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January 30, 2012
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 booboos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!

This newsletter is powered by AuthorsDen.com.
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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 (You’ll find them in several places.)
~Accessible Contests
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column: “A Mid - Winter
Read”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~New Feature: Links to Help Your Career: Question and Answers from Subscriber
~Feature: Someone Beat You To It, Huh
~Feature: To Hire or Not to Hire a Publicist

Join me for more writers’ resources on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/FrugalBkProm
For resources and more personal fun on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson
For special help for fiction writers:
www.fictionmarketing.com
For writers’ resources of all kinds:
www.HowToDoItFrugally.com


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:

I’ve been busy this week updating the Kindle edition of my Frugal Book Promoter. What I learned from this effort is that their automatic Kindle formatter shouldn’t be trusted. It’s not that I don’t appreciate how easy they’ve made it to upload a Kindle book (to say nothing of the great 70% in royalties they pay!), but it just doesn’t work quite as smoothly as it should. So, advice from this corner is “Use that preview feature!”

• And don’t just skim. Turn the pages one by one. It’s a lot to go through when you have a 416 page book, but you gotta do it!
• Check to see the links are all alive (this is an e - book, not a paper book so links are important).
• Notice the cool feature that lets them include your book cover.
• Kindle doesn’t support indexes ‘cause it doesn’t use page numbers so remove your index or do what I did—make a Keyword Index of it. Why not download it at www.budurl.com/FrugalBkProKindle and see how I worked that. You know you wanted the digitally searchable iteration of this book anyway and Kindle books work on your regular computer.
• Check to be sure the links in your table of contents are live—and please call it just “Contents!” “Table of Contents” is redundant.
• Forget indented paragraphs (unless you write fiction and just have to use them!). It’s so much easier to leave lines between paragraphs.
• Be sure anything you have in the front matter that’s important to you is there. If not, you may have to remove it to the backmatter. I understand it’s all about putting actual pages up front where they can be searched by would - be readers, but it may also be a Kindle preference for launching their readers right into their books. (With that in mind, you may want to reconsider some of the niceties like a dedication page.)
• And see Chris Meeks’ suggestions for getting frugal help with your formatting in this newsletter. Just scroll! ( - :

Oh, and the important reason I’m writing this. If you already have the Kindle edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, it should be updated for you automatically. But if it isn’t, nudge them a bit. You deserve your new copy.

Joy, Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting
Carolyn


PS: It isn’t too late to receive the special offer of a free e - copy of Magdalena Ball’s and my Valentine chapbook, Cherished Pulse. And hear her recite one of her poems from that booklet!
http://magdalenaball.blogspot.com/2012/01/skip - card - this - year.html

It’s also available as a lovely chapbook at www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse. You could have it shipped direct and save some time.



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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, Deeper in the Pond, for the feminists in your life—both men and women (www.budurl.com/DeeperPond) ($6.95) 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

Hey Carolyn:

Looking forward to the latest masterpiece, Carolyn, and I've told my friends back East all about you.

One of my friends invented an NCAA (basketball) endorsed concept called "Packy Playfair" which addresses playground bullying.

Models sportsmanship between all those competing.

"Wally" (Halas) and I go all the way back to the 1970 - era when we competed against one another as basketball stars from our own respective schools.

I thought he'd be especially interested in your recent piece from your newsletter on "Audio Tapes," and, in fact, he was.

We're meeting the end of January to discuss making "Packy" something of an informational concept/cartoon and for children a la PBS, etc.

Possibly more if you have any other ideas.

Thanks again, know you're busy and always helping all of us move forward.


Joe K.
Since my early days of writing - doctoring scripts for the feared, dreaded and infamous "Barbarian Brothers?" (seven feature film credits, four (4) in starring vehicles that went direct to video), I've been known as "Rex Ford, Jr." My real name since my Columbia U. days - Joseph (Joe) Kelley.


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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. =============================================


Tip: Longtime subscriber Karina Fabian sends this great tip. She says, “Marketing works best when it's a habit, but it can be a hard habit to keep. The 30 - Minute Marketer is a weekly newsletter, not of ideas so much as tasks. Each task takes 30 minutes or less on average, so it's a great way to ease into the marketing habit. Each issue has one recurring task—from media releases to website check - ups - - a follow - up task from the week before, a project broken into manageable parts, and a new idea to try. Anyone is welcome to read them by visiting http://30minutemarketer.karinafabian.com . (I'm asking for donations to keep it going, but they are not required to
enjoy the newsletter.)”



