May 2006 Newsletter #26


	The Buzz! 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. In addition, we encourage you to visit The Book Doctor at: http://www.self-publishinghelp.com/TheBOOKDOCTOR.html. You'll find his articles to be a must read for writers at all levels of accomplishment. 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 two (2) new sponsors...** ADRdomainsPlus.com for Your Domain Names and Internet Products BOTH have GREAT rates and EXCELLENT service! A New Radio Show... 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 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 84: May 2006 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 84: May 10, 2006 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 In This Issue: 1) Feature Article 2) Promotional Coups 3) Feedback 4) Progress Report 5) Grist for your Mill 6) Surprises 7) Kudos Keys to a Successful Book Signing by Pamela S. Thibodeaux The subject of “easy” or “hard” sell tactics was discussed at length in one of the writer's groups I belong to and got me thinking….What can an author do to help ensure a successful book signing? Here are a few tips garnered from my own experience: * Call one month in advance. It takes up to four weeks for the store manager to get enough stock to host a book signing. Calling in advance takes the pressure off of everyone involved. If you're scheduling during the holiday season, you may need to call and set up even further in advance. Schedule during busy times. Friday evenings between 5 and 8pm, Saturday 10a -2p or Sunday 1-3 or 4 pm. Think…when do most people go shopping? Write it down! Date, time, person you spoke with, person you'll need to see/speak with that day, etc. Schedule your times to follow-up too. Send promo items 2 weeks in advance. Send too early and they'll get lost or misplaced. Send too late and no one will know! Two weeks is a good time. Follow up a maximum of one week later so that you have time to resend if they were not received or send more if they're out. Allow adequate time for our postal service but don't wait too long to follow up. Follow up. Once things are set and in motion, don't think that nothing will go wrong. Follow up with your contact person at least once -preferably twice- between the time the signing is set and the date/time of the actual event. Be willing to reschedule if something unforeseen happens at the store (an accidental scheduling conflict, books not arrived, etc). Believe me these things do happen! Dress the part. Wrinkle resistant clothes, dress or dressy slacks and blouse. In other words, Casual Business attire or your Sunday best. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean a suit and tie, but close. You want to be professional yet approachable. Some authors even dress like one of their characters! Don't just sit there. Get up, walk around the table, mingle with customers (who are actually READERS by-the-way). Smile and be polite. Many times someone will mistake you for a store employee and ask you questions. Always take the time to answer if you know or at least steer them in the direction of someone who does. You may not make a sale, but you'll definitely make an impression and many times the person may come back and see what you have to offer. Engage people in a conversation. Think of creative ways to get someone's attention. At one book signing, a lady was perusing the current selection of Best sellers -focusing on the romance/women's fiction section. I drew her attention by commenting, “I see you're looking for the next best thing in women's fiction.” She nodded, walked over and ended up buying both of my books! Bring a friend. Sitting there for 2 to 4 hours can be boring if you're by yourself. Having someone with you helps pass the time, and ensures someone will always be at the table to greet passerby's. Remember though, don't get so caught up with your partner that you ignore potential customers! Harvest those names! Find a way to get the name/address/email address of EVERYONE who buys your books! This can be as simple as filling out a personal receipt and/or asking them if they want to be informed of your future publications. Some authors give away some little gift by providing forms similar to those you'd get from buying a raffle ticket. Keep a list of your professional contacts too: store managers, PR people, etc. Bring extra promo items. Bookmarks, business cards, etc. Even if someone is too busy to stop and chat about your books, giving these items may jog their memory later and net you future sales. Some authors attach a business card to miniature candy bars or candy kisses/hugs. Will following these tips ensure a successful book signing every time? No. But I can assure you you'll look, feel, act and come across as a professional and THAT'S the key to a successful book signing as well as a prosperous writing career. Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the co-founder and a member of the Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in fiction and creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as “Inspirational with an Edge!” and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com pthib-7@centurytel.net ------------------- 2) PROMOTIONAL COUPS* I interviewed Lynn Tolson last week on my Achieve Radio show and she gave me a great idea. Lynn is author of Beyond the Tears: a True Survivor's Story (Authorhouse 2003), which begins with her suicide attempt at age 25. To market her book, she sent 50 letters to national suicide coalitions suggesting that her book would be of interest to their member agencies and asking them to forward her letter to them. As a result, she received requests for copies of her book from several of the agencies. How can we all duplicate this idea? I'd like to hear your ideas regarding your own books. ------------------- Vicki M. Taylor believes that word of mouth is the best way to promote her novels and she does this through on-line forums. “Getting on forums and e-mail lists and talking up my writing. It works,” she says. “Don't just get on writer forums or groups; think about your hobbies and find forums and groups that match your needs. Here's an example. I'm a bird owner. We have a parrot. So, I joined a bird forum and used my signature as a promo ad. Now, every time I post a message on the forum, my signature gets posted as well. It can be a conversation starter. As you get more familiar with everyone on the forum you might have more casual conversations about daily life. This is where you bring in your introduction that you're an author and what kind of books you write. “People have pets, and people love to talk about their pets. Look for forums that are specific to your kind of pet. If you're into radio controlled airplanes, there's hundreds and hundreds of forums. I googled RC airplanes and forums and this is what I got http://www.google.com/search?q=RC%2C+radio+controlled%2C+airplanes%2C+forum&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official “So, authors should take inventory of their hobbies and search the Internet for e-mail groups (Like the yahoo groups) and forums that reflect that hobby. Join the group, become active on the group; don't just promote and run. They won't like that. Sincerely become involved. You might find some new friends, and you might attract some new readers.” Vicki's latest women's fiction is TRUST IN THE WIND (Mundania Press 2006). http://www.vickimtaylor.com http://www.vickimtaylor.com/blogs http://www.vickimtaylor.com/forums/index.php ------------------- 3) FEEDBACK Tricia Molloy had posed this question. "I don't think it's a good idea to post your newsletter on the Internet," she wrote. "I assumed that this was a kind of private exchange between members and I don't think our questions or comments should be posted online. This could prevent members from writing freely, like the interchange of whether we should be paid for our articles or consider the exposure our payment. Do you agree?" ------------------- “There are those, myself included, who would advise that the thoughts and words you wish to keep private should never be put into any document where the 'send' button is pressed,” says Dar Hosta. “Even our personal emails are kept in a big cyber-database and, as many politicians can attest to, these 'private' emails can be easily retrieved and put out into the public world. I don't know what the technical copyright laws are on the ownership of responses to a newsletter, but I would say to Tricia, if you really don't want your responses to be posted, perhaps you should not send them. The archiving of newsletters is pretty much an industry standard for any type of group membership or subscription.” Dar is author of two award-winning children's books: I LOVE THE NIGHT (2003) and I LOVE THE ALPHABET (2004), both published by Brown Dog Books. http://www.browndogbooks.com ------------------- “As for the woman who thinks that your newsletters shouldn't be archived online: hogwash! says Stephanie Chandler. “Online content is king and every little bit helps. Plus, anyone whose name and website URL appears in your newsletter gets added promotion via your archives. This is a value-add not an imposition and it's no different than sending a letter to the editor of a magazine! If someone doesn't want their name posted along with a comment, they should either avoid sending a comment or request that they remain anonymous. You are providing a valuable service for authors to share information and I think it would be a shame if you altered your strategy. This is also a good reminder that we should all be careful about what we