[SharingwithWriters] What's "Wise.Rep" and How DO You Evaluate Paid - For Services
June 28, 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,
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_June_No4Week_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:

Even when I carve time out of my schedule and alot that time to writing, I find I don't have enough time to do it. Part of that lapse is that other things come along to fill that time. Some joyous and some not so. My grandson is home on leave from Iraq. While he was home he asked the lovely young nursing student he met near his base in Colorado to marry him. I can't neglect that, not even for writing!

On the downside, my mailbox keeps filling up and it doesn't seem there's a convenient way to turn that flow off.

There's also a chance that I am so avid (my mother would say "obsessed,") that no amount of writing time seems enough. I think the writers who say the best way to put a dent in your writing goals is to do a little every single day, get up early to do it and do it before you start anything else. Mmmmm. What a concept. It's amazing I haven't tried that - - at least not all three at the same time. Especially the early part.

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: In the interest of those writing goals, there will be no newsletter next week. Please miss Mindy, Elizabeth, Anne, all those who submit frequently (and, yes, me too!) just a little bit!

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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

Hi, Carolyn:

Boyd here. Just joined Author's Den. Neat site. Your latest newsletter contains a link to Bit - o - Lit, but the link you posted doesn't work. Too many spaces. I persevered, however, and found it. Correct link is www.bit - o - lit.com . Their FAQs page (www.bit - o - lit.com/html/publishers.html) says they don't accept self - published authors, that they are largely restricted to the Washington, D.C., area, and charge about $140 per page for printing a book excerpt and usually print 4 or more pages. That means that it costs about $560 for an author to get a book represented there, and then only in one market. That's a lot of sales to break even. Any author willing to spend that kind of money certainly should examine the financials of the site and see if it has really impacted sales. This is NOT for the vast majority of writers. On the other hand, the link to Terry Doherty's www.thereadingtub.com seems very useful for children's book writers. I always enjoy your newsletters, Carolyn. I'm so glad we connected.

Boyd Sutton, editor of Wisconsin Writers' Journal

Note: Thank you, Boyd. I missed that page on Bit - o - Lit site. Perhaps the only positive for most writers is that this program might encourage more people to read. As might the gas crisis with more people taking public transit. There is usually a silver lining if we but look for it.
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Hi Carolyn,

I have one concern about the non - payment contests [you mentioned in last week's letter]. Folks should be aware of the ones coming from Library of Poetry and other similar sites. The Jacksonville Times - Union published a huge article about them a few years ago, how they dupe (especially young) poets into submitting, and then offer to publish their work for a huge fee.

I wrote a piece in our Tallahassee Writers Association (TWA) newsletter, Markings about it. Carole Timin asked me to write it and it was published during National poetry month a couple of years ago...
Thanks so much for all the information you publish and share with writers.
Love, hugs,
Norma Sundberg
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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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In the News: Time magazine lists Dave Ramsey, the Nashville - based guy who wants you to get out of debt, as being ahead of his time for being Frugal. He is radio host and North American economist at Merrill Lynch. He says, "[Debt] is the new four letter word." Guess it takes a recession to get people tuned - in on the same beam as the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. ( - :

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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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Q&A a la Ann Landers

On Why Wiki May Not Work For You

Question:

Dear Carolyn, I can’t believe I have the jump on you in any area, but you are not on Wikipedia! It’s very tricky to meet their criteria, so mine is now a bare bones page, but the big thing is to link to as many other Wikipedia pages as you can, and then document everything else with an “external” link. Also, no cutting and pasting from anything on the web or it will reject it. [My publisher's] publicist said everyone should have a page on Wikipedia and it has taken hours and hours for Fred (my computer guy) and me to get mine up and accepted. You cannot enter your own information. Someone else has to supply it. Go figure.

Anonymous

Note #1: I withheld the author's name to protect her and her publisher's PR person who counseled her to submit her biography. By the way, this author has published two books, both traditionally and one with a major New York publishing house.

