May 03, 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_May_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:

I'm pooped from the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books. So I'm making it easy on myself and letting some videos from the fair do the talking. A picture is worth a thousand words. A talking and moving picture must be worth a million.

Please click on the link

http://bestsellingauthortv.blogspot.com/2008/04/authors - coalition - teams - up - with - best.html

to see photos and write ups for authors who participated on the Best Selling Author Television programs that were filmed in our Authors' Coalition booth at the fair. Some of the videos produced at the show are now broadcasting on our Best Selling Author Television channel. Just click on the link

http://www.veoh.com/channels/BSATV

to see the programs and if you were one of the authors who took advantage of this opportunity and you aren't there, be patient. Our famous Rey Ybarra is working on it, one video at a time. In the pictures on these two links you'll get an idea of who participated in the booth, the huge numbers of people who visited our booth and the booth itself.

I also hope you'll go by Connie Gotsch's Write On Four Corners at KSJE FM 90.9 and listen to her interview with me On Wednesday at 9:30 am Pacific time or Friday at 10:30 am. Live. Or on the web at www.ksje.com for MP3 archives sometime after Wednesday's broadcast.

You can also catch my interview with Frank Gasiorowski (www.90daygoals.com), host of PowerTalk at Blog Talk Radio, www.blogtalkradio.com/powertalk. He is an interviewer extraordinaire! Find my recent interview with him (on everything from tolerance to writing book proposals!) Contact him with your inspirational idea for programming. Frank@99DayGoals.com.

Now back to catch - up. I'll think of something inspirational to tell you (I hope!) by next week!

Happy promoting! And yes, writing and 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

PS: This is the issue that includes Book Expo America! (BEA) secrets from a veteran! Scroll. It's long but don't miss a word. It will help you work any tradeshow (tradeshows are entirely different than book fairs!)

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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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Letter - to - the - Editor

Carolyn:

I recently attended a luncheon in Burbank on "Does Your Website Work?" It was given by a web marketing company called Counterintuity (www.counterintuity.com) and one of the first questions they asked about websites was "Is it immediately obvious what you do?" (In my case, yes.) "Is it immediately obvious what you want visitors to the website to do?" (In my case, not completely.) Hence, I moved things around at my website, including moving the form for subscribing to my newsletter to the top.

You asked if I was writing a blog. I do sort of have a blog. After I send out my newsletter, Maplewoods Mirror, I put it up at my website www.chrismeeks.com. All two year's worth of the newsletters are there.

Best,
Chris Meeks, author of the Middle - Aged Man and the Sea, and UCLA and USC writing instructor.

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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.blogspot.com.
http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
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TIP: Here is a blog from my friend Peter Bowerman. It's targeted at freelance writers. The rest of us can learn something from him, though. See how he ends each of his blog posts with a question pertinent to the blog? And then note how many comments he gets! Here is the blog! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/

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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag to try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. It's only been active a few weeks and is gathering an amazing following. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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In the News: Thanks to subscriber Nadine Laman for this information. AuthorHouse will be doing what is right for the readers of the books they publish. They've decided to use BookSurge per Amazon's new guidelines for POD publishers. Here is the link with the full story: http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/14589

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So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you it doth not make. An editor knows formatting, front and back matter, indexing, structure, the elements of fiction and on and on. But mostly she'll see your manuscript in a fresh, new light. Learn how to hire a great editor and learn to be a better partner for any author - - awful to superb - - in The Frugal Editor.
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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 Holly Jahangiri for posting a lovely blog including pictures of our Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times Festival of Books this last weekend. This gives everyone an idea of how one can keep the promotion going and how well cross promotion works. http://jahangiri.us/blog/2008/04/27/fun - times - la - times - book - festival/#comment - 96
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To Lisa Krebs of PMA for including my letter on back - of - the - room sales in their recent newsletter, PMA Independent, both the online version and in print. http://www.pma - online.org/articles/shownews.aspx?id=2589
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To dehanna bailee for including info on the publication of Kathe Gogolewski's Out of the Box Book Promotions contest.
Find it here f r ^ ^:
http://thebackroomat.dehanna.com/2008/04/winners - announced - for - 2008 - out - of - box.html. In it you'll find the fun, new promotion ideas submitted by the winners there! ( - :

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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 a la Ann Landers

Is a Book Fair Booth Signing Worth It?

