If you prefer to read this letter in its not - so - glorious full formatted version ( - : copy and paste this URL into your browser:
http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Oct_7_2010x.pdf

October 11 , 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, “Analytical Skills”
~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: 7th Annual Essay Contest from Be the Star You Are!®
~On Poetry
~Author Successes, Sharing with Writers Subscriber Starts New Blog
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column, “Writing a Gatha”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™
This Issue
~Feature: An Overview for Beginning Social Networkers, Terra Fletcher
~Blatant Pre - Promotion: Flu - Season Recipe

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:

I know. You’ve been dying for one of my rants, right?

You know the ones that are unorganized. Ungrammatical but passionate. The ones that are ticked. Well here is one of those, just for you. It’s coming to you before the holiday season when I’ll try to think of something more inspirational.

First, this is what made me think about “Analytical Skills,” the topic of this rant. It is a link one of my blog subscribers sent me for a list of books (naturally I thought of you! Books!!), books that will make you dumber!

(http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/blog/2010/10 - books - that - will - make - you - dumber/ ).

I actually agree with most of this blog post. I tutor a few students in ESL (English as Second Language) and accent reduction and I almost always review what they read in my first session with them. If they enjoy biographies, I steer them away from People magazine and suggest they read the biography editions of Time magazine—those issues where they list the 100 Most Influential People, as an example.

I steer them away from TV News (both ultra liberal and ultra conservative) and give them assignments for news channels that try to give us a more balanced perspective. I think that we spoon feed ourselves the kinds of material that only confirms what we already believe and I think that is a mistake. I also don’t see how knowing about the most recent car chase on the 405 or five alarm fire in a crack house is going to make us any brighter. I also recommend 60 Minutes on Sunday nights and a few other programs.

Gasping for breath here.

You remember only a few weeks ago when writers (presumably all of whom can read!) were tsk - tsking over the information in Amazon’s most media release that reported their e - books had outsold paper books for the first time? Turned out it was that e - books had outsold hard cover books for the first time (and said exactly that!), That should barely be news considering how expensive hardcover books are these days. Seems everyone read what they wanted when they saw the word “hard” and didn’t stop to think how improbable it would be that e - book sales might have surpassed the sales of all books made of paper!

On this list published by Online Certificate Programs, you’ll find Dan Brown’s most famous book. Sure, it’s a fun story. But if you read it without analyzing his style, it may ruin your own style for the next decade. (I believe writers absorb subconsciously the styles of those they read—all the more reason to read well - written works!).

Only a few weeks ago I was given a bruising review on Amazon. It was from a woman who had decided not to read the Frugal Editor because what could an editor/author know if she had a book with an amateurish cover? Worse, the reviewer felt compelled to tell the world that it was an awful book after confessing she hadn’t read it! What she didn’t know about the branding part of marketing could fill another book. The Frugal Editor gives frugal advice! Therefore the cover is Frugal! Ah, well. One of the signs of weak analytical skills is that those who are weakest have never analyzed them so they don’t have a clue!

You’ll see Ronda Byrne’s The Secret on this list of books that make people dumber, too. Actually, I think The Secret might help some folks but only if they use all the analytical skills they can muster when they read it. There are some things that get carried too far, even some that are misleading. Still, we could all use a more positive attitude and there are some principles of physics in it that are right on, principles that most of us regular folk either don’t know about or don’t know much about. That makes it hard for us to filter out the nuggets from the husks.

I do think a list like this is something we may find helpful. We should use our analytical skills no matter what we read, though - - including this list.

We’re not required to agree with anything we read. It’s important to consider the source. Frankly, the Internet is right there at the top of news sources I choose to distrust. It’s right up there with political campaign ads. Right up there with medical claims and endorsements of all kinds (in spite of the fact that endorsements and blurbs are practically the lifeblood of selling books.) In fact, there isn’t much that I don’t mistrust. If that’s a bad thing, well, sue me. ( - :

I’m done.

Happy Writing, Editing and Promoting
Carolyn


PS: I tried publishing the last issue of this Sharing with Writers letter with only a link to the .pdf file because people on AOL weren’t getting theirs. I got a flood of mail from subscribers who hated that. And some from AOL users who got their letters in the long format just fine. So, this issue, I’m back to the old way. Twenty lashes for me. Trying to be too analytical, I guess.

PPS: Sometimes in search for new material, we newsletter editors get a little advanced for some of our readers. I hope those of you who aren’t using social networking to promote will read Terra Fletcher’s article on the basics of social networking in this issue and Raff Ellis’s reasons for returning to blogging in the Author Successes section.


