April 14, 2006: Sharing with Writers:
From the Desks of Carolyn Howard-Johnson
and Authors* Coalition Friends
~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.
Most recent issues of Sharing with
Writers are posted with live links at
Fairgo E-Books: http://www.angelfire.com/
electronic/fairgoebooks/literary.htm.
You will find the *Best of Sharing
with Writers* at Apollos Lyre
(www.ApollosLyre.com). Sharing with Writers
is the official newsletter of Authors* Coalition (http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com) an organization of writers who help writers.

Note: In order to cut down on computerese,
I do not use (or I substitute for) many
punctuation marks. They seem to disagree
with Yahoo and others. I hope it doesn*t
drive you crazy.
~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.

Note from Carolyn:

Dear Authors* Coalition Members and
Subscribers:

As many of you know, I advise that
writers do what they do best to
promote -- and that*s write. It*s
great for shy writers but it*s
also good for more brazen types like me.

An excerpt from one of my first person
travel essays appears in *Travelers* Tales
Prague and the Czech Republic. It is
complete with a short tagline so I*m
feeling good about the promotion aspect
of it but there is something else. It is
an excerpt from one of my favorite
essays -- one that explores the
corrosive quality of intolerance but
also addresses man*s indomitable spirit
to overcome. I wrote it while I was studying
writing at Herzen University in Prague--a
wonderful experience. Ahhh, that daytrip to
Terezin? I can only tell you that a
visit like that will change your
life forever.

Learn more about this neat series of
travel books at www.travelerstales.com.
Those who would like to read the entire
article titled *Taking a Dose of What*s
Good for You: Ever Heard of Terezin?*
will find it on my site: http://www.tlt.com/authors/chjohnson/travel_article.htm

Carolyn Howard-Johnson
HoJoNews@aol.com
http://www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

==============================================
No part of this newsletter is paid advertising.
====================================

Letters to the Editor:

I*ve learned that being a writer
is like becoming a parent...you really
don*t have a clue at first what you*re
doing, so you ask lots of folks who*ve
been there, read lots of books, and keep
moving forward a step at a time hoping
you*re doing it right. It*s all part of
the process. Thanks for being such a
generous person who makes the process
a bit easier.

Lisa Espinoza Johnson
www.candykissesmuddyhugs.com

--------------------------------------
Tip: I*m writing a section for a book
called *The Complete Writer Publishes*
(second in a series of books in The Complete
Writer series published by Red Engine Press).
The subject? Nitty gritty ways you can
keep gremlins for infiltrating your
book -- no matter how you publish.
Two books I*ve run across in the process
that I highly recommend are:
*Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies:
A Guide to Language for Fun & Spite*
by June Casagrande and *Lapsing into a Coma:
A Curmudgeon*s Guide to the Many Things
That Can Go Wrong in Print -- and How to A
void Them* by Bill Walsh. I doubt
there is one subscriber who wouldn*t
benefit from reading these books.


______________________________________

Editorial:

I feel compelled to tell you a little
used book story. But before I do,
the Small Publishers of North America*s (SPAN) newsletter, Connections, reports that,
according to a Book Industry Study Group
inquiry, used book sales are here to stay.
Most used books sold are textbooks but
access to the Web is helping to increase
numbers across the board where the online
market grew by 33% in 2004 and accounted
for 37% of sales.

I am not telling you this little story
(or giving you these figures) to convince
you that used book sales are second only
to the devil*s work. You think what
you think and I*ll think this: You can
rant against them, hate the stores
(both online and the ones on main street)
that sell used books; it will do no good.
Books have always been passed around
(which means we don*t even pay for them
secondhand!). Libraries do it.
Children do it.
Mothers do it.
I occasionally do it.
And I also recently bought a used book
on Amazon--one of my own -- because
I was short on time and Amazon gets
them to me much faster than my publisher.

So here*s the story about that particular
book that I ordered. Almost two years a
go -- when I was cleaning out my aunt*s
condo after she died -- I ran across
all my books sitting in her nightstand in a
perfectly aligned pile--a tower of
family memories -- all crisp and new.
Aunt Hazel was blind but she wanted
to have my books anyway. When I visited
I often read to her from them but
not often enough to curl the pages
or tatter the covers.

