If you prefer to read this letter in its not - so - glorious full formatted, .pdf version ( - : copy and paste this URL into your browser:

http://www.authorsden.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Supplement_TFBPII_Kindle.pdf

February 2, 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 frequently (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!

This newsletter is powered by AuthorsDen.com.
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Contents

Special Edition

~Note from Carolyn—E - book Edition of the new Frugal Book Promoter Needs You!
~How To Format Your Book for Kindle and other E - Readers

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:

It's a new year and a good time to think about breathing new life into your career and book sales. For a limited time, get The Frugal Book Promoter as an e - book for your Kindle or to read on your home computer screen. And get lots of f r ^ ^ bonus white papers and articles to boot, valuable information from the likes of Denise Cassino, D’Vorah Lansky, Dan Poynter, Kathleen Gage, the Publicity Hound Joan Stewart and at least fifteen other smarties - - any one of them or all. Go to http://frugalbookpromoter.homestead.com/
to learn how.

Here are some ways you’ll win if you take advantage of this offer:

LEARN IN THE SECOND EDITION WHAT YOU DIDN’T IN THE FIRST EDITION

Though The Frugal Book Promoter was so popular because it gave authors the basics of marking and publicizing books in understandable ways that no other book did, we all know that book promotion (and life!) has changed since The Frugal Book Promoter was first published in 2004—particularly in ways that have to do with the Web, but in other ways, too. As an example, the publishing world in general is more open to indie publishing now than it was then. So, this new edition is updated but it also includes lots of information on ways to promote that were not around or were in their infancy a few short years ago. So here is what is new:

~The Second Edition has been reorganized.

~The Second Edition is almost twice as fat—read that “twice as chock full of promotions you can use.”

~The Second Edition still includes the basics that make you into an on - your - own publicist or a great partner for a professional publicist. That includes everything you need to know to put together the best, most effective media releases, query letters, and media kits possible. And how to utilize what you love to do most—write—to get the word out about what you love most—your book. If you loved the chapters like the ones on writers’ conferences, getting reviews, book fairs or tradeshows, you’ll love the updated ones even more.

~You’ll love the chapters on what I call the game changers. These really are game changers! There’s information on using online bookstores to your benefit.

There's information on how to make your blog actually work for you! And how to save time with your blogging! And ideas for blog posts—even if you write fiction or poetry!

~There is new information that answers questions like these:
 What is Carolyn’s simplified method for making social networks actually work—without spending too much time away from my writing?
 How can I avoid falling into some of the expensive scam - traps for authors?
 How can I get into one of those big tradeshows like BEA?
 What are the best “old - fashioned” ways to promote—the ones I shouldn’t give up on entirely?
 There is even an updated section on how you go about writing (and publishing)an award - worthy book. And, of course, you’ll find it loaded with resources you can use—but they’re all updated.
 How can I use the new QR codes to promote my book to mobile users?
And to others?
 What are the pitfalls of using the Web and how can I avoid them?
 What are the backdoor methods of getting legitimate reviews (one you don’t have to pay for!)—even long after my book has been published?

Of course, if you prefer, the new paperback edition of The Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo)
is also available. If you already have The Frugal Book Promoter
(http://www.budurl.com/FrugalBkProKindle),
why not give one to a writing friend who needs a nudge and keep the bonuses from my famous and much - appreciated friends for yourself.

The Frugal Book Promoter been expanded (416 pages!) and updated and has a fantastic new cover by Chaz DeSimone (http://chazdesimone.com). Only some of the extras you get in the new edition are listed above.

Of course, if you don't have the old edition, there will never be a better time than now to get the new one.

Now, when we're all charged and positive about 2012.

Now when you get bonuses to boot!

And don’t forget to scroll for directions on how to format your own book for Kindle.

