To read this newsletter in PDF (with a bit more pizzazz) copy and paste:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_May_02_2009.pdf

May 2, 2009

Sharing with Writers
A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs! Associated with the multi award - winning series of HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com


From the Desks of
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
and Sharing with Writers Subscribers

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 Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly and it's long!
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Contents
This Issue
~Note from Carolyn
~Letters - to - the - Editor
~Thank Yous (where you also find leads and great resources!)
~Tips and News Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!)
~Opportunities
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column, “Reading and Thinking Like a Writer”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™



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Note from Carolyn

Everyone is getting into the tweeting act.
On its business page Monday (Apr 20), the LA Times reports "Tweets Are an Ally in Crisis PR" and goes on to talk about the likes of Domino's Pizza, CNN and Amazon and how knowing Twitter can make or break their PR department's ability to avert a crisis. And how an agile tweeter can sell more product simply by doing what people generally like to do and that's relate genuinely to other people.

So, when Amazon has trouble with their image because they don't get Twitter and when CNN realizes they'd better have some control over their own branding by handling their tweets from under their own umbrella, isn't it time more authors got involved?

The answer is yes. But it's more than that. It's also understanding how to use it, not just spinning out your little 140 character tweets. There is a knack to it and I'm happy to consult with you on that. But I want to go into more detail with it in this newsletter, too.

You can manage social networking much better if you know what is going on in the social network universe. And you can't do that without help. It used to be that a good friend was all you needed to tell you when someone was maligning your name. Now you really need more than that. So let's jump from Twitter (or Facebook or any of the other groups like iFogo or Ning or . . . you get the idea!) to alerts.

Very simply put, authors need alerts. They need Google Alerts and they need Twitter Tweets Alert Digest from Tweetlate.com. These online entities will let you know when your name is mentioned for good or for bad. You tell it what you want it to find for you and it does it. So, as an example, I let it find all my titles for me, in part and in whole. And my name. And my Twitter moniker (@frugalbookpromo), and my series' name (HowToDoItFrugally). I use alerts in lots of other ways but this article is about damage control and sales so we'll leave it at that.

So, once you've got an alert, what do you do with it? You react to it. One of the first rules of great PR is to react and to react immediately. When you react you don’t just say you're innocent and can do no wrong. You examine the accusation to see what part you played in it and own up to that. Only then can you dismiss any untrue part of the statement. Remember, this has to be done fast but not so fast that you don't formulate your admission (or apology). Don't get vague like Amazon did and say "Oh, it was just a glitch."

Do what Hugh Grant did when he was caught with a prostitute. He said, "Yes, I made a mistake. I'm sorry. My following deserves better than that." And the problem went away. For everyone but me. I remember PR coups like an elephant with a 100 year memory. But I did forgive Grant. He's only human (and adorable).

And what if you get alerted that someone said something nice?

Well, you've heard it here before. You thank them, preferably publicly where others will see that someone said something nice. But genuinely. You can't buy advertising as good as this kind of PR.
So, tweet anyone?

Happy Writing, Promoting and, Yes, Editing, Too!
Carolyn Howard - Johnson

PS: Asking for help here. Is anyone on my writers list also a retailer? If so I really NEED you to do a review of A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. The book would be provided, of course! If not, do you know a retailer well enough to ask them to read and write a paragraph on Amazon for me?


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Please note the new Resource for Writers page on Contests at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/contests.htm Follow the “Click Here’s to other valuable lists on my site. =====================================================


Letters - to - the Editor
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Dear Carolyn:
Because of your newsletter, I am now scheduled to go on a 15 - night cruise in the Caribbean over Christmas holidays (F r ^ ^ cruise - - except for a little money to learn how to do it with your friend Daniel!). And, I'm on my way to having a brand for all my products. I'll be unveiling soon and writing you about the specifics later (when I have a little more time). And I have a new and improved query letter to send out to agents and publishers when I'm ready!