One of my aunt*s relatives on the
*other* side of her family -- dreadful
beasts that these people can be -- wanted
those books because they said they wanted
to know about her (she was one of the
characters in Harkening, a collection
of nonfiction stories).

I really, really wanted to keep them.
I had signed each one with an inscription
very near poetry. I could feel her
soul -- and mine -- in them. But I gave
them up anyway. That*s a true gift of love.

You guessed it. When I ordered this
book from the *new and used* section
of Amazon, it was touted as *pristine
condition, autographed.* I figured a
bookstore autograph -- something I could
re-use for a review copy.

Nope. You guessed it. It read, *To my loving
Aunt Hazel…* I*ll spare you the rest of the sentimental inscription.

Now, the question is, am I more ticked
off at her relatives who conned me out of
that book or grateful to the online
bookstore that sold it? I prefer to
concentrate on the fact that I am
touched at how the universe sometimes
conspires to do the right thing,
that sometimes two wrongs do make a right.
______________________________________________

Thank Yous:

To Brandi Young, editor of First Place Bookcase, for posting *Frugal* there. I notice several of our subscribers are helping her get a start on a fun (and possibly advantageous) project. Here is the URL for her blog page that lists the books she has accumulated so far but be sure to check out the homepage, too; It will give you an idea of what her vision is! http://www.firstplacebookcase.com/blog.aspx
-----
To Joyce Faulkner, author of *In the Shadow of Suribachi,* for running my little essay on using your cruise to benefit your writing career. I published this article using Amazon Connect (some are calling it Amazon*s plog) and many of you who bough *Frugal* on Amazon will have already read it, but for those of you who purchased it elsewhere, buzz on over for instructions in perhaps the *funnest* promotion of all! http://www.redenginepress.com/y%26w_newsletter.htm Click on the April issue and scroll to the bottom of the newsletter.
-----
To Scott Flora and Kate Deubert for running my mini-tirade on how publishers need to pay more attention to marketing (but only after one of their publishers had criticized their newsletter for running too much fluff--meaning articles on marketing). Learn more about their excellent organization, college for writers, and newsletters (both online and in print) at www.spannet.org. They also have a bookstore at www.spannet.org/bookstore.htm . And, yes,*The Frugal Book Promoter* is there.
-----
To Mindy Phillips Lawrence for recommending *The Frugal Book Promoter* in her article that appeared in the recent issue of Yarnspinners and Wordweavers. Click yourself on over to see her other helpful ideas for your writing career. http://www.redenginepress.com/y%26w_newsletter.htm -- a wonderful zine for readers and writers.
______________________________

Some Fun:

The writer in Snoopy responds to public
criticism (in this case, Lucy) when he
writes *It was a dark and stormy night.*
She wonders how he can be so sure. He goes
back to his typewriter with this revision:
*If I remember correctly, it was a dark
and stormy night. * Is this what the
James Frey case has brought us to?
___________________________

Tip: From Bev Walton-Porter (http://www.bevwaltonporter.com/ ) comes
this tip for authors who might want to
track Amazon ratings and try to get a take
on what it all means. Go experiment with the fr ^ ^ trial period they*re offering:
http://www.titlez.com/welcome.aspx

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When was the last time you bought a book from an author you know? *Tracings* my new chapbook of poetry, (www.finishinglinepress.com), is available for that honor at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1141623936/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-4692447-2218401?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 but any book mentioned in any one of your *Sharing with Writers* newsletters would also be a nice gesture. If all of us directed more of our reading to newer authors who write in genres we love or genres we need to stretch into, we would do ourselves and the publishing industry a great favor.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tip: http://www.bookfinder4u.com/ will
help you find the books you want to read
or need for research at the cheapest price
on the Web. That*s not only frugal book
promotion, it*s frugal reading!
___________________________________________
Opportunities:

John Kremer will be doing a fr ^ ^
teleseminar on marketing novels. I sent
him a note telling him how many fiction
writers came up to me after my promotion
seminars at the recent writers* conferences
I spoke at to tell me how I was the first
person to give them hope that there is a
way to promote fiction--even literary
fiction, and how glad I am that he is
covering the topic. Then it occurred
to me that many of you would want to
know about it. Here is the information
directly from John:

*Marketing Novels Teleseminar
Thursday, April 20th, at 7:00 p.m.
Central time (5:00 p.m. Pacific,
6:00 p.m. Mountain, and 8:00 p.m. Eastern)

*To sign up for the teleseminar and
get the phone number to call and PIN
number, go to http://www.promoteyournovel.com.

