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Sept. 15, 2010
Sharing with Writers
A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs! Associated with the multi award - winning series of HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com


From the Desks of
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
and Sharing with Writers Subscribers

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!
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Contents
Regular Features
~Note from Carolyn
~Letters - to - the - Editor
~Thank Yous (where you also find leads and great resources!)
~Tips and News Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!)
~Opportunities: Last Call! Make Reservations Now!
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column, Writing about the Great Outdoors
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~Feature: John Kremer Shares New Resource in His Inimitable Style
~Feature: Aaron Lazar Shares Newsletter Experience
~Feature: Blogging Your Way to a Successful Writing Career by Tim Handorf

Note: You may have better luck with the URLs in this newsletter if you copy and paste. I leave the links long rather than use hyperlinks in this letter because it is available in plain text in your e - mail window as well as by .pdf when you copy and paste the link provided below.
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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

A friend of mine is writing a book and wanted me to tell her about how I’ve partnered with specialty shops to sell fiction. Until her project is done, I am not at liberty to mention it, but what I wrote to her made me think it is time to review that topic with you once again.

~My novel (This Is the Place - - used copies available for about $1 at www.budurl.com/ThisIsThePlace ) is based on my own story (very nearly a memoir) and is set in Utah. That made it suitable for souvenir shops, especially those in the Intermountain West during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

~My novel was based on family journals. That made it suitable for shops in and around the Mormon Temple that caters to genealogists and journalers.

~Its title was immediately recognizable by those who love history of the American West. That made it suitable for a launch at the Autry Museum of Western History in Los Angeles and other museum shops and bookstores that cater to history buffs.

~This Is the Place explores the subject of tolerance. That made it suitable for hippy/liberal coffee shops, Internet cafes, and the like, but it also made it suitable as recommended reading for teachers focusing on discrimination.

~To broaden the possibilities of sales through teachers, gender issues are addressed in this novel. Many universities have women’s studies programs. That is not an avenue I’ve pursued, but I could.
~This Is the Place was published just before the Olympics in Salt Lake City. That made it suitable for airport stores - - both specialty and bookstores.

This list gives you an idea of the way fiction writers should think about their books. They need to dissect them into different parts, think about how each will fit with the audience of different retail stores. The same process works when one is trying to get publicity for themselves and their books. We have to figure out how our books or our expertise can add something to the current events conversations as they recur in the news.

An example of this: Whenever the Mormon Church or polygamist sects hit the news (which is often), that makes This Is the Place news or at least makes me an expert. ( - :

Hope this helps you analyze your book for purposes of marketing it better. By the way, you'll see how I promote the tolerance aspect of this book on my Website at www.howtodoitfrugally.com . Very subtly. LOL. See the tolerance link at the top of the home page.

There are dozens of techniques one can use to make it easy for specialty shops to risk hosting an event or otherwise promoting your book, too. As an example, you can make your books easy to display by offering them display boxes with header cards.

You can also make retailers understand how selling the book and/or hosting an event for the author can be profitable for them. The more authors know about retailing, the easier it is for them to partner with retailers. I recommend reading my A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions (www.budurl.com/RetailersGuide) to learn what retailers are dealing with and how you can help them. There is even a section in it that talks about how retailers can benefit from hosting authors at their events.

Happy Writing, Editing and Promoting
Carolyn


=================================================Two highly recommended e - books for maximizing your Twitter account from Tony Eldridge are written especially for authors:
Twitter E - Book: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482099
Twitter E - Mail Course: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482103 and an interactive e - book on running a Twitter contest: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482099
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Letter to the Editor ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hi Carolyn:

When I was taking your class at UCLA, I mentioned that my book had been rejected by Heyday Books but with an encouraging rejection letter. You said, "Ask if you can use it as a blurb." I had not even conceived of such a thought, but I followed your advice and asked the acquisitions editor if I might use her words and her name. SHE SAID 'YES"....... So now I have another very good blurb. Thanks so much for the idea. My latest title working title is "Vanished: Lompoc's Japanese" with "Of One Hundred Families only Two Returned" as the first subtitle. On the back the second subtitle is "The Power of Profit and Prejudice."