I can seriously say that I wouldn't have gained so much for so few dollars without your timely and informative advice. Thank you, Carolyn. :)

Allyn Evans
Check out my blog: www.allynevans.blogspot.com


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Hi Carolyn,

I just went to a convention and learned some very interesting facts about publishing and promoting. A multi - Hugo winning author privately shared some details about the early part of his writing career and his career now. I will keep his identity private as I'm not certain if he's okay with me sharing these details.

Years ago when he got his first publishing deal and advance, he heard that his book was published just to fill shelf space and would not be promoted, his contract soon cancelled. Knowing that, he took his advance and purchased all the copies of his book available. He then sent a free copy to reviewers and magazines across the country. He collected positive reviews. When his publisher told him they weren't going to publish a second book and were in fact going to pull his current book, he then showed them all the positive reviews and won a contract for a second book.

He continued promoting strategies like this, building up to a multi - award winning career, which included many Hugos, can't tell you how many as it might give away his identity.

Today, with all his Hugos and published novels, contracts, and money, he continues his strategy to promote his books, despite the publishers. They gave him a 3 - city tour, all expense paid trip, to promote his latest book. He thought about it and decided to offer them a 12 - cities tour, but he would sacrifice by staying on friends' couches and eating Ramen noodles in order to make up the difference. With the same budget as a 3 - city tour, he was able to stretch his promotion to 12 cities, thus assuring that his book would be that much more successful.

The moral of the story? Authors, no matter the caliber, experience, or level in their career, must work HARD at promoting.

Name withheld on request

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Dear Carolyn and LA Times Booth Participants:

I loved having an excuse to fly to LA,
find my way in a rental car,
explore Westwood and Beverly Hills in Friday's rush hour and the early
Sunday stillness,
watch late night reruns of shows I'd forgotten,
talk to a Southern CA Borders about stocking my book,
wander among booths, people, products, and vendors,
meet Carolyn in person after all these years,
see your books & promotion,
and observe this phenomenon firsthand.

It was an eye - opening experience.

Best of luck to each of you,

B. Lynn Goodwin
www.writeradvice.com
Author of You Want Me to Do What? - - Journaling for Caregivers


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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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Feature
Ways for Writers To Be Fantastically Green ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ By VH Melville, the author of the soon to be released Ecotastic, the Fabulously
Free Green Guide and Death Toys for Quasar

1. If you run a blog to promote your writing think about going to http://eco - safe.com/ and using their button/widget. You install it on your blog and Website so that people can make PDF copies instead of printing and creating paper waste destined for landfills.

2. Buy packets of seeds and give them as your door prizes.

3. Grow a story garden. Think about the concept of sponsoring a unit at a school. The possibilities are endless including providing plaques that identify the donors of trees and vegetables. That plaque can include your logo and/or book title, of course!

4. Eat less meat. You don't have to become vegan just three to four meet free dinners a week can help the earth and save you money to spend on promoting your writing.

5. Twitter about how you are supporting green causes in your office. Slip in a note about your title, too.



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Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or website: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto subscribe box. Ask for a f r ^ ^ classified ad on my Web site in return.
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In the News: Subscriber and photo - artist for She Wore Emerald Then May Lattanzio sends this information: Paralyzed people and people who can’t speak can now use their brains to tweet. See how Twitter is influencing medicine and science! Truly! http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/22/twitter.locked.in/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Tips: Boohoo. My Facebook account was disabled. All I did was message several people who had asked me to be friends at one time. I was only thanking them, but the almighty robots interpreted these messages as SPAM, so there you are. Their word against mine. To protect yourself from this kind of ridiculous (but upsetting) problem, read this article:

http://getsatisfaction.com/facebook/topics/13_reasons_your_facebook_account_will_be_disabled

And thank you to author Nadine Laman for bringing the article to my attention. BTW, anyone who needs e - mail addresses to complain to Facebook about a similar problem need only e - mail me. I used them and my Facebook page is back up. Just search on Carolyn Howard - Johnson.