*Mahesh Grossman of AuthorsTeam.com
will be interviewing me during the
teleseminar. It will last one hour.

*Again, during the seminar, I*ll be t
alking about marketing novels (and much
info that applies to other books as well),
taking questions, and
providing some really great new
tips. I hope you can join me on April 20th.*
___________________________________

Tip: Here is a site where you can list
your author*s blog--it*s a place where
readers go to find blogs written by their
favorites. If I had one related to my
fiction, I*d sure list it! I don*t think,
though, that most visitors would be
interested in a blog targeted to help
authors plan better book fair booths! (-:
Here it is in case you find it helpful
for promoting your book. http://blogsforreaders.com/author-s-blogs
________________________________

Tip: This reading suggestion from an
attendee at the Las Vegas Writers*
Conference: *The Writer*s Journey, Second E
dition : Mythic Structure for Writers* by
Christopher Vogler. My apologies for taking such incomplete notes that I don*t have the name of the author who suggested it.
________________________________________

News Watch:

From the American Way an article titled
*Secondhand Profits* by Tracy Stanton comes
disturbing news for authors.

This is the gist: Large publishers
(and smaller ones) are picking up titles
from the past that they can get without
paying advances, royalties or any other
monies to an author. They believe that
helps them stay profitable and it may
do that. We, as authors, want publishers
to be profitable of course. They can*t
be there for us or the reading public
if they aren*t there at all.

However, I wonder if they have considered
that a book without an author (remember some
of the anonymous books in the last few
years that languished but when the author
*came out,* they revived?) has no one
to help keep the interest up with
interviews, media releases, etc. once
the release of the book is no longer news.

I wonder if they*ve considered how the
fates of authors and publishers are
intertwined? I wonder if they*ve
considered the human side of doing business.
I wonder if they are keeping their
end-customer in mind -- the reader
who likes to follow an author and is
often loyal through dozens of releases.
They just cannot do that with an author who
has been dead long enough for their
copyrights to have expired, too.

There is an upside. The books of
many authors -- good authors -- may
have *gone under the radar or escaped notice altogether,* Staton says. This is may
be their second chance at life.
_______________________________


Opportunity:

The New School in New York has a Summer
Writers Colony June 5 - 23 with
reasonable New York housing also
available for out-of-towners.
For more info go to www.generalstudies.newschoool.edu/summer.
________________________________

Tip: If you are beyond thinking about
publishing traditionally (you*ve realized
that for some kinds of nonfiction you
can make more money by going it on your
own, as an example), you may want to
order the AuthorHouse Publishing
Guide. It*s f r * *. Send your request
to AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Dr,
Ste 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Joyce Faulkner, Pat Avery and I have
co-edited a journal, *The Complete
Writer*s Journal,* with you in mind.
It includes quotes from writers
(many of them *Sharing with Writers*
subscribers) and book promoters
in all stages of their careers -- from
novice to seasoned professional.

These journals are perfect for:
 Your own quick note taking
and sketching
 Use as a diary or a travelogue.
 Use as gifts.
 Use for fund raisers.

Pre-Orders for Authors* Coalition
members and *Sharing with Writers*
subscribers now available. Special
bulk prices also available
(thinking Christmas early?)
To order go to: http://www.redenginepress.com/buy_tcw_journal.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reciprocal Links:

The Shy Writer: An Introvert*s Guide to Writing Success - Author C. Hope Clark advises you how to *sell your words, not your soul* when you promote your work. http://www.theshywriter.com/
-----
The Reading Tub is a charity that promotes family and children*s literacy. They read every children*s book that is sent to them for a review. They are then donated to community organizations. Go to www.thereadingtub.com.
-----
Walter Brasch*s America*s Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government*s Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights. ) is a look at the history and effects of the USA Patriot Act upon the erosion of our civil liberties and violations of at least five of the Bill of Rights. It has been endorsed by liberals and conservatives.
-----
Star Publish offers near self-publish profits on your paperback; it is an alternative to unapproachable publishers. http://starpublish.com.
------
Do you want to hone your skills? Writer to Writer features tips on writing, marketing, submitting, selling and more. Regular no-fee contests.
www.writer2writer.com
-----
Authors* Coalition is for writers. Find support for authors--both emotional and material--at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
-----
Gather at QueenPower.com where women promote, support and encourage women. Start living your best life now! http://www.queenpower.com/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please pass this letter on to others.
Unlike many others, I do not mind if
you use only portions of it as long
as you credit the writers and include
this subscribe information.
*To subscribe to *Sharing with Writers*
send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with
*subscribe* in the subject line. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Feature:

