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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://creativewritingworkshop.info. 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 121: October 10, 2007 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 121: October 10, 2007 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) Fromm the Pen of...... 4) Gimme a Break 5) Progress Report 6) Kudos First Step Internet Marketing http://www.firststepinternetmarketing.com/course The only course for the real beginner that takes you from your first day to your first dollar. Created and given by Judith Sherven, Jim Sniechowski, and Tom Justin. INTRODUCTION It's been my dream lately to host a radio show on terrestrial radio. I had an idea to do a show called The Radio Host Show, where I would interview radio hosts. Since compiling two books on radio, I certainly have hundreds of contacts. So I called the closest station to where I live and the station manager was very encouraging. He has a morning slot for me - provided I bring in sponsors. So I have gone full circle. Back to selling. Only this time I am selling for me - not for others. The station, WRCR, is in Nanuet in Rockland County, about half hour from my home. It airs throughout Rockland County, Northern New Jersey and parts of Westchester. Can't complain about population numbers there. (1) FEATURE ARTICLE Sell Your Book Without Bookstores by Fern Reiss In the last four weeks, one of my clients sold over 10,000 books, without ever hassling with bookstores. Here’s how your book can generate this kind of quantity sales this quickly: Background It all started when Stuart Ballan attended my Publishing Game Workshop. According to a Harvard Business School report, 84% of books in large US bookstores sell 2 copies or fewer each year; only 2% sell 10 or more copies in a year. In addition to these dismal statistics, Stuart was stymied by another complication: He lives in Israel, rather than the US, so marketing books in the US was sure to be more complicated for him. So Stuart decided, with my encouragement, to temporarily ignore US bookstores for his children’s book, “Who Invented Vegetables?” Put the books into a non-bookstore venue Stuart was intrigued by my anecdotes of selling my Publishing Game books into Boston-area coffee shops and movie theatres. Non-bookstore venues have several key advantages: They pay better (60% and up, instead of 45%), they pay upon receipt (rather than 60-90 days later), and they don’t return books. Most importantly, however, there is no competition—because unlike a bookstore with hundreds of thousands of titles, coffee shops, movie theatres, and other non-traditional venues generally don’t sell books. Once the decision was made to ignore bookstores, the question became, where would Stuart’s vegetable book sell in quantity? Focus on the meta-customer Rather than trying to sell to millions of end-customers, Stuart decided to focus on those who had the most to gain by selling the subject of his book: Vegetable exporters and retailers. The largest retailers of vegetables, he realized, are the major supermarket chains. And the chains are much easier to focus on than the thousands of individual vegetable stands. Give them a reason to buy now Not only did Stuart want the chains to consider stocking the book in their grocery stores, he wanted to give the chains an impetus to buy the book immediately. Since the Jewish holiday of Shavuot is associated with vegetables, he presented it to the chains as a timely item, that would sell best if in the stores in the last few weeks of May, just before the holiday. The results Stuart approached the largest supermarket chain in Israel. Within a week, his book was available in over 150 supermarkets across the country. Not content to rest on his laurels, Stuart then approached the major vegetable growers and exporters, and offered the books as a holiday gift item for children of employees and clients. For orders over a certain quantity, he would even put logos and personalized messages on the inside cover. Results? Over 10,000 copies sold in a matter of weeks. Proportional to population size, that would be the equivalent of over 500,000 book sales in the US. And because of the tremendous sales records, Stuart was then able to approach a US supermarket chain with his idea—so in a few months, you’re likely to see Stuart’s vegetable book in your local grocery store. So think quantity sales, think outside the box venues, and think creative. If you’d like to explore how your book could generate quantity sales outside of bookstores, call Fern for a one-on-one consultation: http://www.PublishingGame.com/consulting.htm Fern Reiss, CEO of PublishingGame.com/Expertizing.com, is the author of The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days (book promotion), The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days (traditional publishing), and The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days (self-publishing). You can sign up for her email list on publishing and book promotion at http://www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm (2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Nancy Hendrickson of Blogging Authors, http://www.bloggingauthors.com, created a new e-book for authors titled Blog Your Book to the Top! "I culled the brightest minds in blog promotion on the Internet, plus interviewed 15 successful authors who are using blogs to promote their books," she says. "It's all in a new 197-page e-book priced