An Opportunity for Authors AND an Invitation to Listen

I found a lovely radio show that features authors' readings. It's Authors Read hosted by Lillian Brummet. There is nothing like hearing a story told the way the author intended it to be read… straight from the author’s lips is even better! Ditto for poems, which is what I'll be doing.

The Authors Read radio program is 15-minutes in duration and offers authors a chance to read from their published work for up to 12 minutes.www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsread

Frequently Asked Questions & Guest information available at www.brummet.ca/authors.html

Available dates are listed at the end of this letter. Lillian will send participating authors a copy of her monthly newsletter Brummet's Monthly. This will give authors an idea as to what we've have going on for that month. Or you can (probably should!) subscribe before you send Lillian a query letter so you'll know how you might contruct your query to best entice Lillian to have you as a guest.


Lillian promotes each segment of her radio programs on her blog, book tour site, MySpace site, in Brummet's Monthly and through social networking sites and writer's forums. For details, links to everything they do including the blog and newsletter, Frequently Asked Questions, and guest application process, visit: http://www.brummet.ca

Lillian also welcomes her featured guests to prearrange a prize for an on air contest. In the past we've offered prizes to the first person who e-mails us, or something similar.

Coming Authors include:

- July 6: Rick Glaze shares an excerpt from The Middle Fork
- July 11: Lily Stephan reads an excerpt from The Tenth Muse
- July 13: Susan Hoekstra reads an excerpt from her non-fiction business book: The Service Journey
- July 27: Lily Stephan reads from the second installment in her trilogy: The El-Eventh Hour - July 18: Dean Balderston reads live from his children's book: The Real Life Adventures of Anna & Saddie - Aug 3: B.M. Song reads an excerpt from her book of poetry: Liquid Reflections; A Stream of Fluid Prose
- Aug 7: Don Peavy shares an excerpt from his book: The One Becoming
- Aug 10: Mila Bernadkin reads from: The Attitude Girl
- Aug 17: Lian Gouw reads from her novel: Only A Girl
- Aug 21: Jane Stanfield shares an excerpt from Mapping Your Volunteer Vacation

All Authors Read shows are archived on www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsaccess.

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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 Review Service a Boon to Review-Seeking Authors

I invited Irene Watson, well known for her free Author Access podcasts and many other author services, to tell you about her new review Web site. It is a paid service that may help you get reviews and I believe it will be especially valuable to new authors because so many authors tell me they don't have a review to post at my other blog, www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.


As the current economic slump causes several reviewers to close up shop, and print reviews become much less frequent, savvy authors are embracing the Internet as the place to market their books. An innovative, newly launched online site, “Review the Book,” is ready to meet the challenge.

“Review the Book,” a new online book review service, has just been launched, and already hundreds of authors are signing up to get their books reviewed. The new service has assembled a team of quality reviewers; many have been reviewing books for other review publications for many years. “Review the Book” provides a simple and effective way to provide a much-in-demand review service for authors to find and connect with their readers.

Authors who wish to submit their books for consideration by “Review the Book” can go to www.ReviewtheBook.com, create a username and password, and then list their book titles. Once titles are posted, reviewers select the books that interest them, and the author is contacted to request a review copy. This process insures review copies are not sent and ignored, and the author is guaranteed a review within three weeks once the review copy is mailed. While a small fee is required per title for administrative costs, discounts exist for listing multiple titles.

Book Reviewers agree to post a 300- to 600-word review to “Review the Book,” Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s websites, as well as seven additional websites of their choice. As many as five reviewers may choose to review the same book, which means the possibility of 50 book reviews across the worldwide web for one book in places where the reviews will gain the attention of interested readers. Studies show that reviews posted online are now a deciding factor for readers in choosing books to read. A good book review can propel book sales for an author, and well-written reviews by the experienced reviewers at “Review the Book” will ensure that quality books get the attention they deserve.