=================================================== Book Proposal Help: Phyllis Zimbler Miller and I ran a fun Tweetchat on book proposals. She edited it for easier reading and posted it for those who missed it. There is lots of info in it on shopping your book to agents, too. Remember, you read tweet chats like you follow blogs. From the bottom up. http://budurl.com/bookprotweetchat Another book proposal help is The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less for 49 cents at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YG6O5U/ =====================================================



Editing Tip: Til is a word. ‘Till isn’t. Nor is ‘til. Many of us incorrectly assume that the apostrophe takes the place of “un” in “until” but it doesn’t. I don’t know of single dictionary or stylebook that doesn’t agree with this spelling so that makes it pretty much a RULE you don’t want to break.



===================================================== So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you those skills alone 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. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/
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Cheryl Answering: YOU Asking

Sorting It All Out ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Cheryl Pickett


Question:

I'm trying to figure out if I should stick with trying to get a traditional publisher or go another route. Everyone seems to give me a different answer. How do I know who to listen to?

Cheryl’s Answer:

Unlike some decisions in life, choosing a publishing option is not a time to decide based on a group consensus. Other people's opinion can't be the only thing you rely on because no two authors are exactly the same and every book project is different as well. This means that a choice that worked wonderfully for one person, or even several people, may be a complete nightmare for you.

So how do you sort through the advice you get? Consider how each bit fits within the scope of your overall publishing plan. When you do that, most of the time it will be clear as to whether the advice will be useful to you or not.

Don't have a publishing plan? Then in all reality, you probably aren't ready to ask for much advice yet on any other part of the process. If you have no framework to fit answers into, you can get advice all day long. Some will be good, some won't, but you won't know which is which, or how any of it relates to the rest without a frame of reference.

Think about it another way; if you have no clue as to where you're headed, how helpful is it to stop and ask for directions? You can't just go up to someone and ask, "How do I get there?" The most you could expect would be a funny look and questions like, where's there? How fast do you need to go, etc.?

The same goes for choosing the best publishing options. Know where you're headed, ask specific questions, then you'll get the most helpful information.
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Cheryl Pickett has been a freelance writer for almost a decade. Her new book, Publishing Possibilities: 8 Steps to Understanding Your Options & Choosing the Best Path for Your Book, demystifies the publishing process. Find out more or get your copy today at http://www.publishinganswers.com



===================================================== Recently Yvonne Perry, owner of WritersintheSky Creative Services, and I chatted about editing, everything from em dashes to why what works on the Web doesn't work for you book's manuscript. Yvonne offers you the f r ^ ^ podcast on her blog: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2008/12/do - you - have - questions - about - editing.html. You'll find other f r ^^ podcasts on writing on her blog, too.
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Opportunities

A Flash Fiction Contest from Tri - Studio ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tri - Studio, home of the Fiction Flyer newsletter, is holding a flash fiction Contest: You choose two characters from one of your stories or novels, or one character each from two of your stories or novels. They can be two protagonists, antagonists, or one of each. Select one of the scene openers or premises below, and create a conversation between your characters.

Attention will be given to the strength and credibility of your characters. Unusual characters are welcome, but help us believe they are real. And keep them in character and true to themselves. Remember, while flash fiction is short, it still tells a story, so allow enough development to leave us in the end with a feeling or sentiment. Make us laugh or cry! Here are the scene openers or premises for your entry:

Your first character is kneeling on shore and holding the lead rope to a flimsy rubber raft, which is frothing in the wake of a rain - swollen river. Your second character sits in the boat, hanging on for life.

Your first character enters the Grand Ballroom at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino for its opening celebration, which has promised to be the best party Las Vegas has ever seen. The first character immediately spies the second character, who is rumored to be having an affair with the spouse of the first character. The first character has just heard the rumor. He or she approaches the second character. All eyes follow him or her.

Your characters 20 to 50 years later: they meet randomly in a Laundromat.

