March 22, 2006: Sharing with Writers:
From the Desks
Of Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Authors*
Coalition Friends
~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.:~
Most recent issues of Sharing with Writers
are posted with live links at Fairgo E-Books: http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/
fairgoebooks/literary.htm. You will find
the *Best of Sharing with Writers* at
Apollos Lyre (www.ApollosLyre.com). Sharing
with Writers is the official newsletter of
Authors* Coalition (http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com)
an organization of writers who help writers.

Note: In order to cut down on computerese,
I do not use (or I substitute for) many
punctuation marks. They seem to disagree
with Yahoo and others. I hope it doesn*t
drive you crazy.
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Note from Carolyn:

Dear Authors* Coalition Members and
Subscribers:

This is a special issue. It is special
because it is arriving in you e-box early;
this weekend I will be at the Erma
Bombeck Writers* Workshop urging
(nagging?) humor writers to promote.

It is also a special issue because
the article/script by Kathe Goglewski
on point of view takes up the most
of the letter.

I am doing this because point of view
is a constant problem for the writers
in the critique group I facilitate.
New writers seem to have trouble
grasping the concept and more
experienced ones often have a
handle on it, but their grasp isn*t
very firm or they continue to insert
themselves in the point of view of
one or more of their characters.

Those subscribers who teach POV may
find something in this article that
will help them demonstrate this essential
tool to their students. So, enjoy.
I*ll be back with a newsletter in April
because I have back to back conferences
this month!

Point of view is often a subject about
which there is disagreement. Please
keep in mind that there is only one *rule*
that can*t be broken. That is the writer should
know the rule before she breaks it and
have a well thought out reason for doing
so. (And *because I like it that way,*
may not cut it in the eyes of a good
editor or a particular publisher.)

Happy writing,


Carolyn Howard-Johnson
HoJoNews@aol.com
http://www.tlt.com/authors/
carolynhowardjohnson.htm
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

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

Letters to the Editor:

*…Actually, I have a HOJO file where
I put snippets of little goodies
from your newsletter, but I won*t tell
if you don*t!*

Janet Elaine Smith, author of
*Old Habits Die Hard, the 3rd
Patrick and Grace Mystery.
*So much fun, if I were a Catholic
I would probably be excommunicated.*
Read an excerpt at
http://crumbycapers.tripod.com/ .
__________________________________________

Essential Reading:

Barbara McNichols, editor extraordinaire,
generously contributed her
f r ^ ^ e-book, *Wordtrippers*
to our fr * * e-book page at Authors*
Coalition (http://authorscoaltionandredenginepress.com).
It is so full of essential information
you*ll want to print it out and keep a
copy by your computer. I*m even giving
a few copies of it in paperback to my
students in my August 5th class at UCLA!
I*m that convinced it can make a difference!
So go to our AC page and click on
the *F r e * E-book* link at the top
of the page. Check out the others
while you*re there. This is not your
usual page of no-c o s t e-books!
This is one you*ll want to pass on
to your author friends!

_____________________________
Tip: All of us recognize the name
James Patterson. In an article on
him in Time Magazine (March 20th issue)
he manages to give authors some of his
trade secrets including how he partners
with other authors less famous
(but talented) as he is to increase
his output!

Author of the article, Lev Grossman,
also notes that *…he took control*
of his own novel from the cover design
to the marketing. That he had big--huge
--ties to J. Walter Thompson Agency
and all that entails, didn*t hurt but
the rest of us can take heed. What was
one of the things he did? He blew up
the title, *Along Came a Spider,* in huge
letters *that practically shouted
across the bookstore that this book
was going to give …readers exactly what
they were looking for.* That*s one
of the hints I give in *The Frugal Book
Promoter,* too. Huge title.
Huge author*s name.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When was the last time you bought
a book from an author you know?
*Tracings* my new chapbook of poetry, (www.finishinglinepress.com),
is available for that honor at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
1599240173/qid=1141623936/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/
002-4692447-2218401?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
but any book mentioned in any one of
your *Sharing with Writers* newsletters
would also be a nice gesture. If all
of us directed more of our reading to
newer authors who write in genres we love
or genres we need to stretch into,
we would do ourselves and the
publishing industry a great favor.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Opportunity:

Your f r ^^ e-book may be posted
at the Authors* Coalition site. It should
benefit authors in some way. Send it for
consideration to Joyce Faulkner, our AC
site guru, at katieseyes@aol.com . Check out
the great selection already there for you
to download and learn from: http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/
free_ebooks.htm .

