October 20, 2007
Sharing with Writers
A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs!

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 letter in plain vanilla text, scroll down. To read this newsletter with a bit more pizzazz (not much, though!) at Authors Den go to:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/Sharingwithwriters_OCT_No3Week_2007.doc

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Note from Carolyn:

Dear Authors' Coalition Members and SWW Subscribers;

It's good I waited to write this note until today. Today was the annual UCLA retreat for the school's writers' program instructors. I look forward to it every year. They do a great job of planning seminars that feed our ability to teach better but also help us write better. Then they hie us off for lunch to an Italian restaurant across from the extension building for a great lunch. (Tiramisu to die for, Joyce!) and to enjoy the company of other instructors. I met an interesting playwright, a children's author and some screenwriters I hadn't met before.
But here's where it gets interesting for you - - you subscribers to SWW. I took notes about ways we can improve the craft of writing. Some things about dialogue, some about structure, etc. Enough to fill a newsletter. So, ta da!! Soon I shall assemble the tips and ideas from those notes (and some from the Frugal Editor) that will help you write better. And, yes, I want even you writers of nonfiction to open that newsletter when it arrives. That's because more and more editors are looking for nonfiction writers who use elements of fiction to spice up their articles - - things like anecdote and dialogue.

So, be looking for it.

And don't forget that the AllMarketing edition is coming up, too. So spread the word among your writing friends. They can subscribe by sending me an e - mail with "subscribe" in the subject line (HoJoNews@aol.com) or do an autosignup at http://www.authorsden.com/carolynhowardjohnson.

In the meantime, I think there is some pretty interesting stuff in this issue, too. You'll enjoy Janet Elaine Smith's take on getting the word out there about your newsletter.

Happy, happy writing and promoting and, yes, EDITING, too.
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
HoJoNews@aol.com
Websites: http://carolynhoward - johnson.com and www.HowToDoItFrugally.com
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepess.com
or Amazon - direct for The Frugal Editor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/
Blogs: A blog focused on book fairs at
http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson and another blog that is about writing and reading at www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com and
www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

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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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TIP: People posting on internet message boards often use funny little graphics to punctuate their sentiments, stick it to others in arguments, etc. so June Casagrande, author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies, got on photo shop and made these clever punctuators for writers:
http://conjugatevisits.blogspot.com/
How might you use them on your site, in your promotion, etc.?
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Letters - to - the - Editor:

Carolyn, I enjoyed your talk and getting to meet you in person at the Southern Festival of Books this past weekend. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Nashville. After hearing you speak, I now have to do a search and replace on a client’s book. I didn’t realize that the tag of a question posed in dialog should be stated rather than asked. “What time is it?” said (not asked) Yvonne. You saved me some embarrassment. Thank you for the lesson.

Yvonne Perry, http://www.yvonneperry.net/, author of Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America. www.right2recover.com

Note: This dialogue tag suggestion is from the Frugal Editor. You won't get 50 lashes for doing it "wrong" but doing it "right" will earn you points with fussy, fussy publishers, agents and other gatekeepers. I first learned about it in Stephen King's On Writing.

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TIP: Someone left this useful web address on my www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com as a comment. It seemed as if it might be something those of you about to publish might look into: http://www.nothingbinding.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 and ditto for The Fiction Flyer and Betty Dobson's Inkspotter. Membership is reasonable, too.
Tell friends to visit our blog. There they'll learn how to spark generally insipid book fairs by using value - added promotions. www.authorscoalition.blogpsot.com.
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
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Thank Yous

(There are leads here, just as you'll find in all the most innocent - looking areas of this newsletter. You never know when you'll find a name or a site that will help you network or write better!)

To Dr. Tami Brady for her review at TCM Reviews: http://tcm - ca.com/reviews/1999.html. She also allowed me to post it at my New Book Review blog, http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/. This is a blog that can do those of you who are published some good, so please check out Tami's review, the submission guidelines in the left column of the blog and then send me your fave review
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To Terry Whalin, former agent and author, reviewed The Frugal Editor http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/2007/10/guide - for - overconfident.html.
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To Jennifer Akers, for spreading the word about the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers on her Squidoo page. See it here: http://squidoo.com/JenniferAkers . BTW, I've mentioned in this newsletter that Squidoo might work for your marketing efforts. See what Jennifer has done. Will it work for your title?