The Essence of Creativity

By Hugh Rosen

The concept of creativity is an elusive one, as difficult to define as to capture a butterfly fluttering in the sky. The field of creatology, as it has come to be known by those who study it, is interdisciplinary, encompassing such sources as psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, sociology, natural science, genetics, historical biography, theory construction, and creators themselves.

One approach is to emphasize the attributes of the creator being a non-conformist and a risk-taker, as well as a flexible thinker. Those who retain a formulaic approach to their creative endeavors never reach the heights of creativity. The artist must have motivation and perseverance in pursuing her work and the capacity to generate multiple ideas in great number, both good and bad. The creator acquires the judgment to discard the bad ones and to focus on the good ones. One must be willing to make changes, even major ones, regardless of how he or she started out. It is essential that the capacity for assuming multiple perspectives and seeing things through alternative prisms be acquired.

Kuhn wrote of the well-known paradigm shifts that evolve through time, although he was addressing creativity in the scientific enterprise specifically. Ultimately he argued that they will be manifest when in the course of time the old guard embracing outdated paradigms dies out and the new generation embraces more current and adaptive paradigms. The creator does not have the luxury of waiting for such glacial generation to generation shifts to occur, but must have within the span of her own lifetime the flexibility to demonstrate the capacity for shifting paradigms and at times must accomplish this within the period of working on a single creation, whether it be painting a picture, composing a musical composition, or writing fiction. Other attributes sometimes put forward are those of being neurotic or even psychotic. While it may be possible to legitimately characterize some artists that way, it does not follow that states of that kind are necessary conditions. One needn*t be an alcoholic to write a great novel, though some great novelists have been alcoholics.

Convergent and divergent thinking are also traits that have proven to be of importance in studying creative people. In the early stages of bringing a creation into being, convergent thinking – allowing oneself the permission to strike out in many directions – is important. For a novelist, this may be represented by the first draft. Yet, as multiple drafts are attempted, the writer tightens up her work by cutting superfluous material that does not support the plot and its characters.

Convergent thinking in the later drafts attempts to impart greater coherence and unity to the narrative. The creative artist who has no skill or control over both divergent and convergent thinking is at a distinct disadvantage. Premature convergence brings early foreclosure on new and exciting ideas that might otherwise come into play to enrich the creation. Curiosity and open-mindedness provide a foundation from which creativity can arise. Fluency in generating and exploring ideas is important, But there must come a time when the creator becomes more focused in refining and polishing a few good ideas rather than become overwhelmed by an explosion of ideas.

The notion of an epiphany striking the creator from nowhere is a favorite amongst artists of all kinds. Yet, it is vital to keep in mind that the fiction writer, for example, is constantly exhorted to read, read, read: the classics, contemporary fiction, within a range of genres and, non-fiction. So it is that when an epiphany surfaces in the author*s consciousness, we might pause to ask to what extent that extraordinary insight has been incubating in the unconscious for some time, having it*s origin in the fertile soil of that extensive reading and life experiences, rather than to have appeared de novo.

Although there are many theories and perspectives from which creativity is explained and understood, two agreed upon essential aspects of it are originality and usefulness or value. With respect to the former, in the case of fiction, although the words may not be novel, save for few exceptions, such as the later work of Joyce, it is the unique configuration of words sentences, paragraphs, plot elements, and characterizations that imparts originality. As for the latter, the creative product must be released into the social context at a time in history when its delivery will be received and evaluated as a work of great merit with significance for its readers. Otherwise, it is fated for extinction.

Lastly, imagination is what gives wings to our minds, allowing us to soar through the universe in pursuit of original and significant ideas, images, and metaphors that we can bring back to our artistic projects to construct alternate realities before introducing them into society. These creatively constructed realities may bring greater truths, even life-transforming experiences, to the reader than the mundane life and language of everyday existence.

