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November 18, 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 - - 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:
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~Feature: Review: Solving Amazon's Big Beef with Reviewers
~Feature: Q&A a la Ann Landers: Why Links on Blogs

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 your SharingwithWriters 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 just got back from vacation, so I thought I'd share with you a post I put on a forum at Createspace. It's just a nice reminder that all of you who subscribe to this newsletter are on the right track. Here it is:
I got a Google Alert that Niknak had recommended my The Frugal Book Promoter on a writers' forum. I went to look and while I was there, I read more posts and heard the desperation in many other writers' voices. And I saw a common thread.

The common cry from writers was the word "sell." They were uncomfortable with it and I think that may be part of their problem. We really need to "market" rather than sell. That is, we need to find people who will benefit from our books and then talk about benefits of our books that match their needs and we need to let them know about what I call the "beejeebies" - - meaning the downside to NOT reading the book—a marketing technique I talk about in The Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo).

With great marketing, we also "brand." That means that we project an image that will appeal to our intended audience and that often means providing material and help that will benefit them. I think the latter is even more important than the beejeebies. ; - ) Those benefits could be a helpful blog, a newsletter, a service, resource pages on our Web sites, etc.

I want to send you encouragement, too, just in case your patience is flagging. Know that marketing builds. Don't give up. Don't discontinue something that "doesn't seem to be working." Maybe cut back on it a bit and start something new, but giving up? I've seen way too many authors give up an aspect of their marketing campaign just about the time it was ready to take off. This is a game of persistence! ( - : You are on the right track by subscribing and reading this letter to get inspiration, resources and more information on the publishing industry.

Sending my best wishes to all of you.

Joy, Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting
Carolyn

PS: I love Createspace. It's a great model for both my how - to books and my poetry chapbooks (http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm). Please feel free to e - mail me at HoJoNews (at) AOL (dot) com with questions. I may publish them in the Q&A a la Ann Landers section of this newsletter.

PPS: Speaking of vacations, I won't be around for most of December, either, so forgive me if you don't receive an information - packed letter in December.

Big PPPS! Have a wonderful holiday season!


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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 at HoJoNews@AOL.com. All these chapbooks are from the Celebration Series of poetry from Magdalena Ball and me.
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Letters to the Editor

Please use this section to chime in on issues in the world of publishing. Every little time your name, title, or link to your site is mentioned, it adds to your overall exposure.


No letters this week.


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Endorsement: “Your book is a tremendous help to me as a first time published author, and the discount for Display Stands 4 You in the back of the new edition was very nice too.” ~Ginger K. King, cookbook author, blogs at https://corkandforkblog.wordpress.com/
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Tip: I liked this blog post on social media myths. It will encourage you and inform you. http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33734/20 - Common - Social - Media - Marketing - Myths - BUSTED.aspx?goback=%2Egde_64426_member_177090796
On the other hand, in The Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo), you'll find the practical ways authors can actually use social media successfully—and frugally, frugally with both time and money.


Scam Alert: Someone out there in the wide Web world is promising to get your Facebook fanpage "likes" for forty - nine dollars. Do we really think we'll get that much money back in book royalties if we fall for this one? Wouldn't it be better to just ask people who know us to take a minute to like our pages and maintain our credibility by doing it the old way—one friend at a time?


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

Vocabulary & Tip: "Finishing" is the word publishers use for doing anything to a book after it is printed. That might be shrinkwrapping but it might be something that adds value like the inclusion of a CD inside the front bookcover to die - cutting the cover. One of the books I wrote a foreword for (Support Our Troops published by Andrews McMeel) was "finished" with a red, white, and blue ribbon car magnet. A question to ask a printer or publisher you work with might be, "Do you have any ideas for "finishing" that will help make this book a standout?"


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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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Q&A a la Ann Landers

Simple Stuff We May Have Missed About Links
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Anonymous asked:

When I encouraged an author with a long list of awards to submit more complete information for my alternative review blog, The New Book Review (http://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com), she wrote back and asked, "Can I ask you what you meant when you wrote: 'might want to send links to the award pages, too.'"

