Book Spotlight Ad – Every Woman Needs a Wife
December 11, 2008 by admin · 22 Comments
If you can’t view this eBlast, visit http://www.rawsistaz.com/Naleighna-Kai-eBlast.jpg.
Reader & Writer Tips
December 10, 2008 by admin · 40 Comments
Sharing another article I’ve written…
Please add your own tips as this is a topic we could continue for days. Tomorrow, I’ll provide a listing of literary resources I find helpful and break them down in categories, for readers and writers.
Reader & Writer Tips
by Tee C. Royal
::::::READER TIPS::::::
Keep a Reading Log. A simple spreadsheet of what you read, the author’s name and your general thoughts is a great tool for avid readers. I’ve been doing this the past 5 years consistently and it’s rewarding to see the diversity of my reading selections.
Share Recommendations. Most readers are in book clubs or various online groups. Share your recommendations as this is a great promotion tool for authors.
Step Outside the Box. Everyone has preferred genres, but challenge yourself to read one book a year outside of the genre. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Read The Book Selection. I don’t get why so many people join book clubs and never read the book. It seems pointless.
Elaborate During Discussions. The simple “I liked the book” says nothing. Really evaluate a book and try to apply it to your life. See how it relates to past times and events. Know why you like a book and why you don’t. Consider what you would’ve done differently, what may have worked better.
Buy the Book. Yeah, the library is great and all, but the whole borrowing of books is getting out of hand. Skip lunch a few times a month and save that money as your book money if there are financial issues. If you don’t have those issues, stop being cheap.
Stop Harrassing Authors. Some of our book buddies give readers a bad name. Stop stalking authors ya’ll. They do have the right to privacy.
Work Together. There are a million book clubs, with hopefully very similar goals of helping authors and reading great books. Why be competitive or even go so far as to steal information? (Someone stole the entire RAWSISTAZ site one time and claimed it as their book club, with a new name and new colors and everything. It was crazy. (And it’s gone now.) But we can work together, share information, do joint projects, without the competitiveness.
Don’t Settle. Stop buying poor quality work. Raise your level of expectation and constructively share feedback with authors.
Be Honest. Whew…can we stop giving the “you go girl” dap to poor quality work or books of your favorite author just because she may have given you a free book once. I heard one book club president tell an author (at a literary event), and this is verbatim, “send your book to us, we’ll give you a 5-star rating. We love you.” Her book club will never be credible if that info gets out.
Have Fun. Reading and discussing books is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it. And, stop trying to go to blows over some made up characters. LOL. Enjoy that time bonding with your sister friends, that’s what the whole book club experience is about.
::::::WRITER TIPS::::::
Have a Plan. Don’t just say you want to write a book…do it. And, don’t just jump on the latest bandwagon, DO YOU. No one can do you better than you can, and if you’re not quite there yet, study, research, and take classes to help perfect your craft. Devise a plan to help you get from point A to point B.
Read. I’ve heard many authors say they don’t read. What? Ummm, never ever say that loud enough for any book enthusiast to hear you. Read the works of others, study what makes them good, and use that information to find out what your strengths are and perfect them.
Research. I can’t stress this one enough. Don’t expect anyone else to do this for you. Yes, others can be used as resources, but always know how to look up things, research, and stay abreast of the latest industry news. Get subscriptions to Publisher’s Weekly, Black Issues Book Review, Writers Digest, or simply sign up for these places online. Most have online versions of their magazines. Websites and blogs such as Book-Remarks, AALBC, The Blacklist, Blogging in Black, RAWSISTAZ, TheGRITS, and others are great sources of information to stay aware of what’s going on and how it affects writers.
Be Professional. OMG, you would not believe how some folks act in email, query letters, or even out in public. Remember that you are not only selling your book, you’re selling yourself. Agents and editors don’t want drama, moody, demanding, annoying, or those folks whose hands you have to hold. Be professional at all times. (And don’t harrass folks either.)
Practice Email Etiquette (and Patience). Don’t send nasty grams. ROFL, I’m laughing now, but it’s not really all that funny. I’ve gotten quite a few nastygrams from disgruntled authors wanting to know where a review was, if I had read their books, did I get their submissions, is there any word on the partial they sent in, am I going to represent them, on and on. And while I understand the frustration, realize that the publishing industry is for the most part, not a “fast” industry. It takes time to read/review books, read/respond to queries, and yep, even to negotiate a contract and actually get your books on the shelves. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Follow directions. I know I work folks’ nerves with this one, but please please PLEASE follow directions. When you don’t, it creates much more work for that person to follow-up or fix the problem. Realize that there are reasons a person asks for things a certain way. If they say no attachments, don’t include them, or more than likely your email will be deleted.
