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August 30, 2011
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 (Find them in a couple places this issue.)
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column: Writing on the Dark Side: Noir
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~Feature: Altruism Feels Good by Tim Bete
~Feature: Kindle, PDF’s and Those Who Love Being
Frugal of Time



Note: You may have better luck with the URLs in this newsletter if you copy and paste them into your browser window. I leave the links long rather than use hyperlinks because the letter is available in plain text in your e - mail window as well as a .pdf format.

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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

This has been an amazing summer. Our weather in the Southern California has been the mildest (and most beautiful) in many decades. I finally put the paperback of my second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter to bed. More news to come about that, of course!

And I’ve been lucky enough to film two commercials for TV and the Web. One was for a digital photo frame called Cierra. So far I haven’t seen it. Then last week my husband and I filmed a fun commercial for an Alzheimer service. We play a jazzy senior Karaoke couple. What a blast. It got me out from behind the computer and I needed that after a summer of intense editing.

To all of you experiencing the wrath of Irene, I send you my best.

Happy Writing, Editing and Promoting
Carolyn


PS: Would you, my specials, all go to this Amazon page www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor and click on the like button at the top of it. If you are on the major social networks (and you should be!) you can also click on the Twitter button/logo or the Facebook button/logo down in the right corner of the RIGHT COLUMN on this same page. The message could go something like "This is Carolyn Howard - Johnson’s multi award - winning The Frugal Editor. It could save authors tons of time. Please go 'like' it!"

PPS: As you know, I am poetry partners with an Aussie and Sunday Sept. 4 is Father’s Day for Aussies and for Brits. We’re celebrating with a new (at least for us) promotion. You get a
f r ^ ^ e - copy of our Father’s Day chapbook in our Celebration Series. Go to http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/more_on_imaginings.htm and click on the “Pay with A Tweet” button! You’ll also learn about a new promotion when you follow the process through.


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Needing something more meaningful for the celebrations in your life? Something that stays within your budget? Check out Cherished Pulse (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse) ($6.95) for someone you love. 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). She Wore Emerald Then (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) ($12.95), for mothers and other women, and Blooming Red (www.budurl.com/BloomingRed ), to use as Christmas cards or incidental holiday gifts. Plan next Christmas early. And ask about my special price on chapbook/cards purchased in bulk! All these chapbooks are from the Celebration Series of poetry from Magdalena Ball and me.
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Letters - to - the - Editor

Dear Carolyn:

Carolyn - - I liked your comments about Borders.

My own experience is similar. Borders was more arrogant to the independent writer/publisher. (Even B&N was more open). I noted in past few years that B&N did good publicity for signings, gave authors a 40% discount of whatever they bought that day, and also a food coupon. Borders did NONE of this.

With independent bookstores, I could chat with the staff, even when there were only a few customers to buy my book; some were minimum wage clerks who knew nothing about bookselling, but they were good at listening - - usually. Some clerks and owners were very good with authors. B&N was more alert to setting up and promoting authors; some indies weren't - - but they could usually be worked with. And, many indies thoroughly dominated the love of books.

I noted at Borders that for some clerks it was another job - - there, a supermarket, Walmart, wherever.

Your comments locked in a huge problem. Borders may still have gone down even if it did everything else right, but by not treating authors with utmost respect (and, thus, maybe many readers) it sealed its fate.

Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D.
Latest Book: Before the First Snow: Stories from the Revolution
(www.greeleyandstone.com)
www.walterbrasch.com
www.walterbrasch.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/walterbrasch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6cC4zHnFAY

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Carolyn:

I have both The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor, but I'm in edit mode on two books right now, so I keep finding myself thinking the same thing over and over again: thank goodness for Carolyn Howard - Johnson's book The Frugal Editor! (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) I used The Frugal Book Promoter to promote my self - published novel Dead Witness, and guess what? I landed a contract with a publisher for my second suspense thriller Broken but not Dead. So as soon as I spotted her new book THE FRUGAL PROMOTER, I grabbed it.