Thanks again for your wisdom and encouragement.
Johnny McReynolds


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Needing something more meaningful for the celebrations in your life? Something that stays within your budget? Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions for the men in your life. Sure, they like fusses made over them, too! (www.budurl.com/Imagining) ($6.95). Cherished Pulse (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse) ($6.95) for someone you love. She Wore Emerald Then (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) ($12.95), for mothers and other women. They’re from the Celebration Series of poetry from Magdalena Ball and me.
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Tip: Shelf Magazine is a new review source. Submit your books for review and query them for interviews. Find editorial submissions guidelines: http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/docs/SHELF_Submission_Guidelines_2010.pdf Also find an extensive list of reviewers and review journals on my newly reworked Web site: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/reviewers.htm.


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Endorsement: Dear Carolyn (Via Twitter): “I met you at the Erma conference two years ago. The editing seminar you did at that conference has been a great inspiration for my writing. I love your newsletter.” From Laurie Fabrizio who blogs for 50 - something Moms at http://www.50somethingmoms.com/laurie/. And humor at http://lauriefabrizio.squarespace.com . She is a contributing author of the book “Laugh Your Shorts Off: Short stories to make you giggle by award winning writers.” Laurie tweets @Ifab24.
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Feature

New Resource and Cautionary Tale from John Kremer ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Editors Note: John gave me permission to republish this piece from his newsletter. It is a reminder of how I think paid - for reviews can go wrong. If people (Readers! Booksellers! Editors! Librarians!) don’t trust books just because they’re printed on a POD press, how is it going to help if they also don’t trust a review because the same author paid for it? Yes, there are occasional exceptions that may work well for a new author, especially package promotion deals that include a review, but please use caution. It’s also important to note that if the new PW Select is profitable, they can keep publishing forever, even if no one reads it. I have a visual of librarians and bookstores just rushing to those pages to select books for their shelves, can't you? What a deal!
The New “Publishers Weekly Select”

By John Kremer

Publishers Weekly has just announced that they are going to publish a quarterly supplement to the magazine called PW Select. This new supplement will feature self - published and print - on - demand titles. All self - published books submitted that quarter (by the deadline) will be listed in the supplement, and 25 of them will actually get reviewed. The first quarterly PW Select will come out in December and cover books submitted between September 1st and October 31st. PW will not, as they point out, charge for reviews. So kind.

But they are charging a $149.00 processing fee for every entry. That means that 99% of the self - publishers who submit an entry will be paying $149.00 for a listing. For details, see http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/diy/index.html.
Now I'm going to be blunt. This is not some kind gesture on PW's part to give greater recognition to self - published books. This is a money grab. $149.00 for processing?!? Note: They don't want to see your book unless they deign from on high to review it. Their $149.00 processing fee will cover their cost of reformatting your submission. Given that a typical submission shouldn't take longer than 6 minutes to reformat, that means they'll be paying some lucky typist $1,490.00 per hour to process (reformat) your submission. You might want to apply for a job.
Of course, I'm being facetious. The secretarial costs will probably be less than $90 per hour. The other $1,400.00 will go to their bottom line. Neat deal for them.

But PW offers one bonus: With your fee, you'll also get a free 6 - month subscription to the digital edition of PW. That's a $90 value. So, I guess you could say that you'll only be paying $59.00 for the listing.

Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or Web site: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto subscribe box. Let me know you did it. I will be able to do something similar for you on my Resources for Readers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
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Tip: One Sharing with Writers subscriber has been exploring the Web site Help a Reporter as a resource for getting publicity and as a way to learn about more targeted freelance opportunities. You may want to explore it, too. Let us know what you think: http://helpareporter.com/


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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. It includes a segment of frugal ways to help our troops and veterans. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Author Successes
(The author successes segment is here to praise, laud, and encourage but the success of one author may give you a resource for another. So, applaud, certainly. But also learn.)

Roger Storkamp Publishes New Hobo Novel
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Roger Storkamp, author of the HoboNovels: Thelma’s Quilt, ‘Neath a Crescent Moon and Miss West, has published the fourth in the series, Light Years from Home. He is encouraging new readers to become acquainted with his work by offering Light Years from Home for $10 and others in this series set in Minnesota for only $5 each. He pays shipping and handling. Reach him at HoboNovel@RogerStorkamp.com.