Answer:

What I meant is that blogs thrive on links. Links on blogs and Web sites become the means visitors use to surf the Web in search for more valuable information. So when an author mentions that their book won the "Mom Awards," readers would like to be able to just click through on those words or on a link in parentheses after the words to learn more about that award. These links benefit the reader. And they benefit you when they learn more about the award your book won and are impressed by it. And it benefits those who are kind enough to give us authors awards.

So, your copy would say something like: "Helland's book is a Mom's Award winner (http://Mom'sAward.com). Or you could use a link to take them directly to the page where your award is announced rather than the home page.

CHJ

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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 to give our work a chance at the bigtime. http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html .
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Did You Know that if the Kindle edition of your book isn't linked to the paperback edition on its Amazon sales page, the reviews on the sales page of one won't show up on the sales page of the other? That means the page for one iteration of your book (most likely the Kindle) will look kind of sad and neglected. What do you do about that? Use the pale blue contact box on your sales page (scroll way down!) to reach the powers that be!


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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.”


AuthorsShow.com Selects Kristine M. Smith for Anthology
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Kristine M Smith was named as one of fifty winners in The Authors Show (http://TheAuthorsShow.com) contest.

To become eligible for the honor, hundreds of authors were interviewed by The Authors Show radio hosts during the past year. All interviewed authors were eligible to write an essay of up to 1,000 words about their writing endeavors; the submitted essays were then read by The Authors Show judges. 112 finalists were chosen to be finalists. Each finalist was notified of his or her status and was responsible to get the word out about it to friends, relatives, co - workers and other networks and ask them to vote for them to be included in the upcoming book; the fifty finalists who received the most votes won the honor.

Of her win, Kristine M Smith says, "I've been stringing words together as a writer since early childhood. It's been an obsession. I've made my living the past five years as a professional copywriter and have earned a lot of return clients and many, many friends during this time. I have my clients, family, friends, networking partners, publisher, and DeForest Kelley's fans across the globe to thank for making this win possible. I simply would not be in this position were it not for each of you who turned out to vote for me and then "liked" and "shared" my candidacy virally with your many networks. You're the best!"

The Authors Show will announce the publication date of their anthology, 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading, very soon. Find out more at TheAuthorsShow.com.



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Here's 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


Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize Coming in January
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I have given a Noble Prize to literary books for…can't remember…about ten years now. The 2012 winners will be announced in January in my Back to Literature column at http://myshelf.com. You can enter for next year. There is no charge other than providing the book. And a blurb and link. There is also no requirement that the book must be new. So check out the column in January for guidelines.



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Book Proposal Help: The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything
You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 30 Minutes or Less is now an
e - booklet ($2.99) or paperback booklet (only $6.95). The perfect giftlet for nonfiction and even some fiction writers. Find it at http://budurl.com/BookProposals =============================================


Fair Use Tip: I think I get more questions about copyright than anything else, and I'm not a lawyer. But here is something I can help you with. "Fair Use" may have to be determined by a court but they consider 1. Whether material was used for a commercial, nonprofit, or educational purpose; 2. How much of the work was used (the percentage used compared to the size of the work as a whole); 3. How its use affected the value of the copyrighted work; 4. The nature (genre, etc) of the copyrighted work that was used. Number 3 is extremely important. If a person cannot show that they were materially or monetarily damaged by the material used, many lawyers advise they not sue because legal costs will outstrip a settlement—if any—received as a result of the suit.

Sometimes you will hear "fair use" in a blanket permission or agreed upon guideline for use of part of the work. Some online bookstores, as an example, suggest quotes in reviews should be credited and no more than 25 words, but obviously that doesn't take into consideration all the legal guidelines for fair use. If someone quoted 25 words of a haiku, that might not be seen as "fair use" at all.


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Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contacts and build a list of readers. Join me on Pinterest. You pin one of my book covers on one of your bulletin boards and I’ll pin yours on one of mine. http://Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson ==============================================

Feature

Big Recommendation for Audio CD I Love
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Terry Whalin and I often appear at writers' conferences together and I've read his books and recommend them. But I'd never attended one of his presentations because they conflicted with my own. At the last conference we attended, Terry said he had repurposed one of his seminars to an audio CD and graciously presented me with one. I just listened to it as I drove the California freeways.

