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 by: Jay Johnson Be sure to check out: The Aton Project Newsletters at: http://www.self-publishinghelp.com/TheAtonProjectNewsletters.html. This newsletter, by author Tony VanSluytman, has been receiving rave revues despite it not being directed to writers. and FREE Writing Course http://http://banyonsbookdoctor.com. We are quite proud of the contributions of these two dedicated authors and wish for you to learn more about them. *** Moonspinners Writer's Page (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com), the website of Maureen McMahon, has been voted one of the 101 Best Websites by Writer's Digest 2006 - specifically her Ask The Experts section, created in collaboration with fellow author Fran Silverman (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com/bookmarketing.html). The Experts Site is composed of 150 subscribers to Fran’s newsletter, Book Promotion Newsletter (http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com), who answer book marketing questions at no charge. Download: 10 Ways to Promote Your Book... Welcome our Sponsor... ADRdomainsPlus.com for Your Domain Names and Internet Products GREAT rates and EXCELLENT service.  You are the Box Office Smash: The Personal Screenplay by Gordy Hoffman Right this very second, in the heart of every struggling, undiscovered screenwriter, in the dark, hidden corner deep within, there is a voice, a clear whisper, saying one thing: You're never gonna figure this out. And this is not referring to the story with its gaping hole, the finale missing a payoff, the hit and miss humor, the flat title. I'm talking about freedom. The freedom to work as a screenwriter. Compensation for a home for family and a life. The resources to wake up and ply your craft and pay the freight, without obstacle. The chance to see your writing made into pictures, to work with the industry's best, to fulfill this goal of professional screenwriter. Hollywood success. Behind this voice is the idea that somehow, some way, you'll find the hero, or the hook, logline or pitch that will punch your golden ticket. If you could only figure out what the studio wants, if you can only get a solid bead to this game, you know you can write and execute. What is the script I should write to get an agent? What is the one that will sell? It's not that I don't know how to write, I know how to write screenplays, I just need to know what they want, even though I think I know what they want, but I don't think I have the idea that they want. Yeah. I'm not gonna figure this out, whispers the voice. Why this uneasiness? Does it originate within ourselves? I don't think so. But where does it come from? The daily obsession with box office grosses? The news of the seven figure deals to newbies? The endless procession of boneheadedly conceived franchises-in-waiting arriving in the theatres every Friday? People winning Academy Awards for movies you would not be caught dead writing? Recognizing an idea you came up with years ago on your couch, produced with a $130 million budget drowning in CGI? All these things are but a few of the possible reasons why this seeds unhealthy doubt and confusion in the modern screenwriter. Tracking these forces outside us and beyond our control in an effort to trudge the path to a successful screenwriting career will prove to most to be unproductive and corrosive. Basically, trying to figure out what Hollywood wants will land us in a resentment that makes "giving up" a sane response to the very challenge which used to inspire us. In short, we cannot chase a perceived trend and remember our dreams. You cannot look at the marketplace and find your voice. You can find ideas, trends, and inspiration there, perhaps, but you can find these things driving in traffic as well. But listening to your voice is the key to creating original, compelling stories. Your life is your own story. You have a completely unique thread of experience. By allowing yourself to express these emotional experiences, your screenplay, your story, will be different from any other and powerful, as original as your fingerprint. Why is it powerful? When we have the courage to be specific about what we know about living, we create an authentic world an audience recognizes as the life they are living on planet Earth. This connects your audience to your story. This connection is the foundation of the phenomena of story. Why does story mean so much to us? We recognize the triumphs and tragedies of our lives, with all the hilarity and tears. By seeing it, we are validated and it underscores meaning and purpose to living. If we don't use what we've collected in life in our hearts and spirits, then our story loses its authenticity and the connection the audience should make fails. They do not see themselves, and when they leave the theater, they do not call their friends. When people do not call their friends after seeing a movie, the movie bombs. When a writer opens their person to their work, when they allow themselves to be vulnerable, to risk exposure of the secrets of their life story, they take a huge step towards creating a screenplay of substantial value, a screenplay with a greater potential of a large number of tickets sold. This is precisely why art and commerce have remained bedfellows for thousands of years. To look at the relationship between art and commerce as adversarial or incompatible is just