write anywhere. If you don't want to see your words on the front page of The Times, don't write them. You never know where your messages will be forwarded or where your words will appear so choose them carefully. Keep up the great work!” Stephanie is author of THE BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST AND PLANNING GUIDE: SEIZE YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAMS! (Aventine) and FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR (Wiley, coming December 2006) http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com http://www.BookLoversCafe.com http://www.StephanieChandler.com ------------------- “I put all my newsletters online, indexed from a special archive page,” says Marian Van Eyk McCain. “Only newsletter subscribers know what the URL of the archive page is. It is not accessible from the rest of the website, so it is not available to non-subscribers and although it has been going for four years, no search engine, to my knowledge, has ever found it, or any of the newsletters. This seems to me like a good arrangement.” Marian is author of THE LILYPAD LIST: 7 STEPS TO THE SIMPLE LIFE and ELDERWOMAN: REAP THE WISDOM, FEEL THE POWER, EMBRACE THE JOY http://www.lilypadlist.com http://www.elderwoman.org ------------------- 4) PROGRESS REPORT These are connections I made for my clients: John Stoddard Klar, author of CHRISTIAN WORDS, UNCHRISTIAN ACTIONS: GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE DESECRATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN MODERN AMERICA (Wine Press Publishing 2006), will be a guest on Rick Stanley's radio show, Standing Up for America on Truth Radio, http://www.truthradio.com, on Sunday, May 28, 2006 at 6 p.m., MST. ------------------- Children's book author Patricia E. Canterbury will be interviewed on the Inside and Out show on Diva Pro at 9:30 a.m., PST, on May 31, 2006 for approximately 30-45 minutes. http://www.divapro.com Patricia is author of CARLOTTA'S SECRET (RBC Pub Co 2001), optioned for a movie due out in 2007, and THE SECRET OF ST. GABRIEL'S TOWER (REGEJE Press 1998). http://www.patmyst.com ------------------- 5) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL These two items deal with helping women with cancer: Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks has had TEARS OF JOY (Infinity Publishing 2003), co-written with husband Jerry, translated into Spanish and already has a mailing list of people waiting for it. It is called Lágrimas de Alegría in Spanish. “There's a real need for it in the Hispanic cancer community,” she says. Bobbi and Jerry are national cancer survivorship speakers who travel the country with their presentation, “In Sickness and in Health: A Survivor and Caregiver Share Their Story of Tears and Hope.” http://www.speakersforlife.com Those of you who written on subjects that would interest other cultures might consider having your books translated. ------------------- On May 6th, my daughter participated in the 9th Annual New York Revlon Run/Walk For Women. (her 3rd annual event) to help further the fight against women's cancers by raising money through pledges and donations. I would like to invite you to click on the link below to visit Amy's personal page and make a donation. Your tax-deductible contribution will help fund important research into the causes of and cures for women's cancers. In addition, selected programs of excellence that promote prevention, education and support services will also benefit from funds raised through this event. The personal donation page for Amy Silverman can be found at https://www.revlonrunwalk.com/ny/secure/MyWebPage.cfm?pID=283170 ------------------- What do moms really want this Mother's Day? Christine Louise Hohlbaum will be doing a live skypecast on What Not to Get Mom for Mother's Day, at 1 p.m, ET, May 12, 2006. "According to my latest Mother's Day poll, moms want more time to themselves," explains Christine. "The top gift idea? Books! Reading, it seems, is one of the few things they can justifiably do by themselves." To add your comments, she says, "strap on your headset or grab your microphone and speakers for a fun-filled 15 minute interactive broadcast. A skypecast is similar to a conference call via the Internet." You need a microphone and speaker capability. For information on how to download Skype, go to http://www.skype.com/help/guides/howtoskype/ For your time zone, go to http://www.worldtimeserver.com. Then, login at https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/home Click on Christine's skypecast. Christine is author of DIARY OF A MOTHER (iUniverse 2003) and SAHM I AM: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE (Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing 2005) http://www.diaryofamother.com ------------------- 6) SURPRISES