It is Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and I love, love, love it! Terry comes at helping other authors through experience and he loads his talks with anecdotes that make his advice entertaining, understandable, and memorable. Even though this audio is recorded live at a seminar, the recording is clear and professional. All I can say is "Wow!" I could tell you all the points he covers, but I won't. You might be tempted to think you know that stuff. But this audio is so much more than the sum of its parts.

If your publishing career is lagging or if you'd like to change that path you've been taking (or if you just need a review and a big shot in the arm of energy and ideas!), this is an audio workshop worth the money—even for frugal me. Find it at: http://bit.ly/RxJcfa. Think of it this way. The CD is maybe 1/8 the cost of a real live conference. And you can play it any old time you have the time.

Another idea. Next time you speak or read, why not have a professional audio person record your presentation and offer an audio online just as you do your book?

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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! =============================================


Editing Tip: There seems to be another confusing trend afoot other than using italics for internal thought. It is a punctuation fiasco that aims at taking one of America's simplest punctuation rules (style choices) and making pudding of them. You're sure to see folks putting a period or a comma after a closing quotation mark. June Casagrande, author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (http://budurl.com/grammarsnobs ) urges you not to be taken in by it. Follow the general guideline of putting your punctuation (except for colons and semicolons) inside the closing quotation marks. Let's band together and foil the grammar conspirators (or snobs!).

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


Tip: You might want a refresher course on formatting your book for e - readers. Shirley Roe of AllBookReviews just posted my easy - schmeezy directions for doing it on her Articles page (http://www.allbooksreviewint.com/Articles.html). You may also want to browse the site for other useful resources for writers.


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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.

Poetry Marketing
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Magdalena Ball and I started a Facebook fanpage for our poetry: http://facebook.com/CelebrationSeriesPoetryChapbooks

It's the first one I've had and I think it will be fun. You can tell we have a foody poetry book coming! Please go by and like. Tell us about your poetry, too!
We even have it connected to our Pinterest pages. Find my Pinterest at http://Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson.


American Poet Dies
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Jack Gilbert, the author of Monolithos - - a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize - - died at 87. The LA Times said, "In his life, he knew both fame and obscurity." That should give poets everywhere comfort.


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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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Tip: Don't put off putting your book up for review on Goodreads.com. It is an especially good resource for fiction. They only list new books, so hurry.


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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: Lots of writers encourage reviewers to accept e - books rather than hard copies, sometimes to the point of being a bit insulting. If a reviewer prefers to read a paper book, it seems only fair (and smart) to let him or her read it in the form he or she is more comfortable with. Doing so may even result in a better review. Authors and publishers can even include a compelling sell sheet or cover letter to help the reviewer make the most of the book. Do, however, avoid adjectives and judgments about your own literary brilliance.


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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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Tip: IBPA's magazine suggests these little known resources for getting reviews: bookcrash.com and internationalthrillerwriters.com.


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

Tip: For those clever enough to subscribe to and read Penny Sansevieri's newsletter, she accepts marketing tips from her readers. Send yours to penny@amarketingexpert.com. It helps if you format (write) your tips so her editor Paula Krapf needn't rewrite them. Subscribe at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/

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Yes, I do consult. I tailor my fees to your needs—everything from coaching to full edits (sorry no partial edits) to hourly consultations to help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing. http://budurl.com/carolynsconsulting
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On Reviews
Solving Reviewers' Big Beef with Amazon…
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After I read one of Midwest Review's newsletters that covered Amazon's policy to remove reviews that are written by reviewers for other online review sites from their pages, I sent him a note suggesting this method Robert Medak and many other reviewers started using after a tax code went into effect. It requires reviewers to claim the books they receive as income on their tax return. That's a very messy kettle of tax code indeed, considering reviewers often receive a review copy that is merely a pdf file. The value of a review copy like that is very difficult - to - calculate, especially if the book isn't published as an e - book. How is the reviewer to assign a retail value?
Anyway, this is the note I sent to Jim Cox who heads up the Midwest Review cadre of reviewers:

Jim, Paul's observation goes deeper than writing reviews for profit. There is now a guideline (not sure who the arbiter of the guideline is!) that says a reviewer should disclose that even if they are not paid, they received a book. As if that's payment!

