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March 14, 2012
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 booboos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!
This newsletter is powered by AuthorsDen.com.
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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 (You’ll find them in several places.)
~Accessible Contests
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column: Tools of the
Trade: Typewriters
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

This Issue
~Feature: Radio: A Frugal Way to Promote by Aaron Paul Lazar
~Feature: My Book Has Two Covers By Anita Reinsma
~Q&A: How To Keep a Book Alive
~Q&A: Avoiding the Dreadful Book Signing
Join me

For more writers’ resources on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/FrugalBookPromo
For resources and more personal fun on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson
For special help for fiction writers:
www.fictionmarketing.com
For writers’ resources of all kinds:
www.HowToDoItFrugally.com


Note: You may have better luck with the URLs in this newsletter if you copy and paste them into your browser window. I leave the links long rather than use hyperlinks because the letter is available in plain text in your e - mail window as well as a .pdf format.

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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:
Spring is an important time for authors—nearly as important as the holiday gift - buying season. Trade shows are coming, in the US and in Europe. Book fairs spring up like tulips—without notice and in great numbers. And it's contest season, too. It's easy to roll our eyes and say, "No, not again!" Do resist the temptation. These are opportunities for you. This issue includes lots of tips, some of them between those little dashed lines where I usually include links to resources—some of them for sale and others absolutely f r ^ ^ - - like blogs and podcasts.
So take a deep breath of the warmer spring air. It will energize you for the promotion you absolutely must do in the coming months. ( - :

Joy, Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting
Carolyn


PS: I don't usually tell you much about my blog for retailers, even though any author with a book is a retailer of sorts. You may have heard me say, "marketing is marketing is marketing" whether it's retailing or publishing or soft drinks we can learn from other industries. But one of my recent blogs was about retailing and the likes of online giants that affect the promotion we authors do (like Amazon, Google, and Apple) and what's been happening to the giant book retailers. So, I thought I'd share the link. I think you'll find it interesting: http://www.blogaid.net/blogaid - podcast - online - promotion - with - carolyn - howard - johnson

PPS: Apologies for the multiples of the last edition (AllTips for Fiction Writers) edition of Sharing with Writers. I must have had had an itchy click finger. Thank you for your understanding!

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Needing something more meaningful for the celebrations in your life? Something that stays within your budget? Check out Cherished Pulse (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse) ($6.95) for someone you love. Try Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions for the men in your life. Sure, they like fusses made over them, too! (www.budurl.com/Imagining) ($6.95). She Wore Emerald Then (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) ($12.95), for mothers and other women, Deeper in the Pond, for the feminists in your life—both men and women (www.budurl.com/DeeperPond) ($6.95) and Blooming Red (www.budurl.com/BloomingRed), to use as Christmas cards or incidental holiday gifts. Plan next Christmas early. And ask about my special price on chapbook/cards purchased in bulk! All these chapbooks are from the Celebration Series of poetry from Magdalena Ball and me.
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Letters to the Editor

Thanks, Carolyn.

I wanted to tell you that reading your tips on writing fiction [in the last Sharing with Writers issue] hit home with me. Especially where you say writers shouldn't do a "history dump" of their characters in one spot. That's the way I have it in the novel I've been doing revisions on. One part of the story has a character reflecting on gifts from a recent birthday party and, in another part, my character is thinking "if only I'd done this as a teenager instead of that." I think that's the better way to go and I'm glad you agree. :)

Take care and have a great evening!

Love and blessings,
Dawn Colclasure, author of books such as 365 Tips for Writers: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity; Burning the Midnight Oil: How We Survive as Writing Parents; Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion; and The Yellow Rose. Her novel Shadow of Samhain will be published later this year. Her web site is: http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/



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My review blog is my gift to authors. It’s a place for you to honor authors and books you’ve loved with a review. It’s a place to recycle the review of your own book, the one you love most. It’s f r ^ ^. Submission guidelines are in the left column at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. =============================================


Publishing Tips: This tip is for those who are self - publishing books with pictures or images of any kind (like a press logo or picture of the author in the bio). You need to use high resolution when you print rather than install an image on the Web. So as when you add a picture from your files to your manuscript, single click only. Do not double click to insert it. The single click keeps the high resolution (300 dpi). Double clicking reduces it to 220 dpi and most publishers will kick your manuscript back to you with a message that your image is not up to their standard.


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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 so I can do something similar for you on my Resources for Readers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
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Tip: I attended an excellent Webinar on how to start a Facebook Business/Fan page by Magdalena Ball. Luckily it will be available from Karen Cioffi Ventrice. Contact her at dkvwriting4u@yahoo.com and tell her I sent you.


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This is the only site I know that can help novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights get noticed by directors and producers. It’s BooksToFilm and it’s run by iFOGO’s Gene Cartwright. It isn’t as frugal as I’d like, but there are times it pays to spend a little. One of those times would be if our investment leads to something big: http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html .
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Tip: Here's another great tool (besides The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) that helps you let your computer be an editing aid instead of an editing detriment: Try EditMinion.com. Let them explain for themselves what they do: "Welcome! EditMinion is a robotic copy editor that helps you refine your writing by finding common mistakes. To get started, you just paste a chapter of writing into a box on our Web site and click Edit! Don't paste too much or the script will stop responding. This is still very much in Beta and I'll be adding features as I come up with them. If you have suggestions, tweet @DrWicked or email imp@editminion.com. Thanks!" http://editminion.com/ Thanks to my poetry partner, Magdalena Ball, for this tip.


