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

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Feb_28_2009.pdf

March 8, 2009

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


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

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly and it's long!

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Contents

Regular Features
~Note from Carolyn
~Letter - 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
~Author Successes
~Cheryl Answering: YOU Asking: A new monthly feature
~On Poetry
~Humor Hint by Anne Louise
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column – “Novels as Classrooms”
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

Special to This Edition
~Recession Fighting PR by VH Melville
~Q&A The Big Multiple Genre Branding Problem
~Q&A More on Tip Sheets as Promotion


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Note from Carolyn


Dear Subscribers:

We all get the Nigerian s c @ m s and can usually identify them. Others are obvious. In one an e - mail asks if your credit card has been stolen. They want you to give them your card number so they can check! And the one I detest so much I blogged about it at www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com claims a soldier in Iraq has a couple million he needs help transferring out of the country before he leaves for home (now where would an Army Sergeant get that kind of money?).

Still it occurred to me that because so many s c @ m s use trusted entities to rope people in, it wouldn’t hurt to run a few by you.

Thes s c @ m artists are using your cable company’s name and your Internet provider’s name. I wouldn’t know if something went wrong with my AOL account because I just ignore anything in my e - mail box from them. I’d rather they closed my account than fall for a s c @ m so they’d better send their trouble shooters to my door or send a letter if they want my attention.

S c @ m m e r s use the names of your most dearly beloved American institutions (or your most dearly hated ones!) including McDonald’s. Many customer satisfaction surveys are a way to build trust and then sock you for more info than you should give them. The trick here is to forget surveys or to simply avoid giving out your card number in an e - mail - - or on the phone for that matter.

They’re also sending fake McDonald's, Coke, and Hallmark coupons. To get ensnared, you don’t even have to give out information. Just click on a link and a virus will get you and your friends. I could fall for this one! Frugal me wants those Coke and Hallmark coupons.

The recession is providing all kinds of inspiration to s c @ m m er s. They’ll hustle you with ways to get some of that great money the government is giving away. They set up a professional - looking Web site and you pay a registration fee for their service. They might hound you for more always with an excuse. Court fees or legal fees to complete the deal, as examples. You can protect yourself by checking official government Web sites like www.grands.gove or www.recovery.gov.

Airline ticket s c @ ms are big, too. So, if you aren’t flying anywhere, don’t be lulled into opening e - mail from airlines.

I’ve had e - mail s c @ m s from PayPal and e - Bay. I don’t even have an account at e - Bay!

There’s an IRS tax refund s c @ m. Watch for tax - refunds@irs.gov and run like hell. That means, use your delete finger. If you have questions about a refund call the IRS at 800 829 1040

You may get a fake parking ticket with a Web address on it where you can download a picture of your car. With that download you get something that will make your computer very sick.

Some s c @ m m e r s are phishing instead of tweeting on Twitter, particularly with direct messages. Don’t download attachments!

Last, you don’t need to do business with Nigeria. That includes selling them hundreds of your books. Yes, I’ve seen this s c @ m personally.
What if a window pops up when you’re on a credit card or bank site. Heck, that feels legitimate, right? Wrong. Answer no questions. Follow no links. Download nothing.

These same kinds of s c @ m m ers can find you on your cell phone or your land line. When in doubt call the establishment purporting to need information from you directly using a telephone number you get from your phone book or from your phone’s directory service, not the one they give you.

So, you say. You’re not dumb enough to give your social security number or your credit card number or your bank number to anyone online. How about your Google or Amazon account number or password? Nope. Don’t do it.

You’ve heard me tell you not to send out media releases or much of anything else as an attachment because it’s not going to get read by editors. That’s because they know viruses are often carried in attachments.

So, the final lesson for writers. You want something read by your contacts, don’t put it in an attachment. I’m a contact, too. Please, please, plop the information you have for me in the window of your e - mail. That probably goes for most of submissions of any kind. Unless their guidelines say to send something as an attachment, don’t do it.