Thank you, Carolyn for saving me hours of work and for helping me polish my manuscripts. Having both The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor close at hand has made all the difference. Released June 23, 2011, my novel Broken but not Dead has gone back for a second printing.

I can't imagine life without these two wonderful books.

Joylene Nowell Butler
Author of Dead Witness and Broken But Not Dead
"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." Standing Bear
blog - http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com
webpage -


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My review blog is my gift to authors. It’s a place for you to honor authors and books you’ve loved with a review. It’s a place to recycle the review of your own book, the one you love most. It’s f r ^ ^. Submission guidelines are in the left column at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. =============================================

Editing Tip: The LA Times business section reported on an editing booboo made by Old Navy. They printed up T - shirts for USC and at the top of the design it said “Lets Go.” They felt it necessary to explain to readers that “...’lets’ is missing its apostrophe, which is necessary to create the intended contraction of ‘let us go.’ Without the apostrophe, ‘lets go’ means to release something.” I had to laugh. They must have been in a hurry to get the news out (sort of like Mindy and me when we publish this newsletter!) because it would have read better if they’d said “Without the apostrophe ‘lets’ is a verb that means ‘to release something.” The lesson here is that editing isn’t only about catching typos. Sometimes it’s also about clarifying. Maybe I should send them a copy of my The Frugal Editor, www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor.


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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 so I can do something similar for you on my Resources for Readers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
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In the News: Kindle/Amazon has opened a new Indie bookstores of Kindle books. They see it as a wonderful advantage of authors. I am reading between the lines but I see it as a way to separate the wheat (professionally produced indie books) from the chaff (indie books that leave something to be desired). That is a good thing for readers and may be good for writers, too, if it encourages them to take more care with their editing and formatting, etc. Learn more about it on this Amazon page:
https://kdp.amazon.com/self - publishing/help?moduleId=200734540


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This is the only site I know that can help novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights get noticed by directors and producers. It’s BooksToFilm and it’s run by iFOGO’s Gene Cartwright. It isn’t as frugal as I’d like, but there are times it pays to spend a little. One of those times would be if our investment leads to something big: http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html .
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In the News: One of my favorite poets Phillip Levine was named the next U.S. poet laureate. I like his work because he writes most of his poems in complete sentences. They very nearly read like prose if the reader ignores the line breaks and waits for the punctuation. Lots of my poems are written the same way.


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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

Rules for this Section: Only subscribers’ successes are listed in this section.
Thus, I do not pick up news of new releases or awards from general media releases for
there is usually no way for me to know those releases come from subscribers.
If you have an Author Success, please identify yourself as a subscriber in the subject line
of your e - mail. Something like: MEDIA RELEASE: Subscriber’s Success


Aggie Villaneuva Release Book of Interest to Writers
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It is The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art, No Matter the Genre.
http://www.amazon.com/Rewritten - Word - Sculpt - Literary - Matter/dp/098259142X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314420141&sr=1 - 4

She is also a whiz and helping you market your book. http://www.amazon.com/Rewritten - Word - Sculpt - Literary - Matter/dp/098259142X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314420141&sr=1 - 4

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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/BookProposals =================================================


In the News: Financial activists are pushing for a breakup of the McGraw Hill Publishing empire. How might that affect individual authors? Well, just a guess (and a long shot), but smaller publishers often take risks on something new...make that new authors, newer ideas. Let’s hope.


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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 iFOGO. Subscribe at http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html
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Tip: Poets and literary writers should check out Writers’ Sanctuary hosted by Kim McMillon http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onword . She recently hosted Magdalena Ball and me to talk about our new poetry chapbook celebrating femininity (www.budurl.com/DeeperPond) and I have to tell you, the amount of marketing she does before her shows is prodigious!


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


Tip: If you don’t know how to get these Facebook plugins for all the promotion you’re doing, well, go look what you’re missing. http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/


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I am journalist in residence at Book in Sync, which means you can find my articles in their newsletter each month and even access old ones in the archives. Go to http://www.booksinsync.com/booksinsyncjournalist.html.
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In the News: Just in case you didn’t catch this, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library donated 150 copies of Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five to the students at Republic High School in Republic, Missouri. after the school board there silenced Vonnegut’s voice by banning his book. (I live 12 miles from Republic, Missouri and was THRILLED!
~ Mindy)


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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.