Sharing with Writers readers may also be interested in his HoboNovel promotion. More than 1100 of his books are traveling around the glove. Four hundred readers have reported back to his HoboNovels.com Web site. Here is the HoBo Novel creed: “A HoboNovel reveals her most intimate secrets when in a relationship with a reader, and she anticipates a lack of loyalty when her story concludes. She is confident of her impact but resents being sandwiched between other conquests on her reader’s trophy shelf. Passing from one person to another inflates her ego and enhances her reputation. She willingly shares her pleasures with strangers, and is unfazed if abandoned in a public place. Confident of her inner beauty, she shuns exterior cosmetics. Infatuated admirers are encouraged to ink tattoos on any of her exposed white space. She is a true Lady - of - the - Road.“

To understand how Roger’s Hobo Novel promotion works, visit www.HoboNovel.com .



=================================================Book Proposal Help: "The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less" for 49 cents at http://budurl.com/bookproposalreport =================================================

On Editing Feature

Aaron Lazar Shares Newsletter Experience
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Editor’s Note: You may have noticed that in this newsletter and my last one, I seem to be on a bit of a newsletter kick. That’s because I’ve seen some very odd advice circulating on the Web. It goes something like, “Newsletters are dead.” Well, they’re not. Marketing guru Shel Horowitz shares his experience with newsletters (and the lack thereof) last week. This week Lazar talks about using a service to send out his mails.
Emailer Services: Are They Worth It?

By Aaron Paul Lazar

I've built a long email list of loyal fans over the years. When I tried to send out email blasts (usually quarterly for my newsletter), I found it exhausting. Yahoo only let me mail one hundred per hour, so it took all day to get 900 emails out.

Not only that, but I hated the way it looked. All text, no pictures... just - - yawn - - so boring!
So, with the help of another author friend (thanks, Keith Pyeatt!), I learned about services you could sign up for where you can use templates or create your own nice looking emails with photos. They work pretty much like website templates, where you insert photos, links, change fonts, etc. as you wish.

I decided to sign up with iContact.com, which cost me a couple of hundred dollars last year when I first subscribed, but this year's renewal was cheaper. I signed up for 500 contacts, but you can choose less (100) and then simply forward the email to your other contacts after you receive it in your own mailbox. That sort of defeated the purpose for me, so I kept to the 500. I had to cull my email list pretty hard, and hope I didn't get rid of someone I shouldn't have. As the list grows, I'll have to figure out which way to go from here. But that's a problem for another day.
The question is, how many books do you sell from such a blast? Profit per book ranges from about two bucks (through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) to ten bucks, depending on my re - sale price. It takes a lot of books to make up for the cost of the mailer program. Never mind all the other ads and investments.

So, why do it?

It's called investing in the future. The more the platform grows, the more books sell eventually, the quicker I can retire to just ... writing. At least that's the plan. ;o) It's all about exposure, platform building, and just plain knocking on virtual doors...
If you'd like to see the content of the email blast I did for my newest book, check it out at http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978459790
- - - - - - -
Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries and Moore Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com and www.mooremysteries.com and watch for his upcoming release, FIRESONG, coming Winter 2010.

=================================================Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contact and build a list of readers. The most supportive and interactive one I know with an associated site for displaying fiction to the movie industry is iFOFO. Subscribe at http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html
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Editing Tip: Hey! I found the rarest of editing animals, a firm, fast English rule. (I think!) Check it out on one of my blogs: http://frugalretailing.blogspot.com/2010/08/blogging - grammar - sometimes - rules - are.html or http://dld.bz/sVeM.


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I’m reworking my Web site. Think of how much work I put into it just to provide tons more resources for writers! And please let me know if you find broken links. I need your help! http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/links_for_writers.htm =================================================

Opportunities

Last Call! Make Reservations Now! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eve and I have only three more places at our Roman Retreat October 23 to October 30. Jo Linsdell, a writer who lives in Rome, has planned a dinner for us where we can show (and sell!) our books displayed on a table in a local restaurant! The accommodations have been upgraded to a spectacular villa in Rome that is near transportation and one of the major parks in Rome. The fees are very reasonable - - for Rome. If you’ve been considering it, go directly to www.budurl.com/RomanRetreat. If you’re thinking about coming, quit it and just sign up! There’s still time to make your flight plans!