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

PS: I just posted an article from subscriber Paulette Ensign on my Sharing with Writers blog. It’s on promoting with tips booklets. That’s a reasonably frugal way to promote that hasn’t been used by everyone. AND, in the article Paulette shows how tips booklets can be used by fiction writers. www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com



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Please note the new Resource for Writers page on Contests at www.HowToDoItFrugally.com. =====================================================


Letters - to - the Editor
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Hi Carolyn,

Regarding your Cheryl Answering: YOU Asking column on POD:

Cheryl writes:

"...it's the process of using a big digital printer to print books similar to what is done at your local print shop when you make copies."

Technically, that's absolutely true; but if you're explaining POD to an audience that doesn't already know this, it may be helpful to add that it is a big, expensive, high - end digital color copier and the final product can be bound right on the copier. For some books, it would be difficult for most consumers to distinguish between offset and POD printing. The quality is considerably better than what you get from your ten - cents - a - page copier at the local copy shop or from the office copier.

See http://www.xerox.com/digital - printing/printers/print - on - demand/enus.html for examples of the sort of devices that support POD printing and binding.

And Cheryl's also quite right in pointing out that many writers (and competing publishers, in some cases) get it wrong: POD is an industry term that does NOT mean "publish on demand." Many vanity presses rely on POD, but POD by itself is simply a printing method that may be more cost - effective and less wasteful than other methods.

Holly Jahangiri
http://blog.jahangiri.us
http://trockle.blogspot.com


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Dear Carolyn,

One of the hardest things for an author to do is to keep his name/book in the public eye - - especially as the publishing date recedes into the past. There is an industry bias (if they care at all) that favors the most recently published work. The thinking here seems to be that once a book has had its day in the sun, and hasn't made it, then it's not worth revisiting.

This is a brutal reality when one considers that an author has to bust his/her posterior to get any notice in the first place. Their "day in the sun" may have never taken place but it is assumed - - because of the publish date - - that they had their chance and if it didn't then it's not worthwhile.

I had to learn how to keep getting publicity for my book and The Frugal Book Promoter has many of the tips I used.

First of all, be advised that effective PR takes a lot of work and there is a lot of trial and error involved. Secondly, some authors are better at some of these PR chores than others. Realistically assess your capabilities before you waste valuable time. Published authors have lamented to me that they don't understand why their publisher doesn't promote their title, especially since they went to the expense of publishing it. After all, they did the heavy lifting by writing it. What they obviously don't understand is that publicity is a very time - consuming activity. There is no easy way to do it, even for publishers.

I'll just focus on just one of several activities that has worked for me. If you are an author whose writing is worthwhile, you definitely have strong opinions about things. Most newspapers have op - ed pages that solicit contributions from their audience. I write columns and had one printed in last Sunday's Orlando Sentinel.(orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/orl - myword22ellis09feb22,0,2541295.story)

As a result of my submission I began a protracted e - mail exchange with the op - ed page editor and persuaded her to let me use a promotional tag line for my book. The placement of the piece was fantastic - - above the fold on the front page of the editorial section. I was given a total of 18 column inches along with my picture - - publicity I could never buy. You can read the article online at the above link but it doesn't do justice to the actual paper itself . . . .

I've heard from many people since the article appeared. I went bowling yesterday and there was a lady there who had clipped the article and was showing it to whomever she could buttonhole. I got e - mails from many people, one from a couple (how they got my address I may never know) who wrote the following: "Just want to thank you for that article/column in Sunday's Sentinel. Haven't heard such a succinct statement regarding current goin's on until yours. I haven't read your book yet, but will look for anything with your name on it from now on."

So you see how a relatively low - cost activity can yield great results. Go for it.

Raff Ellis, Author
Kisses from a Distance
www.raffellis.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohsvMi - VCjI


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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many, I do not mind if you use only portions of it as long as you credit the writers and include this subscribe information: "To subscribe to 'Sharing with Writers' send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with 'Subscribe' in the subject line."
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Q&A: A subscriber asks “I know my query letter should be in first person; however, when writing a book proposal, is it better to write in first or third person?”