______________________________________

A New Word: Watch for a new word
spawned in Academia only a few
years ago. *Microinequities* is
a buzzword now heard in the business
world for the small things that
employers do--often unwittingly--that
make their employers unhappy. I
*m supposing writers can benefit
from examining these *indirect offenses*
that may demoralize our contacts,
especially when we do some much work
by e-mail where our body language
can*t be read.
______________________________________

Thank Yous:

To Shel and Michelle at FrugalFun.com
for adding our Authors* Coalition link
to their site that promotes ethics in
business: http://business-ethics-pledge.org/
pledge-signer-links.shtml (Scroll down
a bit to the Professional Education
& Business Coaching section and you*ll
see the link.) You may want to sign
your pledge for ethics in publishing, too.
Our industry certainly has it own
problems with plagiarism and other issues!
-----
To Chris Meeks, author of *The Middle Aged
Man and the Sea* for offering advice
on formatting this newsletter
so it will fit on old computer screens
better. Hope it works! All suggestions
are always welcome.

__________________________

Reciprocal Links:

The Shy Writer: An Introvert*s Guide
to Writing Success - Author C. Hope
Clark advises you how to *sell your
words, not your soul* when you
promote your work. http://www.
theshywriter.com/
-----
The Reading Tub is a charity that
promotes family and children*s
literacy. They read every children*s
book that is sent to them for a review.
They are then donated to community
organizations. Go to thereadingtub.com.
-----
Walter Brasch*s America*s Unpatriotic
Acts: The Federal Government*s Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights. ) is a
look at the history and effects of
the USA Patriot Act upon the erosion
of our civil liberties and violations
of at least five of the Bill of Rights.
It has been endorsed by l
iberals and conservatives.
-----
Star Publish offers near self-publish
profits on your paperback; it is
an alternative to unapproachable publishers. http://starpublish.com.
------
Do you want to hone your skills? Writer
to Writer features tips on
writing, marketing, submitting,
selling and more. Regular no-fee
contests.
www.writer2writer.com
-----
Authors* Coalition is for writers. Find
support for authors--both emotional
and material--at
authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
-----
Gather at QueenPower.com where women
promote, support and encourage women.
Start living your best life now! http://www.queenpower.com/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please feel free to pass this letter
on to others. Unlike many others,
I do not mind if you pass on only portions
of it as long as you credit the
writers and give subscribe information
as well. To subscribe send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with *subscribe*
in the subject line.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Carolyn*s Appearances:

Order CD*s of Dayton University*s
Erma Bombeck Writers* Workshop presentations,
including mine.
http://www.humorwriters.org/
---------
Las Vegas Writer*s Conference,
Henderson, NV. March 30 to April 2,
2006 is slated for Sam*s Town Hotel
& Gambling Hall, 5111 Boulder
Highway, LV, NV. I will be
presenting. To learn more go to www.LasVegasWritersConference.com
or contact Gregory Kompes,
conference coordinator, at
Gregory@kompes.com for more information.
-------
MuseItUpClub has invited me to act
as a sounding board for their members
from April 2 to April 8th as part
of their e-group format. It*s free
to join and a fun way learn without
carving out a chunk of time from your
schedule; you may even decide to
stay on as part of the group. With Lea
Schizas as host, we can talk about
anything from poetry to promotion. T
he group is tightly controlled so
e-mail Lea at
museitupeditor@yahoo.ca; and use my
name. She will send you an invitation
to join. To see what the group is all
about visit museitupclub.tripod.com/
and to see their amazing line-up
of guests including some of our
*Sharing with Writers*
subscribers go to: http://museitupclub.tripod.com/id6.html .
------
PENUSA has asked me to teach a
class for the Emerging Voices Program
they sponsor for writers in underserved
Los Angeles area communities in May.
If you are interested in joining PEN
or contributing to this program, contact
Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com for a
referral or go to www.penusa.com
------
Los Angeles Times/UCLA Festival of Books
is April 29 and 30th. If you are in the
area visit Authors* Coalition
authors, enter our drawing, snag
yourself a goody bag and peruse
the books displayed there. We are
in a prime spot at Booth #610 at this
fr^e fair. Learn more about what
our booth authors are doing at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
The fair*s official site is: http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/
-----
UCLA Class: Carolyn is teaching a
one-day class at UCLA on Saturday,
August 5th (summer quarter). Circle it
on your calendar! Enroll to learn all
you need to know about preparing
a professional manuscript for submission
to agents, publishers or to ready it
for alternative presses. To enroll
or to received a free copy of the
program*s *Writers* Program Quarterly,*
contact Marcus Hennessey at
writers@uclaextension.edu or (
310) 825-9415.
-----
Audio Classes: Authors* Coalition
members, Allyn Evans, Joyce Faulkner,
Kathe Gogolewski, Marilyn Peake and I,
have produced audio classes covering
subjects like writing skills, book
promotion, and technology for writers.
Access new audio classes regularly in
MP3 or CDRom at http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/audio.asp.
Learn more about the instructors and
find a list of the coming classes at
our Authors* Coalition site at authorscoalition.redenginepress.com/
ddp_teleclasses.htm.
To get a fr ^ ^ sample class called
*Radio: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to
Promoting Easy and Cheap!* go to the
Double Dragon Publishing (DDP) Website:
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/i
mprintlist.asp?imprint=PODRADIO