Because reviewers at “Review the Book” receive no compensation, other than a free book, but write reviews from a love of reading, impartiality and honesty are trademarks of the reviews. Reviewers are forbidden to resell books and must pay a deposit to “Review the Book” to ensure they will post reviews. And because reviewers choose the books they want to read, their reviews serve as a fair representation of a book’s reading audience. Interested potential reviewers can apply at www.ReviewtheBook.com

“Review the Book” is the brainchild of Reader Views, based in Austin, TX. Reader Views has been reviewing books and offering author publicity services since 2006. With the decline of many other review services, Reader Views decided to launch a new book review site and assemble a fresh team of reviewers to provide more book review opportunities for authors. More information about Reader Views can be found at www.ReaderViews.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.

Green Expo Book Pavilion To Help Authors Promote All Year Long

As many of your know, I was born Green. Nearly as green as Kermit.

And now I will be a host to publishers, literary agents, authors--anyone who considers themselves Greenies--at the Book Pavilion at the Green New Media Life Expo.

Kindle readers and e-books, bring on the video interview!

The series of Green New Media Life Expos will include Book Pavilions at all venues of the Expo. Anyone in the publishing world who considers themselves green (and most should!) may feature themselves at the expo and the new media technology that is part of the Expo package will continue to broadcast their books and services online long after the trappings of the festivities have been swept away. And, of course, that New Media technology will reduce their promotional footprint to help keep the environment green.

One of the neatest things about this is I get to play host to the exhibitors and guests and will interview many of the participating authors, publishers, printers and more for their own videos that are included in the reasonable cost of the booth space.

I have been interested in the environment since the 1970s and im also an official blogger for the Green New Media Life Expo (www.greennewmedialifeexpo.com). I often feature green tips for authors in her Sharing with Writers online newsletter (www.hotodoitfrugally.com) and on this blog.

The Green Expos will be held at the Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, CA; the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA, and the Pomona Fairgrounds, Pomona, CA--all this fall. The first is Sept. 12-13 at the Ontario venue. Well-known TV and Los Angeles radio host Rey Ybarra is producing the event. Sought-after Randy Detroit will coordinate the filming. Author Patricia Kokinos is coordinating publicity.

To get a green publishing message world wide contact
Rey Ybarra, 818-464-3726, rybarra106@aol.com
Gerry Fisher, 760-961-2728, 702-467-9411 cell, gefisher39@aol.com

To keep up with all things green and the coming Expos visit:
http://www.greennewmedialifeexpo.com/
To follow my Green Expo and Green Book Pavilion blogs complete with green guests like VH Melville: http://www.greennewmedialifeexpo.com/content/writers-can-be-fantastically-green

Anyone who would like to help pass the word, please know that support materials including articles on the benefits of new media video and more. Oh! Yes! You'll read more about those benefits in coming days on this blog!


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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.

Learning from a New Launch Idea

When it comes to promotion, everything new we try comes with a sense of excitement and a set of new expectations.

I had a new frugal idea for the launch of my new book 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. The idea involved not spending the money I had spent on many of my other book launches and--in fact--actually making money as a speaker in the process. But more about that in a minute.

As those of you who have read The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't know, I tell it like it is so that others can learn from my experience--both boo- boos and successes. You know that I think launches are part of the fun of publishing and that no one should miss doing one. You also know that I warn authors not to have great expectations from book signings unless they are held in one's own backyard. Meaning, unless they are located where you'll have plenty of support from family, friends, etc.

There are other lessons in this premise if we extend them it a tad. As your reading public grows, the arena for successful book signings will grow. As the number of books you publish gets larger you'll see a difference in the kind of support you get for your signings. You'll find more regular readers popping by to get your next release and fewer of your friends and relatives who--if they're not avid readers of your kind of book--will soon find the novelty of your publishing career wearing off.

Those of you who have read The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't also know that anything you do will be far more successful if you build a list of your own interested parties and, yes, USE it every time you make any kind of an appearance. Relying on others' traffic (like the casual reader who wanders through the door at Barnes and Noble) is almost a recipe for little traffic at your signing table and few sales. Further, you will have missed an opportunity to remind the folks on your list of your many coups in the world of publishing.

Those of you have read The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't also know that I believe speaking and teaching to be the number one way build a following and to sell books.

Of course, I knew all this. Because it's in my book and because--as I move forward with my writing--I keep getting reminded of the hard-won lessons I learned from my past careers and from promoting my own books. So I was a bit wary of holding a launch outside my own pond, especially for a book that targets a different audience than any I've ever written before.

