Author: selfpublishingadvisor

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 3/11/2016

WHAT IF…ALL Books Were Banned?

Ray Bradbury (one of my favorite Sci-fi authors) says, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” In 1953 he wrote a novel titled: Fahrenheit 451 (the temperature needed to ignite paper), which became a must read classic almost immediately. The future of America portrayed in these pages does, indeed, paint a sad picture. However, it ends with HOPE when the main character makes his way into the countryside and finds book lovers who live there—who have memorized books—for the time when people are ready to rediscover their value.

bradbury

IF you haven’t read this marvelous novel before, I won’t tell you the ending. Yet, as an author and writing coach, I will suggest you look for one of Bradbury’s main themes which is so beautiful written/woven throughout the book: the cycles of life and living. All writers of all genres can benefit from understanding this concept at greater and greater levels throughout their writing careers. The concept of “to everything there is a season,” is played out in real life each and every day—in our own lives and our Readers’ lives—and must be developed in the actions and events of our characters’ lives.

Another of my favorite authors, Dr. Seuss, offers a quote that should give all writers encouragement: The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” On the surface, these points may not seem to relate to Bradbury’s Fahrenheit theme. Yet relating reading (the great value of reading) to learning and going places IS the hope of all writers who develop their stories (either fact or fiction) with the heart of their Readers in mind—giving them the opportunity to GO where their feet cannot take them.

Last week I gave you the statistics of Readers who purchase fiction (53%) and non-fiction (43%) books. In the fiction category, fifty-five percent (55%) is bought by women and forty-five (45%) by men. Of all those who read fiction, their favorite genres are mystery/suspense (19%), leaving the remainder of the eighty-one percent (81%) to enjoy each of our preferred genres—which definitely gives each author/writer a strong foundation from which to promote our books. And yet, IF the day comes when banning books is the norm rather than the exception, HOW would be deal with it?

As a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent, I admit that I’ve essentially “banned” specific books from the shelves of my children. There is a safety zone needed when it comes to young minds that are not yet developed to the point of clear and logical thinking. However, in recent years I’ve come to wonder whether there really are some books—that promote ugly and dehumanizing ideas—that should never even be published. Many traditional and self-publishing houses are accepting the role of “parent” in this respect, and I applaud them!

As I close today, I will leave you with thoughts (quote) from Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, who faced some hefty criticism: “Great literature is help for humans. It is medicine of the highest order…It can lift them [readers] into a new realization of their own power, beauty, love, courage.…[having] the best interests of all of us humans at heart. That we grow, change, challenge, encourage, love fiercely in the awareness that real love can never be incorrect.”

banned book week

Great authors will always receive censure—just look at the centuries of detractors who have tried to “ban” the Bible. When authors create works that are in “the best interests of all us humans,” their/your books will remain “until the end of time.” Go Forth! READ! Write! Publish!

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RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized, Writing

In Your Corner : Celebrate National Reading Month With These Marketing Tips! (part two)

Last week, I started us off on a month-long exploration of one of my favorite subjects: the intersection of reading with writing and publishing!  It’s almost too easy, given that March is National Reading Awareness Month, too.  And as I said last month: here at Self-Publishing Advisor, we love the fact that there’s an entire month devoted to celebrating the written word–as well as the ways in which we can spread the joy of literacy–and I would like to invite you to continue joining me in making reading a focus all month long, here in our Thursday blog post slot.  

 

March may not typically be a month you think of to get started on a major project, or finish pushing said project through the publishing pipeline, but really, there’s no better time: the weather is getting warmer but where I live it’s still quite slushy and prohibitive to long road trips––perfect!  I always try to make use of this halfway-survivable weather to knock out some major projects while also taking some short local expeditions to my favorite spots in order to shake off the winter blues.

Sometimes, however, especially when I’m bouncing back from the Winter Blues, I find myself searching around a bit for a good starting point, or a way to pick back up the threads I dropped before the holiday frenzy set in, and before I got wrapped up in everything that follows (sending kids off to school, dealing with tax season, and so on).  So, I did a little brainstorming and came up with some more tips for kicking things back into gear, and making good on the potential promised by such an ambitious theme as National Reading Awareness Month!  (You can read my first four tips here.)

