If you prefer to read this letter in its not - so - glorious full formatted version, ( - : copy and paste this URL into your browser:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Mar_5_2010.pdf

March 5, 2010

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 (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!
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Contents
Regular Features
~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: “Uncomfortable People”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™
This Issue
~Feature: Rant on E - mail Idiocy
~Feature: On Adverbs


Note: You may have better luck with the URLs in this newsletter if you copy and paste. The reason that I leave them long rather than use hyperlinks is because this letter is available in plain text in your e - mail window as well as by .pdf.
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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

Yay! My new little help for writers is on Amazon in all its chartreuse, red, and yellow glory!

Yep, you can now order a copy to put in your briefcase and read on the fly! It’s the Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy.

This is a booklet. It isn’t intended to be a complete reference for every sneaky homonym in the English language. For one thing, there is a nice list of those pesky guys in The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor). Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers is small partly because it isn’t intended to be drudgery. It’s only 54 pages, so it’s an easy - to - read dose of some of the most difficult word trippers - - not the ones you learned in the fourth grade - - and it’s written with a bit of humor to brighten the experience.

If you don’t learn anything from it, send it back to me and I’ll refund your money.

Buy the paperback at www.budurl.com/WordTripperPB. It is only $6.95. You support a friend (me!) and you brush up on skills for your writing career. What could be better than that?

Happy Writing, Promoting and Editing
Carolyn Howard - Johnson

PS: If you missed the last issue on my Roman Retreat opportunities, find that information on my blog at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2010/02/roman - retreat - e - books - and - yes - promotion.html or just go directly to www.budurl.com/RomanRetreat and drool. ( - :


===================================================== Two highly recommended e - books for maximizing your Twitter account from Tony Eldridge are written especially for authors: Twitter E - Book: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482099 Twitter E - Mail Course: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482103 and an interactive e - book on running a Twitter contest: http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=150314&AdID=482099
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New York Times Article on New E - Book Controversy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/business/media/01ebooks.html?emc=eta1 Thanks to subscriber Raff Ellis, www.raffellis.com. This is one you’ll want to read. It includes the profit structure of hardbacks and e - books.


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There is a page of contests on the Resource for Writers page on my Web site: http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/contests.htm Follow the links on that page to other valuable lists on my site, too. =====================================================


Letters - to - the - Editor:

Dear Carolyn,

Re: Mindy Lawrence's semi - rant on the Amazon/Big Publisher battle over e - books that ran last issue

Nearly all my books are now available on Kindle. My latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel written under the name F.M. Meredith, AN AXE TO GRIND, is selling for the sum of $1.99. I've been asked why, and the simple reason is I'd like people to get acquainted with the characters who occupy the beach town of Rocky Bluff and be interested in buying the other books in the series, which are priced a bit higher - - though nothing like the New York publishers price their books.

My Deputy Tempe Crabtree books written as Marilyn Meredith are all on Kindle too - - the latest is Dispel the Mist.

I've been an e - published author for over ten years and I'm delighted to see the great interest and debate about e - publishing now - - and in my opinion, it's about time.

Marilyn Meredith, http://fictionforyou.com
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
Stiletto Gang: http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/

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Hi Carolyn,

Strange, but I woke up thinking about Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy and I thought of two that I had to look up in the last month:

elicit vs. illicit

entitled vs. titled

Thought you might want to add those to your series!

Blessings, Lisa Mladinich
www.amazingcatechists.com
www.catholicmom.com/puppet.htm
Note: entitled vs. titled is in The Frugal Editor. It is one that authors use frequently, and, too frequently, incorrectly.


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Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or Web site: 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. Let me know you did it. I will be able to do something similar for you on my Resources for Readers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
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Feature


E - mail Blues Caused by Too Much Brevity ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I am feeling a rant coming on! You might as well benefit from it.

For the sixth time in a week, I received e - mail from authors (all six were different authors!). I could tell they were authors by their e - mail monikers, but didn't necessarily know who they were from their addresses or their subject lines. Still, being the little bluebird of light that I am, I open them. And there I find a Web address. That's all. Just a Web address.

Now, if I were that person's sister, I might click on a link like that. But here's the thing:

Links sometimes carry viruses. Ouch!