at $39.95." To purchase click http://frannygirl.howtopub.hop.clickbank.net (3) FROM THE PEN OF.......... "To plan a publicity campaign you must examine yourself, your book and the world you live in differently than you ever have before. It is time to meditate, to get inventive, to understand how you can relate all these elements to your branding, your promotion campaign, and the lists you are building. "Think of the themes inherent in your book. Where is it set? In what time? What is its premise? What is its genre? As you're doing this be open to what others see in your work. I hadn't considered my first novel a Christian novel (still don't) but The Library Journal reviewed it in their Christian issue because of its tie to Mormon country. I didn't argue. Rather, I used this new slant to make new contacts." From THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER (Star Publish 2004) by Carolyn Howard-Johnson (4) GIMME A BREAK If we write about romance, we face those who pooh pooh the genre; if we write about liberal politics we face opposition from the conservatives. British author Carrie White, aka Carolyn Brownsell, writes about erotica so you can imagine her problems!! "Because the subject is about sex or erotica, I'm exempt from promoting my book on many sites and these can include some writing sites and forums," she says. Carrie is author of an e-book called Inner Sins. http://www.hentracks.co.uk Other times criticism is self-imposed. Meri Tahset writes about Africana spiritual subjects and has offered divination and psychic readings for more than six years. Her first book is COCONUT DREAMS and her second, THE DIVINE HAND, deals with rootwork and hoodoo from a practitioner's viewpoint. "Now I have faced internal criticism more than external because the metaphysical community can be brutal when it comes to sharing info from indigenous cultures and so I'm very cautious about how, when, and where I present the books, probably too much so since I'm a new author and a perfectionist." http://sistahealer.com http://fonspiritualcenter.org Then there is the "criticism" that we would all welcome: Nancy Madison writes romantic suspense and has a following. "I can't remember any criticism about my books except a few readers have said they wish I could write my books faster since they don't like waiting for the next book." Nancy's fifth and latest book is WHISPERS (Write Words 2007). http://authorsden.com/nancysmadison (5) PROGRESS REPORT Following are the spots I've found for my clients: Linda D. Wattley will be a guest on The Bev Smith Show, nationally syndicated by American Urban Radio Networks, on Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 8:30 PM EST. http://www.myspace.com/bevsmithonline Linda is author of DADDY'S GIRL (Angel Press Publishing 2006). http://www.lindawattley.com Walter Brasch was the guest of Sheryl Youngblood on the KnightTime Radio Show, on Sept. 28, 2007 on WWCR-AM (Nashville, TN). http://www.truckerdoc.com. The show focused on how President Bush's actions affect the trucking industry. "Much tighter focus than I'm used to," recalls Walter, "but I managed to fill about 20 or so minutes with discussion of some regs (like increasing number of hours a trucker can drive)...She plugged book well." Walter's latest book is SINKING THE SHIP OF STATE: The Presidency of George W. Bush (BookSurge Publishing 2007). Lynn Thompson, host of Living on Purpose on http://www.chly.ca, http://www.radioearnetwork.com, and http://www.WomensRadio.com, has or will have hosted two clients: Nancy Lee will be her guest at 3pm (MT) and 2 pm (PT) on October 18, 2007. Nancy is founder of Visionary Communications, Inc., a multi-media company, creator and host of "LIGHTS ON with Nancy Lee," and author of VOICES OF LIGHT ~ Conversations on the New Spirituality (Chrysalis Books 2003), http://www.Swedenborg.com, a compilation of 14 of her best interviews from her show when it was on KCOL Colorado for seven years, and Awakening the Mystic ~ Adventures in Living From the Heart (AuthorHouse 2006). http://www.NancyLee.net Ilene Dillon was interviewed on October 2, 2007 and the segment will be replayed on Monday, October 15, 2007 at 1 pm (PT) and on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 9 am (PT) on http://www.radioearnetwork.com Ilene is the author of 19 books, most of them on emotions. Her series EXPLORING....WITH YOUR CHILDREN, were all published in 1994 by Enchante Publishing and cover such emotions as anger, guilt, jealousy, hurt and grief. http://www.emotionalpro.com Tricia Molloy will be the guest of Debra Pearlman, host of Unlock Your Sales Potential, on WTBQ, 1110 AM, on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 4-5 p.m. (ET). http://www.dpsalespro.com Tricia is author of DIVINE WISDOM AT WORK™ 10 Universal Principles for Enlightened Entrepreneurs (Aha! House 2006). http://www.molloycom.com (6) KUDOS Children's book author Max Anderson was profiled in The Chronicle newspaper, which has 200,000 readers, about his Dangerous Book for Boys series. A nice touch was the note at the end alerting readers to the fact that a chapter from one of his action adventure and mysteries will be posted each Monday, though Nov. 12 at http://booksandboys.blogspot.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. 