The thing is most articles on query letters try to cover the waterfront so they suggest third person. If you’re writing a query for academia, they will probably expect third person and academia can be very, very strict. Even then, you’d want to avoid business - ese and long, Latinate words. But in “The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less” ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YG6O5U/ ), I suggest first person for most everything else. The idea is to capture the interest of the agent or publisher you are submitting your proposal to. First person is so much more intimate and arresting. So why would you want to bore her to death?

On the other hand, I just wrote one in third person. It's a collaboration, so I had to refer to each one of us by name in third person and that felt even worse. I’m not charmed with the choice. But if I wrote it as coming from me (in first person) and only referred to my partner it would diminish her part in the effort. Soooo....we do what we must.

By the way, “The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less” is only 49 cents. Truly!


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Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or website: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto subscribe box.
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Author Successes

Karina Fabian Gets Reviewed by Publishers Weekly . . .
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I usually don’t run reviews in this newsletter because it could become a whole newsletter of nothing but review announcements but subscriber Karina Fabian’s Magic, Mensa & Mayem was reviewed by Publishers Weekly - - a review coup if there every was one. They say, “Religion and humor suffuse this well - imagined and densely plotted comedic mystery, based on a short story of the same title. “ See it at http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6631453.html. The book may be ordered at http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com/44mmm.html


Scribners’ Anthology to Feature Gibbons Ruark Poem. . .
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Gibbons Ruark's "Staying Blue" will appear in Best American Poetry of 2009 to be published by Scribners. "Staying Blue" is available from Lost Hills Books at www.losthillsbooks.com.


Erica Miner Publishes with Nightengale. . .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ FourEver Friends was just released by Nightengale Press (http://www.nightengalepress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=252&osCsid=7d02c15003f47e44788b3ff4477eb769 ). This story about female bonding against the background of the socially and politically volatile 60s is a must - read for teenagers, young adults, and especially their Baby Boomer parents.


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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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TIP: Peggi Ridgway (author of the coffee table book Sending Flowers to America) has a special page on her Web site that will help you with the rules for a social media release. It includes hyperlinks to other resources as well as downloadable documents and images. Go to https://www.flowermarkethistory.com/asp/media_release_social.asp Peggi's
also created a blog inspired by her book at http://socalflower.blogspot.com .


===================================================== So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you those skills alone doth not make. An editor knows formatting, front and back matter, indexing, structure, the elements of fiction and on and on. But mostly she'll see your manuscript in a fresh, new light. Learn how to hire a great editor and learn to be a better partner for any author, awful to superb, in The Frugal Editor.
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Tip: When you trade links with someone, double check to be sure the link is active - - both the one you post and the one they post. If they typed yours in wrong, the promotion will do you no good. Submitted by Nadine Laman www.NadineLamanBooks.com and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwh8DIXKXv8


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

Writer’s Digest Self - Published Awards ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I can think of a few of you who would have a very good chance of winning or placing in this award. My marketing take: Even though winning would mark your book as self published (a detriment in some circles), you might want to sort of “just get over it.” This award is prestigious enough that it shouldn’t matter even if you feel that way. http://www.writersdigest.com/selfpublished Yes, the fee is high. ( - :

Local Group Supports Authors Everywhere. . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.The Wisconsin Regional Writers Association (www.wrwa.net) exists to support and assist fellow writers with all phases, types, and categories of creative writing. We welcome members from anywhere. Annual dues are $25 for adults or $12.50 for 18 or under. Membership entitles you to the quarterly Wisconsin Writers’ Journal, eligibility to enter contests in which we award 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 2 HM prizes in nine categories each year, a discount at our semi - annual conferences (first weekend in May and last weekend in September), and the ability to post on our brand new online forum, the WRWA Writers’ Workshop (http://wrwapubcom.proboards.com ). I might add that editor of the newsletter, Boyd Sutton is very supportive of his new member authors whether they live in Wisconsin or not.