Another Ouch! I don’t read much of anything unless I have an inkling that I will learn something, be entertained, or be able to use the message in an article or this newsletter. There were no pitches in these e - mails, nothing to indicate why I should open it. Studies show that most people are like me in this regard. They don’t even buy books without a good reason!

If you are guilty of this kind of thing, even if you're only sending something to your relatives who think you are talented and brilliant, stop now. If it's worth the time to send an e - mail, it's worth writing at least a one - line pitch about what someone is getting.

Another Ouch! Some of these e - mails didn’t use blind copies for their list, either. It's only good etiquette not to expose your contacts e - mails for spammers to see. When I get follow - ups to this same e - mail from people who click on the reply all button, I get even more annoyed.

Mind you, I'm not annoyed because people are trying to promote. I'm not annoyed even if the e - mail feels spammy. I'm annoyed because this mail lacks common courtesy.

Thus, if you've been doing something vaguely related to this, know that it is mostly a waste of time. Your relatives all have your book or they don't read the genre in which your book is written. Your editors, radio hosts, and other promotion contacts won't open it because of possible viruses, lack of time, or because they’re ticked. So they won't print it. I doubt that if they did open it they would know what the author wanted them to do with it.

And then there are those subject lines! Arghhhhh!

So here's my plea! Direct. To the point. But with a pitch so the recipient knows if your message is a media release, a query, a submission, or a personal note. Also it wouldn’t hurt to give the recipient just a hint at what it’s all about.

To avoid these kinds of faux pas that cause more bad will than good, please read a book on promotion, preferably one written for authors. You may be missing some of other refinements like asking what else you might do to help your contact. Sure, I want you to read The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't (or reread it) but any similar book is likely to help.

CHJ


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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. It includes a segment of frugal ways to help our troops and veterans. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Author Successes
(The author successes segment is here to praise, laud, and encourage but the success of one author may give you a resource for another. So, applaud, certainly. But also learn.)

Magdalena Ball Publishes Poetry Book . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . Repulsion Thrust. Those who love poetry and those who love science will love this combination. It is now available on Amazon here: http://tinyurl.com/y97g38w



=================================================== Book Proposal Help: "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://budurl.com/bookproposalreport =====================================================


Opportunities

Montana Literary Journal Calls for Submissions . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Naturally, I love to shout to the world about journals I'm published in so I'm hoping this one will interest some of you for either reading or as a resource for submissions. Here is the notice that Front Range, a literary journal from Montana State University sent out asking for support with both:

The 2010 issue of Front Range (formerly MO: Writings from the River) is now out, and is bigger and better than ever! This year’s issue features the works of such talented writers and award - winners as Mark Gibbons, Robert Lee, Ellaraine Lockie, Joshua Gray, Carolyn Howard - Johnson, Tom Holmes, Alan Berecka, Donna D. Vittuci, Adrian S. Potter, and many, many others!
Copies are available for $11 each at Shakespeare and Company, Missoula, and Hastings Books in Great Falls (sorry, our “vendor venue” is somewhat limited), or available delivered to your home annually for $11 plus $3 postage.

Please feel free to check out archives and submission guidelines at http://www.frontrangemt.org
Frederick Bridger, PhD, Editor, 219 12 St. N., Great Falls, MT 59401

My story that Front Range published this issue is "Grandfather Rock." It is a story told to me by an American Indian woman I met when I was on a retreat for cancer survivors several years ago, a kind of magical realism piece.



Fiction Writers Platform ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From Jerry Lopper of Fiction Writers’ Platform:

Along with fellow writer Brenda Layman, I've developed the Fiction Writers' Platform (http://www.fictionwritersplatform.net/), a free platform by writers for writers. Once a writing sample is accepted, our members can publish short stories and book excerpts at absolutely no cost. They are able to incorporate links back to sites supporting and selling their work, further enhancing platform. We encourage our writers to join social networks and promote their work, further spreading their platform reach.

Our positive and supportive editors and members provide constructive feedback and ratings. The Editors Choice Award is granted to those meeting our highest standards for fiction.

I hope you'll visit and add our platform to your recommendations to clients. We're truly in the business of providing a platform service to fiction writers. No catches, no surprises. We don't take ownership of posted material and we don't require exclusive publication. We simply want fiction writers to have another easy opportunity to display their talents.