TIP FIVE : Ask for book reviews  

Research has shown that positive reviews makes a book sell better.  In fact, reviews written by people who have read your book often carry more weight than reviews by recognized experts!  Just think: the last time you went hunting for a new book to read, which held the most weight for you?  The blurb on the back cover?  Celebrity endorsements?  A four or five-star review on Goodreads and Amazon?  A really thorough and useful review on one of those sites?  Or word-of-mouth recommendation?  Most people would rank these metrics in reverse order, with one notable exception: a high star rating on Amazon and Goodreads is a defining factor between those people who click through to read reviews and those who keep scrolling on by.

So how do you get reviews?  We’ve written about them before here on Self-Publishing Advisor (here, for example) but in summary: be proactive.  Very few authors can rely on reviewers coming to them!  There are plenty of ways to drive book reviews, but the most important ones include offering giveaways in exchange for reviews, soliciting reviewers through easily-googled book review index websites, and simply asking for them.  You can ask for reviews even before your book is published by offering to send the reviewer a digital copy of your book.  The key to all of these interactions is not to come off as pushy or fake.  Reviewers tend to respond well to simple requests, either favorably or with regret at not being available.

USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, View across the shelf showing girl (8-9) reading book

TIP SIX: Request peer reviews

Remember how effective word-of-mouth recommendations are?  Well, another way to get the review ball rolling is to ask friends who have already read your manuscript to write a review.  Because they have a personal connection with you, the author, they’re far more likely to do so––and far more likely to become advocates for your book––if you ask them to take on official review duties.  Since writing these reviews can be time-consuming and they may suffer low confidence if they’ve had little or no review-writing experience, you might have a couple of really good sample reviews (of your book or someone else’s) on hand for them to look at.  That way, they’ll know some of the standard language used in reviews, and also get a sense for how diverse and unique each review can be!  The point of asking your peers to review your book is to get little pops of personality bleeding through the pixels of your Amazon book page––readers love the authenticity of a person who admits a real human connection to an author, and speaks honestly from that privileged position, with all the insight into the book’s backstory that they’re now privy to. 

Businessmen working together
TIP SEVEN : Create a mailing list or Facebook group  

Last but not least––for this week, anyway––you should actively seek out readers who might be interested in reading your book.  You are probably already doing this at both personal or professional meetings as well as at conferences, book club meetings, your kids’ Mother Goose sessions at the library, and so on.  The next step is to turn these casual conversations into something a bit more structured and organized; ask if you can send these potential new readers information about your book, then add them to your mailing list.  You can use the built-in mailing list features in desktop-based versions of Microsoft Outlook, or you can look to the Cloud and to web-based softwares like MailChimp.  I don’t necessarily think of social media as a substitution for these valuable programs, but you should also consider creating a Facebook group in addition to your mailing list, and take full advantage of the intersectionality of that platform––through Facebook alone, you can schedule events, send private messages and post public announcements, upload pictures, and find new readers.  Well worth a little exploration, I think!

Small Business Revolution - Bluegrass Youth Ballet

I’ll be back next week with some more tips!  And …

… always remember: you are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

 

 

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Dispatches From The Hybrid Publishing Experience

Last week, we took a cursory first glance at the hybrid publishing experience, in hopes of defining it with a touch more clarity than has been the norm.  Our final conclusion?  The simplest and most straightforward definition of hybrid publishing might be as follows:

Hybrid publishing is any publishing model that allows authors to enter into direct, flexible, contractual collaborations with industry professionals that in traditional publishing would be indirect (they would be paid by the publishing house, not the author) and are not traditionally available to self-publishing authors.  This includes companies like Outskirts Press, which offers a range of collaborative services, and excludes the so-called “hybrid author,” or someone who has moved from traditional publishing into self-publishing or vice versa.

(You can catch up by reading the full original post here.)

But what does it feel like to publish through the hybrid model?  What is the experience like?  I thought we might glance over some of the statements that have been made about hybrid publishing by the authors who choose it themselves––a couple of collected dispatches, if you will!  Here are the two dispatches I keep coming back to:

dispatches

I have just finished my third book with Dog Ear Publishing, and if there is a fourth–not likely–I’d not hesitate to go with them again.