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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/advertising.htm for less per year than most sites charge for a single month. Find classified there, too.
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Tip: Social Marketing can drive your writing career. For instance, Goodreads is about more than hoping someone will review your book there. They have a whole program for authors. Go to: http://www.goodreads.com/author/how_to
To engage with me on some of my social networks look at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/social_media.htm .


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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested
in the F r ^^ Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, http://howtodoitfrugally.com/free_content.htm. I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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On Poetry
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This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well, inadequate about the writing or the promotion. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

I think the CreateSpace.com publishing model is perfect for those who want to publish chapbooks of poetry. Magdalena Ball and I are now working on our fourth in the Celebration Series of chapbooks. We can be creative, offer them inexpensively and have them available for poets and readers of poetry on Amazon and other online bookstores, for libraries and brick and mortar bookstores with no extra promotional effort. I’m be pleased to coach you through your first one. After that, even those who are tech challenged will find it easy.



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Endorsement: I wanted to tell you how your workshops, reading your newsletter, and just chatting with you has been a great help to me. I have a background in marketing from the fashion world and even though it has helped me get my foot in the door, I honestly have to say that after getting to know you, reading your books, and everything else I just said has truly helped me put Stories for Children Magazine on the map. ~ VS Grenier, Founder and Editor - in - Chief Stories for Children Magazine. http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.
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Tip: Jo Linsdell, the writing and marketing whiz who will be a guest speaker at the Eve Caram’s and my Roman Retreat, has her latest Tweet repeated in her e - mail signature. Wow, what a way to keep one’s tweets focused! ( - : She uses Wise Stamp Signature (http://www.wisestamp.com/email - ie ) and you can see from a sample of her signature below how that works for her:

Jo Linsdell Feliciani
jo_bins@yahoo.com
http://www.jolinsdell.com
Skype: Jo Linsdell - Feliciani
Contact Me
My latest Tweet jolinsdell: RT @pleasermrt: Time is just nature's way to keep everything from happening at once.
- - - @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now



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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com for only $25 to $35 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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Tip: If you have a tip that will help writers, I want to know about it. So does Penny Sansevieri, though she’d probably like different tips from the ones you send to me. Send them to hojonews @ aol. com with “SharingwithWriters Tip” in the subject line. Send them to Penny at penny@marketingexpert.com with “Reader Tip” in the subject line. Be sure to include your credit and your link.


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Audio divas bring you audios on many aspects of building a writing career:
www.tri - studio.com/writers.html. Titles include:
~Contest Facts: How to Add “Award - winning” to Your Name;
~Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction;
~Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing
~And more.
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Tip: It’s time to think about other products that are related to your book you might sell. Book proposals (www.budurl.com/BookProposals) require this information. Fiction writers tend to forget it entirely. So let’s rethink. Audios, E - books. Toys. Videos. What about bundling two or more books into a set. What about mini books - - spinoffs, really - - that support your how - to book. But think! This could also include a min book with an additional story about the characters in your novel!


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I highly recommend Jozette Aaron's f r ^ ^ DeSilva's News for writers: http://jozette.webs.com/ , and not just because I write a column for her. =================================================

An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing


Writing about the Great Outdoors
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence


I have a friend who is the head pharmacist at a Walgreen’s store. When he's not dispensing medications, he's outdoors hunting and fishing. When he's not doing that, he's writing about it and taking very good photos of outdoor scenes. He’s a talented guy.

I’m not normally an outdoor chick but lately I’ve been thinking about finding somewhere to place a small cabin so I can go and relax on weekends with an ice chest, a notebook, and a camera. Yep. The bug has hit me. Between my pharmacist friend, Rudy, and my co - worker, Hoot Al, I’m thinking more about quiet time away from the city, a trail to walk on and a place to just go to think.

Many places take articles on these topics. Rudy writes a column for a regional newspaper on his thoughts about camping, hunting and fishing. Maybe I could write something similar on a city girl acclimating to the world of mosquitoes and toads. Who knows? Maybe someone would give a hoot about it.