Writer’s Digest Self - Published Contest . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . . is at http://www.writersdigest.com/selfpublished


==================================================== Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contact and build a list of readers. The most supportive and interactive one I know with an associated site for displaying fiction to the movie industry is iFOFO. Subscribe at http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html
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Tip: I just subscribed to a great new journal/newsletter (yes, it's f r ^^) sponsored by the University of Wisconsin (Madison). I highly recommend it as a resource for those interested in poetry or literary writing. Send a SUBSCRIBE message to join - creativity - connection@lists.wisc.edu. On April 19th, I'll be giving more information on it and its editor in my blog at www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. I also highly recommend that you subscribe to it so you don't miss anything in it that can further your career.


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Podcasts are a great way to learn (and be refreshed) on everything from craft to poetry to promotion. Find many f r ^ ^ ones on the sites of those who support writers. You'll find a list of my most recent ones at: www.budurl.com/WritersResources. You'll need to scroll down, down, down. That's OK. You may scroll through other resources you need, so read as you go.
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Feature

On Adverbs

We are often warned that adverbs can be overdone then writers take the warning too literally. They think they shouldn’t use any at all! Of course, we wouldn't have adverbs if they didn't serve a purpose.

I also find that new authors worry if an editor removes their adverbs. They think those edits will change their voices. These kinds of edits rarely change a voice. Certainly voice isn't achieved by using adverbs. It is achieved by much subtler elements of writing such as point of view, use of colloquialism or slang, choice of detail. Certainly, an author can (and should) reject edits that he/she thinks aren't appropriate.

For the most part, I think most writers worry way too much about having their voice changed and not enough about improving their writing skills.

Having said that, I worry more about editors who don’t really have the training to be editors. Would an editor really remove ALL of a writer’s adverbs? And how would a new author know if an editor is overstepping if he/she doesn’t have lots of information on editing under his or her own little writer’s belt?

I do hope those of you who have been relying on an outside editor—someone you hired or a friend—will read The Frugal Editor www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor . It includes lots on how to partner with an editor, how to save money hiring one, how to HIRE one that is compatible with you, and a whole lot more.

Editing is a two - way street. There's gotta be some trust and also some confidence. The more an author knows about editing, the better equipped she is to discard or keep edits.

So, yep. Examine every "ly." Then use each one to your advantage. Either discard it or use one of the methods in The Frugal Editor to turn them into more visual writing.

CHJ


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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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National Geographic on Publicity: “Everyone knows Galileo was the first astronomer to point a telescope at the night sky. But like many facts that everyone knows, this one isn’t true. Precedence should probably go to Thomas Harriot. What Harriot didn’t do was publish his observations. Being first is important, but so is publicity.”


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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, www.budurl.com/FreeContent . 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: - The Compulsive Reader now Talks! Visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/compulsivereader to listen to pithy interviews with some of the best names in contemporary literature. It's an audio haven for book lovers!


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Fun and F r ~ ~: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love 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.

My fellow UCLA Writers’ Program instructor and author Christopher Meeks (www.chrismeeks.com) says he uses this exercise in his classes. He doesn’t teach poetry, but it works for poets, too:

“I make my students on the first day of class take a mini - field trip outside the classroom and find one object and stare at it. Then they have to write three similes and three metaphors for the single object. I explain what each is before they go out, and then when they return six minutes later, I listen to each person's six comparisons. Those who don't do it well learn from others who bring a spark to what they see. Thus, I set the idea that I like simile and metaphor. The reason I have them write six comparisons, by the way, is that they're likely to burn through the clichés and then be forced to look at their object anew. "The clouds look like cotton balls, like white cotton candy... like my dead grandmother's doilies that she always spilt chicken broth on."


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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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Tip: Writers just gotta have some fun now and then. You might enjoy ordering some of the products at http://www.zazzle.com/abundancelovetrip/gifts


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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 $35 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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Tip: Our books are our business. The basic tenets of this report are sound and useful for writers, too. Just substitute “books” for “business.” It’s called "Twitter, Facebook and Your Website: A Beginning Blueprint for Harnessing the Power of 3 for Your Business" at www.MillerMosaicPowerof3.com


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Audio divas bring you audios on many aspects of building a writing career:
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: You who promote your books and want to know more about the real working of publicity and promotion really should subscribe to Terry Cordingly's blog : http://bit.ly/56VQy5


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I highly recommend Jozette Aaron's f r ^ ^ DeSilva's News for writers: http://jozette.webs.com/ not just because I write a column for her. =====================================================


An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Uncomfortable People
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

I read something last night that interested me. I'm reading a book by Zen Buddhist abbess, Geri Larkin, called Tap Dancing Through Zen. It's both thought provoking and, in places, absolutely hilarious. In the part I read last night, Larkin was talking about an office worker of hers who was so TOXIC that the woman said nothing positive at all. She talked down to people and was very sarcastic. Larkin didn't know how to deal with her so she sat in meditation blessing everyone but this thorn in her side, wishing she would go away.