PPPS: I just received my proof copy of Maggie Ball’s and my chapbook of Christmas Poetry for the Rational. Early orders for Christmas giving (at only $6.95) are available at https://www.createspace.com/3416064. But I’ll be sending you a special notice with a deal for anyone who wants to give them as holiday cards in large quantities. Watch for it! ( - :


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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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Letter to the Editor ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear Carolyn,

I would like to thank you for writing The Frugal Editor for aspiring writers like myself. I just finished a successful line edit of my novel with the aid of your book. It helped me correct the obvious errors but more importantly, it empowered me as a writer.

This book should be on the shelf of every writer, no matter how experienced they are.

Thank you,

Vickie Stahl, Blogger at Fat Girl Dailies
www.fatgirldailies.com
Note from Carolyn: I love Vickie’s blog, FatGirlDailies. It could help me lose weight just by reading it!


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Needing something more meaningful for the celebrations in your life? Something that stays within your budget? Try 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: Joan Stewart of PublicityHound.com reminds us that when big magazines do a remake of their design, that’s a great time for authors to comment on their new look and possibly get published online and in print. Two periodicals that are showing off new designs this month are Robes and the AARP magazine. Does your demographic fit with the readership of these magazines. Hmmmm. That would be true of little magazines, newsletters and blogs, too.

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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: If you don’t have time to read this long newsletter on your screen, why not print it out on once - used paper. We’re writers. We can probably collect a lot of paper that has been printed on one side rather than throwing it away. I do that so I can read newsletters in the car when my husband is driving. He gets to be the chauffeur. I get to be the executive who uses my car time to my advantage. Recycled printouts would work for folks who commute by train or bus, too.

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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

Sharing with Writers Subscriber Starts New Blog
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Raff Ellis, author of Kisses from a Distance, has started a new blog. He says, “Like many authors, I have resisted some of the obvious technological tools available to us for the purpose of publicizing our work, but finally have taken the plunge into the blogosphere. My purpose is to codify some of the myriad thoughts rumbling around my cranium in the hope they will be of use to others. I used to be an Internet columnist for a popular site that abruptly went out of business and I have since missed the opportunity to share my thoughts with the thousands of subscribers to that site. So, this blog will relieve some of those pent up tensions by providing an outlet for my creative angst.

I recently posted an essay about book marketing that many of you might find interesting. I also will use my blog to update news about my writing, both past and future. So, if this interests any of you, you can subscribe to my posts by going to: raffellis.blogspot.com.

=================================================Book Proposal Help: "The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less" is now an e - book or paperback booklet (Only $6.95). Find it at http://budurl.com/bookproposalreport =================================================

Feature

An Overview for Beginning Social Networkers ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By: Terra L. Fletcher
Social media includes video, text, and multimedia that is published and shared. Writers may find a place in the blogosphere, video - sharing, or other social media venue. Three primary benefits of social media for writers are an increased audience, making connections, and conducting research.

Through social media, writers can share what they write, connect with potential readers, and establish themselves as subject matter experts. Connections are not only other writers. Writers connect to editors, publishers, and influencers (those with an extensive following). A strong social network connects writer to new writing projects and publishing venues.

The foundation for any successful social media strategy is a Web site. Your Web site can be a simple one. Some sites even offer free hosting. Usually you sacrifice a custom URL (not worth the sacrifice, in my opinion). Many hosts offer templates you can use. Consider hiring a developer for a truly professional site.

As you build your social media network, consider having a professional bio picture taken. You are your brand; reflect it well. You’ll also want a bio statement for social networking and an “About Me” section on your Web site. Consider offering an e - newsletter to build your mailing list.

Writers do well to consider alternate avenues of communication. Depending on what type of writing you do and who your audience is, you may find success comes from podcasts, videos, or sharing your other crafts. Here are a few of the most popular ways to connect online.

Blogs

Offer content that matches your brand and will appeal to your readers. Develop a schedule and stick to it. Your readers will come to expect your blog on a certain day and/or time. Reply to comments. Read other blogs and leave meaningful comments.

Facebook

Facebook has a high number of users and it’s easy to connect to old friends. Facebook groups can put you in touch with others who have similar interests. More than half of Facebook’s users log on daily. Create business pages (now called “Like” pages, formerly called “Fan” pages) at no c ^ s t.

Twitter

Twitter is now the fastest growing social media site. Tweets must be 140 characters or less. You can quickly build an audience and connect with diverse people. Twitter moves fast; start slow until you find your place.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is considered the most professional of social networking sites. Your profile is like an online resume. Getting recommendations from others and answering questions can position you as an expert in your field.