Cindy LaFerle reports that she's “been doing a speaking engagement or writer's conference or book signing every other night for the past two weeks. (Not that I am complaining.) I am learning that you really have to keep getting yourself out there to sell books. And there are lots of surprises. Sometimes, the events that you THINK will be great venues for book sales turn out to be a disappointment (although any exposure is good.) And often, the events you drag yourself to and assume will be a waste of your time, often turn out to be the ones where you sell tons of books! Go figure. “Last week, I spoke at a small writer's conference that was sponsored by a group of librarians at a university near Detroit. The following day, I had to give a talk to a local Master Gardening Society. Guess which event sold the most books? To my amazement, it was the Master Gardener Society. Their spring event was packed, and after my talk, I was asked to give a reading of an essay that had to do with gardening (from my book). Despite the fact that WRITING HOME isn't a gardening book (there are a couple of essays about my garden included, but that's it) I sold two boxes of books that evening, and had thought I wouldn't sell more than one or two. In fact, on my way to the event, I was totally exhausted and was asking myself why I was bothering to speak to a group of gardeners about writing!” Cindy is author of WRITING HOME (Hearth Stone Books 2005), a collection of her newspaper columns. http://www.laferle.com ------------------- 7) KUDOS Aaron Lazar was informed he was “selected to be in the Bylines Writers' Calendar for 2007. Woo Hoo! Good publicity. ;o),” he says. The guidelines for submissions are on the site. http://www.bylinescalendar.com Aaron is author of a series of Legarde mysteries. http://www.legardemysteries.com ------------------- Walter Brasch's book, AMERICA'S UNPATRIOTIC ACTS: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS (Peter Lang Publisher 2005), has been named the Outstanding General Non-Fiction Book by the Pennsylvania Press Club, a statewide association of journalists. He will be honored May 20 at a statewide luncheon in Kutztown, Pa. The book probes the history and enforcement of the USA PATRIOT Act, the inherent violations (with court cases) of six of the Bill of Rights amendments, and discusses in-depth the suppression of dissent and violations of First Amendment rights. A syndicated columnist, Walter looks at the issue of national security vs. Constitutional rights. http://www.walterbrasch.com ------------------- Carol White has been the recipient of good news from all quarters. (1) Her book, LIVE YOUR ROAD TRIP DREAM (RLI Press 2004), written with husband Phil, has been named as one of three finalists in the 2006 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition, in the following category: Book of the Year for Excellence and Innovation in Marketing. The 2006 Benjamin Franklin Award winner will be chosen from one of the three finalists and will receive the Benjamin Franklin Award during a ceremony on Wednesday evening, May 17, 2006 at the Washington, DC Convention Center, Ballroom C, located at 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. (2) “I've checked my horoscope and there is nothing about luck or good fortune in it, but another piece of really good news has fallen into my lap today,” she wrote. “……Camping World has been 'trialing' our book in their online store for the last year -- which is their normal process. Today I got an email from my contact there and they have made the decision to GO NATIONAL IN ALL THEIR RETAIL STORES. I should get the initial order from them next week or so.” (3) The White's “favorite local columnist, Margie Boule,” profiled them in the Oregonian. Carol's reaction was, “A very nice piece even though she didn't mention the website address! People will find us, I'm sure.” http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living/114661951131520.xml?oregonian?ylvcmb&coll=7 (The link leads to the sign-in page, which takes a second to complete). http://www.roadtripdream.com ------------------- Linda Pynaker, author of MAKE IT HAPPEN! USE YOUR INTUITION AND POSITIVE SPIRALS (Linda Pynaker 2005) and TIME TO HEAL: A NOVEL (Infinity 2003), was “very excited” to have signed a five-year contract with Sunpiper Media Publishing with their commitment to publish MESSAGES OF HOPE AND HEALING, her portrayal of life as a spirit medium, within six months. "Sunpiper's purpose is to promote a positive social outlook with emphasis on educating and enlightening the global community," she says. On its website, http://www.sunpipermedia.com, it reads, “Sunpiper Literary does not just sign an author…Sunpiper invests in its authors.” http://www.lindapynaker.com ------------------- Alycia Ripley's hometown