That's why when the opportunity to do a launch for A Retailer's Guide to In-Store Promotion at the National Stationery Show at Javits Center in New York came up, I was elated.

Tradeshows, after all, offer a builtin audience and this one offered huge crowds of retailers that this book was written to help. I hoped that would make up for my lack of a personal up-to-date list. I was also familiar with Javits from several Book Expo Americas I'd attended and several gift shows I'd attended at that same venue in the past. It's fantastic!

The Stationery Show executives also asked me to speak at two seminars; one was on promoting online and the other was on promoting in stores. By the way, the seminar and this book on in-store promotion includes several ideas for utilizing the talents of local authors.

The gift show administrators were hugely supportive in terms of promotion, too. There was a full-page story in the daily newspaper that tradeshows use, a full-color ad in their directory, and prominent announcements of the seminars I was doing. There was an article and announcement in their online newsletter, Paperclips, too.

The day after the signing on the tradeshow floor, they followed up with a story and picture on the signing, too (it was believed to be a first for gift shows so it was really news!). In other words, this was a first-rate tradeshow run by a first-rate team.

This new launch idea was super successful in that it confirmed every single one of my original premises about launches and book signings. Here is what it told...mmmm, reminded me of:

1. Launches are wonderful. Everyone should have one. Even after the first or sixth or eighth book.
2. Book signings outside one's own pond are less than stellar for anyone on the emerging-author side of Stephen King.
3. Your own invitation list is important. If you don't have one, keep expectations low or use some of the ideas in The Frugal Book Promoter for developing a great one.
4. Indeed speaking and teaching work miracles. They increase your credibility and instill in your audience a need for more of what you have to give them--something they will find in your books.
5. That doing a launch in a venue other than a private party that you the author must pay for is a frugal and efficient way to go.
6. That even with great advertising and publicity one's reputation must build. Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful advertising of all.

This unique experience came down to this: I did lots of good with the seminars I taught, even sold a lot of books at them. The book signing itself was wonderful in terms of exposure and networking, disappointing in terms of book sales.

If I'd been listening to my own advice, I would have known. (-:


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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.

Getting You Past the "I Don't Get Twitter" Stage

The Road to “Getting” Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time magazine quoted the CEO of Twitter because even he says most people don’t get Twitter when they first start using it.

I certainly didn’t get Twitter at first. I just liked it because it was fast. Well, it isn’t nearly as fast as I thought it was. Not if you’re doing it right. And by “right” I mean using it in a way that advances your writing career and exposes the title of your book.

It occurred to me that the reason most people who aren’t using it (and lots who are) don’t get it is because of that saying in the posting window that says “what are you doing now?” I’m pretty sure no one who follows you ("follows" is ther term Twitter uses rather than the words "fans" or "friends" on Facebook) expects you to tell them you’re having maple syrup on your pancakes unless you wrote a cookbook and can link back to a section that tells people how to make substitute maple syrup in your own kitchen. Or unless you're using Twitter purely to communicate personal stuff to friends you already have.

So, in this blog post I'm giving authors some ideas. If you're here, you're probably an author. So these are idea for what you could tweet about if you signed up with Twitter (that part IS really easy and fast!). Maybe it will help you get an inkling of how you might use it for your book. In general, no matter how you tweet, try to be helpful to others. Even your writing is about how you can entertain or help others, right? Make your Twitter about those same things!

~Yes, you can talk about your book! And about what’s happening to you in terms of marketing your book. That includes your speaking, your reviews, your signings, etc.

~Tell your followers what you think of a product or another book. Preferably your choices should relate to your promotion campaign. Example. I tweet movie reviews. I mention aspects of the movies for authors to look at that might improve their own writing skills--characterization, pacing, etc. That relates to my editing but it also relates to the fact that I once wrote complete reviews for the Glendale News-Press and sort of miss doing it! And most everyone is interested in movies.

~As your get more followers (and the number of your followers will get bigger if you work it), it becomes impossible to read all your followers’ tweets. Use http://www.tweetdeck.com and manage your Tweet account. Follow the ones closely who provide information you need consistently and mostly ignore the rest. Sorry, but that’s the reality, folks. It’s one reason you want to talk about more than the fact that you are tired and going to bed.