plain foolish. Art happens when people invest their spirits in their work without fear, and story is artful when the writing is truthful and the writer is authentic. And what do we have to be honest about? We can only lie about what we know, and we can only tell the truth about what we know. And that is what has happened to us, our life story. This is what we share. This is not a pitch to write "what you know." This is not about writing stories about where you work or where you live. This is about writing about what you felt. You can imagine characters and worlds and actions and speech you've never personally experienced, but if you remember to infuse your choices with your emotional and spiritual struggles and victories as a human being, your screenplay will be different in the very best sense of the word. The question you have to answer is not what does Hollywood want today. The question is how honest of a writer do you want to be. I guarantee you can write a blockbuster, you can write a box office hit. This will happen when you find an audience. And the correct path to this crowd of people is listening to yourself. If you practice, you will develop an inner ear for who you are and what you know and you will become masterful in loading your work with your fingerprints. Writing is personal work. You are the guitar. You are the box of paint. Give of that and your audience will remember why life is good and they will talk of you. About the Author Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for LOVE LIZA, Gordy Hoffman has written and directed three digital shorts for Fox Searchlight. He made his feature directorial debut with his script, A COAT OF SNOW, which world premiered at the 2005 Locarno Intl Film Festival. A COAT OF SNOW made its North American Premiere at the Arclight in Hollywood, going on to screen at the Milan Film Festival and the historic George Eastman House. Recently, the movie won the 2006 Domani Vision Award at VisionFest, held at the Tribeca Cinemas in NY. A professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Gordy is the founder and judge of BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Dedicated to develop and celebrate the undiscovered screenwriter, BlueCat provides written script analysis on every script entered. In addition, Gordy acts as a script consultant for screenwriters, offering personalized feedback on their scripts through his consultation service, www.screenplaynotes.com. For more articles by Gordy on screenwriting, visit http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com. A new radio show devoted to book marketing made its debut on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 on Achieve Radio, noon to 1 p.m., MST. Host Francine Silverman will talk with authors, publishers and publicists, providing listeners with a unique perspective on book promotion. To access Book Marketing with Fran, go to http://www.achieveradio.com and click “Click to Listen” at top of page. Should you miss the show, click “Shows & Hosts” on the left and scroll down to Fran’s show and click, “More-Click Here” for the archives. Patricia Fry, president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network) and author of 24 books, will be Fran’s first guest. Patricia’s latest book is The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (Matilija Press 2006), a comprehensive guide for hopeful and struggling authors. Fran is author of Book Marketing from A-Z and editor publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com Issue 134: April 9, 2008 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 134: April 9, 2008 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 In This Issue: 1. Feature Article 2. Grist for Your Mill 3. Feedback 4. Progress Report 5. From the Pen Of 6. Kudos INTRODUCTION If you don't already have a blog, I would strongly urge you to get one. I subscribe to Google Alerts. Any material using the words "talk radio" comes to me. I used free press release distribution services to announce my radio show and never saw The Radio Host Show in any release sent to me. Also, when I typed the name of the show in Google, it didn't come up. Then I noticed that one of my guests announced her appearance on my show on her blog and I received an announcement through Google Alerts. So I put the information about my next show in my blog and suddenly my show is on Goggle (that is, when I put my name in as well) and I'm getting alerts about it. The bloggers among you probably know about this but for those of you don't I thought I'd mention it. Get Published Now! Satisfy a personal publishing dream - Turn family history into heirlooms or augment business income with a book for only $995 (or less.) Visit http://www.FiveStarExpressPress.com for more information. 