Whichever route you choose, do it and do it well. Start small and know your goals. Have a routine and stick to it. Decide what writing to share and what work to publish elsewhere. Focus on building relationships not selling. Don’t spam. Don’t forget to network offline. Online networking can quickly become a time wasters and fuel procrastinators. Don’t forget to write!
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Terra L. Fletcher is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. Find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fletcherfreelance?ref=ts&__a=44 . Her Web site is FletcherFreelance.com and her e - mail address is FletcherFreelance@live.com. Find her blogging at FletcherFreelance.blogspot.com.


=================================================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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Tip: Turn you book into a Kindle edition: https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin

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I’m reworked my Web site. Please use the huge Resources for Writers sectionhttp://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/links_for_writers.htm. And please let me know if you find broken links. I need your help! =================================================


Tip: In case you missed it, why not revisit the column on using italics for internal thought from this newsletter at my editing blog this week. www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com

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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 at less per year than most sites charge for a single month. Find classified there, too.
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Tip: Are you letting the local librarians know when you're doing seminars, etc. in their town? That's one thing media releases are good for!


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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.


Contribute to Tips Book by Women Poets
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Contributors needed for articles about: Web sites for women poets, for a book to be published by McFarland & Company, Inc. They want tips and practical, concise, how - to articles with bullets/headings on a gamut of women - related and writing subjects including magazine markets, networking, managing family, blogs, unique issues women must overcome, lesbian and bisexual poetry, continuing education, queries and proposals, anthologies, conference participation, contests, promotion, self - publishing, teaching tips, and other areas women poets are interested. The co - editors are Carol Smallwood and Colleen S. Harris with a foreword by Molly Peacock.

Please send 2 - 3 topics you would like to contribute each described in a few sentences and a 65 - 75 word bio using the format of the bio's above. Please send in a .doc Word (older version) file by October 30, 2010 using POETS/your last name on the subject line to smallwood@tm.net. You will receive a Go - Ahead with guidelines if your topics haven't already been taken. Contributors will be asked to contribute a total of 1900 - 2100 words. Those included in the anthology will receive a complimentary copy as compensation.


F r ^ ^ Poetry C ^ ntest
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The contest I won last year is open for submissions. Great prizes. E - mail to fcpoetrycontest@gmail.com. But as always do check submission guidelines! http://www.franklin - christoph.com/Writing/PoetryContest.html. Please include your poetry and your name and address within the body of the email. Attachments will no longer be accepted. Note, this is a new email address from previous years. Contact name is Lauren Taylor.


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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: I liked this article on improving your About Page on your blog. Michael Hyatt has about a dozen tips for you:
http://michaelhyatt.com/10 - ways - to - create - a - better - about - page - for - your - blog.html


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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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More Dilbert: Yep, just as I predicted. Dilbert is on a book humor roll. He has a doozer in the strip after the last one I reported on. In the first panel, he and his cohorts are in the lunch room and he is telling them “Soon my book of pointy - haired boss quotes will be published and I will be rich.” One of his pals says, “It sounds great. I can’t wait to get my pirated copy.” The look on Dilbert’s face (I interpret) as one of dismay. He says, “Or you could buy it.”

His other friend said, “I thought you said it was a book!”

Kind of hits home, doesn’t it? ( - :


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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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Editing Tip: Raff Ellis sent me a link from the Washington Post to a hilarious take on the Death of the English language. You must read it at http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/09/weingarten - reads - english - its - last - rites.htm


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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


WRITNG A GATHA
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Have you ever heard of a gatha? Gathas pop up in many ancient societies. Although Zarathustra is credited with writing an entire range of poetic gathas, the works I am talking about were first written in Prakrkit/Sanskrit and Pali and have a more spiritual tone to them.
The Prakrkit/Sanskrit root gai means to speak, sing, recite or extol. These short verses have meter and often rhyme. They point both the writer and the reader to positive actions and thoughts.
One of the great modern writers of gathas is Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Often called Thay, meaning teacher, Nhat Hanh has an entire book filled with gathas for everyday living. The book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, lists sayings for mundane activities like sweeping the floor and washing dishes. In his teachings on mindfulness, Thay suggests that his followers, and others, write gathas to remember to be mindful in all situations.
One of my favorites is a short verse I use every day when I am driving:
Before starting the car
I know where I'm going.
The car and I are one.
If the car goes fast, I go fast.
This has made me slow down and helped me stay calm once when a motorist wasn’t being mindful and wiped out my car at rush hour. I knew I had been driving safely.
People create new gathas for a number of purposes. Our technological age has given us many tools to use that cause us NOT to be mindful of what we say to others. One instance is when we hit the SEND button in an e - mail before we realize what we have actually said to someone else. To remember to edit before I hit SEND, before I fling my words forever into a person’s consciousness, I wrote my very first gatha:
Gatha Before E - Mailing and Typing
Breathing in, I type messages filled with hope,
typed in mindfulness,
and edited before I send
to express loving thoughts.

