Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Story Showcase: “Thoughts on Pedagogy: Awakening Students’ Curiosity and Dreams”

Thoughts on Pedagogy: Awakening Students’ Curiosity and Dreams

By Vladimir V. Riabov

Top 10 Reasons to Read This Book

  • Discover how curiosity can become a powerful force in education and personal growth.
  • Explore lessons drawn from decades of experience in science, engineering, and higher education.
  • Gain insight into the mentor-student relationship and its lasting impact.
  • Learn how educational systems can inspire innovation and achievement.
  • See real examples of student success fueled by challenge and encouragement.
  • Understand how STEM education can be made more engaging and meaningful.
  • Explore practical ideas for motivating learners at every level.
  • Discover how research and teaching can work together to create deeper learning.
  • Reflect on the role of lifelong learning in personal and professional success.
  • Be inspired by a career dedicated to discovery, knowledge, and service.

Playlist or Soundtrack for the Book

  • Also Sprach Zarathustra – captures the spirit of discovery and exploration.
  • The Planets: Jupiter – reflects optimism, growth, and possibility.
  • Fanfare for the Common Man – celebrates achievement and human potential.
  • Clair de Lune – mirrors thoughtful reflection and intellectual curiosity.
  • Canon in D – represents the enduring foundations of learning.
  • Adagio for Strings – evokes the emotional impact of mentorship and growth.
  • Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ – reflects exploration of new ideas and horizons.
  • Gymnopédie No. 1 – complements the book’s reflective and thoughtful tone.

Character Introduction: Meet Dr. Vladimir V. Riabov

  • Former aerospace scientist, researcher, educator, and author.
  • Guided throughout life by three passions: discovery, knowledge, and sharing knowledge.
  • Believes curiosity is the foundation of meaningful learning.
  • Dedicated decades to helping students develop professional skills and confidence.
  • Advocate for challenging students to think beyond the classroom.
  • Passionate about connecting scientific discovery with effective teaching.

Book Club Picks

  • If they like these books… they’ll also like Thoughts on Pedagogy: Awakening Students’ Curiosity and Dreams.
  • Mindset
  • Drive
  • The Courage to Teach
  • Make It Stick
  • Range
  • Teaching to Transgress
  • The Art of Learning
  • Peak

Bookish Fun Facts

  • The book combines experiences from aerospace engineering, computer science, and education.
  • Many examples are inspired by real classroom experiences and student projects.
  • The author has worked across multiple countries and educational systems.
  • The book explores both scientific discovery and human-centered teaching.
  • Mentorship is one of the central themes woven throughout the book.
  • The author’s educational philosophy emphasizes challenge, curiosity, and lifelong growth.

Why This Book Stands Out

Encourages readers to view education as a lifelong journey of discovery.

Blends memoir, educational philosophy, and practical teaching insights.

Offers perspectives from both research laboratories and university classrooms.

Highlights the importance of inspiring students rather than simply instructing them.

About Outskirts Press
Since 2002, Outskirts Press has helped thousands of authors publish, distribute, and market their books while maintaining creative control and higher royalties. From editing and custom cover design to worldwide distribution and book marketing services, Outskirts Press provides the tools and support authors need to bring their publishing goals to life.

Ready to publish your book? Visit OutskirtsPress.com to explore publishing packages, author resources, and expert guidance for every stage of your publishing journey.

Uncategorized

Story Showcase: “The Tobacco Field Kids and Mr. De”

The Tobacco Field Kids and Mr. De

By Leonard D. DeMaio

Top 5 Reasons to Discover This Book

  • A true story rooted in real classrooms, real students, and real cultural change.
  • A rare look at the early foundations of electronic music in education.
  • A powerful portrait of perseverance in the face of institutional resistance.
  • Rich storytelling filled with humor, heart, and unforgettable moments.
  • A celebration of the lasting impact one educator can have on generations of students.
  •  