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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at www.howtodoitfrugally.com at less per year than most sites charge for a single month (see the advertising tab at the top of the page).
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Feature

Recession Fighting PR ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.
By VH Melville

Just because the economy is bad doesn't mean you have to give up promoting your book. Your book is a business. You might not have the funds for promotion you once did but you can still promote with little money.

1. Write articles for other people's online newsletters and blogs. Most of these small Internet markets don't pay so send e - mail submissions and avoid paying postage. Those articles then become a promotion for you book. This one, as an example, will give my e - book Death Toys for Quasar (http://diskuspublishing.com/vhmelville.html) a little exposure, but usually I simply put my book's blurb in my bio so it's not blatant but since PR is the topic of this article, I thought I could get away with it.

2. Use leftovers for your writing and other hobbies. You can recycle folders for media kits and envelopes for mailing. Beautiful quilts can be made of old dresses, the yarn from sweaters can be re - used. If you have a scrap book hobby see what odds and ends you can use instead of buying supplies. Those hobbies will help keep our writer - spirits up, too.

3. Make sure you have at least two good PR books. Carolyn Howard–Johnson has a book on frugal book promotion (www.howtodoitfrugally.com) .I also have Jump Start Your Book Sales: A Money - Making Guide for Authors, Independent Publishers and Small Presses. Books are lots cheaper than classes and support the industry we’re working in.

4. Use Amazon’s new and used feature to buy books. Both of the books above are available there and did you know that when you buy used, your purchase still helps that author’s sale’s rating?

4. Use your library. Some libraries also have access to computers, which is good if you have limited net hours or share a computer. Many larger libraries have market listing books to lend or directories of publications you can use to research resources for your promotion efforts/

5. If your library is small you might ask to see if they'll let you read or offer bookmarks.

6. Speaking of bookmarks, they can be super cheap to make. I copy several to one piece of paper and let Kinko’s print a dozen or so on card stock. They’ll cut them for you, too.

6. Use sites like Writers Weekly (http://writersweekly.com) to help you sell your book or articles. A sale here and there will keep your spirits up.

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VH Melville lives in the state of confusion and has a novel Death Toys for Quasar published by Diskus Publishing ( http://diskuspublishing.com/vhmelville.html ).

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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested in the Free Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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Tip: Don’t feel bad if you don’t understand Twitter. Twitter CEO Evan Williams said, “The truth is, no one gets Twitter at first.” So go ahead and dive in. You’ll see the possibilities as you go. Find me at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo.


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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love for you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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On Poetry
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This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well, inadequate about the writing or the promotion. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

I love, love, love Adam and Jendi’s Winning Writers which is mostly about poetry and poetry contests, some with f r ^ ^ entries. http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/free/fr_login.php


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Don't suffer with book proposals. You can be a pro with and investment of only 20 minutes and 49 cents with my Great First Impression Book Proposal Short.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U
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Humor Hints


A Short (and Somewhat Sarcastic) Commentary on Cover Letters ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I’m not sure why we’ve evolved the tradition of query or cover letters. Think of those poor agents and editors who have stacks and stacks of things to read - - whether virtual or physical - - and here we are adding these pretty - much - superfluous pages. I don’t mean to imply that I mind writing the cover or query letter. Who wouldn’t be thrilled, after investing hours and hours writing their best work, to then spend more hours trying to write something even better - - even catchier? I know it’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s as if writing the novel weren’t enough, now you get to sell it with a sort of correspondence haiku that’s at least as brilliant, if not more so, than the novel itself. Who wouldn’t be up for that challenge? But I really feel for the agents and editors that have to wade through those cover letters. Wouldn’t it be easier on them if I just scribbled a note at the top of the manuscript? Something like, “Here, read this, it’s really good.” I’m only thinking of them.