To try to find a publisher for my first book was intimidating. I tend to research everything from buying a can opener to buying a new car, so I went to the omnipotent internet–and promptly got overwhelmed. There are dozens and dozens of publishers, of course, all spouting promises and rewards, so I was pretty much in the dark. I found that Dog Ear Publishing seemed to have generally favorable reviews, as well as a package that seemed to fit my needs, but a lot of other companies appeared competitive. But sooner or later one has to fish or cut bait–so I crossed my fingers and pushed the button and they took my money, just like that.

I was assigned to Amber, who proved to be a gem, patiently answering all my questions both promptly and understandably. But alas, she wanted to start a family, and I was switched to Adrienne. I didn’t like that–at first–but she didn’t miss a beat and proved to be an apparent clone. All went reasonably well and the book became a best seller. (Well, at least in my family.)

The second time I went with Dog Ear Publishing was because of these two women, but it was also smoother because I learned to make it a bit easier by more care on my end–strive hard to get the copy as close to right the first time, learn from one’s mistakes, allow for the inevitable exception, that sort of thing.

The third time I went to Dog Ear Publishing for the same reasons, but did wonder what would happen as a few wrinkles showed up. Again, both Amber and Adrienne took turns holding my hand and guiding me though, and I certainly needed them, because of two particular situations: One, for the cover I wanted to use one of my own photos, but the contrasts in tone and subject matter made it difficult to include the title/author in clear type. But Amber was relentlessly patient, repeatedly having the design dept. come up with some adjustment till we finally got it right.

Second, when the five comp copies came, they were acceptable–almost. They were very readable, but some pages did have a noticeable lighter font. I didn’t know if Dog Ear would agree with my assessment, but it was my baby, so I pushed for a reprint. I was surprised to find no pushback whatsoever. They did ask for sample photos of the text to validate the differences, but then quickly reprinted and sent me five new copies as well as extras to cover a few that had already been sold.

So there you have it–and perhaps I should have placed this first–Dog Ear provided;

Varied and useful packages, including developing a website for me and getting the books on Amazon and other outlets, and providing PR materials as per contract. Outstanding customer support on all levels. Knowledgeable, professional, and patient caretakers (Amber and Adrienne especially). Prompt and thorough responses to a multitude of questions, and a willingness to truly “work with” the author.

I love this review, not just because it gives one specific company a good review, but because it speaks to the real strengths of the hybrid publishing experience: constant communication, flexibility, and a real willingness to put the author’s vision at the forefront of the publishing process.  That’s amazing!

MMCM: One day I had an encounter with a boyfriend I’d had in years past, and we talked about what had gone wrong between us. It was already too late for us, so after I went home that day I wrote a letter to say all the things I hadn’t been able to say to him in person. When I read it over the next day I really loved it, so I decided: all of these poems that I’m putting together are connected to these men I have loved–past and present, you know, since I still love them–and I decided to write the stories that go along with the poems.

[…]

OP: How did you discover Outskirts Press?

MMCM: I had a conversation with a literary department at an agency I currently work with, and they told me ‘Yeah, we can do the book. We can submit it to different publishers.’ But they said, ‘Realistically, this could take up to two years, and if we were you–you already wrote it, you’re already promoting it, you’re already building a fan base. You should go ahead and self-publish.’ I started looking into different self-publishing companies, but I immediately liked that Outskirts wasn’t Barnes & Noble or Amazon. I didn’t know much about the publishing world, but I just knew I didn’t want to drive myself crazy. I looked into different companies as well, but Outskirts was what felt right, and I went with my gut.

OP: Artist Deanna First helped create the cover of your book. It’s an intriguing piece–how did it come to be?

MMCM: Deanna is a really amazing fashion illustrator. I found her online, through a blogger friend of mine. I loved how soft and mystical her art was. I live in Los Angeles, but I went to New York for a wedding and for New York Fashion Week, and I met up with her. I had a vision of what I wanted, and she totally understood what I was trying to do. I sent her a copy of the book, and an image of myself that I really loved, and told her to make the artwork her own. She sent me three proofs one day, with variations in color and lettering, and as soon as I saw it–her art was so, so beautiful. I chose the version with black because I felt it was symbolic for a chased chapter, a closed book. I was starting a new life at that point, and the art expressed a sort of mourning. Since Letters is an intense book, with lots of ends of loves, it fit.