Note #2: After submitting her name to Wikipedia, this author was told that the site would withdraw her profile. Then they reversed themselves and said they would leave it as an "orphan" biography. Presumably that means a page with not enough links to it or from it to be a "viable" page. "Viable" seems to be a word they like a lot these days!

Answer:

I couldn't understand why you couldn't find me on Wikipedia because in The Frugal Book Promoter I suggest using it and - - as with everything I suggest in that book - - Wikipedia was something I had tried. After going back to Wikipedia and seeing that my entry had been removed, I am reversing my recommendation for authors to use. And that isn't because my feelings are hurt, 'cause they aren't. I'm a big girl. I can take it.

I recommended using Wikipedia at first because it seemed like a fun way to be part of an encyclopedia. You know. Without having won a Pulitzer. Since the Frugal Book Promoter was first published, Wikipedia has refined its method of submitting and editing material. I understand that their standards of what they call "viability" and "notability" are there to protect readers from false or inflated information but it is also important to realize that this encyclopedia is one that lets any self - styled expert weigh in on the "viability" and "notability" of any subject.

That's, in fact, how Wikipedia works; it uses unpaid expertise to refine entries with the hope that with enough input, eventually they come up with a quality product. Generally that works. But when it doesn't, the process can be destructive.

I'm not worried about my entry except as it might affect others. Here is what I found. First of all, people are not allowed to write their own profiles any longer. That seems fair if a site wants an unbiased bio. But here's the thing. I wasn't notified of the change in policy nor that my biography was being pulled down.

Secondarily, buried in the archives were comments from those who had made the decision to take it down. He or she had decided that my award for Woman of the Year given by members of the California Legislature could not be verified. I don't know what year that this contributor had searched for it and couldn't verify it (the award was for Arts and Entertainment in the year of 2004) but if one Wikipedia watchdog couldn't verify it doesn't mean that it isn't both "viable" and even "notable." Further I have a big chunk of engraved crystal sitting on my coffee table that "verifies" it and pictures stowed in files of the award being given by California Representatives Scott, Liu and Frommer.

My particular critic didn't much like my honor from the Pasadena Weekly. He or she dissed it because it "appeared to be merely a regional newspaper." Actually it is "merely" a prominent city and regional newspaper, one that is a singularly liberal and alternative voice in Southern California, one that honored 14 women who "make life happen." One of them was a NASA executive, as I recall. I bet she is as proud of that mention as I am and I think that a NASA executive is pretty "notable," regional or not.

That I am not "notable" enough for Wikipedia may indeed be accurate but I wouldn't want to lead a fellow author into a sticky wicket that they are uncomfortable with or one that would discourage them from continuing to promote or - - worse - - to write. I am also worried that PR people are advising authors to submit to Wikipedia without considering both the authors' "notability" and their sensitive egos.

So, this isn't about a vendetta or about getting my bitsy feelings hurt or my pride crushed but I am rescinding my suggestion that authors submit their names to Wikipedia. It is not for you unless you feel so confident that you don't mind a volunteer - - one who may not have the expertise to judge either the "viability" or "notability" of an author or anyone else - - to weigh in on you.

It's possible that prejudice against the self - published, the small - press published, or any other number of things may very well color the judgment of one of these critic/editors. Whether or not the label they apply to you fits, you may be branded. Things don't disappear easily on the Web, as you know. Once labeled, it will be hard if not impossible to make that information evaporate.

Just so you know, the title, “Wiki” comes from the Hawaiian word for “fast.” I presume this is because a very speedy way to put together an encyclopedia is to let others do it for you - - at the speed of Net which is darn near as fast as the speed of light. It's not wrong, but being part of that process may not work in favor of advancing the career of an emerging author.

I guess this only goes to show that lots of things can change in a few years. Wiki has changed from fun to taking itself very, very seriously! It also seems to indicate that it is time for a new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter. This doesn't mean that The Frugal Book Promoter can't do great things for you and your book as it stands. Just ignore that one weeny little section until I get an updated book out to you. OK?

PS: If you are following the other suggestions in The Frugal Book Promoter, those who are trying to research you or your work will have no trouble finding the information they need without your being on Wikipedia.