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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at www.howtodoitfrugally.com at less per year than most sites charge for a single month (see the advertising tab at the top of the page). Authors' Coalition www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com is also accepting ads.
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Author Success

An Opportunity and Peek at Great Promotion

In October, 1950, over two hundred - fifty American POWs boarded a train in Pyongyang, North Korea. Their guards were taking them to join a much larger group of prisoners being collected near Manpo. The men were in bad condition. A few miles after Sunchon, almost a hundred were taken off the train and machine gunned. About twenty - five survived. The train went on. After being attacked by American jets, it became disabled just outside Kujang - dong. Thirty - three more were shot. Only three survived that attack. The rest walked off into the night with their guards.

The story of the Sunchon Tunnel Massacre is a little known to the general public. Of the roughly, thirty survivors from this group of POWs, only nine are alive today. Joyce Faulkner and Pat McGrath Avery have been working on this book about it for years. It is based on personal interviews, research at the Truman and Eisenhower Presidential Libraries, original testimonies to congress and books about the period. In the process, the two stumbled upon something of historical interest - - the name of the North Korean Major who ordered their execution. Many believe this Home Security Guard officer might also be the infamous and unnamed Tiger from the Tiger March.

Take a look at the website: www.SunchonTunnelMassacreSurvivors.com and the blog: www.rrpstorytellers.blogspot.com .

The authors invite you to the November 6, 2008 event - - at 9 AM at Celebration City Theater in Branson MO, where they'll host a prepublication launch. Seven of the nine survivors will be there. Many Branson and academic celebrities will be there, too.

If you would like to join them in Branson for Veterans' Week, check out www.Branson.com. Contact Pat at 417.230.5555 or riverroadpress@yahoo.com and she can give you more information about the event

If you can't make it to Branson, the authors are offering a special price on limited, signed editions to early birds. The first 100 hard cover books (#2 - 100) are $35 including postage. The first 200 soft cover copies (#2 - 200) are $25 per book including postage. The numbers will be assigned based on order of payment. You can buy the books at www.SunchonTunnelMassacreSurvivors.com or you can call Pat at 417.230.5555 or Joyce at 412.496.5034. Your order will be taken to Branson where the survivors will autograph them. We'll send them to you the third week of November.
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From Joyce Faulkner, www.joycefaulkner.com

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Time is short! Watch for the first - ever AllMarketing Edition of Sharing with Writers. Marketing includes selling your book to an agent or publisher, selling your book after it is published to individual readers and to alternative venues like the military and catalogs. If you have a marketing tip, send it to HoJoNews@aol.com with "SWW TIP" in the subject line.
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Tip: I brought this tip back with me from the Southern Festival of Books. It's a bi - monthly online journal that accepts fine poetry and stories that has a "southern flavor" or work "that is not necessarily southern, but appeals or applies to us all."
http://www.asouthernjournal.com/submissions.htm. The editor is Kathy Rhodes.

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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested in the Free Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. I try to add new articles to it each week. If you don't see what you need for your blog, or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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Author Successes

(If you read about others' successes you'll not only be inspired, you'll glean resources for future successes of your own. You are invited to send me news about your successes. Please use "AUTHOR SUCCESSES" as a subject lines.)

June Shaw sold five - star Killer Cousins, the second book in her series featuring a spunky young widow with attitude and her hunky sometimes - ex lover. The first in the series was Relative Danger, which received great reviews. Learn more at www.juneshaw.com
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Christine Hohlbaum'S blog, Mama's Musings, has been named a finalist to blog of the year for the Stevie Awards. Learn more here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb561577.htm
And more about Christine, here:
http://www.diaryofamother.com
And about the Stevie awards here:
http://www.stevieawards.com/.