Question: It would appear, from my short stop at the tent [at the LA Times Festival of Books], that no one made enough sales to break even. If that is true, an analysis would determine if it is worthwhile.

Answer: Thank you. This is a perfect way for me to focus that fair report that I promised those who participated in our booth. Questions and answers are always better than a plain old report. ( - :

I can't remember exactly when you came onto the scene in our little book fair process. I say over and over again (in my newsletter, on my website, even in my book and on the Authors' Coalition fair blog (www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com), that fairs are NOT about book sales but about exposure. The chance to send out invitations, releases, etc. and align oneself with the name of a fair as prestigious as the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books. It is prestigious not only because of its size and its own association with names like the Times and UCLA but also because the general reader assumes that if you're signing at the fair in any capacity, that's a big deal.

I. E. book fairs are about opportunity, not sales. That is why all our AC booth participants receive e - mails from me over and over again. They include templates for releases, for fliers, for invitations and tons of stuff on the basics of marketing in general and marketing book fair appearances in particular.

Having said that, I can't think of one book promotion in the ten years I've been doing it that "pays for itself." For one thing, except for a book fair, it's rare if we know exactly how many book sales to assign to a particular effort. Even a fair can't really be measured this way. Did people go home and buy a book online, as an example? Did they do it Monday? Will they do it Wednesday after the fair? Will they do it when they see you or your title again in the newspapers or on the WEB next week?

Marketing is cumulative. Marketing is about "Persistency over time" and "frequency." Those words are my marketing mantras.

A fair is also about networking. As are many speaking engagements (where one also may sell quite a few books and sometimes, may not).

So, I think the question to be asking ourselves here . . To learn what we should be asking ourselves, plus seven important ways to utilize a fair booth AND what the big marketers expect in terms of results go to:
www.AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com

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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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Please Help: The Reading Tub has an open survey to collect information about how people select children's books. Parent/grandparent/teacher/librarian/great aunts, if you select or read books with children, we'd like to know your process. It's a very short survey (5 minutes or less). We'll publish the results - - which will have value for authors/illustrators promoting their work - - on our blogs (http://www.thereadingtub.blogspot.com and http://thereadingtub.livejournal.com).
Terry Doherty
Executive Director, The Reading Tub, Inc

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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.

Use poetry in your regular writing. Try alliteration and assonance in writing of all kinds. It's especially good for eye - and ear - catching advertising copy and media release headlines.

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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: Anyone doing Linked Tiles? http://linktiles.com/?tile=2380. Here's an example of a page for the e - chapbook, Cherished Pulse, I co - authored with Magdalena Ball. It might be useful if you really worked it and used the tile, for instance, in your e - mail signature. ( - :

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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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From Anne Louise Reinhard to You

Humor Hints

A humorist needs to be able to see ordinary things from a new and different perspective. Think Drew Carey’s show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” - the bit where the players pull a random object from a box and make it a prop for a given theme. This would not be my favorite game; my imagination needs an upgrade. So I use the resources at hand – my children, whose imaginations are way upgraded already. If you don’t have any of your own children to use, I suggest renting or borrowing; they’re kind of a big investment just to get help with writing jokes. One recent imaginative foray involved ceramic coasters, which, with the kids’ imagination, could be a plate for someone on a diet, a contact lens for a troll, or a small but lethal Frisbee. My own contribution? “To keep your water bottles from staining my antique furniture.” You can see why I need the help.
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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.)

Two Brothers: One North, One South by David H. Jones (www.davidhjones.net) was named one of three finalists in the 2008 PMA Benjamin Franklin Award category: Cover Design - Small Format. David says, "Charles Brock of The DesignWorks Group in Sisters, Oregon did an outstanding job on our book cover."

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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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TIP: Another book fair tip here. This from Kathe Gogolewski (www.tri - studio.com) who signed her book (and brought along her husband's book, too!) at the LA Times Festival of Books booth: For book sales at festivals and book signings, it pays to think "added value," which will help your book stand out above the others. For the UCLA Festival of books this year, I packaged my newly re - released children's book, Tato, in a clear cellophane bag (available at party shops) and added a puzzle, a one inch ball, and a pen with four retractable colors. Many prizes for children are available in bulk at party shops or companies online. It need not cost more than 50 cents to a dollar collectively to include them (which includes the bag), but this simple trick helps people feel like they are getting a bargain - - something that means even more in our constrained economy. Make sure the bag is clear so people can see the book and the prizes. And have one unpackaged book to hand to them so they can thumb through it.

