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August 5, 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: Barnes & Noble, Vroman's and Publishing Trend
~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: “The Idea File”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~Feature: Book Sales Getting Musty?
~Q&A a la Ann Landers: Lousy Reviews and Amazon's
Vetting

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
For a fun way to get our cover images on Pinterest, trade pins with me:
www.Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson


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 in a .pdf format.

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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

I'm revising my advice from last week. Mind you, services that add names to your Twitter account quickly may be wonderful, but I read that they also might attract hackers who lurk around them. That may not be the reason my Twitter account was hacked. It may be because I had quite a few followers (that same article did SAY they go after the ones with large numbers!). Or it could be because I write about tolerance. I suspect this because the other accounts they hacked were almost all owned by people of color and, of course, by their hateful tweets.

This warning comes because of the article I read and because the hack happened exactly 36 hours after I tried this "adder" service. Ihope it doesn't happen to you. I thought I'd better warn you.

By the way, if any of you know of a way to reach twitter by phone, please let me know. Though I hate to give the hackers credit for anything, they do know what they are doing and how to cause the most damage so no amount of resetting of Twitter passwords has worked. Nor has it helped to put the word out on Twitter's forums. Also, please note that if you get are following me on Twitter, these are not my tweets. These hackers call themselves "clan" but they are white supremists so the "c" may be meaningless—or they don't know about homonyms.

Please know that my new e - mail is CarolynHowardJ (at) AOL (dot) com. I will eventually give up the old one for protection.

Joy, Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting
Carolyn

PS: The Frugal Book Promoter, second edition, was nominated for a Military Society of America award in the nonfiction category. MWSA President Joyce Faulkner says, "This nomination is in recognition of the reviewer's high opinion of work submitted in the review program we offer members for a very low submission f ~ ~." Membership in MWSA is reasonable, and—you can see—that a book needn't necessarily be related to military—or writing—to be considered.

The winner will be announced at the MWSA Awards Ceremony at the Banquet in Dayton, OH on September 29, 2012. Here is the information about the Conference. http://www.mwsadispatches.com/node/883 Learn more about the organization at http://MilitaryWriters.com .

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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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TIP: Joan Stewart (AKA The Publicity Hound) says she uses this tip to lead people from her Pinterest images back to articles on her blog: "I upload the JPEG image from my hard drive to the Pinterest board. Then I hover my cursor over the image and click on "Edit." I hit the link window then type or pass the link that leads people back to the blog post where I've written more on that tip and then "Save Pin." This is a two - step process and I don't know of any shortcuts. At the blog, I link from the image (tip) to my Pinterest board.


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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: So, how do we find blogs that attract lots of traffic that suit the content of our books? Use tools like Technorati and Alexa. And after you've found a few, what do you do with them? You leave meaningful comments on their content and subtly work your title and link into the comment. You do it frequently. Then you pitch the owner of the blog for a guest post that fits with his or her content. By that time, you'll know his or her focus and preferences.


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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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Tip: If you have a family friendly book, it can be listed for f r ~ ~!
A fr ~ ~ listing includes: Name of book, author, price and Web address.
Paid a ~s are also available; you can include your book cover and 5 lines of copy. Contact johnriddle@sprintmail.com if you want your book included in the directory as a FR ~ ~ listing or the less frugal way—but still not expensive.

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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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Editing Tip: We can get editing tips from many places but this one was a surprise. The Ask Marilyn column in our Sunday newspapers' Parade magazine tells us that the word theory is often misunderstood and used incorrectly. She says that theory may mean "a set of principles that govern or describe a body of facts" as when we say, "He is studying music theory." She explains that when the word is used by scientists many assume that that it means hyphothesis. Not so. She says in science "one starts with a hypothesis [but once confirmed] that hypothesis becomes fact and is called a theory." So the theory of evolution is not debatable in science. It is no longer a hypothesis. It is a broad subject that has been scientifically proven, not a single, narrow fact. Another place to pick up editing tips is from my blog, www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com.