OP: What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of becoming a published author?

MMCM: The most rewarding part is and will always be the ability Letters has to touch people. It’s crazy because I didn’t think people really read books anymore. But for me, having these girls go and buy my book, and spend their twenty dollars or so on Letters–it’s amazing, that someone believes in things still. People say my book has helped them heal, and that it has touched them, and that they have read and reread the book five or six times. It’s not a long book, but still! That’s the best feeling.

A lot of girls and guys have hit me up, saying I inspired them to write again. It’s so great, because I’ve had people inspire me throughout my life, so it’s kind of like I’m paying it forward. I love showing people that things are possible. When I first saw Jennifer Lopez in a movie, you know, I was like–wow, a Latin girl on screen! I was being represented. It was so powerful. If I can be an inspiration to someone to write, to publish a book, that’s beautiful.

What I love so much about Mirtha Michelle Castro Mármol’s account (above) is that she speaks so clearly and directly about how hybrid publishing can bring an author’s whole and complete vision into the world.  She describes her vision, and how she collaborated with the staff of Outskirts Press to bring it into being––from writing the book, to finding the company she wanted to go with, to finding a designer for her book’s cover, to connecting with her readers after the fact.  For Mirtha Michelle, you simply can’t divorce the publisher from the published experience, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.

 

And there you have it!  Two of the most insightful dispatches from inside the world of hybrid publishing … when it goes well.  Next week, I’ll take us full circle back to marketing––and answer the questions: How does hybrid publishing assist an indie author in the realm of marketing a book?  Does it offer tangible benefits?  How can an author know when the expense is paying off?  Watch this spot next Wednesday for more about this new and growing niche in the self-publishing industry!

 

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.
from the archives, Kelly Speaks

From the Archives: “How to Promote Your Self Published Book Using Video”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: February 27th, 2013 ]

Video is one of the hottest tools in advertising and marketing right now. Thanks to YouTube and smart devices, people are watching tons of videos, and this tool offers great marketing opportunities for self publishing authors. Here are three ways you can use the power of video to market your book.

Create a book trailer

Book trailers are a hot marketing tool right now. They are like commercials for your book. They are a great item to include on your website and social media pages, and they often increase exposure because readers can easily share videos they enjoy with their friends, family and social media followers.

Record yourself

Video isn’t just used to sell your book; it can also be used to sell yourself as the author. This is especially useful if you write about a topic you are an expert in. For instance, if you wrote a book about weight loss, you could create videos sharing weight loss tips with your readers.

Make it funny

Many of the online videos that go viral include humor. While this technique isn’t appropriate for all books and authors, most people can improve their video ratings by including some humor in their videos. Don’t be afraid to look silly.

I’d love to know, how do you use video to promote your self published book?

– by Kelly Schuknecht

We’ve come a long way in three years!  Even in 2013, however, there was abundant evidence that video was rapidly becoming ubiquitous––becoming more than just another tool in the self-publishing author’s toolbox––and that authors like myself needed to catch up.  We now have an entire generation of megastars whose sole platform and original source of popularity was YouTube: Adam Montoya, Amber Lee Ettinger, Bethany Mota, Caspar Lee, and hundreds of others have now become household names in large part due to their savvy use of this one video platform.  If you needed proof that video really did kill the radio star, you have it.

Video is so ubiquitous, in fact, that you can now find embedded YouTube, Vimeo, and Instagram clips on every other social media site.  It’s easy to forget that YouTube is its own fully viable social media platform (for more on that, see my entry for YouTube in last year’s social media primer) because it is so fully conversant with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and so on.  Videos can even be embedded into your Amazon author page, your email signature, and your personal website.  Basically, they can go everywhere and be everything to everyone.

youtube video illustration

In a sense, my original points remain relevant untouched.  They are not, however, entirely complete.  The world of video marketing for self-publishing authors has evolved well beyond where it was three years ago, and while to a certain extent it will always continue to be a moving target, I think it well worth a little time and care to catch up, and cultivate a video presence online.  In fact, I think I’ll make that one of my goals for 2016: in some way, shape, or form, I will boost my engagement with online video marketing.  And of course, I’ll update you on my progress here at Self Publishing Advisor!