Poetry Resources. . .
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. . .my husband sent me this list of poetry resources, some for beginners. Some of the links are for articles that are opinion only. I hadn’t heard of many of them because many are distinctly not literary. That doesn’t mean they may not be perfect for some of your poems or give you information you didn’t already have! ( - :

http://www.fanstory.com/page/poetry_contests/poetry_contests.jsp
http://www.poeticpower.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis - shivani/poetry - book - contests_b_858819.html
http://www.poetryresourcepage.com/contests/pcontests.html
http://www.madpoetry.org/contests/contests.html (I like this one because it lists contest opportunities by the deadline dates. The drawback is that most are contests for chapbooks or full chapbooks with relatively high entry fees.)
http://contests.about.com/od/conttestscams/qt/poetryscams.htm
http://www.freelancewriting.com/writing - contests.php
http://www.winningwriters.com/
http://www.missourireview.com/tmrsubmissions/editors - prize - contest/?gclid=COLh3N7g6KkCFaYZQgoden1BWQ
http://www.unitedworldpoets.com/poetry - contests
http://www.dreamquestone.com/
http://dir.yahoo.com/arts/humanities/literature/poetry/writing/contests/
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/poetry_scams.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis - shivani/poetry - book - contests_b_858819.html


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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 haven’t tried this create - a - buzz tip that came to me from Maggie Ball (http://www.compulsivereader.com/html) but it looks good enough to pass it on to you. Basically it goes like this: Readers get something of yours free but they must tweet about it or something else you’ve written. www.paywithatweet.com. If you decide to do it, I’d love to publish a how - to article in this newsletter complete with credits and links to your work.
http://www.magdalenaball.com


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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/advertising.htm for only $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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Altruism Feels Good

Will People Really Not Vote If There’s Nothing In It for Them?
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I received a LinkedIn message in my e - mail box from and old writing friend Tim Bete. It touched a couple of chords. One was that this is a great way to promote and my readers need to know about it. The other is this idea that the world has become a narrow, selfish place and I know it isn’t so—as does Tim. Anyway, this is both a help and plea to prove the naysayers are wrong. Here is a quick article from Tim and a copy of the message he sent using LinkedIn. By the way, it worked. I voted.


NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE YOUR WRITING
By Tim Bete

Quite a few years ago when I was still writing a humor column, the editor of a national magazine told me my column was one of the best he had ever read. In the same week another editor told me my column was one of the worst things he had ever read.

Go figure. You can't please everyone. The key is to please enough people to make an impact. Or a living.

I work full - time for a housing nonprofit now. I still write a lot but now my writing is different. I ask people to help provide homes for the needy. And some people still hate my writing.

Our nonprofit, St. Mary Development Corporation, recently became a finalist in a contest in which we can win $20,000. But the winner will be chosen based on the number of online votes by the general public.

I asked some colleagues for tips on how to garner votes. One person told me people won't vote because there's nothing in it for them.

My nonprofit heart was crushed.

Nothing in it for them? I can honestly say I have received much more from working with the poor than they have ever got from me. Thinking about others instead of yourself is life - changing.

So I decided to put the question to my contacts on LinkedIn. I sent an e - mail (below) and asked if they would vote even though there was nothing in it for them.

Within hours we had chocked up hundreds of votes. Many contacts offered to vote every day, even though I hadn't asked them to do so. One contact wrote, "I voted but there was something in it for me so I guess you're both right! I received the satisfaction of helping a friend. :)" Well said.

But not everyone was happy. One contact wrote, "Please never send me such useless crap again. I hate spam and didn’t join LinkedIn for such wastes of time."

It feels an awful lot like the week when I heard from the two editors looking for humor columns. One hated me and one loved me.