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) is 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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Issue 122: October 24, 2007 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 122: October 24, 2007 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) Surprises 4) From the Pen of...... 5) Progress Report 6) Kudos INTRODUCTION I've been all over the map looking for a home on the radio. Finding stations that like my idea - The Radio Host Show - is the easy part. Everyone likes the idea. But finding sponsors will be the killer. The most promising deal is Lifestyles Talk Network, which airs on 1100 stations nationwide, although my one-hour show would only be on about 25 to 30 at first. The studio is within driving distance so that's not a problem. If anyone has ideas of how to get national sponsors, I would be most grateful to hear them. (1) FEATURE ARTICLE Press Releases Are Useless By Penny C. Sansevieri Did you know that 98% of journalists go online daily? (Source: white paper released by Expansion Plus Inc. http://www.expansionplus.com http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=8j7el5bab.0.0.rbqksjbab.0&ts=S0233&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.expansionplus.com. Here's the breakdown of what they're doing while they're on the 'Net: 92% article research 81% searching online for stories and information related to piece they're currently working on 76% to find new sources and/or experts 73% to find press releases If you're crafting a press release to fax or email to the media - stop! This is a colossal waste of your time. Why? Because the old way of doing press releases no longer works. Press releases, the old way, are useless. And here's another tidbit: by posting your release online you can circumvent: gatekeepers, spam filters, or your press release disappearing in the glut of emails a reporter or producer gets each day. A recent study indicated that over 70% of Americans get their news content online so not only are reporters online, but consumers are, too. This has made online press releases very attractive to media professionals and authors. A few years ago you could almost guarantee a media person would call you if you posted your release in an online newsroom like Prweb.com http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=8j7el5bab.0.0.rbqksjbab.0&ts=S0233&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prweb.com. It was simple and free and a posting generally took you no longer than five to ten minutes. It was time well spent. But as the flood of press releases hit these online venues, the ratio of posting vs. media attention changed, and the deluge of releases only served to clutter these portals until finally a paid service was offered. Many thought this was the salvation of the online press release posting and for a while, it was. Now, however, this has changed yet again. The low cost of posting to these sites makes it fairly reasonable for anyone to get a listing and consequently, the clutter continues. But much like the clutter of sites on the 'Net, the solution to this is very simple: press release optimization. What is “optimization”? Let me explain. When your press release resides online, whether it's through a service like Prweb or you've just put the release in the media room on your site, you need to treat this release just like you treat a web site and optimize it using keywords and techniques that are “web friendly”. At AME we've developed an entire system for optimizing releases with our Resident SEO (search engine optimization) guru, Susan Gilbert. Susan cites an example that she used to gain her a mention in a major news source: “Here's an example from a new web site I created: The domain name was registered on Feb. 3 and the site was completed on Feb. 10. I created a press release (which had an official date of Feb. 15, 2007 ) and submitted it to several online press release agencies. My site was indexed in Google within a week, and was considered the 'authority' on the topic in Google by March 15. On April 2 I was contacted by a journalist who found my press release online. She was researching my topic for inclusion in Home Style magazine. Home Style is published both offline and online by Contentthatworks.com http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=8j7el5bab.0.0.rbqksjbab.0&ts=S0233&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.contentthatworks.com. Content That Works has licensing agreements with more than 200 newspapers in the United States and Canada. Combined, these newspapers reach more than 12 million households. My website and interview will be featured in May's issue." The trick here are the keywords, which are often misunderstood: “The biggest mistake a novice can make,” offers Gilbert, “is thinking that your keyword is the root word of your subject matter. The competition for all root words (i.e. romance novel, scrapbooking, etc.) will never achieve ranking. Keyword research is an art that takes a long time to learn and takes keyword research tools that can be costly. Additionally, keyword research changes based on the newest algorithms and search engine advances.” Much like a web site designer, or someone who writes your press release, don't trust your keyword searches to just anyone. Make sure they are tuned into the 'Net and aren't just offering standard or “root” keywords. Once you have your keywords defined, you'll want to use these in the headline and the first 50 words of your release. The next piece of this is the length of your press release. Generally, online releases should be no more than 600 words in length and have at least one (preferably two) hyperlinks back to your web site. The keywords can also be used