November 12, 2006 Sharing with Writers:
From the Desks
Of Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Authors' Coalition Friends
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"Sharing with Writers" is the official newsletter of Authors' Coalition,

http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

an organization of writers who help writers.

To read this newsletter at Authors Den go to:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/Sharingwithwriters_Nov_FirstWeek_2006.doc

Please find an offer for you to participate in the LA Times Festival of Books -- whether you'live in LA or not -- by going to http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson

The LA fair is one of the nation's biggest and most prestigious with more than 130,000 visitors and the power of the LA Times behind it.

Find pictures of last year's booth at http://tri-studio.com/kathegogolewskiPHOTOSfair06.html


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Note from Carolyn:

Dear Subscribers and Authors' Coalition Members:

Those of you who have been following my site headaches know I need a vacation. I am going to take one over Thanksgiving, so there ! (-:

Between website problems and kicking off the Authors' Coalition's booth for the LA Times Festival of Books April of 2007, I have had my hands full. I love the fair kind of busy-ness, though, because I know that the refinements and value-added promotions we do with our fair are making a huge difference not only to our booth but to many others across the nation. That's because we have chosen to share our experiences on a blog. Check it out. Plans and an offer for you are posted there and you can trace the trials and triumphs of last year's fair by reading back posts! It's at http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson.

This letter will be short, a relief to some of you. I do hope to hear from many on the fair before I skip town next weekend.

Oh, and you will see from this letter that even at Thanksgiving we should be planning our spring book fairs (and saving for them!) Note the change in tips from general to book fair-oriented. (-:

Best,

Carolyn Howard-Johnson
HoJoNews@aol.com
http://carolynhoward-johnson.com
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepess.com and a blog focused on book fairs at
http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson

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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising.
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Letters-to-the-Editor:

Hi, Carolyn,

We met last year at The DESERT WOMAN book faire and luncheon in Palm Desert, and you inspired me to let my imagery live as the poetry it is, instead of trying to make it be prose…

My first poem published was "Desert Mountain Snow", about the incongruity of snow on mountain peaks in the California Desert…

"To Friendship" just came out in the November issue of THE DESERT WOMAN…

I have a non-fiction article in final edit stage with a national trade magazine. When it hits the mail, I'll give you the details.

A most amazing AHA! occurred this past year -- I finally "got it" that no one can publish my work if I don't send it out into the Universe. Brilliant, no? Thanks again for being that angel who helped me find my wings.

Michele Graf
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Tips for Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: Give away totes or good carrying bags if you can. Stuff them with your fliers. Imprint them with your book cover and your booth number if you can afford it. If not, use labels. Ask volunteers to help you pass them out.

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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many others, I do not mind if you use only portions of it as long as you credit the writers and include this subscribe information. "To subscribe to 'Sharing with Writers' send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with 'subscribe' in the subject line."
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Opportunities:

Sassy Needs Reviewers (And Reviewing Is A Great Way to Get Clips and Exposure!)

Call for reviewers from 'Alternative-Read.com:
If you would like to join 'The Gang' as a reviewer please send an email to mailto:Sassy.Brit@googlemail.comwith your reading interests and details of any previous experience. We can't pay you, but you will get a lot of free books, and we can offer a whole page on our site, devoted to promoting YOU as our way of saying thanks. This page includes your bio, photo(s) and details of your website/books written and banners etc.

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At the request of a subscriber or two I am reducing the size of this newsletter but only a tad. Generally I will be running only a few of the reciprocal links (even though all of them may be useful to you.) They will rotate. In this one, because of the long fair offer, I will run none. Once my new HowToDoItFrugally.com site is up they will all transfer to that site on a permanent basis. I'll give you the link then.) Those of you who are on this link exchange, please be patient. (-:
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Opportunities:

Learn More about Promoting!