In the end, you're always going to get criticized for your writing. But take a risk. Follow your heart. And keep writing until you find the audience who loves your work.

By the way, you can vote for ST MARY DEVELOPMENT until Aug. 31 at http://bit.ly/pIMNuZ .And you can vote even if you hate my writing.


HERE IS THE EMAIL THAT WENT OUT TO MY LINKEDIN CONTACTS

Subject: Carolyn, should I lose faith in LinkedIn?

Carolyn,

A friend of mine told me that contacts on LinkedIn won't ever
help unless there's something in it for them.

I told him he was wrong.

The conversation started because my nonprofit, which provides
homes for the poor, has a good chance of winning $20,000 in
a contest being run by a technology company. We're already a
finalist.

My friend said you wouldn't vote for us because there's
nothing in it for you.

So here's my question: Will you prove him wrong by taking
15 seconds to vote for ST MARY DEVELOPMENT at http://bit.ly/pIMNuZ ?

Your 15 seconds will mean we're able to provide even more homes
for the poor. (We've already created more than 2,500.)

Thanks in advance for your help. It means a lot to me and the
people we serve. I'll post updates on the voting in my
LinkedIn status.

Thanks and God bless,

Tim Bete
Mission Communication Director
St. Mary Development Corporation
713 W. Grand Avenue
Dayton, OH 45406
tbete@smdcd.org
www.StMaryDevelopment.org


P.S. Please feel free to share the voting at http://bit.ly/pIMNuZ
with your other LinkedIn contacts, too.


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Ta Da! E - books are great tools for promotion
http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/ta - da - e - books - are - great - tools - for - promotion/
The Anatomy of a Free (Read that Promotional!) E - Book
http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/the - anatomy - of - a - free - read - that - promotional - e - book/
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In the News: Ray Bradbury had a birthday on August 22. He is now ninety - one. Writing is such a wonderful way to stay active in one’s old age. It was only a couple years ago I presented alongside him at a small book fair in Southern California. He did it at no charge and you know he could demand large speaking fees (which would have put him out of reach for this community event). He has always been generous with his time and supportive of fellow authors. Maybe that keeps him spry, too!


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Are you confused about how to credit facts or quotes when you write articles or nonfiction? Check out my Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog: http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/10/q - la - ann - landers - academic - accreditation.html
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Tip: Love this easy way to make a banner for your Facebook profile page—as opposed to having assorted photos that may or may not interest all of your friends. Get them here: http://www.fbanners.com/ And check out what I did with mine at www.facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson


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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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Tip: Check out: Submit a Story at AOL if your book is tied to a local philanthropic program in some way. http://aol.it/qiaTWz


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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:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefunkywriter/2010/07/30/the - funky - writer - radio - show - episode - 74
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Feature

Kindle, PDF’s and Those Who Love Being Frugal of Time . . .
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Note: The second edition of my The Frugal Book Promoter is now on Kindle and it wasn’t long ago I got a new Kindle. (It won’t be long before the paperback is available on Amazon). It took me awhile to learn to download books’ pdf files on m own Kindle and, it dawned on me now is a good time to remind those of you who haven’t used your Kindles for this (and those of you who are IwannaKindle people) how to load the pdfs you want to carry with you. So here are some instructions sent to me by Karen Cioffi. She said:


You can put the PDF on your Kindle reader. Here’s how.

~Plug your Kindle into one of your USB ports, it'll bring it up as a new drive on your computer (it might show up as the F, K, J, or other Drive on your computer).
~Then just copy the PDF (from where you originally saved it) and paste it to the Kindle drive.
~Then you'll need to open the Kindle drive and move the PDF into the Kindle Doc file (you just click on the PDF file and drag it into the Kindle Doc file). [Note: I found saving it directly to the documents folder works better than saving it to the books folder or anywhere else. But this may be a feature available only on the newer Kindles.]

That's it. It'll then show up listed in your Kindle contents.

It's just like copying and pasting a file from your hard drive to a zip drive, or from one zip drive to another.

I load my Word files, too. I just turn my word docs into PDFs if I want to read them on Kindle.