Joy, Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting
Carolyn


PS: My Valentine gift to you via Chaz DeSimone. He has a new f r ^ ^ way to get a great poster for your office or as a gift. This one has a special Hugs & Kisses theme. To get it, you subscribe to his fr^^ 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 By the way, Chaz designed the cover of my Frugal Book Promoter. (If you want to see the poster, you'll need to copy and paste the link at the beginning of this plain text letter to get the .pdf version of the letter!)

PPS: Scroll down for a step - by - step (easy!) way to format your e - book—specifically for Kindle. You can do it f r ^ ^ and the learning curve isn’t all that great! ( - :

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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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Feature

Kindle Formatting Made Easy ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

OK. I got the hint. After last issue of Sharing with Writers, Karen Cioffi, a Sharing with Writers subscriber and mom to a group of bloggers that use Yahoo Groups to organize (vbt - writersonthemove@yahoogroups.com) said, “Carolyn, I read your newsletter yesterday - GREAT information, especially about Kindle formatting. I have ten nonfiction e - books that I want to put on Kindle. I'm procrastinating because of the formatting learning curve. :) ”

So, I see now that the little sharing of some Kindle secrets in the last issue of Sharing with Writers was icing on the cake and you all may need something that’s more A to Z. It’s so easy that I thought I’d do it for you here. Just remember, e - book readers don’t have page numbers. The pages change every time a reader changes the size of a font. If you keep that in mind, it’s intuitive. And if you want those extra little tidbits I published in the last newsletter, ask me and I’ll send it again. Or go to my Sharing with Writers blog


(http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/01/learning - more - about - formatting - for.html)

where I posted it for your convenience.

OK. Here goes:
• Use Word. Save your copy as a .doc., not .docx or .rtf.
• Use a simple font, preferably Times New Roman or Verdana. 11 pt works nicely for e - readers.
• Single space your text.
• Make margins one inch all the way around.
• If your book is fiction, change the paragraph indent from .5 to .2 inches. If you write nonfiction, don’t indent at all. Put spaces between your paragraphs instead.
• Remove any headers or footers you may have. That includes text of any sort and page numbers.
• Set justification. That’s the little section in the Word ribbon at the top of your screen that lets you move text all to the left, all to the right, centered or justified on both right and left. Most suggest you use the latter so the copy looks even on both sides.
• Don’t leave lots of space between chapters or sections. A single space is all that’s needed. In fact, Nook won’t accept more than one blank line.
• You can use formatting in your chapter headlines. Make them bold or larger but don’t use fancy fonts (type faces). Some readers (like Nook and Kindle) don’t support them all. Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman are safe bets. You can use italics, but I see no reason for the clutter. People will be reading on a screen, after all. Chapter subheads can also be given some pizzazz. But don’t get too fancy.
o If your book is nonfiction, be sure you mark the headings so you can make a table of contents with them—all automated and courtesy of Word. You should be able to find the heading formatter in the Word ribbon at the top of your screen.
o Your Contents page should have live links so that readers can skip easily to the sections or chapters in your book they want to read. Use the “references” tab at the top of your Word screen to make a Contents page automatically after you’ve formatted each headline.
• You can also use caps for the first three or four words in every chapter. That helps cue the reader that he or she is in a new section or chapter.
• It is acceptable to add information about your other e - books or forthcoming ones to the backmatter of your book. Why not? Be sure to use live links to their sales pages.
• The first page of your e - book is your title page (or the picture of your book cover—but Kindle provides an option that does that for you). Keep it simple. But include the ISBN. If you don’t have one, Kindle will provide one for you—f r e ^.
• Here is a final tip that no one seems to tell those of us who love our frontmatter—you know—our acknowledgments, dedications, etc. Kindle eliminates them if you leave them in the front of the book. Your e - book must start with the cover image/title page/first chapter. So I cheat. I move selected pieces of my front matter to the end of my book. I think it’s important to thank people, for one thing!
• Just repeating here. Find a few additional tips at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/01/learning - more - about - formatting - for.html
• Be sure to proof read the whole book once it’s set up as an e - book. You’ve made a lot of changes, right?

Click here to Buy the Book , the Second Edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, e - version!
CHJ

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