paper, The Buffalo News, did an article about her and her novel, TRAVELING WITH AN EGGPLANT (Trafford 2005), in the Sunday paper. “I'm so excited to get news of the book out there - book publicity is an exhausting thing these days - there's SO many books, and publishers don't promote new authors like they used to,” she says. http://www.alyciaripley.com ------------------- Marianne Berkes' children's book, OVER IN THE OCEAN: IN A CORAL REEF (Dawn Publications 2004) won a 2006 Blue Hen Book Award in the Picture Book category. http://wilmlib.org/bluehen2.html Marianne is in good company - previous winners include J.K. Rowling and Kate DiCamillo. http://www.marianneberkes.com ------------------- Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter and available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount. 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 book with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@buybooksontheweb.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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 85: May 2006 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 85: May 24, 2006 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) Good Deeds 4) Feedback 5) Contest 6) Surprises 7) Progress Report 8) Kudos INTRODUCTION I have started a new venture - a Membership Club for $49.50, which includes an annual subscription to this newsletter, participation in my publicity service, and an interview on my radio show. I started by sending the news to subscribers whose renewals are due in the next three months and so far have signed up nearly a dozen authors. This service is open to all subscribers, regardless of the date of sign-up. We'll either wait until the period ends or adjust the fee accordingly. This service officially begins July 1, 2006. The membership idea was given to me by subscriber Anne Miller, a business person whose latest book is METAPHORICALLY SELLING (Chiron Associates 2004). http://www.annemiller.com. Since she too lives in NYC, we met for lunch where she shared some of her business savvy. This system benefits us all. Since it's an annual fee, it eliminates much of the bookkeeping and in the long run is less expensive than the $25 fee charged every two months for the publicity service alone. The $7.50 annual fee remains the same for those who chose not to join the Membership Club. ***************************************** 1) Feature Article The following is an excerpt from Florrie Kichler's article, “Better Than Bookstores: Prime Channels for Selling Children's Books” originally published in the April 2006 PMA Independent. The article was written for children's book publishers, but this excerpted section on associations can be applied to authors who write in any genre. In essence, Florrie begins by saying how much she loves bookstores but that the key to a healthy bottom line is not relying on bookstores as the major source of income-those pesky returns will get you every time. Stepping outside the traditional channel for selling children's books can net you big rewards in terms of both large and small nonreturnable sales. Nonreturnable - a lovely word. And what about getting paid in 30 days instead of 60, 90, or more? Who is interested in reading my book, and . . . What do they belong to? The Encyclopedia of Associations (both a database and a print source) lists more than 100,000 membership organizations. Odds are excellent that at least one or two of them have a mission that would dovetail perfectly with the subject matter of any given book. Do you have a title about pets or animals? Try the ASPCA. Sports? Check the “Athletic and Sport” category. Is your children's book educational? Category (05), “Education,” may have a perfect match. If your book has a religious theme, look through the entries for “Religious” (11). Once you have a list of prospects, how can you get their attention? Do your homework. I can't emphasize this point enough-you need to spend the time to learn about an association's mission, structure, board of directors, and executive director. Then use this information-most of which you will be able to glean from the association's Web site-to craft a proposal that emphasizes over and over again how your book will help it and its members. In the course of writing a proposal to a large national association for one of my titles, I pointed out how my book would help it achieve its goals in terms of every single sentence in its mission statement. What kind of offer do you make? The only limit is your imagination-and what you learned in your research about an organization. For instance, an association can use your books as: · an incentive to get members to join or renew · a product for its online bookstore · a gift as part of an educational seminar · a fundraiser Treat the organization