I do this with all the PDFs that I download.

If you run into a problem, let me know and I'll walk you through it.

Karen Cioffi - Ventrice
Author, ghostwriter, freelance writer,
Editor for 4RV Publishing
http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com
http://karencioffi.com
http://dkvwriting4u.com
Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice



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Here is a list of small publishers for your consideration: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/small_publishers.htm
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Thank Yous


Thanks to Glenn Gamble …. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . .Thanks to Glenn Gamble, author of A Thousand Chances, for the interview on his blog. Hope you get a chance to drop by and leave a comment. Don’t forget your signature and a link to your book or blog! http://www.glenngamble.com/2011/08/interview - with - best - selling - author.html
Glenn also wrote Bon Appétit (available on Kindle)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YWNW0K


Thanks to Dan Poynter . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for posting Maggie’s and my request for reviews of our feminist chapbook Deeper into the Pond in his newsletter. He offers many free services to authors. If you aren’t subscribed, you may be missing out on a lot. http://parapub.com/files/newsletter/PPM - SEPTEMBER%202011.pdf



Thanks to Valerie Allen . . .
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. . . for listing my Web site on all the handouts she gives to authors at her writing workshops and for referring the HowToDoItFrugally series for writers to a friend who is starting up a publishing company. She also plans to display my books for authors at the Meet the Author Book Fair in Melbourne, Fl. It’s held in conjunction with an outdoor Art Works Fest. That might be something you all want to check into: www.AuthorsForAuthors.com. And learn more about Valerie at http://ValerieAllenWriter.com, VAllenWriter@cs.com, and http://ValerieAllenWriter.WordPress.com. She is the author of several books including Sins of the Father.


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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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Writing Tip: Don’t overdo it when you are suggesting an accent in your dialogue. A little bit goes a long way. Do give your characters a mannerism that they occasionally repeat, say, when they’re angry. Mentioning it can take the place of a basic tag like “he said.”


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Chaz DeSimone has a new f r ^ ^ way to get a great poster for your office or a gift. You subscribe to his free poster offer and newsletter on design (including book cover design) and a different poster will come to your e - mail box about every other week. Each is entirely different, all the highest quality in design and all associated with the ampersand and, by extension, our love of writing. Each also comes with directions for printing, framing, making this into a f r ^ ^ bie that lasts. To subscribe go to: http://forms.aweber.com/form/91/119176491.htm
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Opportunities


Book Fair Booth or Display Ops. . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Registration is now open for Meet the Authors Book Fair to be held November 19 and 20, 2011 at the Eau Gallie Civic Center in Florida.

Space is limited to 45 authors. If you cannot attend, take advantage of the DISPLAY ONLY option. You’ll find more information and a registration form at www.AuthorsForAuthors.com. Or e - mail Valerie Allen at VAllenWriter@cs.com . Learn more about her at www.ValerieAllenWriter.com.


Fr ^ ^ Writers’ Conference Anyone? . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As a co - sponsor of the Muse Online Writers’ Conference (and the first one at that!), I’d like to personally invite you to enroll right now! (By the way, when we started it we thought it was probably the very first online writers’ conference, too!).


The Muse Online Writers Conference
- the only FREE conference of its kind!
Affiliated with the award - winning sites and Writer's Digest Top 101 Writing Sites:
The MuseItUp Club & Apollo's Lyre & MuseItUp Publishing
Registration is now open but please bookmark and come back often for details on how to register for a pitch session this year, and more.
No matter where you live, what you write, at what point you are in your writing career, you'll find a workshop that fits your needs during our weeklong conference.
There are no hidden costs. Our conference is f r ^ ^, but we do ask for donations to help support this site and our cause - to continue offering you FREE workshops each year.
Our sponsored books to the left are a MUST to have in your home library. The Muse On Writing helps you complete a book from start to finish. The Frugal Book Promoter will guide you to promote and market your book. Don't miss out! JOIN US! (http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/).


