Art Showcase Offers Children Unique Opportunity to Share Lessons Learned

Author Yvonne Perry announces an online art and writing showcase and asks children to write a story or create an art piece to showcase life lessons they have learned.

After a successful 30-day Internet tour in which Yvonne visited more than 25 blogs to share her new book, Yvonne Perry has opened the lines of communication between parents and children with a online community project. Children ages 3 through 9 are encouraged to write their own story or create artwork that demonstrates a lesson they have learned by reading The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children (ISBN: 9780982572207). Every participant will get a free copy of the e-book comprised of the art and stories created by the children.

Inspired by adventures Yvonne has enjoyed with her first-born grandson named Sidney, each story in The Sid Series focuses on skills such as overcoming fear, being environmentally conscious, helping others, being true to one’s self, and following inner guidance. There’s even a story about recycling that alludes toward organ donation. This collection of body-mind-spirit stories highlights unique lessons about love, acceptance, self-worth, caring for the body, diversity, facing fears, dealing with change, experiencing the death of a pet, using mystical gifts today’s children exhibit.

To participate you must be familiar with the lessons taught in The Sid Series, but if a family is financially unable to purchase a copy of the book, you may let the author know which lesson your child wants to illustrate or write about, and she will send you a PDF of that story. For a list of stories and lessons contained in The Sid Series, see http://TheSidSeries.com.

“Spending time with my grandchildren has provided me with an opportunity to talk about some pretty adult topics—some that many parents and teachers are hesitant to discuss with children,” says Yvonne Perry, the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. “By sharing the stories in The Sid Series through this art showcase, I hope to reinforce and enhance these and other life lessons, and help open lines of communication between children and adults.”



Children may share a story by drawing, painting, sketching, writing, or speaking about how they learned or experienced a Sid lesson. Parents are asked to assist the child with typing, scanning, and digitally uploading their child’s story or artwork . The child may color a picture directly from The Sid Series Coloring Book or record himself reading from the book by calling (214) 615-6505 ext 1210. Yvonne believes this is a great way to learn what’s on your child’s mind and offer supportive answers for their earnest questions. Entries may be sent between December 26, 2009 and January 25, 2010 by using the guidelines at http://writersinthesky.com/art-showcase.html

“The art showcase is NOT a contest,” says Perry. “I don't believe children should be judged or rejected for their heart-felt creativity. Instead, every effort will be recognized and everyone's work will be included on The Sid Series blog (http://TheSidSeries.blogspot.com) and in an e-book that can be given away to family and friends.”

A grandmother of ten, Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics from American Institute of Holistic Theology. She is a freelance writer who specializes in articles and books that guide people on a spiritual path. She is also the publisher and editor at Write On! Publishing and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. Yvonne and her team assist people with writing and editing projects, as well as media releases. She has also ghostwritten and edited more than forty books.

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Contact

Yvonne Perry

(615) 415-9861

http://writersinthesky.com/contact.php
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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.

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Publish Favorite Christmas Memories, But Hurry!

Get your favorite Christmas memory published in an anthology coming from my talented friend Gregory Kompes. It will be issued nest year by his Publishing Group (CPG).

They need original stories and essays from 250 to 2000 words about Christmas. Each submission will be reviewed and considered based on creativity, originality, concept, and style. Reading will be continuous and submissions will be considered as they arrive. Not all works will be accepted. There is NO entry or reading fee. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2009.

The Patchwork Path story collection titles are based on quilt blocks and the book covers have quilt and quilter themes. In addition to Christmas Stocking (to be published in the fall of 2010) other titles include Grandma's Choice (November 2008), Dad's Bowtie (June 2009), Friendship Star (November 2009), Treasure Box (2010), and Wedding Bouquet (2010). Additional titles are added each year.

For more information, including complete submission guidelines, visit Patchwork Path: Piecing Together Our Lives online at http://www.PatchworkPath.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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Is Your Book Ready For Film?

BooksForFilm.Com Launches a High-Visibility, Showcase Web Site

I am excited about the possibilities of a new Web site, especially for writers of fiction and memoir. It is for every author who has ever dreamed of their book as the next blockbuster movie. This is the release from BooksForFilm.com. I've registered my novel This Is the Place, as you can see from their release below.

BooksForFIlm.com is a hot new site for select authors with film-worthy books to showcase to agents, producers—buyers of book film rights. Placement is not automatic but Books for Film makes no judgment about suitability, just professionalism and quality.

DISNEY, DREAMWORKS, SONY, PARAMOUNT, FOX, IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT, MIRAMAX, ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, SHOWTIME, HALLMARK, USA NETWORK, LIFETIME, A&E, SONY, WARNER, UNIVERSAL, and other Television, cable, satellite, and film entities, are all constantly searching for great film properties.

You’re an author with a book everyone says would make a great movie. Perhaps they are right. If you have an effective agent who is covering all the bases for you, he or she will certainly examine your book’s film possibilities. If you are not so fortunate, you should not simply dream about seeing your book as a film; you owe it to yourself to make sure your book is presented in the best light to garner the attention of those whose job it is to find such books. They are out there every day.