In closing, I think the most important tip that I left out of my original list is this:

Marketing your book is all about human connection, and video marketing is no different.  Many of video’s greatest assets––its immediacy, its ability to convey a lot of information very succinctly and sometimes entirely through context––tap into the our deepest emotional centers.  Video has the power to move people.  It has the power to capture your readers’ attention but it must do so quickly, in the first few seconds, or else they will move on to other content.  Human communication is almost entirely non-verbal, and within seconds of clicking your YouTube or Vimeo link, people will decide whether they like and trust you.

That’s a lot of pressure, if you approach video marketing this way.  And while I certainly advocate for keeping these facts in mind, I don’t think fear should serve as your primary motivation.  Instead, think about video as a backstage pass into what you do as a writer, an all-access ticket to the theme park of your book’s greater universe.  No single video will make or break your online presence, so make as many as possible, catapulting off of the energy and enthusiasm you feel for our work, and share them across as many social media platforms as you feel comfortable using.  If posting a video clip feels as quick and simple as posting a Facebook update, you’re doing it right!

If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 3.7.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

“Not happy with your Amazon royalties?  Not thrilled with Amazon’s latest strategy to pay self-published borrowed books is a pool based on pages read?” asks Liesha Petrovich for HuffPost Business on March 3rd.  Answers Petrovich: “You’re not alone.”  And indeed, as she points out in her article, a number of high-profile as well as mainstream self-publishing authors are growing dissatisfied with Amazon’s offerings, services, and standard of treatment for its customers––readers and writers alike.  And just because Amazon may appear to have a stranglehold on the indie publishing marketplace doesn’t mean that it’s the only option available; as Petrovich writes, “If you’re a current or future writer, with dreams of making a living writing, Amazon isn’t the only path to self-published success.”  Her suggestions are threefold, and they don’t rely on switching companies––such as leapfrogging from Amazon to Kobo, or some other platform––but rather upon changing the sales paradigm altogether.  Her recommendations are to:

  1. Sell from your own site
  2. Sell on other platforms (such as the Apple store, or through B&N), and
  3. Create your own path to publishing success.

“You’re not limited,” says Petrovich, “and you may have to try a few [options] before you find the results you’re looking for. Just remember you choose to go independent for a reason, and not to increase Amazon’s profits.”  Amen to that.  For the rest of Petrovich’s article, follow the link!

Says Meg Kehoe of the Romper in another article from March 3rd, “The amazing range that self-published books provide can be hard to navigate, but thanks to sites like Indie Reader and Goodreads, the world of books becomes slightly less daunting.”  Kehoe herself is a handy resource for readers looking to break into the world of ebooks but find themselves without a map or compass.  Her list of books you can’t afford to miss includes Jabberwocky by Theodore Singer (CreateSpace)––with obvious ties to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland series, just in time for a new movie coming out this summer––and Jack Hammond Junior’s The Last Hanging in Scots Bend (Lujack Press), Nina Ansary’s Jewels for Allah (Revela Press), and Russell Newell’s The Boy and the Bastard (Dog Ear).  I don’t know about you, but after perusing Kehoe’s list and reading her summaries of each, I definitely feel like cracking open a few new ebook covers (figuratively, at least) this next week!  You can view the entire list here.

Sometimes, it’s nice to hear from the very demographic we write so much about here on Self Publishing Advisor, and in his March 2nd column for The Beacon, the official (online and print) student newspaper of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Mitch Chapman speaks up for teen authors everywhere––and what he has to say may come as a surprise, in that he asks for us to stop defining teen authors as “teen authors” and instead define them simply by what they do (write) and how well they do it.  Says Chapman, “even before the rise of self-publishing platforms such as CreateSpace and Lulu, there has been an unusual fixation towards teenage authors that sometimes bleeds into college life.”  He goes on to argue that, although the phenomenon of the teen author pop icon has its roots in a fascination with the gifted youngsters among us, it has created a culture which commoditizes and monetizes an author’s age … and by turning age into currency, we of course perpetuate an opportunity for unhealthy exploitation.  The label “teen author” also has the undesirable side effect of following young writers into adulthood, and diminishing the true value of what they do.  Chapman concludes that, “At the end of the day, what matters is not your age, but the quality of your work and your personal integrity.”  Wise words for us all.  You can find the rest of his article at the MCLA Beacon website.

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.