as your partner, not just your customer-you want it to be vested in the project so that the staff sees your book as their book and thus will continue to order year after year. Add value at little cost by including a custom cover with the organization's logo, a couple of pages in the front matter with a message from its executive director, and bookmarks that use the design for your own bookmarks but add the group's logo. Depending on the financial structure of the deal, you can also offer to donate a percentage of book sales revenue back to the organization. For example, an offer I made to a national not-for-profit group included not only an attractive price for the association's quantity purchase but also an opportunity for individual members to purchase books and have me donate 15 percent back to the organization for each copy members bought through the association. Of course, I took that into consideration when calculating costs, which brings me to perhaps the most important point regarding association sales, shared with me by Don Tubesing, former president of PMA: Don't underprice. No matter how anxious you are to make the sale, remember that you have content the group needs (you have shown them specifically why they need it). Set your price high enough to include a decent profit and to allow for some negotiating room. Among the advantages of selling to associations are no returns, reduced unit cost (because you can add their orders to your print runs), and the credibility you will gain that you can leverage to use for the next association sale. One other caveat - allow much more time than you think you'll need. These kinds of sales can take more than a year to accomplish. This complete article is available at: http://www.pma-online.org/scripts/shownews.cfm?id=1311 ------------------------------- Florrie of Patria Press, Inc., is the publisher of the Young Patriots series. She can be reached at fkichler@patriapress.com. http://www.patriapress.com *************************************** 2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Subscribers Lea Schizas, Editor of "The Muse on Writing," and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T (Star Publish 2004), are sponsoring a virtual writers' conference on October 9th-13th 2006 -- very possibly the first. This conference offers writers -- published or not -- who have not been to a conference for whatever reason, to mingle with some of the publishing world's personalities, to pose questions and learn from them, and to partake in many of the F~R~ E~E online workshops they will be hosting. Bookmark this site: http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/ and come back often to see the newest presenters and workshops. “[Subscriber] Shel Horowitz just accepted our invitation and we already have dozens of others,” the women said. “Carolyn will be presenting on both book promotion and the craft of writing, specifically 'Writing Sparkling Dialogue in 10 Easy Steps.'” To check on the growing faculty and workshop session, go to: http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/agenda.htm ------------------------------- 3) GOOD DEEDS While in Washington, D.C. for the BEA (Book Expo America), Joyce Faulkner, along with Connie and Eddie Beesley (http://www.luckyenoughthebook.com) visited wounded service men and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. “As far as I know, the young people we met had been hurt in Iraq, but I'm sure there might have been some from Afghanistan as well,” recalls Joyce, author of IN THE SHADOW OF SURIBACHI (2005), a literary novel about World War II, LOSING PATIENCE (2004), a collection of short fiction, and THE COMPLETE WRITER'S JOURNAL, consisting of authors' quotes, all published by Red Engine Press. “As you can imagine, it was a very moving day. Eddie and I gave them copies of our own books -- but also, I gave them copies of our journals. “These young men and women were terribly wounded but upbeat considering the uphill battle that they are facing,” she says. “They were appreciative of our time...and of our books too. We talked to them about using the journals to record their thoughts. One fellow said that he wished he'd had one earlier. Another told me that he would use it for the exercises he must do as part of his physical therapy...all nodded solemnly when Connie or I mentioned the importance of writing about their experiences for their children. We were not the first to suggest this to them I believe...and of course, they were impressed with Eddie and embraced him and his book. Some recognized the journal as the first step in doing what Eddie has done. “It's a small thing to do for them. I wish we could do more.” http://www.losingpatience.com [The contributing authors were permitted to purchase copies of the journal from the