Larkin was with her teacher when someone continued to make fun of him, giving him a hard time. He just sat and smiled. She wondered how he did this and why. He told her that he learned more about himself and his practice through negative people than any other way.

Larkin started listening to this bitter woman and realized the struggles she was going through. Also, she learned through her reaction to her where SHE was spiritually. Eventually they got to where they worked together well, although the woman was still negative. Larkin learned when she was being mindful and when she'd gotten off the path by how she reacted to this person.

Why do I tell you this? Cause, I think this is a great lesson for ME. What can I learn from it? I was recently in a car accident that destroyed my car. I need to think of the man who hit me. I've learned some things about him and they aren't very good. He must be suffering a great deal in his life.

What does this have to do with writing? In a word, MINDFULNESS. When you learn to think about the value of every second of the day, of getting over rough spots and negatives successfully and of giving every second you have to the present moment, the sentence you are typing RIGHT NOW, you focus.

More importantly, it's got me back on my cushion at home on a regular basis. A positive from a negative. Not too shabby!

- - -
TAP DANCING IN ZEN
http://books.google.com/books?id=qznSWzlB5ZgC&dq=Geri+Larkin&printsec=frontcover&source=an&hl=en&ei=h7aSS - TEHYTZ8Abro9SoBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&ved=0CDQQ6AEwDQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Writing and Mindfulness
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/419045 - Mindful_Writing.php

Ten Tips for Mindful Writing
http://www.karenmaezenmiller.com/10 - tips - for - mindful - writing


~ 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/.
Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.


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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 consultations to help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing. http://budurl.com/carolynsconsulting
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Tip: Aggie Villaneuva runs a blog with really helpful stuff for writers. Find two of my articles using these links. One is on avoiding wordiness in query letters and the other is full of ideas that fiction writers can blog about and still say focused on their books.
http://www.visualartsjunction.com/?p=5893
http://www.visualartsjunction.com/?p=4838


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Visit one of my blogs. Experiment a bit with the little green Tweetmeme logo if you haven't used one before. And, please let me know if mine is working for you. I think the one at www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com is working. I used the second offering down on the tweetmeme site and replaced the suggested code with the address of my blog. =====================================================


Thank Yous

Thanks to Terry Cordingley . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for including an except from The Frugal Book Promoter on his great blog. I just found the blog. It’s well worth looking into: http://terrycordingley.blogspot.com/2010/02/publicity - is - free - 15 - commandments - for.html


Thanks to Theresa Morrow . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for the interview on her blog http://twurl.nl/mr3380 . It’s the first to mention my new word - tripper booklet (www.budurl.com/FrugalWritingTips).
http://www.keybusinesspartners.com/2010/02/24/author - interview - carolyn - howard - johnson/


Thanks to Longridge Writers Group . . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . .for publishing my article on Twitter for writers. Long Ridge Writers Group offers writing courses taught by professional writers in a one - on - one pairing. http://www.thelongridgewritersgroup.com/T6020/index_03.htm


===================================================== 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. =====================================================


Tip: There's a new Ning group for writers out there. Sometimes getting in on ground level with groups is a good idea. Bo Drury, the owner, adds blogs and the notice goes directly to Twitter. It is: http://bodrury.ning.com/ . By the way, Bo is the author of Once Upon A Time Out West, a book of short stories.