The grown children of your two characters randomly meet, fall in love, and become engaged. Your characters are invited to dinner so that the two families can “get to know each other.” They have no idea they will be meeting each other.

Your two characters must compete for the same job.

Your two characters must work on the same job. Their success depends on their willingness to work as a team.

Judging Criteria is:

1. Character strength and credibility
2. Dialogue
3. Short story development, including: Tightness, clarity, structure, strength of lead/beginning, impact, satisfactory close

Guidelines:

1. All subscribers to The Fiction Flyer ezine are eligible. To subscribe, send an email to kgogolewski@sbcglobal.net with EZINE written in the subject heading.
2. There will be a first, second and third prize. Each winner receives a certificate, $5 and will be featured in a publication of The Fiction Flyer with a subscriber list of 1,000 readers. There will be an undetermined number of Honorable Mentions. Press releases with the winners’ names will be released from TRI Studio LLC.
3. Work must be original and not a reprint
4. Up to 1,000 words
5. Multiple entries accepted
6. There is no entry fee
7. Arial or comparable 10 pt font
8. No attachments will be accepted. Include your story in the body of your email. Email entry(ies) to kgogolewski@sbcglobal.net. Use the format below.
9. A selected panel of guest judges will determine final winners
10. Contest deadline is July 1, 2009.

FORMAT in Arial 10 pt font:
Your name:
Your characters’ names:
Title of your novels or stories from which your characters previously lived:
Your story title:
Number of words:
Your story (In Arial 10 point font) up to 1,000 words:

Kathe Gogolewski
http://www.TRI - Studio.com
Host/The Mother Daughter Club radio show
www.themotherdaughterclub.com
The Fiction Flyer ezine for writers: www.tri - studio.com/ezine.html
From Amazon: short stories for 49 cents:
The Gold Coin: http://www.amazon.com/The - Gold - Coin/dp/B000IB0JHK/ref=pd_ts_b_13/102 - 3993851 - 2836959?ie=UTF8&s=books



Call for Children’s Stories ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Stories for Children Magazine needs nonfiction for all age groups for July 09 and August 09 issues.

July: Articles and Crafts
Aug: Articles, Crafts and Puzzles

Submissions not related to the Idea Calendar would be most welcome. It gives us the opportunity to place them in other issues should July and August fill up quickly. No insect articles please!

Check the website for submission guidelines as they are updated on a regular basis: www.storiesforchildrenmagazine.org .

All submissions must be sent to Angelika Lochner at angelikalochner@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org .



Indie Nightengale Press Seeks Editors ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nightengale Press (publisher Valerie Connelly) has expanded its publishing services. They are looking for more editors to join their team.

LIGHT copyediting and proofreading, to include:

1. To correct all errors in grammar, spelling, syntax and usage;
2. Point out wordy paragraphs and passages to the author for revision;
3. Detailed proofreading of the work to produce a near - perfect product.

MEDIUM copyediting and proofreading, to include:

1. To correct all errors in grammar, spelling and syntax and usage;
2. Point out wordy paragraphs and passages and supply suggested revisions;
3. Detailed proofreading of the work to produce a near - perfect product.


HEAVY copyediting and proofreading, also known as developmental editing, to include:

1. To correct all errors in grammar, spelling, syntax and usage
2. Rewrite wordy paragraphs and passages as well as working with the author to bring the manuscript to its highest potential both as a literary work and as a marketable work
3. Detailed proofreading of the work to produce a near - perfect product.


Ghostwriting the book, to include:

1. To write an original manuscript or rewrite the author’s original manuscript for the author to its highest potential both as a literary work and as a marketable work
2. While also providing complete accuracy in grammar, spelling, syntax and usage
3. Detailed proofreading of the work to produce a near - perfect product.


To learn more about the generous pay details, please contact the publisher with your detailed resume at: publisher@nightengalepress.com .