==
Build This Cozy Cabin
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do - It - Yourself/2006 - 06 - 01/Build - this - Cozy - Cabin.aspx

Outdoor Eyes
http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo116.php3

Missouri Outdoor
http://missourioutdoor.com/

ShoMeOutdoors
http://www.shomeoutdoors.com/

Trails
http://www.trails.com/missouri - trails.aspx

Little Portion
http://www.littleportionfranciscansisters.org/


~ Mindy Phillips Lawrence, www.freewebs.com/mplcreative, is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co - author of The Complete Writer and a publicist and literary agent. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/.
Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.


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Yes, I do consult. I tailor my fees to your needs - - everything from coaching to full edits (sorry no partial edits) to hour consultations to help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing. http://budurl.com/carolynsconsulting
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In the News: Book Business Magazine reports that, “Kindle and Nook are surging in popularity but their sales will hit a wall in 2014 in the face of competition from a wide range of consumer electronics devices including the iPad,” and that e - reader sales are expected to soar to 12.2 million in 2010, up from about 5 million in 2009.


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Recent guest blog posts: BookBuzzr.com’s regular blog for writers: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/your - stepping - stones - to - credibility/ Recent podcast links: Elemental Musings from Bev Walton - Porter of Scribe and Quill: http://budurl.com/waltonporter
Talking with Funky Writer Rob Batista about starting a career, promoting the hard - to - promote genres and more:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefunkywriter/2010/07/30/the - funky - writer - radio - show - episode - 74
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Reading Suggestion: For those who are convinced that the playing field is gender - level in the publishing world, I suggest you read this essay sent to me by one of the best surfers (and reporters) on my Sharing with Writers subscription list. It’s so daring (how many authors are willing to point out in print that their publishers are . . . mmmm, gender bigots?) it will knock your socks off! http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/02/publishers - ghettoise - women - writers - and - readers/print



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Visit one of my blogs. Experiment a bit with the little green Tweetmeme logo if you haven't used one before. And, please let me know if mine is working for you. I think the one at www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com is working. I used the second offering down on the tweetmeme site and replaced the suggested code with the address of my blog. =================================================


Thank Yous

Thanks to Shirley Roe
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for posting my review of It was the best of sentences . . . “on her All Book Reviews: http://allbookreviews.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1392


Thanks to Subscriber Eliza Earsman
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. . . for the recent five - star review of The Frugal Book Promoter she put up on Amazon (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo). Learn more about this Christian author at www.elizaearsman.com.


Thanks to Sassy Brit
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . of Alternative - Read.com for running my Review for Riters, It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences by June Casagrande. It’s at http://bit.ly/bsC4VA


Thanks to Writing Mama Virginia Grenier ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for sharing my review of June Casagrande’s new book on grammar and style with her many followers. http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2010/08/it - was - best - of - sentences - it - was - worst.html


Thanks to the Power behind iFogo ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . Gene Cartwright for putting more of my books up in the iFogo bookstore http://www.ifogo.com/BFF/gallery_7.html . I think this social network is one of the best for writers because it offers so many benefits specifically to writers. Also see what he does with for author members on his “Wall.” http://ifogo.com/TheWall/ The personal care is nice, too. www.ifogo.com


Thanks to Jennifer Akers
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for including my resources in her blog post about writing resources at http://jenniferakers.com/jennifer - akers/writing - resources/


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Fun and F r ~ ~: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a 35 - page handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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Tip: Purge “click here” from your vocabulary. Instead think benefits. Then add that all important link. I’m working on that on my own Web site. The “click here” habit is all too easy - - and too ineffective.



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Unsolicited endorsement from Chaz DeSimone, book cover designer extraordinaire (www.chazdesimone.com): “Carolyn, this book is amazingly comprehensive, understandable, and is using up all my highlighter ink.” Heidi (one of his clients): Start reading! It'll get you excited about promoting, and getting your promotion all ready ahead of time. ================================================
Opportunities

Contest Op
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sassy Brit of Alternative Reads is holding a contests! http://bit.ly/c7IWUE and http://tjbook - list.blogspot.com/2010/09/hello - again - for - all - you - authors - and.html


UCLA Writers Intensive Workshops ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
UCLA just announced its annual Writers Studio for Feb 10 - 13, 2011. There is an early bird deadline of Dec. 3 for those who want to pay a lower price. The four - day event includes workshops in screen writing and in different genres of creative writing. You can enroll by phone at 310 825 9971 and use a credit card or go to www.uclextsnsion.edu/writers. Please tell them I sent you.