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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 or send me a guest post. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Author Successes

Only subscribers’ successes are listed in this section. Thus, I do not pick up news 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. Please note instructions above. If I receive a general or mass - mailed media release, I don't use it in this newsletter. Announcements are for subscribers only.


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It's book fair and trade show season: Here are a bakers' dozen of ideas to make BEA (Book Expo America) and other book shows easier and more productive: http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2007/03/bakers - dozen - work - bea - frugal - way.html Please leave comments with ideas of your own - - and links to your book's sales page.
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Accessible Contests for You to Build Your Platform

Foreword Magazine Calls for Indie Award Entries
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ForeWord magazine's 2012 Book of the Year Awards program (https://botya.forewordreviews.com/) was established to bring heightened attention to the literary achievements of independent publishers and their authors by awarding three winners in 60+ genre categories for editorial excellence. In addition, two titles are chosen for a $1,500 Editor’s Choice Prize for Best Fiction and Best Nonfiction.

Books awards get your words, your advice, and your story out there and noticed by book buyers.

Librarians, booksellers, and publishers all look to the ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards list of winners to round out their independent press collections.

Small presses, university publishers, and authors may enter online or with a mail - in registration form plus mail in two books per category entered to the address provided below.


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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 ($2.99) or paperback booklet (Only $6.95). The perfect giftlet for nonfiction writers. Find it at http://budurl.com/BookProposals =================================================


Tip: No matter how we grow, we tend never to think of ourselves as successful. It's a good reason for taking the advice I give in The Frugal Book Promoter: Track your successes so matter how small. A list like this gives us hope when we're discouraged. ( - :


================================================= 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
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Tip: Lots of authors aren't using keywords to optimize their Web site on search engines. You want to use the ones that have less competition for searches (which means your site will rank higher when they're used). To do that use Google's f r ~ ~ keyword tool: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. Type in keywords that fit the topic(s) of your Web site and choose the ones to repeat on your pages that received the lowest number of search queries. Those are the ones that you will repeat the most frequently on your site. You can use others, of course, but you want to be sure your selected keywords show up a few times on each page. Just don't pack them in. Make sure that there is lots of valuable content. The Web spiders don't work as much with these metatags as they once did. In fact, they penalize sites for abusing them.


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I keep adding new resources for authors on 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: Here's a f r ~ ~ bie I found at the conference I spoke at recently (GLAWS - Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference). It comes to you from my old friend and fellow presenter Terry Whalin. It's Straight Talk from the Editor: 18 Keys to a Rejection - Proof Submission. www.straightalkeditor.com.


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Here is the link for the page on my Web Site that lists some of my favorite accessible contests, an article on using contests and more. http://howtodoitfrugally.com/contests.htm. =================================================

Opportunities

Recycle Your Favorite Book Review
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To get more exposure for your book and for the reviewer who loved your book, please feel free to use my New Book Review blog. Submission guidelines are in the left column at http://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. Don't forget to get permission from the reviewer for me to use it. And if you have a blog on writing or editing and would like to trade blog links, let me know and we'll "just do it."


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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.


Carolyn's Published Poetry and Submission Recommendation
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JohnMichael Simon informed me that my poem "This Grave at Ypres" was accepted for their August issue of Cyclamen and Swords, a literary journal. I wrote it after I visited the WWI battlefields in Belgium. I strongly recommend this journal to other poets for f r ~ ~ submissions. http://www.cyclamensandswords.com/. JohnMichael is also an editor at Voices Israel. Find the issue (that also includes a poem from my Celebration Series poetry partner Magdalena Ball) at http://www.cyclamensandswords.com/poetry_aug_2012_2.php.

Nomination and Resource for Poetry for Next Year ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Magdalena Ball's and my poetry chapbook Deeper Into the Pond: A Celebration of Femininity (http://budurl.com/DeeperPond), was nominated for a Military Society of America award in the Poetry genre. This nomination is in recognition of the reviewer's high opinion of work submitted to the organization. Membership is reasonable, and—you can see—that a book needn't necessarily be related to military.


