Secrets To REALLY Making Money Selling Books!

If you've read this blog, you'll know that I joined Bookwise a few months ago. Bookwise is a home-based business where, supposedly, members can make money by selling books. It is called the "most intelligent home-based business in the world!"
However, I'm going to tell you a secret which the Bookwise people would probably be a little aggravated if they knew I was telling it.
I've been a little disillusioned with the whole thing! I love to read, and I wanted to make money selling books! However, it soon became clear that the real intention of Bookwise is to get you to sign up more members... sort of like a pyramid scheme.
I loved the idea of selling books so much, though, I was determined to make it work for me. Then I figured out a solution to at least get myself started making money actually selling books! Here's what I did!

1.) The way Bookwise works is, each month you have to pay a membership fee of $39.00. But that fee includes your choice of any book, DVD or CD on the site! You have to make this order by the seventh day of the month, or they just send you whatever their choice of the month is. So, each month, go and find a book that costs as close to $39 as you can get! However, make sure its actually something that someone in the world will actually want to read.(The "Hardcover" and "Education" sections are good sources for more expensive books!)

2.) You'll also need to start a Preferred Customer account for yourself. You'll have to do this through your own Associate Member site. So, since my site is http://www.mybookwise.com/nickimann, I would go to that site, click on "Become a Preferred Member," and sign myself up. This process is totally allowed, and is not a scam or slipping through the cracks or anything like that.

3.) Now that you have your own Preferred Customer account, you can order as many books as you want through that account! You'll pay full price for those books, but you'll receive a "commission" in your seller account. Whenever you sign up a Preferred Customer, you receive a nice commission on whatever purchases they make, even if the Preferred Customer is you!

4.) Now you should be getting a whole bunch of books in the mail... the expensive one you ordered through your Associate Membership, and the other ones you ordered as a Preferred Customer. Your next job: Go onto Amazon.com. Half.com, or any other site where you can sell books, and list all of those books! You can list them as brand new, because they are, and therefore you can make some good sales from people who want brand new books instead of cheaper, used ones. Its always a good idea to list the books with the "lowest new price," while still making sure you can get a profit. For instance, if I wanted to sell a book that other people were selling new for $10.00, $9.56, and $14.00, I'd want to list mine for $9.55! That would make it first on the list of new books, and people would be more likely to choose it.

5.) One good way to make sure the books you choose are going to be marketable is to choose bestsellers and nonfiction books. Always check ahead, on the site where you will be selling them, to make sure you'll actually be able to make a profit, before you order the book from Bookwise! For instance, if you're thinking of ordering a book from Bookwise for $10.00, but the lowest new price on Half.com is fifty cents, you should skip ordering that book and find a better one!

6.) Want more ways to make money selling books? If you know of book clubs in your area, or if you belong to a book club, offer to get the group discounts on the books they need for future club meetings! You can take their orders, place the order for whatever number of books you need through your Preferred Customer account so that you get the commission, and then charge the people a little bit less than what you had to pay on the site! Offering this service can be a great convenience to book clubs!

7.) The most money to be made from Bookwise is still from signing up Associate Members. Whenever someone signs up as an Associate Member through you, you get a $35.00 bonus, plus you earn a commission on everything they make! You can still do that, without having to pester all your friends. I print out flyers that advertise how to become a Bookwise Associate, and list my personal referral link on it. Then, whenever I mail out a book that someone has ordered from me on Amazon or Half.com, I include a copy of that flier with the packing slip! You never know who is going to decide to check it out, and maybe sign up! The more book orders you mail out, the more fliers you also get to mail out!

This may all sound like a lot, but it is really quite easy. I am a full-time college student, plus I watch my little nieces several days a week, plus I write for four different blogs, and I still have plenty of time to run by Bookwise business.
As an added bonus, I get to read a whole bunch of books, for free! When I receive books in the mail, they don't always get ordered right away, so I can actually read them myself ahead of time, as long as I don't damage the books in any way. This isn't dishonest or anything either. Most major bookstores, like Borders, allow their employers to take home books from the shelves, read them, and then return them to the store still in great shape to be sold to customers. This is considered a fringe benefit for book lovers, and assures that the employees are keeping up with their own reading so that they can be better examples for customers! So it makes sense that you should keep up with your reading in order to be a better example for your customers!