~As you get more followers, it’s OK to repeat your tweets. I try to reword and re-slant them, though. You can use a handy little tool called Tweet Later (http://www.tweetlater.com) to do that.

~Feed your blog to Twitter. This is sort of an advanced process and you need to use RSS feeds to do it. If you don't know how to do that, put this idea on a back burner for later. Be sure the first 140 character of each blog is meaningful so people on Twitter get what you’re tweeting about! Use www.tweetlater.com to do this.

~Post your media releases and other longer stuff on http://www.twitwall.com first. It’s so easy you won’t need any tutorial. It’s easy to use a picture with these posts, too.

~Advanced users can share music and videos. Twitter users will appreciate them more if they are short. Don't worry about this for a while. Just enjoy.

~Help writer friends by tweeting about what they are doing, especially when what they are doing will help your followers. This is probably the most important advice in this blog. Please take it to heart.
~Offer advice in your field of expertise. You know how I like tips. I offer lots of tips on Twitter, too.

~When you learn new things about Twitter, tweet about it. There will be followers who will help you advance with your tweeting skills but there will also be newbies who can benefit from your experiences.

~Follow people who follow you. When it becomes too hectic, use Tweetdeck.com to organize your tweets.

~Network. I tweet regularly about the agents, bookstores, and reviewers I find on Twitter so my followers can learn more about them.

~Use www.tweetchat.com for chats of your own design. I’ve presented chats with a new tweeting friend @zimblermiller (that’s her Twitter address) on book proposals and query letters with more to come. (-: BTW, you'll see certain tweets with the number sign in them like #bkpro. Those are the chat entries that also come up on the twitter board. Occasionally they don't make sense because you haven't been following the whole thread, but occasionally they have little jewels in them--stuff you'll really be glad to know. Those hashmarks can mean something else, too. They become a keyword code for people to find tweets on specific subjects.

It is obvious that you can learn a lot from people who tweet like this. So tweeting is not only about... well, tweeting. It’s also about listening. Find me tweeting at http://www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. If you should be a retailer as well as a writer, find me at http://twitter.com/frugalretailing.

And that brings me to my last point. Keep your tweet accounts relatively focused on the marketing job at hand.

This blog is a reprint from my Sharing with Writers newsletter. To subscribe use the subscribe window in the left column of this blog or e-mail me at HoJoNews @ aol.com. Please put SUBSCRIBE in the subject window.

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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--As I'm Inclined To Do--My Enthusiasm for the Law of Attraction

Those of you who follow my newsletter know that recently I became infatuated with the power of the law of attraction and the book and CD (I prefer the CD)called The Secret. I'm not on Rhonda Byrne's payroll but I should be. (-: I keep relating the age-old principles to my own life, my own career and it's working so well I want to share its power with my writing friends. But then that's my M.O. That sharing business. If I could have a daily dose of power-of-the-universe coaching, I'd sure get it.

Did I say that? Well I can and so can you. It can come right to your e-mail box and, yes, you know me. It's more frugal than those high-priced weekends, etc.

It's from my friend, Elizabeth Grant, “The Quantum Coach.” It’s called Quantum Power Sessions, . It's an innovative tool to help you awaken to your inner happiness and even propel your writing career. Her plan is simple. You spend a few minutes every single weekday morning with one of the most effective mentors in North America and she keeps you on track. That's essential when you're first learning a new way to think and to be.

Click here to watch a 1-minute video and listen to a sample:

http://www.easywebautomation.com/app/?af=968239

Elizabeth’s story of personal transformation is remarkable. A talented executive by her mid-20s, she felt unfulfilled and out of sync, and spent most of the next 15 years in a state of major depression and anxiety, at times unable to even hold a job.

Then, she experienced a spiritual awakening, and realized that she didn’t have to suffer; that her outer life was just a reflection of the inner her – not the other way around! She discovered the power of living in the now, and she stumbled upon a way of life she now calls Quantum Living – living in harmony with the universe, and developing the thoughts, mindset, habits, and consciousness to help you tap into your own inner happiness and create unlimited prosperity in your life. It was only later that she learned there was something called the Law of Attraction, and that this was the reason her life had become so effortless.

Elizabeth has now emerged as one of the most effective spiritual mentors and Law of Attraction teachers in the world.

