Participants Only – List Your Link!

December 13, 2008 by admin · 26 Comments 

Okay, listen closely.  This is a link only post. (And this is for those who actually participated, so we can have everyone’s info in one spot.) If you do NOT follow directions, you will be deleted.  If you DID NOT participate, you will be deleted.  Also, do not include your pitch or your book title, your company bio, or any of that for this post.  So, please follow my lead and share your link and the info as shown. 

(Did I say you will be deleted if you don’t follow directions?  LOL.  Just wanted to say it one mo’ time.)

Example: 

RAWSISTAZ Literary Group – http://www.rawsistaz.com  (Book Club)
Maya Angelou - http://www.mayaangelou.com (Author)

(And it is okay to post more than one link in a reply vs sending a million replies.)

Filed under: Author Spotlights, Book Clubs, DAY 6 (SATURDAY), Event Info & News, General Forum, Promo & Resources
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Author Spotlights (Saturday)

December 12, 2008 by admin · 4 Comments 

Our Spotlight Authors today are Aundrea Lacy, Gil L. Robertson IV, Regina Louise, and Darrell King.

Aundrea Lacy – http://luvsbrownies.com
Author’s Bio: Aundrea Lacy, born and raised in San Francisco, has been a model, a television journalist, and a marketing executive for Fortune 500 companies. She earned her MBA from Golden State University. In 1996, she went from baking brownies for friends to building her own online bakery business, Luv Brownies. In addition, she gives career presentations for girls and women from around the country.

Gil L. Robertson IV – http://www.notinmyfamily.com
Gil L. Robertson IV is a journalist whose work has appeared in Essence, Billboard, Black Enterprise, the Source, Los Angeles Times and Atlanta Journal Constitution, among others. He has appeared on The Tavis Smiley Show, CNN, and BET, and his syndicated column, The Robertson Treatment, appears in over 30 newspapers, reaching more than 2 million readers across the country.

Regina Louise – http://www.reginalouise.com
Author’s Bio: Regina Louise has been a keynote speaker at numerous foster care and social workers’ conventions across the country. She has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, the CBS Early Show, and the Tavis Smiley Show, and a one-woman play version of her story was produced by the Sacramento Theater Company in May 2007. A successful businesswoman and salon owner, she currently lives in Berkeley.

Darrell King – http://www.myspace.com/dak1968
Mr. Darrell King, Sr. has been writing ever since the age of eight. His first published work of fiction was penned during the fall of 1976 as a student of Mary Field’s Elementary School on South Carolina’s Daufuskie Island. This effort, an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Hobbit,” was both written and illustrated by Mr. King and was published in the school’s quarterly periodical, “The Daufuskie Kid’s Magazine.” Mr. King went on to write several unpublished stories and numerous poems, several of which were published in the 1995-1996 “Poetry Anthology” by the National Library of Poetry in Owings Mills, Maryland. During the 90s, Mr. King was attracted to and inspired by the lurid tales of inner city crime and drama that he read on the pages of novels by great writers such as Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim. This, coupled with an enduring appreciation for the hard-edged, yet enlightened lyric of the era’s gangsta rap icons like Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Easy E and others prompted Mr. King to begin writing his very own stories of urban crime and inner city drama.

Filed under: Author Spotlights, DAY 6 (SATURDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Workshop – Top 10 PR Secrets for Christian Authors

December 12, 2008 by admin · 10 Comments 

 TOP 10 PR SECRETS FOR CHRISTIAN AUTHORS
 Presented by Pam Perry


http://www.PamPerryPRCoach.com 

1.      Pray. Ask God to show you WHO to contact and WHEN.   If you are hiring a publicist, ask God to lead you to the right person.  Know in your “knower” that it is a divine connection.

2.      Be a database collector.  I have been known to go to my 30-year reunion and add folks from there to my database.  Eblasts are great. It’s called viral marketing – it spreads like virus. Have a system to stores and retrieve your names/contacts.

3.      Join groups where media attend.  I joined the National Association of Black Journalists as an associate member. I go to their meetings and some have become friends and it’s a lot easier to get things in the press if people know you. Go to CBA!

4.      Read what the “best sellers” are doing. Go to their websites. Look at their previous hits. See if you can get their galley and see what their marketing plan entailed and modify to fit your book.

5.      Ask your target market (you have defined one right) what they read, listen to and how they get their news and information – and you read the publications too. Research.

6.      Go to other author book signings. You reap what you sow and you will learn a lot in the process. They may even share their “secrets” with you.  Fellow Christian authors are never competitors…. we are all in the business of spreading the Gospel.

7.      Know what constitutes a best-seller. How many copies need to sell?  What stores report? How to they report? 

8.      Contact at least two media people a day.  Building relationships is key.  Use your “signature” on everything. Never let something go out without your website on it!

9.      Look at other author press kits. Go online and see other author’s “press rooms” on their sites. Embellish your kit to add the “best” ideas of the best.

10.     Apply at least ½ the information you know about PR and marketing from conferences, books and articles you read.  You’ll be ahead of the game for sure.

Pam Perry, www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com
for Greater Grace Temple’s Pastor & Church Leaders Conference

www.blogtalkradio.com/ministrymarketingsolutions
www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com
http://www.PamPerryPRcoach
NEW: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamperryprcoach
If you believe the invisible — you can do the impossible.
VICTORY is assured to those who endure!
visit My Blog! http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.blogspot.com

Filed under: DAY 6 (SATURDAY), General Forum, Panels & Workshops
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10 Ways to Promote Your Writing During the Holidays

December 12, 2008 by admin · 12 Comments 

10 Ways to Promote your Writing Through the Holidays

Presented by Dee Stewart

Dee Stewart

 We have a few more weeks before Christmas, Kwanzaa, Watch Night and New Years. Bookstores have geared up for holiday shoppers, so no instore events for you to grab at the last minute. Public libraries have geared up for holiday reading events, so no author readings for you to participate in at the last minute. So what do you do? Table selling your books until 2009 or do you take advantage of Holiday Cheer? I say take advantage. Here are 10 ways to do promote your writing through the holidays.

1. Host a free children’s book drive at your local library. 

It’s not too late to schedule a meeting room or space at your local library or church bookstorefor a free children’s book drive. If you plan it now, you have time to get a local reporter and local vlogger to the event. Invite the public to drop off new books to the library for either giveaway or for the libary’s children’s section. On your event day have holiday punch and cookies and invite the public to pick up their free children’s book.

2. Give your book to local coffeehouses to include in holiday gift baskets.

Next week I meet with a popular lil house in my town by request of the owner. He loves authors and great books. And he’s Christian. We’re going to talk gift baskets with my client’s books inside and whether the spot will the my new spot for my Winter Reading Series. Local Atlanta Authors, let’s do this.

3. Host an Under the Dryer Book Signing at a Beauty Salon.

Have you ever been in a beauty salon? The long wait, the old reading material. What if someone was selling a book I could read while sitting under the dryer. Bingo!!  A client of mine sold out this weekend doing this event.

4. Write a Christmas story and have it published in your local community paper or regional magazine.

I wrote a story for Precious Times Magazine a few years back titled “Kissmas Time” from that story I received so many invitations to write articles for other magazines. I have a mailing list of people interested in my book (whenever that comes.) And I have had speaking engagement requests since that story.

5. Sponsor your local Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts Christmas Parade Float.

I just participated in my town’s annual Christmas parade. Loads of fun. I saw many familiar faces and have become a friend of the mayor. Yippee. Just because I’m out and about in the community. Sponsoring a float, making a banner, providing costumes, or just chaperoning kids in the parade will put you out in the community. People will become familiar with you. If you are an author, have the kids pass out bookmarks with candy attached to them or take your little Christmas story package it up and give it out to those on the parade route.

6. Read Christmas Stories at your local elementary school media center.

If writing is your life long passion, if you write for a young adult market, a soccer mom market, then get yourself to your local school and read the coolest book to kids. Host a Santa letter party.

7. Host an Online Book Giveaway, but not your book, instead giveaway:

·       one you know your readers want like Ted Dekker’s Kiss that comes out in January, or

·       one tied to the holidays like a Paula Dean Holiday Cookbook, or

·       give away a book to your friends you know are afraid to buy, but would love to read (for instance Carleen Brice’ Buy a White Friend a Black Book Month Project)

promote the giveaway and the winner by sending a press release to the winner’s local paper.Put the book in a gift basket from your local coffeehouse, Avon lady, you know what I mean…

8. Host a Holiday Book Party at a local restaurant

Publisher and author Dwan Abrams will be hosting a party this weekend in downtown Atlanta to celebrate her birthday, the holidays, and her fourth novel book release Married Strangers. The event is free to attend. It is also a book drive for a Women’s Prison Literacy Project. She’s got localebrities, book reviewers and bookstore managers popping through. The event has been promoted on local gospel radio stations, online mags, local papers, and to anyone within two paces of her.You do know now is the time to throw a party?

9. Build a tip sheet

Center the sheet around your book’s theme and the holidays, submit the tip list as filler for major local magazines and online magazines your readers read. My client’s can pull these tip sheets out throughout the year and tweak the

10. Be a frontdoor vendor at your local bookstore.

Ask your local bookstore if you can set up a table on the weekend to sale your books. Ask for two tables. One to sell your book and another to giftwrap patrons book gifts as a free service to the bookstore. All bookstore chains allow authors to do this. However, some bookstores will only talk to publicists or publishers.

Bonus, contact your bookstore every week to see if any big time authors had last minute cancellations for their Holiday In Store Events. But be prepared to get books to them on short notice. You can do that right? If not, you might not to sign up for my BMP coaching sessions in 09.

If you read the lines, you will see that the most important thing here is to become a part of your community. The holidays are the best and most opportune to do this. There’s something to say about holiday cheer. It comes once a year. Take advantage of it.

This month Christian Fiction will host it’s last 1 question interview series of the year. The question is  what’s your favorite Holiday book. Send me a private message with your answer, blog site address, and book blurb, and I will post your answers on the blog.