Now. I've told you all this for free, because I just like my idea and I want to share it. All I ask is, if you do decide to sign up for Bookwise, please sign up through this site!
Good luck, and happy reading!

PostSecret: My Secret, by Frank Warren

Several years ago, my best friend told me about the website, PostSecret, created by Frank Warren. Frank Warren had originally passed out blank postcards to strangers, as an experiment, asking them to anonymously write down their deepest secrets and send them to him. The experiment exploded, as people everywhere caught onto the idea and started sending in their secrets. It seemed like everyone had a secret, and everyone was relieved to be able to tell their secret to the world, without having to reveal their identity and face the consequences. Frank Warren started posting the artistic postcards on the PostSecret website, and now each week viewers can log on and view the latest secrets. It is quite easy to get addicted to this site!
It is also quite easy to get addicted to Frank Warren's books, in which he publishes even more secret postcards, ones that have never made it to the site. The latest one I read, My Secret, is devoted to secrets sent in by high school and college-aged students.
As you would probably expect from hearing the secrets of young people, some of the cards reveal how overly-dramatic life sometimes seems to them... that they cheated on their boyfriends or girlfriends, snuck out of their house to party, lied to their parents, and hate school. But many other secrets reveal how difficult and complicated life really is for young people these days. Given permission to tell their deepest secrets without being judged or having to deal with consequences, they pour their hearts out. Many admit, sometimes for the first time, that they were sexually abused or raped. They admit to drinking too much alcohol, to doing drugs, to cutting themselves, to having sex and later regretting it. They suspect that they have mental health problems and may need medication, but are afraid to ask for help. They shout out that they have found out their parents' secrets and have been carrying them. One writes that she found needles her mother uses to do drugs. They write that they are lonely even in crowds of their friends, that they have anxiety about the future, that they dream of getting out of their hometowns someday and becoming better people.
With this and other PostSecret books, you will find that everyone has a secret, and nobody is simply who they seem to be. What's your secret?

This book is available from Bookwise. Become a preferred customer, for free, and save money on books!

Want to make money selling books? You can, with Bookwise!