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Endorsement: “I started on FRUGAL and I went, ‘Whoa....damn good book!’ It is
so PROFESSIONAL!” ~ Dorothy Thompson, editor of The Writers Life
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Marketing Wisdom: Rick Frishman says that traditional marketing focuses on sales and what he calls guerilla marketing recommends focuses on how many relationships we make. It makes marketing sense because each relationship can generate so many more. An attitude like that can cure you of your fear of marketing, too.


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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: New marketing doesn't talk about competition. It urges cooperation to create opportunities.


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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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Q&A a la Ann Landers

Blogger Asks for Comments on Handling Bad Reviews ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As you know, I believe in leaving comments on blogs. I recently chimed in when a blogger asked if her readers think Amazon needs new review rules to regulate reviewers who behave badly. Here's what I said:

I think Amazon should enforce the rules they have - - judiciously. They need to watch reviews more closely for fallacious reasoning. Comments from the reviewers like "I closed the book when I saw the cover," or "I read only two chapters and it didn't give me any new ideas," or should alert them to reviewers who add little or no value. I don't think they should remove them, though. That's censorship, even if the reviewer lacks analytical skills. Without resorting to censorship, they could send helpful notices to reviewers on how they might improve their reviews.

They should also watch for dishonest or self - serving patterns among reviewers and ban those who abuse the privilege. That's something they often do, but often for the wrong reasons. (They recently removed reviews posted by reviewers who write for the reputable Midwest Reviews run by Jim Cox).

This expectation that Amazon take part in improving the quality of reviews isn't as unreasonable as one might think. They do use algorithms, and very effectively. The process could be automated.

On the other hand, I decry the tendency among authors to think that there is something wrong with a four - star review. "Bad behavior" on the part of reviewers does not mean that an honest rating is somehow inferior. Good reviews are honest. They should talk about the best of the book, but also note aspects of the book that could be improved. It's good for the reader and good for the author.

Having said that, most readers are capable of determining which reviews are written by disgruntled competitors or readers with few analytical skills.

Best,

Carolyn Howard - Johnson
Excited about the new edition (expanded! updated! even more helpful for writers!) of The Frugal Book Promoter, now a USA Book News award - winner in its own right (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo)

Note: Yes, I always sign my comments and include a link. It is a courtesy to sign a note on the Web just as it is to do so on paper. Further, if you don't leave some kind of a link, you lose a chance to give your book a little exposure and to establish your credibility online.


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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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Tip: Dan Poynter cautions authors using KDP Select (a Kindle marketing program) for very fat books or books with many images to carefully select their royalty plan. You may get more in royalties choosing 35% than 70% because the latter choice means a a delivery fee calculated on the megabytes of your book is deducted before your royalty fee is paid. If yours has over 40 megs you may end up making nothing at all. The 35% royalty does not deduct delivery fees from your royalty paycheck.


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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: Did I tell you I got hacked? Ha! Here is an article that may help you avoid hacking. I found some of the techy stuff hard to understand but it's still worth a go: http://www.blogussion.com/blogging - tips/ten - tips - to - prevent - hackers/ This one is easier to follow: http://www.ehow.com/how_8151164_prevent - hacking - twitter - account.html. And here's one offered up by a student at Author U.com on my SharingwithWriters blog:

http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/08/alvina - lopez - shares - hacker - foiling.html


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I need editing questions and tips for my The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned - In Editor blog, www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com. Articles, too! You ask and I'll provide ample credits and links to whatever site you choose. HoJoNews@aol.com. =============================================


Tip: Put Book Expo America on Your Calendar now if you will have a new book out before June of 2013. And start saving your promo pennies. May 30 to June 1 of 2013. (http://bookexpoamerica.com).


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You'll find a myriad of writer helps at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/links_for_writers.htm It includes a list of small presses of various kinds that I am familiar with. =============================================


Thank Yous

These are, indeed, thank yous but it occurs to me that many Sharing with Writers readers are not using them as resources. Often the blogs, newsletters, Web sites, and other entities mentioned are perfect vehicles for exposing your books to new readers. It is up to you to click or copy and paste to see which might be suitable—and for inspiration on how to make what you do a match for them.