480-940-8182 (1) FEATURE ARTICLE 8 Ways to Build Your Author Platform By Patricia Fry If you've been poking around at writing and publishing sites, attending writers' conferences and reading about authorship, you've heard/read the term platform. You may even know what it means. It's your way of attracting readers for your book. It's your following, your level of notoriety and the power of your personal and professional contacts. The extent of your platform can be the defining factor in landing a publisher for your memoir, novel or self-help book. But the scope of your platform will also determine your book's ultimate success. You hear experts say, "The best time to start establishing your platform is before your book is ready to make the rounds of agents and/or publishers." I maintain that hopeful authors should start building a platform before they write the book. Here's how: 1: Build promotion into your book before it is a book. For fiction, choose your setting carefully. Make sure it is conducive to promotion. Select a city that's interesting-one in which the citizens take pride. If your story portrays a positive view of the community, residents of this town are apt to welcome you for author events. Involve characters in current issues: autism, gang activity, politics or childhood obesity, for example. Give a character a horse or a motorcycle. This gives you additional ammunition for promoting. Write for an audience base that goes beyond the typical mystery or romance reader. 2: Establish an active and or even interactive website related to your book. The earlier you build a website the sooner you can start promoting the concept of your book and, by the way, your expertise and/or talent in your topic or genre. Hopeful authors frequently ask me, "Once I finish my book, should I design a website just for the book?" I tell them, "No! Do it NOW. Get potential customers accustomed to visiting your site in order to glean information or to be entertained. Entice them to come regularly by writing a daily or weekly blog, running contests, introducing new features and presenting new concepts. 3: Hone your public speaking skills. Whether you are writing a thriller, children's story, historical novel, memoir, how-to or a book of abuse and recovery, one of your greatest assets is your personality and your personal touch. If you aren't accustomed to speaking in public, take steps to become skilled. Join Toastmasters. Take on leadership roles at work. Go out and practice speaking in front of people. Personal presentations sell books and this is true whether you're reading your book to children at the local library or traveling thousands of miles every year presenting workshops to professionals. 4: Create one or more programs around the theme of your book and start presenting them now. Yes, do this even before your book is a book. If you hope to land a traditional royalty publisher, this will go a long way toward impressing him or her. If a publisher has half dozen magnificent book manuscripts to choose from, he's going to pick the one that will make him the most money. How does he decide? He'll choose the author with the best platform-the author who has an audience and/or a measure of notoriety in his or her field or genre. 5: Become known in your field or genre by getting involved with appropriate websites and organizations. Affiliations are important when it comes to establishing your platform. And why wait until your book is published? Become familiar with organizations related to your topic or genre. Join those that you feel can help move your career forward through education and/or association. Become known by participating. 6: Write articles on your topic or stories in your genre and widely submit them to appropriate publications. This is an excellent way to get your name out and attract an audience. Article/story-writing is a field in and of itself, so make sure you become familiar with the process. Read "A Writer's Guide to Magazine Articles," http://www.matilijapress.com 7: Develop a massive mailing and email list and keep adding to it. Don't take your mailing list for granted. Treasure it. Protect it. Keep adding to it. Not only will it be useful in launching your marketing plan, but some of your contacts may actually provide additional promotional opportunities. Do you know someone who heads a major corporation where you could give seminars reflecting the theme of your book? Maybe you have a friend who plans conferences internationally, who runs a TV station or who is of celebrity status. The size of your mailing list is important, but so is the content. 8: Establish a newsletter and distribute it to your email list. Use your mailing list to notify people when your book is published, to inform them of your appearances, etc. And consider starting a newsletter to dispense additional information and announcements on a more regular basis. There's much that you can do to promote your book even before it is a book and to establish your platform along the way. Read more about platform and every other aspect of producing a book in Patricia Fry's NEWLY revised 2nd edition book, "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book." http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html And order the accompanying, "Author's Workbook." http://www.matilijapress.com/workbook.html. In addition, The Author’s Repair Kit is a NEW ebook designed to help you breathe new life into your faltering or failing book. Use Patricia's post-publication book proposal system and heal your publishing mistakes. The Author's Repair Kit, only 27 pages: $5.95. http://www.matilijapress.com/author_repairkit.html. Follow Patricia's informative blog at http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog. (2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Subscriber Nolene Dougan nolene@vrolok.co.uk has started a new publishing company called Spinetinglers Elite Publishing, which also has a self publishing imprint called Spinetinglers Publishing. Both the traditional publishing company and the pod self publishing imprint are open to