Creating Moments of Joy, by Joline Brackey

I used to work in a senior living community, which was recently renovated to include a special wing for people with Alzheimer's and dementia. Before moving to the new wing, the people with Alzheimer's and dementia just lived in the Skilled Nursing wing, where they basically sat around and did nothing all day. Supposedly, in the new wing, their lives would be enhanced with activities!
While working at that senior living community, I became very attached to several people with Alzheimer's and Dementia. I couldn't stand the thought of them just sitting around in the Skilled Nursing wing doing nothing all day, and I tried my best to talk to them and engage them whenever I was working.
So, I was glad when I read this book, Creating Moments of Joy, which is all about finding ways to allow people with Alzheimer's and Dementia to have the highest quality of life possible.
While most of us are able to reflect back on the past, including what we did an hour ago or a week ago, and also look into the future and think about what we will do tomorrow or ten years from now, in the book, Brackey points out that people with Alzheimer's and dementia only have this moment. So, it is important to make each moment count.
For instance, think about a woman who is constantly asking where her parents are, or where her husband is, or where her children are. Many people who work with those with Alzheimer's or dementia assume that it is best to repeat the truth over and over again. "Mrs. Johnson, your parents died forty years ago. Your husband has also passed away. Your children live in different states."
However, Mrs. Johnson probably does not recall the last forty years or longer. In her mind, those years have not happened. Imagine if, right now, you found yourself sitting in a strange place, unaware of how you got there. When you start asking questions about where your spouse and children are, you are told, "Your spouse passed away. Your children live far away. Please calm down." Would you calm down? Most likely you'd become frantic, confused, and distraught, right?
The book suggests that a better response would be to join the person in the moment that they're in. Give them the reply that they would expect to hear, in the moment they are living in. "Mrs. Johnson, your husband is at work," you could say, or "your children are sleeping over at a friend's house tonight." Sure, it is not exactly truthful, but in this case, being truthful is not the most important thing.
The most important thing is giving the person peace of mind, and happiness, in that moment.
The book makes lots of suggestions for building relationships with people with Alzheimer's and dementia, as well. The main idea is always to join the person in their moment, instead of trying to bring the person back to your moment. For instance, imagine an adult daughter that goes to visit her mother, who has Alzheimer's, in a nursing home. The mother looks at the daughter and demands, "Who are you? What do you want?" When the daughter tries to remind the woman, "Its me, Mom, Helen! Your daughter!" the mother gets angry and shouts, "Get away from me!" or just shakes her head and ignores the daughter. The daughter goes away, heartbroken because her mother no longer remembers her.
But the truth is, the mother and daughter are not in the same moment. In the mother's mind, her daughter Helen is a small child. Who is this grown woman trying to convince her that she is little Helen? How dare she?
What if, instead, the daughter shows up to visit her mother, and brings a photo album full of childhood photos of herself and her family. The daughter introduces herself as a friend. Now imagine the scene.
Daughter: "Hi, Doris! I'm Helen!"
Mother: "Helen. That's a nice name. That's my daughter's name."
Daughter: "I know! Look, someone gave me this book of photos. Is this your daughter?"
Mother: "Why, yes! That's Helen when she was two years old."
Daughter: "She's beautiful!"
Mother: "She is beautiful, isn't she! I remember when this picture was taken. My husband and I took Helen to the zoo to see the animals... but she didn't even care about the lions and tigers and monkeys! She was more interested in chasing the pigeons around on the sidewalk!"
Now, the mother and daughter are sharing a moment together. They get to relive the happy memories, and the daughter may learn some things that she never knew about herself and her mother!
For anyone who works with people with, or has a family member with, Alzheimer's or dementia, this book is definitely worth reading. You will learn about how to connect and reconnect with the people in your life, and how to make every moment a beautiful one for them.
This book is available from Bookwise.

Have you ever dreamed about running your own bookstore? Now you can... online, with Bookwise!

Answers To Autism Book Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Autism Book Giveaway! (Actually, only two people participated, so those two people will each win one of the books!) The winners are Diana B. and Hannah B, from Gather.com.
And now, here are the answers!

1. People with autism do not want friends. FALSE! People with autism often want to make friends, but because they have trouble with social skills and language, it can be hard for them to make
friends.

2. Every child with autism is actually a genius, like the guy in "Rain Man." FALSE! Many people with autism do have a skill that they are extremely good at. But for someone to be able to do something like, say, drop a box of toothpicks on the floor and count them in one glance, is VERY rare!

3. People with autism can feel and express love, although they may not always express it in ways that other people typically do. TRUE! People with autism can definitely feel and express love. Because of
sensory issues, some people with autism might not enjoy being physically close to others, or hugging, very often. The feel of the other person's arms, the smell of their shampoo or perfume, etc, can be overwhelming. However, some people with autism ARE very physically affectionate!

4. If a person can talk, they cannot have autism. FALSE! Autism includes a wide spectrum of skills and difficulties. Some
people with autism cannot talk. Some can only say things they've already heard, such as quotes from TV shows. Some can speak but have difficulty putting their words in grammatically correct order. Many can speak quite well. Some people with autism cannot speak when they are
children, and gradually learn how to speak.

5. Many people with autism do make eye contact with others sometimes. TRUE! Eye contact can be difficult for people with autism, but many people with autism have learned to make eye contact with others, at least briefly.

6. Autism is caused by bad parenting. FALSE! Autism is absolutely not caused by bad parenting, any more than Down
Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy are caused by bad parenting!

7. People with autism are violent. FALSE! Some people with autism, especially young children, might lash out at
others sometimes, out of frustration or fear. For instance, a girl who screams and pushes her teacher because she's having trouble sitting for a group lesson in school, or a boy who pulls his mothers hair when a loud airplane goes overhead. However, most people with autism

8. People with autism have all different degrees of intelligence. TRUE! Some people with autism are also cognitively impaired, while others may
have genius-level IQs. Most are somewhere in between! All people with autism have various things they are good at and things they have trouble with!

