Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Unsafe Products and Foods Discussed in Q & A With Author of a Breakthrough Health Book!




What if the “safe” products you use every day are actually making you sicker? If you have an autoimmune condition, get migraines, or have breast abnormalities, that might just be the case.

Keep Away From GRAS: Generally Regarded As Safe is a compilation of empirical and anecdotal evidence that leads to one inevitable conclusion: Many of the products we encounter and consume on a daily basis, substances considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), may have serious consequences for our health and well-being.

As an internal medicine physician, author Marcela Magda Popa, MD, has seen the effect that repeated, low-dose exposure to certain common chemicals and environmental factors has had on her health and on some of her patients, who reported similar complaints.  As a patient with autoimmune arthritis – that forced her into early retirement – as well as breast abnormalities and migraine headaches, she sought to find answers as to why she was so sick. She discovered there were numerous environmental contributors to her disorders and now is on the road to recovery.

I am so proud to be promoting her book for Media Connect.

Here is an interesting Q and A with the author:

1.    Dr. Popa, what inspired you to write Keep Away from GRAS?
It really has to do with my personal medical journey. As a patient suffering with autoimmune arthritis, breast abnormalities and migraine headaches, I was able to analyze some associations, research and learn more in depth information about substances deemed safe (GRAS), after I noticed that certain chemicals I was exposed to multiple times a day through numerous products I routinely used, were aggravating my symptoms. Avoiding them brought some steady improvements, while inadvertent or overlooked re-exposure triggered worsening numerous times. Through my experience I figured out these GRAS substances are not necessarily safe, inert, or inactive and our chronic but constant exposure, even at low doses, can have an as yet unidentified or not fully accepted impact on our health. These hypotheses would have not been possible if I didn’t find numerous medical articles with NIH published and accepted studies, that connect my observations with mostly ignored, but not at all inoffensive substances.

2.     As an internist for 16 years, did you see in patients signs of what happened to you? 
As a matter of fact, I did. Learning about all these chemicals, I recalled similar unusual symptoms that some patients had reported, for which I couldn't find a reasonable explanation at that time. Some complained of generalized achiness with medications not known to cause it, like Prilosec or hydroxyzine. Ironically, prescription anti-inflammatory medicines taken for localized pain (painful back) produced generalized body aches and something similar was reported with multiple classes of antibiotics. Although I thought these may have had to do with the other ingredients in the pills' composition, at that time I couldn't point out which ones exactly were to be blamed. As for the migraines, I became aware about the estrogen mimicking chemicals worsening them after I stopped working, but I can tell you some friends and acquaintances who minimized the use of such substances also noticed benefits.

3.     Why did you stop practicing medicine?                                                                                           
My autoimmune arthritic disorder has been quite atypical, never responded properly to any treatments or I developed serious side-effects that required to discontinue the medications. The disease was very active, every day became a struggle and I was overwhelmed physically and emotionally. I was strongly recommended to try rituximab, and not knowing how I would react and how much it would affect my capacity to fight infections, I decided to stop seeing patients for a while, in order to protect myself from exposure to infections, which was unavoidable when I worked in a busy private office combined with urgent care. The idea was that if rituximab improved my arthritis, I would return to work. The rheumatologists were puzzled because this medication made my joint symptoms much, much worse instead; eventually, this fact provided a key element for my later observations. After rituximab, my next treatment didn't work well either, and moreover made me terribly prone to infections.

4.     How did you come to discover which cosmetics, foods, medications, and household items were doing harm to you and others?
It all started when I noticed that my elbows were getting swollen and painful after applying a moisturizer cream on them. Many times I dismissed the idea, but the pattern was repetitive. Moreover, the same cream similarly affected, although less pronounced, my mom and my mother in law. Later on, I came to realize that my other joints were also influenced, and not only by moisturizers, but also by prescription creams occasionally applied in their vicinity. Investigating their ingredients, I noticed they contained polyethylene glycols or other ethylene oxide derivatives. I learned that PEGs were included in the majority of the medications and cosmetics. Polysorbates are another class of related ingredients derived from ethylene oxide, and like PEGs, were incorporated in numerous products that were worsening my joints, while those without them were not. Additionally, propylene glycol and other propylene oxide derivatives also seemed bothersome, although less dramatic.