Each year, an average of 30 or more books become films. Many more provide the basis for the big screen and television. In addition, options as high as five or even six-figures are purchased. In many of those cases, a film is never made. Yet, the author gets to keep the option money.

Both fiction and nonfiction titles are purchased for film or optioned. Either way, you win.

You are invited to learn more about these authors and their works. No one can guarantee nor should promise that any book has all the ingredients that agents/film-makers are seeking. Even they will tell you that this is a very subjective process. What is certain is that books never offered cannot be considered.

Authors on BFF present themselves and their titles on our BooksForFilm network. See booktrailers, text, and digitized excerpts. With our digitized excerpts, you may actually turn the pages online. Read authors’ biographies, reviews, blogs, and much more.

So, is your book ready for film? You tell us at http://booksforfilm.com. Join authors like: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Gene Cartwright, Alicia Copeland, C. Alease, Peter Klein, Susan Klopfer, Shirley Ryan, Shirley Roe, Shelagh Watkins, Martine Ehrenclou, Gunter Swoboda, Timothy Heffernan, Daniel McLaurin III, Linda Ballou, Cliff Ball, Joan Delmonte, Patrick Schnerch, and others.

BooksForFIlm welcome buyers/readers, as well as publishing/film industry professionals. After all, our authors' goal is to place their books in the hands of book-lovers.

Join us at http://BooksForFilm.com, and our assoicated sites, http://ifogo.com, http://iBookTrailer.com, and iFOGO Village.

Happy Reading!
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BooksForFilm.com is an iFOGO, Inc. company. — IFOGO.com is the new frontier for authors, publishers, and book-buyers. The company, created by an author, presents books in an interactive, multimedia format that informs and connects all three crucial parts of the book world. Includes a social network.

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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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Give a Holiday Gift to Writers Who Help Other Writers

Here's how:

Nominate a few helpful Web sites, blogs, and newsletters for a Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites nod. I would love it if you'd include mine among them but there are many other great ones out there, too.

One of my favorites is Tony Eldridge's Marketing Tips For Authors. ( Letting you know about it is sort of my holiday gift to you. It offers a mix of practical marketing advice for authors on a shoestring budget from an experienced internet marketer and author. It offers how-to posts, guest posts from authors (maybe one of your articles?), book reviews, and a weekly link carnival. It also offers a free video subscription where authors can receive how-to video tips on some of the more technical aspects of marketing their books on the net. I don't know anyone else out there who does the latter.

Here are Writer's Digest suggested categories for nominations, just to help you get your thinking cap on:

Agent Blogs
Writing Communities
Publishing Resources
Jobs and Markets
Creativity and Challenges
Genres/Niches
General Resources
Fun for Writers

Send comments and nominations for next year’s list to writersdigest@fwmedia.com with “101 Websites” in the subject line (deadline is Jan. 1, 2010). Learn more at http://writersdigest.com/article/101-websites-2009 .

Here are some possible sites/blogs to nominate from the assortment I offer authors and, if you haven't utilized them to benefit your own writing career, consider them a resource for 2010:

Blogs for Writers:
This one, http://www.SharingWithWriters.blogspot.com ,
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com
The Resources for Writer pages at my Web site

And please let me know if you nominate any of them so I can thank you and mention your title in my newsletter. It's part of the marketing fun, part of the way to keep our marketing efforts rolling along. (-:


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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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Utilize Your Association with Sharing with Writers for Marketing and Publishing

Those of you who are subscribed to this Sharing with Writers blog or my Sharing with Writers newsletter are entitled to access and to submit material to them, to the resources on HowToDoItFrugally.com, and to be published in the various features of the newsletter itself. Your submissions are given special consideration (but you do need to tell me that you're a subscriber--I'd like to, but I don't have the lists memorized! (-: )

Because I have many new subscribers and because most of you have never submitted any of your successes or sent letters to the editor, I thought I'd remind you that they are meant to be interactive. So is the Web site. I am always looking for articles, resources and ideas that will help other writers. I also want them to provide a training ground to get new authors familiar with promoting, sharing (an essential part of getting publicity), and to help you get the exposure you deserve.

Here are just a few of the possibilities for you to consider:

 If you would like one of your articles to be included on this Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites blog (see the image on this blog), the best thing to submit is an article on the craft of writing or promotion or editing. I generally prefer practical how-to information though I occasionally publish something that will inspire writers, too. www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com.

 Submit a review of your book to be published in The New Book Review www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com. It may be written by you or someone else (with their permission). If you don't yet have a review of your book, I can use a short excerpt from your book or a synopsis written like a review but with no opinion (because it would be coming from you). BTW, The New Book Review is open to all of you at any time you need it. Please follow the guidelines for submission in the column on the left of the blog EXACTLY. You submit to my e-mail address, hojonews @ aol.com.

 If you have or would like to write an article on editing, formatting, grammar or other language-oriented essays, I can use that on www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com. Your articles for this blog should also be practical and, as with any magazine, not on subjects I've already used. Or they should at least come at those subject from a different angle.