Related Posts:

·    Pay it Forward Fall: Gifting Your Service

·    How to Maintain Peace through the Publishing Process

·    10 Book/CD Release Party Don’ts


Dee Stewart is a bookseller, multimedia journalist, novelist, publicist and now talk show host.  She is also inspirational book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, Atlanta Satellite Bookseller for The Mocha  Bookstores, and owner of Christian Fiction Blog.  Her writings have appeared in: Spirit Led Woman, Gospel Today, Advanced Christian Writer, Atlanta Christian Family, Mosaic Literary, Precious Times, Vertical Fix just a few.  In 2009 she will begin hosting book marketing coaching sessions for Christian artists. Follow her on Twitter at DeeGospel. Or visit her site at www.deestewart.com.

Don’t forget every Tuesday at 8pm EST join Dee and her gal pal, EIC of Good Girl Book Club Magazine, Marina Woods on Dee & Marina Reports on Blog Talk Radio. It’s a current events talk radio show discussing book publishing, media, and Christian entertainment from a progressive Christian WOman’s point of view.

Filed under: Articles, DAY 6 (SATURDAY), Panels & Workshops, Promo & Resources
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Workshop – So You Want to Write

December 12, 2008 by admin · 12 Comments 

 

 

“So You Wanna Write!”

Presented by Renee Daniel Flagler

Renee Flagler

Renee Flagler

An interactive and informative discussion that explores and examines the basic elements of fiction writing.

 

Abstract

Many people are interested in writing, especially avid readers. This discussion explores the components of writing a vivid and interesting story in a way that readers and novice writers can understand and put into practice.

 

The 3-part discussion breaks down important components of story telling and helps the writer develop the skill of writing.

 

Part I – Getting started

Attendees will learn techniques for:

  1. Getting their stories and ideas organized on paper
  2. Using proper mechanics
  3. Developing a writing style

 

Part II – Characteristics of Characters

Attendees will acquire techniques for:

  1. Creating and defining characters 
  2. Establishing a characters voice
  3. Maintaining characteristic consistency
  4. Constructing multi-dimensional characters
  5. Character development throughout a storyline

 

Part III – Getting Your Story Straight

Attendees will learn techniques for:

  1. Basic story set up – establishing a beginning, middle and end
  2. Developing a solid plot
  3. Determining a theme
  4. Telling a story people want to read
  5. Shaping and executing a good story

Sessions will be led by Renee Daniel Flagler an author with professional writing experience that spans several disciplines such as fiction writing, journalism and copy writing.  

CLICK HERE for a copy of this workshop.

Filed under: DAY 6 (SATURDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Sharing Literary Resources

December 12, 2008 by admin · 16 Comments 

Sharing Literary Resources
by Tee C. Royal

I will be sharing literary resources, but don’t feel slighted if you’re not listed.  Instead, share your information (or any other links) you recommend in the comments section. 

 RECOMMENDED BOOKS (FOR WRITERS)

  • Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 2006: Who they are! What they want! How to win them over! by Jeff Herman
  • Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract : For Authors, Publishers, Editors and Agents by Jonathan Kirsch
  • Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers by Mark L. Levine
  • On Writing by Stephen King
  • Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne
  • The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.
  • The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman 
  • The Shortest Distance Between You and a Finished Book by Susan Page
  • Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Connor
  • Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed by Donald Maass
  • Writing the Fiction Synopsis – A Step by Step Approach by Pam McCutcheon

RECOMMENDED BOOKS (FOR READERS)

  • A Book Lover’s Diary by Shelagh Wallace
  • A Passion for Books: A Book Lover’s Treasury of Stories, Essays, Humor, Lore, and Lists on Collecting, Reading, Borrowing, Lending, Caring for, and Appreciating Books by Harold Rabinowitz
  • Booknotes: The Booklover’s Organizer by Marilyn McDonald
  • How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler
  • Only in Books: Writers, Readers & Bibliophiles on Their Passion by J. Kevin Graffagnino
  • So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

GENRE SPECIFIC LINKS & ORGANIZATIONS

PUBLISHERS (includes major publishers & imprints)

  • Amistad
  • Dafina Books
  • Hatchette Books
  • Hyperion
  • Kensington
  • Kimani Press
  • NAL
  • QBoro Books
  • Random House
  • Simon & Schuster
  • St. Martins Press
  • Strebor
  • Urban Books
  • Urban Christian
  • Urban Soul

LITERARY GROUPS, BOOKSTORES & OTHER WEBSITES

LITERARY MAGAZINES & INDUSTRY NEWS

BOOK CLUBS & BOOK REVIEWS

MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES 

Again, this list isn’t all-inclusive (and was compiled last year), but I hope it is useful to those wanting to stay IN THE KNOW regarding the literary industry.  Also, be sure to check out the resources accumulated over the years on the RAWSISTAZ site under Reader’s Rack and Writer’s Block.

*List originally compiled for an article on Blogging in Black in 2007*

Filed under: Articles, DAY 6 (SATURDAY), General Forum
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