A few months ago, she wondered, “If I could spend just five minutes every day with everyone who was seeking inner happiness and outer abundance, imagine the shifts they could make in just a few months! And what if I could make this affordable for virtually anyone seeking this kind of help?”

And so she came up with Quantum Power Sessions. Here’s what they’re about:

Each weekday morning, you’ll receive a powerful five-minute mp3 in your inbox personally created by Elizabeth. It will be filled with the highest quality mentoring available, helping you to permanently integrate key concept into your life, such as:

The Law of Attraction
The Power of Now
Wealth Consciousness
The Art of Allowing
The Power of Thought
… and more!


Elizabeth has completely transformed her own life, which is why she understands what you’re going through. She cuts through the fluff and presents complicated concepts like Wealth Consciousness in a simple, easy-to-understand manner. And each day, she’ll give you a simple action you can integrate into your day!

Gradually, you’ll be able to experience the huge shifts you hear others experience. And these powerful sessions cost only about $5 a week! In addition, Elizabeth will help you reinforce what you’ve learned through a FREE monthly group coaching call!

And the time is right. Many are so enthused they're offering free bonus gifts when you decide to help yourself. So if Quantum Power Sessions resonates with you, you can access $8,000 in gifts from people like Marci Shimoff, Lisa Nichols, John Assaraf, and me!

PS Here’s the link again for your convenience:


http://www.easywebautomation.com/app/?af=968239

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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.

Victor Volkman and Irene Watson Love to Give Free Stuff to Writers

I love to give my blog readers (and, yeah, readers of my books) free information when I can. There are others who like to do that, too, including Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman of Author Access. We are some team when we get together as we did last week when they interviewed me on the fine art of book proposal writing and why it matters. Many of the tips were taken from my 49 cent wonder "The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Book in Twenty Minutes or Less." We talked about the "A" to "Z" of book
proposals and how to make your unique voice shine through. We also talked about:

* Why I wrote "The Great First Impression Book Proposal"
* Why this how to on book proposals differs from most–-other than it’s being only 49 cents
* The most important part of a book proposal
* Why you need a query letters to go with your book proposal
* Why I chose the Amazon Short format for "The Great First Impression Book Proposal"

Download the free podcast at http://authorsaccess.com/archives/146
Learn about the 30 Success Secrets for Authors and Publishers at Authors Access.
To learn of other free podcasts that benefit writers follow Victor and Irene on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/vvolkman Follow me at http://twitter.com/frugalbookpromo


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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.

How Indie Authors, Publishers and Bookstores Could Lick the Recession by Partnering

(This blog features bookstores but most independent retailers could substitute the name of their own store every times the word "bookstore" appears. That's because their are authors who write on any subject imaginable and they are sure to find books that fit any store's product mix. These days the author of those books is more likely than ever to be a keen marketer, too.)

Retailing is in danger. Retailing of books is in greater danger still. We all know many bookstores have failed and many more are struggling. Independent bookstores are especially endangered.

Why then, are so many of these bookstores still adverse to utilizing the power behind their kin--that is the power of indie authors?

A new bookstore opened in my adopted hometown of LaCañada-Flintridge. Brave souls they are, for another small bookstore down the block had just closed out most of their books and reinvented itself into a café. Authors in the area were thinking, “Ahhhh, opportunity! Surely this indie will honor the needs of fellow indies!”

Those authors in my community were wrong. They have been turned away from that new bookstore in droves.

But let me digress. Because I am both author and retailer with some 30 years experience in the retail industry and ten plus in the publishing industry, I wish both bookstores and authors well and know that we are powerful if we work together. I cared enough to write a book that is now available on Amazon. It 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. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441467246/.

That indie authors were turned away on the basis of the press their books were printed on seems especially sad because the store is just one of many that seem to be operating on the theory that independent authors are all cut from the same fabric. Bookstores with this attitude are missing bets on two fronts.

The first, of course, is that they are missing out on good will in their communities. That is so important for any retailer, large or small, independent or chain. An unhappy author is an unhappy customer who tells other people why she is displeased. That is not good word-of-mouth. A happy author is quite the opposite and possibly more avidly positive because she has more at stake in praising the store and recommending its products.

The second opportunity they’re missing is the open door independent authors offer to profits.