writers from all genres and its only condition concerning submissions is that the manuscript is in English. Manuscripts are now being accepted for both. Nolene decided to start this company because she discovered that only 2% of publishing houses in the UK and Ireland were publishing fiction five years ago that are still publishing fiction; the rest have changed to the celeb autobiography and celeb fiction. This venture follows Nolene's website http://www.spinetinglers.co.uk, which she set up in 2006 to help aspiring writers get published online. For more information, visit http://spinetinglers.co.uk/newsView.aspx?newsid=148 For more information on the self-publishing imprint, see http://spinetinglers.co.uk/newsView.aspx?newsid=154 Any prices quoted are in pounds sterling. The website - http://www.spinetinglerspublishing.com - is not quite ready so manuscripts should be sent directly to Nolene's sister, Jodi Dougan, at info@spinetinglers.co.uk As of Thursday afternoon, there were no takers for the prize that my guest, Joy Turner, was offering on The Radio Host Show. If you would like a consultation with this animal and human communicator please listen to the archives of the show on April 1st to learn what you have to do. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/francine-silverman (3) FEEDBACK Alycia Riply responded to the feature article: "Just wanted to email and say I loved today's newsletter - the very first article is SO important about networking and how women are often lax to do it," she says. "I consider myself assertive and even I have issues with this from time to time! In fact, where I am now in LA I have to network constantly because there's no way to get into film acting or writing if you DON'T because it's all through referrals and contacts! "Whenever I feel awkward I will remind myself of today's article..I even wrote down the first example given as it is a succinct and powerful (and not awkward) way to ask for assistance in a given field." Alycia is author of Traveling with an Eggplant (Trafford 2005). http://www.alyciaripley.com These subscribers responded to A Good Question: From Laurel Johnson - Arlene Uslander asked how her client could find famous or well-known people to write a blurb for her book. I target a specific group, depending on the book. For my last book, My Name is Esther Clara, I wanted professors well-respected in their field or reviewers well-known in a particular region related to the book. Since the book is a retrospective of my maternal grandmother's life from 1898 to 1989, the content reflected pivotal eras of the 20th century and her transitions from child to young wife and mother to advanced old age. I sought and received reviews or blurbs from a PBS TV host who focuses on new books of interest to her audience; a Professor of Human Development and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Human Development from a top university; a Certified Bereavement, Trauma, and Crisis Intervention Specialist; and several regionally respected writers and reviewers. All but one person contacted agreed to read and comment on the book. I chose these people carefully, for their reputation in their chosen fields. All were quite gracious. http://www.authorsden.com/laurelajohnson From Cynthia Brian - In answer to Arlene Uslander's question about getting someone to write a blurb-the only way is to ask. She needs to compile a list of the people she would want to offer her a blurb, then send each one a very short (no longer than one paragraph) request describing her project and asking if she could send them a couple of chapters for review. Be prepared to hear "Yes", "No", and of course get no response at all. Some very busy and/or famous people may prefer that she writes a one line blurb for review and approval. Make sure to write a thank note when an endorsement has been received and also send an autographed copy of the book. It's always great to include the names of the people who endorsed your book in any publicity, especially if they have written the foreword which takes time, energy, and dedication to the project. http://www.star-style.com (4) PROGRESS REPORT Gerry Helms, a life and health coach, will be the guest of Brad Richard on Alivewiredu Talk Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/alivewiredu on April 16, 2008. Gerry is author of Trust God and Buy Broccoli (Femme Osage Publishing 2007). http://www.lifecoachgerri.com http://www.trustgodandbuybroccoli.com Anne M. Fletcher will be a guest on "The New You" Radio Show with Cher Ewing and Jeff Cadwell on Blog Talk Radio, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thewlscoaches, on June 18, 2008 at 7:20pm (CT) Anne is author of the Thin for Life books, Weight Loss Confidential, Sober for Good (Houghton Mifflin Co.) http://www.annemfletcher.com Melissa Zollo will be the guest of Lillian Brummet on Conscious Discussions on July 24, 2008 at 10am (PT) on Blog Talk Radio, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions. Melissa is an imagist, author, consultant and inspirational speaker. http://www.presentmemory.com Quite a while ago, I arranged for attorney John Stoddard Klar to be on Rick Stanley's radio show, Standing Up for America on Truth Radio. The two hit it off immediately. Last Thursday, I received a release from John that he was representing Rick in a free speech case, Stanley v. State of Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court, on