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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. 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 an excerpt from The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success that is now available for pre - order on Amazon. The excerpt includes some of the sidebars from the book that may help you with some tricky grammar. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com, the Frugal Book
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Tip: The first of this month, I met a B&N Community Relations Manager who was a fellow speaker at the Pen to Paper Symposium in Dayton, Oh. Linda Keller has a blog that will help keep you up - to - date on the business of writing. Find it at http://authormba.blogspot.com.

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TIP: Along with Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), I am interested in green publishing and I hope you are, too. Let's all go to www.greenpressinitiative.org and sign on as a supporter. While we're there, let's learn more about how we can green up our own desks. ( - : If you have questions, please contact Diane Tinney at dtinney@keenebooks.com. And watch for tips from Diane on running your office as green as you can in future newsletters.

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Carolyn's blog on anything related to publishing - - from scolding Oprah to support of freedom of speech issues is at http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com. =======================================================

News: Bowker reports that the number of book titles increased in 2006 by more than 3% to 291,920 new titles.

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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! So, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com. for a year at the same price many sites frequented by readers and writers charge for a month. 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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More on Newsletters

From Subscriber Janet Elaine Smith

This is in response to the article in SWW about newsletters in your last issue. I found an alternative that works pretty well for me. I know you know I do this, but the rest of your readers might not.

I thought long and hard about putting out a newsletter, at least monthly. I have a good - sized mailing list in place, so that wouldn't be a problem. One of the things I considered was whether or not people who read the newsletter would actually take the time and effort to click through to my website to see what was there. Then I thought, Why not make my links the opposite direction? So, the first of every month, when I update (at least the home page) of my website, I put a notice out to my entire mailing list, as well as to all of the e - groups I belong to. This does double duty; it gets the news of what's fresh and new in my world out to my readers, friends, family members and fans, and it also gets them over to my website. I just had an e - mail from somebody who said they spent the entire morning at my website. I have had over 2 million visitors to my website over the past 3 years, so I think it's working pretty well.
Oh, and in case you want to see what's new, please visit http://www.janetelainesmith.com .

Editor's Note: Janet also posts news that her editions have been released to the groups on the Web she's associated with.

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Available: Audios from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career are published by Double Dragon Press. Here is the page where you'll find the full list (http://www.double - dragon - ebooks.com/glist.php?imprint=AUDIO) including one on "Do It Yourself Indexing." The first audio, "Promoting Easy and Cheap!" is a F R ^ ^ sample you can download. Each comes with a resource guide. Here is an example of a guide for the audio - lesson Your Divas did on "Contests": http://www.derondouglas.com/audiosample/AwardResourceGuideContests.pdf
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TIP: Publishing Basics for Children's Books: A Guide for the Small Press and Self - Publisher is f r ^ ^ and available on request at www.BoooksJustBooks.com or by sending a request on a postcard to RJ Communications, 41 E. 42nd St, Ste 1202, NY, NY 10017. It is a hardback that looks like the children's book you may want to publish.
A full paperback, Publishing Basics: A Guide for the Small Press and Self - Publisher by Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. with Ron Pramschufer, available on request at www.BoooksJustBooks.com or by sending a request on a postcard to RJ Communications, 41 E. 42nd St, Ste 1202, NY, NY 10017. It, too, is f r ^ ^.

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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! You know you want it on your website!
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Tip: .At the Southern Festival of Books I ran into a group that encourages, educates and empowers writers. It is Council for the Written Word, www.cww - writers.org.

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Authors' Coalition: No Hum - Drum Book Fair Promotion Allowed is a new blog where you can follow watch how Authors' Coalition members make book fairs successful with cross - promotion, value - added promotions and a good assessment process. Find it at www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com. Leave your best book fair ideas there for others to see under the beige "comments" links.
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Tip: You know I am always lauding the UCLA Extension Writers' Program because they did so much for me and because I continue my ties there as an instructor, but there are others. Ha!

A new one is the Center for Tennessee Literary Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, Dept. of English. I was impressed by its director, Dr. Randy Mackin (rtmackin@mtsu.edu) and you could be part of its inaugural. Check it out at www.mtsu.edu/ ~ctls .