as anchor text for these links, too. Again, a good keyword person should come back with two or three relevant search terms that your target audience is likely to use for a news search. By optimizing your release you'll not only get onto the radar screen of your desired media and consumer targets, but you'll also get some valuable incoming links, and search engines love those! Anytime your story gets picked up by web sites (and in particular news web sites), it creates an inbound link which helps with your site ranking. And finally, if you're still not sure this is the route for you to take, consider this: Yahoo! News outranks CNN and the BBC, meaning that Yahoo has more news readers than either of these two giants. So if you're planning a campaign, or still knee deep in an ongoing one, consider optimizing your press release, it might give you the boost you need, and who knows, maybe even get you noticed by that elusive media target. If you'd like more information on press release optimization, please contact us at: info@amarketingexpert.com Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success." http://www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com (2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL My subscribers Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski, best selling authors of five books, have partnered with marketing consultant Tom Justin to create the only Internet marketing course for the true beginner. This 6 week/14 hour course with ongoing bonuses about everything from copywriting to testimonials, autoresponders to affiliate sales is perfect for authors who want to expand their marketing technology AND marketing mindset, AND Judith & Jim have arranged a special $200 discount for you because you subscribe to this newsletter. Check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/2hgc7b Subscriber Melissa Alvarez is now the host of her own radio show on Blog Talk Radio and is seeking guests in both the metaphysical and publishing fields. To find out more about her show, visit http://blogtalkradio.com/MelissaAlvarez. If you're a paranormal investigator, holistic healer, author, publisher, agent or any other specialist in either field, check out her show schedule at http://melissaa.com and then send Melissa an email to sign up. "I'm booking through May 2008 right now and space is filling up fast," she says. Melissa is also scheduling for 2008 within her paranormal workshop group. "This isn't a paid position for presenters but it's an opportunity to promote your name and products or service," she explains. "In November our guest is Mary O'Grady who will be discussing Connecting With Your Inner Guidance and in December I'm hosting a Friday Free For All to close out the year. It's a day full of free psychic readings and answers to all types of metaphysical questions." If you're interested in being a guest, write to contact@melissaa.com. If you'd like to be a member of the group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paranormal_Workshops. The discussion list is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paranormal_Discussions. (3) SURPRISES Cora Schwartz, author of GYPSY TEARS, LOVING A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR (Hobblebush Books 2007) got an email last week from her publisher that made “her blood run cold.” The email was forwarded from someone who presented what Cora calls “a writer’s worst nightmare”: "Can you please tell me why Ms. Schwartz spelled gypsy with a small g and Jew with a capital J? We are people too!" Cora stayed up all night trying to figure out what to do. Answer it, don’t answer it. Maybe the guy is just a nutcase with nothing better to do, but then in the morning she decided to pursue the message: Dear Sir, My publisher forwarded your email to me. The reason I spelled Gypsy with a small g is clear and simple: Ignorance. "I went on to tell him how many people, editors, proof-readers, endorsers read the manuscript and never said a word about the error. I also told him that I would tell my webmaster to change the word on my website, tell the publisher if there are reprints to make sure the change was made and to add a formal apology etc. I sent the email and practically held my breath until I got a response. "Turns out the writer of the email is a world-famous academic on issues of Romani studies. He is the head of the Romani Department at a University! Not only did he accept my apology but he said my book, which he had just read was 'worthwhile' and asked that I send a signed copy for the Romani archieve at the university. He also sent me a wonderful article he wrote about the Gypsy Holocaust and said he would be happy to read the synopsis of the sequel I am working on. So, I have a new friend, and mentor who has opened a wonderful world for my writing. Who knew there was a special department in a University dedicated to the Romani? http://www.coraschwartz.com (4) FROM THE PEN OF......... "When I moved to Downers Grove, IL, where I knew no one, from Kalamazoo, MI, where I had been so active at work and the community, I talked to my insurance agent, who was one of the first people to call on me. He said the owners of the local paper were his friends, and I could use his name to introduce myself and let them know I had a journalism degree from the University of Missouri. I did just that. While I never spoke to them about a job, we did become friends, and they were great supporters for more than 25 years and generous in the editorial space they allocated