5.     What measures have you taken to stop the damage to your body and to begin your recovery from various ailments?
Once I reached a suspicion about what possibly made my joints worse, I started an elimination process of the products containing ethylene oxide and propylene oxide derived components. I also understood these were present, often in a combination in cosmetics, cleaning products and detergents, foods and medications, therefore the cleansing process was a lot more extensive than I originally anticipated, but well worth it because I noticed steady improvements. Investigating the additional ingredients, I learned about the numerous estrogen-mimicking substances we're exposed to. Eliminating those from use made quickly a great difference on my migraines, and in the long run for my breast issues. These estrogen-like chemicals, are not only present in cosmetics, foods, and medications, but in numerous household items, therefore I replaced all of them.


6.     What are the names of some of these ethylene and propylene oxide derivatives?
For ethylene oxide (EO), which remains as a contaminant in these derivatives, some commonly appearing names are:
·       polyethylene glycols (PEGs)— listed as such, followed by a number (PEG-6 avocado oil) or with names ending in "eth" (cetareth, steareth, etc)
·       polysorbates—20, 60, 80 and so on
·       nonylphenol ethoxylates included in vaccines and nonoxynol-9 used as spermicide
·       octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100)—also used in vaccines
·       phenoxyethanol
·       ethanolamines (mono-, di-, and triethanolamine)

Propylene glycol is a propylene oxide derivative, and so are the semisynthetic celluloses such as hydroxypropyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. This last component is what the so-called "vegetable capsules" shells are made of—in reality another form of plastic. Perhaps some polypropylene microplastic particles identified in humans very recently, may originate from these capsules, although presently the plastic bottle tops are blamed.
Another component, poloxamer, contains both polyethylene glycol and polypropylene oxide.

7.     What are the consequences of toxic exposure to environmental dangers?
Exposure to ethylene oxide—classified by the National Toxicology Program as a human carcinogen, is linked with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Ethylene oxide also has human reproductive toxicity, neurological dysfunction (peripheral nerves and brain); it remains as a contaminant in the final polymerized products, as does 1,4 dioxane—a synthesis byproduct classified as a probable carcinogen. Throughout our lives, we get exposed to these daily. The polymers, some with huge molecules, acquire new properties and have consequences of their own. I usually see a concerned look when I mention the link with cancer, but developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurological impairments, behavioral changes, kidney and liver toxicity, are alarming as well. They quietly creep up on us, nobody can point out what triggered a certain disease, and there may not be an adequate treatment.

8.   In the medical literature research you did, what specific effects of these inactive ingredients did you come across?
The big PEGs molecules cannot be eliminated by the kidney, remining stuck inside certain types of cells, forming blisters that can distort them. PEGs trigger antibody formation against themselves—noted during treatments with PEGylated drugs, but more amazing, anti-PEG antibodies were demonstrated in 25% of healthy blood donors, compared to 0.2% two decades ago. PEGs metabolism may be linked to the development of kidney stones. Polysorbates can integrate within the cellular membranes and change their properties and functions. In humans, they can cause allergic reactions after Flu or HPV vaccinations; decreased blood pressure and heart rate or neuropathies with some intravenous medications containing them; development of calcium oxalate kidney stones; and possibly premature menopause reported after HPV vaccine. Small amounts of polysorbate 80 can aggravate Crohn's disease and along with carboxymethyl cellulose, were both recently linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome—all these by changing the gut flora.

9.   Do the government regulating bodies ban or restrict usage of the selected chemicals that you believe are harming us?
There are fewer regulations that can be reinforced by law and more recommendations, which cannot. The federal organizations recommendations usually state "not to exceed limits," but when tested, many products exceed them. Oddly enough, the levels for the same substance are different among the regulating bodies. Manufacturers likely take into account the more favorable conclusions, and because the synthetic ingredients are much cheaper, there's more profit. One more thing, the studies that document the safety for many of these chemicals, are usually conducted using ridiculously high doses and look for an acute sickness. However, in order to trigger certain diseases, these repetitive doses need not be high—and this is what I'm trying to raise awareness about. A bee sting injecting 0.018 mg of venom—the amount of a grain of sand—can trigger a serious allergic reaction in somebody who's sensitive. Just like this, tiny but repetitive daily doses along the years, may account for many conditions. Allergy appears rapidly, but autoimmune, neurological, behavioral, or reproductive disorders take longer to come to the surface.
  