I believe everyone has the potential for creativity to some extent or another, but it must be nurtured, cultivated, practiced, and encouraged with perseverance and conviction for it to come into being.
-------
Hugh Rosen, author of Silent Battlefields: A Novel. http://www.hughrosen.com.
____________________________________

Kathe*s Korner:

Make navigation on your website easy.
Use the three click rule: it should
take no more than three clicks for
someone to get to where they want to
go on your website.
------
Kathe Gogolewski
http://www.tri-studio.com/
Read my blog: http://www.anndurand.blogsforauthors.com/summary.php
_____________________________

Carolyn*s Appearances and Teaching Gigs:

Order CD*s of Dayton University*s Erma
Bombeck Writers* Workshop presentations,
including mine on Savvy Promotion--It*s
Never Too Late to Hone Your Promotion
Skills. What a way to benefit from
a conference without actually being there!
Purchase an MP3 or CD-ROM with 20 of
the workshop sessions for $99 at http://www.fltwood.com/onsite/bombeck/2006-03-23 Recordings of individual seminars are
$15 and there*s a list of the sessions
onsite:
http://www.fltwood.com/onsite/bombeck/2006-03-23
-----------
PENUSA has asked me to teach a class
for the Emerging Voices Program they
sponsor for writers in underserved
Los Angeles area communities in May.
If you are interested in joining PEN or
contributing to this program, contact
Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com for a referral
or go to www.penusa.com
------
Los Angeles Times/UCLA Festival of Books
is April 29 and 30th. If you are in the
area visit Authors* Coalition authors,
enter our drawing, snag yourself a goody bag
and peruse the books displayed there. We are
in a prime spot at Booth #610 at this
fr^ e fair. Learn more about what our booth
authors are doing at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
The fair*s official site is: http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/
-----
UCLA Class: Carolyn is teaching a one-day
class at UCLA on Saturday, August 5th
(summer quarter). Circle it on your calendar!
Enroll to learn all you need to know about
preparing a professional manuscript
for submission to agents, publishers
or to ready it for alternative presses.
To enroll or to received a free copy of
the program*s *Writers* Program Quarterly,*
contact Marcus Hennessey at
writers@uclaextension.edu or (310) 825-9415.
-----
Audio Classes: Authors* Coalition members,
Allyn Evans, Joyce Faulkner, Kathe Gogolewski,
Marilyn Peake and I, have produced
audio classes covering subjects like
writing skills, book promotion, and
technology for writers. Access new
audio classes regularly in MP3 or CDRom at http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/audio.asp.
Learn more about the instructors and
find a list of the coming classes at our Authors* Coalition site at:
http://tri-studio.com/AUDIOCLASSESALL.html

To get a fr ^ ^ sample class called
*Radio: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to
Promoting Easy and Cheap!* go to the
Double Dragon Publishing (DDP) Website:
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/imprintlist.asp?imprint=PODRADIO

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reciprocal Links: Many subscribers are
in a position to cross-promote. Let me
know if you would like to trade some
recommendation or promotion for a permanent
spot (or as my list grows, semi-permanent)
spot in this newsletter. I use only links
that benefit writers
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TIP: American Greetings is looking
for humor writers for both their
traditional card line and their AG
Interactive, a provider of electronic
greetings. Contact Mark Holthaus at mark.holthaus@amgreetings.com.
_______________________________

Subscriber News:
Valerie Melville has a new magazine up at: http://iportion.blogspot.com/ I think of
it more as a blog but regardless of what
it might be called, I love her recent
entry titled *Hungry for Entertainment.*
You might also want to check out the
design of her page, too.
-------
Linda Morelli (http://www.lindamorellie.us )
is featured on the cover of the new
magazine Lady Ingenuity and inside,
a write-up on her, too.
http://www.ladyingenuity.com/ A new vehicle
like this may be looking for other smart,
talented women, no?
-----
Norma J. Sundberg was honored by
ByLine Magazine with a special honorable mention
in for her haiku *Great-Grandpa*s Journal,
April 17, 1807.* She says that
*it*s probably senryu since it*s
*domestic* in nature.*
_________________________________