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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: Harper Collins is suing another publisher over e - book rights. The issue is one of their old titles from pre - e - book days (1972). I suspect that is going to be a difficult one for some judge in New York where the suit is being brought to the bench. I mean, how does the author figure into this? Did he or she want their book re - issued as an e - book? Had the contract with HC expired?



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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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Feature

Someone Beat You To It, Huh
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Maybe we all have a tendency to feel disgruntled when our local newspaper quotes an expert who isn’t—really!—as expert as we are! Worse, what about when CNN features a talking head on the subject of their book and they disagree with you! Seems you have a choice. You can grumble or you can take action.

• Use your Googling skills to contact whoever was in charge (or to blame!) for this lack of foresight. Journalists. Producers. Talk show hosts. Give yourself enough time to cool off and put your tactful hat on and contact them.
• Introduce yourself being very clear about your credentials. In fact, put the credentials upfront before your name unless you’re already famous. (For a script/template of how to approach reporters and others responsible for stories from master marketer Raleigh Pinskey, see the Index of The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo).
• Follow up with a personal cover letter and a copy of your book. Oh, and your media kit!
• Follow up again when something similar hits the news. You may be remembered. In fact, expand your campaign to include others who might cover the story.

Don’t assume that because you write fiction, you can’t be an expert. Of course you can! I am an expert on tolerance, polygamy, and a host of related subjects based on the theme and setting of my novel This Is the Place (www.budurl.com/ThisIsthePlace) and on my life’s experiences on those topics. And yes, I was a guest on at least a dozen radio shows because of that expertise. All you have to do is examine the subjects of your fiction and see how it relates to what’s in the news.
CHJ



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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.”



None to report this week. See above for guidelines to make sure your good news gets included.


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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). The perfect giftlet for nonfiction writers. Find it at http://budurl.com/BookProposals =================================================


Tip: Findthatfile.com's (http://www.findthatfile.com) is a way for you to find specific PDFs, documents (PPT, XLS, DOC, TXT, etc), Audio, Video, RAR and ZIP compressed files, fonts, and much much more. They are different from other file/search sites. They search as deeply as possible to identify the most relevant data from over 300 million files. This means they open each file, identify its author, title, contents, text extracts and all kinds of information that nobody else does. They claim to search more places than anyone else including forty - seven file types and 557+ file extensions from over 70 million web domains.


================================================= Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contacts 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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Subscriber Tip: Chris Meeks, a fellow instructor at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and author of the award - winning The Brightest Moon of the Century—now free on Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/Brightest - Moon - Century - ebook/dp/B002TG4PAO)—suggests:
“To format your next book for Kindle, use www.Liberwriter.com. It costs a flat $25 per book, and you can change it as many times as you want for the life of the book. What it allows you to do is cut and paste from Word, and what you see on screen is the way it'll be on Kindle. Thus, you change the page breaks or font sizes, and that will translate to the Kindle. For the life of me, I couldn't get my photos in the Kindle version of The Brightest Moon of the Century before Liberwriter. A programmer told me she could add the photos for $100, so Liberwriter is quite a savings! ”


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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: I thought this tip mentioned in Penny Sansevieri’s newsletter worth repeating for any of you who are using Twitter. Go to http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5 - twitter - changes - and - how - to - make - the - most - of - them/ and see what’s new on Twitter and how make the new features work for you.


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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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E - BOOK TIP: Amazon has a new program. I haven’t tried it, but I will for my next booklet in the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. In the meantime, you need to know about it. Here is the copy from Amazon’s site:
Introducing KDP Select - a new option to make money and promote your book. When you make your book exclusive to Kindle for at least 90 days, it will be part of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library for the same period and you will earn your share of a monthly fund when readers borrow your books from the library. You will also be able to promote your book as free for up to 5 days during these 90 days. Learn more (https://kdp.amazon.com/self - publishing/KDPSelect)
Note: By “exclusive,” Amazon does not mean that your book cannot be released in paperback. They want exclusive digital rights for the 90 days. This seems an ideal way to introduce a book and get a buzz going about it—particularly now that the program is new. Of course, that aspect of the release needs to be publicized and that’s up to you, your publisher or your publicist. May I (Ahem!) respectfully suggest The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) to learn how to do that.


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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 to HoJoNews@aol.com.

A F r ^^ bie for Your Poetry Slams
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E - mail if you’d like my little folded poetry primer—for your own edification or to use as a handout the next time you read poetry or participate in a book fair. It gives 12 steps toward more professional poems.