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reciprocal Links: Many subscribers
are in a position to cross-promote.
Let me know if you would like to trade
some recommendation or promotion
for a permanent spot (or as my list
grows, semi-permanent) spot in this
newsletter. I use only links
that benefit writers
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Feature:

(Editor*s Note: This is an excerpt
from the script of one of the
Double Dragon Press Audios that I am
participating in with four other authors.
This one on point of view is by Kathe
Goglewski; the moderator in the script
is Allyn Evans. The series is available
as MP3 or CD and the series covers
many topics--30 audios in all!--of
interest to writers. Kathe offers
it with the hope that you*ll be enticed
to research the rest of what we are doing.
Learn while you drive! Find these classes at
www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/imprintlist.
asp?imprint=PODRADIO


Point of View:
The Sharpest Tool in Your Writers* Workbox

Kathe: There are many techniques open
to the writer today for creating works
of fiction--techniques that allow readers
to get lost inside the pages and
engrossed in the story. Through
manipulation of dialogue, sensory
impressions and point of view, the
authors* presence melts away and
readers are transported to other
worlds. In a well-crafted story,
the author does not exist. There are
only the characters and their drama! If,
for some reason, the author suddenly
lands on the page, he or she will probably
arrive with a loud thunk, jerking the
reader from his or her reverie and
reminding them that this is, after all,
*only a story.* The magic bubble
evaporates! It*s too bad when that
happens. Authorial intrusion is like
hearing a baby wail in a movie theater
during a particularly good scene: y
ou become more aware of the real
world than the story in front of you.

So what does authorial intrusion sound
like, and how can we use point of view
to avoid it? I*ll start by reading
the following passage, constructed
deliberately to show authorial intrusion.
Allyn, see if you can feel the
author*s presence in this.

Allyn: Okay.

Kathe: *The vibrations were still
rattling the windows a full 20 seconds
after the first boom. Panic-stricken,
the dancers streaked toward the far
end of the ballroom, where they fixed
their eyes warily on the large, wildly
swaying chandelier in the center of the
room. A server, feeling confused, slipped
and dropped her tray, but no one rushed
to help her. The glass from the
emptied wine bottle shattered onto the
marble floor even as the last couple
dashed around the fragments in a
race to the wall, their hearts thudding
inside their chests. The girl left her
upturned tray on the floor and stumbled
toward the crowd, her fear mounting as
another tremor rolled beneath her feet.
By the time she reached the group,
the men had formed a tight protective
circle around their wives, glancing
deliberately past the server as she
skidded to a halt before them.
Unable to break inside, the girl
followed the line of tuxedos to
the wall, where she stood slightly
separated from the group, and waited.*

So who*s head are we in?

Allyn: It sounds like Anybody*s
and Everybody*s! The POV is all
over the map!

Kathe: Yes, first, we*re running
with the panic-stricken dancers,
then we*re feeling confused with
the server, just before we dash
around the glass fragments with
the chest-thudding couple.
Finally, we follow the fearful
server to the line of tuxedo clad
gents, who are deliberately
ignoring her. Who is showing u
s all this information?

