February 04, 2008
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:/www/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_Feb_No1Week_2008.doc

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Authors' Coalition member, Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mplcreative
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Note from Carolyn:

Dear Subscribers and Authors' Coalition Members:

Love comes in many forms. I am passing this note from one of my associates on to you. It is a simple wish of love for Valentine's Day. I hope you will take advantage of the offer, but I also hope you will see the spirit intended and do something lovely and loving for someone other than the people you always send your love to. Choose someone to surprise! And ask them to keep passing the love around. Here is the note:

Hello Carolyn's Devoted Readers -

With Valentine's Day coming up, I just wanted to write something from my heart about Carolyn Howard Johnson. I believe Carolyn is a gift to all writers. She is someone who is there when you need her, shares endlessly, and gives bountiful advice. The real deal. And I feel so very fortunate to have her on my Spirited Woman advisory board you have no idea. Thanks doesn't begin to cover it. She is my cherished friend.

So I want to give back to Carolyn through you - - her readers. I've never done this before. I'm offering all of you a Valentine's present in her honor. I founded the Spirited Woman tele - chat Conversation Series a few years ago. Janet Fitch, Fannie Flagg, plus countless other famous women authors have been my guests. This year our line - up is fantastic: http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle

The series begins on March 4. Carolyn's chat is on June 3, 10 am PST. All chats are $15. My Valentine's offer to you is sign up BEFORE February 14th, and I will make Carolyn's conversation a gift to you. All other conversations (upcoming or in our MP3 library of past guests) will be only $10 each before February 14th. That's a great savings. All you have to do is e - mail me at: nancymills@thespiritedwoman.com and let me know your choices.
Happy Valentine's Day.
All my best, Nancy

I guess you can all tell that my heart was warmed by this unsolicited gesture, and that she included all of you in it!

Happy writing, promoting and, yes, editing, too!

Carolyn Howard - Johnson
Websites: http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)
Authors' Coalition: http://www.AuthorsCoalitionandRedEnginepress.com
For the Frugal Editor, Amazon - direct: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/
Blogs: http://AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog focused on book fairs
http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft
And now blogging on War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers at http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com.
And now! Squidooing at
http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors
and http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward - johnson

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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many, 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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Letters to the Editor

"I'm SOOO excited - - my poem "Poetry's Heartbeat" is in the January 2008 issue of The Desert Woman Magazine.

"This issue is absolutely the best ever - - and not just because I'm in it. Publisher Barbara McClure is a warm, wonderful person, and the DW is her baby. Every article is clear, full of insight about finding our own path, making choices, embracing that which helps us move forward. I'm truly blown away to be part of this.

"I met Carolyn Howard - Johnson (co - Muse Conference Founder) in Dec. 2005, when she was a panelist at the Desert Woman mini Book Fair (a luncheon the newspaper sponsors each December in the Palm Springs desert). When Carolyn talked about seeing the world in images, it struck me like lightning. We talked after her presentation, and she encouraged me to see my poetry with open eyes. We've kept in touch off and on since then; she's always funny and supportive.

"The first poem I sent to the Desert Woman was published March 2006. The next one I sent was part of their special Thanksgiving issue. Poetry Editor Dessa Reed is the kind of editor I hope to have with other projects someday. She understands how much our words mean to us, and skillfully helps sharpen them even more.

"And now this one - - about creating more fulfilling lives for ourselves.

"Because of The Desert Woman, I met Carolyn. Because of Carolyn, I made my first poetry submission. Through Carolyn's newsletter, I discovered The Muse Conference (http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/index.htm ). Through the Muse Conference, I've learned so much, and written more - - shared much more - - and gained greater belief in myself and my abilities.

"Thank you, Carolyn and Lea. Thank you, Alpha Musers (my on - line non - fiction critique group. They had nothing to do with my poem, but much to do with my confidence.) Thank you, the rest of the Muses in our Universe.

Michele Graf, poet and author

==================================================== New members will help Authors' Coalition serve all its members better! Ask your writing friends to join at http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/. Paid members get a favorite review posted, consideration for an interview or review in Yarnspinners and Wordweavers, 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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TIP: For a list of MFA and other writer programs, go to the Writers Resources page at my site, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. Then find the prompt to the page with that list. There are more kinds of writing programs in more parts of the world than you can possibly imagine. Note the "Click Here's" at the top of the page and then scroll. Keep scrolling. Keep Scrolling! Every single one of those sections may prove useful to you, if not today, then tomorrow. http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/links_for_writers.htm
By the way, I am accepting ads for the site for 2008. They are the best priced ads on the web. Click on the "Advertising" link button at the top of the page.