- - - - AnnLouise is a humor writer living in California


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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com for only $25 to $30 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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Q&A a la Ann Landers

The Big Multiple Genre Branding Problem
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If you write in more than one genre, these questions from Laurel Peterson, a professor at Norwalk Community College, and the answers are a must read. I posted it on my Sharing with Writers blog at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2009/03/q - la - ann - landers - big - multiple - genre.html


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Available: http://www.tri - studio.com/audiodivas.html from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career. Here is the page where you'll find the full list of the writer - related ones at http://www.tri - studio.com/writers.html. Titles include Contest Facts: How to Add “Award - winning” to Your Name, Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction, Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing, and more.
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Tip: Heard of Tom Swifties? You’ll want to know them so you can avoid them. It’s all about dialogue:
http://murderby4.blogspot.com/2009/02/let - tom - swift - inform - your - writing.html
Leave a comment while you’re there! ( - : Include something you’re doing as part of what you say and maybe even a blog address. ( - : Thanks to the Murder by4 blogging team for this.


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Endorsement: "I am so happy for you to receive a second award [Reader Views Literary Award] for The Frugal Editor. I bought this book a week ago, and I love it. I can already see the improvement in my work. Thank you. You deserve this award." ~Katherine Harms, author
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Q&A a la Ann Landers

More on Tip Sheets as Promotion
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Diana Dodson Asks:

I recently sent you a copy of my "Tip Sheet." I had told you that a paper had asked me for a press copy and we did not know what they meant by a “press copy.” The paper wanted a copy of my book to look at.

I did have another question though. I had thought about this when I was reading your book. If we sent tip sheets to newspapers, why would they necessarily want to use one, where they know nothing about the author or the book?

ANSWER: For them to be interested, you want to make you tips something that would interest the public. Or the specific audience of the media you are submitting to. Example, one of my tip sheets is on “Everything You Wanted to Know about Utah but Were Afraid to Ask.” I only send it out right after there is a big brouhaha in the news about polygamy or some such thing. My book is set in Utah. So the tips aren't about the book but they are related to the book.

Diana asks:

Is there a form letter that should be included with the Tip Sheet?

ANSWER: You may adapt the query letter examples I’ve given in both The Frugal Editor and The Frugal Book Promoter (they’re all a little different). You tailor them to become a query for your tip sheet. Remember, with a tip sheet you are ASKING for something to be published. Thus it is a query letter, not a cover letter. There is no possible way to cover all the exigencies for anything an author might submit for consideration to a variety of people including agents, editors and publishers. Thus, the ones in both books are templates and you will need to make them fit your different needs.


Diana asks:

Do you feel papers will put these in, even if they know nothing about you?

ANSWER: When you write a query letter you let the editors know a little about you. Did you see the section on building relationships with editors in my book? If you submit releases, tips sheets, etc often enough, eventually they WILL come to recognize you. And, of course, the whole idea of tips sheets is that editors often need - - really NEED - - little fillers. So, if a tip sheet that might appeal to their audience comes along, they very well might use it, whether they know you or not. Don’t forget to tell them they can use it at no charge and be sure to include a 25 word or less credit line, usually only your name, the title of your book and maybe your e - mail or Web site.


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Reciprocal Links: Many subscribers are in a position to cross promote. Let me know if you would like to trade some recommendation or promotion for any of my books - - from the HowToDoItFrugally series to my chapbook of poetry - - for a place on my Resources for Writers or Resources for Readers pages on www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.
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Thank Yous


Thanks to Dr. Bob Rich . . .
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. . . an Aussie friend, who published the poem I sent him when he was suffering with the Australian bushfires. Mine was inspired by one of the many I have come in close (enough!) contact with in Southern California. Find the poem at http://mudsmith.net/bobbing8 - 5.html


Thanks to Erick Petersen . . .
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. . . for his article/interview at Words San Diego: http://wordsd.com/free - writing - articles/The - Frugal - Editor - Carolyn - Howard - Johnson.html It’s also an example of how important it is to reach out to organizations everywhere - - not just the ones in your backyard - - though San Diego is sort of my backyard.