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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 http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/advertising.htm at less per year than most sites charge for a single month. Find classified there, too.
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Tip: You’ll want to check out a review of Publishing Possibilities by Cheryl Pickett, especially if you are an author considering using a subsidy - or partner - publisher. http://www.writeradvice.com/hooked.html . Scroll down to the fourth review. Browse around the site edited by Lynn Goodwin while you’re there. Lots of good stuff there.


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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested
in the F r ^^ Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/free_content.htm 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.
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Tip: Thought you’d like to see my most recent column on MyShelf.com. It’s another take on the absurdity of judging books by their covers or the press they were printed on and about a book you probably should NOT buy! http://www.myshelf.com/backtoliterature/column.htm


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

Joel Katz was named poet laureate of San Jose/Silicon Valley. The first (according to the LA Times official versifier 1.01) and proof that you can be both a software consultant and a published poet. Another lesson that creativity isn’t limited to any one group and doesn’t exclude any one group of mortals.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tip: Usiku, author of Virtual Love, a poem about undying spiritual love that includes a video suggests: The first step in writing a poem is not to write a poem. First you must understand what the idea/spirit is trying to tell you. Write freely at first without regard to anything except capturing the essence of the idea. Learn more about how to write a poem at http://www.usiku.net/how - to - write - a - poem.htm and more about Usiku’s poem at http://www.usiku.net/virtuallovepoem.htm
http://usiku.net/poetry - book.htm


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Endorsement: I wanted to tell you how your workshops, reading your newsletter, and just chatting with you has been a great help to me. I have a background in marketing from the fashion world and even though it has helped me get my foot in the door, I honestly have to say that after getting to know you, reading your books, and everything else I just said has truly helped me put Stories for Children Magazine on the map. ~ VS Grenier, Founder and Editor - in - Chief Stories for Children Magazine. http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.
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Recession - fighting marketing tip: Find hooks in your book. You have a character who is eco - friendly so you promote to green groups. You might have one who grows vegetables so you promote to gardening clubs or a kid's club. If your protagonist is a guy who loves candy, that might give you an in to sign at a candy store. Many books, even literary novels, have such tie - ins.
(Submitted by Patrika Vaughn, your Author's Advocate www.acappela.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

Book with Environmental Message Wins Award ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dot's Lot by Mary Ann was awarded Runner - Up in the Children's Book Category at The Green Book Festival for 2009. The GB Festival honors new books with strong environmental friendly messages. www.greenbookfestival.com Find Dot’s Lot at www.bigandteeny.com.


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Available: http://www.tri - studio.com/audiodivas.html from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career. Here is the page where you'll find the full list of the writer - related ones at http://www.tri - studio.com/writers.html. Titles include Contest Facts: How to Add “Award - winning” to Your Name, Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction, Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing, and more.
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Tip: Check out Marketing Tips for Authors Directory from Tony Eldridge. It’s new. http://directory.marketingtipsforauthors.com
Also f r ^ ^ video tips. It’s an absolute must! http://www.marketingtipsforauthors.com/videotips.html


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Yes, I do consult. I tailor my fees to your needs - - everything from coaching to full edits (sorry no partial edits) to hour consultation so help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing. http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/consulting.htm
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Tip: From the Wisconsin Writers’ Journal (www.wrwa.net) comes this tip: A list of over 100 review sites on the Web: http://davebrendon.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/review - bloggers - gigantic - link - up/ .


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Thank Yous


Thanks to Judi (Simi) Silva . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . for including a review of The Frugal Editor in Associated Content. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1676861/the_frugal_editor_review.html?cat=38 BTW, Associated Content looks like a great place to publish your reviews and articles as suggested in The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't.