Be Careful. Not everyone claiming to “help” you is really planning to do so. There are wolves in this industry too and they will try to gobble you (and your money) up. Ask around; get references! Don’t be too desperate to get out there that you sell yourself short.
Build inventory. Agents and editors love it when authors have several completed books in the hopper. It shows you can start/complete work and you’re more than likely in it for the long-term.
Plan to Market. No one knows your book better than you, so plan to market it. You should start well in advance of the release of your book and continue throughout the release and following months. This includes getting a website. Stop being cheap or thinking you can’t afford a site. You can find low-cost domain and hosting for $10-$25 per year and decent websites (or blog set-ups) for less than $500 (and places like WordPress are free. So please, please please…get your www-FirstnameLastname-com domain NOW.
Be Gracious. A thank you goes a long way, so do thank those who have helped you. Additionally, learn to accept criticism, and use it as a tool to take your writing to another level. Another thing, be proud of your accomplishments, but not arrogant.
Support Others. Some readers read 100+ books a year. Stop thinking your book is the only one competing for their attention. Support your fellow authors.
Practice Positivity. Surround yourself with positive folks and steer clear of those who sap away your energy. Believe in yourself and your dreams.
That’s it! I hope you have enjoyed and will share some of your own reader & writer tips. (And anyone who wants to also share them on the RAWSISTAZ site, please email me directly with WRITER (or READER) TIPS in the subject line, and include your tip, name, and a link to your website. (Please note that it may not be up within a week or two.)
Workshop – How to Win the Publishing Game
December 10, 2008 by admin · 92 Comments
Lissa Woodson
Join Lissa Woodson (who writes as Naleighna Kai) as she presents Marketing 101 – How to Win the Publishing Game. (She’ll be stopping in at 7:00PM CST Thursday night, so be sure to post your questions).
**Participants will receive a FREE copy of her step-by-step self publishing handout and resource list.
Workshop talking points:
Getting more bang for the buck–selecting events that give maximum exposure at minimum cost
Branding the title, branding the author name
Creating and distributing a proper press kit
The best online sources to promote your novel
Teaming up with other authors
Covering your own backyard: Making the most of resources in your home town.
Unique marketing strategies for authors
Panel – Book Promotion & Publicity
December 10, 2008 by admin · 68 Comments
Join the discussion on book promotion and publicity with our panelists: Dana Pittman of Nia Promtions, Lissa Woodson of Macro Marketing & Promotions Group, & Nakea Murray of Literary Consultants Group & 3 Chicks on Lit.
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- Dana Pittman
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- Lissa Woodson
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- Nakea Murray
Feel free to ask any question you may have on the topic and our ladies will stop by throughout the day to answer them.
Workshop – Mistakes First Time Authors Make
December 10, 2008 by admin · 43 Comments
Be sure to post all questions in the comments section.
MISTAKES FIRST TIME AUTHORS MAKE (25)
-How to Avoid Them-
By Barbara Joe Williams
Barbara Joe Williams
As a first time self-published author, you want to avoid making as many costly mistakes as possible. Based on research and several years of publishing experience, I’d like to share some of the mistakes that I’ve made and show you how to avoid making them. Please proceed with caution.
1) Publishing books with unattractive covers and spending too much money on them. Hire someone to design an attractive front book cover. Or you can save money by developing the book cover drafts yourself. Simply download royalty-free pictures and add your own text.
2) Printing books in large quantities because it’s the most economical value. With print-on-demand (POD) printers, you no longer have to print large quantities of books to receive a good return on your investment. You can print as few or as many as you need at one time.
3) Paying large amounts for website development and maintenance. Find a web hosting company, download a template, upload your book information, and maintain the site yourself for a low monthly or yearly fee. Most of these companies provide 24/7 customer support.
4) Working without an action plan or any means of accountability. Writing may be your passion, but publishing is a business. Therefore, you have to develop a business plan to follow and show accountability for your funds.