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Endorsement:" I am so happy for you to receive a second award [Reader Views Literary Award] for The Frugal Editor. I bought this book a week ago, and I love it. I can already see the improvement in my work. Thank you. You deserve this award."
Katherine Harms, author
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Q&A - - from the Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor

Flesch Readability Index: A Test for Your Writing

Question: I just completed my sixth edit, after following the advice in your book. What a great feature that Flesch Readability index is! I had no idea. (I'm pleased to report that the passive score for the initial draft of my children's book was 7%, but I've been able to reduce to 4% and the story is better for it. Is that low enough? I've no gauge.) At last, it seems the manuscript is done so I can begin the query/cover letter. I'm setting Friday as my target day to begin mailing, but will delay if the letter is not ready. Much to do but it has to be right.

What a relief to have finally figured it out and feel the satisfaction of doing what I enjoy! Thank you for the inclusive "we"; that is a club of which I'm proud to be a member.

Answer: First a little background on Flesch. It is an editing tool available with your Word program under tools. . . You'll find how to use Flesch to edit children's literature, how newspapers use Flesch and get a chance to share your Flesch stories on The Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog (www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com). This week you'll find this Flesch stuff AND information on taglines and Tom Swifties? Know what those are?
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Tip:.Subscribe to Frank Gasiorowski's f r ^ ^ monthly 90 Day Goals newsletter and receive a f r ^ ^ e - book and 90 Days Goals tips. I figure most of us authors need to be more goal - oriented.

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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://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/AC_Promotional_Videos,%20Logos%20&%20More .
You know you want it on your website! Be sure to link it to the AC site, too! And there is a cross - promotional slide show there that will add movement and color to your site or blog, even if you aren't featured on it. It's all about Karma. ( - :
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Tip: It's too late to register for the seminars Karina Fabian and I are giving at the first annual Catholic Writers' Conference but you may be interested in the conference e - book which
will be ready May 30. It will contain transcripts of chats, lessons and handouts. You'll find information on querying agents to working with editors, creating plots to crafting a marketing plan, it's all here!:
http://catholicwritersguild.org/index.php?name=Pro_News&cid=3

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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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Feature

The Ins and Outs of BEA by a True Veteran

By LOU*LOU Carter Keay

Note: Book Expo America (BEA) is not a book fair. It is a tradeshow. There is a difference and tradeshows have a different set of etiquette rules. This column is by LOU*LOU Carter Keay, actress and writer. She has attended so many BEA shows that she has become a true expert. This article was first presented as a talk to the Book Publicists of Southern California. LouLou typed in caps so she could read her notes (she spells her name in caps, too, so she may just prefer it that way!). You will be able to read it loud and clear, too. ( - :

Writing without selling is like acting without applause." - Lou Carter Keay

WHEN IRWIN ASKED ME TO SPEAK, IT REMINDED ME OF THE GLADIATOR WHO WAS THROWN TO THE LIONS. WHEN THE FEROCIOUS LION CAME OUT TO DEVOUR HIM, HE SIMPLY WALKED OVER AND WHISPERED IN THE LION’S EAR AND THE LION SLINKED OFF WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS, OUT OF THE ARENA. THE CROWD CHEERED AND WAVED THEIR HANDKERCHIEFS FOR HIS LIFE TO BE SPARED, AND THE EMPEROR ORDERED THE BRAVE GLADIATOR TO APPROACH THE ROYAL BOX. THE EMPEROR ASKED: “WHAT DID YOU SAY TO THAT LION TO CAUSE HIM TO BE SO FEARFUL AND SLINK OUT OF THE ARENA?” THE GLADIATOR REPLIED, “I MERELY SAID, ‘OF COURSE, AFTER DINNER YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS.’”