10.  Are the same chemicals used everywhere in the world?
Many of them are banned in Canada, European Union, Japan, or Australia. Others have more strict limits that are reinforced by law. I'll give some examples. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are banned in the European Union for over 10 years, being linked to health effects in pregnant women and newborns, possibly to breast cancer, and promoting obesity. In the US, they're still used and so is another derivative of nonylphenol, added as antioxidant to vinyl, polystyrene, and sometimes in the production of polyethylene. Polyethylene is used to manufacture pluming pipes and plastic products considered safer, with recycling codes 2 and 4. Another example is diethanolamine, banned in the EU because of contamination with the carcinogenic nitrosamines. It's still used in the US in some shampoos and hair conditioners. In the wine production EU doesn't allow any yeast defoamers, including ethoxylated compounds. Pertaining other classes.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Innovative Trends On Plane Travel Shared In Interview With eBook Author & Flying Expert



The First & Most Comprehensive Look At The Airplane Flying Experience!


At any given time, up to 5,000 aircraft are in the American skies.   Nearly 10 million passenger flights will take place this year. United States airlines flew a record number of passengers last year -- – 741.6 million domestic and 107.7 million international. So just how are airplanes meeting the needs of today’s traveler?

Jetliner Cabins: Evolution & Innovation, www.jetlinercabins.com, a new eBook App by Jennifer Coutts Clay, who has over 40 years of experience in the marketing and operational management of airlines, features over 6,000 images, links to 400+ airline-related organizations, revelations from dozens of international experts, and hundreds of pages of insightful text that showcases a unique perspective on airline branding, interior cabin design, and the passenger experience.  Providing both a historical record and futuristic crystal ball, Jetliner Cabins is unique and unlike any other book or app concerning aviation and transportation.

Clay worked for British Airways and Pan American World Airways.  The Fulbright Scholar has consulted airlines for the past three decades as the principal of J. Clay Consulting. 

I am so pleased to be involved in promoting her work for www.media-connect.com. Here is an interview with her:


1.      What do you see in the near future for the aviation industry as it relates to the comfort of air travel?  Current upgrades in cabin design include: ergonomically constructed seat-frames, climate-controlled seat-cover fabrics, lumbar-supporting contoured seat-foam inserts, LED ‘mood’ lighting, improved air quality, bigger overhead bins for carry-on bags, larger windows, dimmable window-panes, advance ordering of food and beverage, endless In-Flight Entertainment options, Wi-Fi enablement, in-seat power supply, onboard streaming of program content.    

2.      When you began working at British Airways in the 1970’s, could you have imagined the state of air travel in 2018?   In the 1970s we did not imagine that nearly 4 billion passengers would be flying on the scheduled airlines in 2018.    The general situation was less stressful in the 1970s: Passenger Load Factors (PLFs) used to be around 65% or 70%.  We did not envisage PLFs averaging close to 85%, as we see today: this means that many aircraft are now flying completely full, a lot of the time. 
        
3.      What else could airlines do to make air travel a more enjoyable experience?  Airlines have to tackle the problems of stressed-out passengers and increased passenger expectations.  There is a need for more personalization, humanization, interesting experiences and warmth of welcome.  With ever-longer flights airlines need to provide more options for how the time can be used onboard the aircraft.  To ensure their well-being, passengers need to be encouraged to move around the aircraft: ideally, they should be able to socialize in lounges, work in business areas, visit an exercise station, and then take a nice shower.  

4.      Which airlines, domestically and internationally, provide the best value – some combination of price, scheduling, convenience, and comfort in travel?  Surveys show that in USA Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest have achieved amazingly strong loyalty levels because customers feel these airlines provide top-class value for money.  Of the international carriers, Air New Zealand, Qantas and Singapore Airlines have always been rated very highly.  And some Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) have achieved cult status because of their low fares – but not for reasons of seat comfort e.g. Air Asia, EasyJet, Ryanair.      

5.      How are airlines making air travel more accessible and enjoyable to those with special needs?     Recent advances include aisle-size wheelchairs, seat-armrests that can be raised for ease of access to the seat row, in-flight literature in braille, special meals for dietary or medical reasons, privacy curtains for use instead of closing the lavatory doors, and baby-changing facilities in lavatories. 

6.      How has business-class comfort evolved over the years?  The business-class cabins of major long-haul airlines are now more comfortable than many first-class cabins of ten or fifteen years ago.   Passengers can enjoy their individual suites/compartments with stretch-out sleeper-seats, meal services on demand, cocktail bars and myriad entertainment options.   This is the result of “trickle-down product upgrades”.  
                                                                                                                
7.      Has the gap between first-class luxury and economy-class grown bigger or smaller over the years? How so?  Bigger. In the first-class cabins of the “gold-standard” long-haul airlines the current levels of luxury are unparalleled in the history of aviation. There are celebrity-quality standards of comfort and privacy.  By contrast, economy-class cabins have become more cramped and crowded than ever before.   