Thanks to Joy V. Smith... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
…for reprinting one of my Q&A a la Ann Landers from this newsletter in her blog at http://pagadan.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/pseudonyms/ . It's the Q. and A. on using pseudonyms. If you don't remember it, just click. ( - :

Thanks to All of you... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
…so many of you who tweeted this with hope that Twitter would find it and make an effort to rid me of my bigoted hackers. I'd appreciate it if you'd tweet it, too. The more who do it, the better my chances it will work:
"@safety TwitterTeam: Please give @frugalbookpromo hacking priority because of the venomous, bigoted tweets they are sending to Carolyn Howard - Johnson's 16,000 followers."



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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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Editing Tip: Your editing process does not end with your manuscript. Your query letter editing process does not end with checking for typos and grammar errors. You really need to know the pet peeves of agents and how to impart your voice to your query letter. The Frugal Editor (http://budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) will help you with that.


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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 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
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Feature

Book Sales Getting Musty? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adapted from the multi award - winning Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo)

In the world of publishing as in life, persistence counts. Of course, there is no way to keep a book at the top of the charts forever, but if you keep reviving it, you might hold a classic in your hands. Or your marketing efforts for one book may propel your next one to greater heights.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen authors who measure their success by book sales give up on their book (and sometimes on writing) just about the time their careers are about ready to take off. I tell my students and clients to fight the it’s - too - late - urge.

Publicity is like the little waves you make when you toss pebbles into a lake. The waves travel, travel, travel and eventually come back to you. If you stop lobbing little stones, you lose momentum. It’s never too late and it’s never too early to promote. Rearrange your thinking. Marketing isn’t about a single book. It’s about building a career. And new books can build on the momentum created by an earlier book, if you keep the faith. Review the marketing ideas in this book, rearrange your schedule and priorities a bit, and keep at it.

Here are a few keep - at - it ideas from the second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter:
 Run a contest on your Web site, on Twitter, or in your newsletter. Use your books for prizes or get cross - promotion benefits by asking other authors for books; many will donate one to you in trade for the exposure. Watch the 99 Cent Stores for suitable favors to go with them.

Hint: Any promotion you do including a contest is more powerful when you call on your friends to tell their blog visitors or Facebook pals about it.

 Barter your books or your services for exposure on other authors’ Web sites.

 Post your flier, brochure, or business card on bulletin boards everywhere: In grocery stores, coffee shops, Laundromats, car washes, and bookstores.

 Offer classes in writing to your local high school, college, or library system. Publicizing them is easy and free. When appropriate, use your own book as suggested reading. The organization you are helping will pitch in by promoting your class. The network you build with them and your students is invaluable. Use this experience in your media kit to show you have teaching and presentation skills.

 Slip automailers into each book you sell or give away for publicity. Automailers are envelopes that are pre - stamped, ready to go. Your auto mailer asks the recipient to recommend your book to someone else. Your mailer includes a brief synopsis of your book, a picture of the cover of your book, your book’s ISBN, ordering information, a couple of your most powerful blurbs, and a space for the reader to add her handwritten, personal recommendation. Make it clear in the directions that the reader should fill out the form, address the envelope, and mail it to a friend. You may offer a gift for helping out, but don’t make getting the freebie too tough. Proof - of - purchase type schemes discourage your audience from participating.

 Send notes to your friends and readers asking them to recommend your book to others. Or offer them a perk like free shipping, gift wrap, or small gift if they purchase your book for a friend. That’s an ideal way to use those contact lists you’ve been building.

 While you’re working on the suggestion above, put on your thinking cap. What directories have you neglected to incorporate into your contact list? Have you joined any new groups since your book was published? Did you ask your grown children for lists of their friends? Did you include lists of old classmates?

 Though it may be a bit more expensive than some ideas in this book, learn more about Google’s AdWords and AdSense and Facebook's ad program. Many authors of niche nonfiction or fiction that can be identified with often - searched - for keywords find this advertising program effective.