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Unsolicited endorsement from a reader: I read The Frugal Book Promoter early last year and became an instant fan. Your common sense, easily accessible and easily implemented tips were a godsend as I entered the promotion for my second novel. You have so much knowledge to share! I wonder if you would be interested in an interview on the blog AuthorCulture, for which I write? ~Katie Weiland, Author of Behold the Dawn and A Man Called Outlaw, http://authorculture.blogspot.com/ =====================================================


Sad Quote: “The New York Times presents expert authority in a populist age that sees establishment as enemies and experts as fools.” ~Poniewozik of Time magazine


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This is an example of one of my Twitters: "FrugalBookPromo New trend? Borders will buy nonreturnable books from HarperStudio in return for a deeper discount." My tweets 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 me at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. =====================================================


Tip: If you have a novel you think would make a good movie, check out this media release: http://www.prlog.org/10518067 - books - ready - for - film - at - booksforfilmcom - highvisibility - filmrights - showcase.html Beware a broken link. Try typing this into your window. This BooksforFilm is a service of iFogo Village.


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The New Book Review is a f r ^ ^ 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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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Carolyn Howard - Johnson and fellow UCLA Writers' Program Instructor, Eve LaSalle Caram (a UCLA Award - Winning Instructor at that - - yes note the caps!) are planning an amazing intimate conference in Rome for October, 2010. Find details at www.budurl.com/RomanRetreat. Jo Linsell - Feliciano, a writer living in Rome and founder of the online conference PROMO Day, will also be offering a seminar. Accommodations are extremely limited.

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

Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be interviewed by The Compulsive Reader's online radio program hosted by Magdalena Ball at 2 pm (Pacific Time) April 13. It features author interviews, book chats, literary discussions, readings and more. It's an audio haven for book lovers! The show with Carolyn will be an open discussion (with an interesting twist about a new approach to popularizing poetry). It’s about poetry, poetics, and the art of the chapbook. Listeners will be invited to call and share their perspectives or ask their questions. Poetry will be read, discussed, and pondered, and we'll be previewing our up and coming chapbook for the masculine apparations in our lives. Poets are asked to call in with a few memorable lines from their own poetry about holidays. To set a reminder for the show or to listen in, visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/compulsivereader/2010/04/11/poetry - chatter - with - carolyn - howard - johnson

To call in on the day, just visit the site and click on the "click to call" buttons (no charge as it uses voice over internet protocol technology - - that means it uses your PC for the voice communication), or you can dial in without a computer on: (646) 716 - 7734. Don't miss it!

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The Muse Online Writers Conference cosponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson is now taking reservations for the f r ^ ^ event beginning October 11 of 2010. http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/ To avoid a small late registration fee, please regisiter before Aug. 15.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be leading a seminar for the F r ^ ^ PromoDay writers' conference on Sat. the 15th of May at 10 am LA (Pacific) time and 7 pm (Rome time). The subject will be Promoting with Query Letters. Do make it easy on founder Jo Linsdell and register now. http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will co - present with Patricia Norins, publisher of Gift Shop magazine, two 1 1/2 hour seminars during the National Stationery Show (www.nationalstationeryshow.com) at the Jacob Javits center in New York. The show runs from May 16 - May 19. Times and dates of the presentations will be announced. They are: Tweaking your Tweets and Other social Media Tips and Creating Your Social Media Campaign: Networking Your Newsletter, Building Your Blogs.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will teach a one - day seminar in book promotion including a planning a thrifty online campaign. The place? UCLA Extension's Writers' Program on campus, of course. Mark August 7, 2010, on your calendar. Sign up online at www.uclaextension.edu

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Carolyn Howard Johnson, author of A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns w th Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques, will make a guest appearance on Paul Bruno's Career Czar® radio program. We'll talk making retailing work in a down economy and how authors can make their case to retailers to let them boost profits with a book signing on December 17, 2010 at 10:00 am Pacific at
www.alltalkradio.net/careerczar. You can also listen at www.alltalkradio./careerczar/career121710.mp3

In the meantime, listen to his other shows at www.alltalkradio.net/careerczar or at the show's blog at www.careerczar.wordpress.com. Ask to be on Paul's notification list for free podcasts.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be a featured speaker at the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, in the fall of 2010. Find information on that at www.wrwa.net. This active group invites writers from everywhere to join. Find their blog at wrwaonline.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
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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.)


Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

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:
Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo
The e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
http://budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, 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 http://budurl.com/RetailersGuide

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, a chapbook of poetry coauthored with Magdalena Ball. http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry (Finishing Line Press)
www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings

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


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.
http://www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.blogspot.com, a blog where you can learn to get some mojo behind your own booth by learning from the successes and mistakes of others.

Tweeting at:
www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo
www.twitter.com/frugalretailing