Contest Facts:
How to Add Award-winning to Your Name
Instructors/producers and moderators are:

Allyn Evans
Joyce Faulkner
Kathe Gogolewski
Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Published by Double Dragon Press:
Our Price: $9.99 USD
SALE PRICE: $8.49

ISBN: DDPAUDIO00002
Genre: Self Help - Non-Fiction
Audio Duration: 60 Minutes
Published: November 2006
Imprint: DDP POD RADIO
Go to: http://double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.asp?ISBN=DDPAUDIO00002

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Tips for Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: Share a booth with one or more other writers. Choose ones who are willing to promote. A booth that is promoted is well-trafficked. A booth that is cross-promoted gets double (or more) the traffic and half of those will be people you have not already sold a book to.
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Opportunities:

Boomer Women Speak Writing Contest!
Deadline: December 31, 2006
Entry Fee: NONE - Great prizes including $50.00 cash.

The holidays are fast approaching. Tell us what you love or hate about the holidays. Please read and follow the guidelines below and good luck!

GUIDELINES: Please pay attention to these simple but important guidelines.
• Submit your entry in essay style format in a WORD document as an attachment. DO NOT send your entry in the body of an email.
• Your submission must have a TITLE.
• Edit your work. Any essay that needs editing will be deleted.
• Word count should be below 800. Use 1 ˝ spacing
• Make sure you include your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, SHORT BIO and all of this should be in the WORD document, not in the email.
• In the subject line, write “Nov/Dec Writing Contest.”
• Submit entries to the email address below and only ONE entry per person
PRIZES: Winner’s story will be placed on http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=zoq6rzbab.0.49iaerbab.t8tg7qbab.971&ts=S0211&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomerwomenspeak.com in the "Our Voices" section and they will also receive the following:
• $50.00 CASH!
• Friends Heal Friends Tee-shirt
• Baby Boomer’s Almanac, by Tim Brolus
• What Happens Next, by Chloe JonPaul
• Send your entry to georgia@boomerwomenspeak.com
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Tips for Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: Get a copy of The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't. Use the index. In the index look up words like "events," "book launches," and "book fairs" for lots of ideas for exposing your book fair activities to the world--from your e-mail signature to donating books for other authors' contests. (You can ask them to answer a question about the fair as part of the contest entry requirements.)
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Author Successes

(You are invited to send me news about your successes. New books, awards and more. If you read about others' successes you'll not only be inspired, you'll glean resources for future successes of your own.)

Karen Mueiller Bryson published
Those They Left Behind: Interviews, Stories, Essays and Poems by Survivors of Suicide. In this collection of interviews with survivors of suicide, individuals talked candidly and intimately about how their lives were impacted by the suicide of a family member or close friend. Over 50 individuals shared their personal tragedies as a way of helping others who face a similar loss as well as educating the public about the issues survivors of suicide face. Their willingness to share their stories is a testament to their endurance and strength in the face of adversity. Learn more at
http://www.lulu.com/content/452329

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"AC is the current that propels your writing career."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Authors' Coalition Founder
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Tips on Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: Borrow a trick from the cosmetic counters of the nation's biggest retailers. Gift a gift-with-purchase or a purchase-with-purchase (a huge bargain on a second item when a customer buys a first one). Authors' Coalition suggests the Complete Writer's Journal for this purpose. Buy it in quantity at a deep discount and see how well it helps you promote. Find it at http://redenginepress.com .

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New members will help Authors' Coalition serve all its members better! Ask your writing friends to join at http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com. Paid members get a favorite review posted, consideration for an interview or review in Yarnspinners and Wordweavers. Membership is reasonable, too. We're even planning a speakers' bureau.

Tell friends to visit our blog, too. There they'll learn how to spark generally insipid book fairs by using value-added promotions: http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson .
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
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Tips for Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: If lighting is available, utilize it. This is one place not to be FRUGAL! It is an old retailing rule that well-lighted displays sell merchandise better than dark, dingy ones.