Grammar Tip: In her column, *A Word, Please,*
June Casagrande notes that you don*t need
the *a* and the *of* in when you use
*a myriad of.* If you insist on being
wordy it*s unlikely that you*ll be called
on it, but plain old *myriad* will do.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Planning to rent a booth at a book
fair this spring? Follow my blog on
Authors* Coalition*s UCLA Festival of
Books booth plans and learn how to make
any book fair successful using value-added
promotions.
http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson.
Some of the ideas work for book signings, too.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reciprocal Links:

Dr. Bob Rich, freelance editor, finds the good things in your book and makes suggestions for improving it. His clients include independent publishers, and a long list of writers. Find him at http://bobswriting.com/editing.html
-----
Success Literary Services offers complete book manuscript services. They were honored with twelve top awards for their work. They are not associated with, nor do they accept funding from literary agencies or production companies. Est. 1984. References. http://www.successliterary.com / suc-srv@pacbell.net
-------
The Compulsive Reader reviews books by some of the hottest writers working today. Find interviews, literary news, criticism, a no - cost e-zine, g I v e a w a y s, and more. http://www.compulsivereader.com/html.
-----
Do bookstores owe you money? Michelle Dunn*s books including Become the Squeaky Wheel, A Credit and Collections Guide for Everyone will help you get your checks in full and on time. http://www.michelledunn.com/
-----
Erica Miner, queenpower.com*s Queen of Journaling, has a monthly e-mail newsletter with an emphasis on journaling. Subscribe at: http://www.ericaminer.com/newsletter.php
-----
Need help with your writing? With getting it published? Contact your Author*s Advocate, Patrika Vaughn, at www.acappela.com for whatever help you need to fulfill your goals.
-----
Dreams of Grandeur, a book of poetry by Amber A. Whitman is available at http://homebody2001-ivil.tripod.com/. A reader says *I*m impressed…a great deal of talent.*
________________________________

Tip: At the Erma Bombeck Writers* Workshop
at Dayton University, Terry Whalin
offered these tips for successful writers:

1. Discipline
2. Follow-through
3. Read, read, read.
4. Willingness to work hard
5. Persistence
6. Perseverance
7. Commitment
8. Ability to listen
9. Learner attitude for continual growth
10 Understand the power of information and network.

I suspect he believes, as I do, that
success does not come overnight!
Find Terry at www.right-writing.com
______________________________

Reciprocal Links:

Need a promotional breakthrough?
Subscribe to the PR Diva Queen*s
Author*s Companion PR Postcard at
http://www.authorscompanion.com/
for snappy marketing tips and a f~r~e report
*How to Obtain Book Reviews*.
------
Spirited Woman, an inspired woman*s empowerment community, launches the Spirited Woman Circle, a new monthly 1-hr. phone conversation series with bestselling authors. Learn more at http://www.TheSpiritedWoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/
-----
Francine Silverman, publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, serves authors by e-mailing Expert Sheets to the media. This low-cost service has proven results. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for more information. www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
-----
Read author interviews, market information, and more in WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com. To subscribe or to submit material for consideration, E-mail LGood67334@comcast.net . Put subscribe in the subject box.
-----
The Y&W newsletter sponsored by Red Engine Press bring authors, bookstores, publishers and reviewers together. Subscribers can write a short article of interest to this group and we*ll try to publish it. To subscribe send an email to nate@redenginepress.com with *Y&W Newsletter* in the subject line.
-----
Sun Signs for Writers: Learn how astrology can benefit (and entertain!) writers with a new Writers* Digest book: http://www.writersigns.info
-------
Judith Woolcock Colombo: Author of The Fablesinger and Night Crimes: Learn more at: http://odin.prohosting.com/~night01
------
Discover a novel by Cynthianna Appel and receive your choice of another e-book at no cost. Go to http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/promo.html today!
------
Read Joyce Faulkner*s Celebrity Cafe.com column to learn about anything from aging feet to her favorite books on writing: http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/Columnists/The_Weekly_Shriek/
------
Fr * * Publicity Resource: Let this site send your media release to book trade professionals including Associated Press, Reuters, and more! http://press.heliographica.com/
------
Has writing lost its spontaneity? Find remedies in Milli Thornton*s online writing course at: http://www.fearofwriting.com/creative-writing-course.htm
-----
Discover a true-life philosophy about making marriages last a lifetime in Choose Love For Life, by Joe and Edwina Roady (http://www.chooseloveforlife.com/.)
------
The AA Independent Press Guide is a f * * *, database which details over 2,000 literary and genre magazines and publishers. Find it on the website of writer and artist, Dee Rimbaud, at http://www.thunderburst.co.uk/
----
The Complete Writer offers advice on writing, editing, proofreading, publishing and design. Published by Red Engine Press, a traditional press. http://www.redenginepress.com/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Authors* Coalition members! Add
credibility to your business cards
and other promotions by using the
logo available to you. Just ask for
it by sending an e-mail to
HoJoNews@aol.com. New members will
help AC serve all its members better!
Ask your writing friends to join at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
Tell them to visit our blog, too,
where they*ll learn how to spark generally
insipid book fairs by using
value-added promotions: http://redeneginepress.com/chjohnson .
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tip: You know how I am about writers
writing thank you notes? Here*s a
book that extends that concept.
*Business Manners for Success*
by Marga Wade Barrett is published
by Cincinnati Book Publishing (www.cincybooks.com ).
You*ll love reading it.
Its design will make you think, too.
______________________________________