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This is an example of one of my Twitters: "FrugalBookPromo New trend? Borders will buy nonreturnable books from HarperStudio in return for a deeper discount." My tweets cover everything from news to more tips and resources, all in 140 characters or less. If you don’t want to tweet, at least follow me for more great tips. Make a profile page and invite me at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. =================================================

Feature

Blogging Your Way to a Successful Writing Career
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Editor’s Note: If you’re not in the habit of reading this newsletter in its pdf format, please click at the top of the page to get to it for this issue. The links for this article are not available in the plain text version.

By Tim Handorf

Writing a blog is obviously a very different endeavor from writing a book, but many writers these days are finding blogs to be excellent creative outlets and for some they've been the catalyst that finally helped them get that book deal or push their career forward. Nearly all of the biggest and most widely - read blogs have put out some sort of book over the past few years. While most are simply collections of funny or artistic photos and observations, others have been much more and have catapulted their authors into the literary world and the public eye.

Even if you're not interested in using a blog as a platform for a future book there are other ways to make use of the medium. Some writers have used blogs as a way to get past their own creative blocks or to get feedback from others on their projects. Some writers use blogs as tools to gather their thoughts as they're working on books. No matter how you're using a blog, there's no doubt that it can be helpful tool in getting your writing going and getting you noticed - - provided you're doing it right.

There's much more to successful blogging, especially the kind that gets turned into books and movies, than just good writing, though, of course, that certainly doesn't hurt. If you're looking to make blogging part of your writing process, or the first step in something bigger, consider these tips before making the plunge.

• Focus on the concept. No book, article or blog can work without a strong concept. Unless you really want to use it just for your own purposes, you need to develop an idea that is appealing to a wider audience. Fiction or fact, silly or serious, it doesn't matter as long as It’s interesting. Take the site, book and now movie Julie and Julia as an example. Surely the blogger wasn't the only person who ever thought of trying to master Julia Child's recipes, nor the only person who likes cooking and is struggling to deal with work, personal and marital problems. If you're struggling to find a focus, start writing and see what you're drawn to talking about.

• Build an audience. Blogs are social by design, so if you want yours to be effective you'll need to be writing to more than just the generalized pool of web users. Recruit friends and acquaintances to look at your site, post links to your blog on everything you do on the web. Of course, it doesn't end there. Once you have readers you have to keep them coming back. Make sure to respond to comments, engage readers and provide content that makes them want to come back for more. Author of the popular Shopgirl series Emily Benet simply started writing about her own experiences working in family owned business before she ever got her work, related to her blog, published. At first only family and friends were readers, but with a little internet marketing, she soon became popular. You can read about her story here.

• Realize it's about more than writing. Blogging isn't like just writing for the sake of writing. You have to care about how you present your writing, make things visually appealing and maintain the technical aspects of your site as well. Your writing can be great but, without those other elements, it will be hard to get the attention and feedback you need. If you have absolutely no idea how to deal with these aspects of blogging, check out a site like Problogger for guidance and instruction.

• Market, market, market. Much like any kind of success in writing, blogging success is one part talent and one part marketing. You not only have to have something to say but know how to promote yourself across the web. One of the easiest and best ways to do this is through other bloggers and writers. Share links, comment on blogs, and become an active participant in the online world and join your site in blog carnivals and contests. Every little bit can help, and getting your work linked on a larger site can generate hundreds of hits to your own site. This article on marketing your blog can give you some pointers.

• Have an end goal in mind. If you're using your blog as a platform for a future book project, you need to start with an end goal in mind or at least a point at which you can step back and start turning the material into something more. If you've been successful with your blogging endeavors, you can expect to have reader feedback and support when and if you decide to take your work off the web and into a book.

• Blog along with another project. Working on a book project? Why not create an accompanying blog? It can help you get your ideas out there and can build up some anticipation about the project you're working on. Author Gretchen Rubin created a blog about the topic of her book The Happiness Project , letting her explore ideas and get potential readers for her finished work ahead of the game.