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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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Understanding Publishing Today: In an essay for Time, Radhika Jones says, “[Before digital printing] publishing was designed as a Darwinian process in which authors compete to be printed and then thousands of book go the way of the passenger pigeon. Digital files, self - publishing and print - on - demand technologies raise the possibility that this natural selection will be warped.” She notes that digital versions of books can now go on forever and that means there are more and more books available for readers to choose from. This proliferation of material is causing problems for copyright law,which must tackle the exigencies in this new state of publishing. But it also presents problems for readers who would like to be well read. We have so many more choices! So little time. No way to keep up with the influx of great fiction, much less important and valuable information. And then there’s the problem of some great writing getting buried or overlooked in this great flood of reading material.


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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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Tip: Coming from long time subscriber Patrika Vaughn, your Author’s Advocate who offers writers one - stop shopping (from writing to successful publication) www.acappela.com: “Testimonials sell books. Having a testimonial for your book from someone you admire can be a great ego boost, and it will actually effect your sales. There's a reason so many books - - both small press and big NYC publishers - - fill the back cover and PR materials with endorsements of all types. We live in the age of recommendation, and if someone you respect or admire endorses something, you're more likely to buy it. (See www.acappela.com for tips on contacting celebs) “





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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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Feature


To Hire or Not to Hire a Publicist
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If your name isn't King or Grisham or Roberts you've probably already figured out that you need a publicist. That publicist can be you or someone else, but somebody's got to do it if you want your book to sell. Your publisher won't spend much, if any, time or money on your publicity (except in the above three cases, of course!)

I have a publicist friend who is also an author. He rightfully claims that he could never find a PR person who would do the same kind of job he does, including the time he spends on his own PR. How could anyone argue with that? We all are our own best publicists, even if we hire someone else.

But what if we don't have the time or expertise?

We can learn to do it ourselves. After all, we are writers. We should be able to grasp the knack of how to write a release.

But the best way to do it is to learn a lot about the marketing of books and then partner with expert publicists or people who can help you with specific projects like online book tour specialists. (I suggest resources for these specialists in The Frugal Book Promoter.) If you decide to do that here are some starter recommendations:

1. Join an organization for publishers and authors. That could be Small Publishers Association of North America or IBPA. Yes, even if you are not self - published or subsidy published. Attend their seminars—online and off. You'll learn more about promotion and your own industry than you can possibly imagine. Not only that, but you'll get over your natural reticence to promote yourself and your book. After all, if you don't believe enough in yourself and your book to do a good job of it, who will?

2. Subscribe to my favorite publicity guru's newsletter. Her name is Joan Stewart; her letter is called The Publicity Hound. She does a print version and a free web version. Contact her at jstewart@publicityhound.com or go to her site: publicityhound.com. Tell her I sent you.

3. Take a class in Public Relations. The only way I know how to avoid drastic mistakes in choosing a class is to patronize your local college.

But what if you decide to hire a publicist? You should know that even if you hire one, you’ll need to know some of this stuff to partner well with her.

Here is the one most important rule for finding a good one:

When you hire a publicist, you are buying her Rolodex; and I'm not talking about a list she gleaned from a directory. You could get that at the library from Barron's Directory for less than what it costs to hire a publicist for one month

What I'm talking about is a Rolodex of personal, working relationships with editors, hosts, etc. Those relationships must be—to a great extent—contacts who might have an interest in a project like yours. A book publicist who has had mostly experience with mystery writers, deals mostly with books stores that dedicate themselves to stories about crime, and has a huge file of names of reviewers interested in psycho/thrillers probably won't be able to do you much good if you write literary novels. And if you write mysteries, well! The people she will put you in contact with will be a Trojan horse for you well into an entire career of writing.

Am I speaking from experience? You betcha. And lukewarm results were not the fault of my publicist. She did a great job with what she had. She just didn't have what I needed!

You may wonder why I selected her. The price was right and I thought that with my PR background and a reasonable amount of time at my disposal (until I figured out the plot for my next novel) that I could supplement her efforts effectively. It didn't work out that way. First of all, I didn't have a lot of effective contacts in the book world (it was my first book) and the same rules apply to me, as an author cum PR partner. You gotta know some people.

If you're considering hiring a pro this is one way to go about finding Mr. or Ms. Right:

1. Join a list - serve of authors who write in your genre. Pick their brains.

2. Do a Google search on "book publicists + lists." Keep varying those search keywords until you find something that seems to fit your needs.

3. Then check out what you find with your new friends at the list - serv or organization you just joined. Or your social network. Or your critique partners. Or your writing teachers.

Contacts, contacts, contacts. Contacts can't be warmed up overnight; it takes lots of sincere tact, warmth, and effort. But it’s a skill you will use long after you’ve published your book and after you’ve hired a publicist.