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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
Only subscribers’ successes are listed in this section. Thus, I do not pick up news of new releases or awards from general media releases for there is usually no way for me to know those releases come from subscribers. If you have an Author Success, please identify yourself as a subscriber in the subject line of your e - mail. Something like: “MEDIA RELEASE: Subscriber’s Success.”


Trying a Collected Works E - Book to Spur Sales
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Note: I got excited about Gene Cartwright's new "Collected Works" idea and asked him to tell you about it—as a success, but also as a guide for anyone else interested in trying this. I even like the cover. It has a traditional feel of collected works of the greats to it.
How and Why I Created My "Collected Works" on Amazon: $23 vs. $9.99
By Gene Cartwright

Am I breaking new ground? Perhaps.

Having a mind that seldom sleeps is both a blessing and a curse. I suppose I was in high - speed, Autobahn mode the other day, just after publishing my seventh eBook, "Fire Night."
http://www.amazon.com/Fire - Night - ebook/dp/B0079N53YE/ref%3Dsr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329934319&sr=1 - 6
Most of my titles at GeneCartwright.com are also hardcover and/or softcovers.

After uploading my recent title, "Fire Night" I decided to place it in Amazon’s Kindle Select Program. (https://kdp.amazon.com/self - publishing/KDPSelect )Click the link to learn more about the program. Of course, an author hopes those who purchase one of his or her titles will be inclined to also read the others.

Therefore, it occurred to me increased readership would be more likely if a collection of all my works were available and at a price that made economic sense. So I created a single eBook containing all seven of my available titles: "Gene Cartwright - Collected Works." (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref%3Dnb_sb_noss_1?url=search - alias%3Ddigital - text&field - keywords=Gene+Cartwright) . These are complete works, not excerpts, including the Pulitzer - nominated, "A Family Gathering."

In my case, individual purchases of my books total over $23. However, purchasing my collection: "Gene Cartwright - Collected Works" at $9.99, will benefit the buyer and me. Of course, this all depends upon the pricing of one's individual works. The advantage to me is my "per buyer transaction profit" will likely be higher. Even if a buyer is not initially drawn to each title in the collection, I believe the bargain will be too good to pass up.

My second real advantage may be with the "Select" program. Amazon sets aside a monthly fund to distribute to the Select Program's authors, based upon the number of 'borrows' for an author's titles. This month, the fund is $600,000. Additionally, buyers may also purchase the book, if they choose. It is also great advertising, as all Amazon's 'Prime Members' are notified of the program's titles.

After 90 days, per my agreement with Amazon, I may choose to provide my collection to all other eBook vendors. I see it as a win - win option I am willing to test. A collection of works may not be of benefit to everyone. However, it is at least worth examining.

~Gene Cartwright is the guru behind the writers' social network iFOGO (http://ifogovillage.ning.com/). Besides social networking and a blog feature, you'll also find services and other associated Web sites that benefit writers like www.booksforfilm.com.



patricia m. terrell Announces New Book of Suspense
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Award - winning, internationally acclaimed author p.m. terrell has announced her 13th book. A suspense/thriller entitled Vicki's Key, is being released this month by Drake Valley Press. Suspense Magazine says "she's getting better with each and every novel she creates" and Vicki's Key is "a truly riveting read." It also marks the beginning of her first suspense series, Black Swamp Mysteries.

"I've resisted a series," terrell says, "because I did not want to be a formula writer. But when I came upon declassified information about the CIA's psychic spy program, I knew this would allow me to take my main characters anywhere and experience anything happening around the world." Vicki Boyd is a psychic spy whose last mission goes horribly awry. She leaves the CIA, hoping to put her psychic days behind her, and moves to a small town where she plans to assist an elderly woman with her tropical fish business. But she arrives to find Laurel Maguire has suffered a stroke and is confined to her bedroom and her nephew has arrived from Ireland to care for her. Vicki quickly falls in love with the charming Dylan Maguire, but all is not what it seems to be in Aunt Laurel's rambling old home. When the CIA needs her for one more mission, she finds her past and her future are about to collide - in murder.

What is terrell's secret for her success? "Sometimes you simply have to stay in the game," she says. "I've been in this business since 1984 and I've seen a lot of writers come and go. Often rewards come to those who can stick it out, even in a down economy, even through publishing industry changes... In the meantime, continue to hone your craft and stay visible."

Vicki's Key is available on Kindle and iBooks as well as trade paperback. For more information, visit www.pmterrell.com.

Note: p.m.terrell does not use caps in her name. Thus, in the interest of maintaining her branding, I did not change that preference. It's a style/branding choice. Authors can do many things like this to help with the image - making quality of their branding efforts.


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It's book fair and trade show season: Here are a bakers' dozen of ideas to make BEA (Book Expo America) and other book shows easier and more productive:
http://sharingwithwriters.blogspo t.com/2007/03/bakers - dozen - work - bea - frugal - way.html Please leave comments with ideas of your own - - and links to your book's sales page.
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Accessible Contests for You to Build Your Platform

E - Book Contest Update
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~DaDan Poynter's second, annual Global Ebook Awards deadline is being extended from March 12 to April 30, 2012.
www.slideshare.net/.../global - ebook - awards - deadline - extended

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Book Proposal Help: The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything
You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less is now an
e - book ($2.99) or paperback booklet (Only $6.95). The perfect giftlet for nonfiction writers. Find it at http://budurl.com/BookProposals =================================================

Tip: Magdalena Ball used www.anymeeting.com for her Webinar on getting a Facebook Fan/Business page going. I loved it. It has all kinds of gizmos like recording features and ability to use photos and sound from attendees. They bill themselves as "f r ^ ^ Web conferencing up to 200."

