Everland Growth Explodes in February!

I admit it. I am not a very good blogger. It seems that at any given moment I have more on my mind than Twitter can handle but not nearly enough to post a new article-length update every couple of hours. Facebook tends to provide that adequate, instant in-between.

Speaking of Facebook, our page "Everland: A Fairy Tale" rocketed from 147 likes to nearly 1,100 at the time of writing this in just over 30 days through a creative mix of outside the box thinking, free download promotions, and of course having a set of awesome products to offer! We even commemorated our 1000th Facebook Like with this lovely little banner, created with assistance from our always amazing digital artist Jennifer Bradley featuring the same girls from our eBook covers but in different poses!

(The black space at the lower left is where Facebook places the profile image in front of the Cover Banner. You can view it as it is meant to be seen at http://www.facebook.com/TheEverlandFoundation)


 I loved it so much that we created a second slightly different banner for our website's homepage.

On January 27  "Everland Volume 1 (officiallywritten as the Roman numeral 'I'): Opal's Book of Winter" launched as our first Kindle title. Just over 2 weeks later, Everland Volume 2 (again, Roman numeral 'II') followed. In addition, we took it several steps further when we released both titles in ePub format, allowing us to make our books available for Kobo, Barnes and Noble's Nook, and most exciting of all Google Play.

What makes Google Play so exciting is all of the integration potential that in just a few short days has been made possible between it, Google Plus, our website EverlandOnline.com which just got a nice little bit of remodeling and even this blogsite. Google and its products have what I for one would consider a fairly steep learning curve but the effort so far has been well worth it. Our new Google Plus site, by the way, is at http://plus.google.com/+everlandonline1


All this of course is a month's worth of hard work and self-instruction oversimplified into just a few short paragraphs. Before I wrap up this article, please allow me to once again thank 3 of my biggest supporters:

Tonya Wooten, whom I have known since 2006. She was the first person who let me borrow her laptop during my first deployment to Iraq and was also the first person to read my first ever outline for what would become Everland.

Mylene Somers, an extrmemly loyal supporter from Canada, introduced me to Kobo. She writes glowing reviews for me everywhere she can with no compensation other than my unending gratitude.

and finally, at least for now, my digital cover artist Jennifer Bradley whose work is being displayed on every eBook cover so far.

And now, it's back to work. "Everland Volume 3: Crystal's Book of Summer" still has some ways to go and July will be here before we know it.

Until next blogpost, happy readings and writings everyone!

Romeo+Juliet Press: A Company of One

As a person, I R.J. Amado do not like to toot the  proverbial horn when it comes to talking about my personal accomplishments. But you all know what? Maybe I should. In fact, I am going to toot the heck out of that horn riiight MEEOWW!!!! What follows is an article i whipped up that basically outlines all the different jobs that my company would/will/may create if it were to indeed become a successful brick and mortar operation. Mostly based on the approximately 20 or so job hats that I already wear on my own and plan to continue doing for the sheer joy of it for as long as my budget will allow it. If this isn't dedication, i don't know what is. And yet all I ask of ANYONE in exchange for all this hard work is a simple, simple REVIEW! Enjoy:


What follows is a very rough outline of what we could look like as a brick-and-mortar 'real world' company in the near future. Potential job slots not shown here for simplicity's sake but could someday very well exist include executive assistants, HR managers, clerks and coffeee-makers....uhh, we mean interns.

Please note: positions in BOLD are jobs that R.J. Amado already does on his own because if he didn't, no one else would have by now.

Also, the single most important role is not listed anywhere within the company structure simply because it should be an obvious given: that of AUTHOR of a 1,000 plus page upon completion Fantasy trilogy!





At the very top is the "corporate umbrella" headquarters operating as:

The Everland Foundation                              CEO (Chief Executive Overlord): R.J. Amado
http://www.everlandfoundation.com /  http://blogspot.everlandfoundation.com


Branched as follows:

                Romeo + Juliet Press (publishing arm)
                http://www.romeojulietpress.com  (currently sharing account with everlandonline.com)

                Print Division: Trade Paperbacks and Hardcover Editions                    
                                       Editor
                                       Proofreader
                                       Layout artist
                                       Cover artist
                                        lulu.com Account Manager:
                                        Createspace Account Manager:
                                     

                Digital E-ditions: Kindle, ePub (Kobo, Nook, Google Play), Apps, iBooks
                                       Editor
                                       Proofreader
                                       Layout artist
                                       Cover artist:    currently outsourced to independent contractor Jennifer Bradley
                                       KDP account manager:


                  Audiobook Editions: (Ha ha ha ha ha ha, do you see how much we have to work with as it is?                                                            Seriously though, definitely planning on it)
             


              Online Media Accounts Manager(s)
                                      Facebook              http://www.facebook.com/TheEverlandFoundation
                                      Goodreads             http://www.goodreads.com/rjamado
                                      Amazon                  http://www.amazon.com/author/rjamado
                                      Google Books:     http://books.google.com
                                       Twitter:                   Not created yet
                                       Blogspot:               http://www.everlandfoundation.com



           Romeo+Juliet Press Direct (direct sales outlet via amazon.com) manager
                                        http://www.amazon.com/shops/rjpd
                                        also oversees Createspace "store" site
                           P.O. Box mail manager  (to include preceiving, processing orders, shipping, billings, and                               returns)
                          Customer Service representative(s)
                            Legal
                             Financial Accountant(s)

                            Bowker ISBN Accounts Manager

                             Press Relations..............(yeah, right.)

               
           

        Everland by Design (experimental marketing and merchandising arm). The following websites,                        reserved but not yet active hint at long-term plans:
           
              everlanddolls.com
              everlandfashion.com and everlandfashions.com
              everlandgirls.com
              and
              everlandmovie.com (no plans to develop but we believe valuable to own)
               also, strictly for brand protection purposes the following sites have been reserved:
                everlandgirls.xxx and everlandmovie.xxx



     and finally (but hopefully not)
    Foundation Studios: to create all of our graphic art in-house such as:
             website buttons and banners
              book trailers
             read-aloud narrated semi-animated Youtube videos.
             Illustrations
              Original Artwork
              Promotional materials (bookmarks, pens, posters, keychains, etc...)



           

         



           

A short excerpt from Everland Volume I: Opal's Book of Winter

Everland: Opal's Book of Winter

“Hold on, I think I know what this is all about!” Nadya offered. “Your world is in great peril, isn’t it? And by granting our wishes, you have chosen us mere mortal girls to be the ones who will use our magical powers disguised in the form of wishes to save your kingdom. Am I right?”

“Save MY world? Ha!” Gene scoffed. “No offense girls but if anybody’s world desperately needs saving, it’s your own!”

“So what is the point of us going then?” Crystal asked.

“Girls! Girls! Why must you make this difficult?” Gene implored as his bright blue elliptical portal suddenly expanded in size to accommodate their heights. “Can’t you see? What I am offering to each of you girls is the once in a lifetime opportunity to escape from your miserable existences here in this wretched world of yours to a place where you can create for yourselves the lives you were meant to lead!”

“Well, when he puts it that way--what else do we have to look forward staying in this dump?” Opal asked. “If the votes are three out four in favor of going, say aye.”

“Aye-aye-aye!” Crystal suddenly exclaimed as a chubby little five-year old with freckles and red hair walked in on them with a gasp. “No time for a vote, Opie. We gotta go!”

“Well that was three ayes,” Nadya observed as the little girl ran back out into the hallway shouting, “Grandma, Grandma! There’s a genie in the room!”