5) Not testing the cover design or the titles before publishing. The key to avoiding this mistake is developing more than one book cover draft and testing them on potential buyers. You can also develop more than one title and test them, too.
6) Waiting until the book is published to start marketing it. Start marketing your book the first day that you start writing it. Tell everyone that you know and/or meet about your new project.
7) Pricing the book too high or too low based on the market. Be sure to research the price of other books on the market that are similar to yours and price your book accordingly.
Not identifying the target market for the publication. The first rule of publishing is to know your target market and how to reach them. Where do they live and shop? How will they learn about your book?
9) Not pre-selling copies of the book or taking pre-orders. You can set-up your website to take credit cards and start taking pre-orders months before the book is ever printed.
10) Relying solely on one marketing model to sell the book. Develop several marketing strategies before your book is published. Communicate with other authors to find out what has and hasn’t worked for them.
11) Writing books you think people should read instead of what the market demands. The publishing business is also a matter of supply and demand. You may enjoy writing fiction, but a non-fiction project that serves a desire or need will be more profitable.
12) Paying for expensive advertising, marketing/promotional ideas. Marketing doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. Look for strategies that will provide you with free publicity such as library workshops and radio interviews.
13) Writing the book without developing a timeline for completion. Once you start writing your book, set some realistic goals for completing it and stick to it. Don’t let down your target market after you’ve announced the book to them.
14) Not having a reader’s or audience database. You can start developing a reader’s database as soon as you start working on your book by contacting local book club members and attending library events.
15) Not being open to the editing or revising process. Find an editor that you feel comfortable with and trust. This will make it easier to accept criticism and make recommended revisions.
16) Missing deadlines for writing and publishing. It’s very important to the success of your writing career that you meet the realistic deadlines that you’ve already set. Once you set a book release date, readers will be expecting the book at that time.
17) Not reading enough from the competition. Make sure you know what the competition has to offer and be able to explain how your book is different. You want your project to stand out from every other book on your chosen subject.
18) Wasting time trying to make the copy perfect the first time. Focus on completing the manuscript and getting it to the editor instead of trying to make sure that it’s perfect. You’ll have plenty of time to go back and make revisions later.
19) Not being able to verbalize the content of the book in a concise manner. You should be able to summarize your entire manuscript in a few sentences upon request. Most readers want to know what the heart of the book is about in one-minute or less.
20) Not joining a writer’s group or reading magazines, or attending conferences for writers. Joining a writer’s group is a way to learn from other authors or aspiring authors. Reading Writer’s Digest each month will provide you with valuable information and attending conferences will give you an opportunity to meet major publishers and agents.
21) Relying solely on bookstores to sell the books to make a profit. According to the Publisher’s Marketing Association, approximately 52 percent of published books are not sold in bookstores. This means that you must find more creative ways of selling your product.
22) Concentrating too much on sales and not enough on publicity. Of course, your publishing goal is to make money, but some events should just be about publicity and then the money will follow.
23) Not reinvesting money back into your book business. This is a valuable lesson to learn. If you spend all your profits on personal expenses, it’s impossible to keep producing books to keep your business growing.
24) Sending in for a copyright before the manuscript has been edited. You should wait until your manuscript has been completely edited before sending in the copyright registration. Once you make significant changes to the manuscript, the copyright certificate is no longer valid.
25) Not asking for help when needed. Self-publishing doesn’t mean that you have to do everything yourself. Hire others to do the technical things that you may not understand or have the time to properly address.
This is an excerpt from A Writer’s Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing released in March 2007.
Barbara Joe-Williams is the owner of Amani Publishing, LLC, in Tallahassee, Florida. She has published four novels and two non-fictional books for herself and over ten titles for other aspiring authors. When she’s not writing, she’s busy conducting seminars and workshops on writing, publishing, and marketing. Recently, she signed a contract with a literary agent for a title that has not been previously published. Please contact her via email, or visit her web site for more information regarding her work.