A Soundtrack for The Tobacco Field Kids and Mr. De

  • “How High the Moon” – Les Paul and Mary Ford (early electronic influence)
  • “Take Five” – Dave Brubeck (jazz innovation and rhythm)
  • “Sing, Sing, Sing” – Benny Goodman (big band energy)
  • “We Will Rock You” – Queen (the evolution of rhythm and mass appeal)
  • Classic Hartford Symphony broadcasts (reflecting the author’s early musical exposure)
  •  

Meet the Voice Behind the Story

  • Mr. De – A determined, unconventional educator fighting to bring music education to life.
  • The Students – A diverse group of hardworking, often overlooked kids whose lives are transformed through music.
  • The Community – Families shaped by post-Depression values, resilience, and a belief in opportunity.
  • The System – Institutions that both challenge and ultimately validate innovation.
  •  

Book Club Picks

  • If they like these books… they’ll also like The Tobacco Field Kids and Mr. De.
  • Dead Poets Society
  • Stand and Deliver
  • Freedom Writers Diary
  • Hillbilly Elegy
  • Educated
  •  

Bookish Fun Facts

  • The story is based entirely on real-life events and firsthand experiences.
  • The author helped pioneer one of the first secondary-level electronic music courses in North America.
  • The programs described in the book were eventually recognized at both state and federal levels.
  • The manuscript was written in part to preserve a piece of history that had been overlooked.
  • The author’s work has been verified and archived by a major Connecticut historical institution.

About Outskirts Press
Since 2002, Outskirts Press has helped thousands of authors publish, distribute, and market their books while maintaining creative control and higher royalties. From editing and custom cover design to worldwide distribution and book marketing services, Outskirts Press provides the tools and support authors need to bring their publishing goals to life.

Ready to publish your book? Visit OutskirtsPress.com to explore publishing packages, author resources, and expert guidance for every stage of your publishing journey.

Uncategorized

Story Showcase: “Get Good at Money”

Get Good at Money: A Beginner’s Guide to Investing

By Craig McKinnis

Top 10 Reasons Readers Should Pick Up Get Good at Money

  • It breaks down investing concepts into clear, approachable language.
  • It helps readers overcome fear and anxiety surrounding money.
  • It emphasizes consistency over chasing quick financial wins.
  • It offers a practical introduction to long-term investing.
  • It focuses on sustainable habits rather than complicated strategies.
  • It encourages readers to build confidence one step at a time.
  • It explores the connection between mindset and financial success.
  • It presents financial stewardship in an accessible way.
  • It is ideal for readers who feel behind or overwhelmed financially.
  • It provides a calm, encouraging alternative to high-pressure money advice.

Meet the Book

  • Q: What makes this book different from many investing books?
  • A: It focuses on clarity, confidence, and sustainable habits instead of complicated strategies or quick fixes.
  • Q: Who is this book written for?
  • A: Anyone who wants to understand investing without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed.
  • Q: What is the book’s biggest message?
  • A: Long-term consistency and thoughtful decision-making often matter more than perfect timing.
  • Q: What emotion does the book hope readers leave with?
  • A: Confidence, peace of mind, and motivation to take the next financial step.

Book Club Picks

If they like these books… they’ll also like Get Good at Money: A Beginner’s Guide to Investing.

  • The Psychology of Money
  • The Simple Path to Wealth
  • I Will Teach You to Be Rich
  • Your Money or Your Life
  • The Millionaire Next Door
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad

Bookish Fun Facts

  • The book focuses on mindset and behavior as much as financial mechanics.
  • It was written specifically for readers who may feel nervous about investing.
  • The author is also the host of the Money Ministry podcast.
  • The book encourages stewardship, patience, and long-term thinking.
  • Complex financial concepts are translated into everyday language.
  • The book promotes progress over perfection when it comes to money management.

Why This Book Matters

  • Many people avoid investing because they feel confused or intimidated.
  • This book addresses those concerns directly and offers practical guidance.
  • Readers looking for a calmer and more balanced approach to money will find valuable insights.
  • The message is especially timely as more individuals seek financial confidence and stability.
  • It serves as both an introduction to investing and an encouragement toward long-term financial growth.

About Outskirts Press
Since 2002, Outskirts Press has helped thousands of authors publish, distribute, and market their books while maintaining creative control and higher royalties. From editing and custom cover design to worldwide distribution and book marketing services, Outskirts Press provides the tools and support authors need to bring their publishing goals to life.

Ready to publish your book? Visit OutskirtsPress.com to explore publishing packages, author resources, and expert guidance for every stage of your publishing journey.

elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Getting Started With Amazon Sales Rankings (Part II: Pre-Orders)

online sales rankings ratings reviews

Last time I wrote, I sought to answer one very important question for self-publishing authors: What are online sales rankings, specifically Amazon sales rankings, and what do they mean for you, a self-publishing author? I spent some time tackling the definitions of and usefulness of sales rankings to the average indie author, and set out to debunk another question as well: What about the stuff that Amazon isn’t saying about its sales rankings? Which, as it turns out, is a lot. Pretty much everything, in fact!

In summary, Amazon is a business and its sales rankings, like its search algorithms and its “if you liked [x] you might also like [y]” algorithms, are both private and proprietary. Which means they don’t have to disclose what human and algorithmic assumptions are built into the process—what fundamental things Amazon believes about the way you, and all people, work. Quite apart from the potential for unconscious (or sometimes conscious) biases to perpetuate things like racism, sexism, and other -isms—especially if leadership and oversight isn’t constantly and thoughtfully looking out for such things—the fact remains that algorithms such as those used to determine sales rankings can be helpful, but require a significant human component in order to work in your favor.

This week, I’m going to ask (and hopefully answer) another important and related question:

What is the relationship between pre-orders and your sales ranking—and how can you make this relationship work for you?

preorder

Pre-orders can actually have a negative effect on your sales ranking—at least during the first week or so after your book launches. This is because pre-order sales are more spread out, and their dates of transaction will not be lumped together with the other books sold during your first week, even though the actual physical or digital books will be distributed at the same time as your first-week sales. And the more you sell in a short amount of time, the higher your sales ranking will be during that period. Others have written and spoken very eloquently on this first-week problem, so I won’t go into detail about it here, other than this quick summary.

There are other reasons why pre-orders are a good idea, and these deserve a little bit of your time and attention as well. Just to name a few, opening up your book for pre-orders provides you with a promotional opportunity that you wouldn’t otherwise have, and provides an actionable way for readers to purchase your book right away when they first hear about it, rather than requiring them to wait and plan to buy your book later—as we all know, instant gratification may not be a human ideal, but it is a very human reality. If readers can’t buy your book the first time they hear about it, many of them are liable to forget about it altogether. A pre-order option means that during your heaviest promotional period before your book launch, you can get your readers to commit to a purchase even though they’ll have to wait for delivery. You can then spread your pre-order link around all of your various social media platforms and digital presences, ensuring that it’s easy to find your book paired with your name everywhere it appears.

And yes, a pre-order period also allows you time to refine your promotional materials. It’s one thing to edit and edit away before your book launch, but a soft release like a pre-order allows you to test your language in the field and see how readers and potential buyers respond … and then make changes as you go to better appeal to them. This holds true for any advertising or website monetization you might run during the pre-order period, as well.

The biggest benefit to a self-publishing author of making pre-orders available is the reviews! Normally, a book can’t be reviewed on Amazon before it’s available for purchase, distribution, and arrival. (Goodreads allows reviews as soon as a book is listed.) But with pre-orders, a huge chunk of your readership will receive your book on the first day it’s out, and you’ll start getting reviews immediately. Reviews are the most powerful marketing tool of all!

So, while your pre-orders can negatively affect your Amazon sales ranking, it’s only for a few days, and it will only truly make a difference if you don’t make use of the pre-order period for the aforementioned optimization. Pre-orders can in many ways prove a useful training ground for promotion and marketing, meaning that your book launches to higher acclaim and attention than it would otherwise. It’s wise to see the larger relationship in context.

Next time, I’m going to look at what we know about Amazon’s other algorithms—so check back in two weeks for more on this fascinating and important subject!

online sales shopping cart

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, 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, amazon, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Getting Started With Amazon Sales Rankings

online sales rankings ratings reviews

What are online sales rankings, specifically Amazon sales rankings, and what do they mean for you, a self-publishing author?

This is the question I’m going to set out to answer, at least in part, for you today.

Amazon, of course, has their own page and definition dedicated to sales rankings:

Best Seller and Category Ranks are based on customer activity – sales and borrows – of your book relative to the activity of other books. A book ranking #1 in Mystery & Thrillers is the book with the most activity in Amazon’s Mystery & Thrillers category. Books can appear in up to three categories. The book’s rank in each category will show under the Product Details section. Activities that may not be an accurate reflection of customer demand, including promotional Amazon Giveaway sales and purchases that are later returned, are not counted towards sales rank.

Rankings are updated hourly but may take 24-48 hours to appear. Rankings reflect recent and historical activity, with recent activity weighted more heavily. Rankings are relative, so your sales rank can change even when your book’s level of activity stays the same. For example, even if your book’s level of activity stays the same, your rank may improve if other books see a decrease in activity, or your rank may drop if other books see an increase in activity.

When we calculate Best Sellers Rank, we consider the entire history of a book’s activity. Monitoring your book’s Amazon sales rank may be helpful in gaining general insight into the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and other initiatives to drive book activity, but it is not an accurate way to track your book’s activity or compare its activity in relation to books in other categories.

The ranking for books with consistent activity histories that have been available on Amazon for a long time may fluctuate less than the ranking of new books, or books whose histories aren’t as stable. One sale of a very popular book may not influence its rank much at all, but one sale of a lower volume book may significantly improve that book’s rank.

Note: Each available format of your book (eBook, paperback) has its own independent Amazon Best Sellers Rank.

This is a lot to parse, but the main points to remember are these:

  • Your sales ranking is essentially an attempt to quantify your book’s popularity;
  • The release of new books, awards announcements, and book club recommendations (among many other factors) means that new books are always climbing the rankings, while others are dropping in the rankings at the same time—it’s a constant balancing act, and sales rankings are relative;
  • Even if you sell the same number of copies each month, your sales ranking will rise and fall dependent on factors outside of your control. As I mentioned in my last post, there are yearly rhythms to book sales that mean you need to sell more books at certain times just to maintain the same ranking relative to other months when book sales are lower for everyone;
  • Blockbuster books are constantly battling it out for the upper sales rankings in every category, and rankings mean less to popular books because they have other avenues to selling a lot of books. But for new books, indie publications, and self-published books? Sales rankings mean a lot more, because even one or two sales can boost an author’s sales ranking, and as a result, boost their visibility, which will itself boost sales. It’s a feedback loop that can work to your advantage.

Amazon also has a page dedicated to giving its sellers a larger-picture idea of what their sales figures represent, and that’s worth checking out as well if you sell on the website.

But what about the stuff that Amazon isn’t saying about its sales rankings?

Any number of websites out there at any point in time are happy to claim that they’ve “cracked the code” or “tamed the algorithm” or can help you “game the system,” but the fact of the matter is, most of them are offering something more along the lines of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advice, which is totally well and good, but not quite the same thing as delivering on a promise to make Amazon’s system work for you.

At its core, Amazon is a business which is driven by its bottom line, which is to say, eking every possible profit out of both its customers and its third-party sellers. Their algorithm code is not fully public, and while we can speculate about ways to improve sales rankings, it’s entirely Amazon’s right to code their algorithm to ignore the little sales and boost the visibility of popular items, including those blockbuster book sales that I mentioned earlier. It’s not actually in their best profit-driven interest to be fair, even though it’s certainly in their profit-driven interest to discover new niche markets—which they often do by measuring how many readers access titles through their Kindle Unlimited offering—a service which rarely profits the authors themselves, as authors themselves often point out. All this is to say, we don’t actually know how sales rankings work, other than what Amazon itself has told us, and Amazon has more than one horse in the race to make money.

Next time, I’m going to look at what we know about preorders and how they affect sales rankings—so check back in two weeks for more on this fascinating and important subject!

online sales shopping cart

You are not alone. ♣︎

 

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, 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.