Breathing out, I know that hitting the SEND button
Is a mindfulness bell,
communicating loving kindness
to all who receive.
Why not try writing some gathas to remind you to be kind to others, to enjoy washing the dishes, to pay attention when you write the next paragraph of your story, to be kind to yourself.

LINKS

GATHAS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gathas

Gathas for the Practice of Mindful Living
http://www.nuhong.org/bd_stepping_freedom.htm

Gathas: Robert Aitken
http://naturewriting.com/gathas.htm

The Gathas of Zarathustra
http://www.avesta.org/gathas.htm


~ 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: The LA Times reported that the famous UCLA/LA Times fair will now be held on the campus of UCLA’s crosstown rival, the University of Southern California. I was associated with that fair several years running and must say that it’s a surprise and that I’m conflicted. I teach at UCLA. My daughter is studying there. My son and I both were graduated from USC. I love both campuses. So, I’m not taking sides.

Still this is a shock. Apparently with budget cuts UCLA couldn’t afford to uphold their portion of the expenses for the fair. An LA Times spokesperson says, “The Times has shared a long, successful history with UCLA and we intend to continue to collaborate with them on other events and projects far into the future.” Spokespersons also tout the advantages of the USC campus including better access from LA’s mass transit systems, in particular their new rail system, and a more central LA location.

For your information, this fair attracted 140,000 visitors in 2010.

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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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Tip: Any memoir writers out there? I recommend Nan Merrick Phifer’s Memoirs of the Soul: A Writing Guide from Ingot Press. I can’t think of anything it doesn’t cover. www.budurl.com/MemoirBook By the way, my memoir is being shopped by an agent, so you can see I’m in the memoir mode. Think everyone should be writing one, either for publication or as a family record.


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One of my favorite pages in the Resources for Writers section of my Web site is www.howtodoitfrugally.com/media_release_disseminators1.htm.When you have a media list that might be useful to editors outside the ones you’ve fostered for your own media list, this is the page to go to for a list of Web sites that can help get the word out there! ============================================

Thank Yous


Thanks to Huntington and the Red Room Crew . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for being such a welcoming spot for writers. You may want to see what he ran on Red Room that helped both me and longtime subscriber Linda Ballou. You see, networking works! http://www.redroom.com/blog/carolyn - howard - johnson/travel - writer - linda - ballou - shares - method - get - your - book - passed - around

Thanks to Writing Mamma Blogger . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . Virginia S. Grenier for her helpful (and heartwarming comments) in her blog post at:
http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2010/09/websites - blogs - and - newsletters.html


Thanks to Author & Reviewer Mayra Calvani . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For the neat review of my Frugal and Focused Tweeting. http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book - review - frugal - and - focused - tweeting/ Like other reviewers, she thinks it will be a good book for writers, too. ( -


Thanks to Michigan Literary Network . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thanks to Sylvia Hubbard for having me on her Blog Talk radio show and for her good humor dealing with our little snafu. Learn more about her great radio program for writers at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganliterarynetwork


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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: This is a mini rant disguised as a tip. Please avoid Q&A interviews on your blog unless your subject is very well known. And if you must go the interview route, please think of some interesting questions to ask your guest. Check out this blog post. Kevin gets points for using a seasonal piece (spooky for Halloween!), using a guest post to add variety to a blog, and avoiding the tried - but - getting - boring interview format. http://kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com/2010/10/visit - from - award - winning - author - carolyn.htm


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Unsolicited endorsement from Chaz DeSimone, book cover designer extraordinaire (www.chazdesimone.com): “Carolyn, the Frugal Book Promoter 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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
7th Annual Essay Contest from Be the Star You Are!®
Be the Star You Are!® literacy charity announced its 7th Annual Essay Contest sponsored by US Bank. It runs from October 18, 2010 - January 18, 2011. Win $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!® www.bethestaryouareradio.com, publication in our Star Searcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org, and an autographed copy of Be the Star You Are!®. The topic is “How do we create more happiness and abundance in our lives through service to others?”
Tax deductible entry fee donation is $10. For guidelines, visit www.bethestaryouare.org or email info@bethestaryouare.or

Review Opportunity ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Please send all press releases, review avails, interview opps, news, etc intended for Blogcritics and Technorati to our new centralized email address to your contact, Anna Creech: reviews@blogcritics.org.