================================================= Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contacts 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 iFOGO. Subscribe at http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html
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Tip: Spark interest on your Facebook page. Did you know that photos get 50% more activity than any other kind of post? Stats say quotes are excellent, too (though I personally haven't found them that effective). And questions. Don't forget to ask questions on Twitter and on your blogs, too!


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I’ve reworked my Web site. Please use the huge Resources for Writers section http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/links_for_writers.htm.And please let me know if you find broken links. I need your help! =================================================

Tip: I was told that these links in my last issue didn't work. So I'm trying again because they're important for optimizing the work you do on the Web:

So, what are those other tips? How do you make those keywords work for you? And what the devil is a long - tail keyword? See the rest of the article on my Sharing with Writers blog:

http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/02/increase - traffic - to - your - site - five - seo.html

Here's another one for Bridgitte's book on bookkeeping for writers that didn't work for some, but worked for me! Go figure: http://www.amazon.com/Bookkeeping - Freelance - Writers - Brigitte - Thompson/dp/0963212389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330266500&sr=8 - 1
Here's her site for the book: http://www.BookkeepingforWriters.com and her publisher's site: http://www.CrystalPress.org


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I am journalist in residence at Books in Sync, which means you can find my articles in their newsletter each month and even access old ones in the archives. Go to http://www.booksinsync.com/booksinsyncjournalist.html.
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Feature

Radio: A Great, Frugal Way to Promote
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By Aaron Paul Lazar
Being a Guest on a Radio Show – How Hard is it?
Aaron Paul Lazar

Last night I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Magdalena Ball from Australia on her Compulsive Reader Talks 2 radio show.

Maggie is a talented writer, incredible literary figure with exceptional presence in the industry, owner of CompulsiveReader.com, and a super lady with whom to chat. This was my second visit to her program, and probably my 12th show since I started back in 2007.

How hard is it? Should you be nervous? Should you avoid the whole thing?

Face it, everyone's scared at first, unless they've had a ton of experience speaking in front of an audience. But getting live on a show (especially if it has a podcast you can link to later!) is wonderful for book promotion, or any kind of promotion for any product you'd like to share.

I have to admit, last night I didn't do my usual OCD preparation. I was at work all day, got home about an hour before the show, ate dinner, and headed upstairs about twenty minutes beforehand. This casual approach was probably because I know Maggie and realize she's not going to embarrass a guest with off - the - wall questions, and... I've done radio shows quite a bit now. All the prep that came beforehand, stays with you. And there's a point in time when you can truly just accept the call and start chatting.
But in the beginning, here are some tips to help make you comfortable.

1) Practice reading selections from your book in advance. I mean REALLY practice. It might take ten or twenty times until you don't stumble over the words, until you "feel" the emotions of your characters coming through your lips, or until you can paint the scene EXACTLY as you heard it in your head when you first wrote it.
2) Time your readings, and tell your host up front what you have available. ("I'd be happy to read from the book if you want. Chapter 1 is 4 minutes; Chapters 1&2 are seven minutes." etc. Give them the option of including your reading into their program.
3) Ask the interviewer for sample questions. Odds are they might ask you for a list of questions and your answers in advance to help them get percolating with new ideas or topics.
4) Prepare answers for each of the questions fully. Write them down. Memorize the gist of what you wrote. And PRACTICE saying it out loud, in the car, in your home office, wherever you happen to be. Do this until the words automatically come out of your mouth. Then - work on it so it doesn't sound stilted or unnatural. After all, you still want to be YOU. You just need to be a PREPARED you!
5) Have everything you need handy. Last night I thought I was ready.

•I had my copy of FireSong ready to go for the reading, opened to chapter six.
•My reading glasses were handy and cleaned in advance.
•The light was good. I checked it and practiced reading a few times
•I turned on the fan and moved it to the far side of the room so I wouldn't cook with all the windows closed (to keep out traffic or dog barking sounds) but not close enough to make a whirring noise in the background.
•I had my laptop opened, sound muted, to a synopsis of FireSong and all of my other books in case she asked me, "What's that one about?"
•I had a bottle of water nearby, but not close enough to spill on my laptop. ;o)
•Tissues. Just in case I sobbed like a baby when I read the sad part. (just kidding!)
•Cell phone for back up, in case the phone lines didn't work, with the sound muted.

Well, I had a few moments of panic. For some reason, when Maggie called, the phone rang, but I couldn't hear her! I almost panicked, and tried dialing the line with my cell, and got a message that "this line isn't available," or some such nonsense. Of course, it worked fine all day.

I send her an email, telling her I was there. She responded, "Can't get through!" And so on.

So, after a little bit of frustration, we lost our slot on blogtalk radio, but Maggie figured out how to record our conversation using Skype, and loaded it up to a new podcast site later in the evening. Brilliant woman. But anyway, I digress...

I also almost panicked when she asked about all the new books coming out. Of course I should have opened up the schedule with all six books, their dates, and their brief synopses. But in the moment, I couldn't find it, of course. So I just went off memory and tried to describe the books as well as I could off the cuff.

Phew. So you see, even with the most experienced speaker, stuff can go wrong.

The key is not to let it throw you, try to go with the flow, and just be yourself.


What happens afterwards?

When it's all done, when you're sure you were a blathering idiot (I always think that, and Maggie says it's pretty common to feel that way), you can relax and breathe again. Drink some water, take some deep breaths, but before you do anything else, send a thank you email to your host. It's just common courtesy.

Now comes the promotion part!

You want to take advantage of your appearance on the show by spreading the word around about it, so your friends can hear you and maybe pass it on to their family and friends.