9. The term "autism" includes a whole spectrum of disorders. TRUE! The autism spectrum includes classic autism. Asperger's Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Each of these can be found in different people with different degrees of severity.

10. Autism is a form of schizophrenia. FALSE! Autism is absolutely not related to schizophrenia. In days gone by, though, some people with autism were misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, and vice-versa.

11. There are many theories about what exactly causes autism, but there is no definite answer yet. TRUE! We know that genetics does play a role in many cases of autism. However, mercury in vaccinations, exposure to lead, and food allergies, are other theories for what causes autism, and treating or avoiding these things does seem to help certain people with autism.

12. If a person cannot speak, then he or she cannot think clearly, learn, or communicate with others. FALSE! Even if a person cannot or does not speak, they are still very capable of thinking or feeling. Some people with autism "think in pictures", while others can think in a language but just can't verbalize it. Some children with autism learn to communicate with sign language, by typing, or with pictures. When someone has difficulties with spoken language, it is very important to find a different way for them to communicate their thoughts and feelings.

13. People with autism are able to feel emotions. TRUE! People with autism can definitely feel emotions, maybe even more intensely than most other people. Some people with autism may not show it in
typical ways. For instance, a little boy sitting alone in a corner humming as he plays with a toy train may look like he is sad or bored, but perhaps people who know him well, such as his mother or teacher, can tell that he is happy,

14. All people with autism rock back and forth. FALSE! Some people with autism do rock back and forth. Others may use different repetitive motions, such as flapping their hands, spinning, repeating a phrase over and over, etc. These actions may help to stimulate a person's
nervous system when they need it, or calm them when they are nervous or sad. Not all people with autism do this, though.

15. People with autism will eventually need to be institutionalized and cannot lead normal lives.FALSE! People with autism can definitely lead "normal" and happy lives. Depending on the person, this might mean living on their own, getting married and having a family, living with family members, living on their own but with support from community
organizations, living in a group home, etc. The goal is always to allow the person as much independence as possible. Even in a group home, a person's life would include "normal" activities such as helping to prepare meals, working or volunteering, socializing, and going out into the community.

Two Great Books About Autism! (Plus, a GIVEAWAY!)

Chances are, you know somebody with autism, know someone who has a child with autism, or have someone with autism in your family.
When you have a child with autism, I suppose you learn very quickly what its all about. You want to find out how to best help your child, so you read books, browse websites, join support groups, speak with teachers, go to conferences, and learn everything you can.
But what about the rest of us? The neighbors, the aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins, the family friends, the parents of schoolmates? When circumstances haven't forced us to need to learn everything you can about autism, it is easy to be left in the dark. We may look at our friend's eight-year-old with autism and think, "If they would just treat him like a normal kid, he would be fine!" or "they spoil that boy too much," or "Is that child dangerous?" or even "They must not have held him enough when he was a baby."
But always remember, knowledge is power, and knowledge also leads to understanding. You don't have to spend days researching autism, in order to make yourself knowledgeable about it. In fact, there are two books, very short and easy to read, that can help give you a "Crash course" on autism.


The first one, Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew, is by Ellen Notbohm. The book describes ten of the most common features of people with autism, why children with autism sometimes act differently, and how others can best help and reach out to children with autism. (You can actually read the ten things on Ellen Notbohm's website, but the book goes into each item in detail.)
If you have a child with autism in your life, or if you work with children at all, this book should be required reading.


The next book I want to bring to your attention is called All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome, by Kathy Hoopman. This one is a picture book, featuring photos of adorable kittens doing kitten-like things. The book relates the behavior of cats to the behavior of people with Aspergers Syndrome. (Asperger's Syndrome, by the way, is a milder autism spectrum disorder, in which people usually have less problems with language but the same problems with sensory and social needs.) There are some people who do not like this book because they feel it doesn't give an accurate portrayal of Asperger's Syndrome. However, I feel it would be a perfect book to read with a child who is the sibling, cousin, neighbor, etc of someone with Asperger's Syndrome. A caring adult could explain what Asperger's Syndrome is beforehand, and as they read it, talk about the ways in which their friend with Asperger's may act a little bit like the cats in the book. This could help other children relate more to the friend with Asperger's Syndrome.