• Don't be shy. You're not going to get your work published or noticed by being a wallflower. If you want a book deal, go out and get it. Send a proposal to a publisher or find yourself an agent that can help you. If you're not sure how to go about doing that, or marketing your book to a publisher, check out this guide on the subject from Lifehacker writer and author Gina Tripani. It offers a lot of great tips for authors who want to make their blog into something more.
Blogging isn't for every writer but with the web being an incredibly powerful tool for both sharing ideas and for promoting your work, it's never a bad idea to try it out if you haven't already started your own blog.
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This guest post is contributed by Tim Handorf, who writes on the topics of online colleges. He welcomes your comments at his email Id: tim.handorf.20@googlemail.com.


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The New Book Review is a f r ^ ^ service of this newsletter. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
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 Carolyn Howard - Johnson and fellow UCLA Writers' Program Instructor, Eve LaSalle Caram (a UCLA Award - Winning Instructor at that - - yes note the caps!) are planning an amazing intimate conference in Rome for October 23 to 30, 2010. Find details at www.budurl.com/RomanRetreat. Jo Linsdell, a writer living in Rome and founder of the online conference PROMO Day, will offer a seminar during the retreat. Accommodations are extremely limited.


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 The Muse Online Writers Conference cosponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson is now taking late reservations. It begins October 11 of 2010. http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/ When you register, sign for my class: Tues. October 12. 9 am. Pacific time. Noon Eastern. “Fiction or Nonfiction: Your Great First Impression Book Proposal.” We'll discuss why fiction writers need a proposal, too. Late registration is $5.

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 Carolyn Howard Johnson, author of A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques, will make a guest appearance on Paul Bruno's Career Czar® radio program. At 10:00 am Pacific at www.alltalkradio.net/careerczar, we'll talk about making retailing work in a down economy and how authors can make their case to retailers to let them boost profits with a book signing on December 17, 2010. You can also listen at www.alltalkradio./careerczar/career121710.mp3 In the meantime, listen to his other shows at www.alltalkradio.net/careerczar or at the show's blog at www.careerczar.wordpress.com. Ask to be on Paul's notification list for free podcasts.

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New!  Shelley Lieber and Carolyn Howard - Johnson will produce an audio just for the benefit of those who want to utilize the power of the Net—the easy way. It is The "Frugalest" of Book Promotion: How to Integrate Efforts to Save Time and Give Your Marketing Campaign More Power and Why adding another network isn't as much work as we think.
Google calendar
Recycling articles
Feeding Twitter to Facebook (and Vice versa)
The beauty of newsletters - - yes, still
Blogging made fun and easy.

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 Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be a featured speaker at the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, with “How To Do It Frugally: Free Exposure for Your Book and Your Bod,” Sat. the 25th at 9 am. Breakout sessions at 12:30, 1:25, and 2:25 will be "Become Your Own PR Person, Frugally: How to Write a Killer Media Release and Produce a Great Media Kit.” The dates are September 25 - 26, 2010. Find information on the conference at www.wrwa.net. This active group invites writers from everywhere to join.


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 Carolyn’s Big Little Booklet Party, thrown by Promotion a la Carte, will be Monday, Nov. 15 to Saturday Nov. 20. Talk about a sleep over. Find it at www.frugalandfocusedtweeting.com. Dozens of freebies from power promoters like Nanci Arvizu, Aggie Villanueva, etc, contests, and more. These booklets will make great stocking stuffers and even holiday cards (and they’re about the same price as an really, really nice card and lots more useful!). Just stick ‘em in an envelope and send them off.


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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left - hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
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(Fun with language from The Washington and other publications. This letter is long this week. You deserve a little fun—even more this week than others. Especially if you’re trying to follow through with all the resources that can be of value to you!)

Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absent - mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Although I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to:: HoJoNews@aol.com.

Please pass this newsletter to friends or e - groups. It needn't be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Ordering Information:
Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo
The e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
http://budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less,
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3468136

Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3422926

A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques http://budurl.com/RetailersGuide

To learn more about This Is the Place,
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, and She Wore Emerald Then: www.carolynhoward - johnson.com.

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood, a chapbook of poetry coauthored with Magdalena Ball. http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry (Finishing Line Press)
www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings

Contact Information
Websites:
http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)


Blogs:

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft
http://www.WarPeaceTolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.
http://www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.blogspot.com, a blog where you can learn to get some mojo behind your own booth by learning from the successes and mistakes of others.

Tweeting at:
www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo
www.twitter.com/frugalretailing