Because small indie bookstores’ gross sales are anywhere from $200 to $1000 per weekday (and that upper figure is generous) they can easily increase their gross by tapping into the talent and energy of authors who live in their areas. By considering independent authors and authors published by small presses they increase their pool of possible money makers incrementally. If they harnessed this potential (particular authors who have the knowledge to promote well which readers of my Sharing with Writers newsletter and The Frugal Book Promoter do) they could up their annual gross profits by anywhere from 5% to 12% and that’s nothing to sniff at--especially if it will carry them through an economic downturn.

Here is the ammunition authors and publishers can use to convince bookstore owners that indie-published writers are profit-powerhouse:

1. If a bookstore had but one reading and signing event a week with an indie author and that author promoted (or the store gave them a handout telling them how to promote in exchange for being featured in an event), the free publicity that store would get would be worth the effort. Figured at about $50 a column inch for advertising space, a four inch article in the local paper is worth $200 alone and most events can bring more press publicity than that, some a lot more,and some may even get some TV coverage. An Armenian poet friend of mine did a signing and got coverage on our local cable TV station that caters to the poetry-loving Armenian community. The venue of the reading was, of course, featured prominently in the segment.

2. If the guest author sells 10 books at $12 with a 40% markup only to friends from their own contact list, that would raise that store's profits for the day by five to ten percent. If a bookstore sponsored readings, signings or workshops on slow weeknights 52 times a year and occasionally (for the authors who showed greater promotion promise) on the weekends, that profit could make an appreciable difference. Perhaps enough to keep the store kicking with energy through the recession.

3. If the store sets up an author-friendly program in which the store stocks five signed books for two weeks after the event and the author sends enough customers to the store to buy those books, the store promises to reorder, that’s like hiring a salesperson in the community--one that the store doesn’t pay a salary or commission.

4. If the store tracked some of the customers recommended to them by the local authors they partnered with they would find that many are people who have never been to their stores, may not even know their bookstore exists. Marketers estimate that it costs anywhere from $8 to $25 in promotion and advertising monies to attract one new customer. These new customers cost the store nothing because that author has already “earned” her event with points one through three.

Let’s factor the small publisher into this mix. What if every small publisher made certain that his author(s) know how to approach bookstores with the benefits of featuring him at a signing. Publishers could do that by gifting their authors with The Frugal Book Promoter or at least recommending it or other books on marketing like Janet Elaine Smith’s PromPaks or John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market a Book.

That publisher could even furnish his authors with templates for a query letters and media kits that would help convince bookstores that events--especially events that feature locals--are underused tools for profitability. Some bookstores like The Literary Bookpost in Salisbury, NC. have been using independent authors’ talent and enthusiasm to provide a community service to benefit their business successfully. There is no reason why--if we educated one another and supported one another--we couldn’t all benefit the same way.

Once the author has the information she needs to assure a successful signing and to sell her signing concept to a bookstore she:

1. Mails her query and media kit to the indie bookstore owner.
2. Drops by, introduces herself, and gives the bookseller a list of how her workshop or seminar can benefit him using information drawn from this article.
3. If the answer is still no, she drops by again with a list of what she will do to promote the event (parts of which would have been in her query letter). How many local people does she have on her contact list? Will she provide refreshments to guests? Does she have media contacts? She may even take the bookseller a copy of A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions. That’s an investment in the future--for the author, for the bookstore and for the community.

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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.

Trend Seer Marian Salzman's Predictions Have Lessons for Writers

Marian Salzman is chief marketing officer for the PR hugey Porter Novelli in Manhattan. Her success hinges on her projecting the future and making sense of the times leading to this moment, this day.

Author of Next Now: Trends for the Future she notes, "technology is here to stay."

Now didn't we know that! But she takes it a step forward. She says, "The future lies in mastering new technologies."

Judging from my experience in the publishing field, I'd say she is right on. Luckily, I was forced to learn the Internet in order to submit my novel online in 2001. Since then (just to name the biggies) I've been forced by good friend, author, and publisher Joyce Faulkner to learn to "do" my own Web site using Micrcosoft's FrontPage, encouraged to blog by good friend Allyn Evans who held my hand through some of the basic processes when it was brand new to me, and to get with with Facebook and Twitter (MySpace was pretty much a bust for me though I'm still there).

