Suncoast Digital Press, Inc.

16/07/2024

WHY ARE PAPERBACK BOOKS STILL AROUND? If I had time-traveled to today from back 13 years ago when Suncoast Digital Press, Inc. was founded, I would have asked this question (among others asked about 2024 with even more incredulity). My co-founders and I believed that ebooks were not only trending back then and noted that "kindle" devices were selling like hotcakes, we believed that this was the future. We bet that sooner than later, readers would prefer to buy cheaper and easier-to-manage digital books, and paperback versions would collect dust. After all, we're growing more impatient all the time, wanting what we want NOW (so snag the book you've decided you want on Amazon in the kindle store and you'll be reading the first chapter in a matter of seconds). We even included "Digital" in the corporate name. But we were wrong.

Today, our authors report sales from both e-books and paperback (print-on-demand) books, and to my surprise, there is no winner--sales run about 50-50. As a side note of interest, the author usually makes the same profit on an e-book with a retail price of 6.95 as they do on a paperback sold on Amazon at a retail price of 15.95, due to a print book's production and packaging cost vs. a simple automatic file download.

The following is what I gleaned from D. Doepker in an article where he was speaking to authors: "...if you prefer print books like I do...

There's some interesting research that explains it.

I heard marketer Doberman Dan mention there are MRI studies on how the brain responds differently to words in print vs. digital format.

It was done with advertising, and it likely carries over to any print content.

The brain perceives printed words as more persuasive (by over 19%). It's also 21% easier to process material in print. And the emotional response is higher to words in print.

In my subjective experience, the act of physically holding printed pages makes the content seem more "real" and valuable.

This research explains why print books, print newsletters, and physical workbooks can sell for a higher price, get better engagement, and are still purchased in mass despite the prevalence of digital content.

Now, if you only have ebooks and not print editions, consider this motivation to put your writing into print."

29/06/2024

Our client got some good press!

Deborah Miller's memoir challenges the stigma of addiction stereotypes and gives hope to those struggling.

27/05/2024

https://barbara-dee.com/a-book-that-fits-my-motto-you-lived-to-tell-it/

A Book that Fits My Motto: You Lived to Tell It! by Barbara Dee | May 27, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments THIRD ACT ENCORE: Inspirational Stories to Unleash Your Sage at Any Stage A superb collection of 21 personal stories that, above all, remind us that we are all spiritual beings having a human....

17/05/2024

Congratulations to our new published author Deb Lawless-Miller!
Want to see an example of extraordinary courage and compassion? Meet Deb Lawless-Miller. When you read One. Little. Pill. you’ll feel like you know her, and that you have for years. Her story is that engaging and personal. As her editor, I know how much heart she put into her writing with the commitment that sharing her story would help others. At one point, we decided to rewrite the entire manuscript in first-person present-tense. That was the most powerful shift in storytelling I’ve ever seen. As her publisher, I’m proud to say this is not just an interesting new memoir…it’s an excellent book. Here’s the description:
Addiction has no boundaries. Anyone can find themselves struggling. Deb Lawless-Miller didn’t fit any picture she held of what a drug addict would look like, and found it all too easy to deny that she had a problem. She became trapped in a web of lies: to her parents, her husband and child, her boss, and to herself.
This deeply moving memoir takes us through three phases of her adult life: the chase, the crash, and the choice. She brings the reader alongside her into every scene, whether it’s forging prescriptions, going through withdrawals while in a courtroom, or entering rehab—but through it all, staying connected to her bottomless well of love for her young son.
One. Little. Pill. is a gripping story of the opioid crisis at a profoundly personal level. It is a true account of resilience, recovery, and the significance of a Higher Power.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Little-Pill-Addiction-Darkness/dp/1964143012/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EQLCQ63VAD58&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9uaWi3fBHL5zS-oC5uOA3qp5RxcbwAYHGzYiA-KrmE5Py8PXVuz3nwyJyOsxhShGEa6pvPBYhlIcKK9q2XbYy0ZqgVtVLqsJY7f8k1vjkQ3zgK5PVCiW2M7UJFJHgLgJaBbDKJ9NerjldqfD04-mluIo_IoJPIFJntmHq2bv-tFeVTH4u67nFvCvm_X0OLchVL6W-TniihTDZOAzARZIte8Nxc5m33h9o9XV5VKijoc.sIOCZiIsJhCBxEP0o23ofMYsCWFYTczBN6fVUu8hMUw&dib_tag=se&keywords=one+little+pill+book&qid=1715951078&sprefix=one+little+pill%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1
One. Little. Pill. is not only an engaging chronicle of one woman’s journey through addiction and 12-Step recovery, it’s a beacon of hope for anyone who feels alone with substance use challenges or wants to help a loved one in that situation. Deb Lawless-Miller takes readers through every difficult step so candidly that her eventual spiritual awakening and transformation is completely relatable. The victory of lightness, healing, and purpose becomes a real possibility for anyone who can muster a little courage to make a change, one day at a time.