Friday, March 28, 2008. If you are interested in the details of the case, click: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3661803370138248832&pr=goog-sl http://youtube.com/watch?v=qn3_2eIQ684 John is the author of Christian Words, Unchristian Actions: George W. Bush and the Desecration of Christianity in Modern America (WinePress Publishing 2006), available at http://www.pleasantwordbooks.com. http://www.Christianwords.us (5) FROM THE PEN OF............. After she wrote her first book, Eat Fish, Live Better (Harper Collins out of print), Anne M. Fletcher wisely targeted the industry related to her subject: National Fisheries Institute, the major trade group for the seafood industry. "I called them, and their director agreed to meet with me to see if they would be interested in any promotional activities," Anne recalls. "Because I was telling people to eat more fish (for its health benefits), they loved me and paid me to travel around the country to talk about my book. In other words, I became a spokesperson and consultant to the seafood industry for five years." http://www.annemfletcher.com from Book Marketing from A to Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) by Francine Silverman (6) KUDOS Malana Ashlie's GRINGOS IN PARADISE: Our Honduras Odyssey (BookSurge 2007) won the best Ageing/Retirement book of 2007 by Reader Views Annual Literary Awards. The awards honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a small press, university press, or independent book publisher. Reader Views is currently accepting submissions for the 2008 Literary Awards. http://www.readerviews.com/Awards.html. http://www.gringos-in-paradise.com "It seems I've now gotten into politics!" exclaims Betty Jo Tucker, whose film-related books are Confessions of a Movie Addict (Hats Off Books 2001), and Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick (Hats Off Books 2004). http://authorsden.com/bettyjotucker She is also host of Movie Addict Headquarters on Blog Talk Radio and an expert on American musical movies, and in an article on THE MODERATE VOICE she was interviewed on the question, "Why Do Iraq War Movies Tank at the Box Office?" http://themoderatevoice.com/war/iraq/18678/why-do-iraq-war-movies-tank-at-the-box-office Mary Nyman's young adult book of fiction, When the Leaves Fall (Writers Showcase Press 2002), won a 2008 Mom's Choice Award, which honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. "It is a rather nice perk for a senior citizen," says Mary. http://hometown.aol.com/seascapesetc/myhomepage/index.html Francine Silverman, P.O. Box 1333, Riverdale, New York 10471, is author of: BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Book+Marketing+from+A-Z&x=22&y=24 TALK RADIO FOR AUTHORS - Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada (Infinity Publishing 2007) an intimate look into 230 talk radio shows that welcome guests. Both books are available at Amazon.com and at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing). http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Talk+Radio+for+Authors&x=0&y=0http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount on either book. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for code. The publisher's toll free number does not work outside the continental US and orders cannot be processed from its website for shipping outside the US. Subscribers in foreign countries who wish to purchase the books with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@infinitypublishing.com or fax an order (610/941-9959). She will provide confirmation that your order has been received and will be processed promptly. When using these options subscribers should put everything to Michelle's attention and reference the Promotional Code (contact Fran for code). If emailing Michelle, DO NOT put your credit card number in any email correspondence as this is not secure. Issue 135: April 23, 2008 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 135: April 23, 2008 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 In This Issue: (1) Feature Article (2) Grist for Your Mill (3) Promotional Coup (4) Progress Report (5) Kudos (6) Correction (1) FEATURE ARTICLE Publicize Your Novel By Fern Reiss The publishing question I am most-often asked is, “How do I publicize my novel?” Publicizing a novel is not much more difficult than publicizing nonfiction. Try these methods of novel publicity to get started (for more tips, see http://www.PublishingGame.com/novelreport.htm Put nonfiction hooks in your novel The reason most authors find nonfiction easier to publicize than fiction is that nonfiction, almost by definition, contains 'hooks' around which you can leverage publicity: How-to books on golfing, for example, lend themselves to doing talk radio shows where you share your golfing techniques; nonfiction guides to golden retrievers can become print articles on caring for your golden retriever. But novels can enjoy the same sorts of hooks if you consciously insert them. So think carefully about your passions-hobbies, pastimes, collections, pets-and then integrate your favorites into your novel. If you're an avid golfer, make one of your characters an avid golfer. If you love your golden retriever, put one in as a central character in your novel. Golfers like to read books about golfers, and dog-lovers like to read books about dogs, so be sure you're working your hooks and going after your