs, the forums I participate in and I am busy with putting together the next books in the Alternative Poetry Books series AND I have to fit real life in somewhere too – so Facebook is lost in the 'might have been' box at the back of my brain.
You are also offering 50 embossed signed certified limited editions of your book. I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea because it's like buying a souvenir. In fact, I feel like ordering one for myself! How should people go about getting a copy?
Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly
http://TheAlternativePoetry.blog.co.uk/2009/10/16/alternative-poetry-books-yellow-edition-here-it-is-7181615/
This is the direct link to the 'buy it here' page on the blog I set up specifically for the Alternative Poetry Books series, where the special signed copies can be purchased.
This link can also be found on the 'BUY' button on the BookBuzzr widget - which lists ALL the various purchasing options/links including for standard copies via the usual online stores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble and will soon carry details of local bookshops which will stock or order the books for you. I update the 'BUY' information regularly as the situation develops and once all 50 embossed signed copies are gone I will remove the link from the widget.
And finally, can you make up a verse / poem / limerick about BookBuzzr?
Behold the BookBuzzr widget!
It is so small and neat;
if you were out of your mind
and the oddball kind,
you could work it with your feet.
You'd have to take your socks off
in the privacy of your house,
and soon you'd be flipping pages
as your toes clicked away at your mouse.
But you might find one small problem
though the widget would work with ease,
If you use your feet to access it
your mouse might smell of cheese!
(Note: This interview with author Michele Brenton is part of her blog tour. She was previously featured on Dan Holloway's blog. Her next blog interview will be with Tom the Seasideman.)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Vikram of BookBuzzr Interviewed by Chad Lilly of Inner Circle Publishing
A few days ago, I was interviewed by Chad Lilly of Inner Circle Publishing. It was a fun, conversation that covered plenty of important topics related to online book-marketing technologies, internet marketing for books, book-promotion through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and much more. You can listen to the interview here or below.
Incidentally, Chad Lilly has had a phenomenal amount of interest generated in his book - "uncommon sense" ever since he put up the book on BookBuzzr. Over 2,000 people have already viewed his book and he mentions that he has experienced record sales on Amazon. So that's additional validation for BookBuzzr. You can check out Chad's book below:
Incidentally, Chad Lilly has had a phenomenal amount of interest generated in his book - "uncommon sense" ever since he put up the book on BookBuzzr. Over 2,000 people have already viewed his book and he mentions that he has experienced record sales on Amazon. So that's additional validation for BookBuzzr. You can check out Chad's book below:
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