Here's what you do:

1) After the show is loaded and available as a podcast (where you can simply give someone a link and they press a play button to hear you), listen to it yourself. Make sure you WEREN'T a blathering idiot! IF you feel okay about your answers, then bookmark the page and save the web address.

2) Decide where you want to share it. Here's what I'm doing.
•Writing a Gather.com article and then hitting the Facebook and Twitter buttons.
•Posting it on my personal blog (www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com) and my collaborative blog (www.murderby4.blogspot.com).
•Sending the link to my publisher (she already included it in a newsletter to all our authors at Twilight Times Books)
•Inserting a link to it in my Lazar Newsletter that will come out in a few days (if you want to subscribe, just let me know.)
•Adding links to the show to my Web site(s), right up top where they'll be noticed.
•Sending emails to friends and family with the link, and asking them if they'll pass it around.
•Scheduling a tweet per day for the next week using Twuffer.com.
•Whatever else comes into my head in the meantime.

So, there you have it.

Have you considered doing an interview on the radio? Do you have that book finished, published, and are ready to promote it? Give it a shot! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask them below.


Good luck!

Remember, if you love to write, write like the wind!

Aaron Paul Lazar

~ Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. An award - winning, bestselling Kindle author of three addictive mystery series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases, ESSENTIALLY YOURS (MAR 2012), FOR KEEPS (MAY 2012), DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (APRIL 2012), and the author’s preferred edition of UPSTAGED (JUNE 2012).


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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://howtodoitfrugally.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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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 to HoJoNews@aol.com.


Rarely Seen International Poetry Contest
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The Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2012 is seeking work from across a wide range of themes, styles and subjects. There are two categories for entry, Poetry and Short Fiction, and a selection of prizes include:
•£500 prize money – Poetry winner
•£500 prize money – Short Fiction winner
•Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
•Complimentary copy of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
•A selection of books from our competition partners
•For more information and to enter please visit:

http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Entry is £10 and allows for the entry of two works into any one category.
Deadline: 31 August 2012
Helena Culliney, Marketing
Aesthetica Magazine
PO Box 371
York, YO23 1WL, UK
(+44) (0) 1904 629 137
www.aestheticamagazine.com


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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: Once you have a contact list for your media, don't give up! Keep adding to it. You'll find editors of the little throwaway tabloids you find outside Denny's and other coffees shops welcome your news! This should be a growing list, not a static one! To learn more about building all of your contact lists (not just your media list), check "lists" and related words in the Index of your copy of The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo)


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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/advertising.htm for only $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: This suggestion comes from Penny Sansevieri's newsletter: She suggests you read this blog post from CopyBlogger on how to make the about page on your social networks more effective. I liked it so well, I tweeted it. Find my Tweets @frugalbookpromo: http://www.copyblogger.com/how - to - write - an - about - page/


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Ta Da! E - books are great tools for promotion
http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/ta - da - e - books - are - great - tools - for - promotion/
The Anatomy of a Free (Read that Promotional!) E - Book
http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/the - anatomy - of - a - free - read - that - promotional - e - book/
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Feature

Call me Crazy…My Book Has Two Covers! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Anita Reinsma

Note: I thought the idea of using two covers to promote what is a politically sensitive subject to some was a novel (ignore the pun!) idea in marketing and, as Anita points out, a promotable idea in and of itself—a marketing angle that sets her book apart from other pitches/queries the media gets.
The title of my self - published book is “Stop Waiting for Prince Charming. He’s Already Married to Bob.” It’s subtitled: “The Odds of Getting Married and Other Nonsense.” As if it isn’t hard enough to sell a book, I chose to have two covers. Any book’s visual representation must be unique. The perception of my book’s title was an issue so the cover design needed to support or neutralize assumptions. The book has no agenda regarding same sex marriage - - the title of the book is fact. (www.anitareinsma.com)
I write, what I call, fractured reality. My book is a collection of essays that looks at the world differently. The essays are satirical, laugh - out - loud examinations of our lives - - Facial Punctuation, Airport Security, Internet Dating and many others.
In marketing my book, I deal with some tricky demographics. Early on, I had a dandy cross - section of kind strangers read my essays. I was thorough - - liberals, conservatives, teenagers, young adults, middle age, seniors, gay, and straight gave me feedback. Now the challenge was to design one book cover that could work for all of these varied individuals. I immediately decided no one cover could do the job. Let’s design two! Upon hearing my decision, my long suffering editor fainted.
My artist friend Rich Tanzmann designed Cover #1. He decided on a blast of red and green text in a standard font to make it appear to be an innocuous, self - help book. It grabs your attention. Great!
Create Space (Amazon) designed Cover #2. It is a delicious pink with a script front and two male figurines atop a wedding cake. It’s silly! I believed that both covers reflected the tone of the book. I was at peace with the designs. When I saw proofs of my book/books, I was giddy with excitement!
Marketing for Southern California, urban: When I am selling the books, I use two large posters for my display. Cover #2 stops traffic, makes people laugh and starts conversations. On the table, the books are displayed side by side. Most people gravitate to #2 and buy one or several but usually not both covers.
Marketing for Midwest, conservative areas: Cover #1 is the preferred purchase for this group. Everyone has his or her reason for buying one or the other cover. While critical comments have been made about Cover #2, those same people bought Cover #1. There are times when I only display Cover #1 and do just great. Once you begin to know your customer, it becomes one big joyful circus.