Thanks to 4RVPublshing’s Vivian Zabel . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for the blog entry on her 4RVPublishing participation in the LA Times Festival of Books. The post is a sample of how participants in any fair can extend the promotion value of the fair. Here is the link. Leave a comment and work in the title of your book. Vivian Zabel, publisher, will love it!
http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/2009/04/los - angeles - festival - of - books - and - 4rv.html
And another sample of how to use pictures from your fair, wherever it may be, on your Web site: http://4rvpublishingllc.com/


Thanks to Cheryl Pickett . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for blogging about both marketing and about Maggie Ball’s and my chapbook of poetry. How she did it in a single blog is amazing! See http://www.publishinganswers.blogspot.com/


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If you're starting your own blog or want to market the one you have or focus it better here’s a f r ^^ chapter from Phyllis Zimbler Miller’s and my coming book. Download it now at http://budurl.com/bloggingchapter. =====================================================


Feature

What Many Miss When Working Social Networks

(This is like a long tip or short tutorial on how Yvonne Perry selects those she wants to befriend or follow on Twitter and other social networks. It will also help you build your profile in a way that will attract others to your circle. )

First, I look at the avatar or photo of the Tweeter. I want to get an idea of who I am interacting with. No photo, no follow. I prefer to see a photo of the real person - - not their dog, their logo, kids, or a caricature.

Second, I read the Tweeter's bio. If the bio is interesting and complete, I am much more likely to follow that person than if there is only a URL or a few words that don't really tell me what the person does or enjoys. Since Twitter has shut down their "search by category" feature, the bio is a quick way to see if I share common interests, business goals, location, or area of expertise with the potential Tweeter. Even if the person is my competitor, I hope to learn something from them.

Next, I read through the person's recent Tweets to find out what type of information he or she is offering. Big turn offs are: 90 percent of the messages are in reply to someone else and I have no idea what they are talking about. While I appreciate the interaction, I feel like I'm intruding on a private conversation if there are no other types of exchange. Big plus: links to helpful tips, articles, and even products to check out. I want interesting content, not just a URL with no explanation as to what I might find by clicking.
Then, I look at the number of updates and the date of the last Tweet. If the person is not active on Twitter, there's no point in following him or her. If someone Tweets fifty times a day about nothing more than their hairdo or what they're eating, I'm probably not interested.

Some people wonder why I use Twitter.grader.com. This service evaluates using criteria similar to what I use to decide whether or not I want to follow someone. If I am leaning toward clicking the follow button but I'm still not sure, I will actually go to the trouble of checking a person's grade on Twitter. If the Tweeter has a high grade, I will probably consider following him or her. If Grader doesn't rank a person high, I'll probably pass - - not permanently - - I may come back later to see if the score improves. It could be that the Tweeter is new to Twitter and doesn't have much history for Grader to use in giving a score.

Lastly, I check the ratio of followers to following. If a person's Tweets are interesting and helpful, people will follow in return. If someone is following 1,000 people and only 65 are following them, I suspect the person is either a spammer, a newbie, or boring.
So, if you are following me and I'm not following you in return, check the above points and make a few simple changes. Not only am I likely to follow you, so are others!
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Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases.
For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com


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I now have a social media page on my Website. I’m including the link for you to see so you can use it as a sample if you don’t have a similar page on your own Web site. And yes, this can work even if you only network on one site. Just use more space giving your visitors an idea of how they will benefit if they join you. http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/new_page_4.htm =====================================================


Tip: You know I avidly support UCLA’s writing program, not only because I am one of their instructors but because the program did so much for my writing career long before I started teaching for them. Their online program is great, too, and they are having a f r ^ ^ Cuberjpise (an online open house) June 1 through the 4th. Go to www.uclaextension.edu, click on Quick Enroll and enter REG#&8657D. Or you can call 310 825 9971 or e - mail writers@uclaextension.edu to be put on their cyber mail list. ( - :


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The semi - annual AllTips edition is now in the works. Please send me your best tip for writing or promotion AND please let your fellow writers know now is the time to subscribe to Sharing with Writers - - so they don’t miss it. Send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to hojonews@aol.com.
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Feature

Serialization as Pre - Film Promotion ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ By Tony Eldridge

I am sending the following out to a few select people, including your Sharing with Writers subscribers who I think may benefit from it.