Still, it behooves reviewers to install a disclaimer at the end of the reviews they post on Amazon. Something like "In the interest of journalistic ethics, this reviewer discloses that she received a copy of this book (or e - book) at no charge in order to perform the functions of a reviewer."

I know it's ridiculous, but it's worth a try to see if that makes a difference in the eyes of Amazon's checkers. I've had many reviewers add a similar disclaimer lately.

Best,
Carolyn

As many of you know, in The Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) I recommend reviewing as a great way to network with editors, publishing professionals, and other authors. It's a great way to build a great marketing campaign. I'd hate to see authors who have used this relatively inexpensive way to connect with new friends and the public give it up because of Amazon's short sightedness. There are other places that your reviews can be posted such as online bookstores like Powell's, and B&N.com. You can also post them on your own blog and Web site.


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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: I love Joan Stewart's blog and her newsletter that reminds me to visit her blog now and then. I especially liked her hints on how to find a reporter to pitch for a feature article or suggest that you may be a suitable expert for their area of interest. Go to: http://publicityhound.net/7 - easy - ways - to - find - a - journalists - email - address/


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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 Leah Ingram… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
…for picking up information on the Twitter contest being run by David Leonardt for her Suddenly Frugal Online Daily, http://paper.li/suddenlyfrugal/1311114001#

Thanks to My Twitter Followers…
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…for taking my followers to 17,000. I'd love to have you, too. For the tips and resources you'll get. For the retweets I do of people who use my Twitter address. .
Find me at http://twitter.com/frugalbookpromo.


Thanks to p.m.terrell…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~I …intrepid leader of the Book 'Em writers conference and book fair in North Carolina. She says, "I spoke at the Lumberton Rotary Club yesterday - had about 60 people in attendance, all business leaders. I talked to them about YOU! :) I told them how you were coming all the way from LA and what a strong reputation you have across the country. So expect lots of people to thank you for making the effort and taking the time to come to Lumberton! I will be speaking today to a book club about Book 'Em North Carolina (http://bookemnc.net) and on Friday at the Robeson County Arts Council, and you are on my list each time…"

Terrell's generosity is just an example of how important it is for us to all hang in there, promote one another and spread the word!



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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 marketing classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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Opportunities

Give Your Kindle Book Away for Great Exposure
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People keep asking me about giving their books away as part of the KDP Select program. Do I think it's a good way to promote? You bet. It increases exposure. Those who love your book often tell others. Do I think it works well on its own? Not a chance. Promotions must be promoted. So schedule yours when you can do tons of online promotion and networking. Here is how Amazon explains the KDP Select program free promotions.
Free Promotions

Tell me more about the free book promotion.
You can offer any book enrolled in KDP Select free to readers for up to 5 days at your discretion during each 90 - day KDP Select term.

When I offer my book for free, when does the free promotion start and end?
You can pick the days when you want to run your free promotions, choosing to go one day at a time or offering your book free for multiple days in a row. The start and end times of your promotions will be approximately midnight Pacific Standard Time on the day it starts and midnight Pacific Standard Time on the day it ends. Note that due to system latencies, the exact start or end of a promotion can take from a few minutes to several hours, but in some cases this period may be longer. If you stop a free promotion in progress, the free promotion will generally end within a few minutes to few hours after you select “stop,” but in some cases this period may be longer. For a free promotion to start on any given day, the latest you can wait to schedule it is the day before the start date.

How do I schedule free promotions?
Once your book is enrolled in KDP Select and is available for sale on our website, you will be able to schedule free book promotions in two ways:

a) From your bookshelf, select the book by checking the box next to the title, click on “Actions” and choose “Manage Promotions”.
b) From the “Edit book details” page, click on “Promotions Manager”.