Having two covers has paid off. And it hasn’t added much to the overall expense for marketing either. The print version is under $10 on Amazon and other sites. For a fun promo, I am currently pricing the Kindle version at 99 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Waiting - Charming - Already - Nonsense - ebook/dp/B0053R42EA

The whole idea of doing two covers has given radio hosts/interviewers something to talk about. Why did I do it? Which sells the best? Would you do it again? Radio Host Dr. Carole Lieberman loved the book and Cover #2. On air, she introduced me as the “Erma Bombeck of Modern Relationships.” A male radio host in a very hostile tone told me my title and Cover #1 were negative and promoted pessimism. Good Lord! Calm down, Mr. Crabby Pants!

Both covers are eye - catching so I give away t - shirts, posters, cards, and refrigerator magnets. They are great marketing tools. The two different designs give me twice as many opportunities for visibility.
Call me crazy but doing two covers was not a whim. I may write some insane essays and produce outrageous YouTube videos

(http://www.youtube.com/user/AnitaReinsma?feature=watch),

but I have a firm grip on reality…on occasion. There’s a method to my madness or madness to my method. You choose!

Please visit me at my website, http://www.anitareinsma.com/. It’s open twenty - four hours a days, seven days a week for your dining and dancing pleasure.

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Are you confused about how to credit facts or quotes when you write articles or nonfiction? Check out my Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog: http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/10/q - la - ann - landers - academic - accreditation.html or the new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo =================================================


Tip: Suzen Pettit says "Facebook's 'Like' button is becoming just as significant as backlinks to a Web site. In other words, the more 'likes' your page has, the greater the chance of it ranking high in the search engines for your specific field and keywords."


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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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Q&A a la Ann Landers

How To Keep a Book Alive? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

QUESTION:

Hi Carolyn.

I took one of your classes at UCLA a few years ago.

I've self - published a book called Peepeyes last March through Xlibris. Initially sales were good, but they've been trailing off to almost nothing. I'm trying to restart sales through greater exposure for the book, as I'm quite sure most readers haven't even heard of it yet.

The book is returnable through Ingram Book Distribution, but how do I get bookstores to carry it even though the risk is nothing since they can return unsold copies to Xlibris and lose nothing. I can't literally in - person visit all the bookstores across the country. I have postcarded all of them, including the libraries, to the tune of almost 5000 postcards. I've entered the book in a couple of national book award contests, but those aren't decided until later in the year. Xlibris provided an email marketing campaign on the book to their email list, and I've also emailed all the independent bookstores across the country about the book.

Any suggestions on getting the book greater exposure? Thanks.

Dwain Tucker, author of Peepeyes (www.peepeyes.com),
ANSWER:

Dwain, I remember you. Partially because of your name.
When I wrote my novel the Net wasn't what it was today and one really needed to do a lot of selling through bookstores to be even reasonably effective. Today that has changed. As a disclaimer, I want you to know that some genres do better than others with no bookstore exposure, or very little. Having said that, it is so much easier for independent publishers and authors to make a big splash (meaning get their books seen and known) on the Web than ever before. And many titles (like my Frugal Book Promoter) thrive on that kind of marketing. Novels do tend to do better if they also have brick - and - mortar visibility, but to do great they still need that online promotion. That is one reason that I updated The Frugal Book Promoter to include more on online promotion than it had before. (The first edition was written before the days of blogging and social networks and in the years intervening I experimented with new promotions including the old tried - and - true one as well as the online ones.)

You didn't say how much you were doing with promotion outside of bookstores, but here's the thing. No matter what genre we write in, bookstores are a hard nut to crack for a variety of reasons. An author or publisher has to work much harder to get into bookstores, much less to be seen there. If your book is in a bookstore, it is usually stored on a shelf, spine out, where very few would see it anyway. Getting a signing or workshop is difficult, too - - as you know. That's mostly because bookstores mostly still operate on the assumption that indie books are somehow inferior. Besides that, "new" (meaning current books less that 90 days from release) are part of what they look at when they stock books.

I have one author friend who does well as an indie author. She spends at least one hour every morning contacting bookstores and the buyers for chains. She has published about 17 books. She talks about these books to buyers in terms of seasonal interests - - her novel based on Irish history, as an example, before St. Pat's day. She has developed relationships with these buyers. But as successful as she is, I can't help but think that if she put that same effort into promoting online, how many more people she could reach in that same amount of time. (By the way, she does that, too!).

I have another friend who landed publicity so spectacular for her nonfiction book it should have been an overnight success. She was on a sort of panel on Oprah. Then she was featured on the cover of Money magazine. I kid you not. I saw it! And you know what? She still has a garage full of books. She actually said she knows she didn't sell more than a dozen or so books after each one of those publicity coups!

The upshot of all this is that the methods I talk about in The Frugal Book Promoter work. Podcasts. Streaming radio. Videos. Blogs. E - mailed newsletters. Really everything in the whole darn book! They work. And they work better than bookstores when one factors in the time and money spent.

It is, after all, online bookstores that are keeping books alive. In the old days, books in bookstores that were over 90 days old got sent back to publishers to be reissued for remainder piles. The next time they were sent back, they were shredded. That most of these "older" books are still available these days on Amazon tells us that this kind of marketing is where the results are. Shouldn't we then support those who do that for us? And shouldn't we support our books by doing what is best for them?

Truly, this is only a fraction of what I could tell you on this topic. I do consult and we could talk about setting up a campaign for your book - - specifically for all the angles (themes, characters, setting, genre, release date, everything!) being taken into consideration. Literally map the possibilities for your book. But then, the Second Edition of The Frugal Book Promoter will help you do that much less expensively than my hourly rate - - which is why I wrote it.