Starting on Monday, May 4th, I will release a chapter per week of my book. I will also release other info regarding the book to enhance the reader’s experience. On Monday, May 4th. I want to see if I can mimic the success of other authors who have increased book sales by serializing their books. I have created a blog that will point at

http://samsoneffect.marketingtipsforauthors.com .

I also plan on having a Kindle version of the book available. Each post will have a call to action for people to buy the book. The theory behind serializing your book is that by getting more eyes on it, the author increases the books exposure and visibility, which leads to more purchases. You can read a post from my blog on April 21st at

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2009/04/6 - reasons - to - blog - your - book - edwin.html

that talks more about the nature of this promotion.

You may know that a major Hollywood producer has acquired the film rights to The Samson Effect. I got his buy - in for this before committing to it. He responded to my initial e - mail with excitement that continued to grow the more we talked. In fact, he will be working on his end to put eyes on the serial blogging of my book. I will have it set up that anyone who visits the blog will easily be able to navigate to the beginning to catch up with old posts.

(Editor’s Note: It may be worth it for writers to click through to see just how Tony does this - - that is, make it easy to go back and read posts from the beginning. The backwards nature of blogs and Twitter tend to work against writers trying to utilize these networks for serialization.)
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Tony Eldridge, author of The Samson Effect, soon to be a motion picture
http://twitter.com/tonyeldridge
http://www.marketingtipsforauthors.com
http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com
Creator of Marketing Tips for Authors
For free Video Marketing Tips For Authors:
http://www.marketingtipsforauthors.com/videotips.html


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This is an example of one of my Twitters: "FrugalBookPromo New trend? Borders to buy nonreturnable books from HarperStudio in return for a deeper discount." They cover everything from news to more tips and resources all in 140 characters or less. If you don’t want to Tweet, at least follow me. Make a profile page and invite www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. =====================================================


Tip: Those of you who teach (which is one of the best ways to get the word out about your book, by the way!) will want to read Judi Silva’s review of a book that tells how to develop an online course: http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/04/valerie - landau - tells - teachers - how - to.html


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The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter. 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

READING AND THINKING LIKE A WRITER
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

When you write something and offer it to your readers, you are inviting them into your mind. You want this to be a place they want to be, where they are comfortable. In fact, you want to draw them in, entice them to sit down and hear what you have to say. You can’t do this if you don’t know the basics of grammar, punctuation and usage. They’ll immediately know you are not serious.

A truly good sentence is not decorative but a foundational statement about your story that has meat. Hemingway is a minimalist with his sentences while writers such as James Joyce can turn one sentence into an entire paragraph. You want to develop your voice but you also want to consider your readers, what you want your readers to get from your work and how hard you expect them to work to get it.

Close reading of a work will teach you how an author has put it together. You’ll learn word usage and literary conventions such as analogies, figurative language, similes and metaphors. You’ll discover the rhythm in passages and the way plot and character work to make the point the author is trying to make. You’ll learn to read stories out loud to get more from them.

Diagramming in English class is no longer done. However, it’s a very interesting way to see the relationship of one phrase to the other, about how words work together. It’s like the close reading of a sentence. I don’t advocate that you pick this skill up if you don’t have it, but I DO advocate that you do your own close reading. Dissect passages from a book you adore and figure out why those passages draw you in. There’s always a reason.

LINKS

READING LIKE A WRITER, Francine Prose
http://www.amazon.com/Reading - Like - Writer - Guide - People/dp/B001W6RRFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241304444&sr=8 - 1

Diagramming Sentences
http://www.geocities.com/gene_moutoux/diagrams.htm

http://www.ateg.org/grammar/tips/t16.pdf

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND, Flannery O’Conner
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=2658354&matches=88&wquery=a+good+man+is+hard+to+find&cm_sp=works*listing*title

Close Reading
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/ ~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/a/sam50/closeread.htm

- - - - - Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co - author of The Complete Writer and a publicist and literary agent. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/.