 Some of you may have an interest in submitting articles or ideas on tolerance or the military. Those could could go on www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com. This might be a place some of you poets would like to appear. On this one, I often feed from several other blogs to that one post is almost like being posted on several blogs at one time.

 I can use your tips, letters-to-the-editor and articles for my newsletter. As you know, you should be familiar with any periodical or journal you submit to so that you have an idea of what is likely to fit.

 There are Resources for Writers and Resources for Readers pages on the HowToDoItFrugally Web site including many lists that you will need throughout your publishing career. Display and classified advertising is also available there and I have kept costs to a bare minimum for the time it takes me to work up and install ads.

Note: I accept most everything submitted to me from subscribers, but I do reserve the right to edit, shorten, or suggest changes. That, too, does not differ from most freelance writing experiences.

PS: Please let your writing friends know about this letter and its associated benefits. They may subscribe by going sending a SUBSCRIBE message to HoJoNews @ aol.com. Or by using the autosubscribe window at www.howtodoitfrugally.com. The form is on the left side of the home page and on the newsletter/blog pages, 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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Resources for Lovers (and Writers) of Poetry

Many of you know me only as editor. Or marketer. Or simply that dumb chick, I'm supposing. But I'm also a poet. It took me a long, long time to have the courage to call myself that. It seems so, so...arrogant. But a little proof is in the cover of a new release that Aussie poet Magdalena Ball and I just released on Amazon--just in time for Christmas giving.

But that isn't what this post is about. It's about a resource for poets and poetry lovers. Dominique Raccah is the publisher and CEO of the largest woman-owned trade book publisher in North America (www.sourcebooks.com) and she support poetry. She publishes it (see one of her novel titles Hip Hop Speaks to Children. And she has also begun a Web site that supports it, www.poetryspeaks.com. And that's what this post is about. Simply. A resource for poets. Both writers and readers of poetry.

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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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Aggie Villeneuva Highlights Authors and Help for Authors

Aggie Villanueva, often called the Grandma Moses of the American Southwest by her peers, has published a new e-book, 2009's Hot Authors: Interviews by Aggie Villanueva. Aggie interviewed me this fall and that interview is included in the book in addition to my article on writing better dialogue. It includes other articles by other authors, too, including one on the dreaded comma dilemma.

In her note to me, Maggie says, "if you know someone who'd like to win a copy this week they may enter to do so at http://www.visualartsjunction.com/?p=4343"

Well, I can't think of any of my writing friends who wouldn't benefit from a "won copy." And because this Christmas I am making a greater effort than ever to encourage
writers to buy books as Christmas presents, you should know it may be purchased in paperback at
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/2009s-hot-authors-interviews-by-aggie-villanueva/8056207 and for e-book readers
in over ten formats at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7043.

Aggie also invites everyone to participate in a virtual photo shoot at: http://www.aggiev.org/aggielogic/join_me_virtual_shoots.html

Aggie's motto is one she borrows from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." She is tweeting @myaggie2

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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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

Networking Opportuntiy from Netera

Every now and then I let you know of a resource where you can learn more. Sometimes of places where you can socialize. Today, I'm sending you to a place where you can do both with two very long time online writing friends:

Denise Fleischer of Gotta Write Network says, "Netera's coffeeshop (see image of the virtual shop in this post (-: ) is a meeting place at www.Secondlife.com for writers and artists.
Chats and exhibits will be scheduled. Or, if you're looking for a comfortable place to sit back, relax and meet new friends, come join us."

For those unfamiliar with Second Life, just visit www.secondlife.com and download the software (it's free), create an avatar (which is a character that represents you), type "Netera's Coffee Shop " in the search bar, and then , once you find it, click on it and press the buttom that says "Teleport " which will take you directly to the coffee shop. Then just walk in and join the fun.

Why not drop by, and join in when my poetry writing partner and novelist Magdalena Ball , author of Repulsion Thrust and Sleep Before Evening, is interviewed on the 10th of Dec 7pm Central (US) Time. There will be plenty of opportunity for audience interaction, and it will give you a feel for how you might also participate in this innovative opportunity.

With over 9 million people on Second Life spending money on intangibles like e-books, it's a promotional (and enjoyable) arena that's too good to miss. To pitch Denise directly, visit: http://www.gottawritenetwork.com/ for details or contact her "inworld" directly from within Second Life by searching for Netera Landar and sending her a message. She's very happy to help people find their virtual legs!

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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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it:

On LIterary Snobbery, Contests and Our Readers

I want to talk about contest snobbery and antisnobbery snobbery.

The subject is on my mind because two of my books were named USA Book News finalists this fall. A Retailer's Guide to In-Store Promotions and my poetry chapbook on motherhood. Those events caused quite a nice conversation about awards between me and a couple of my Sharing with Writers newsletter subscribers.

In fact, I often talk to people on both sides of the contest snobbery issue and to some who were still trying to make up their mind which side of the fence they should sit on.

There is a lot of this uncertainty going around in the literary world. I often hear people disdain this contest or that printing press or even that book because it doesn't fit with their literary standards. I might—-on the very same day-—hear authors pooh-poohing poetry or literary works as being elitist or no fun or hard to read or dull.