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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 Brad Flora at Small Publishers of North America for including several entries from several of my blogs on SPAN's Feed Gallery. He has included little windows to access the latest "insight and information deemed useful for independent publishers." He uses RSS feeds to do this (an amazing assemblage he has created if I do say so!) and invites members to submit "your blog, feed, or Podcast to SPAN for syndication." To do that send an e - mail to brad@spannet.org. There is an explanation on how to use the live accordion widgets on the page too. So, Ta DA!! Here is the link:

http://www.spannet.org/dynamic.html.

Here are my blogs that Brad has chosen to feed along with several other blogs that I follow regularly. Now I can get them all in one place.

http://www.SharingWithWriters.blogspot.com
Sharing with Writers is a blog on all things publishing with an emphasis on book promotion.

http://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com
The New Book Review is a great way for readers, authors, reviewers and publicists to get more mileage out of a great review. Guidelines for submitting (and recycling) good reviews are in the left column.

http://www.AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com
This is a blog where participants in the Authors' Coalition booths exchange ideas that will make a ho - hum booth into a sizzling success. We keep the blog open so all authors can learn from our successes and mmmm...challenges.

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com
This is the Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog. It covers everything that has anything to do with editing from grammar to formatting. The question and answer format encourages you to get the answers you need.
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To Clive Pyne who offers indexing (something I talk about and encourage in The Frugal Editor!). He has included both HowToDoItFrugally books on his recommendation page at http://www.cpynebookindexing.com/writers_resources.htm

You'll find lots of other resources there, too.
To Rose of Romance at Heart and Margie Gosa Shivers for the interview packed with opinions on marketing at http://romanceatheart.com/specialinterviews.html. It is on the Special Interviews page but SWW subscribers - - especially those who write romance - - will want to explore the site for information and opportunities. Margie has a newsletter that literally advertises writers' books all at no charge and you'll find the link to her on this page.

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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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Tip: You've heard me say my two favorite social networks are bookmarket.ning.com (it's good for people who offer services to writers) and LinkedIn. That's because they are professional and try to keep their people on track. Wherever you network, that should be your goal, too. The idea is not to accumulate huge numbers but huge numbers of the reader of the kind of material you write. So don't invite willy nilly. Slowly does it. Give yourself time to be sure the person you invite might be interested in what you offer and then time to at least invite them with a personal invitation that might encourage them to connect to you in a meaningful way.

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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 frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.

Opportunities

Bookstore Offer: Romance at Heart Magazine has an offer for authors to get their books seen in a place where people go to buy books. The RHM page, Lavender Corner Books, will provide a link to the purchase page on your website for f r ^ ^. It would be welcome if you d o n a t e a little something toward the upkeep of the page. See the page at http://romanceatheart.com/lavendercorner.html. Requests for more information or links go to rose@romanceatheart.com.For authors with publisher backing, the links to the publisher's bookstore are $5.00 a month, or $12.00 if paid by the quarter.
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Reviewers Needed: Rose is also looking for volunteers who love to read and can write about what they've read. The pay is all the great books one can read, the cost is - - well—your written reviews for Romance at Heart Magazine. For more information, contact rose@romanceatheart.com. If you're unsure what reviewing can do for you, pick up your copy of the Fugal Book Promoter and look go to Chapter four to learn more.

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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.

Poet and teacher Mark Doty says something like, "Find the choo - choos of the A train (all those little words like prepositions and articles) and reduce them to what is necessary."

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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: Winning Writers offers 150 F r ^ ^ Poetry Contests and a F r ^ ^ Poetry Newsletter. Subscribe to the free Winning Writers e - mail newsletter. Editor Jendi Reiter says, "You'll get access to our online guide, 'The Best Free Poetry Contests,' as your gift when you subscribe. We'll keep your e - mail address confidential. We've found over 150 quality free poetry contests, plus more than 100 prose - only contests. Winning Writers has been named one of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers by Writer's Digest magazine for four years running (2005 - 08). Subscribe today at: http://www.winningwriters.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.)

