Month: August 2013

Is Dystopia the New Utopia?

author K.P. AmbroziakGuest post
by K. P. Ambroziak

In 1516, Sir Thomas More coined the term utopia. I can’t actually prove this—none of the people who knew him are around today—but the claim is based on the notion that the name first appeared in his most renowned work, Utopia. The work was written in Latin, but the word itself is borrowed from the Greek—a marriage of ou meaning no, and topos meaning place. It seems only natural More went to the Greeks for his no-place; they had been discussing utopian premises since Plato’s Republic (c. 380 BCE), and maybe even before.

A utopia is a perfect society, a place where class and station don’t exist, money and poverty are irrelevant, all people are free and equal, education is meant for everyone, and the collective makes decisions in a fair and democratic manner. Simply put, utopia is fantasy. Continue reading “Is Dystopia the New Utopia?”

Indie News Beat: All the News You Can Eat

News, views, and stuff you can use from the world of publishingGather ’round, children. It’s time once again for the Indie News Beat – the only news that matters.

Here at Indies Unlimited, we hand select only the finest sun-kissed news links. We place those links in a vat and the lovely ladies of Indies Unlimited crush them with their bare feet. Do you know what comes out of that vat? Truth juice!

Sadly, Chris James didn’t show up for work again. I guess he’s still on tour with Genesis. When he said he’d written a book with stories inspired by the lyrics of songs by the greatest rock band in history, I naturally assumed he was talking about KISS. Oh well. Continue reading “Indie News Beat: All the News You Can Eat”

Book Blogger Spotlight: Big Al

Book bloggers provide a vital nexus between the reading public and the writers of books. The fortunes of an individual book can rise or fall on the recommendations of book bloggers. It was mommy bloggers who propelled E.L. James into stardom, highlighting their importance in facilitating the discoverability of books that could otherwise (and all too easily) remain obscure. The point is, they’re kind of a big deal and they deserve a little recognition. This week, we turn the spotlight on one of our faves – an all-around cool guy and tough customer, Big Al.

Big Al runs both Big Al’s Books and Pals and The Indie View. We are also proud to claim him as a feared and respected member of the Indies Unlimited staff. Continue reading “Book Blogger Spotlight: Big Al”

Creating a Lens with Squidoo

What is Squidoo? Make sure to read my article “Introduction to Squidoo” to find out more.

Well, I initially thought it was similar to Pinterest but instead of creating pages you create “Lenses”. I was wrong. Squidoo is a free online tool that allows anyone to create a web page called a “Lens” on any topic in which they would consider themselves an expert. It is perfect if you don’t already have a blog or a website, and if you have those, it is terrific for driving traffic to it.

Squidoo wants you to be professional, creative and produce beautiful lenses that can be admired by all. Go to www.squidoo.com where you can join by logging in with your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Agree to the applications being used by Squidoo. Well done! You are now able to create a lens. Once you have logged on, you can play about with your profile and settings (photo, biography, etc.), or just begin creating a lens. Continue reading “Creating a Lens with Squidoo”