Thanks to Marv Wilson
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for the really great job he did on a guest spot I did for his blog: http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/2009/03/prime - time - with - carolyn - howard - johnson.html You’ll want to go see why great editing is essential to great marketing.


Thanks to Diane Wolfe
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for featuring on her blog my list of ways to promote by doing what you love - - writing! http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/exclusive - tip - from - frugal - promoter.html The Tiny URL for Tweeting ( - : is: http://tinyurl.com/dgevtr


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I use Vista Print for lots of my promotional materials. Be aware that shipping prices may fluctuate, depending on the deal of the moment. Please use this link: http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=815651421184
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Inspiration: From Penny Sansevieri and team: “So get out there, spread the word, promote your book and remember, sometimes that’s all it takes - - one book, one message, and a belief that you can.”


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

Title: Traditional or Nothing at All? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(This is a new monthly feature for Sharing with Writers. If you would like to ask Cheryl a question, please send it to cpickett@publishinganswers.com . Put Sharing with Writers Question in the subject line.)

Question:

Will Publishing a Book on My Own First Ruin My Chances of Getting a Traditional Publisher Later?

Cheryl’s Answer:

The short answer: Not necessarily. That being said, you'll still find many diehards who'll tell you until they're blue in the face that if you self - publish in any way, you've killed your chances of going traditional forever. Reality is though that because of the huge changes currently taking place within publishing, the issue isn't as black and white as it once was.

In some cases, they're right, plenty of traditional publishers or agents will pass you by because you went it alone or went with pay - to - publish first. On the flip side, there are also more and more publishers stating publicly that you'll be more attractive if you've self - published and you've been selling books successfully.
Think of it this way: Author Annie has a book out via pay - to - publish/POD, has a blog with a good following and she’s selling some books each month. Author Artemus has none of these and both books are equally well written and compelling to the editor. Publishers are in the business to make money, and that task is getting harder and harder. Which author do you think will at least get a second look?

Every author and every book is unique; you must go into the process to discover what will be best for you no matter what has worked for someone else or based on how things used to be. And as the saying goes, never say never.
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Cheryl Pickett has been a freelance writer for almost a decade. Her new book, Publishing Possibilities: 8 Steps to Understanding Your Options & Choosing the Best Path for Your Book, helps authors publish with less stress and more success. Find out more about the book and Cheryl's other services at http://www.publishinganswers.com.



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The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Novels as Classrooms ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

It’s Saturday morning and you’re staring at a blank page on your computer wishing it would miraculously turn into the Great American Novel. Unfortunately, it stays blank. Your idea bin is dry and you aren’t sure how to express the one thought circulating through your head. Here’s an idea for you.

READ.

In my home office, I have a pile of books that I’ve decided to study. They include Dan Brown’s THE DAVINCI CODE, V.I. Naipaul’s A BEND IN THE RIVER, Carolyn Howard - Johnson’s THIS IS THE PLACE, Dan Skelton’s OUT OF INNOCENCE and Laila Lalami’s ARC of SECRET SON. Lalami’s book weaves together the threads of a young man searching for his identity, the definition of “family” and the factions seeking to take over the heart of Morocco. I began to think how the writer structured her novel, developed the characters and set them on the road to either catastrophe or freedom. It was a perfect vehicle to study.

Here are some ways to turn the novels you read into classrooms for your writing:

. Pick one or two books that you think are exceptionally well written and in the genre in which you want to write.
. Read these books once or twice, paying attention to how they are structured.
. Choose one of these books and dissect it in these ways:
• Define the setting of the novel.
• Write a paragraph synopsis of the novel chapter by chapter.
• Make a character sketch of each main character.
• Outline how these characters develop throughout the story and how they interrelate.
• Is the setting a character in and of itself? Think the Mississippi River in Tom Sawyer. If so, list its characteristics as if it were a person.
• Look at the literary conventions used in the book: Metaphor, allegory, etc.
• Does the novel make a political, religious or social statement? If so, make some notes about where and how it achieves this goal.
• If the novel is a fantasy, in what way does it relate to the World we live in? What does it say about that World?
• What do you think you could have done better if you had written the book? Even Nobel Prize winners aren’t perfect.