And now for the giveaway part.
Lets see how much you know about autism already! In the comments section of this post, please try to answer the simple True/False questions you find below. You are free to use the Internet or any other resources you have to find the answers!
On Sunday night I will randomly select two people from the comments section to each receive one of these books.
This is just the first of many giveaways and contests that will be featured in this blog!
TRUE OR FALSE?????
1. People with autism do not want friends.

2. Every child with autism is actually a genius, like the guy in "Rain Man."

3. People with autism can feel and express love, although they may not always express it in ways that other people typically do.

4. If a person can talk, they cannot have autism.

5. Many people with autism do make eye contact with others sometimes.

6. Autism is caused by bad parenting.

7. People with autism are violent.

8. People with autism have all different degrees of intelligence.

9. The term "autism" includes a whole spectrum of disorders.

10. Autism is a form of schizophrenia.

11. There are many theories about what exactly causes autism, but there is no definite answer yet.

12. If a person cannot speak, then he or she cannot think clearly, learn, or communicate with others.

13. People with autism are able to feel emotions.

14. All people with autism rock back and forth.

15. People with autism will eventually need to be institutionalized and cannot lead normal lives.

Alright, everyone! Good luck!

Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless

Finding Grace is a coffee-table book about homelessness. Photographer Lynn Blodgett has traveled all over the United States, photographing homeless people.
A lot of times, when we see homeless people in our community, we avoid looking at them. We may feel uncomfortable, but also, we feel it is rude to stare at people and make them uncomfortable! But how many of us have glanced at a homeless person and thought, "Who is this person?"
My perspective is a little different from the perspectives of most people, because I have been homeless. As a teenager and young adult, I spent several years staying in homeless shelters and on the streets. I grew to know many other homeless people very well. Homeless people often create their own communities and makeshift families, while the rest of the world shuts them out.
This book allows you to stare right into the faces of homeless men, women and children. You may be surprised by what you see there! Toddlers smile into the camera, mothers and fathers hug their children, Some people still manage to keep clean, wear fashionable clothes and style their hair, while the appearances of others have obviously been worn down by life on the streets and life in general. But every picture shows each person's beauty and humanity. The book does not really go into the stories of the people it features, aside from a few short blurbs about what some of the people were saying or doing when their photos were taken. You may find yourself gazing at the pictures and imagining the people's back stories, trying to decide how a person like this came to be homeless. In fact, in some of the pictures, perhaps you'll see something you recognize in yourself!
Just by buying this book, you'll be helping the homeless. Proceeds from the book are used for the Finding Grace Homeless Initiative, which works to raise awareness of homelessness and to attract the attention of community leaders who can help put services in place for homeless people.
This book is available from Bookwise.
Want to save money on all sorts of books like this one? Become a Bookwise Preferred Customer. It's free!

How Your Book Club Can Use Bookwise To Save Money!

Do you belong to a book club? Book clubs are awesome, but one hard thing about them is making sure that every person in the club is able to acquire and read the book. Often book clubs choose very popular books that are hard to find in libraries... and even if you do find it in the library, you may not be able to keep it long enough to bring it with you to the next book club meeting!
I have a simple and convenient solution to this problem. The solution is Bookwise! Here's how it works.
1. One person in your book club joins Bookwise as a Preferred Customer. There is no membership fee, so if you want to do it a different way, all of your members can sign up individually!
2. Choose a book that your book club would like to discuss. There are many ways to do this... either at each meeting the whole group can browse Bookwise together to find a book, or individual members can take turns browsing at home and finding a book they'd like everyone to read.
3. The person who is a member orders the correct number of books, at wholesale prices, from the Bookwise website. The member can pay with her own credit card or debt card, and collect cash directly from the individual members.
4. The books come to the address of the Bookwise member, who can then distribute them to the other members! (It may be helpful to choose a book two months in advance, so at one meeting you choose and order a book, at the next meeting you hand out the books you've recieved, and at the third meeting you discuss it.)
If your book club uses Bookwise, you'll never have to worry about finding books at the local library, having to special-order large amounts of books from a local bookstore, or paying high prices for books! How convenient is that?