I do hope this helps. I wish the best for your book. Basically the two magic words are "perseverance" and "viral." I also like "frugal." You don't have to spend a lot of money to market books. But in order to market them frugally, you need to do most of the work yourself and know how to do it.

You can do it. When my novel (This Is the Place) was published and my publisher did nothing, I dug in and did it myself. That same publisher eventually gave me their award for most books sold and best publicity campaign. That seems to be the only marketing they ever did other than try to sell me ridiculous packages that couldn't possibly have been effective. It took me another book with them to realize there are better ways to publish - - and market. And since then, I've been exploring them all.
Best,

PS: Maybe it's a good idea now you've sent postcards to libraries and bookstores to follow up with a query letter proposing a workshop or seminar—at least to the local ones. Mention the postcard you sent in the query. And if you have their e - mail addresses, try an e - mail followup, but a targeted one. By that, I mean, say, your story is set in New York. Send e - mails to the New York libraries saying your book is perfect for them because of the setting. In other words, play the angles.
CHJ


Q&A a la Ann Landers

Avoiding the Dreadful Book Signing ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hi Carolyn….I just wanted you to know that your chapter on book signings, in The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo), struck a chord. I'm doing well with book signings in my home town, surrounding towns, and even surrounding counties, where my name is known, but I've been hesitant to schedule book signings up and down the East Coast, because not that many out - of - staters are familiar with my work. It was nice to have my hesitant feelings about scheduling signings outside my state confirmed, because they could, potentially, be a waste of time in places where my syndicated columns don't appear. I might be wiser to wait a reasonable period of time before scheduling those book signings. What do you think?

Hugs,
Laverne H. Bardy
Author and syndicated humor columnist
Author of How the (Bleep) Did I Get This Old, at Amazon and www.Createspace.com/3640610 .
www.LaverneBardy.com
www.AfterFiftyLiving.com
www.Shrewsbury.net

ANSWER:

You can wait or you can use some of those value - added promotions I talk about for book fairs and all those ideas for selecting the right out of town venue and using the media in those areas as a trial balloon. I do think it's wise to wait until you've built somewhat of a national following on the Web, though. ( - :
Oh! And thank you for letting me know. It's always wonderful to hear from someone who is using my book for ideas and guidance. ( - :

BTW, did I mention that I've had some miserable signing outside my pond. ( - :

LAVERNE'S ANSWER

Hi again Carolyn….I will continue to read that section about value - added promotions, etc. My column is syndicated, but only in about 23 papers, and for some reason most of those papers are in the middle and western USA, and I sure don't feel like traipsing that distance in hopes of selling a few more books. Yes, you did mention that you have had some dreadful book signings. The more I ask around the more I hear that from authors. One woman told me she had a book signing outside, in a beautiful grassy area, near a lovely lake. Unfortunately, the weather turned and it was 104 degrees. Only one person showed up, so she read to that person. How brave. I would have probably taken that person by the elbow and treated her to something cold and creamy, at Friendly's or Dairy Queen.

ANSWER:

I think your way of handling the problem is wonderful. And both paths are brave and exactly what a professional would do. Two different paths to taking care of our readers.

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Recent guest blog posts: BookBuzzr.com’s regular blog for writers: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/your - stepping - stones - to - credibility/
`Recent podcast links: Elemental Musings from Bev Walton - Porter of Scribe and Quill: http://budurl.com/waltonporter
Talking with Funky Writer Rob Batista about starting a career, promoting the hard - to - promote genres:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefunkywriter/2010/07/30/the - funky - writer - radio - show - episode - 74
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Opportunities

F r ^ ^ Review Soliciting Service in Publishing Poynters Marketplace
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Reviews at online bookstores sell books. Here is a way to ask fellow authors and publishers to review your book at Amazon.com, B&N.com, and other websites.
In Publishing Poynters Marketplace, you may post requests for stories for the book you are writing, request help wanted for specific projects, list companies or rights you want to buy or sell, and offer review copies to other authors and publishers willing to post a review at Amazon.com and B&N.com. There is no charge for listing your book.

Look over a current issue of the ezine by going to http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm.
Scroll down and click on the most recent issue of the Marketplace.

Double check the ParaReviews section to see how it is done and read.
the submission instructions. Then send your request and description to DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.Describe the book in a few words. Potential reviewers only need enough information to see if they have expertise and an interest in your category. Include a jpg image of the cover.



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Here is a list of small publishers for your consideration: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/small_publishers.htm
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Thank Yous

These are, indeed, thank yous, but it occurs to me that many Sharing with Writers readers are not using them as resources. Often the blogs, newsletters, Web sites, and other entities mentioned might be perfect vehicles for exposing your books to new readers. It is up to you to click or copy and paste to see which might be suitable—and for inspiration on how to make what you do a match for them.


Thanks to Mark Logie, ... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . an award - winning poet & short - story writer and author
of "On the Road to Infinity" and "You Have No Power Over Me" (http://www.abctales.com/user/markihlogie) for his beautiful review of Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry just in time for Mother's Day giving—online or off. He's a beautiful reviewer. Find his review at www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse.


Thanks to Brigitte Thompson…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . .for running an article on blurbs on her blog. The owner of Writers In Business blog, she does a bang - up job for the authors she features. A real pro!
http://writersinbusiness.blogspot.com/2012/03/carolyn - howard - johnson - frugal - book.html?showComment=1330904563604#c637180127294420448
.

Thanks to Nancy Barnes from North Idaho Writers …
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .
…for publishing my article on pseudonyms. If you're thinking of using one, it's a must read!
http://writingnorthidaho.blogspot.com/2012/03/pseudonyms - guest - post - by - frugal - author.html


============================================
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 35 - page handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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Tip: It seems there is another way to bypass the agent/traditional publisher and still get a powerhouse publisher. Amazon is publishing books and you could pitch your book to them. I'm going to give you a ink to an article that explains more about why I think it might not be a bad idea for books with commercial interest including mainstream and genre fiction. For one thing—you'd be pitching to the publisher direct. No 15% to agents. No heavy royalty to traditional publishers - - meaning that Amazon may give up to 70% royalty as they do with Kindle which is unheard of in the traditional world. The questions to ask, of course, are how they will market a book and if they will do anything to help get the book into bookstores. It's worth checking out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/amazon - rewrites - the - rules - of - book - publishing.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&smid=fb - share


================================================
Chaz DeSimone has a new f r ^ ^ way to get a great poster for your office or a gift. You subscribe to his fr^^ poster offer and newsletter on design (including book cover design) and a different poster will come to your e - mail box about every other week. Each is entirely different, all the highest quality in design and all associated with the ampersand and, by extension, our love of writing. Each also comes with directions for printing, framing, making this into a f r ^ ^ bie that lasts. To subscribe and see images go to: http://forms.aweber.com/form/91/119176491.htm
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Opportunities


Writers at Work Conference in Alta, Utah ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary at Alta Lodge at the ski resort in Utah. Unfortunately, their Writers and Work Conference interferes with our trip to Book Expo America or we might attend. It's June 6 - 10. Learn more at www.writersatwork.org.


F r ^ ^ Dayton Book Expo
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I am a sponsor of the Dayton Book Expo and Valerie Coleman extended a personal invitation to Sharing with Writers subscribers to the expo. It is the third annual Dayton Book Expo Dayton Book Expo (http://www.daytonbookexpo.com/) on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Hundreds of book lovers will convene at the all - day event which includes panel discussions for aspiring authors, activities for children in the Kidz Zone, spoken word and book signings. Author registration is open until March 31 at DaytonBookExpo.com/Registration/. Check your copy of The Frugal Book Promoter for ways to make book fairs, expos, and trade shows work for you.

~Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, bestselling author of The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box - What your father didn't tell you and your mother didn't know. Click here to read the first chapter. For Kindle, click here; for Nook and other formats, click here.



F r ^ ^ Book Marketing Conference
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Registration is now open for Joe Linsdell's 2012 PromoDay conference on Saturday, May 19. Sign up at www.PromoDay.info. It's quick and easy to do and completely fr^ ^ of charge.

By registering for the event, you gain access to the forums where you will be able to take part in the workshops, promote your work, take advantage of networking opportunities and more.


================================================
Aggie Villaneuva is a resource you need to know. So, go to my article on how to format your book for Kindle in just a few easy steps and, while you're there, poke around for Aggie’s assortment of marketing aids including her app service. http://www.promotionalacarteblog.com/2012/02/kindle - formatting - made - easy - by - carolyn - howard - johnson/
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Tip: Let's give Pinterest a try. It's a lot like Twitter. People don't understand it so they say they don't have time. Like Twitter, be yourself (let your voice shine through) and offer people some benefit for following you. Example, authors who follow me on Pinterest get one of their book cover images pinned to one of my bulletin boards (you must have a bulletin board showing off your book covers and maybe images related to the story or theme of your book!).Find me at www.Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson to see how I've combined the personal (but not too personal) with the professional (writing, of course!).


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I know. I am a glutton for punishment and everyone hates me for my zero - tolerance rule on italics. But I was inoculated with it during UCLA’s Writers’ Program classes and I know anyone would be hard put to find a major writers’ program that doesn’t agree with them. So why risk the ire of exacting agents and publishers. Know the guidelines! http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/10/lets - talk - italics - again.html . Learn other publishing - friendly editing ideas in The Frugal Editor, www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor. =================================================


An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Tools of the Trade: Typewriters
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence


Underwood 5 from “The Classic Typewriter Page”
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/underwood5.html


Typewriters, the first modern convenience for writing beyond the pen, were the tool of choice for most famous writers until the advent of the personal computer in the 1980s. A portable typewriter went with J.D. Salinger in his Jeep in World War II to the Battle of the Bulge. Hemingway owned a Royal portable. Even after the surge of computers, some writers preferred to stick with their old typing machines.

Henry Mill is credited with the concept for a typing machine as early as 1714. However, the first functional typewriter was built by Italian Pelligrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono.

According to the Classic Typewriter Page, The Underwood #5 was the most successful typewriter in history. By 1920, almost all typewriters emulated the style and functionality of this impressive tool.

While some companies offered keyboards with a key for each individual character, the QUERTY keyboard eventually became the industry standard. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and became popular with the Remington No.2 which came out on 1878.

Writers owe a huge debt to the creators of these magnificent machines. Although they are now mostly obsolete due the success of the personal computer, their beauty and functionality make them collector’s items and they're still mesmerizing.