 Check out ad programs like Amazon’s Vine review service. You agree to provide a certain number of books to Amazon and pay them a fee for the service. Amazon arranges the reviews for you. It’s expensive, but it gets your book exposed to Amazon’s select cadre of reviewers who not only write reviews for your Amazon sales page but also may start (or restart!) a buzz about your book.

 Some of your reviews (both others’ reviews of your book and reviews you’ve written about others’ books) have begun to age from disuse. Start posting them (with permission from the reviewer) on Web sites that allow you to do so. Check the guidelines for my free review service blog at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.

 Connect and reconnect. Start reading blogs and newsletters you once subscribed to again. Subscribe to a new one. Join a writers’ group or organization related to the subject of your book.

 Record a playful message about your book on your answering machine.

 When you ship signed copies of your book, include a coupon for the purchase of another copy for a friend—signed and dedicated—or for one of your other books. Some distributors insert fliers or coupons into your books when they ship them for a fee.

 Adjust the idea above to a cross - promotional effort with a friend who writes in the same genre as you. He puts a coupon for your book in his shipments; you do the same for him in yours.

 Explore the opportunities for speaking on cruise ships. Many have cut back on the number of speakers they use, but your area of expertise may be perfect for one of them. I tried it, but found ship politics a drawback. Still many authors like Allyn Evans who holds top honors in Toastmasters and Erica Miner have used these venues successfully. For help with the application process from beginning to end, contact Daniel Hall at www.speakerscruisefree.com.

CHJ

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Aggie Villaneuva is a resource you need to know. So, go to my article on how to format your book for Kindle in just a few easy steps and while you're there, poke around for Aggie’s assortment of marketing aids including her app service. http://www.promotionalacarteblog.com/2012/02/kindle - formatting - made - easy - by - carolyn - howard - johnson/
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Tip: This tip comes from a series of blog posts on writers conferences by p.m.terrell at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/07/how - to - get - most - out - of - writers.html : Find out how much table space you’ll have at the conference or book fair and plan a 3 - D display. 3 - D can mean a tablecloth that has your book’s cover on the front (easy to do with t - shirt transfers) or upright book displays or posters. Check out the pictures from the 2012 Book ‘Em event (www.bookemnc.org) to see what authors did at this event—it can give you ideas.


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The Publishing Insiders (Paula Krapf and Penny Sansevieri) and I talk about book promotion on their BookTalkRadio program. I know you’ll pick up some new tips or encouragement. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2012/05/29/no - money - out - of - pocket - shooting - your - book - to - stardom
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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Idea Files
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Most writers don’t have trouble coming up with ideas for their writing. They have trouble coming up with a way to organize and remember those ideas. Enter the idea file!

An idea file is an organized resource for stories about people, places, situations, and individual things. By organizing it for easy access, your file will allow you to pull out something to write on quickly, along with research on that topic.

Some writers don’t just keep notes on a topic but also keep an album of photos associated with the chosen subject. A friend of mine was writing about a character who grew up in St. Louis and she lived far away from that area, but I live an hour away. I grabbed my camera and took photos of the homes in the neighborhood she wanted to write about so she would have a visual record of her topic. You can have people help you with your idea file or you can go it alone. Help is nice.

As I put together the research for a novel I am working on, I can see where I am going to have a whopping idea file for the story. What I gather for the book can also be broken down into article ideas, short stories and character sketches. Let your file expand your thoughts on what you are writing about and other ideas will bloom.

Below, you will find some more information on beginning and maintaining an idea file. Put yours together, if you haven’t already. If you had one, feed and water it regularly so it will grow.