THE BOOK EXPO OF AMERICA, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND TRADE EXHIBIT, WILL BE HELD AT THE LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER THIS YEAR FROM THURSDAY, MAY 29 UNTIL SUNDAY, JUNE 1. IT REALLY BEGINS ON FRIDAY, BUT THERE IS A PUBLISHER’S PARTY ON THURSDAY NIGHT TO KICK IT OFF.
THIS EVENT IS NOT FREE LIKE THE L.A. TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS, BUT YOU MAY DEDUCT IT AS A BUSINESS EXPENSE. NOW IS THE TIME TO REGISTER ONLINE ON THE BOOK EXPO OF AMERICA WEBSITE. THERE ARE SEVERAL LEVELS OF PRICING, A THREE - DAY PASS, A ONE - DAY PASS, AND SEPARATE PRICES FOR BOOK INDUSTRY FOLK, MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION, LIBRARIES, AND EDUCATORS. THESE PRICES RANGE FROM $175 FOR AN INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL TO $75 FOR A BOOKSELLER, BUT THE PRICES GO UP AFTER MAY 23 AND ARE MORE EXPENSIVE WHEN PURCHASED ON SITE.

BUT, IF YOU HAVE A BOOK TO PROMOTE AT THE BOOK PUBLICISTS’ BOOTH, ARRANGE TO DO SO WITH IRWIN ZUCKER AND HE WILL FURNISH A BADGE WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU TO ENTER THE CONVENTION FLOOR.

I’M HERE TO GIVE YOU TIPS TO MAKE YOUR VISIT TO THE EXPO EASY AND FUN.

WEAR YOUR FANNY PACK TO KEEP YOUR HANDS FREE. WEAR YOUR CARGO PANTS WITH LOTS OF POCKETS, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR CELL PHONE AND BUSINESS CARDS. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES, FOR YOU WILL WALK MILES EVERY DAY.

WOMEN, DON’T BOTHER WITH A PURSE OR TOTE BAG. PUT YOUR COMB AND LIPSTICK AND MONEY OR CREDIT CARD IN A POCKET. TAKE TONS OF BUSINESS CARDS WITH YOU EVERY DAY. IF YOU BRING A JACKET AND DON’T NEED IT, THERE’S A COAT CHECK SERVICE AVAILABLE.

IF POSSIBLE, RIDE THE METRO, SO YOU WON’T HAVE TO PAY DAILY PARKING. TAKE THE BLUE LINE, EXIT AT THE PICO, AND ONLY WALK A LITTLE OVER A BLOCK TO ARRIVE AT THE DOOR OF THE CONVENTION HALL.

WHEN YOU FIRST ENTER THE BUILDING, YOU’LL FIND ALPHABETIZED LINES FOR PICKUP OF YOUR BADGE AND TICKETS AT THE REGISTRATION DESK.

IN THE LOBBY, THERE WILL BE A PLACE TO PICK UP A BADGE HOLDER AND A LANYARD TO WEAR IT AROUND YOUR NECK.
YOUR BADGE WILL INDICATE IF YOU ARE A VENDOR, A PUBLISHER, AN AUTHOR, AN AGENT, A MEMBER OF THE PRESS, ETC.

WEAR YOUR BADGE AT ALL TIMES, FOR THERE WILL BE SECURITY GUARDS AT THE ENTRANCES, AT THE ESCALATORS AND EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.

THERE IS AN EXPO DAILY NEWS HANDED OUT FREE EACH MORNING. GET IT EVERY DAY FIRST, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, AND LOOK FOR ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED SO YOU WON’T MISS SOMETHING IMPORTANT.

PICK UP AN EXPO DIRECTORY THE FIRST DAY, AND STUDY IT FOR THE BOOTHS YOU WISH TO VISIT. MARK THE BOOTH NUMBERS IN ORDER AND WORK THE FLOOR BY NUMBER TO SAVE STEPS.

LAST YEAR THERE WERE 37,000 REGISTERED ATTENDEES REPRESENTING MORE THAN 80 INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES. MEDIA ATTENDANCE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,000. . . Learn how to collect f r ^ ^ bies and autographs, ship all the goodies home even if you live in LA, the do's and don't of tradeshows and about LOU*LOU'S stories about Hillary, Studs Terkel, Alec Baldwin, Amy Tan and false teeth. Learn about LOU*LOU, too. She's a STAR In her own right! Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com .