8.      Airlines have made improvements to fight terrorism, reduce pilot error, and provide cost-efficient, on-time flights, but they also have managed to charge for basics such as blankets and checked bags. They have long done away with free meals and the seats have gotten narrower while security lines slow everything down. How would you rate today’s flying experience? We are looking at the evolution of economy-class travel.  By “unbundling” their fares, airlines are providing a more transparent selling platform.  Passengers can make their own individual decisions for their own reasons.  The “moderns” and “millennials” appreciate this approach.  Yes, some security lines are slow, but they are not controlled by the airlines.  Who would want to fly on an aircraft without the security screening process?

9.      Take us back to the glory days of aviation. What made those days special?  In the early days of air travel most passengers were relatively wealthy or “special” for some reason.  They dressed in their best clothes to fly.  At the airports they were welcomed personally.  Aircraft cabins were not crowded.  Flight attendants were thrilled to have glamor-style jobs working for airlines.  In USA pioneering airlines such as Braniff, Eastern, Pan Am and TWA became aviation legends: they opened up the world of international travel, “the infinite highway of the air …” (Wilbur Wright).    

10.  What will next-generation aircrafts provide to fliers?  It seems that next-generation aircraft will be supersonic jets, along the lines of Concorde.  There might be ecological developments e.g. there might be electric-powered or solar-powered aircraft or flying cars using bio-fuels.  There might be operationally more-efficient versions of the current new-generation aircraft types e.g. the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A380 and A350; the Bombardier C Series; the Embraer E-Jets and other regional jets.  

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

How Authors Can Flip On Their Book Marketing Switch



Having moved to another house almost a year ago, my family and I are still discovering its intricate workings.  A few days ago we couldn’t figure out why our a/c wasn’t working.  72 hours of sweat later, the repairman told us my wife accidentally hit a back-up shut-down switch that happened to be in the hall closet.  He flicked it on and suddenly we were on our way to a cool house.  I suppose book publicity can operate the same way.

Sometimes authors just need to find their “on” switch to get their book marketing powered up.  But it’s easy to labor in the dark and not find your way forward.  Let’s look at how you can jumpstart your promotional efforts.

Though life is a continuous show it’s broken up into many acts.  See each day as a fresh start and a new opportunity to wipe the slate clean of any failures.  Use the new day as your chance to go for what you really want, especially when it comes to book marketing, author branding, or news media exposure.

Next, have a plan, even if it changes.  You need to start somewhere.

Examine which skills you possess that will best serve you in your book marketing efforts.  Build a marketing, plan around your assets – what you know, time available, money available, and what you enjoy doing.

Get ahead of the eight ball by properly planning ahead.  Set up a timeline for when things need to be completed – and then work backwards from there to execute all of the specific steps (anticipate setbacks and delays) by certain dates.

A great way to get started with your book marketing is to, in fact, get started. Stop talking about it, stop thinking about it – just do it!  Take the first step – in any direction – and take the plunge.  Today you will research area bookstores and libraries to contact about a book signing.  Tomorrow you write the home page copy for your website.  The day after you spend more time on Facebook, seeking out more followers and connections.

Don’t demand perfection from yourself but do commit to making a dedicated effort – everyday – to develop and grow your author brand.

Sometimes doing nothing is a strategy – for a day or two.  We all need take a break from our work and reflect on what’s working and not working.  Use this time to clear your mind and rejuvenate.  But don’t let a break turn into a breakdown.

Authors can help themselves just by gathering information – seeing what authors in the same genre are doing to market themselves and determining how to copy their success.

Once you get going and build on small wins, you will be able to take your book marketing to new heights.  

Just avoid hall closet switches!

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Do authors really promote the benefits of their books?

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What is the payoff for authors to getting a million clicks?

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The keys to great book marketing

Enjoy New 2018 Author Book Marketing & PR Toolkit -- 7th annual edition just released


Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

New York Daily News Cuts 50% Of Its Staff, Leaving Authors & Citizens In Limbo




The New York Daily News, a top ten circulating newspaper with a rich 99-year history, just fired half of its editorial staff in a cost-saving measure.  It could mean the end of the newspaper or at least a major dilution in its ability to accurately and comprehensively report the news of the day.  It’s an epidemic that’s been spreading across America.  

It should concern all of us, as citizens, who rely on a strong, free press to hold others accountable.  But it also should concern authors on what they can do to get more coverage from the shrinking editorial pages.

So what happens when a newspaper cuts staff?