Allyn: It has to be the author,
of course.

Kathe: Right again. With the
All-Knowing Author parading his
or her knowledge across the page,
the reader is less aware of individuals
or groups of individuals in the passage
than they are of the storyteller.
This is called the omniscient point
of view, and while this point of view
was widely used by authors in the
19th century, it is considered an
unattractive choice by most authors
today because it lacks emotional content.
It*s hard to connect with the characters
when the author is doing the talking.
It*s like listening to friends talk about
other friends. It may be interesting,
but it*s not likely to bring out a sense
of intimacy in the listener for those
being discussed, at least not nearly
as much as when you hear the information
first hand. When people are telling you
face-to-face what has happened to them,
it*s far more powerful.

Allyn: Isn*t it just more convenient
to use the omniscient point of view,
hough? You don*t have to worry about
how to how to get information to the
reader when you can freely use any
character*s head to speak their mind.

Kathe: That*s true. But a story
about everybody is a story about nobody.
With omniscient point of view,
no one inside the drama is watching,
no one with an attitude - only an
outside observer to relate the entire
scene. Like God, the observer sees
everybody! Readers, however, want
to connect and FEEL something.
They want to get to know the characters.
While the advantages of using the
omniscient point of view are tempting,
such as the convenience that you
mentioned, the disadvantages are
often greater, and if you want
to create an emotionally charged
work, it*s a good idea to stay away from it.

Allyn: Then how do other points of view
work to create greater intimacy, so that
the reader is not aware of the author?

Kathe: Well, for example, take the passage
again about the ballroom dancers
in the earthquake. That story could
have taken on a more personal tone if it were
told from the consciousness of any
one of the individual*s involved
in the story. From the viewpoint
of a compassionate gentleman at the ball,
we might have felt concern for the server
as he eyed her scrambling toward them.
Seen through his eyes, we might
have felt his disdain for the other
men who were shunning her.
The serving girl, on the other hand,
could offer the writer an equally
charged viewpoint by showcasing her
panic as she recognized that no one
wanted to help her. Depending on who
and what the story is about, a writer
can tell an emotionally packed story
by picking the appropriate head and
by using either first person or third
person point of view.

Allyn: Will you describe both points
of view?

Kathe: Sure. If we allow the
character to tell the story instead
of a narrator, as in *I did this* and
*I did that,* we are using the First
Person. This is a highly personal way
to tell a story and many literary
novels today use it. It*s very powerful
because it*s like hearing a story first
hand - it tends to carry more credibility.
You are more likely to believe a story
when someone is telling you how it
happened to them. Stories in the first
person feel true! However, this point of
view can be limiting because no one
else can see, hear, smell, touch or
taste except the person telling the story.
It is difficult to share information
with the reader that the character
isn*t supposed to know. One slip, and t
he author has committed another intrusion.

Allyn: Can you give us an example?

Kathe: Yes, Let*s consider the same
passage retold in the first person
from the point of view of the serving
girl, but I*ll interject authorial
intrusion, so see if you can tell where it is.

Allyn: Okay.

Kathe: *At first, I thought a bomb
had gone off. Then, everybody was
running. I saw Mr. Bigley charging
toward the other end of the room,
pushing Mrs. Bigley ahead of him.
She was running funny, all bouncy
with jiggling jewelry. I didn*t know
why everyone was in such a hurry
until I saw what they were looking at.
That big old triple tiered Strass
Nulco Rialto crystal chandelier was
rocking like a ship on the high seas -
and right over my head! Man! I lost my
balance then and my tray took a dive.
The wine bottle broke and glass was
everywhere. I ran too, but when I got
to the other end of the room,
Mr. Bigley and the other men
wouldn*t let me past them. Mrs.
Langley was really mad at them
for that. She wanted to tell him
to shove it. I think she would
have punched him if she could. I
t*s nice to know you have at least
one friend when the going gets tough. *

Okay, did you hear any slips?

Allyn: Yes, I think I heard two,
actually. One occurs when the
serving girl describes the chandelier.
It is unlikely that she would have
known that a chandelier was a Strass
Nulco Rialto, or that it was called
triple tiered for that matter.
robably, her character would
simply call it huge and glittery.