========================================================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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Opportunities:

Now in its second year, UCLA Extension's Writers' Program's annual Cyberhouse will be available from June 2 to 5: It is an Online Open House is the first of its kind—an open house conducted entirely in cyberspace! Last year approximately 35 online instructors participated and students gained a better understanding of the joys of online learning. This year's Cyberhouse will feature more than 30 summer instructors ready to engage in spirited discussions about their courses. And this year, we're adding even more features: live chats with Writers' Program instructors, direct links to instructors' bios and statements, and a revamped look and feel. Again, a 10% discount is available for students who enroll in a selected Writers' Program online course during this four - day event. Enroll now, and the Cyberhouse will open your eyes to new possibilities! The future is here. We'll see you in cyberspace! http://www.uclaextension.edu/index.cfm?reg=T7352B&href=/courseListings/course_display/CourseDetails.cfm
Cyberhouse is F r ^ ^.
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CNN just launched www.iREport.com that will let you post uncensored material including videos much as YouTube does. Those of you who will be taking advantage of the $99 video offering at the Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books this weekend will want to post yours there.

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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 she sometimes throws in a resource for you.)

In the next couple issues, Elizabeth will explain some rights terms:

FIRST RIGHTS: "First" rights give a publication the right to be first to publish your material in either a particular medium or a particular location. FNASR generally applies to print publication within North America. First British rights means the right to publish a written work first within Britain, even if it has already been published somewhere else. First electronic rights means the right to be first to provide the material in electronic format. Note that one can sell many different variations on "first" rights, as long as these variations don't overlap or duplicate.
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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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Tip:. I just added a segment on my website for charities that are writer/reading/literacy oriented. I don't know what took me so long. Go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com Click on Resources for Writers and scroll. It's a little section of its own. If you know of any other writing - oriented charity resources that should be there, please let me know. ( - :

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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: Bookstore promo idea from David H. Jones, one of our fair participants may be found on the Authors' Coalition bookfair blog. See it at www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com.


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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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Into Words

An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing
“Story - Starters”

I have a friend in Texas who likes to write but is uncertain about topics to write about and the word count she should shoot for. So, I started mailing her a monthly calendar of writing assignments, one each week, and asked her to submit her work to an e - mail address that I seldom use to keep it separate from my regular messages. Some of the topics I have used are: (1) You’re a kid stuck in an elevator. Who is in there with you and what do you talk about? (2) Jeremy is 10. He just found a family secret when he was in the attic. Write about it. (3) If I were a flower, I’d be a ____ and why?

Well, she loves it! She’s started doing research on the topics, watching her word count and is now begging me to increase the length of what she is writing (she didn’t think she could do 500 words in the beginning and is now wanting 1000). Here’s the deal. I am making her write TIGHT in the beginning, preparing the way for her to expand the length of her stories later on. It’s working great!

If you want to branch out and write fiction if you are a nonfiction writer, why not team up with someone willing to mentor you through the process a month or so offering specific writing topics with a deadline? Both you and your mentor will have a great time.

- - - - -
Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative is publicist and literary agent for Dr. Dan Skelton and representative for the fiction work of Bev Walton - Porter. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin.

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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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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching:

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 or to the likes of Jacqueline Mitchard, author of the Deep End of the Ocean and Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward. To listen live to Carolyn, circle Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 10 am (PST), 1pm (EST) on your calendar. Find the entire series at: www.thespiritedwoman.com/ spirited_woman_circle. 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 at Wednesday, May 14 at 10:30 am and Friday May 16 at 2:30 pm. That's Mountain Time. Pacific times are 9:30 and 1:30. 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.fourcornerspress.com. You can also now go to MP3 podcasts and Write on 4 Corners to pick up the program after it airs.
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 The Catholic Writer’s Guild, www.catholicwritersguild.org, and Canticle Magazine, 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 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 a seminar with Karina on book promotion at 11 am Pacific Time the same day.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be guest speaker for Pamela Kelly's UCLA Extension course, "Public Speaking for Professionals" on Monday, May 19th at the Public Affairs Bldg, Room 2238, 7 - 10pm. Those interested in learning the steps to exciting and effective speaking, may enroll by going to www.uclatextension.edu and enrolling for Reg# T7594B. Pam Kelly is the author of Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!, a book on speaking that I strongly recommend for authors who want their books to succeed.
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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 at 11 to 11:30 am. Make BEA reservations and get info about the event here: www.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 www.home.earthlink.net/ ~pero/moonday.html.
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The f r e ^ Muse Online Writers' Conference, sponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson, is accepting early registration. Nearly 2,000 attended last year and openings are limited. Learn more about this year's conference, October 13 to 19th, and how you can assure your spot in 2008. We will present an all - new program soon. Carolyn will do a seminar on "Query Letters! Editing them perfectly for a great first impression." Go to: www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/presentersregistration.htm

To see the growing list of presenters go to: www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/2007/workshops.htm
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 Carolyn Howard - Johnson will speak to the California Writers Club of San Fernando Valley at 1 pm on December 13, 2008. It's at the Encino Community Center, 4939 Balboa Blvd (just north of Ventura Blvd.), Encino, CA 91316. Learn more about the year's programs www.calwriterssfv.com and sign up to join. It's a dynamic group. E - mail is cwcsfv@gmail.com.
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Feature

Writing Awards – What can they do for you?