F r ^ ^ Book Display Opportunity ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This is something new to me. It’s an opportunity for your book to be displayed and listed a huge regional conference. Actually, publishers could list up to 50 titles at no charge except for the display copies themselves. It’s the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel, Portsmouth, VA—from October 27th to 28, 2011. But the deadline for listing is October 11 and they must receive your books by October 18. To get the registration form, send your fax number or ask for a pdf attachment:
Marjorie Gallahan
Association Book Exhibit
9423 Old Mt. Vernon Road
Alexandria, VA 22309
703 - 619 - 5030 phone
703 - 619 - 5035 fax
info@bookexhibit.com

Win a Trip to Manhattan with Your Book. . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2012 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL CALL FOR ENTRIES
The 2012 New York Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program honoring books that deserve greater recognition from the world's publishing capital.
The 2012 New York Book Festival will consider published, self - published and independent publisher non - fiction, fiction, children, young adult, how - to, audio/spoken word, comics/zines/graphic novels, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction, horror, photography/art, romance and biography/autobiography works.
Entries can be in English, Spanish, French or Italian and must be published on or after January 1, 2006. Our grand prize for the 2012 New York Book Festival Author of the Year is $1,500 and a flight to New York for our awards ceremony in June, 2012 in Manhattan.
Additional information and registration forms are available online at www.newyorkbookfestival.com

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A free book from my marketing friend Dana Lynn Smith:
http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2011/04/free - e - book - from - master - marketer - dana.html =================================================

Writing/Promotion Tip: As you edit your work, notice the little quotable gems within it and use them on Twitter to increase interest in what you are doing. Quotes are supremely re - tweetable. (_:


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I know. I am a glutton for punishment and everyone hates me for my zero - tolerance rule on italics. But I was inoculated with it during UCLA’s Writers’ Program classes and I know anyone would be hard put to find a major writers’ program that doesn’t agree with them. So why risk the ire of exacting agents and publishers. Know the guidelines! http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/10/lets - talk - italics - again.html . Learn other publishing - friendly editing ideas in The Frugal Editor, www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor. =================================================


An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Writing on the Dark Side: Noir
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Think BOGEY in The Maltese Falcon and you’ll know the gist of Noir Writing. It’s a dark, somber, unsentimental depiction of violence and sex pioneered by writer Carroll John Daly in the 20s and perfected by Raymond Chandler in the late 30s. Characters such as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe depict hardboiled detectives who look at their gorgeous female clients but are not blinded by them. These men are tough, have an attitude and solve crimes at the drop of a hat while facing incredible danger.
Noir is French for “dark” and fits the writing style perfectly. In John D. MacDonald’s story Darker than Amber, a sentence reads, "We were about to give up and call it a night when somebody threw the girl off the bridge." BAM! You are in the middle of the shadows of noir fiction. And you KNOW the main character won’t stop until he finds out who tossed that girl in the water.
There are women writing noir as well. Sara Parensky, Dorothy B. Hughes, Vera Caspary, and Sue Grafton at times, use this sinister method of story telling. Women can be hardcore, too.
If you enjoy reading this kind of writing, and love Bogart, maybe you should try to pen your own dark novel or screenplay. Sounds like a plan to me. Here’s writing at you, baby.


LINKS
Rules for Writing Noir Short Stories
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080707174403AADDDt9

The Crime Time Café
http://crimetimecafe.blogspot.com/2006/07/writing - noir.html

A Rendezvous in Noir with Neal Pollack
http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/salon/noirwriting.asp

Film Noir
http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/2011/04/notoriously - noir - and - writing - today.html

Oscars for Noir
http://www.oscars.org/events - exhibitions/events/2010/noir.html

The best noir writing on Berlin, Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, London and Dublin ever?
http://thecity - litcafe.typepad.com/the_citylit_cafe/2011/02/the - best - noir - writing - on - berlin - paris - venice - amsterdam - london - and - dublin - ever.html

Donald E Westlake
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article2930115.ece