to my endeavors." from Breakthrough Networking - Building Relationships that Last by Lillian D. Bjorseth (Duoforce Enterprises, 2nd edition 2003). http://www.duoforce.com (5) PROGRESS REPORT Following are the spots I found for my clients: Tricia Molloy was the guest of John McKee, host of Business Success Coaching on http://www.WomensRadio.com on October 16, 2007. Tricia is author of DIVINE WISDOM AT WORK - 10 Universal Principles for Enlightened Entrepreneurs (Aha! House 2006). http://www.molloycom.com http://www.divinewisdomatwork.com On October 15, 2007, Katherine Scherer was the guest of Carla C. Kjellberg, host of It Takes a Village, distributed and syndicated throughout Minnesota and North Dakota on the Premier Productions Radio Network and at http://www.villagetalkradio.com. Eileen reports that "Carla indicated she was happy with the subject matter." Eileen and Katherine are co-authors of GRATITUDE WORKS (K&E Innovations 2004), http://www.gratitudeworks.com and are involved in a THREE FOR THIRTY campaign at a women's prison On October 15, 2007, Walter Brasch was the guest of Norm Jones, host of The Norm Jones Show on WTCM, Traverse City, Michigan, http://www.wtcmradio.com. Norm is a conservative and Walter a liberal so it must have been an interesting show! Walter's latest book is SINKING THE SHIP OF STATE: The Presidency of George W. Bush (BookSurge Publishing 2007). http://www.walterbrasch.com Roger Ellerton was a guest of Lynn Thompson, host and producer of Living on Purpose on October 8, 2007, to be aired on http://www.chly.ca/living_on_purpose.php, http://www.WomensRadio.com, and http://www.RadioEarNetwork.com http://living4.audioacrobat.com/download/ba3e9fcd-6465-e496-ecad-6bcd82b6b250.mp3 Roger is author of LIVE YOUR DREAMS - Let Reality Catch Up (Trafford 2005). http://www.live-your-dreams.biz Nancy Lee will be Lynn's guest on October 25, 2007, at noon (PT). Nancy is host of Lights On on http://www.HealthyLife.net She is the author of VOICES OF LIGHT ~ Conversations on the New Spirituality (Chrysalis Books 2003) and AWAKENING THE MYSTIC ~ Adventures in Living From the Heart (AuthorHouse 2006). http://www.NancyLee.net Lynn informs me that Ilene Dillon's interview with her is now posted at http://www.womensradio.com to be visible there beginning Thursday, October 25, 2007, and archived afterwards. Ilene was on Lynn's show on October 2, 2007. Relationship experts Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski were return guests on two shows: PASSION with Dr. Laurie Betito on CJAD 800, Montreal and CFRB 1010, Toronto - http://www.drlaurie.com - and on The BottomLine with Larry Arnette on 88.3 WAIF-FM in Cincinnati, Ohio broadcasting to Cincinnati & Northern, KY. http://www.larrysbottomline.com Judith and Jim's fourth and latest book is THE SMART COUPLE'S GUIDE TO THE WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS: Planning Together for Less Stress and More Joy (New World Library 2005) http://www.judithandjim.com http://www.smartweddingcouples.com David Spero was invited back on the Third Age Radio Show with David Debin and Peter Brill, MD on KZSB 1290 AM,.Santa Barbara, Ca. and Ventura County, on February 18, 2008, at 11am (PST). http://www.thirdagefoundation.com David's latest book is DIABETES: Sugar-Coated Crisis: Who gets it, who profits, and how to stop it (New Society Publishers Sept. 2006), winner of the 2007 Eric Hoffer Award for best small-press book from Writers' Digest [hofferaward.com] and a Silver IPPY in the Health category from Independent Publisher http://www.davidsperoRN.com http://www.art-of-getting-well.com (6) KUDOS Judge Janice Law's 2006 nonfiction book YIELD: A Judge's Fir$t-Year Diary is a finalist for one of Texas' major literary awards: the Violet Crown. http://www.judgejanicelw.com. The award name is taken from O.Henry. http://www.writersleague.org/VioletCrown/nonfiction Finalists and winners will be honored at a 3 p.m. Nov. 3 ceremony in Austin in the Texas state capitol building. The panel is part of the Texas Book Festival. http://www.texasboookfestival.org/calendar Kim Bloomer's college, the Clayton College of Nature Health, http://www.ccnh.edu, sends out a quarterly print magazine/newsletter, and features students and graduates in each issue. "This time I was fortunate to get a write-up on page 22 about my writing and podcasting for natural animal health which you can read online or download as a pdf or I can send it out as an attachment to you," says Kim. "It was a great surprise for me and totally unexpected :-)" http://www.ccnh.edu/community/newsletter/holtimesv14n3/fp_v14n3.aspx Kim is host of Animal Talk Naturally! aired live on Wednesdays at 2:30 PM on http://www.Holistic-Pet-Audio.com http://www.AnimalTalkNaturally.com The 2007 DIY Book Festival awarded the title of honorable mention to WAKING SPIRIT: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings by Shirley Cheng, her third accolade for this book. "What can I possibly say now?" says Shirley. "Last time, I said I was floating on Cloud Nine. Well, let's say I'm dancing on it now." Shirley is a blind and physically disabled 24-year-old motivational speaker and author/contributor of 16 books. http://www.shirleycheng.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. 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) is 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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 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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