Here's my stance on both kinds of snobbery. They are both forms of bigotry. That is they are labeling something as less than and making wide generalizations. One could write a book on the reasons people do this. To inflate their own worth, deflate the worth of others, because they are fearful of not fitting with one group or another or being criticized by one of those groups, to protect what they see as their favored position.

You can probably think of other reasons. But today, let's address contest bigotry because that's where this discussion started.

In the past few years as books have procreated like little piglets, we must have some way to help ours stand out for the general reader. Reread the section on contests in your Frugal Book Promoter for a longer discusion if need be. But here's where I stand:

If one must choose between letting readers know you have a quality product (and our books are products even if we don't want to think of them that way) and caving to those who think nothing counts but the Pulitzer and Booker, I'll choose my reader every time.

Do know that people have been paying to enter contests for eons. In fact, many of the finest review journals are nearly fully financed by donations, grants and, yes, contest monies and that isn't new either.

Having said that, there is no reason to waste money entering any contest if you haven't studied the guidelines and aren't confident that you have a quality book and have checked with peers to be sure that the contest you are interested in is on the up and up. But do be careful. Just because a contest does not meet the literary needs of your specific title or the branding concept you have outlined for yourself does not make it a scam or, for that matter, generally undesirable.

Once you have determined yourself a match for a contest, go for it. Once you win place, or show, do all you can to let the world know about it; send out media releases, let your relatives know, and give everyone the link for buying your book! On Creatspace or Amazon or Barnes and Noble online and try to give them a lead to a local or convenient bookstore, too. When I'm talking to my students, I always send them to the university bookstore.

I think Maggie Ball and I have written a chapbook of poetry that will be a perfect stocking stuffer to send Mom and a perfect greeting-card envelope-sized gift to send to other mothers in your life including those of the boomer and/or sandwich generations. Especially those. (-: And that my retail book will benefit those with brick and mortar or online stores. And I'm happy to shout out that they placed this year.

Winners are people who think they are winners. I feel sorry for the Oscar nominees who take on a loser mentality when they don't take home a statue. Or the girl who is voted to the Homecoming Court but is jealous of the winner. In fact, sometimes I wonder about their capacity for a little something called gratitude.

PS: On my Web site there is a short list of accessible contests in the Resources for Writers section (the link for that section is on the top of every page). The list is not long because it includes only contests that I have had personal experience with or know the contest administrators.


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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.

Book Video Trailers Work for Print Communicators, Too!

By Reno Lovison

It seems counterintuitive to speak to authors and publishers about video. After all these are people engaged in the printed word. Some people have asked, “Aren’t print and video in competition with one another?”

I would like to dispel the idea of various communications media being in competition. As authors, publishers, video producers, webmasters, speakers or whatever we are first and foremost communicators. The medium we use primarily may be our specialty but the media is not our message. We should be willing to explore whatever media provide the best chance of communicating what we want to say. Just as traditional television and video has used print to promote its message so should sellers and providers of print be willing to use video to bring people to their message. What has changed is the fact that video promotion via the Internet is now within the reach of small businesses and niche markets.

If you are not familiar with the term; “book video trailers” are short videos similar to movie trailers that aim to pique the interest of viewers. These short multi-media productions typically less than two minutes and often as short as thirty seconds have the ability to provide potential readers which much more information by simultaneously using pictures, graphics, written words, spoken words and even music to set the tone and describe the content of a book. You can view some videos at www.authorsbroadcast.com.

Video trailers are fast becoming an essential aspect of book promotion for the same reasons that video is becoming an essential aspect of business promotion in general. Now that nearly 90% of Americans have access to high speed Internet connections at home, school or work; video is viable. YouTube has brought attention to video on the web by serving up over one billion video views per week as of October 2009, essentially bringing it out of the shadows and making it a mainstream Internet activity. This demonstrates that people are willing to watch video on the web and all reports indicate that people are actually seeking video content as a preferred information medium making YouTube the second largest search engine after Google.

Think back only a few years ago when ecommerce began to really take off. Book buyers were among the first adopters of online buying, spawning amazon.com and changing the face of book buying forever. Books are still one of the most actively sought and most often purchased items via the web. It only follows that there are millions of people looking for information about books online. How do you stand out from the crowd? How do you ensure that your message is everywhere your potential readers expect to find it? Video allows you to control and deliver your message efficiently and effectively. Video is the medium du jour but it is also the technology that will potentially change the Internet significantly as the lines between broadcast television and online video continue to blur. Our static websites and current web pages will be quaint when compared to the interactive, multi-media rich websites of the near future. I predict that by the end of 2010 nearly every website will have at least one video presented. Web video and book video trailers are not some avant-garde futuristic curiosity. Rather they are a growing and essential web element. The sooner you embrace the technology the better chance you have to use this short window of time to be an early adopter and thus attract more attention to your message.

Reno Lovison has seen book marketing from both sides. He is a producer of book video trailers and the author of “Turn Your Business Card Into Business.” Learn more about book video trailer production at www.authorsbroadcast.com .