By Janet Kay Jensen

I recently published my first novel. Because my publisher is a small regional publisher and I am a virtual unknown in the fiction writing world, I was anxious to prove myself as well as and sell some books, so I entered it in some published book competitions. And I also needed the personal validation. There. I said it.

There are many positive aspects to entering writing contests for published and unpublished works. Preparing work for a competition can challenge you to improve and try a new genre. Learning professional manuscript preparation is another skill you can learn by entering contests. Judges notice every typo or other error, and that can make the difference between winning or not placing at all, so it’s an incentive to turn in the cleanest manuscript you can produce.

Some contests offer publication as part of the prize. Consider this carefully before you enter. If you’re eager to publish with that organization and you’ve checked them out, it can be an excellent opportunity to launch or further your writing career. Some competitions offer monetary awards, and that’s always a plus.

It’s a good idea for a budding writer to enter local contests sponsored by art councils, state writing organizations, schools, etc. Usually these contests have no or minimal entry fees and provide valuable feedback on their judging forms. Recognition from doing well in a competition can lead to good publicity and further opportunities, as well as a boost in self - esteem. Placing in writing contests also looks good on your resume when you’re looking for an agent or publisher.

Some writers organizations advise against entering contests that charge any entry fee at all. From my experience, it costs money to run a contest. Judges deserve honorariums, though they are often embarrassingly modest. Awards, even simple certificates, cost money. Postage costs money, too. Many legitimate contests charge small fees to pay for their expenses and do not make a profit.

So, before you enter any contest, research it carefully. Fortunately, you can learn a great deal by studying all the rules thoroughly and reading feedback from contestants, all of which can readily be found on the web.

Writer Beware: Beware of contests that are more expensive to enter, as they may only be moneymakers for the organizers. They can be a front for vanity presses to hook unsuspecting writers into then buying the books that contain their “winning” entries. The truth is, in a vanity publisher’s contest, most entries are “winners.” No matter how distinguished the name of the organization may sound, it may still run scams.

An excellent resource to consult is http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/contest.html.

Another good website for information on contests, good and bad, is http://www.preditorsandeditors.com.

Entering published works: Google “awards for published books” and you will find many contests for published books. Use the same criteria above to evaluate the pros and cons of entering a particular contest.

Find competitions that seem to fit your book and its subject.

Consider your budget. Costs can mount quickly when they include entry fees and sending multiple copies of your book at your own expense. Choose the competitions that suit you and your work.

Use your own good judgment in entering any writing contest. The benefits can be career - changing. There’s nothing like writing “award winning author” before your name in a media release, under your email signature, on your website and blog, or in any other publication.
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Janet Kay Jensen is the award - winning author of Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys (Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort Press, 2007). She is also co - author of The Book Lover’s Cookbook, Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them (Wenger & Jensen, Ballantine Books, 2003). In addition to receiving numerous awards from the League of Utah Writers, she is first runner - up in the prestigious Best New Writers: Eric Hoffer Award in Commercial Fiction contest, and was named a finalist in religious fiction by both USABest Books 2007 and ForeWord Magazine. Visit her web page at www.janetjensen.com and her blog at www.janetkayjensen.blogspot.com.

Editor's Note: This is what Janet's e - mail signature looks like. Impressive!

 First Runner - Up, Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award
 Finalist, USA Best Books 2007 (religious fiction)
 Finalist, Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year (religious fiction)
 Semi - Finalist, Reader Views Critics Awards(religion/spirituality)
 Whitney Award Nominee for LDS authors
 Honorable Mention, Marilyn Brown Unpublished Novel Award
 The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them (Wenger & Jensen, Ballantine, 2003)
 www. janetjensen.com
 www. janetkayjensen.blogspot.com
 www. janetkayjensen2.blogspot.com

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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile

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