Yes, this will take time. Yes, you will not be actually writing your Great American Novel when you are doing this. The important part is that you are training yourself to write it.

If you want to cut to the chase, look at the links below for sites that have already dissected classic novels. Not only do Sparks, Cliff Notes and Pink Monkey tell you about a book, they also show its structure. However, DO NOT use these tools in place of reading each book that you choose. You might differ with what an academic has said about the piece. In fact, please put your own thoughts down about the book and use the professional notes as a guide only.

Copying the plot of any of the novels you read is not the intention of this lesson. The goal is for you to learn character development, plot structure and insight in order to write your unique work. Whether you realize it or not, you have the same potential that published writers have. The only difference is they lucked out and found a publisher. You may have to write several novels until this happens to you - - and it might not - - but the process is paramount. There is CreateSpace.Com and other places to publish if you are not willing to wait for a big break (or if you have waited and get too discouraged).

REMEMBER to edit your work to a fine polish whether you publish traditionally or otherwise.

Study, write and bloom!

LINKS
The Best Notes – Online Sparks and Cliffs Notes
www.TheBestNotes.com

Pink Monkey – A Web site that breaks down the plot, characters and meaning in famous novels. Use as a beginning, NOT a crutch.
www.PinkMonkey.Com

Writing a synopsis
http://www.ehow.com/how_4449207_write - synopsis - book.html

CreateSpace – Amazon’s arms for publishing on demand
www.CreateSpace.com

Pulitzer Prize Winning Authors
http://www.powells.com/prizes/pulitzer_fiction.html

Nobel Prize Winning Authors
http://almaz.com/nobel/literature/

New York Times Best Sellers
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/

Literary Terms
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/lit_term.html

Plot Development
http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/read/plot1.html

Reviews for Riters© on the HowToDoItFrugally site
http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/free_content.htm
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Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative) is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co - author of The Complete Writer and a publicist and literary agent. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/.



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


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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will guest lecture for Eve Caram’s Novel I class at UCLA at on March 11th. Ask Carolyn for more information on UCLA courses, both online and on campus: HoJoNews @ aol.com.

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be signing a new chapbook of poetry She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood as well as her other books, including the HowToDoItFrugally series of books, at the world renowned LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books the last weekend in April, 2009, on the UCLA Campus. To learn more about a signing position for yourself, contact Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite@yahoo.com.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be presenting two seminars at the National Stationery Show, one on Monday, May 18, called "Move Upward in a Down Market with Free Publicity Exposure and Money - Making In - Store Promotions" and the other, "Grow Your Business Online for No $$$," on Tuesday, May 19. This is a huge show a la Book Expo America! but for stationery retailers and will be at Javits Center in Manhattan. She'll also be publishing a new book for her HowToDoItFrugally series, this time for retailers. Many of the marketing principles are the same, though. ( - :

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

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

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

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

We are now taking reservations for the conference. More to come on my presentations there at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/.

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


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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
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(Definitions in the next few newsletters are from www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/definitions.htm.You might have some favorite neologisms, metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

"FAMILY PLANNING: the art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster.”


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

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

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

Although I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

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

Ordering Information:
Order the Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't at stores like UCLA, Dayton University and San Diego State University's bookstores or at Amazon where it is discounted:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/ Order it as an e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The second in the How To Do It Frugally series of books, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success, is available at
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, is available on Amazon as a Short for 49 cents.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U/

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


Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, published by Finishing Line Press may be ordered at
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1 - 1/

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

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

Blogs:

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

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

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

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

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

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