Note: Here is my personal recommendation. A few years ago I had a book trailer done that was not at all satisfactory. The producer didn't understand the concept of marketing, particulary not for nonfiction books. I approached Reno with trepidation. I have been thrilled with the results. Here they are:







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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.

Google's Doing Valuable Free Stuff Again for Authors Again

Inertia.

Sometimes it is born of fear.

Sometimes it is caused because we feel as if we are doing just fine without taking action.

I am happy to report that at least one of the things I was putting off in 2009 finally got done. That is I now have a shopping cart on my Web site, only I'm calling it a Shopping Plaza .

And it was born thanks to Denise Cassino, marketer (book launch specialist) and the guru behind Long Story Short.com which you've heard about many times in this newsletter for its accessibility.

Anyway, Denise is doing a launch for my retail book (www.budurl.com/RetailersGuide) and I've been documenting the process in this blog so those interested in a similar launch/blog tour can learn to do a launch on their own or with Denise's help. The Shopping Plaza was an essential part of the launch process. You can go to the finished Shopping Plaza on my site and click around on the buy buttons to see how it works. If you don't want to check out, you don't have to.

Maybe it's just as well it took me so long because Denise told me about Google's new checkout offering. There are lots of services out there but they all seemed a bit intimidating. Google's didn't. And once I finished the product I became award that there were other advantages to it over the others that had cowed me a bit. Here's what I love about it:

1. It's FRUGAL. There is no charge except for a small percent when someone uses their credit card to purchase.

2. It is quite user friendly to set up--it's that fear thing, you see. Easy is good for those of us without tech degrees.

3. It is fast. I had it up and running in just a couple days for Christmas buying. (There is a delay until Google gets coordinated with your bank.) One doesn't even need their own credit card acceptance account. A checking account is all that's needed and that's FRUGAL, too.

4. It allows me to ship out my books autographed, something that I never talked about much because it was such a convoluted process.

5. AND it allows me to give a f r ^ ^ something to people who buy any of my books. The beautiful (if I do say so) free gift is a chapbook of poetry I coauthored with Magdalena Ball, Cherished Pulse. BTW, it is also available on Amazon (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse) now as a "real" book for only a little more than what you would spend on a quality greeting card these days but why not get it free at my Shopping Plaza with a purchase?

6. By doing a shopping cart, I get to nag you all to do something similar. And help you through the process if you need me (at a special price of $50). But you won't need me. I'm sure. (The beauty of having a nontechy guide you through something like this, is folks like me use no tech jargon and we don't skip steps or details because the process is too familiar!)

And, sure. I hope you'll consider giving one of my HowToDoItFrugally series of books to one or more of your writing friends. And, if you should decide you want to give them in quantity--say to your whole critique group or if you're a publisher to your entire stable of authors--just let me know (hojonews@aol.com) . I have a quantity discount for you.

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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 Your Book: A Successful Proposal

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos is guest blogging in my absence today. I planned to put the article into two sections because it is long. The things is, I think it will help more of you as a complete unit and this is a subject people are tweeting about like crazy and I keep getting questions on. I especially like that she provided her own proposal as a templete. It's both helpful and great marketing. You may also want to invest 20 minutes and 49 cents and also read my Amazon short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal." Between the two, you'll be prepared.

PART I
One of the most difficult aspects of writing the Book Proposal is the Marketing Outline. Blame it on “left-brain/right-brain differences.” Writing is artistic and therefore right brain oriented. Marketing is statistical left brain work. Few of us have “ambidextrous brains” and are proficient at using both sides equally well.

I have used some of my own outline and first person narrative nonfiction proposal from Surviving Cancer: The Psychic Aspects of Healing as an example. However, fiction can be substituted and tweaked to fit. Print out my proposal and fill in the blanks with your own information. Study my examples and then replace them with your information.

The proposal outline is more important than ever in the publishing world. The statistics and details contained in it will help get your book into the hands of an agent because the agent will see its marketing potential at a glance. That will give the agent confidence to take your book to the big publishing houses. Agents don’t like to get turned down, either. It effects their reputations. So help your agent help you. Work as a team.

Big publishing houses are not in the business to publish books. They are in the business to make money. Until the day that you become an author of Dan Brown’s caliber, you will be required to show the steps of how you plan to market and sell your book beyond what the publishing houses can or will do. Stating that you will use your social networking skills to promote your book will not suffice. You must prove it with names and numbers, facts and figures. One of the first steps in that sequence is to identify your audience which will later become your market.

Answering the question, “Who will want to read my book and why?” will identify your audience. The next question, “How and where can I find them?” will help discover how and where to market your book. Identify your audience, and then decide how to “reach out, and touch them.” Those are the important components of a successful marketing platform.

The Internet has made finding and touching audiences easier than ever before in recorded history. I’ve developed a preliminary marketing plan that leverages my social, and viral networking through online channels.

Today writer’s can have conversations with hundreds of thousands of worldwide followers instantly through the internet. Writers are now active partners with publishers in conversations that market and promote their books. Viral networking is a marketing technique that uses pre-existing social networks to increase brand awareness, product sales, etc. Users accept ideas (become infected) and then share those ideas with others (thus infecting them.) Twitter lends itself to vital networking; tweets can be personalized for intended audiences.