Noir Writing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboiled

Women in Noir
http://www.bookslut.com/features/2008_12_013763.php



~ 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. 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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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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NEW! Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be a presenter at marketing wizard D’vorah Lansky’s coming Book Marketing Conference Online. Her presentation on how to win awards and how to use ’em once you’ve got ’em is at 2 pm Pacific time but the lineup of marketing magic - makers is long and stellar. Learn more at http://bookmarketingconferenceonline.com/coming - soon/ and go like the program for us all at: https://www.facebook.com/BookMarketingMadeEasy


 Carolyn Howard - Johnson will talk with the famous Career Czar Paul Bruno on Friday, September 30, 2011. Tune in then or anytime thereafter at: http://www.careerczar.com/mp3/career093011B.mp3Air


 Carolyn Howard - Johnson will talk and read poetry with Connie Gotsch on her Write On radio program on real, live radio on December 14, 2011, probably at 10:30 am Pacific time or 2:30 Mountain time. Go to www.KSJE.com to confirm the date. If you miss the live program, pick up the
f r ^ ^ podcast at. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ksje/.jukebox?action=podcasts. Find the show date and download it to listen at your leisure.


 Carolyn Howard - Johnson will talk about book marketing with Connie Gotsch on her Write On radio program on real, live radio on January 4, 2011, probably at 10:30 am Pacific time or 2:30 Mountain Time. Go to www.KSJE.com to confirm the date. If you miss the live program, pick up the f r ^ ^ podcast at. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ksje/.jukebox?action=podcasts. Find the show date and download it to listen at your leisure.


NEW!  Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be a presenter at a Love Boat Writers’ Retreat on a cruise to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas from Feb. 5 to Feb 12, 2012. I’ll be teaching dialogue, point of view and finding your voice. Geraldine Saunders, the author of the novel that the Love Boat series is based on will be keynote speaker and present as well. I’d love to see some of my subscribers there! Learn more at http://loveboatretreat.webs.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 Post and other publications.)

Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)




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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

The HowToDoItFrugally Series for Writers

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,
Paperback: http://budurl.com/BookProposals
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3468136
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042JT1UA


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

The Survive and Thrive Series for Retailers (Authors need to know about retailing, too!)

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
Order in paperback: http://budurl.com/RetailersGuide
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1TACC
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media
Order in paperback direct from Amazon: http://budurl.com/Tweeting4Retailers
Order for Kindle Reader: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H4XCCS
Order an e - book from the publisher: http://www.createspace.com/3439623 .

Your Blog, Your Business: A Retailer’s Frugal Guide to Getting Customer Loyalty and Sales—Both In - Store and Online

Sponsored by Gift Shop Magazine
To Order: http://budurl.com/Blogging4Retailers
To Order for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1TACC
Carolyn’s Fiction and Creative Nonfiction

This Is the Place: http://budurl.com/ThisIsthePlace

Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered: http://budurl.com/TrueShortStories

Carolyn’s Poetry

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball Paperback: www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB4AW

Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB4AW
In print to be used as a greeting card or booklet: www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse
For Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagining - the - future - magdalena - ball/1021152596?ean=2940000904893&itm=4&usri=magdalena+ball
She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood, a chapbook of poetry. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball.
Paperback and Kindle: http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook
For Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/she - wore - emerald - then - magdalena - ball/1020032782?ean=2940000807408&itm=5&usri=magdalena+ball

Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball
To order as an e - book: https://www.createspace.com/3419505
For Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagining - the - future - magdalena - ball/1021152596?ean=2940000904893&itm=4&usri=magdalena+ball
To order as a paperback or for Kindle: www.budurl.com/Imagining

Deeper into the Pond: A Celebration of Femininity, Co - Authored with Magdalena Ball. Artwork by Jacquie Schmall
To order as an e - book: https://www.createspace.com/3608866 To order as a paperback: http://budurl.com/DeeperPond
Tracings, a chapbook of poetry (Finishing Line Press)
http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings

Contact Information

Website
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com

Blogs:
http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical. On editing, formatting, and craft.
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
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. It is no longer active but there are lots of ideas you can use here, just the same.

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