The Promotions Manager will allow you to schedule one or more free promotions, edit or delete a scheduled free promotion, or stop an ongoing free promotion. If you choose to stop an ongoing promotion, it can take from a few minutes to several hours for the action to take effect. In an effort to provide the best reader experience, note that on the days your book is offered for free, it will not be included in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

Can I rollover my unused free promotion days?
No. You cannot rollover any unused free promotion days from one term to future terms.

Will I be paid royalty for sales during free promotion days?
No. You will not receive any royalties on your digital book during afree promotion.

Note: Magdalena Ball and I will be using KDP Select's freebie program December 14 - 18 for our Christmas chapbook of poetry. I'll send out more on that later and I'll give you more information on how to make the program more successful after I've given it a whirl on my own. (http://amzn.to/BloomingRedKindle)


Get Exposure and Networking
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Opportunities from people who have been in the industry a while: Allbooks Review Int. has been in business since 2000 and provides a many different packages to help you promote your book including promoting to bookstores. Go explore the site for great resources, articles on writing and promoting and a whole lot more. www.allbooksreviewint.com



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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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In The News: One of America's major awards, The National Book Award, was given to Louise Erdrich for her novel The Round House set among the Chippewa Native Americans. Journalist Katherine Boo won for her nonfiction, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. Books must be nominated by their publishers for this award and the award generally goes to books that deal with what they call the stories found "in hidden places."

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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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Oppportunities

Minimal Charge for More Exposure for Your Book
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A note from Gene Cartwright, guru behind iFOGO:

While not all your readers may be in need of a Web site, here's a great tool we've developed that can be
used by everyone; our BookShelf Scroller.


Click image found only on the pdf version of this letter. To get it, copy and paste the link I give you near the top of this letter.

Here's what makes this so cool:

• Your books (any number of personally authored books) may be placed on a beautifully - grained bookshelf
• Each book is linked to the purchased page you give us.
• When you place the mouse over the image, the scroll stops
• When you remove the mouse, the scroll continues
• This is a onetime purchase, not a subscription
• We include two new updates when you write new books.
• For unlimited updates, get a subscription (Only five dollars a year)
• Choose the Premium Scroller with each book with a background theme image.

See All the Details by clicking HERE! (http://ifogo.com/scrollme/) .


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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

Moving Ahead with Writing
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Winter is closing in. The leaves here were beautiful a few weeks ago and now have browned and fallen to the ground. Every year at this time, I begin to evaluate what I’ve done writing wise (not much this year) and what I plan to do in the future (more).
Here are some ideas that I think will be beneficial to rejuvenate your writing life.

TRAINING: Sign up and attend seminars and workshops. It’s important to try and branch out. Do this both with a serious motive and with the idea of instilling joy in your work.

READING: Read books and articles from different authors and writers than you normally do to expand your ideas. Don’t get stuck in writer’s quicksand with the same old thoughts.

EXAMINING: Examine your work from this year and see what you would like to continue writing and what new goals you are interested in achieving. Don’t throw everything your been working on away but make sure to stretch your talents.

Don’t forget that your writing life is an extension of your personal life. You might find some gems there worth expanding into stories and articles.
I’ve listed some good places for you to consult in order to advance your writing life. Please feel free to contact me with some of your own ideas.

LINKS
Fearless Writing Workshops, Crescent Dragonwagon
http://dragonwagon.com/fearless - writing/
Not frugal but it sounds like so much fun!

A Writer’s Business Plan, Dawn Copeman
http://www.writing - world.com/dawn/dawn08.shtml

Designing Your Writing Career, Holly Lisle
http://hollylisle.com/designing - your - writing - career/

Read Any good Books Lately?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world - africa - 19811885



Mindy Phillips Lawrence is a writer, reviewer, editor and artist who lives in Springfield, Missouri. You can find her at http://mplcreative.webs.com/ or send her a note at mplcreative at 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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Tip: Terry Whalin, publishing guru, gives these six reasons why your book proposal may be rejected: 1. Sounds like a magazine article 2. It's already been done. 3. It's never been done so editors don't see a market for your book. 4. Topics like that don't sell. 5. There is too much competition. 6. It's too expensive to produce because of the length or photos or illustrations, etc. I would add one more reason. The publisher is already committed to what they can handle in any given financial cycle. If you're about to submit a proposal to an agent or publisher, please review The Great First Impression Book Proposal in paperback ($6.95) or as an e - book (2.99). http://budurl.com/BookPrposals.