Hill Kemp has published A Lone Star Special, the sequel to his first novel, Capitol Offense. It includes a bomb - laden truck at the Texas Capitol in Austin during the special session Governor Butch Grange calls to get his utility legislation passed. And it finally answers the question of whether Randi died at the close of Capitol Offense. My pre - readers say they couldn't put the book down. "A first rate political thriller." Diane Newton, Award Winning Suspense Novelist. The book will sell for $19.95, but I am offering a pre - release price of $13.95, including shipping. Send a check for $13.95 to: Hill Kemp, 122 Hardwood Ct., Many, LA 71449. And thanks for your support."

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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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From Anne Louise Reinhard to You

Humor Hints

Most of you have probably heard the quote, “Kill your darlings." Attributed to either William Faulkner or Mark Twain, it means not to fatally harm the family, but to cut to the chase in your writing. It seems a little harsh to me, so I’ve amended it. I prefer to “Put my darlings in cold storage.”

It doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, and may not end up being as widely quoted by creative writing teachers, but it works. I have a hard time cutting my oh - so - humorous lines and anecdotes, even when I know they don’t quite fit. So, rather than kill them outright, I cut and paste them into a “bits and pieces” file. This is extremely useful. Not only can I go back and build on those bits, or paste those precious pieces into another article, I use them as fodder for a daily thought or rant on my website/blog.

May your keyboard never falter!
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Reach Anne Louise at annelouise@annelouise.net. Read more of her humor at www.annelouise.net.

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Tip On Editing: Anything that you decide to do in your book that isn't a firm grammar rule should be added to a style sheet. Example: I decide to use "e - mail" instead of "email" in my book on editing. (The reason I decided to do just this - - in spite of the fact that most writers are taking the opposite path - - is explained in the Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.) Once I made that momentous decision, I put a note in alphabetic order into my style sheet. Why? Because if something isn't a rule, you may not remember your choice and if you don't, your book might end up with a fragmented look because in one place you use a hyphen, in another not. In one place you use a serial comma before your conjunction, in another place you don"t. You have better things to do - - like write your book - - than to memorize your list of formatting, grammar, and style preferences.

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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 a la Ann Landers

What Is Wise.Rep and How Do YOU Evaluate Paid - For Services?

Question:

Thank you for your wonderful newsletter, I always find ideas for something new and leads to follow!

I am wondering if you or your readers have heard of WiseRep.com? They sent me an e - mail and I checked out their website; apparently they are a distributor to large department stores. They make some big claims about getting your book into these stores in large numbers. They have a pretty high enrollment fee (close to $200) and a monthly fee (about $30) to list your book, which means there would really have to be those big numbers in sales in order for it to be worthwhile. I am wondering if you know of anyone who has used them and what their results were. Can they really do what they claim? (Obviously I’m doubtful since I’m writing to you about it!)

Thanks for your help,

Patricia Dischler, author, Because I Loved You, From Babysitter to Business Owner and The Patty Cake Kids www.patriciadischler.com

Answer:

Patricia, I don't know about this business. They sound like a specialized distributor. My knee jerk reaction is that the service can't possibly pay for itself when one factors in generally low royalties and then projects how many books would have to be sold to break even.

Having had 30 years experience in the retailing business, here are some things that occur to me, though.

1. Check to see if books are returnable. Department stores usually don't work on a return basis like bookstores do. If books are sold as a final sales, that is something to factor into your calculations.

2. Determine how well your title matches the audience that frequents department stores.

3. Look at Wise.Rep's sales structure. Do they only send out a catalog or do they have sales representatives. Buyers - - all buyers - - including both bookstore buyers and department store buyers - - are human. They tend to buy more readily from a representative they know, love and has provided them with saleable merchandise in the past.

4. Consider if this approach fits with your larger campaign. It is often difficult to ascertain which things work and which don't and everything you do in terms of promoiton accumulates.

As you are assessing, know that this and most other sales and promotion tools can't be completely measured in book sales. Rather we need to look at exposure, how the project builds credibility and how it works in terms of networking. I also like to look at the opportunities the specific effort afforded me to do things like send out invitations, media releases, etc.