To hire or not to hire is not an easy decision. It isn't an easy process to find the right publicist if you decide to go that route. Warning! Steep learning curve ahead! But the ride will be fun.
CHJ


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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 or the new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo .
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Fun Tidbit for Writers: After Dickens died, Forster wrote his biography, Life of Charles Dickens. No one knew until then that many of Dickens’ characters’ most vulnerable traits were based on Dickens’ own, that he spoke from experience. He had carefully kept his background a secret to assure acceptance by the public.


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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: Learning from a British cousin’s pet language peeves: http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2012/01/vernacular - peeves - or - americanisms - i.html. PS. You can subscribe to this blog while you’re there. I don’t post often enough to bug you—just often enough to keep you on your toes. ( - :



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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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Tip: Coming from long time subscriber Patrika Vaughn, your Author’s Advocate, who offers writers one - stop shopping (from writing to successful publication) www.acappela.com: “Start your media release with a telling headline. Without a headline that demands attention, your press release will never have a chance of getting serious exposure. It doesn't matter if your media release is being sent to editors at the top industry news outlets or if you're publishing it online yourself, everyone - from editors to your customers - is in a hurry. Their decision as to whether or not to read your release depends on if they find your headline interesting. So, what can you do to write headlines that suck readers in? Whenever an editor or anyone else reads your headline, they should instantly know exactly what the rest of your media release is about. Never mislead readers by promising something in your headline that you don't deliver on in the story.


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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 Billie A. Williams... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . .for recommending The Frugal Book Promoter on her new Web site, a resource for women called Is There a Woman I Can Talk To. (www.isthereawomanicantalkto.com/Blog/)


Thanks to Shirley Corder…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for featuring my story on how cancer got me writing again. It’s been a while since those days, but we’re hoping it is a story that will inspire other cancer survivors.
http://riseandsoar.com/ViewArticle.asp?407



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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: Here’s but one example of the kind of resources and tips you get from the new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter: “A program like www.SpamAssassin.com assures your editors that the content in your e - mailed article will prevent filters from bouncing their newsletters. Add a note to each contribution that says, ‘This article was checked by (whatever program you used).’”


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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 and see images go to: http://forms.aweber.com/form/91/119176491.htm
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Opportunities

Spicing Up Your Creativity with Billie Williams
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Billie Williams is your instructor for a seminar Feb 6 (http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=947) on spicing up your writing. She sets an example by using spicy metaphors. She said, “There's nothing worse than bland - as - oatmeal writing that doesn't evoke passion, laughter, anger, love…some kind of emotion from your reader. Storytellers who don't elicit emotion won't gain an avid readership. It's that simple.

“If you've struggled, wondering how you can get your writing to sparkle like a new penny, or a just cleaned window, learn to see everything as a metaphor for your writing. Start by looking in your spice cabinet, or your herb garden with a fresh perspective.

“Garlic, Life Saving but distancing: It’s easier to write from this perspective but it puts your reader at arm's length - - remember readers want to feel, experience, get to be friends with your main character so they can help him/her escape the villains wrath.

“Sage, Advice: Sage has several meanings from wise advice to healing properties - what does sage mean to your story? We'll explore.

“Basil, The flavor of language, dialect, cultures: Ah Basil—language—should you use dialect in your dialogue? How do you show culture if not through language?

“Lavender, Relax feel the flow - - in sync [Chat here with a book giveaway as well as a book giveaway at the end]: In the flow, relax, meditate let things go where they may - - don't lose site of the big picture but let your writing flow with a rhythm and cadence only you can create. Here's how.

“Mace, Caustic, self defense, breaking the rules: An irritant chemical, a heavy club with a metal head and spikes - what could these possibly have to do with writing you ask? Follow me. It's all about rules.

“Allspice, Apple pie or American Graffiti: Allspice is for cookies and more. From one genre to another, allspice imparts its unique twist, its unique flavor to your manuscript—your voice. We'll explore more.

“Appendix: Handouts, "How to Hook A Reader", "Beginnings to the Work Day By the Masters."


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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 =================================================

Accessible Contests for You to Build Your Platform

A Contest and a Little Writer’s Prompt
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ABC Tales is running a creative - writing competition for members of the site (it is free and easy to join). Entries can be either poems or prose (maximum length 2000 words) and have to contain both the phrases "black shoes" and "prawn sandwich". There is an entry fee of £5 (about $8) and the closing date is 31st January 2012. Full details are available at http://www.abctales.com/node/618194.
With very best wishes,
Mark Logie, award - winning author of You Have No Power Over Me and On the Road to Infinity


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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

A Mid - Winter Reading List ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

One of the best activities to participate in when the wind and snow are blowing is reading. We have such a wealth of ways to read these days: Kindle’s, Nooks, other e - readers and actual books with pages to turn and covers to cuddle.