Sharing:
From Chris Meeks

Carolyn--

Thank you for once again including me in your newsletter. I*m on tenterhooks today as tomorrow morning, a review of my book will appear at POD-dy Mouth, a website I*d read about in *Newsweek.*

The anonymous woman who runs it has a
quixotic mission: to find the best in
POD publishing. She and her friends
originally had a quest to find the
WORST titles and covers and inside
text to make each other laugh. They
had found that POD publishing appealed
to the worst in people*s vanity. And
what people presented to the world was
absolute atrocious and amazing. Then she
found a book titled *Lord Visnu*s Love
Handles* by Will Clark, which she thought
would be a sure winner. In fact, as she
said in an interview, *When I picked up
*Lord Vishnu*s Love Handles,* I thought
for sure I had won the Lotto of bad books.
But as fate would have it, the book turned
out to be fantastic. I*ve read it at least
six times since I first picked it up.
And now it is on it*s way to becoming
an A-list film with Paramount.*

This set her on a new mission,
to try and find the other Will Clarkes
out there. As she said, *I am so much
like the people who browse through
countless antique shops and flea markets
in search of that hidden treasure.
It eats up much of my free time-- in fact,
way too much-- but I keep trying to
plug along. And I am hoping two things
will come from my blog: (1) that a lot
of people will read great books they
would never have found otherwise, and
(2) that agents and editors will start
paying attention to the POD success
stories and start looking there
for a way to find emerging writers.*

Her motto is *Finding Needles,
Discarding Hay.* Anyway, she does not
take books, only e-mails pitching her
about books. If she likes your pitch,
she*ll request a digital version of your
book. As she wrote me this week,
*Well, you weren*t kidding. This is
some quality POD fiction. I*m happy
to tell you that *The Middle-Aged Man
and the Sea* is going to be my first
pick for 2006. Truly wonderful
stories--and a great surprise,
as I just plowed through
70 horrible books in a row. Yours
was a real blessing! I*ll be running my review/recommendation on Monday, April 10th.*

Hence, you can read it at http://girlondemand.blogspot.com/
------
Christopher Meeks, author of *The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea*
For book sample or buying information,
go to www.chrismeeks.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Essential Book and Record Keeping:
This letter lets authors to share with each
other. It is edited and distributed
sporadically by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, http://www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm , author of *This is the Place,* *Harkening:
A Collection of Stories Remembered,*
*Tracings,* and *The Frugal Book Promoter:
How to Do What You*re your Publisher Won*t*
and is an entity of Authors* Coalition, http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.

To submit information for consideration,
e-mail me at HoJoNews@aol.com

If you do not care to receive this
letter, unsubscribe by sending e-mail
me at HoJoNews@aol.com and include
*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 .

You are encouraged to pass this
newsletter on to friends or e-groups.
It needn*t be pasted in its complete form,
but please credit this newsletter,
Authors* Coalition and the individual
contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Order *The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do
What Your Publisher Won*t:*
at stores like UCLA and San Diego
State University*s bookstores.
Order it as an e-book or paperback at
Amazon where it is discounted: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-0672916-9668863 .

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, may be
ordered at http://finishinglinepress.com
and at,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/
qid=1139084827/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7824821-4156653?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Carolyn*s novel and book of creative
nonfiction may be ordered at Amazon.com.