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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased The Frugal Book Promoter in the past, I'd love for you to review it on Amazon or BN.com, perhaps just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you an excerpt from my soon-to-be-released The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success that includes some sidebars from the book that will help you with some tricky grammar. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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Tips for Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Experience: It seems self-evident but many authors don't use adequate signs at book fairs. Use signs to tell fair-goers
who will be signing and when, what books are available, about your raffle, about the charity you are supporting, about your next book, about the activities you are featuring. More on all these fair frills in a next issue of "Sharing with Writers."

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Authors' Coalition members! For credibility, use the AC logo on your promotional materials. Ask for it by sending an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com or download it with a click from the AC site http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
Be sure to link it to the AC site, too!
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching:

Carolyn will be a guest speaker for Eve Caram's UCLA class on novel writing on November 29. To schedule her as a speaker contact her at hojonews@aol.com.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson; June Casagrande, author of "Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies"; and Kerry Madden, author of "Gentle's Holler," will discuss "The Many Paths to Publishing." at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101, Saturday, Dec. 2. at 5 pm. May all of you in Southern California come, enjoy and publish.
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Carolyn will read from her chapbook Tracings, for Delta Gamma fraternity at a meeting to benefit their charity, the Blind Children's Center on Nov. 13, at 7 pm. Contact her if you are interested in attending. HoJoNews@aol.com .
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Paulette Ensign, board member of Publishers and Writers of San Diego, a SPAN and PMA affiliate, has invited Carolyn Howard-Johnson to speak on "Marketing Your Book or Published Product" from Unknown to Best-Seller Sat., Jan 27, 2007 in Encinitas, CA. Learn more about the organization and their programs at: http://www.publisherswriters.org/
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New for 2007! Coming Saturday April 21, 2007 at 10 am. Led by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Poetry! Don't Let It Molder in a Drawer, Publish It! A seminar and poetry reading at the Glendale City Central Library (California) in the auditorium.
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New for 2007! Mark April 28th and 29, 2007, for the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books. More to come soon in this newsletter.
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New for 2007! Carolyn will speak on "Your Media Release: You Write So You Can Do It! September 8, 2007 at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center in Sherman Oaks, CA www.CalWritersSFV.com

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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
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Thank Yous:

(Note: Each thank you may be set with a jewel of a resource for you to plumb for your book. Watch for them! Adapt them to your own publishing and promotion needs!)

Lea Schizas, author and editor, for including information on the new release of learning audios for writers on the "Meet my friends" page of her site: http://leaschizaseditor.tripod.com/id8.html

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When was the last time you bought a book from an author you know? "Tracings" my new chapbook of poetry is available for that honor at 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 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.
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Tips on Successful Fairs from AC's Fair Archives: Produce a sales catalog and send it to bookstores in the city where the fair is receiving publicity. Make certain that the fair is featured prominently to fully benefit from the credibility of being associated with that community event.

========================================================If you enjoy "Sharing with Writers" please nominate it for Writer's Digest's 101 Best Newsletters for Writers. We aren't big, we aren't old. So it would take a huge outpouring from subscribers to make a dent. Send an e-mail to writersdig@fwpubs.com with subject line, "101 Best Newsletters for Authors" and let them know what this newsletter does for you!
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Metaphors and Similes to Make You Smile:

(Every year English teachers from across the country submit their collections of analogies and metaphors actually found in high school essays. I can't acknowledge the resource but I thought they might not mind if I published them one at a time. I also thought some of you might have some favorites you could contribute.)

Here is one of the teachers' favorites. Anyone who remembers the old story problems we were given at math time in grade school will appreciate this:

"Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut."

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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This letter is an entity of Authors' Coalition http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

Edited and distributed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson,

http://carolynhoward-johnson.com

author of This is the Place, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, and The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, this newsletter lets authors share with each other.

Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information in this newsletter. Subscribers should research resources though I do attempt to verify information used within its pages.

To submit information for consideration in this letter, e-mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com


If you do not care to receive this letter, unsubscribe at HoJoNews@aol.com

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

Please 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:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4692447-2218401?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, may be ordered at

http://finishinglinepress.com

and at,

www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7824821-4156653?s=books&v=glance&n=283155