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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
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Watch for a new podcast on writing The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YG6O5U/ ) at Authors Access’s great, f r ^ ^ service for writers in June. In the meantime, find an old one on book promotion we did on book promotions at http://authorsaccess.com/archives/90. It was their most listened - to podcast last year.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be presenting two seminars at the National Stationery Show, one on Monday, May 18, called "Move Upward in a Down Market with Free Publicity Exposure and Money - Making In - Store Promotions" and the other, "Grow Your Business Online for No $$$," on Tuesday, May 19. This is a huge show a la Book Expo America! for stationery retailers and will be at Javits Center in Manhattan. She'll also be publishing a new book for her HowToDoItFrugally series, this time for retailers. Many of the marketing principles are the same, though. ( - :

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Book Launch: Carolyn Howard - Johnson will launch her new book Monday, May 18, at 9:30 AM at the National Stationery Show at the Javits Center, NY, NY. Carolyn will present to the retail trade and sign copies of A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. One of Carolyn’s HowToDoItFrugally books, this retail - focused how - to book will be the first in a Survive and Thrive series utilizing Carolyn’s nearly three decades experience as founder and operator of a chain of gift and home décor stores. Learn more at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/frugal_in - store_promotions.htm

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will speak on how editing is one of the most important parts of your book promotion with "Query Letters as Promotion: Let's Make Them Picture Perfect!" at International Conference PROMO DAY! on Saturday, May 9 at 9 am Pacific Time. The conference is broadcast from Rome, Italy so check your time conversion tables carefully to be sure you join the seminars at the right time. http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday/. PROMO DAY! is an all day international online event for people in the writing industry. There are lots of new features for the 2009 event including a workshop chatroom.

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For the first time, Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and Mystery Writers of America/SoCal are joining forces to present a new venture, the California Crime Writers Conference, to be held June 13 - 14 at the Pasadena Hilton, Pasadena, CA. The conference is titled “Breaking In & Breaking Out: Plotting the Write Course,” and is the next incarnation of the successful No Crime Unpublished conference held biannually by Sisters in Crime/LA. Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be presenting a class on “Marketing Your Book Online” on Saturday June 13 at 9 am. The time is to be announced. The public is welcome. Learn more at http://www.sistersincrimela.com/ccwc.htm.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will teach “Creating a Promotion Campaign for Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book.” A one - day seminar, it will meet on the UCLA campus’ School of Public Affairs Building (Room 2317) Saturday, August 1, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Reg# U9836B Request a UCLA Extension catalog at www.uclaextension.edu.

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Mark October 12 to 18 on your calendar for The Muse Online Writers Conference cosponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson:

We are now taking reservations for the conference. More to come on my presentations there at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/. This year we’ve added pitch sessions: http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com/2009workshops.htm

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will speak on writing picture - perfect query letters at the November session of Scribblers' Retreat Writers' Conference, www.scribblersretreatwritersconference.com at Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia. Scribblers Retreat Writers’ Conference offers four conferences of specifically chosen genres throughout the year. It is brand new and one of the few chances I will speak on the East Coast in 2009.


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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
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(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.)

GROCERY LIST:. What you spend half an hour writing then forget to take with you to the store.

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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

Sharing with Writers is edited and distributed by Carolyn Howard - Johnson,http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com. and proofread by Mindy Phillips Lawrence.

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

Although 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 to friends or e - groups. It needn't be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Ordering Information:
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 or at Amazon where it is discounted:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/ Order it as an e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

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
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/

A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441467246/

To learn more about This Is the Place,
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, and She Wore Emerald Then: www.carolynhoward - johnson.com.

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood is available on Amazon. It is coauthored by Magdalena Ball. http://www.amazon.com/She - Wore - Emerald - Then - Reflections/dp/1438263791/

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/

Contact Information
Websites: http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)

For the Frugal Editor, Amazon - direct: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870

Blogs:

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical

http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft

http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.

And now! Tweeting at: www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo and Squidooing at http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors and at http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward - johnson