LINKS

The Idea Files
http://www.writersremember.com/resources/article - archive/the - idea - files/q

Tips for Keeping Your Idea Files Fresh
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/2011/09/5 - tips - for - keeping - your - idea - file - fresh - a - lifeline - for - freelance - writers/

Kay Strom: A Writer’s Idea File
http://www.kaystrom.com/blog/a - writers - idea - file

How to Collect Writing Ideas While You’re Procrastinating Online
http://www.writingforward.com/writing - ideas/how - to - collect - writing - ideas - while - youre - procrastinating - online

The Writer’s Idea File: People, Places and Things
http://voices.yahoo.com/the - writers - idea - file - people - places - things - 152500.html?cat=4

~Mindy Phillips Lawrence is a writer, editor, and PR person from Missouri. She is working on a novel, a poetry chapbook and a nervous breakdown. You can get her to write a pretty cool press release for you for a very FRUGAL price. But HURRY before the nervous breakdown kicks in! You can reach her at mplcreative@yahoo.com.

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I believe in social networks. Big and small. Sometimes the smaller ones are easier to make lasting and more productive contacts on. I recommend iFOGO (http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html) which is small in part because there is a small membership fee. And, of course, my usual. No membership is good unless it's an active membership.
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Opportunities

Fall Is Book Fair Time ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Join over fifty authors and have a fun day in the park with the 10th Festival of Authors given by Friends of the Duarte Library. It's on Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm at beautiful Westminster Gardens, 1420 Santo Domingo in Duarte, CA (Southern California). As a participant, you’ll have the opportunity to have a table to meet the public, sell and sign your books and speak on a panel. View slideshows of past festivals on our website at http://www.friendsoftheduartelibrary.com. Proceeds generated by the event go directly to support the Duarte Library programs, special events and book purchases to celebrate the magic of reading.
Early Bird registration before August 20th is $100; after that, $125. All registrants get an 8 ft. table, table cover, two chairs, and lunch. You will be included in all publicity materials, and highlighted on our website with a link to your website.

This Festival has proven to be a fun, productive day for authors and many consider this the best of the So. Cal. book fairs. It is free to the public, with free parking. The venue is a beautiful, very shady garden. You may choose to bring your own 10’ x 10’ canopy, or we will rent one for you at our cost, $75.

This year we’ve added a bigger Children’s Space where children can listen to authors read from their books, play reading games, and learn.

Our three guest speakers this year are award - winning, best - selling mystery author T. Jefferson Parker; California’s first Hispanic Poet Laureate Juan F. Herrera and awarding - winning author Susan Straight. Past guest speakers have included Ray Bradbury, five times in Duarte, Stephen J. Cannell, Fr. Gregory Boyle, Hector Tobar and D.J. Mac Hale.

Contact Pat De Rose, Festival Coordinator, 626 - 359 - 6413, derose2488@verizon.net, friendsoftheduartlibrary@gmail.com


Learn How to Turn a Profit by Blogging ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Terry Whalin will talk about how to make money blogging and answering writers' questions on Aug 7th at: http://askterrywhalin.com. Everyone who signs up will receive a free copy of an E - book, Blogging for Profits along with the recording if they can't make the actual live event on August 7th.


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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 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~As a co - sponsor of the Muse Online Writers’ Conference (and the first one at that!), register early to attend October 8 to 14, 2012. 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. I'll be going a seminar on "Sell Your Book (Or Promote It!) with Great Query Letters." Enroll at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/.


~I will be speaking on several panels at the Book ‘Em Book Fair in North Carolina Feb. 23, 2013. Go to http://www.bookemnc.org/ for opportunities for your book and watch for more on my appearances there in this newsletter. It is headed by mystery writer p.m. terrell and the purpose of The Book 'Em Foundation and this event is to raise public awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. Proceeds from the Book 'Em North Carolina book fairs go directly to increasing literacy in Robeson County, North Carolina, and to reducing crime in the area.



~Make plans for the online 2013 Catholic Writers’ Conference now. I know many are disappointed when they can’t sign up for my chat after the registration deadline and if they knew what else they’d missed, they’d really be sad. So mark it on your calendar—maybe to register in December of 2012. The Conference is March 4 - 15, with chats March 4 - 10 and forums March 8 - 15. I’ll be conducting a couple of chats on Secrets of Pinterest for Authors and One on To Italicize or Not to Italicize and Other Professional Editing Secrets. http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/

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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left - hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
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(Fun with language from The Washington Post and other publications.)

RELIEF (ree - leef'): What trees do in the spring.



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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