publisher at 50% off list price. Joyce says: “They are great for so many things….and they turned out beautifully....there are over 100 authors quoted....so if each author purchased 3 or 4 and shared them in their part of the country....then everyone will have 99 other people promoting their books....there is no obligation to buy any of course...I purchased 30 and gave them to the men in the hospitals.”] *************************************** 4) FEEDBACK Peter Bowerman disagrees with some points made in Pamela Thibodeaux's feature article, Keys to a Successful Book Signing: “She says one month in advance,” he states. “That's just wrong. The big chain stores book appearances 2-3 months in advance, and if you wait till 30 days before, you'll likely be out of luck. Getting books in (which is why she says you need to give them 30 days) is no big deal. They can get books in in 3-4 days. It's that they book a lot of guests. Not saying it couldn't happen that you get in inside of 30 days, but to use that as your benchmark just isn't wise. “She also says, 'Schedule during busy times,' which, of course is right, but what she doesn't say, but I've found out the hard way, is that different stores are busier during different times. What's busy for a suburban location might be very different than for an in-town location. (All this is in my new book of course (p. 173-175).” Peter's new book is THE WELL-FED SELF-PUBLISHER (Fanove Publishing 2007). http://www.wellfedwriter.com *************************************** 5) CONTEST The Contest Where Everyone Wins! Pamela S Thibodeaux has teamed up with The Road To Romance http://www.roadtoromance.ca for a contest, and, along with three winners, ALL Entrants will receive a coupon good for 10% off RV of Tempered Hearts or Tempered Dreams! Contest held May 15 - June 15, Enter Here: http://www.roadtoromance.ca/contestthibodeauxmay06.htm Pamela is author of Tempered Hearts and Tempered Dreams (Writers Exchange Epublishing Co, and ComStar Media 2005) http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com *************************************** 6) SURPRISES Mary Emma Allen appeared on Concord (NH) Community TV's Book Swap Café, (Channel 22), May 12 and 19 at 7 PM to discuss her books and writing life. Mary writes books for children and adults, as well as newspaper and online columns. “The invitation to appear on community TV in NH's capital city came 'out of the blue,'" she says. “The host found my name on a list of NH authors and artists. Just the result of consistently writing and getting one's name out there, I guess.” ------------------------------- Patricia Lee Lewis is author of a chapbook of poems, A KIND OF YELLOW (Patchwork Farm Press 2005), and director of Patchwork Farm, a writing retreat on 100 acres in western Massachusetts. To her surprise, four English teachers from a high school in Connecticut ordered 110 copies to use in their classes; then another English teacher with an honor's class in writing had her students write papers about the poems. Since many of the poems were about a pregnant teenager, the students could easily relate. The teacher then sent the students' papers to Patricia, who sat in her “dining room and wept,” she recalls. “They so got the poems.” This all began because one of the four teachers is a student in one of Patricia's Wednesday workshops who commutes weekly to the Berkshires. She had planned to buy the book for her class but the other teachers soon got word and wanted their own. “That was amazing,” Patricia says. “I never could have predicted it.” http://www.writingretreats.org *************************************** 7) PROGRESS REPORT These are the spots I found for my clients: Relationship experts Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski will be the guests of Larry Arnette on Larry's Bottom Line on May 25, 2006 at 5:10 EST. The radio show airs every Thursday, 5-6 p.m. on WAIF 883 FM in Cincinnati, Ohio. As Larry wrote to me, “I've done a ton of shows over the years on relationships...besides politics & pop culture...it's my fave topic.” http://www.larrysbottomline.com Judith and Jim are authors of THE NEW INTIMACY: DISCOVERING THE MAGIC AT THE HEART OF YOUR DIFFERENCES (Health Communications 1997) http://www.themagicofdifferences.com, OPENING TO LOVE 365 DAYS A YEAR (Health Communications 2000), BE LOVED FOR WHO YOU REALLY ARE (St. Martin's Press 2001) and THE SMART COUPLE'S GUIDE TO THE WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS (New World Library 2005). ------------------------------- I had emailed Bud Bilanich about having Pamela S. Harper on his radio show. He wrote back to say he was no longer doing the show but offered to review both her book and mine for his website, at http://www.BudBilanich.com So far, he has reviewed Pamela's book, PREVENTING STRATEGIC