One. Little. Pill: My Journey from Addiction and Darkness to Purpose and Light

17/05/2024

Congratulations Pat Labez ! The book turned out AMAZING! Working with all the wonderful contributors was a deeply fulfilling experience for me as the editor. This is a unique and beautiful anthology book and its purpose of both inspiring those of us in our "Third Act" of life and also supporting Mental Health makes it a triple-win purchase. It's one you'll look through again and again.

Third Act Encore: Inspirational Stories to Unleash Your Sage at Any Stage

10/04/2024

Abraham Lincoln was shaped by one book more than any other.

You might guess that would be the Bible, given the ease with which he would quote and allude to ideas from it in his speeches and letters over the years. But Lincoln’s faith was something that evolved more slowly over time, especially after the tragedies that rocked him later in life.
Instead, when he was young, he fell in love with Aesop’s fables. This was a book he read, “over and over again,” one friend observed. These fables, written by a slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece around 620-564 BC, spoke to Lincoln’s soul. He memorized large chunks of the book. His mind, which had always tended towards anecdotes and story, just locked on to Aesop’s brilliant method for teaching complicated moral lessons in clever little fictions about mice and lions and foxes. It became a lens through which he came to understand human nature, the language with which he would try to communicate reality through. You know his famous line about how a ‘house divided against itself cannot stand?’ That was Jesus he was quoting, but he did it next to a recounting of Aesop’s story about the ‘bundle of sticks’ (Aesop has a second fable illustrating the same point but told about a lion and three bulls).
Where would Lincoln have been had he not been introduced to this wisdom early? Where might the country have ended up without that wisdom making its way into his brain as a child? And the same could be said for thousands of generations of men and women who were introduced to Aesop and his lessons—whether they were learning about sour grapes or golden eggs or that slow and steady win the race. And the fact that you almost certainly recognized at least a couple of these phrases or ideas without hearing the full stories demonstrates how indelibly they have made their way through Western culture.
However old your kids (or grandkids) are, you should take some time to read them these stories. Talk about and illustrate the lessons and ideas you want your kids to know through them. They are timeless for a reason. It’s because they’re true, because they work. [excerpt from dailystoic.com]

16/02/2024

15/01/2024

Here’s a fascinating article about reading habits, which is both a little depressing (46% of those surveyed read zero books last year and 5% read just one) and also inspiring because the nonfiction genres add up to 69% of all books read. That means nonfiction as a whole still outsells all fiction genres combined!

18/12/2023

https://barbara-dee.com/reaching-all-the-way-to-france-how-my-book-immortalized-my-dad/

Reaching All the Way to France: How My Book Immortalized my Dad by Barbara Dee | Dec 17, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 comments By Bob Carroll This summer we traveled from North Carolina to Paris, where I proposed to Kathleen four years ago. We also made a memorable day trip to Étampes, 50 miles south o...

05/12/2023

PRESS RELEASE 12/5/2023 Leaner Meaner Senior Transforming Aging Through Action, Empowering Seniors with At-Home Exercises & Positive Mindset Coaching

Leaner Meaner Senior is an American senior coaching brand offering specialized coaching and fitness educational resources for improved health, energy, and happiness.
According to a recent report by the US Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that only 34% of senior adults are physically active. As the report notes, most seniors feel insecure about going to gyms and don’t have the right guidance and equipment to exercise at home.
Leaner Meaner Senior, a premier Florida-based coaching brand, recently launched their game plan to revolutiolize this trend and help aging Americans take control of their lives. The company was founded by Teresa Bueno, a positive intelligence coach with over three decades of experience, and Barbara Dee, a Master Certified Coach and former Director of Kaizen Total Wellness Center.
Bueno and Dee firmly believe that the best way lead this revoltion is by example. As “leaner meaner seniors,” the company’s founders are motivating and guiding others to work on their health, fitness, and improving their lives. One of the primary goals of Leaner Meaner Senior’s books and programs is to guide seniors through the process of transformation, meaningan irreversible change instead of chronic on again, off again frustrating efforts that fail to produce lasting results
As noted by a Leaner Meaner Senior’s spokesperson, their concept is based on the “kaizen” principle of small, consistent steps to steady improvement, which is perfectly suited for seniors. As opposed to programs that call for big changes to diet, lifestyle, and mindset, Leaner Meaner Senior is helping people evolve into healthier, fitter, and more mentally sound individuals by focusing on simple, continuous all-around improvements:
“We understand the frustrations of false promises and disappointing trends in the health and fitness industry. Our approach and coaching is based on the kaizen method of small, continuous improvements to incorporate lifestyle changes, and we’ve witnessed incredible transformations,” said the company’s spokesperson.
At the heart of the Leaner Meaner Senior game plan is the recently launched book authored by the company’s founders, Teresa Bueno and Barbara Dee, titled “Leaner Meaner Senior Game Plan.”
[EMBED YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/9dgAC0t0zDo?si=Tw-wN52hgJrvFGWp]
Featuring over 70 simple exercises that anyone can do at home, as well as a host of the best-kept secrets in the health and wellness industry on balance, flexibility, osteoporosis prevention and more, this book is helping seniors take the reins of their lives and greet every new day with more vitality and a greater sense of freedom.
“We’re always expanding our resources for seniors—coaching, books, workbooks, small-group virtual programs and our growing Facebook community,” the spokesperson continued. “To help people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond, we encourage a “meaner” attitude—being fiercely intentional about your own vitality. We know that everyone has a different starting place and fitness level, and we offer ways to customize each person’s game plan. Leaner Meaner Seniors embrace bravery, clarity, living with heart, laughter, and being unstoppable.”