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I just added my fifth blog to blogspot.com. Yes, I love blogging. This one is called War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers and it is where I get to nag and rag to try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment for its inaugural. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.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 Karina Fabian for including a quotation from this newsletter in a neat little feature she has on her website called Tips Jar. You'll also find lots more of interest on her site. Here's the URL for Tips Jar: http://karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=7
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To June Shaw, author of Harlequin romance Relative Danger for running an ad on the home page of my HowToDoItFrugally site. (www.howtodoitfrugally.com). June's book is first in a series featuring a spunky widow with attitude who "thinks" she wants to avoid her hunky ex - lover so she can rediscover herself. But he opens Cajun restaurants in all the places she travels - - and she is so bad at avoiding tempting dishes and men. Lear more about June at www.juneshaw.com. Learn more about advertising on HowToDoItFrugally at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/advertising.htm

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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. So is Yarnspinners and Wordweavers. Contact katieseyes@aol.com.
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Q&A

Hating Amazon, Learning to Get Along

This question came from one of my favorite online egroups, Word_Mage (word_mage - subscribe@yahoogroups.com) listmomed by Billie Williams. One is from a writer who says she loves Amazon and that if she weren't a tree - hugger she'd carve that into the trunk of a big oak. And, of course, she suggests the chapter in the Frugal Book Promoter hat talks about the perks Amazon offers.

Then another member was she was really ticked with them because the reviews of her book had gone missing, had even sent them a blistering note. She said she was "as mad a wet hen." So she was glad to see another point of view.

Then another told her to cool it, that sometimes Amazon is just working on stuff and that, like ghosts or fog, they disappear only to reappear in a couple of days. And I commented said that is true. You know how these e - group threads go. ( - :

Of course, I still had to chime in with more, a la Ann Landers. So here it is:

Carolyn's Advice:

In the Frugal Book Promoter, I start the chapter with something like "Authors love to hate Amazon and, sometimes, I hate to love them."

The fact is undeniable, though: Amazon can do wonders for writers and that without them - - especially those of us who publish with POD technology (on occasion or exclusively), we are pretty much lost if we intend to do much volume book selling. Collectively, the booksellers certainly aren't going to do it for us.

Therefore we are duty - bound (for the good of our books) to learn Amazon's perks and how to use them effectively. As an example, I am about to take pictures of some of the farm antiques I have from the polygamist grandfather's farm and post them to the This Is the Place page in the photos feature. (This Is the Place is about five generations of hardy Utah women who all married into the Mormon religion and found the hardships inherent in that situation hard to overcome.) It's based on my own genealogy.

So, be mad as a wet kitten, if you want. But keep learning to work within Amazon's system. Let them know where problems exist. Here's how. . .Use this URL, www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com , to learn the simple specific way to handle problems with Amazon

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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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Tip: It isn't only self - and subsidy - publishers who need to get endorsements and blurbs. A great blurb from a celebrity may be used in any query letter to help you get whatever your little heart desires. Locate more than 50,000 celebrities at www.contacanycelebrity.com. There is a charge. The frugal way to do this is to wait until you can spend some time with the work you want to do, sign up with the site for the minimum amount to time allowed and work it to death while you have access to it. Or sign up with a friend and work together. ContactAnyCelebrity sometimes run a seven day trial for $1.

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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, 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 a handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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On Poetry

This is a new running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well . . . inadequate. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

My poet - friend, Sona Ovasapyan (www.sonaovasapyan.com), took out a permit to sell her chapbook, Foregone, on Venice Beach (yes, the hippie beach in California.) It's a perfect clientele for poetry, she gets to breathe fresh ocean air and take in the sun. Isn't there a place near you where you could do the same?

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Don't suffer with book proposals. You can be a pro with and investment of only 20 minutes and 49 cents with my Great First Impression Book Proposal Short.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U
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Tip: May Lattanzio, writer and photographer, offers up this tip: Google up blog awards or website awards at http://www.thebestofblogs.com/

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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com for only $25 to $30 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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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.)

Yves Marie Danie scored an interview in her New York (Queens) newspaper. Find the article at http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2008/01/24/news/local/news05.prt Note how she used a holiday/historical event to get this coverage.
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Jessica Kennedy, http://www.jessicakennedy71.blogspot.com/
published a story she wrote with her two nephews' names in it. It is in Stories for Children this month. http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com/id398.html
It is her first published piece for children.
The Differently - Abled Writer
http://www.jessica - kennedy.com
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Dan Skelton, will be interviewed by Tony Kay of ArtistFirstRadio at Perceptive Marketing www.artistfirst.com on February 11th at 7pm Central time. Kay will talk to him about his previous work and about Renascence, his Christian fantasy novel which he hopes to finish by the end of 2008. Skelton is a retired professor of English and theater and holds a doctorate in education from the University of Mississippi, Oxford. Skelton's work is represented by MPL Creative Resources of Springfield, Missouri - - mplcreative1@aol.com. More information on Skelton is available at www.freewebs.com/drdanskelton.

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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/eAuthor.php?Name=Carolyn%20Howard - Johnson ) 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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Q&A a la Ann Landers

What About That "May I Have Your Permission to Quote?"

In a message on one of my most famous e - groups, a well - known writer and publisher advised that if an author is going to quote another or use material from his or her work, it is safest to just always ask permission, though he admits this can become time - consuming.

My Input: This is certainly cautious advice. It covers all exigencies. But "always" is a very, er . . . long word. And, as a former journalist, I know we certainly didn't do this in the newspaper biz. Bloggers (is that a form of journalism at times? ( - ;) certainly don't generally do it. Nor do academics.

Research would pretty nearly come to a halt if every time a writer used a quotation or an idea in his or work he needed to get permission. It could even affect the quality of the research and writing if the request for permission was ignored and the writer, out of fear, chose not to use it. We do, after all, have a free press

My understanding is that Amazon uses 25 words as a guideline. The secret is to fully credit (as per academic guidelines).

An alternative to using a full quote - - however well - credited - - is to paraphrase.

From there, we might ask do we need permission to use a person's name to credit him or her if we paraphrase. . We can quote and credit. We can use ideas without crediting (witness the recent case against Dan Brown - - who won by the way). The court said that ideas are not protected. If they were, we could have no science fiction and Shakespeare would be our most famous plagiarizer.

I know we hear counter to this on the web all the time. The thing is, anyone can sue for anything (Witness, again, the Dan Brown case.) But they can't win unless you don't credit or have the intent to slander or liable and that is really hard to prove.

So here's the thing. You can be mad as anything if I or anyone else quotes something you say from this list, even if we credit it. But we can do it. Free Press and all that.

And here's some good advice other than knowing your stuff about how to quote and how to ask permission. This is advice for protecting yourself against being quoted in a way you wouldn't want to be.

Never write what you wouldn't want quoted.

Pretty limiting, huh?

I guess my point is that anything can be carried to an extreme and that fear of our litigious society can severely curtail our willingness to help and to express ourselves if we let it. I'm hoping we don't let it or we lose the freedom to do what we all love and that is to express ourselves freely and to be respectful of other writers without hamstringing our own creative efforts.

Oh, I should mention that the process of asking permission to quote can be a good - - no, a great - - networking tool. So, if you're going to do, it make it work for you.


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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.
You know you want it on your website! Be sure to link it to the AC site, too!
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New Novel Form: Born of the wonderful art of texting, the Japanese are following their minimalist heritage (think haiku) to write cell phone novels. I kid you not. Time Magazine reports phone novels have "existed since 2000 when users of Japanese cell - phone websites started to upload their writing . . ." One of the first hits was Deep Love which was turned into a TV Show. Time also cites If You and Love Sky. Of course a form like this requires carefully chosen words, concise - to - the - point words. Forget Latinate words with six syllables. Even if you can't conceive of writing a cell phone novel, we all might learn something from the concise language required by the genre.

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Authors' Coalition: No Hum - Drum Book Fair Promotion Allowed is a blog where you can 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. It's time to sign up for 2008's LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books.
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Tip: Write a great review on Amazon. Then ASK the author to post it on his or her website. That's what Joyce Faulkner did for my Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less." Only with me, she didn't have to ask. Ha! Won't you go see what makes it great and use Amazon's comment feature while you're there? http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member - reviews/A3ISPVKHJEALVV/ref=cm_aya_bb_rev

========================================================Learn more about tips booklets and how to make them work for you. Paulette Ensign was one of the first master promoters I came in contact with. She'll teach you to make promotional booklets work for you with a variety of programs. http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=696843
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TIP; If you're interested in flash fiction, you'll love Pam Casto's newsletter. Subscribe by sending a blank e - mail message to
FlashFictionFlash - Subscribe@yahoogroups.com
She also writes a flash fiction blog: http://flashfictionblog.blogspot.com/

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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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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.)

BOOKHITCH - Here is a site where authors can advertise their books. They have also launched a new community book writing project. Any author can write the next chapter of a book (the community gets to vote which chapter comes next). The book will be brought to market, with the names of each contributing author. 100% of all profits will go to educational organizations. INFO: http://www.bookhitch.com/ (click on "bookhitch community book project")
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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 - - from 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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Opportunities:

Use Scribal News to Announce Your Events
Here are the guidelines to submitting events to Sylvia McClain's Scribal News Calendar:

E - news book signing submission:
E - mail sylmcclain@juno.com with “Book Signing” in the subject line. In the body of the e - mail list author, book, date, time, location (city and state), contact information (phone numbers, e - mail addresses and web addresses welcomed). No more, no less, please.

E - news conferences and seminars submission:
E - mail sylmcclain@juno.com with “Conference or Seminar” in the subject line. In the body of the e - mail list conference name, date, time, location (city and state), registration deadline, contact information (phone numbers, e - mail addresses and web addresses welcomed). No more, no less, please.

E - news newsletter recommendations submission:
E - mail sylmcclain@juno.com with “newsletter” in the subject line. In the body give name, type, host, web site (if one).

If you would like to subscribe to this calendar (and you really should if you are going to use it to announce your own events - - fair is fair!) or have a friend you feel might be interested in this newsletter? Have them sign up with a blank e - mail to sylmcclain@juno.com with “subscribe Scribal News” in subject line
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Play the Amazon Shorts Tour Game. Sponsored by Authors Coalition. You do not have to be a member to play.

Rules: Participants must have an Amazon Short published by Amazon.com and be willing to buy, read and review up to ten Shorts of participating authors within a specified time (very reasonable, btw). It's a great way to discover new authors and to help each other build a review list. Want to join the fun, please email Allyn Evans (allynevans@suddenlink.net) and type Amazon Shorts Tour in the subject line. Please note: we'll be starting new tours on a regular, on - going basis.

Allyn explains, "I played the Amazon Shorts Tour game with Carolyn and five other authors in January. I did so to get more reviews, but I received much, much more. I have made new contacts and found new authors whose work inspires and entertains me. Not only that, but something bigger might result. One of the authors forwarded information about my Short to a nonprofit group explaining the essay might be something of interest to their members. I can't wait for round two!"
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Let Booksellers Know About Your Book!
Authors' Coalition sponsors a catalog that goes to booksellers. We use names of booksellers provided by the participants in the catalog; that means that participants can utilize the catalog to contact bookbuyers after the catalog has come up. The catalog becomes an entrée, a conversation - starter, if you will. Here is more about it:

Our BOOKSELLERS CATALOG:

Based on last year's success, we are offering a catalog again this year. This is a cross - promotional effort. Those who participate are expected to contribute names of bookstores in their area and to follow up with phone calls to the book buyers after the catalog goes out. That's what makes this super - successful, the personal contact with the buyers who then pay special attention to the catalog so that all participants - - regardless of the area they live in - - benefit. Participants also benefit from their name being associated with a prestigious fair. Prices are:

 1/8 page: $125
 1/4 page: $250
 1/2 page: $500
 Full page: $1000.
 Nonmembers of Authors' Coalition or those not participating in the full program, please add $20 to cover your membership.

These prices include:

 ad set up (layout),
 ad space
 printing
 postage to book buyers and press contacts
 PDF copy of the booklet that each participant may produce (print) on their own to use at their own events throughout the year.
 the right to print and send copies of this catalog for other purposes as long as you do not make changes in the catalog

You can see how this cross promotion could snowball. We only ask that no changes be made to the catalog and that it be given away, not sold. If there is a demand for printing, we may also offer that service.

Catalog Details

An electronic sample catalog from last year is available on request.

Authors may participate only in this catalog or in combination with some of the others programs offered.

Those who participate in the catalog and the slide program will be included on the CD that we give out to 1,000 fair - goers at no extra charge.

The costs listed are for paid members of Authors' Coalition members. To support our sponsor, Authors Coalition, all participants who are not members will be asked to pay $20 for a basic membership fee (or $10 renewal if they participated in last year's fair).

Participation in this catalog is limited.

This catalog will be sent out to at least 500 bookstore buyers and Los Angeles press contacts by mail.

This catalog will be circulated by e - mail to bookstores for which we have e - addresses. Participating authors will be encouraged to supply e - address as well as postal addresses.

This catalog will be circulated to bookstores personally selected by the participants as well as others.