All those things help us keep in touch with our contacts and the public at large.
In the meantime, I hope Sharing with Writers readers will give you some input. E - mail me with WiseRep in the subject line. HoJoNews@aol.com.

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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: Subscriber May Lattanzio submitted this URL for the Online Slang Dictionary, "the dictionary of slang you can help create!" What a boon for writers! http://onlineslangdictionary.com/

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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 2009's LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books with Christine Alexanians, tinooshik@yahoo.com =======================================

Tip Are you a member of one of the social media sites. Here's the rule. They aren't all about you. They're about providing content and other help that your associates can use. Temper your promotion with a helpful attitude. Actually that goes for any kind of promotion or publicity effort.

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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.

Sound Reproduction Rights: This right allows a publisher to make an audio recording of the work for books on tape or CD.
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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: Thanks to Mary Alice Toomey and to my critique partner and librarian Bill Trzeclak for this list of resources for online writers:
http://www.collegedegrees.com/blog/2008/06/11/100 - useful - web - tools - for - writers/

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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 can't remember if I've told you about Fran Silverman's book Talk Radio for Authors. Fran is an advertiser on my website but that isn't the reason I proudly recommend this book on my Resources for Writers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com. I do it because it is practically a never - ending resource for radio gigs for writers.

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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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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Editor - a - saurus
What is it with me? I look at work that a perfectly nice person has written and say, “Third line down in the second paragraph, you have a typo” or, “Do you realize you have fourteen –ly words on the first page of your story?” Although, this often doesn’t endear me to the writer, it’s always meant to help that writer create better, cleaner work.

Now, what can YOU do to keep pesky editors like me happy? Self edit, of course. You will need another person with tons of editing skills (not dear old granny or your best friend, unless either is an editor) to look at what you have written, but you can help that process go a lot easier if you follow some simple rules.

- - Let what you have written “marinate” over night if at all possible.

- - Read your copy through at least three times:
(1) The first time for grammar baddies
(2) The second time for adverb and adjectives gone amuck
(3) The third time for sentence placement and content
- - Hand it off to the best and most honest editor you know. Let them go through it from stem to stern.

- - Grab a good editing guide (like The Frugal Editor) and run through the whole thing again.

- - Keep to the word count in your submission guidelines.

- - Make sure your content matches that of the market you are seeking.

For more a list of great resources as only Mindy can provide go to www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com where you'll find lots of other great posts that will make your writing more professional.
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Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative is the author of One Blue Star and co - author of The Complete Writer. She is also the 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. Blogging at: www.mplcreative.blogspot.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, 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:

(I'm taking the months of June and July off to write, so my schedule is limited. It doesn't mean I don't love you all!)

Patrika Vaughn, Allyn Evans and I are teaming up to present a free teleseminar titled "How To Write Your Life Story." to writers who want to tell their own stories, as memoir or as fiction. It is for genealogists, journalers and story tellers everywhere. Writers are invited to listen and come prepared with their questions at noon on July 12th EST. Call 1 - 218 - 936 - 7999. When prompted use this access code: 390175. If asked, participants may need this pin number: 2823.
The teleconference will be available as a podcast afterward at:
 Authors' Coalition, www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress/podcasts_&_radio.htm
 The ACapella Publishing site, www.acapella.com/
 Allyn Evans' site, www.allynevans.com
 On Allyn's Queen Power site, www.queeenpower.com .
 And on Carolyn's Resources for Writers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com
Those with questions may contact Patrika at acappub@aol.com. Please put it on your calendar!
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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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be the featured interview October 10, 2008 on Novel Journey, recently named one of Writer's Digest's top websites for writers. The site is known for its author interviews, commentary on the writing life and book giveaways, and appears on My Space News. Novel Journey has become a "must visit" blog that is frequented by publicists, editors, publishers and multi - published authors. The Novel Journey contributors have crafted questions designed to guarantee that each post will offer something valuable to our growing readership.
http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/
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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: For more information click here:
http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com
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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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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.)

"CLASSIC: A book which people praise, but do not read."

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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/