I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately and thought I’d share both that and other works that I’ve finally gotten around to.

PAULINE KAEL: A LIFE IN THE DARK, Brian Kellow
Kindle and hardcover editions
Viking Adult
ISBN - 13: 978 - 0670023127
October 2011

Kael was the long - running film critic at New Yorker magazine who liked what she liked and disliked what she didn’t like—and didn’t mince words about it. I remember seeing her on TV when I was younger. I didn’t always agree with her but I loved the way she wrote. This is an interesting book on her slow but steady trip up the writing ladder.

THE SHIPPING NEWS, A NOVEL, Annie Proulx
Kindle and paperback editions
Scribner
ISBN - 13: 978 - 0684857916
May 10, 1999

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, this story is about a third - rate newspaper hack that loses his wife and must deal with his two emotionally disturbed daughters.

THE BREATHE OF GOD, Jeffrey Small
Kindle and paperback editions
West Hill Press
ISBN - 13: 978 - 1933512860
March 1, 2011

Based on actual historical evidence, The Breath of God is the fictional adventure of the search for ancient documents that could link the world’s great religious faiths.

AND SO IT GOES: KURT VONNEGUT, A LIFE, Charles Shields
Kindle and hardcover
Henry Holt
ISBN - 13: 978 - 0805086935
November 8, 2011

Beginning with a letter sent to Vonnegut in 2006 asking permission to write a biography on him, Shields wrote the book based on 1500 letters to or from Vonnegut discovered after his death.

Many interesting books are coming out that make great winter reads. Whether you read fiction or nonfiction, Kindle or hardbound, let me know what YOU are reading on these chilly nights!


~ 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, an editor and a publicist. She is in the process of putting together an e - book and paperback based on her Itty - Bitty Column for Sharing with Writers. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/. She is also working on a book for the Military Writers Society of America on war correspondents. Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.


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I talked about Your Soaring Book Sales: How to use F r ^ ^ e - books and QR codes to sell more of what you want to sell! with the famous Career Czar Paul and his nutty sidekicks Coach Christine and Millian. Tune in at http://www.careerczar.com/mp3/career093011B.mp3 =================================================


Subscriber Tip: Writers and authors love sharing great pieces of advice they have received. For me, one great piece of advice was this: "Take time to revise." I actually came across that suggestion while working on the revisions for my novel, Shadow of Samhain. I am giving these rewrites and revisions the time they need to develop as I work on the manuscript and when I'm done for the day, I feel better about the work I did knowing that I did not rush anything or force anything. Allowing the changes to come into their own instead of forcing them will help me create a better story and a better novel for readers to enjoy.
~Dawn Colclasure, author of 365 Tips for Writers: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity; the children's book, The Yellow Rose; and co - author of Totally Scared: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses. Visit her online at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ and sign up for her free monthly newsletter.


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I have a series of retail books that authors could benefit from. The reason? Authors are retailers, too. They must sell their books. But A Retailer’s Guide to In - Store Promotion will be especially valuable because it will give authors insight on how to convince retail outlets that a partnership (like a book signing, workshop or seminar) with them will benefit their bottom line. Find this book at www.budurl.com/RetailersGuide or more about the whole series at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/retailers_books.htm
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
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New!Those of you who live in Southern California will want to mark April 11 on your calendar to hear Carolyn Howard - Johnson talk about how to make book fair booths work for you at the Book Publicists of Southern California meeting at Sportsmen’s Lodge. All are welcome. A salmon/chicken buffet with salad, drink, and dessert is only about $29. E - mail PR guru Irwin Zucker with your reservation (IrwinZuckerPR@aol.com).


As a co - sponsor of the Muse Online Writers’ Conference (and the first one at that!), I’d like you to put a tickler file on you calendar to register for the 2012 weeklong event in October. I can’t tell you how many of my subscribers have been disappointed that they can’t avail themselves of this f r ^ ^ conference (every year!) because they miss the deadline. August would be a good time to let your digital calendar remind you to enroll at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/.

Coming! Watch for more news on the coming Catholic Writers Conference in March. (It’s f r ^^!) I’ll be presenting. They have chats, forums and more!


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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.)

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This is the 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

Websites
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com
For special help for fiction writers
http://www.fictionmarketing.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