GRIDLOCK (Cameo Publications 2003) and wrote to her “I really like your book - full of common sense.” Pamela was very pleased and wrote Bud thanking him for giving “such a thorough review of my book.” http://www.businessadvance.com ------------------------------- Charles Ehin will be the guest of David Wolf on Smallbiz America Radio on August 19, 2006 at 10:30 a.m., MT. Charles is author of UNLEASHING INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000), and HIDDEN ASSETS: HARNESSING THE POWER OF INFORMAL SOCIAL NETWORKS (Springer, 2004). http://www.smallbizamerica.com The third (non-business) book is AFTERMATH (PublishAmerica 2004), an historical autobiography that brings to life the tragic effects of the secret pact between Hitler and Stalin in August 1939. http://www.unmanagement.com ------------------------------- Ben Martin, the Radio Reading Service Director at WVTF Public Radio Book Club, plans to use Virginia Morton's book, MARCHING THROUGH CULPEPER: A NOVEL OF CULPEPER, VIRGINIA (Edgehill Books 2000), now in its sixth printing, in its Radio Reading Service and also feature it in its Book Club recommendations. http://www.wvtf.org/bookclub.htm http://www.edgehillbooks.com ------------------------------- Walter Brasch was a guest of Paul Molloy Jr. last night on the Libertarian radio program Freedom Works! talking about his new book, 'UNACCEPTABLE': THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA (BookSurge Publishing 2006), as well as freedom of speech. http://www.thefreedomworks.org. Walter will also be the guest of Gianni Hayes on May 31, 2006 on the loss of America's freedoms, on http://www.americanvoice.com, which airs Wednesdays, 8-10 p.m., EST. Walter's other books are AMERICA'S UNPATRIOTIC ACTS: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND CIVIL LIBERTIES (Peter Lang Publishers 2005), named the Outstanding General Non-Fiction Book by the Pennsylvania Press Club, SEX AND THE SINGLE BEER CAN - PROBING THE MEDIA AND AMERICAN CULTURE (Lighthouse Press 2003) and THE JOY OF SAX: AMERICA DURING THE BILL CLINTON ERA (Lighthouse Press 2001). http://www.walterbrasch.com *************************************** 8) KUDOS Brad Whittington's book, LIVING WITH FRED (Broadman & Holman 2005), is a finalist for the 2006 Christy Award (http://www.christyaward.com) in the contemporary series category. WELCOME TO FRED (Broadman & Holman Publishers 2003) won the Christy Award for First Novel in 2004. The awards will be presented at a dinner in Denver on July 8, 2006. http://www.fredtexas.com ------------------------------- Carol and Phil White, authors of LIVE YOUR ROAD TRIP DREAM (RLI Press 2004), attended the PMA/BEA Publishing University in Washington, D.C. last week, where they won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Marketing Excellence and Innovation -- the Independent Publisher's Association's highest award! “Little old one-book us!, says Carol. “I was speechless! I hadn't even prepared anything to say, as I thought that there was just no way. “The awards ceremony was held in a large ballroom at the convention center,” relates Carol. “There were around 500 people there. A big stage was set with all the awards set out and a huge screen that announced the winners and their book covers. It looked like the Oscars! “When the moderator started talking about 'this year one book stood out from all the others...' I knew it wasn't me; then she started talking about the 'multi-pronged marketing approach, starting with AAA,' and I went 'Oh no -- that's me!' I didn't hear another thing that she said from there on! My heart was pounding so hard I could hardly walk up there. I did manage to say a few things about how anyone can do this with a 'good book, a good marketing plan and lots of determination!' “When I left the stage, people I don't even know (and many that I did know) were stopping me to congratulate me, take pictures, etc. It was incredible! The buzz the next day was so fun. Carol also “had a great meeting with RVIA - Recreational Vehicle Industry Association - which is “ getting more interested in doing some joint marketing next year -- they use several spokespeople for the industry and they think we are just the right profile to represent the 'new boomer RVer'! ...Determination and follow-up, right?” http://www.roadtripdream.com *************************************** Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter and available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount. 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 book with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@buybooksontheweb.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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Banyon Publishing also offers... 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