natural audience. That way, you can get the same broadcast and print coverage for your novel that you would for a nonfiction book with that hook. Market to non-bookstores Once you've got a few good nonfiction hooks in your novel, plan your marketing efforts around them and aim at non-bookstores. If your character is an avid golfer, you can sell your novel at golf conventions and golf shows and golf pro shops and golf courses. If your novel revolves around golden retrievers, you can find and market to the (vast) dog-loving audience at dog shows, pet shops, and veterinarian offices. It's hard to make your novel stand out in a bookstore full of novels-but easy for a book to stand out in a pet shop. When I told one of my clients, Stuart Ballan, that according to a Harvard Business School report, 84% of books in large US bookstores sell 2 copies or fewer each year, we decided that it made more sense for him to ignore the bookstore market entirely; instead, with my suggestions, he sold 10,000 copies of his book to grocery stores. Include reality in your novel The more real items you can include in your novel, the more you broaden your marketing options. So include real locations, real corporations, real associations. (Of course, be sure you use these real venues and groups just as colorful background detail; don't say anything libelous and don't violate trademarks, obviously.) Once your book includes real locations and groups, you can try to sell your books in those locations, make quantity sales to those corporations and associations. Figure out a reading alternative Sadly, not that many people attend book readings unless the author is already famous. So what can you do if you're a good, but not-yet-famous novelist? Design an alternative to the traditional reading - for example, a dramatic reading in character, or a nonfiction talk based on the topic of the novel. Your target audience will be interested in a nonfiction presentation or special event just as much (or maybe more) than a reading - and you'll likely sell more books as a result. Try some novel ideas Finally, capitalize on all the clever creative tricks you can maneuver only as the writer of a novel-such as writing in a cameo appearance for a lucky reader: Hold a lottery where the winner gets the cameo (and everyone gets added to your mailing list.) Or donate a cameo in the book to a charity auction or membership drive in an organization related to the topic of the book. Think out of that proverbial box-and work some novel ideas that nonfiction writers really can't touch. For more novel ideas, get my 11-page special report, “Novel Publicity” on how to publicize your novel most effectively-available at http://www.PublishingGame.com/novelreport.htm (for children's books, see http://www.PublishingGame.com/childrenreport.htm) By following these suggestions, you'll be able to simply and effectively publicize your novel. Let me know how it goes! Fern Reiss is CEO of PublishingGame.com (http://www.PublishingGame.com) and Expertizing.com (http://www.Expertizing.com) and the author of The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days, The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days, and The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days as well as several other award-winning books. She also runs The Expertizing® Publicity Forum where you can pitch your book or business directly to journalists and literary agents; more information at http://www.Expertizing.com/forum.htm. Sign up for her free monthly report on promoting your book and business at http://www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm. (2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Mayra Calvani is offering an Interview Promo Package for authors: I'll interview you, then place the interview in several high-traffic sites like Blogcritics Magazine, American Chronicle, Ezine Articles, Associated Content, and Gather, plus in The Dark Phantom Review, Voice in the Dark Ezine, and The Fountain Pen. This for $25 Mayra's upcoming 2008 releases are a children's picture book: CRASH! (Guardian Angel Publishing 2008); a non-fiction book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing (Twilight Times Books 2008) and a paranormal/vampire, Embraced by the Shadows (Twilight Times Books 2008) http://www.authorsden.com/mayracalvani From travel author David Stanley: Listings on http://www.selfpublishersplace.com are free for the asking. To list your book, click the "Promoting Your Book" tab, then "Click here to submit your book and contact information." Fill in the form and submit the listing. You'll get a page for your book under the category you've selected with a direct link to your personal website and blog. You'll need to provide a book cover with a minimum size of 200x300 pixels. My guidebooks Moon Fiji and Moon Tahiti were listed under Travel within two days of the submission. http://www.selfpublishersplace.com/bookpreviewnew.php?id=946 http://www.selfpublishersplace.com/bookpreviewnew.php?id=947 David Ewen, host of Today's Author, has an offer for authors: We are looking for your news. We want to tell your story. We've done it on radio for you. Now we want to print it for you. Tell us what is new or what has happened. Do you have a new book? Did you reach a sales goal? What is your next event? Today's Author is a promoter of writers, authors and publishers. The show airs LIVE on Blog Talk Radio and can be seen on