Those who wish to list more than one book in this catalog will receive a 10% discount on the 2nd ad, 20% on the third

To sign up contact me at hojonews@aol.com.


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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. Please use this link:
http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=815651421184
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TIP: I just added a radio show to the resource page at Authors' Coalition for The Iris Fanning Show on Quiet Time Radio. It features Life Coach Iris Fanning and her guests. Get coached, get inspired! Go to www.qtworldradio.com and click on the Iris Fanning Show to schedule, details, Carolyn Howard - Johnson's show "Everyone Has a Book Inside" and to get ideas for how your topic might fit. Tip #2. Keep that AC URL and check back to this page now and then for new additions of shows you might query.

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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.
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E - Tips for E - Promotion

Consider asking your publisher (or doing it yourself if you are self - or subsidy - published) to make your book available on Amazon's Kindle program. It costs nothing and gives your book exposure to one more segment of the reading public.
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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 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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Quotation: Publicist Michelle Tennant Nicholson says, "A good editor is like gift wrap; it perfects something up that's already pretty special."

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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, 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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Tip: Listen to Wednesday's Wasabi Club teleseminar at www.publicityresults.com/pr_shop We talk about the PR business, about finding the right editor, and more.

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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:

New!Please join Carolyn Howard - Johnson and the Writers of Kern County, a branch of California Writers Club. They meet at Location: Best Western Crystal Palace Inn & Suites, 2620 Buck Owens Blvd., Bakersfield, CA 93308 for a seminar on publishing, editing and promotion. Feb. 16, 10:30 am. If you would like to join or attend, contact Margie Custer at custer@ix.netcom.com.
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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 share with the nation's humor writers again in April 3 - 5 of 2008 at Dayton University's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. She'll speak twice at the Kennedy Union on campus. Go to www.humorwriters.org/2008SpeakerBios.html. Tapes will be available even though 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 do’s 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 will 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? ( - :

To enroll call Marcus Hennessey, 310 - 267 - 4888, or go to www.uclaextension.edu and enroll for 735.18, Registration # T6393.
Because it is a one - day seminar, it is less than $100.
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Nancy Mills, founder of Spirited Woman, will be interviewing Carolyn Howard - Johnson in her 2008 Spirited Woman tele - chat series. Sign up now to be part of this exciting series, whether you want to listen to Carolyn at http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/2008/01/conversation - - 4.html or to the likes of Jacqueline Mitchard, author of the Deep Sea of the Ocean and Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward. Find the entire series at: www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle
To listen live, circle Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 10 am (PST), 1 pm (EST) on your calendar. Advance registration needed.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will appear on Write On Four Corners with host Connie Gotsch on KSJE FM Public Radio broadcast from San Juan College. Access the program 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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The Catholic Writer’s Guild (www.catholicwritersguild.org) and Canticle Magazine (http://www.canticlemagazine.com) are pleased to announce the first Catholic Writer’s Conference Online May 2 - 9, 2008. Conducted entirely via Internet, the conference will feature online seminars and chat rooms hosted by editors, agents, published writers, and other media professionals in book and magazine publishing. F r ^ ^ to writers of all levels, advance registration is required. To register or for more information, go to www.conference.catholicwritersguild.org. At 10 am, Pacific time, on Monday, May 5, Carolyn will present Your First Marketing Offense: Query Letters and Great Editing or Ten Ways to Let an Agent Know You Are an Amateur. Karina Fabian will moderate. Then Carolyn will co - present with Karina a seminar on book promotion at 11 am Pacific Time the same day.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be one of the featured winners of the USA Book News' booth at BEA on Friday, May 29, at the nation's premier book event, Book Expo America. She will sign her USA Book News Award - Winning book, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success in the USA Book News booths, #835 & #837 in the PMA Pavilion. Make BEA reservations and get info about the event here: http://bookexpoamerica.com
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will read from her chapbook of poetry, Tracings, Monday evening, Aug. 11, at 7:30 pm at the Village Bookstore 1049 Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA. Poets Alice Pero and Lois P. Jones sponsor ongoing featured readings called Moonday. Learn more at: http://home.earthlink.net/ ~pero/moonday.html
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile

(Definitions in the next few newsletters are from http://www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/definitions.htm .You might have some favorite neologisms metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

"CANTALOUPE: Gotta get married in a church."

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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.

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/

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.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

Please pass this newsletter 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 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/

The second in the How To Do It Frugally series of books, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success, is available at this link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/


The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, is available on Amazon as a Short for 49 cents.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199595319&sr=8 - 1