·         Fewer stories get covered.
·         More fluff fills the pages -- opinion pieces instead of hard news.
·         More syndicated stories appear, meaning less original, local coverage.
·         The overburdened staff is bound to take shortcuts, make errors, and be too stretched to give tender, loving journalistic care to all.
·         Fewer pages are left to cover books.

Will new opportunities arise?  Could the axed staff, equal in size to the remaining staff, form its own newspaper?  Will the rival NY Post get bigger and stronger as a result – or will it follow suit with a weakened competitor that it will no longer have to keep up with?

It’s simply not digital vs paper, here. It’s about journalism vs. self-published opinion acting like news.  We need traditional journalism to survive and thrive.  But when low-budget tabloids struggle it doesn’t bode well for others.

New York City used to have so many dailies.  Now it’s down to three and one’s broken.

Authors perhaps can help their own cause.  Instead of seeking book reviews from newspapers who lack the pages to cover books, authors should seek to get a by-line article published so they can mention their book in the piece or at least at the bottom with the author credits.

Newspapers need to find a way to survive.  Some try pay walls.  Others cut ad rates.  Many look to make money from their subscriber lists.  But newspapers will need donations and volunteers to help them, turning the once-proud press into a non-profit enterprise.

Or maybe newspapers should be paid for by our tax dollars.  It wouldn’t be state run, but state-funded, similar to a college newspaper that gets automatically funded by student dues but its editorial coverage is not controlled by the school administration, student government, or any students but the paper’s self-appointed editors.

The Daily News is making headlines for all of the wrong reasons.  Let’s hope it can stop bleeding red ink.  We have too much at stake, especially authors.


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Which messages should authors convey to the news media?



Do authors really promote the benefits of their books?



Scores of Best-Selling Book PR Tips from Book Expo PR Panel



What is the payoff for authors to getting a million clicks?



How should authors sell themselves?



The keys to great book marketing



Enjoy New 2018 Author Book Marketing & PR Toolkit -- 7th annual edition just released



Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Jeff Bezos, Wealthiest Man Ever, Should Give Back To The Book Community




Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, as of July 16, was reported to be worth $150,000,000,000.  If counting all of those zeros is dizzying, the number making him the richest person in the world is 150 billion dollars!  In fact he’s so wealthy, he has 50% more than his nearest competitor, Bill Gates, who is slumming it with just a net worth of just 95 billion bucks.  Forget about worrying over the 1% of the 1%. He alone is like a small nation.  It’s a shocking embarrassment of wealth.  

But he can do something good – he can give back to the industries and businesses that he’s destroyed with his predatory pricing tactics.  Yes, Mr. Bezos can buy back his soul, starting with the book publishing industry.

Bezos, who makes over a quarter-million dollars every single minute of the day, night, weekend and holiday, cannot only afford to be generous but should feel compelled to be so.

He built Amazon on a key principle – undermine the competition by selling everything at a loss, killing your competition. He was able to do so by exploiting the rules.  He didn’t have to charge sales tax on sales and he got to use money from an overpriced stock that Wall Street kept inflating despite repeated annual losses, simply because the profit potential in the long-term looked so appealing.  Bless him – he’s the ultimate ruthless capitalist with guts, timing, and luck.  But what was it all for?

He has uber piles of money that he will never get to spend. Does he do this for ego?  Is it just a big game?  Does he want to take over the world – a power trip?

I know consumers love Amazon.  It’s one-stop shopping from your iphone.  Everything appears to be cheap.  You get shipments the next day – even same day.  They refund you on anything for any reason – and often let you keep the thing you want to return. Who could argue with such beauty?

But he kills jobs and stifles real competition.  He has damaged the book industry and threatens so many industries and major companies.  He’s become too powerful and represents as much of a threat to the United States as Putin or anyone.

So, if Bezos suddenly has a change of heart, if he has a heart, he can make amends by giving billions of dollars to the book industry.  Open up more bookstores. Donate to libraries.  Raise the prices you charge for books, to allow for fairer competition.  Fund free speech, literacy, and writing organizations.  You can go from goat to hero and ride in to town as the knight in shining armor.

Or, Bezos can be remembered as the man a recent Time article says "ran his company with predatory pricing and a remorseless workplace.”

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Which messages should authors convey to the news media?



Do authors really promote the benefits of their books?



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What is the payoff for authors to getting a million clicks?



How should authors sell themselves?



The keys to great book marketing



Enjoy New 2018 Author Book Marketing & PR Toolkit -- 7th annual edition just released



Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.