LINKS

List of Famous Authors’ Typewriters
http://mytypewriter.com/authors/index.html

Famous Authors’ Typewriters: Ernest Hemingway
http://mytypewriter.com/authors/featured/hemingway.html

Famous Authors’ Typewriters: William Faulkner
http://mytypewriter.com/authors/list/Faulkner.html

Famous Authors’ Typewriters: Agatha Christie
http://mytypewriter.com/authors/list/Christie.html

A Brief History of Typewriters
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw - history.html

Typewriters Force You to Focus While you Write
http://lifehacker.com/5263560/typewriter - forces - you - to - focus - while - you - write

Alpha Smart (Neo)
http://www.neo - direct.com/

History of Personal Computers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_personal_computers

Writers Who Eschew Typewriters and Computers
http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/blog/2012/12 - writers - who - still - refuse - to - use - computers/

Typewriter Guy (Classic Sesame Street)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3tgrEvpPck

The Classic Typewriter Page
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/

The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2LJ1i7222c

QWERTY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY

Carolyn's Growing Typewriter Collection on Pinterest. (Help her grow it!)
http://pinterest.com/chowardjohnson/gotta - thing - for - typewriters/

~ 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, an editor and a publicist. She is in the process of putting together an e - book and paperback based on her Itty - Bitty Column for Sharing with Writers. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/. She is also working on a book for the Military Writers Society of America on war correspondents. Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.

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I talk about what QR codes are and how you can use them to promote your writing on my SharingwithWriters blog at
http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2011/07/cracking - qr - code - for - iphones.html
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Tip: Robert W. Bly (www.bly.com), crack copywriter and marketer, says, "A strange thing happens to industrial advertisers when they get a little extra money in their ad budget: They [start using] fancy four - color brochures, gold embossed mailers, and fat annual reports produced by Fortune 500 firms… . That's a mistake. The look, tone, and image of your promotions should be dictated by your product and your market." It's something I addressed in The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo). You don't need HTML and an expensive service like Constant Contact to send out a newsletter, as an example. I tell a little story about a political candidate that did better with an old - fashioned flier than his opponent who used slick four - color brochure. When I speak, I use a one - page flier folded to look like a booklet. I print it in black on white and fold it myself. You know what? It's the content that people rave about. And no one complains about the homemade quality. In fact, when I've taken polls on some of my promotions and asked whether people prefer fancy vs. traditional/budget the traditional/budget has always won.


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I have a series of retail books that authors could benefit from. The reason? Authors are retailers, too. They must sell their books. But A Retailer’s Guide to In - Store Promotion will be especially valuable because it will give authors insight on how to convince retail outlets that a partnership (like a book signing, workshop or seminar) with them will benefit their bottom line. Find this book at www.budurl.com/RetailersGuide or more about the whole series at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/retailers_books.htm
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those of you who live in Southern California will want to mark April 11 on your calendar to hear Carolyn Howard - Johnson talk about how to make book fair booths sizzle at the Book Publicists of Southern California meeting at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City. All are welcome. A salmon/chicken/vegetarian buffet with salad, drink, and dessert (amazing desserts!) is only about $29. E - mail PR guru Irwin Zucker with your reservation (IrwinZuckerPR@aol.com). The program is f r ^ ^.

New! Carolyn Howard - Johnson will sign copies of the second edition of the multi award winning The Frugal Book Promoter Thursday, June 7 from 10 am to 11 am at the IBPA booth at Book Expo America at Javits Center in exciting New York City. ( - :


As a co - sponsor of the Muse Online Writers’ Conference (and the first one at that!), I’d like you to put a tickler file on you calendar to register for the 2012 weeklong event in October. I can’t tell you how many of my subscribers have been disappointed that they can’t avail themselves of this f r ^ ^ conference (every year!) because they miss the deadline. August would be a good time to let your digital calendar remind you to enroll at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Fun with language from The Washington Post and other publications.)

OW: The first word spoken by children with older siblings.




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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This is the 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

The HowToDoItFrugally Series for Writers

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,
Paperback: http://budurl.com/BookProposals
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3468136
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042JT1UA


Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3422926

The Survive and Thrive Series for Retailers (Authors need to know about retailing, too!)

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
Order in paperback: http://budurl.com/RetailersGuide
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1TACC
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media
Order in paperback direct from Amazon: http://budurl.com/Tweeting4Retailers
Order for Kindle Reader: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H4XCCS
Order an e - book from the publisher: http://www.createspace.com/3439623 .

Your Blog, Your Business: A Retailer’s Frugal Guide to Getting Customer Loyalty and Sales—Both In - Store and Online

Sponsored by Gift Shop Magazine
To Order: http://budurl.com/Blogging4Retailers
To Order for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H1TACC
Carolyn’s Fiction and Creative Nonfiction

This Is the Place: http://budurl.com/ThisIsthePlace

Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered: http://budurl.com/TrueShortStories

Carolyn’s Poetry

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball Paperback: www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB4AW

Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball
For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB4AW
In print to be used as a greeting card or booklet: www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse
For Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagining - the - future - magdalena - ball/1021152596?ean=2940000904893&itm=4&usri=magdalena+ball
She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood, a chapbook of poetry. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball.
Paperback and Kindle: http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook
For Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/she - wore - emerald - then - magdalena - ball/1020032782?ean=2940000807408&itm=5&usri=magdalena+ball

Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions. Coauthored with Magdalena Ball
To order as an e - book: https://www.createspace.com/3419505
For Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagining - the - future - magdalena - ball/1021152596?ean=2940000904893&itm=4&usri=magdalena+ball
To order as a paperback or for Kindle: www.budurl.com/Imagining
Deeper into the Pond: A Celebration of Femininity, Co - Authored with Magdalena Ball. Artwork by Jacquie Schmall
To order as an e - book: https://www.createspace.com/3608866 To order as a paperback: http://budurl.com/DeeperPond
Tracings, a chapbook of poetry (Finishing Line Press)
http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings

Contact Information

Websites
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com
For special help for fiction writers
http://www.fictionmarketing.com


Blogs:
http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical. On editing, formatting, and craft.
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
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. It is no longer active but there are lots of ideas you can use here, just the same.

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