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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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In the News: The Merriam - Webster's Collegiate Dictionary added some unexpected new words to their book this year including "F - bomb," "sexting," and "flexitarian" (a semi vegetarian).This sorta makes one wonder what words they may have ditched to make room for these!


Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
New!  I will be doing a Webinar on January 18 at 11 am with the National Association of Memoir Writers (http://namw.org ) President. Linda Joy Myers. More to come! We'll cover a little about promoting them, but also a little about craft.

 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/. Panel

#1: Getting Published: What Do Publishers Want? 10:00 am in the Lewis Auditorium at Robeson Community College with Jason Huddle, publisher Comfort Publishing, Andrew Rickis, Terrie Wolfe, AKA Literary, and Barbara Casey, Barbara Casey Literary.

Panel #2: Book Promotion: The Name of the Game
2:00 pm in the Blue Room at Robeson Community College with Susan Sloate and Linda Morelli, authors.

Panel #3. Publishing Superpower: The Team 12:00 noon in the Lewis Auditorium at Robeson Community College with Kristi Huddle, publisher, Susan Sloate and Chris Roerden, authors; Terrie Wolf, and Barbara Casey, agents.

And they're all free.

It is headed by mystery writer p.m. terrell. 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 (http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/) now. I know many are disappointed when they can’t sign up for my chat after the registration deadline. If they knew what else they’d missed, they’d really be sad. The Conference is March 4 - 15, with chats March 4 - 10 and forums March 8 - 15. I’ll be conducting a chats on Sunday March 10:

Chat/Seminar #1: Secrets of Pinterest for Authors at noon Pacific Time

Chat/Seminar #2 Getting Published: Putting your best food forward with query letters at 1 pm Pacific Time

Chat/Seminar #3: Twitter: Marketing secrets for authors at 2 pm, Pacific time. Please invite others to attend. Register at http://catholicwritersconference.com/index.php?name=Your_Account&file=register Registration closes Feb 15th.


New!  Carve out time for a panel on great book marketing on Sunday, June 23, from 3:30 to 4:45 at the Pasadena Hilton hotel in Pasadena, CA. I'll also be signing books. Of course the entire conference will be a winner for writers, too. Hosts are CCWC members Patty Smiley and Dianne Emley. Learn more about the organization and the conference at http://www.ccwconference.org/


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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.)

SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.



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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 CarolynHowardJ (at) aol (dot) 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 CarolynHowardJ (at) aol (dot) 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 CarolynHowardJ (at) aol (dot) 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://budurl.com/FrugalBkProKindle




The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
E - book: http://budurl.com/FrugalEditorKindle
Paperback: 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: http://budurl.com/bookproposalskindle

Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy
Paperback: http://budurl.com/WordtrippersPB
E - book: http://budurl.com/WordtrippersKindle


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
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

Find Magdalena Ball's and my poetry fanpage at http://facebook.com/CelebrationSeriesPoetryChapbooks




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 e - books:

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood, a chapbook of poetry. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball.
Paperback and Kindle: http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook
For e - books:
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB4AW

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
To order as a paperback or for Kindle: http://bururl.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
Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational
Coauthored with Magdalena Ball. Artwork by Vicki Thomas
USA Book News finalist, Silver Award from Military Writers’ Society of America
To order e - book: https://www.createspace.com/dr16064
To order paperback: http://budurl.com/BloomingRed
Part of the Celebration Series by Carolyn Howard - Johnson, this little $6.95 book was written with passion and love for those who understand all the ramifications of the holiday that dominates celebrations throughout most of the English - speaking world. It is a lovely tuck - in gift that goes beyond the typical greeting card and is available in quantity discounts to use as a holiday greeting by contacting the authors at HoJoNews@aol.com.

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.

Pinterest: Repin one of my book covers, I’ll pin yours to one of my boards. http://pinterest.com/chowardjohnson

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