And now the time I spent in New York to launch 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 is pointing me in a new direction. I have no wi fi and the rentals at the Marriott (shame!) were $8 per 15 minutes. I am not Blackberry or iPhone connected. Thus my e-mail lay fallow, overflowed my e-mail box, and accumulated into days of work before I returned home. It seems my next task is cut out for me.

So, Marian Salzman, not only do I agree with you but I am here to ask where each of my writing friends is in their trek on the technology path. If the future is in tech, what do we all need to do next (besides write another book) to get our act on the road. For me it's to get connected when I'm on the road. I'm thinking the 3G iPhone complete with on-the-road e-mail capability and iPod music and in-hotel F R ^ ^ access.

You are probably way ahead of me, and my admission--I hope--will make you feel better about any of your own perceived technical inadequacies. But in terms of tech, what is coming next for you? Roll out your community college catalog and decide what you can do to forge ahead, keep up or catch up. We owe it to ourselves to be there when the time comes!

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Information on Marian Salzman came from American Airlines' American Way magazine, May 15, 2009, edition. Other of her predictions include embracing maturity, a more intense interest in wellness, and the interest in looking back to learn evidenced by the new books and references this year on Darwin, Lincoln and the 1930s.

PS: If it weren't for my experience at launching my new retail book at the National Stationery Show, I may never have run across this marketing dynamo. I plan to get her book; trends are more than fashion or color. They are you're life, you're tomorrows. Also, I'm including the cover of my new book that lead me to this new discover, even though this is a column for writers. It seemed the perfect opportunity to mention that the designed is John Quinn, http://www.designsolution360.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.

In Passing: Plagiarism and Your Stress Level

"In Passing" is a new mini column I decided to occasionally incorporate into this Sharing with Writers and Readers blog. These mini columns will touch on some aspect I cover in more detail in one of my HowToDoItFrugally books for writers. Thus, they are more like little reminders and those who want a longer discussion can go to the indexes in my books to learn more about specifics of coping with each of the "In Passing topics. (Note: I am rather proud of those indexes; I learned to do them myself because I figured I know better than anyone else what my treasured audience will need--especially the indexes in The Frugal Editor and A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotion.)

I believe that that relatively unknown authors worry too much about plagiarism and other theft. For good reason. I can safely say I never present or teach a class but someone doesn't tell me that they are afraid of even the basic essentials like sending their idea to an agent or publisher for fear of having their idea swiped.

First, there is not much money in pirating a newby's book and if one's material did get copied in some way and the author followed my ideas in The Frugal Book Promoter for turning lemons into publicity lemonade, she might find herself more famous and selling more books that she would have otherwise.

Still you will want to know more on the subject and this link on the digital piracy of books was submitted by poet, photographer and subscriber to my Sharing with Writers newsletter May Lattanzio: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/technology/internet/12digital.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

For my take on protecting your copyright, using discovered plagiarism to your benefit and relaxing a bit go back to your copy of The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't

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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.

Great PR As Damage Control: Authors Learning from Big Guys' Boo Boos

It seems Abercrombie and Fitch mmmm . . . borrowed the name "Hollister" from a California town for one of its lines of clothing.

Seems after they did, they wouldn't even put an outlet in the town to help the Hollister folk with their economy (the economy being another story entirely!).

Seems a local woman decided to use her own town's name on a small line of her own jeans.

Seems A&F didn't like that. Now it seems that the whole town is up in arms. They want to reclaim their name and they're publicizing the injustice done them everywhere!

Seems to me that A&F made a whole string of public relations booboos here. Seems to me that A&F should backtrack. Say, "I'm sorry." Hire the Hollister woman to design jeans for them. When the economy does an upturn, put in an outlet and use that magnanimous gesture to glean all kinds of counter publicity. Ahem!

Authors can learn from the mistakes made by the big guys. Keep a pulse on when your name is being praised and/or taken in vain (use Alerts features from Google and others). Have a considered plan before catastrophe stikes. Admit your wrong-doing (if any) immediately and aplogize. Fight back immediately when necessary but don't blame others.

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Information on this PR snafu came from the LA Times, an article written for the business section by Hugo Martin.
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.