Kathe: Exactly. And the reader
becomes aware of the anomaly,
even if they*re not sure what it is,
they know something doesn*t sound natural.
Suddenly the story has an author, clomping onto the page.

You said you heard another slip?

Allyn: I did. When she describes
how Mrs. Langley was mad at the men
for shutting her out, it sounds false.
How would the server know how Mrs.
Langley felt if Mrs. Langley hadn*t
said anything?

Kathe: Right. In this way, first
person POV can be limiting. If the
author wants the reader to know that
Mrs. Langley is sympathetic, then it
has to be shown in a different way,
which can be difficult when we can
only follow one protagonist around.
There are ingenious ways to do this,
however, and if listeners are
interested in finding out how it
can be done,
I suggest that they read a few successful novels written in the first person,
such as Emily Bronte*s *Wuthering Heights,*
Mark Twain*s Huck in *The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn,* Ken Kesey*s
*One Flew Over the Cuckoo*s Nest,*
Charles Portis*s *True Grit* or
even *Treasure Island* by Robert
Louis Stevenson. If you*d like to
take the route that the majority of
fiction writers take today though,
I would suggest trying the third person.
It avoids many of the pitfalls of
authorial intrusion that you get
with first person and omniscient
points of view.

Allyn: You said you were going to
describe third person point of view
also. Will you do that?

Kathe. Sure. The third person point
of view is the *he said, she said,* and
*he did this* and *she did that.*
It is the most popular point of view in contemporary writing because it avoids so many of the pitfalls that
you get with omniscient and first person. It is far more intimate than the omniscient point of view because we get to hear what the characters are thinking directly; we*re not being told what they are doing by a narrator. And it allows the writer to pop into another character*s head when it*s necessary to give the reader information that the protagonist isn*t supposed to know. Also, it gives the impression that the action is happening right then. This works very well with action stories. With first person, the action has already happened. The narrator *I* is telling the story by remembering what has already happened to them.

Allyn: The third person point of view carries a lot of advantages for the writer.

Kathe: I think so. It*s my favorite POV and the one I use. There are so many choices available through third person, though the selection of who*s head you*re in should be made very carefully. And you can*t switch heads too much or you*ll confuse the reader and you might even cross that line into omniscient point of view, introducing authorial intrusion. I usually don*t switch point of view until I reach a new chapter, but many authors will switch when the scene changes. Some even change after a paragraph, but again, this is approaching the danger zone. I think it*s wise, at least when a writer is learning about POV, to keep one point of view for an entire chapter or scene.

Allyn: How do you make your decision to switch into another character*s head? And do you ever switch into the head of a minor character?

Kathe: I base my decision on whichever head will create the most powerful emotion or feeling for the story. It has to lend to the development of the plot or a character, or it doesn*t work. And yes, believe it or not, sometimes it*s a minor character! I love using minor characters! It gives the reader a break from the hero and heroine by introducing a fresh point of view. It*s kind of like watching a movie when the camera focuses on the expression or conversation of some minor characters to highlight something the hero or heroine said or did. You know the movie isn*t going to take off with the minor characters; they are there for a different purpose.

Allyn: Can you give us an example of how it works in your writing?

Kathe: I can. In my suspense novel, *A Promise to Keep,* I wanted to showcase the traits of one particular horrible character, the villainess, but I wanted to do it in a way that it would dawn on the reader slowly,
because I thought it would mean more if the reader made up his or her own mind about this villainess. So I presented a scene where her lover considers buying her an engagement ring. Of course, he*s totally in
love with her. She is, to him, the perfect creature, so he doesn*t see her bad qualities. Instead, he makes excuses for her. But the reader sees through it and doesn*t believe him when he says she has good reason to clean out his wallet. She wants a real man, he rationalizes, someone who isn*t afraid to fork it out. The reader sees that he is being used, and learns to dislike the villainess even though she is not present in this scene. Because the technique is more subtle than overtly displaying her bad behavior, the reader must make up his or her own mind. This can be a powerful technique. Sometimes less is more.

Allyn: So you can use point of view to outline a character*s traits. How else can you use it?

Kathe: There*s so many ways! You can use a character to further the action, describe another character, or even describe the ambience or setting of a scene. Again, in A Promise to Keep, I wanted the reader to
get a feel for the culture of the Tarahumara Indians in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, so I played out a few scenes through the eyes of a Tarahumara Indian man, which helped to establish the heroine in a place very different from her home. It*s more intimate than describing the dress and habits of the Indians from her eyes.

I*ve also used a secondary character*s point of view to increase tension. In another book, *Flight of the Gryphon,* a science fiction due from Double Dragon in December of 2006, I use the hardened and mean spirited servant of a dark Lord to increase the sense of danger in the story. The character, Morchison, is charged with handling an enormous beast that the dark Lord uses to incite fear and obedience in his subjects. Morchison is petrified to work with the animal, called a rocsadon, but he has no choice. The scene allows the reader to feel his fear as he works with the rocsadon, and since he is generally fearless, it establishes the rocasadon as an extremely terrifying creature. When the animal rages through a village in the next chapter, the reader has reason to fear for the heroine.

It*s important to remember however, that every character should be used to buoy the plot or character development. You don*t want to meander off into tangents that leave the reader wondering what the story was all about!

Allyn: It*s important to always keep the story moving forward.

Kathe: Exactly. And that completes my presentation for this audio class.
----
Award winning author Kathe Gogolewski has published fiction for both adults and children. Her fantasy adventure for middle grade readers, Tato, is recommended by the noted science fiction and fantasy writer, Piers Anthony, as *compelling* and *well-written.* Tato is also a best seller with her publisher, Wings Press. She writes her adult fiction under her pen name, Ann Durand, which can be found at Double Dragon Publishing. In addition, she has contributed to several anthologies and is a columnist for a writers* e-zine. She holds a master*s degree in education, and recently retired from teaching to write full-time. She has published numerous poems and short stories as well. You may find out more about her and her books at www.TRI-Studio.com.

Learn more about Allyn Evans at www.queenpower.com.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Follow my blog on Authors* Coalition*s
UCLA Festival of Books booth plans and
learn how to make any book fair
successful using value-added promotions. http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson.
Circle the fair dates on your calendar.
LA will be beautiful in April--always is!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reciprocal Links:

 Dr. Bob Rich, freelance editor, finds the good things in your book and makes suggestions for improving it. His clients include independent publishers, and a long list of writers. Find him at http://bobswriting.com/editing.html
-----
Success Literary Services offers complete book manuscript services. They were honored with twelve top awards for their work. They are not associated with, nor do they accept funding from literary agencies or production companies. Est. 1984. References. http://www.successliterary.com / suc-srv@pacbell.net
-------
The Compulsive Reader reviews books by some of the hottest writers working today. Find interviews, literary news, criticism, a no - cost e-zine, g I v e a w a y s, and more. http://www.compulsivereader.com/html.
-----
Do bookstores owe you money? Michelle Dunn*s books including Become the Squeaky Wheel, A Credit and Collections Guide for Everyone will help you get your checks in full and on time. http://www.michelledunn.com/
-----
Erica Miner, queenpower.com*s Queen of Journaling, has a monthly e-mail newsletter with an emphasis on journaling. Subscribe at: http://www.ericaminer.com/newsletter.php
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A Cappela Publishing*s audio book, How to Write Your Own Life Story (or Your Family*s Saga) is also available as a CD set. It is recommended by the American Library Association*s Booklist. Go to www.acappela.com
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! Dreams of Grandeur, a book of poetry by Amber A. Whitman is available at http://homebody2001-ivil.tripod.com/. A reader says *I*m impressed…a great deal of talent.*
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Authors* Coalition members! Add credibility to your business cards and other promotions by using the logo available to you. Just ask for it by sending an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com. New members will help AC serve all its members better! Ask your writing friends to join at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
Tell them to visit our blog, too, where they*ll learn how to spark generally insipid book fairs by using value-added promotions: http://redeneginepress.com/chjohnson .


http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

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Feature:

Selling Books (POD and Otherwise) to B&N

Third in a Series
By Janet Elaine Smith

Assuming that you have a website, and have your book cover/s on there, each place it appears there should be a link through directly to where they can buy the book. While many people link to Amazon.com or their publisher, if you link to http://www.bn.com/ instead, each sale from your website will go directly into the B&N database. The same is true for your online marketing efforts. Don*t put a *go here, then go there, then click here to order it.* People will just go right past it. But, if you have a direct link to the bn.com to order it EVERY TIME you send out an email promotional effort, that also drives the B&N database upwards.

Once you have established a good sales record in their database, when you call a B&N store to pitch your book, they can look into their database and Voila! the online sales show up the same as if they had been sold through their brick-and-mortar stores. There is no way for them to tell the difference. They are much more apt to take a chance on a book that has a sales track record in their database.

Next time, there*s a trick to the trade in all walks of life, even in the bookstores. I will share a secret that several B&N managers have shared with me.
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Janet Elaine Smith, author of the upcoming Bank Roll: A Max Stryker Mystery. When the Knight Ridder newspapers sold out, hundreds of people were in limbo. For Max Stryker, there was only one alternative: to go home to Willow Creek, where nothing exciting ever happened--until she comes back the same day the bank president has been kidnapped!
Where worlds of fun await you!
http://www.janetelainesmith.com
http://www.janetelainesmith.blogspot.com
http://crumbycapers.tripod.com
http://meetmondayknight.tripod.com
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Reciprocal Links:

Need a promotional breakthrough?
Subscribe to the PR Diva Queen*s
Author*s Companion PR Postcard at
http://www.authorscompanion.com/
for snappy marketing tips and a f~r~e report
*How to Obtain Book Reviews*.
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Spirited Woman, an inspired woman*s empowerment community, launches the Spirited Woman Circle, a new monthly 1-hr. phone conversation series with bestselling authors. Learn more at http://www.TheSpiritedWoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/
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Francine Silverman, publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, serves authors by e-mailing Expert Sheets to the media. This low-cost service has proven results. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for more information. www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
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Read author interviews, market information, and more in WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com. To subscribe or to submit material for consideration, E-mail LGood67334@comcast.net . Put subscribe in the subject box.
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The Y&W newsletter sponsored by Red Engine Press bring authors, bookstores, publishers and reviewers together. Subscribers can write a short article of interest to this group and we*ll try to publish it. To subscribe send an email to nate@redenginepress.com with *Y&W Newsletter* in the subject line.
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Sun Signs for Writers: Learn how astrology can benefit (and entertain!) writers with a new Writers* Digest book: http://www.writersigns.info
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Judith Woolcock Colombo: Author of The Fablesinger and Night Crimes: Learn more at: http://odin.prohosting.com/~night01
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 Discover a novel by Cynthianna Appel and receive your choice of another e-book at no cost. Go to http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/promo.html today!
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Read Joyce Faulkner*s Celebrity Cafe.com column to learn about anything from aging feet to her favorite books on writing: http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/Columnists/The_Weekly_Shriek/
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Fr * * Publicity Resource: Let this site send your media release to book trade professionals including Associated Press, Reuters, and more! http://press.heliographica.com/
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Has writing lost its spontaneity? Find remedies in Milli Thornton*s online writing course at: http://www.fearofwriting.com/creative-writing-course.htm
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Discover a true-life philosophy about making marriages last a lifetime in Choose Love For Life, by Joe and Edwina Roady (http://www.chooseloveforlife.com/.)
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The AA Independent Press Guide is a f * * *, database which details over 2,000 literary and genre magazines and publishers. Find it on the website of writer and artist, Dee Rimbaud, at http://www.thunderburst.co.uk/
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The Complete Writer offers advice on writing, editing, proofreading, publishing and design. Published by Red Engine Press, a traditional press. http://www.redenginepress.com/
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Essential Book and Record Keeping:
This letter lets authors to share with each other. . It is edited and distributed sporadically by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, http://www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm , author of *This is the Place,* *Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered,* *Tracings,* and *The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What You*re your Publisher Won*t* and is an entity of Authors* Coalition, http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.

To submit information for consideration, e-mail me at HoJoNews@aol.com

If you do not care to receive this letter, unsubscribe by sending e-mail me at HoJoNews@aol.com and include *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 .

You are encouraged to pass this newsletter on to friends or e-groups. It needn*t be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, Authors* Coalition and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Order *The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won*t:*
at stores like UCLA, Dayton University and San Diego State University*s bookstores. Order it as an e-book or paperback at Amazon where it is discounted: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-0672916-9668863 .

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, may be ordered at http://finishinglinepress.com and at,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7824821-4156653?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Carolyn*s novel and book of creative nonfiction may be ordered at Amazon.com.