Twitter is projected to have 40 billion users by 2010. It is a viral networking vehicle that can promote market and create a quantitative potential readership for my books that has quotable numbers to indicate a demand.
Let’s begin with the outline. This will be the foundation for your marketing platform.

An outline gives the reader quick information assessment. You want to make the editor’s job easy, and make yourself look knowledgeable, and professional. My college professors required an outline for every essay test question to make grading papers quick. The marketing outline accomplishes the same task for the agent and editor.

The Market for This Book

MARKETING OUTLINE
1. CORE MESSAGE
A. In one line write what you want to convey to the reader? (example: Awaken and
believe in your intuitive powers.)
2. AUDIENCE (Who is interested in your subject matter? Brain storm and list them
all primary and secondary markets.)
A. the primary market with statistics
B. groups related to group A (the secondary market with statistics)
1.
2.
C. groups related to group B
1.
2.
D. Research Institutes interested in those groups (with statistics)
1.
2.
3. MARKETING STRATEGY
A. Primary—Create internet web site, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube video, and blog sites as central platforms to:
1. Broadcast my message
2. Display testimonials
3. Receive feedback
4. Discuss current and real time issues
5. Allow for book ordering
6. Establish cross-links to marketing outreach sources described below
7. Use my web site to establish credibility and credentials
8. Use my Tweeter site to build awareness, followers and network
9. Use my Facebook site to build awareness, followers and network
9. Use my YouTube video to connect to younger viewers
10. encourage book signing parties

B. Secondary—Creation of Awareness by utilizing existing outlets to network the
message through organization
1. (list all of the networks available on the internet using Newsletters, web sites, Tweeter sites, I Blog, Facebook, online magazines, etc.
a) (name the newspapers and their readership numbers, etc.)

4. CONVERT MARKETING ACTIVITIES TO SALES
A. Use my web site as the primary medium to immerse the prospective buyer in the
book, then convince them of my credibility and the book’s worth
B. Prominently reference my web site in all articles for publications
C. Establish reciprocal web links with prominent related sites
D. Direct social networking outlets to my web site

(Refer to previous information that pertains to the proposal.)
The details for the Marketing Strategy are in the Promotional Possibilities section on page 13 of the book proposal.


PART II

“Fleshing out” the MARKETING PROPOSAL.

The object of the outline in Part I of the marketing proposal is to build a good foundation for Part II. The goal of Part II of the proposal is to expand on the outline by describing, adding names, details, and statistics. They should work together and complement each other. Think of Part I as the skeleton and Part II as the skin and organs. Agents and editors can glace at what is important to them in the outline in Part I and then find the details in the information below it in Part II. I have used samples from my proposal as an example.

The market for SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing is every person or family touched by this epidemic health crisis. It is particularly aimed at people just beginning their foray with treatment. A large secondary market for my book is the alternative medicine, metaphysical, spiritual, religious, and holistic communities. I have also found that healthcare professionals—whether doctors, nurses, or technicians—are fascinated by this story even if they are personally skeptical. The book deals with the intuitive side of healing, a topic women in particular will readily understand. Book sale statistics state that 78 percent of all books sold worldwide are bought by women for themselves and as gifts for other women, especially health and self-help books. My book directly meets the requirements for high-volume sales.

Promotional Possibilities

I am willing and able to take an aggressive position in helping to promote my book once it is published. SURVIVING CANCERLAND has international appeal because cancer strikes worldwide. There is a global need for a book such as mine. It is my intention to help the publisher reach this audience and tap into the international market through the internet, cancer organizations, their libraries, newsletters, and self-help groups, many of whom I have listed in the PINK PAGES Appendix of my book. Many of these sources were made available to me through my work with cancer associations, patients, and caregivers.

Libraries affiliated with the foundations with whom I am connected are anxiously awaiting my book. In return for the gift of books to their Lending libraries, they have agreed to post the publication of SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing in their newsletters.

I have designing a professional web site with 720Media (www.720media.com). I have created a page on Facebook and have connected it to other Facebook members for optimum contact. I have active accounts on Twitter, I-Blog (add all your contacts). I contribute to three e-zines—Cape Women Online (www.capewomenonline), c4women (connectionsforwomen.com), and Intuitive Now by Colette Baron Reid of Hay House (www.colettebaronreid.com). The ezines, blog and twitter sites are connected to my website. I am setting up a video on YouTube. I am continually doing promotional work on SURVIVING CANCERLAND

• through the many cancer foundations and associations with which I am associated and their web sites as described and detailed below.
• through my counseling work for the R.A. BLOCH CANCER FOUNDATION (hotline@ hrblock.com) WE CAN mentoring group for women, and newspaper and television interviews (listed and described below).
• by having a cross-section of the population read and write comment endorsements on SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing. This cross-section includes authors; doctors of modern, contemporary, holistic and integrated medicine; cancer survivors; professionals; caregivers; and “stay at home women.” The comments are included in this proposal, and additional comment endorsements that are still being processed are listed at the end of this section.
As a cancer mentor for WE CAN (www.wecancenter.org), a women’s self-help group, I have access to their newsletter WECAN and a yearly book fair that features female writers throughout the country. 2008’s featured writer was Ann Hood, The Knitting Circle, W.W Norton & Company, NY (2007). I have been invited to discuss my book on the writer’s panel. The concerns and questions I received from readers of my Q&A column and Health and Life Stories articles in CapeWomenOnline Magazine (www.capewomenonline) made me realize that we all share similar experiences when facing a disease of this magnitude. The magazine reaches women throughout the United States. I often refer to my book in the articles, which can be read on the internet.