Email: Amanipublishing@aol.com
Web site: www.Barbarajoewilliams.com
Blog: http://Blog.myspace.com/barbarajoewilliams
Workshop – Structuring Your Novel
December 10, 2008 by admin · 20 Comments
This workshop will cover Structuring Your Novel, The Beginning, Middle, and Ending and is presented by Dr. Frederick Williams. Be sure to post your questions in the comments section and also note: what you see below is only a portion of the information, so be sure to CLICK HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP HANDOUTS
WORKSHOP #1 ON EXCELLENCE IN WRITING FICTION
PRESENTED BY
DR. FREDERICK WILLIAMS
I. STRUCTURING YOUR NOVEL (BEGINNING, MIDDLE, ENDING)
1. Many new writers fail to take into consideration the importance of structuring their writing in such a way that makes sense to the reader and the writer. When you understand the structure, you will discover that it is much easier to write a successful novel from that foundation.
2 Structure is what holds the story together. Think of it as you would the frame of a house. You put up the frame first, and then you add other parts and you can deviate and be creative as you want, but it all has to be done within that structure. The beginning, middle and ending of your story are like the big pot for all the other ingredients. Whatever your goal might be, short story, novella, or novel, you still work from the same basic structure.
3. We need structure as writers so our stories will hold together and make sense.
4. We need structure as readers so that we can understand the story we are reading and feel something as a result.
5. Charles Dickens, the 19th Century novelist, developed the structure for the contemporary novel.
6. Contemporary structure is a sequence of scenes played out in a story, here and now, as if they were taking place visually in front of the reader. The story is told from the viewpoint of one or multiple characters in a series of scenes.
7. When writing a novel, you should have a series of scenes with each one followed by a sequel. The latter is carried out through action or dialogue. The sequel follows the particular action or dialogue with the individual thinking about what just happened and then coming up with a response to the action. The ability for the novelist to get inside a character’s head gives the reader an advantage that doesn’t happen in a movie or on television. You know exactly what that person is thinking as a result of what happened in the preceding scene. Remember sequel should always follow a scene.
8. Structure is inseparable from plot.
a. Plot is the sequence of events in a story that drives toward answering the major dramatic question. (i.e., does the protagonist reach his/her goal and achieve what he/she set out to do in the beginning). ALL SUCCESSFUL NOVELS ESTABLISH A GOAL FOR THE PROTAGONIST TO ACHIEVE BY NOVEL’S END.
9. Essentially structure is about 1) a beginning, 2) a middle, and 3) an ending. Each section has a distinct role in telling a story.
CLICK HERE FOR ENTIRE WORKSHOP
Workshop – How to Be Your Own Publicist
December 10, 2008 by admin · 77 Comments
Welcome to the How to Be Your Own Publicist Workshop with Ella D. Curry of EDC-Creations.
During this online workshop, Ella will discuss creating a publicity timeline of your book release, using technology to become your own publicist and everything that goes with marketing and promoting your book—reaching your readers, touring online and off-line, special social networking mediums, building partnerships, how to track promotions, and exploring new options that can provide an increase in sales. Just think of it as Marketing 101 with a Web 2.0 twist!
She will post more detailed explanations as the day progresses, so be sure to ask any questions that you may have in the comment section below. CLICK HERE for a copy of the Workshop Handouts.
Panel – On Writing: Why We Write What We Write
December 10, 2008 by admin · 28 Comments
Join the Why We Write What We Write Panel to learn all about the various genres are panelists write in and how they selected it. We’re honored to have with us: Allison Hobbs, Rodney Hurst, Rose Beavers, Nikki Rashan & Angeline Bandon-Bibum.
Feel free to post your comments below.
Book Discussion – Unexpected Interruptions
December 10, 2008 by admin · 29 Comments
Come out and join us as we discuss Unexpected Interruptions with author Trice Hickman. Feel free to post your questions in the comments section. Trice, welcome! Please come in and tell us a bit about yourself and post a few discussion questions to get us started. Also be sure to invite your readers over to join the discussion.
About the Author
Prior to writing, Trice Hickman’s diverse professional career included work in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Currently, she is putting the finishing touches on her second novel, and a third book is already underway. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband.
Spotlight Authors (Thursday)
December 10, 2008 by admin · 24 Comments
Today’s Spotlight is on authors Robert Greer (via interview only), Byron Harmon, Nicole Bailey-Williams, T. L. James and M. LaVora Perry. Thanks for joining us.
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- Robert Greer
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- M. LaVora Perry
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- T. L. James
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- Nicole Bailey Williams
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- Byron Harmon
Please introduce yourselves and tell us about your experience in the literary world. Also, how do you separate your literary life with your personal life?
Attendees…leave your questions and comments below.
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