Electronic Holiday Gifts

Hi Vegas fans,

I've been in this spot before, and I'm wondering how many of you have, too. It's December 23rd (or 24th), and I haven't finished shopping. There's that one person on the list that I can't seem to figure out what to buy. I don't mean "the perfect gift" either. I mean a nice gift that won't break my bank but will be a thoughtful present.

It's got to be one that's easy to buy - after all I don't want to be stuck in traffic or wandering the cold streets all night. I've got eggnog to drink! And when it's this late in the year, you can't really shop online unless you want to pay a zillion dollars in shipping. Ouch.

How about this? Try an electronic gift. I always like to give (and receive) iTunes or e-books. They're environmentally friendly, they're easy to buy on the spot with no shipping costs, and the recipient will always be able to use them. If you're in the market for an e-book, and the person you are buying for is a Vegas nut like you, please consider my book. If you purchase any flavor (Kindle, Nook, PDF or Flipbook) of my book by December 31, I will send you a luggage tag for free as a token of my appreciation. All you have to do is e-mail me with the date you purchased the book and they type of book you bought. It's a win-win, so give it some thought.

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season!

Viva,

Mike

Simplifying Las Vegas 2011 - A Travel Guide for Everyone

Hi Vegas fans,

You may have noticed since my last post that it's been a while since my last post. Have I been lazy? Sick? Tired? Sick and tired? Well, yeah, but those are not the reasons I haven't posted a blog entry in a while. I've been busy.

I've been feverishly updating my travel guide, Simplifying Las Vegas, for 2011. It is now available in several different formats:

• Kindle
• Nook
• PDF
• Flipbook (Adobe Flash required)
• PDF with personalized itinerary

I may be biased here, but I think this travel guide gets better every year. Although it's not easy to provide this book in so many different formats, it's worth it. Variety is the spice of life, and this close to Thanksgiving, we all like a little spice.

You can see a taste of SLV's spice on the home page of my website. I've included a small sample of the new flipbook so you can see what you'll be getting if you purchase it. I hope you enjoy it. It is a labor of love. As always, feedback, questions and discussions about all things Vegas (including my site and book) are welcome.

Thanks and enjoy!
Viva,
Mike

2011 Simplifying Las Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,

I'm putting the finishing touches on the new version of my travel guide, Simplifying Las Vegas 2011. I'll have it available as a PDF flip-book, a Nook book and a Kindle book. It will have new information, updated tables, and tons of tips to help you save your gambling dollars and keep out of long lines and traffic.

If you are going to Las Vegas next year, my guide will really help you plan and enjoy your trip. Stay tuned!

Viva,
Mike

Happy Halloween!

Hi Vegas fans,
For kids, today is probably one of the most fun holidays of the year. It goes kind of like this... Christmas, birthday, Halloween.

It can be a fun holiday for adults, too, although some don't like to admit it. I mean, we're not supposed to get dressed up in costumes and dance around like goofballs, right? Wrong! Las Vegas has the right idea about Halloween:

Step 1: Devise a clever get up, disguise yourself with a mask, or become someone you've always wanted to be (a washing machine, "The Situation," Elvis, a sexy nurse, etc.).

Step 2: Gather with friends or go to a club

Step 3: Partake in a few adult beverages.

Step 4: Repeat Step 3. Several times.

Vegas and Halloween go hand in hand. Much like Vegas, Halloween allows you to step outside of your everyday life.

But regardless of where you are today, consider donning a fun costume and going out to a party. You don't have to do something elaborate. One year I went as static cling (pinned socks and underwear to my clothes).

And speaking of fun... Simplifying Las Vegas 2011 is almost complete. I have a little more work to do, and then you can buy it as a flip book on my website, as a Kindle book, or as a Nook book. I'm very excited about the new versions!

Viva,
Mike

Simplifying Las Vegas Now Available on Nook

Hi Vegas fans,

I'm happy to announce that Simplifying Las Vegas is now available as an e-book on Barnes and Nobles Nook e-reader! It took me a little while to figure out the formatting, but I think it will be a really good fit for my book. The Nook allows for html tables, so you can see all of the information in its original format, much like you see it on the website.

I hope you enjoy SLV as a e-book, either via Kindle, Nook or as a PDF on my website. Thanks for your continued support!

Viva,
Mike

New Las Vegas Travel Guide Electronic Book Venue

Hi Vegas fans,

Good news - Barnes and Nobles is now allowing us self-publishers to upload electronic books via its Pubit venue. It's a lot like Amazon's program for Kindle. I am currently working on getting Simplifying Las Vegas in the right format. It's a bit challenging because my Word document has a ton of tables, hyperlinks, and other elements that make it difficult to translate into an electronic book. So, I've gotta work on the html code to make it work. It's a time-consuming process, but well worth it. You'll hear from me (probably see me jump up and down) when I finish it.

In the mean time, I'm also working on a PDF flip book for the 2011 version of Simplifying Las Vegas. This is an easier conversion. However there's a ton of research that goes into each year's edition, so I have a little more work to do before I publish it.

This is an exciting time for authors, especially for travel writers who can publish and then update it on the fly when information changes. That's typically the case in Las Vegas, so I feel very, very lucky that I'm writing during a time when this technology is available to anyone.

I want to take a moment to say thank you for your continued support! I was a little concerned that interest dropped in September, but October is looking strong, and when I looked at my Kindle report yesterday I noticed that SLV has another fan in the UK!

If you ever have comments, suggestions or questions about SLV, Las Vegas, or publishing e-books, please let me know. I'm always happy to discuss these topics.

Viva,
Mike

Vegas Online

Hi Vegas fans,

The Stratosphere has refreshed its website. I think it looks pretty cool, and it's pretty easy to navigate. Some of the sub-navigation takes a little getting used to - I'm not a huge fan of having to move my mouse around a bunch to get to a specific link. But, overall it's a great site, and the new styles are quite good.

Speaking of new sites... I have just updated the majority of the tables and info on Simplifying Las Vegas. It's not easy keeping up with every new restaurant, show, etc. as well as making sure that the links work for the existing ones. But it's a labor of love!

Soon, I'll be publishing SLV 2011 as an online flipbook and as a Kindle book. Be on the lookout for more news about that soon.

Until then, remember my philosophy... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.
Viva,
Mike

Digital Flipbooks & Vegas: A Great Match

Hi Vegas gurus,

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority, which brings us the best interactive Las Vegas maps, has a really cool digital flipbook on their site. Their online information includes some pretty nifty features, including search capabilities, easy zooming, and links both to other places within the book and to external sites.

Of course, the LVCVA is not the only game in town. There are plenty of properties that are offering more information in flipbook fashion, like Caesars' Empire and The Hard Rock's HRH magazines.

These digital publications are often funded by the ads within them and usually include links directly to the advertisers' sites. These are really cool, slick publications that showcase the colorful layouts of large magazines without the actual paper. Environmentally friendly, easy to access, simple to use. Great idea.

So great, in fact, I'm looking into turning SLV for 2011 into a digital flipbook. Look for it this fall in addition to my Kindle version. The flipbook will be a great way to read my travel guide -- either on your computer, your iPad, or if you prefer, as an easy-to-print from PDF version. And don't worry, because it's digital, you won't have to wait for it on back order.

Viva,
Mike