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"AC is the current that powers your writing career." http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
Carolyn Howard - Johnson, Authors' Coalition Founder
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Feature

The B&N Process and Your Book

When I was speaking at the Pen to Paper Symposium in Dayton, OH, I was lucky enough to meet someone whose hair is the same color as mine. Ha! She thinks lots like me, too. Here is what Linda Keller, a community relations manager for a B&N in the Dayton area says about books and promoting (and trust me, she's probably seen authors make every mistake in the book: "The author must be a marketing genius."

Yep, you knew that. That's why you read this blog or this newsletter.

She also says, "Bookstores don't know all the new books that are being published. The books we automatically receive are deals and contracts between store buyers and publisher reps. If your publisher's rep feels strongly about your book, he/she will push the chains to carry it. If not, then that's your job."

We knew that, too. That's why you own a copy of the Frugal Book Editor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/ and the Frugal Book Promoter, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/

However, Linda also says, "Any bookseller in a Barnes & Noble has the authority to order copies of books for shelf inventory (as long as the books are returnable). You will have to tell us about your book. Call. Stop in. . . . But please understand, how [that it's your dream - - do you treat it like a] career? or a hobby?"

Now we may not be so aware that any B&N bookseller has the authority of order copies of books. So many stories go around about B&N policy. Some may be true. Some may be misinterpretations of the facts. Some may be based on anger or disappointment or revenge. But like anything else, you will need to know what you are doing if you want your book to appear on B&N shelves. Here is the Barnes & Noble Acceptance Criteria and how you can conform to it.

Barnes and Noble will accept books into their database for sales based on "subject matter and salability." That last word can cover a lot of territory, from cover design to formatting. Further, should a self - or subsidy - published book be accepted, that does not guarantee that your book will be shelved in B&N stores, only that it is available on a special order basis and that (should you have a signing or other event at a B&N store) your book will be available to be ordered by the store manager. By going through this process, your book may well appear in the B&N online store but the online store and the brick and mortar chain two are separate entities and acceptance for the online store does not guarantee acceptance in the other stores.

To learn more about this subject including what you must do (if your publisher hasn't or if you are self - published) to have your book listed in the B&N database go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com .

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From Elizabeth Lucas - Taylor

(Elizabeth contributes at least one valuable paying resource per SWW issue - - either a great place to sell material or find writing craft or promotional idea - - and sometimes throws in a resource for you.)

Tracking Your Books in Libraries

Want to know exactly where your books are? WorldCat.org can help you, at least when it comes to library placement. Their pleasantly simple website http://www.worldcat.org/ allows you to type the name of any book or author into the search field and then lists for you which WorldCat - participating libraries around the globe have it. Tell WorldCat where you are, and it will give you a run - down of the local libraries that have your desired item, with links to each library's homepage. Users may add a review, factual notes, or a table of contents. Although not all libraries participate in the WorldCat cooperative, their aim is to eventually catalog all libraries online.
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Find Elizabeth at http://www.authorsden.com/elucastaylor or her new blog at http://www.elucas - taylor.blogspot.com/ or at MySpace http://www.myspace.com/elucastaylor
where you will find a writers' community.

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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 any of my books - - the HowToDoItFrugally Series to my chapbook of poetry - - for a place on my Resources for Writers or Resources for Readers pages on www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.
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TIP: When I was at the Irwin Award Ceremony of Book Publicists of Southern California this week, I met someone who could become extremely influential in self - and subsidy - published circles. He is Rey Ybarra (rey.ybarra@websitestreaming.com) and he has started up BSATV (Best Selling Author Television). He features On Demand Internet Television programs. The interviews he does are uploaded to Veoh, Yahoo, Google, and Youtube.
For additional information go to http://bestsellingauthortv.blogspot.com or call 818 464 3726.
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Five Tips to Help Save Book Reviews

[Most of you already know that book reviews are in danger of extinction. Well, maybe Web reviews are thriving but print reviews are not. This is an article reprinted from the official Small Publishers of North America's newsletter, SPAN Connection. The article was adapted from the National Book Critics Circle web site at www.bookcritics.org.]