The Barnstable Patriot newspaper (www.barnstablepatriot.com ) did a feature article on me titled: SPIRITUAL HEALING ( kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com). To read the article on the internet, Google Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos.

Jeanne Gardner of PROFILES and Dr. Mark Walcott of Lewis Bay Chiropractic and the TV Host of Health Matters have interviewed me on their shows.

WC TV in Wareham, Massachusetts has taped me on two of their show. We discussed my book and the importance of the spiritual world during cancer treatment. The DVDs are available for viewing.

I am now in the process of scheduling talk radio shows, and verbal presentations to hospital sponsored cancer groups, women’s groups, and book clubs on both the east, and west coast of the country.

Rosanne Wickman, Hotline Director for the R.A. BLOCH CANCER FOUNDATION has asked me to do a phone interview for Cancer Connection, the newsletter that reaches all fifty states and fourteen foreign countries; including the United Kingdom and Australia. I am an R.A.BLOCH CANCER FOUNDATION telephone counselor (hotline@ hrblock.com) I have mentored patients across the country. The foundation has added some of the contact information in Appendix II of SURVIVING CANCERLAND to their assistance sheets and information catalogue that is sent out to counselors and volunteers.

(Below is an example of how to “flesh out” the marketing outline with facts and statistics. These are three of the 40 cancer institutions, foundations and secondary markets mentioned in my outline. In this example I show you how to describe the society/group and how it is connected to other groups in my proposal. This backs up my claim of viral internet marketing.)

ACS The American Cancer Society (www.acs.com) is the leading voluntary health organization and largest non-government funder of cancer research and discovery. The ACS has more than 3,400 local offices and more than 2 million volunteers. They offer books that can be ordered online. ACS’s CURE Magazine and web site features articles and news that combine topics of hope, humanity, and science for those who have to deal with cancer on a daily basis. The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute (www.nca.com) are frequent sources of referrals for the R.A BLOCH CANCER Foundation and share web site links with the Bloch Foundation, making their web sites available to me.

National Cancer Institute (www.nca.com) is part of NIH (www.nih.com) National Institute of Health. NCI has a publications locator for books available for purchase that deal with illness and healing.

Cancer News On the Net (www.cancernews.com) has an e-mail newsletter where subscribers can share their e-mail newsletter and logo. This site is linked to the R.A Bloch Cancer Foundation, and displays insightful quotes about hope from Richard Bloch, founder of the foundation.

Healthjourneys (www.healthjourneys.com) is a resource that offers a variety of public information including books to promote relaxation, wellness, and healing that is related specifically to cancer and the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. I often refer to my book when I blog on their site.

(The final part of the proposal is a short conclusion. My conclusion is meant to “wow” them yet be believable by remaining conservative in my numbers. I back everything up with facts and statistics.)

The number of members in the five largest contact groups add up to 59 million people. If I am able to reach only ten percent (a very conservative number) of those contacts, (5.9 million) and can sell my book to half of them, I have the potential of selling SURVIVING CANCERLAND to almost 3 million people in these groups alone.
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About the Author- Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos is an agented author and has penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND: The Psychic Aspects of Healing. She is a phone counselor for the R.A. BLOCH Cancer Foundation, a mentor for WE CAN, a women’s self help group on Cape Cod, a contributor to Cape Women On Line Magazine, C4Women, Intuition Now by Colette Baron-Reid, and a volunteer for many cancer organizations and online cancer groups. She is currently working on her second book, SURVIVING RECURRENCE in CANCERLAND http://twitter.com/PsychCancerland
http://kathleenokeefekanavos.blogspot.com
www.survivingcancerland.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.

Guest Blogger: How To Make a Blog Tour Work Better

My special friend Yvonne Perry did an extensive blog tour for her new series of books for children The Sid Series. Of course I participated in it with this blog. In the process she sent out this letter to her some thirty particpants. I thought the ideas in it might be helpful to other authors planning a blog tour in the future. Here is is--with her permission, of course!

Dear Blog Tour Participants,

Here are some ideas on how to prepare for Yvonne's blog tour and raise your blog in the search engines. Please let me know your Twitter name and if it is okay to share your email address with the other participants on Yvonne's blog tour. [Editor's note: Isn't this a grand way to enlarge the benefit for all participants? That is to help them grow their Twitter list!]

Thank you for being part of my blog tour for The Sid Series. Here are some ways we can network to make certain the blog tour beneficial to all of you.