WVTA Television. Our segments air at 9PM and 10PM Eastern. Do you want to be on the show? Reach us at TodaysAuthor@yahoo.com Our latest effort is TAN Magazine (Today's Author News Magazine). We'll report on your latest news. Let us know at TodaysAuthor@yahoo.com Eileen Bodoh sent me this blurb from the March 2008 issue of SPAN Connection: Independent authors are invited to book a show on ArtistFirst World Radio, which is running a new series, Authors-First. It's a live one-hour Internet radio show that focuses on independent and undiscovered authors and their books. Listeners can tune in on their computers by going to http://www.artistfirst.com. To book a show, request one by email at request@artistfirst.com. Include your professional name and/or the name of the author you're representing. A donation to the station is required, but the amount is left to the discretion of the author. Eileen is co-author of Gratitude Works (K&E Innovations 2004). http://www.gratitudeworks.com Joseph Price, host of The Reaching Peak Show, is starting a podcast service in which authors and business people can record an interview. The person can talk on whatever they wish and will have the rights to the podcast. Joseph will edit the podcast and provide music. It is basically designed for people who have little or no experience on radio, but would like to add an audio to their website or send it out to radio producers. A 30 minute recording is $250. Joseph can be reached at joseph@reachingpeak.com (3) PROMOTIONAL COUP Jessica James shares a cross marketing idea she has used: My target market for "Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia" is Civil War/historical enthusiasts, with a secondary audience of romance readers, especially in the South. However, I used a horse in the book (owned by the main character) as a way to reach the equine and art markets as well. I contacted the International Equine Artists Guild and, by luck or chance, found an artist that has a piece of artwork that resembles the description of "Justus," the horse in my book. This artist has agreed to produce "Justus" prints as well as "Justus" note-cards which she will sell on her web site and at the art shows she attends. I promote the art on my postcards and literature, sending people to her web site. Likewise, she promotes my web site on her literature - so my book's name is in front of people that I would never in a million years have the time or opportunity (or money) to reach. Whether or not it will result in any sales remains to be seen, but getting the name out there is the first step. http://www.patriotpressbooks.com (4) PROGRESS REPORT David Spero will be a guest on the Peter K Show on Blog Talk Radio, on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 11 AM PT. http://www.peterkfitness.com David's award-winning book is Diabetes: Sugar-Coated Crisis: Who Gets it, who profits, and how to stop it (New Society Publishers 2006). http://www.davidsperoRN.com http://www.art-of-getting-well.com (5) KUDOS Marianne Berkes' children's picture book, Over in the Jungle, a Rainforest Rhyme, published by Dawn Publications in March 2007, won a 2008 Mom's Choice Award, and more recently the International Reading Association voted it a 2008 Teachers' Choice Award. "All very exciting!" she says. Marianne is award-winning author of seven books; her latest is Going Around the Sun, Some Planetary Fun (2008). http://www.MarianneBerkes.com (6) CORRECTION In reporting that life and health coach Gerri Helms will be the guest of Brad Richard on Alivewiredu Talk Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio on April 16, 2008, I misspelled her first name by spelling it Gerry. Francine Silverman, P.O. Box 1333, Riverdale, New York 10471, is author of: BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Book+Marketing+from+A-Z&x=22&y=24 TALK RADIO FOR AUTHORS - Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada (Infinity Publishing 2007) an intimate look into 230 talk radio shows that welcome guests. Both books are available at Amazon.com and at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing). http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Talk+Radio+for+Authors&x=0&y=0http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount on either book. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for code. The publisher's toll free number does not work outside the continental US and orders cannot be processed from its website for shipping outside the US. Subscribers in foreign countries who wish to purchase the books with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@infinitypublishing.com or fax an order (610/941-9959). She will provide confirmation that your order has been received and will be processed promptly. When using these options subscribers should put everything to Michelle's attention and reference the Promotional Code (contact Fran for code). If emailing Michelle, DO NOT put your credit card number in any email correspondence as this is not secure. Betty B's Arcana Connection by Betty Bradford Byers INNER-VIEWS WITH CELEBRITIES Short Stories Corner Poetry Corner Write On Southwest...Book Reviews by Connie Gotsch The BOOK DOCTOR Book Reviewer's Corner Public Service links And so much more! | Return Home | The BOOK DOCTOR | The BANYON NETWORK | The Banyon Buzz Newsletters | The Aton Project Newsletters | Contact Us | |
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