The “Game Plan” was published by Royal Wren Publishing House November 8, 2023, and is now available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats.
Besides being recognized among the most effective senior coaching services, Leaner Meaner Senior also symbolizes a budding community of like-minded individuals at varying stages of transformation. Many have already achieved their desired health and fitness goals, and some have made strides relying on the Game Plan, while new members are being embraced every day.
As co-author Barbara Dee notes, publishing the Leaner Meaner Senior Game Plan makes their coaching far more accessible to audiences everywhere., It also enables seniors to take full control of the process by exercising at home on their own terms. All exercises featured in the Game Plan are customizable so that readers can meet their desired goals with flexibility.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3WGCKD

“I have had the privilege to meet with many of our Leaner Meaner Senior members, and I’m always moved by the stories they share about how our program has changed their lives. We poured our hearts into developing our Game Plan, and we’re excited that now it can be widely available since our book was published,” co-authorTeresa Bueno said.
More information about Leaner Meaner Senior is available on the company’s official website. www.leanermeanersenior.com

Leaner Meaner Senior Game Plan: 70+ Easy At-Home Exercises—Proven Success Secrets for Balance, Stretching, and Osteoporosis Prevention + Companion Workbook

02/11/2023

Does A I have a place in helping authors? Yes, there are things you can delegate, but not abdicate. If you think A I will write a good article or book for you, think again.
Read enough A I and you'll discover:

The following things distinguish AI content from human writing:

It lacks personality
Passive voice is used frequently
A lot of general sentences
No stories
No personal experience
No exclusive insights
No expertise

Search engine bots, like the Google bot, can notice these peculiarities.

However, your readers will quickly realize if their time is wasted after reading your content.

If it's on your website, they'll leave if they don’t like your content or find it shallow.

Google will notice this online user behavior and will most likely downgrade your web page in the organic search results.

07/10/2023

Another remarkable children's book by Carmen...she's bringing positivity to families across the world!!

As children embark on this whimsical adventure, they encounter the presence of their “higher me,” the Self that they may not realize is always there as their own constant, trusted companion. Through beautiful illustrations and creative story, a child sees that in moments of uncertainty, their .....

06/10/2023

FYI (from online "Grammar Girl")

21/09/2023

Book Marketing: Today's 3 Tips:

09/08/2023

Happy Book Lover's Day! https://barbara-dee.com/how-to-start-a-memoir-and-why-its-not-an-autobiography/

06/07/2023

https://barbara-dee.com/the-1-2-knockout-author-speaker-combo/

The 1-2 Knockout Author-Speaker Combo by Barbara Dee | Jun 2, 2022 | Carpe Diem!, Learning | 2 comments “Wow! She’s the one who wrote the book on that!” Many of our Suncoast Digital Press, Inc. published authors have leveraged their book (or books) to the nth degree to benefit them as speakers...

13/06/2023

Congratulations Carmen Sauer! Her third children's book is out! So smart---all books after the first one are much easier to produce and market (and you have a built-in audience of happy readers looking forward to your next book...)

Fly Inside

30/05/2023

I want to live in a place where everyone looks forward to the library showing up!

21/05/2023

Carmen Sauer has a mission of positivity, especially for children. Her two books (so far) are beautiful examples to support the shift from fear or pessimism to hope and optimism.

03/04/2023

Way to go, Angela! When your book wins an award, you can get an updated cover easy-peasy.

01/04/2023

“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

― Ray Bradbury

29/03/2023

“In writing. don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, “Please will you do my job for me.” ― C.S. Lewis

28/03/2023

Congratulations Donna Porter, first-time author, on the release of her excellent memoir.

Plant Your Passion: Memoir of a Determined Woman's Path Into Horticulture, Botanical Gardens and Making a Difference