Prepare Your Blog for Guests

Search engines gravitate to active blogs, so be sure to post something on your blog at least three times per week. Ask a question at the end of your posts and invite the reader to leave a comment.

Whenever you visit a blog, leave a comment and a link to your blog. Search engines look for inbound and outbound links, so you are doing yourself and that blog owner a favor.

Use Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking sites to announce that you have added a new post on your blog. Give a teaser as to what the blog post is about. When using Twitter, you can shorten the URL using www.hootsuite.com or http://tinyurl.com to reduce the number of characters in your tweet. Long Web addresses in an e-mail or blog post can break across the page and lose functionality, so it's a good practice to shorten URLs before posting.

Network With the Blog Owners On My Tour

I would like your permission to share your email address and Twitter name with the hosts of my tour. By following and re-tweeting one another we can get our Tweets in front of an even wider audience.

Here is a link to the descriptions and dates of where I'll be stopping during my tour: http://tinyurl.com/SidTour. Let me know if your information on the list is incorrect and I'll fix it immediately.

You may notice that each stop is completely different. Each of you has received a unique article for your debut. You are welcome to create your own lead-in paragraph to announce that you are allowing me to post as a guest blogger.

I will personally stop by your blog on your assigned day and answer any questions people leave in your comments.

Please post your article as early in the day as possible (before 7 a.m.). If you don't want to get up that early, you can set the post (if you use Blogger.com) by selecting "post options" and changing the date when you set up the post. If you have questions about how to do that, I'll be glad to help you with this time saving feature.

As we get closer to the tour date, I will send some sample tweets and blog material that you can use to ramp up and prepare your blog for the tour stop.

I really appreciate your support and look forward to networking with you.

Yvonne Perry
http://TheSidSeries.com
http://www.writersinthesky.com

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Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and editor, award-winning Amazon.com bestselling author, podcast host, blogger extraordinaire, newsletter publisher, Internet marketing guru, and the author of The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. http://TheSidSeries.com. She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics.
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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.

Debra Eckerling Talks Goal-Setting for Writers

By Debra Eckerling

Goals are an essential component of productivity. It's important to know what you are striving for if you want to achieve it.

Setting Goals:
- Set a personal goal, as well as a professional one, especially when you are setting your annual goals. Yes, articles, short stories, pages, outlines, etc., are important. But so is self-improvement. You are more likely to achieve your writing goals if certain things in your personal life are in order. If your desk is a mess, then organizing it should be on the top of your goal-list.

- Look at your goals every day. It's easy to neglect your goals when you do not bother to look at them. Conversely, if you look at your goals frequently, they stay in your mind, and you are much more likely to accomplish them. Post your goals in a place you go to frequently: the bathroom mirror, the fridge, your computer “wallpaper.” I know one person who puts her goals as the wallpaper on her cell phone. That way, whenever she goes to make a call, she has to look at them.

- Set realistic goals. It's okay to overshoot and to even change them if your project goes in another direction. If you want to write an hour a day, but you think 30 minutes is more doable, then that’s the goal you should set. When you are under less pressure, you are more likely to sit down and write.

Accomplishing Goals:
- Join a writers support group or have a goal-buddy. Set weekly or monthly check-in times. Accountability is a key motivational element in getting your goals done. If your buddy and/or the people in your writers group make their goals, you certainly will want to. There's a huge incentive in feeling if your friends and peers can make their goals, so can you!

- Set a plan. Break down your project into doable parts, and put deadlines in your calendar. If you are writing a book, set due dates for the outline, each chapter, and rewrites. If you are trying to sell your book, novel, or screenplay, come up with a number of queries to send every week to agents and publishers – and stick to it. If you cheat on your goals, you are only cheating yourself – and prolonging your potential success.

- Make writing-time a priority. If you cancel a doctor’s appointment – or hair appointment – without notice, what happens? You get charged. If you cancel writing-time because something else comes up, you are only neglecting yourself. There are exceptions: sick child, day job, emergency. Yet, for the most part, writers tend to forgo their personal projects for other priorities. You can start penalizing yourself for missing your goals – have a money jar and pay yourself for missed writing-time. Or better yet, just sit down and write!

Celebrate Wins:
The biggest win is finishing your passion-project, whether it’s an essay to submit to a magazine, a book proposal, or full-length manuscript. But there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a fancy meal out, a new DVD, or that sweater you have been eyeing for weeks. Set goals, accomplish them, reward yourself. The biggest reward is the pride in accomplishment! Congratulations in advance!
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Author Biography:
Debra Eckerling, a professional writer for more than 10 years, has expertise in feature articles, corporate communications, and writers’ workshops.

Debra is the founder and leader of Write On!, a virtual - and live -writers support group, which focuses on goal-setting, productivity, and networking. The Web site has Author Q&As twice a week, Expert Columns, and Writing Contests, as well as a monthly drawing for a FREE iScript (www.iscript.com), just for posting goals. For more information, go to www.writeononline.com or www.facebook.com/writeononline, or e-mail debra@writeononline.com.

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Blogged by 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.

If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widge to let them know about it: