New Edition of "Grammar Done Right" Reviewed

I don't think writers can ever have enough references or read enough books on grammar and style. That's 'cause most of us have been mislead throughout our educations to believe that grammar rules are cast in stone and few of us are taught anything about the techniques of creative writing.

You'll want to read the 2nd edition of Karen L. Reddick's Grammar Done Right was just released. And keep it as a reference. Find my mini review at
http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2009/07/karen-l-reddick-releases-2nd-edition-of.html.

Besides, by clicking on the link above you will be introduced to my Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog. It's another resource for catching up and brushing up on everything from punctuating dialogue to style choices.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Q&A a la Ann Landers: On Multiple Submissions

Question:

I have contacted you before and think [The Frugal Book Promoter] is great. I may have missed this in your book, but I wanted to know if you send articles to magazines, is there anything wrong with sending the same one's to different magazines at the same time?

Thank you so much,
Diana Dodson

Answer:

There isn't anything ethically wrong with sending the same article to several different magazines at once as long as you let the magazines you are contacting know when one of the others accepts your idea. The same is true for sending queries to literary agents and book publishers. In fact many who ask for exclusive submissions are aware that the practice is patently unfair to the author and rigged in favor of the convenience of the publisher or agent. One can hardly blame them for trying to make their jobs easier.

One of the reasons that some publishing entities object to the practice is that when writers do submit many at a time they sometimes forget to tailor each of the query letters for the publisher they are approaching.

Looking at it this way, these editors have good reason to expect exclusive submissions. Each magazine, newspaper, blog, or Web site will have a different style and will have published different articles in the past (maybe one similar to your idea), etc. So, unless you've done the research, the scatter-gun query technique usually doesn't work very well. Further, your query letter will have a better chance at success if the editor can tell that it is to directed solely to her and her magazine. But if authors and freelance writers tailor their letters as if they are exclusives but still send several at once, well--that seems to be a fair balance to me.

The query letter approach is the accepted one in the freelance world. The idea is to ascertain if the magazine has an interest in your story idea rather than writing your whole article first. You might want to write a couple lead paragraphs so that an editor can get a feel for your voice, but beyond that, you'll save yourself lots of time by waiting to do the rest. When an editor accepts, she may even suggest you take a whole new tack to the one you suggested.

As you know, you'll find a general template or two for query letters in The Frugal Editor along with information on how to avoid certain query letter booboos. You'll also find query letter samples and media release samples in The Frugal Book Promoter.

Hope that helps, Diana
CHJ

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Better Your Writing with a Class--But Just Any Class Will Not Do

The summer is nearly over.

When time passes so quickly, I get the sense that I've frittered the summer away.

That I am teaching a one-day seminar at UCLA on August first and that the enrollment is a little down from similar classes I've taught at other seasons of the year, makes me think you may doing the same thing. That worries me because the number one way to become a better writer is to take a class. But not just any class.

Here's the thing. YOu need to be cautious about where you take a class. I believe in taking them from organizations that carefully vet their instructors--preferably university courses or university extension courses. Most offer both on-campus and online courses.

It’s not that many great courses are not available online, but how do you know? If a novice has taken a class and gives it a great review, they may not even know if they didn’t get accurate or up-to-date information. All authors know about the biased reviews--both good and bad--that circulate on the Web. The ones written by the author's mother, as an example. So, if you spend a bit more for the best class possible . . . well, this is your career.

On occasion I've had writers plan a vacation to California to take my one-day seminars. They're thinking, the beach, Disneyland and, yes... a class! That makes the trip at least a partial tax deduction. Many films are made on the beautiful UCLA campus, so even the class is sort of an exotic treat for many. Here’s the URL for more information, just in case it's not too late for you: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/Course.aspx?reg=U9836

If you live in the Southern California area you’re set. You can even register at the door. And if not and you must stay close to home there is a list of US universities with writers programs on my Web site at: http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/writers'_programs.htm I bet most of those universities have an online component.

When you decide on your next class you may be tempted to repeat patterns you've gotten into in the past--literature classes or grammar classes. They’re nice, too, but a real writing class will give you more information in areas you are less likely to already have encountered. It’s the nature of the thing.

So, go out there and get some more career-building information under your bonnet. I don’t think one of you--even the ones who are teaching classes of your own--couldn’t benefit from learning a few new tricks from other writing program teachers.

PS: The book cover images are of my book and Pam Kelly's. Many of UCLA Extension's instructors are authors in their own right; they have practical experience in writing, marketing, speaking and other skills that writers need today.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

The Frugal Way to Navigate the Publishing World

Today I received a message through my AuthorsDen.com message center. It was from an author who had made one mistake (choosing a digital publisher before she understood the ramifications of that), and was about to jump from the pot of boiling water onto a sizzling stove top.

The publishing world is just not an easy one to navigate any more. Gone are the days of two paths. The agent to big New York publisher path (though they obviously aren’t all in New York) or what used to be called the “vanity” approach which is so derogatory it is no wonder the model didn’t catch on until the dawn of digital (POD) publishing. There are so many more choices today and none of those even clear cut. Some publishers mix different policies and methods. Some offer several under one roof. Attitudes and acceptance have changed in some quarters and not in others.

Obviously, there is lots to learn. And that brings me to how writers of every ilk can learn what they need to know frugally. The thriftiest way I know is to subscribe to (and read!) respected online newsletters. They are a bit out of favor these days with all the possibilities floating about the Web, but they offer regular resources and wisdom in small, easily absorbed doses. My favorite freebies are:

~Penney C. Sansevieri’s Book Marketing Expert newsletter. To subscribe send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to subscribe@amarketingexpert.com.
~My Sharing with Writers newsletter (of course!). To subscribe send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
~And for resources, C. Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers. To subscribe go to http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com/

Another way to do it is to go to trusted Web sites’ resources pages. My favorites are:

~John Kremer’s website, www.bookmarket.com.
~The Resources for Writers pages at my site www.howtodoitfrugally.com. Click on the Resources for Writers link at the top of the page. Explore all the pages from media release disseminators to graduate programs at US colleges and universities.
~Dan Poynter’s Web site, http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/

Then there are books. Though they are not as frugal as some of the freebies on the Web they are pretty failsafe if you pay attention to the reviews you’ll find easily on each book’s individual sales page on Amazon. Paying from $10 to $20 for a book that targets your immediate publishing and/or writing concern is downright cheap compared to the expensive mistakes you may make if you don’t know your stuff. The trouble is, those new to the publishing industry don’t know what they don’t know. I have dozens of recommendations listed in my Resources for Writers pages on my Web site (http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/inspiration_and_references_for_writers.htm) but here are a couple of essentials.

~If you plan to self-publish, read Aaron Shephard’s Aiming at Amazon.~Before you publish anything read Marilyn Ross’s The Complete Guide to Self Publishing. Yes, even if you don’t plan to self publish, you’ll find invaluable information here.
~Read Karen L. Reddick’s Grammar Done Right and my The Frugal Editor. They will both save you much humiliation later and The Frugal Editor will help you get a publisher with the chapter on writing a provocative query letter that doesn’t tick an agent or editor off.
~For a quick brush-up on basic publishing choices try Cheryl Pickett’s Publishing Possibilities.

And then there are podcasts. You’ll find some of the ones I’ve done or am about to do listed in my newsletters. Again, choose to listen to programs or featured guests you trust. Not everyone who has published a book is an expert. Not yet, anyway. It does take a little time because there is just so much to know.

And my last, though much more expensive is to take classes, go to writers’ conferences. My favorite conference is one I cosponsor, the Muse Online Writers’ Conference that occurs each October. It’s absolutely free and Lea Schizas, the power behind the scenes, does vet her presenters. Of course, I also love the conferences that I speak at or have spoken at. Find the upcoming ones in my appearances list in my newsletter or on my calendar at my Website or blogs. Or just ask me for recommendations.

Having said that, there are many classes, both free and otherwise, on the Web and in communities that are not well vetted. It is hard to tell what you are getting when it comes to classes because beginners may give a class rave reviews but they may not be aware that they’ve received biased, incomplete, or downright wrong information.

So the best advice I can give--advice that pretty much assures writers they are getting what they need--is to choose classes from accredited universities with writers programs. There are many instructors who teach for universities but also teach online. Because we’re talking newby writers here, they may not be equipped to fully weigh an instructor’s qualifications.

University classes may appear to be expensive but this is one place where quality counts more and a small fee wasted weighed against a larger fee for a quality class is really the thriftier choice. My favorite, of course, is UCLA Extension’s Writers Program--both online and on campus. And I am happy to let you know what I know about any given instructor. Just call on me. My next class will be:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson will teach “Creating a Promotion Campaign for Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book.” 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 Request a UCLA Extension catalog at www.uclaextension.edu. Learn more about the class (only $125!) at https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/Course.aspx?reg=U9836


So there it is. The Frugal way to get information you need. New writer or one who has been kicking around for a while.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Judi Silva Touts Book on How to Write Query Letters That Sell

I rarely run book reviews on this blog but occasionally I receive one that will help writers with either their craft or the business of writers. I've known this reviewer and the author of this book for some time and think it's important information. Besides, Query Letters That Sell will be a fine companion to my The Frugal Editor. I hope you'll order them both on Amazon at the same time and get free (that's frugal!) shipping. And even better, Judi Silva spices up this review with lots of other resources I know you'll love.

Title: Query Letters That Sell
Author: Mridu Khullar
My Rating: 5 out of 5

Reviewed by Judi SilvaReviewed

About five years ago I came across a site called WritersCrossing and the freelance writer who ran it Mridu Khullar. At the time she had an e-book called Query Letters That Will Knock Your Socks Off which she offered to writers like me who were just starting out in magazine writing. The letters and her advice were extremely helpful, as I have since sold my articles to several different magazines thanks to her.

Others have felt the same and have sent her comments like the following:

"Once again, I am completely blown away. Talent is one thing: people are born with it. Some use it, others don't. Skill can be acquired with some determination. But the ability to apply seat of pants to seat of chair combined with both talent and skill (and a wicked sense of humor) is a rare thing. Thank you so much for your sparklin' ebook. I'm loving it to bits. Knocked off? My socks are missing! Big thank you." - Marie

If you would like to be able to write query letters that will get you the writing jobs you're looking for, then visit the author at her new site where she is offering the query letters free for the asking. You will find Khullar very thorough with a dash of spice that she adds to her writing.

Below you will find a listing of the topics which are included.

The Idea Factory
A Closer Look at Your Life
Brainstorming Techniques
On The Market Hunt
Finding Markets
Finding Magazines You've Never Heard Of
Know the Market
Deciphering the Demographics
Shmoozing for Quotes
Hunting Down the Experts
Tuning In To Public Places
Pieces of the Puzzle
Hook 'em Right
Part of the Query
Get the Oomph
Off They Go
The Other Types of Queries
Additional Tips
Smart Querying

Also check out her other articles on Query Letters you'll find at Mridu's site:

5 Questions to Ask About Every Article Idea

Query Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The Stuff E-mail Query Letters are Made Of

And sample query letters, too.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

My Take on the B&N E-Book Foray

Promises, promises.

Once upon a time Barnes & Noble said it would have an e-book store. Then, in 2006, it backed off from the idea. But it’s b-a-a-a-ck!

It’s talking e-books again, probably because it acquired digital-minded Fictionwise for--are you ready for this? 15.7 million. And probably because competitior Amazon is going after e-book sales. The bad news is that B&N says their downloads won’t be compatible with either Kindle or Sony. And downloads from some other devices won’t work with Blackberries and iPhones (though B&N promises theirs will!).

B&N says they are working with another handheld called Plastic Logic. So that’s one more handheld device publishers and self-published authors will have to deal with.

Except for the e-book part, they’re all on the wrong track. Readers are customers. They just want access and they want it easy. They aren’t much interested in the petty competitions between giants. That’s what made the Net great. Access by all. Shouldn’t we be able to count on the smart guys to care about the end customer? Especially with one of the most successful models in all of history as a model?

Go figure.

PS: All my HowToDoItFrugally books are available on Kindle. (See www.budurl.com/FrugalEditorKindle.)I'm struggling to find time to get them ready for Sony and may never do it (I'm not that techy!). And now this. It's the cell phone snafu all over again. That's another column, but Europe's cell phone system beats ours by a long shot. Looks as if they'll have to take the lead in regularizing the e-book phenomenon, too.


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Marketing and Publicity: Sharing the Small Town Farmers' Market Way

In Dotsie Bregel's Boomer Women newsletter she tells a little story.

She says, "I just returned from the Towson Farmer's Market. I often walk, but since the newsletter deadline was glaring me in the face, I drove. Towson no longer has parking meters. They've installed machines so you buy parking tickets for an allotted amount of time and post them in your car window. I followed the new system, got my juicy, grilled burger and walked around scarfing up fresh veggies and some strawberries. What a way to spend lunchtime. While leaving, I heard a young mother offer her unexpired pass to an elderly man and thought, what a great idea. I, in turn, offered mine to a young family that pulled in near me. They were delighted. I was happy to take the baton (her idea) from the young mother and pass it to another family. How fun is that? My wish for you is that find a way to pass a baton because it feels so good."

Her story made me realize that great PR operates the same way. Really, marketing is based on the old golden rule. It truly is about sharing. If more authors understood that, they might feel more comfortable with the PR process. After all, the very act of writing is one of sharing. We just must take it one step farther and let people know that we've shared, that we want to shar! So, yesss! We can get over our shyness. Yes we can.

BTW, Dotsie has a fan club on Facebook. Go there and learn more about the wonderful organization she founded. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baltimore-MD/National-Association-of-Baby-Boomer-Women/68886848316 Why would you do that? To support someone who shares! And because when her organization shares with you, your book will benefit. So, what can you offer HER?

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Writers Need Time Management about as Much as Anybody!

Usually a I reserve book reviews for my The New Book Review blog.

Unless they are reviews of books about writing or book promotion.

Or unless I think it is a book that can help writers with their careers.

Guess, that's part of the fun. Especially for those of us with journalism backgrounds where out editors called the shots. With blogs, we all get to do pretty much what we feel like doing. With our readers in mind, of course. (-:

Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day by Karen Leland and Keith Bailey is a book made for today’s hurly-burly work environment. Many writers--even those who work at home--find it challenging to avoid distraction, stay focused, use their time and energy to maximum benefit, and gain ground on important goals and outcomes. One study by the Families and Work Institute found that one-third of Americans are overworked and more than 50 percent of those surveyed say they are either doing too many tasks at the same time or are frequently interrupted during the workday – or both. In short, we are overloaded!

Time Management In An Instant helps the reader to overcome this feeling of overload and avoid the traps that lead to an unproductive relationship with time. It offers field-tested time habits and expert advice based on the latest research that will help the reader better manage, create and spend their time with more satisfaction and results.

Successful authors are often asked about their process. When do you write? How do you keep from being distracted. A question they often ask me is how I make time for both promotion and writing. These questions are all good but each of use is made of different stuff. What works for me or for Stephen King may not work for others. This book tackles the problem with essentials that you can apply to your individual situations.

Go for it!

Special Offer

When you buy a copy of Time Management In An Instant the week of July 20th and receive a free license to the Essential Email online course. To buy the book and claim your bonus, or just to buy the book go to: http://www.quality-service.com/timemanagementinaninstant Here is a little about Essential Email: While email is the most widely used communication tool for business, its remote nature - which eliminates tone of voice and body language - presents a huge potential for mischief, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation. This online program will help you go beyond basic email etiquette, to the proven principles and practices for gaining mastery and saving time over your electronic mail box.

Author Bios

Karen Leland and Keith Bailey are the bestselling authors of six books including Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day. The two authors are partners in Sterling Consulting Group; an international management consulting firm. They are the bestselling authors of six books, which have been translated into ten languages. Karen and Keith have worked with over 200,000 executives, managers and front line staff in companies throughout the world including: American Express, AT&T, Oracle, Microsoft, Xerox, Marriott Hotels, IBM, Lucent Technologies and UPS. They have been featured in dozens of newspapers including: The New York Times, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Newsweek and Time. They also have extensive on-air experience and have been interviewed on The Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America and Oprah. Karen is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers and has written for The San Francisco Chronicle, Sales and Marketing, Incentive, Women’s Day, Self and many others.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Time Magazine Gets Amazon Right--And Wrong

How lucky can an author get?

Maybe as lucky as Cayla Kluver. She wrote the novel picked from Amazon’s list of indie published books to be the first effort of their new publishing program. She wrote Legacy when she was only 15.

Amazon plans to choose books that have sold well and have received excellent reviews (presumably on their site) and they also plan to put their muscle behind promoting them. So reports Time magazine in the Arts section (June 22, p. 101).

The article touts the pure power of Amazon in the publishing world--something authors have worried about for a long time. And the Time writers Time worry about it a bit, too. They say, “If Amazon can’t make a deal with the publishers, it can always just become a publisher.

Which it is exactly what they are doing.

And yes this will limit the advantage traditional publishers have had in the publishing world for a long, long, long time. Call it clout. In fact it might not hurt the traditionals worldview to get a taste of their own medicine. It's funny how Amazon gets clobbered for their aggessiveness but we only hear whispers about the exclusive old publishers' club.

The authors of the Time article worry mostly because this new model foretells “a different editorial method [that will] engage a very different set of literary values.” From what I’ve seen over the decade since I started in the publishing industry, I figure that those values have been changing for a while now. It took Amazon quite a long time to figure out that their rye toast is buttered by authors and that they’d better treat them well if they want the marmalade (call it good will) to be spread liberally, too.

I tend to give Amazon a break. They only launched in 1995 so when I started noticing some of their exclusionary tactics, they were still infants. At least Amazon does seem to be getting it--that creative people (authors, product developers, inventors) are what feeds their business. It seems traditional publishers don’t quite have a secure handle on that concept except for their A-list names. Maybe they once did, but I don’t remember those days at all.

To be sure Amazon still slips now and then but they are slowly embracing authors without concern for the press they are published on. Ahem! Though once they’ve favored an author or publishing company, they want them to use the presses they own--Booksurge, CreateSpace.com and others.

After Time writers Lev Grossman and Andrea Sachs have done their worrying, they retreat. They decide “it’s not an either/or future. It’s both/and.” I couldn’t agree more.

You may not remember when people were sure that TV would destroy radio, but I remember. This fits with my philosophy of life. Things might change but the universe is large enough and generous enough to accommodate all. Yes, even in a recession.


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Sharing with Writers Offers First Contest

I'm not quite sure why I don't run contests very often. Perhaps its because I think they should be something special. This is the time. This is my first contest for this blog and the first for my Sharing with Writers newsletter.

Because poetry can be so important in our lives if we will but let it, I wanted something to remind people to slow down a bit and read a poem (or write one). Then I ran across Lillian Brummet's revised book of poetry, Towards Understanding.

Towards Understanding is in e-book format which makes it green. Something Lillian and I are both avid about. If you've read this lovely little volume, Lillian has revised it with, she says, "an ending I feel more comfortable with." It even has a new cover designed by her artist husband Dave.

The collection of 125 poems run in chronological order to tell the true story of a preteen girl growing up on her own, struggling to survive, breaking the chains of inner demons and finally growing towards understanding of her value and purpose in life--but not quite reaching it. Thus the title… Towards Understanding.

Lillian wrote the book to show other victims of abuse, violence, and neglect that they can live a wholesome life without carrying baggage from the past. She wanted to provide a roadmap that showed the healing process that victims go through, letting others know they are not alone. The poems will help others provide a better support system for those they know who are in a similar situation.

So, the prize for my contest is an e-copy of Lillian's Towards Understanding. The winner may also submit one of their own poems or a short excerpt from their prose to be published in the Poetry Corner of my Sharing with Writers newsletter. I ask only that the piece fits with the theme of Lillian's book and this contest, "Towards Understanding." The "understanding" can be on any subject that interests the subscriber.

To enter contest send an email with "Towards Understanding" in the subject line to me at hojonews @ aol.com Be sure to remove the spaces from the address before you send it. The deadline is Sept. 30 and the winner will be chosen at random.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of two books of poetry. Tracings, A Chapbook of Poetry, was named to Compulsive Readers' Ten Best Reads list and was winner of the Military Writers Society of America's award Excellence She Wore Emerald Then, Reflections on Motherhood, was co-authored with Magdalena Ball. Kristin Johnson, screenwriter and founder of the Warrior Poets Project says, "[Both] poets continue to write poems that don't sound either like banal Hallmark cards or the bitter-at-dysfunctional-family jeremiads that habitually torture MFA writing workshop participants."

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Recommending a Service-Oriented Writers' Organization Here!

I am a proud member of Military Writers Society of America. I recommend it because of the opportunties it offers writers, especially through its bookstore, its review program, and its award program.

MWSA is under new leadership and it continues to evolve along with its revamped Web site. They’re in the process of integrating their bookstore and their MWSA reviews. From now on, all our reviews will be part of the bookstore.

Eventually, they will be implementing an automated online database of all their members' books and reviews. Once this ambitious project is complete, visitors to the MWSA bookstore will be able to search and find exactly what they’re looking for. They’ll be able to see search results by about any essential book detail. Title, genre, etc.

One does not have to be military or write about military subjects to belong to this organization, but any writer who fits in either of those categories certainly should be a member.


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

MaAnna Stephenson Shares Top Two Things All Site Owners Should Know

Today MaAnna Stephenson shares the two (!) most important things site owners should know about Web sites, preferably before they ever start. The tips are especially near to my heart because a couple years ago I found myself without a domain name when I wanted to begin doing it myself. It was a mess and I had to start all over again with getting my Web site a good search engine footprint. I don't wish it on anyone. So take heed and read. (-:

By Ma Anna Stephenson

Online marketing has become the hottest method for authors to get buzz on their books and provide multiple ways to interact with their audience as well as other book business professionals. The heart of a successful marketing campaign is a good Web site.

Let’s face it, most authors aren’t geeks and rely on site designers or other technical professionals to help them develop an online presence beginning with a Web site. Very often, a new author is overwhelmed with the various tasks of creating a marketing strategy. Finding a designer who can take care of all the technical details can seem like a blessing.

However, far too often authors don’t read the fine print of the contract they strike with a designer. When authors want to switch to another designer, or change to a different format, such as from a static site to a WordPress site, they are shocked to discover that the original designer owns the domain, the site, the graphics, and all of the content.

Following are the top two tips you can use to protect yourself as a site owner.


Tip 1: The best thing you can do for yourself is to purchase your own domain name. This is the URL of your site. It will look something like this: www.mysite.com.

You can purchase your domain from a domain registrar. Some are standalone entities while others, like GoDaddy, also offer hosting services. Many of the latter will give you a domain name for free if you purchase a hosting contract with them.


If you plan to hire a designer, ask them which hosting service they like to work with for your type of site. Many designers purchase space with a hosting service that allows unlimited domains. This means that the cost of hosting will be very cheap for you because they are providing a discount rate on hosting.

Even if you go this route, purchase your own domain name. They’re inexpensive (as low as $2-$3 a year from some registrars). You can list yourself as the owner and list the designer as the technical contact. No matter what is stated on the designer’s contract for the rest of the site, you will control your domain and are free to point it to a new site later.


Tip 2: Before you sign a contract with anyone, ask who owns the site. This includes the layout, the graphics (if they are custom designed), and the content. Many designers insist on maintaining the copyright of the site. They are not trying to be mean or greedy. They are just trying to protect their work. If they don’t own the copyright, and you switch to a new designer, there is nothing to keep the new designer from claiming that they created the site.

Another reason a designer might work this way is to ensure prompt payment. By owning the site, they have a right to make it unavailable until the author pays them the full design fee or yearly hosting fee, if that is part of the deal.

Being a savvy site owner means knowing what you own and protecting your investment. Most designers are very helpful people and respectable business owners who will work with you on these points.

MaAnna's post is part of her new blog tour. You may want to have some fun with it, even win something:

Join nationally acclaimed author, MaAnna Stephenson, on her blog book tour July 6-31. Two decades of technical writing, web design and marketing for countless private clients and community groups have led her to produce a new instructional series titled Just the FAQs, the ultimate user-friendly guides to the technical aspects of internet marketing and promotions.

Each time a blog visitor comments on any or all of the blog stops including this one, they will be entered in a random drawing for two free Just the FAQs classes. Not only that, but every commenter is a winner and will receive a copy of MaAnna Stephenson's e-book the Quick Step Guide. If you haven't already read her books, be sure to pick up the series at http://www.justthefaqs.net/ebooks.shtml.

For more information about MaAnna Stephenson and her virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/05/just-faqs-blog-tour-with-maanna.html

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

New Literary Journals Prove Interest in Poetry Alive

I am always excited when I have a poem published in an anthology, especially one in a literary journal associated with a university. Yeah. It's the prestige. But it's more important that. These journals help creative writers and poets get read and that the editing, publishing and writing of them is a training ground for the future of creative writing.

My pleasure is doubled with this particular publishing because the poem is based on memories of my father, an avid and thoroughly addicted smoker who loved jazz. His time was a different time and "Long Before They Shut the Napster Down" evokes those times, the music and musk of his time . . . and him. My father has been deceased for nearly 20 years and so it seems also to affirm that those we love never really die as long as they are remembered.

The publisher is Dash Literary Journal, sponsored by California State University, Fullerton Creative Writing Club and the Department of English, Comparative Literature and Linguistics.

One more thing. Dash is a new journal! That may be evidence that fine writing and poetry are thriving, don't you think!?

On their Web site, Dash is calling for submissions: http://www.dashliteraryjournal.com/


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Karen Cioffi Talks about Story Telling and Conservation

By Karen Cioffi
Author and Freelance Writer

Story telling…what better way to get a child involved in the environment. Including conservation tidbits in stories for children can create a powerhouse of awareness and be an excellent strategy for teaching children the importance of protecting our planet and its resources. Unfortunately, I don’t see many authors of children’s books taking advantage of this easy approach to being a part of the environmental solution by bringing awareness to our children.

Writers have the perfect format for teaching and molding children, and the perfect opportunity. From picture books to young adult novels, conservation and the environment are topics that authors should be thinking of writing about, or at least weave into their stories. It is said that you are what you eat; well, children become what they learn whether through their environment, school, or personal reading.

If young children are afforded reading material that paints a picture of the benefits and consequences of conservation in simple and entertaining stories, what better way to instill that sense of being part of the solution and protecting our environment. If those same children, while growing up, continue to read fiction and nonfiction stories that mention conservation and the environment, how much more will it have an impact on them and become a part of their lives.

While most authors may not want to devote their time to writing books about the environment, just a sentence or scene woven into a story will certainly have an affect. It can be a subtle mention. For example, in a scene with a couple of friends heading off to play baseball, an author could easily include environmental awareness with a simple sentence or two:

Joe aimed carefully and tossed the water bottle right into the trash can. “Nice shot, Joe. But, that goes in the green pail for recycling,” said Tom.

Even with just a word or two, we can make a difference as authors. Another example might be the boys at the baseball game instead:

“Man, I’m thirsty.” Joe grabbed his ecocanteen and took a long swig.

This would be the extent of the comment. It’s short, almost unseen, and yet it becomes a part of the reader’s experience. Isn’t this what writers want to do, leave an imprint in the minds and hearts of their readers? And, it’s all the more gratifying if it’s a child’s mind and heart that you're helping develop and mold.

Why not make our impressionable and lasting words take root. In addition to entertaining through our books and stories, we can make a difference in our future, and our children’s future.

The author who shared these tips is Karen Cioffi-Ventrice who is founder of Writers on the Move. Learn more about her at http://www.dkvwriting4u.com
And find her blogging about her children's books and more at: http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com She is co-author od Day's End Lullaby and you can find more about her and Robyn at http://www.childrensbooksbykarenandrobyn.com


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Two Simple Yet Proven Strategies to Make It Happen

Marketing Tips

By Karen Cioffi

In April of this year, I was on a teleseminar given by Steve Harrison - Jack Caufield was the guest speaker. Jack Caufield is the co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul. His talk boiled down to two key elements of any marketing campaign:

1. Persistence and Perseverance

Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 144 times, and it took eighteen months before it became a hit.

2. Projection

Jack and his co-creator created projection sheets and put them everywhere, even the bathroom. They took the New York Times selling page, whited out the #1 spot and put Chicken Soup for the Soul, then made copies. If I remember correctly, he even had it on the ceiling above his bed.

Also, along with this projection, they plugged away at making it happen. They acted on the projection. Projecting without putting the effort into reaching your goals is similar to faith with works - it won’t get you where you want to be.


The author who shared these tips is Karen Cioffi-Ventrice who is founder of Writers on the Move. Learn more about her at http://www.dkvwriting4u.com
And find her blogging about her children's books and more at: http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com She is co-author od Day's End Lullaby and you can find more about her and Robyn at http://www.childrensbooksbykarenandrobyn.com


PS: Come back on July 3rd and see Karen's ideas for including eco-friendly suggestions in children's literature.





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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.