In response to the disturbing nationwide trend of newspapers cutting back—or altogether eliminating—their book sections, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) launched a campaign to try to stem the tide. The group offers five tips to get involved:

#1) Write to your local paper. Believe it or not, someone does read those letters and if you live in a town affected by these cutbacks—or have no book section at all—get involved. Local independent booksellers have been key in the campaign in Atlanta. Booksellers would be a great place to begin in your home town. The NBCC has taken this campaign to other cities and other newspapers where book coverage is at risk.

#2) Engage in literary discussion—even if it means just writing in to a blog, or joining a book club, or going to your local library for a discussion of a book: The more we talk about books, the better chance we have at defining our own cultural values, rather than having them defined for us.

#3) Join the NBCC. If you're a working critic and have published three reviews (online or in print) over the past five years, join NBCC—the more voices we have, the greater success we’ll have in preserving the cultural dialogue in this country.

#4) Sign a petition. The NBCC started a petition to protest the removal of book reviewer Teresa Weaver's job from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In just over a day, it picked up several hundred signatures, including numerous big - name authors.

#5) Send NBCC posts to a friend. If you're reading this, chances are you have a friend or two who like to read—probably many. Send a link to the NBCC posts to them and ask them to pass it along. There's a reason why this blog is called Critical Mass.

Read more at www.bookcritics.org/?go=saveBookReviews

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I use Vista Print for lots of my promotional materials. Be aware that shipping prices may fluctuate, depending on the deal of the moment. Even at that, the prices generally are good, the products they offer excellent quality and they do short runs. (I don't advise long runs on promotion material because your needs can change very quickly.) Please use this link:
http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=815651421184
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Web Advice from WebforAuthors.com Expert Marshall Turner
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Using Your Website to Sell #1:

How can you sell books and other items through your website? There are several ways, (1) link to another website, (2) use PayPal or another easy to use payment system, and (3) use a shopping cart. I will discuss these options over the next few newsletters.

One easy way to sell through your website is to link to another website that can process the transactions. For example, you could link to Amazon, Barnes and Nobel and other book selling sites. You may also be able to link to your publisher’s website. So first determine where you prefer visitors to purchase your book(s) and you are not limited to one choice. Then go to that website and find the exact page that your book appears on. Copy the web address (URL) and use that as a link. That way, when people click the link they are taken to the exact page that has your book on it.
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Learn more about WebforAuthors.com at http://www.webforauthors.com/ or contact Marshall at mturner@webforauthors.com.


===================================================== The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter and Authors' Coalition. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. This has been popular so please allow some time before your review will be posted. ======================================================

E - Tips for E - Promotion

You must have a media room on your website. Must, must, must. Please, please, please. If not a media page than at least a link that allows an editor or conference director or anyone else who need the whole story on you to download your kit. And, yes, your webmaster can arrange this by using a .pdf file. If he or she says she can't, get another one. If you don't know how to put make a media kit, get out your copy of The Frugal Book Promoter. You'll find a step - by - step, blow - by - blow account of how to do it. Or go to the media room on my site (the link is right at the top of the page at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com) and download mine to use as a guide.
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This is a regular Sharing with Writers feature by Carolyn Howard - Johnson, author of USA Book News' Best Professional Book The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't and the soon - to - be released The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.. (E - tips for E - promotion was originally a regular feature of SellWritingOnline.com.)

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Endorsement:
"www.HowToDoItFrugally.com , by Carolyn Howard - - Johnson [is] a top website for writers . . . I'd say my ROI is over 1,000%. The advice is particularly strong in addressing the new author where they are in learning the publishing/selling process. Very practical. The site is excellent." ~ Hill Kemp, author of Capitol Offense, http://www.capitoloffense.com/, and contributor to Secrets, Fact or Fiction? I, ISBN 0 - 9737282 - 5 - 6 and Secrets, Fact or Fiction? II, ISBN 1 - 59594 - 062 - 6, LOC 2006904627, http://www.secretsfactorfiction.com
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching:

New! Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be interviewed by the Reverend Cherise Thorne on Sunday, Nov. 4th on her radio program, Knowing Spirit. It is a show about healing the soul so you can change your life. Some of you know that I credit the spiritual aspect of writing and helping other authors with curing me of cancer. The curative aspects of writing will be the topic.
Tune into the show by visiting www.bbsradio.com on Sunday from 1 - 2 central time. The show Knowing Spirit is on the schedule under Cherise Thorne.
People can call in and ask questions about the show. Toll free, 877 876 9756.
Toll Free in Canada, 888 - 815 - 9756. Direct Line: 530 - 876 - 3222
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be Valerie Connelly's guest on her Webinar Dec. 5th, 2007. The two will talk book promotion ad infinitum. There will be a printable agenda and follow - along materials prior to the event as well as a downloadable PDF of the Web screen shots and an MP3 recording of the Webinar available to registered attendees. There is a charge. Space is limited. Please register before Dec. 4. For more information or to register contact Valerie at info@callingallauthors.org.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson talks to Valerie Connelly's radio audience on "Editing as Branding: Spelling success from queries to your book's manuscript." Circle your calendar on Wednesday December 12th at 8PM Eastern, 7PM Central, 5PM Pacific time. A downloadable MP3 recording of the Webinar will be available to registered attendees after the event. Sign up by Dec. 11th. Space is limited. Contact Valerie at info@callingallauthors.org or Nightengale Press, publisher@nightengalepress.biz

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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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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching for 2008:

Carolyn will speak on Jan 2, 2008, at Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club founded more than 100 years go by Jack London and friends in the Bay area. The provide f r ^ ^ programs for writers at High Desert Haven in Ridgecrest. Learn more at www.ridgenet.net/ ~curtdan/ridgewriters.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be Valerie Connelly's guest on her Teleseminar March 19th, 2008 at 8PM Eastern, 7PM Central, and 5 PM Pacific Time. The subject is: "It's Your Call: Frugal Book Promotion with Carolyn Howard - Johnson." A downloadable MP3 recording of the Teleseminar is available to registered attendees after the event. Please sign up by March 18th. Space is limited. Let Valerie tell you more about it: info@callingallauthors.org
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be sharing with the nation's humor writers again in April 3 - 5 of 2008 at Dayton University's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. I'll speak twice at the Kennedy Union on campus. http://www.humorwriters.org/ Registration opens Sept. 10, 2007. Find some of the nation's best speakers here: http://www.humorwriters.org/2008SpeakerBios.html. This conference sold out 77 hours after opening registration. It is not too early to be thinking about 2010.
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Carolyn will teach a new seminar on the UCLA campus on March 22, 2008, room 1323 Public Service Building. It's called The Business of Writing: Carve Your Career with Great Queries and Covers. Here's the class description: "You've written your story, your poem, your book. What now? You've tackled your craft like a professional but when it comes to introducing yourself to the decision makers—the marketing and editing part of your work—you may show a lack of expertise with seemingly innocuous departures from accepted procedures. Like using a cover letter when you need a query. In this one - day seminar, the students will use basics taught in the class to critique drafts of letters they have brought with them. In the process you'll get grammar, punctuation, and even computer editing tricks you may apply to your other writing as well as your queries. You'll receive a handout of the does and don'ts for approaching gatekeepers straight from the mouths of agents who contributed ideas on the subject for the instructor's book on editing and samples of letters that have produced results. Participants will not only walk away with two letters they can be proud to send out, but also have a low - cost plan for using them effectively in a variety of ways." So, are you all planning to come to spend a weekend in the sunshine in LA and make it a business expense? ( - :
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will appear on Write On Four Corners with host Connie Gotsch on KSJE FM Public Radio from San Juan College. Access the broadcast at: www.ksje.com 10:30 am Wed. 2:30 pm Fri. Mountain Time. Click on the website to listen live in your appropriate time zone. Connie is the author of the mystery suspense novel Snap Me a Future as well as host of Roving with the Arts on KSJE and regular contributor to The Four Corners Free Press www.fourcornersfreepress.com
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
(Every year the Washington Post conducts a neologism contest. These are the winners, one at a time. You might have some favorite neologisms metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

"Hipatitis: Terminal coolness."

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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 How To Do It Frugally Series of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Though 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

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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 at http://starpublish.com/carolyn_howard - johnson.htm

or paperback at Amazon where it is discounted:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, published by Finishing Line Press may be ordered at www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1 - 1/