About
Since 1985, veteran publisher Linda F. Radke, owner of Five Star Publications, has been ahead of her game--self-publishing before it was commonplace, partnership publishing before the rest of the world even knew what it was and producing award-winning traditionally and nontraditionally published fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for adults and children.
Radke's odyssey to becoming one of the nation's leading consultants in the areas of book production, marketing, publicity and distribution began simply enough with the desire to print a few books to complement the household employment agency she owned. For Radke, who, on more than one occasion, has been teased about having "printer's ink in her veins," the experience of publishing the books was exhilarating, prompting her to change careers and launch Five Star Publications without looking back.
Eventually, Radke added services and acted as a publishing consultant for other self-publishers, ventured into traditional publishing and pioneered partnership publishing to allow her to publish more authors and make them a more integral part of the creative process of publishing.
Among her many accolades, Radke is author of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing (a Writer's Digest Book Club selection that is now into its second edition) and Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show (a Doubleday Executive Program Book Club selection). She is a founding member of the Arizona Book Publishing Association and was named Book Marketer of the Year by Book Publicists of Southern California.
Description
<p>When Jessica Bryant pesters her wealthy parents to allow her to have a dog as a pet, the answer is a resounding "No"; but they soon come to regret their decision when thier home is broken into one evening whilst they are out and their daughter kidnapped and held for ransom. The kidnappers, in the form of four seedy and incompetent characters wearing Disneyland-type masks, take her hostage and keep her incarcerated in a place from which there appears to be no escape. However, they reckon without the resourcefulness of our heroine, and the courage of a wonderful stray dog who comes to her aid and whom she names 'Murdo'. And so begins an exciting and humurous accounting of the couples' adventures together as they consistently foil and outwit the abductors whilst on the run together.<br /> This is a lovely story of the friendship between a girl and a dog, bringing out themes of responsibility, camaraderie, redemption, salvation and self-sacrifice. It includes some wonderful dialogue sequences as Jessica teaches her new four-legged friend how to communicate with her, with additional delightful conversations between the animals when a rabbit and a sparrow join forces with them in an effort to outwit the kidnappers and restore Jessica safely back to her parents' home. </p>
Reviews
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) <br /><br /><strong>5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone aspiring to publish their own work, April 13, 2009</strong> <br /><br />Even in the present economic climate that has compelled the major publishing houses to cut back the numbers of titles they produce, it has never been easier to publish a book -- or sell one. In "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing: How To Produce And Market Your Book On A Budget", Linda F. Radke draws upon her more than 24 years of experience and expertise as a publisher whose Five Star Publications has produced award-winning and commercially successful books that were traditionally published, self-published, and published through limited partnerships. The result is a compendium of solid, practical, step-by-step information that takes the aspiring author from manuscript to published book, and then on to the tasks of marketing, promotion, publicity, and sales. "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" covers such issues as transforming a manuscript into a typeset book; recruiting illustrators and editors; obtaining copyrights, ISBN numbers, and bar codes; getting printing bids; publishing as a home business; developing mailing lists; even handling interviews. Of special note is what "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" offers by way of strategies and tactics for effectively marketing a book on a limited budget. Enhanced with an appendix listing useful publications and associations for the self-published author, <strong><em>“The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing.”</em></strong> is highly recommended reading and an invaluable resource and 'do-it-yourself' reference for anyone aspiring to publish their own work.