Anna will also be able to put you in direct contact with relevant section/channel editors where applicable.

Here’s a reminder on how Blogcritics and Technorati operate: Since we have over 2500 writers and produce 80 stories a day, the most efficient mode of operation seems to be if you send product release notices, review and interview availability (query letters), press releases, news, announcements, etc., to us via email. We then forward these emails to our writers Yahoo Group in order to assign a specific reviewer/writer, who will then contact you directly with his/her mailing address for that specific item. We track all assignments in a database. We also welcome multimedia (audio, video, eCards, etc) assets and news/announcements of every kind.
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Thank to longtime subscriber Chris Meeks, novelist and writing teacher extraordinaire, for sending this valuable information.


Writers’ Organization Offers Benefits to All ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wisconsin Regional Writers Association (WRWA)is on a roll! It’s offering its benefits to members across the US—indeed, around the world.
First, they are in the process of beefing up their image and membership. Send memberships to: Membership Recorder, Loretta Kottke, PO Box 085270, Racine, WI 53408 Annual membership is $25.00; members of charter clubs receive a $5.00 discount. An application can be found here: http://www.wrwa.net/downloads/MembershipApplication.pdf .
Charter clubs are groups of critique or writing club members with at least five participants who belong to WRWA. See http://www.wrwa.net for more information. Here are some benefits to watch for:
~WRWA offers several contests throughout the year. They are judged by industry professionals with awards up to $150.00.”
~WRWA offers a judges pool.
~WRWA offers a speakers bureau.
~WRWA issues quarterly and monthly print and electronic journals filled with news and tips. It showcases the work of members.
~WRWA recently began a small press.
~WRWA is on FaceBook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=154305978720 and Twitter, http://twitter.com/WisWriters. Talk about great learning and networking opportunities.
~ WRWA offers two writers’ conferences a year. This year’s are planned for Spring 2011 from May 6 - 7 in Fond du Lac, WI and in the fall at Stevens Point. That’s September 23 - 25.

The mission of the 62 - year - old Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association is to provide a structured fellowship of amateur and
professional writers who support and assist fellow writers with all
phases, types, and categories of creative writing. The Association
encourages the preservation of family, local, regional and state
history. The Association offers informational and educational
services to writers and to the general public. The Association
assists writers in editing, publishing, and marketing their work, and
provides counsel regarding, and contact with. publishing and literary
agencies and representation.

Lisa Lickel
Editor, Creative Wisconsin Magazine
http://lisalickel.com


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This is an example of one of my tweets: "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. =================================================

From Carolyn’s Coming Memoir/NoCookbook:
A Real Flu - Time Recipe
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Just in time for flu season, here's a great recipe. Pass it to friends.

12 (that’s twelve! Not ½!) cloves fresh garlic, chopped very fine
Fresh or dried parsley (find dried parsley in the spice section of your supermarket or grow it yourself and dry it). Chop.
Sea salt to taste.
Enough fresh virgin olive oil to moisten all.

Scoop up with pieces of great, fresh sourdough bread. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven. Your virus will run for cover. The neighbors will not come visit.

Watch for Carolyn's memoir (Here's How I Don't Cook), now being shopped by super agent Terrie Wolf.



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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 closed. Please plan register early next year. Our hard - working Lea gets overwhelmed toward the end. http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/

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NEW!  Carolyn Howard Johnson and Lillian Brummet will discuss book proposals and common word trippers. Carolyn may read from her new poetry chapbook (with Magdalena Ball) on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 10 am Pacific time. Guest may call 646 478 4758 to ask questions or offer ideas. Learn more at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions
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NEW!  I’ll be talking to Sylvia Hubbard on Michigan Literary Network (www.michiganliterarynetwork.com) and Motown Writers Network (www.motownwriters.com) sponsored BlogTalkRadio (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganliterarynetwork) on Wed. Dec. 15 at 3 pm Pacific time. Tune in any Wednesday to hear this popular show for writers (and pitch to Producer Andrea Daniel for a guest spot at adaniel0089@comcast.net ).

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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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 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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New! Carolyn will chat with writers (yes! fiction writers, too!) on how to make Twitter work for them. The Catholic Online Writers’ Conference, March 27, 2011, at 10 am Pacific time. Registration required but it’s free. Limited enrollment so do it now! ( - : http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/.



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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.)

“Dopeler” effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

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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