I recently spoke at a writers' club and, of course, came back with a stack of business cards and bookmarks. I am giving all those authors applause for having cards or bookmarks, but after visiting their Web sites I was so disappointed!
Many of them had no way to contact the author. Their main Web site page is only a marketing page and the link takes visitors directly to a sell page on Amazon or elsewhere). One didn't even include a review. None included a media room.
This kind of inaccessibility violates one of the most important Web site rules for authors. It appears on one of the first pages of The Frugal Book Promoter. That is: " Don't pretend that people have come to your Web site only to buy a book."
A free page at AuthorsDen.com is better than something like this. AD doesn't have the ability to offer a media room per se, but an author could just offer a media kit using e-mail.
But more heinous even than no media room is that there was no way to reach the author. Sometimes there was no e-mail address even on their business card!
Authors! These are your READERS. Or your future readers. Let's treat them with respect. If you are one of those who are doing this for security reasons, for heaven's sake, get an e-mail address separate from your personal one. Put it on you business cards, bookmarks, Web site and everywhere else you can. Your readers will respond with book sales and with compliments that can be used as blurbs or endorsements.
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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 how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Poetry Chapbook a Great Holiday Greetings Idea!
Little Known Poetry History: Chapbooks, a tradition in the poetry world since Elizabethan times, are named after the itinerant chapmen who travelled from village to village selling their goods.
My poetry partner Magdalena Ball and I figure there is no holiday greeting more meaningful than a poem—a real poem, not sing-songy impersonal verse from the shelves of card shops. With that in mind, we have created the Celebration Series of chapbooks and have released TaDa! Just in time for the holiday season! a chapbook titled Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational.
Now, here’s the exciting part. Literature lovers everywhere can order these chapbooks with full-color covers by prize-winning water colorist Vicki Thomas for only $3. each. That’s only $75 for 25 of the most memorable holiday greetings you’ve ever sent to your friends and relatives. Each booklet is a card and gift in one.
Blooming Red includes Maggie’s science-inspired and Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. It also includes some humorous poems for fair measure.
Here is one of the lighter-spirited ones from me:
Cruising Santa Clause©
After the season of pinescent
and candlewax, here is Santa
of the Seas, a ringer for the real guy.
Jolly round bearded face, sans a pipe
clenched tight in his teeth, wearing
his off-duty uniform, candy-cane-colored
running shoes, green gabardines, cranberry
worsted blazer, rhinestone-studded
lapel pin, and always with the Mrs, she as gray
as a Midwest winter day, beside his hollyberry
splendor. I peek discreetly. There walking
among Etruscan tombs, perched on remnants
of a Corinthian capitol at Ephesus
as if it were a stool, bright red and green
against the sand at Giza, wandering
through the ship’s casino, poking a placard
high to bid on a Kincaid canvas replica
(Ahhhh! The colored lights illuminating
the snow embellished by the master
himself). Best of all, night of nights! Santa
seated front row in the Stardust
Theater, other upfront guests volunteer
him to saw the gammy woman in red fringe
and sequins in half. He hesitates not a moment,
but went straight to his work.
The chapbooks in the Celebration Series include Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love), also with artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse); She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) with photographs by May Lattanzio (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook); Imagining the Future: For Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions (for the men in your life) (www.budurl.com/Imagining). And now Blooming Red for the special folks on your holiday list! (www.budurl.com/BloomingRed). All are available individually at only $6.95 on Amazon but are only $3. each when ordered in quantities of 25 or more directly from the poets. Put HOLIDAY ORDER in the subject line and send an e-mail to me at HoJoNews@aol.com . I will make payment arrangements with you and give you the small shipping cost for the number you order.
Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous five-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings (http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America and She Wore Emerald Then won its highest honor of gold. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms at www.howtodoitfrugally.com or www.magdalenaball.com. To learn more about artist Vicki Thomas and to see her work, go to http://www.vickithomasartist.com/.
Wishing you a lovely autumn and winter season,
Carolyn
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
My poetry partner Magdalena Ball and I figure there is no holiday greeting more meaningful than a poem—a real poem, not sing-songy impersonal verse from the shelves of card shops. With that in mind, we have created the Celebration Series of chapbooks and have released TaDa! Just in time for the holiday season! a chapbook titled Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational.
Now, here’s the exciting part. Literature lovers everywhere can order these chapbooks with full-color covers by prize-winning water colorist Vicki Thomas for only $3. each. That’s only $75 for 25 of the most memorable holiday greetings you’ve ever sent to your friends and relatives. Each booklet is a card and gift in one.
Blooming Red includes Maggie’s science-inspired and Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. It also includes some humorous poems for fair measure.
Here is one of the lighter-spirited ones from me:
Cruising Santa Clause©
After the season of pinescent
and candlewax, here is Santa
of the Seas, a ringer for the real guy.
Jolly round bearded face, sans a pipe
clenched tight in his teeth, wearing
his off-duty uniform, candy-cane-colored
running shoes, green gabardines, cranberry
worsted blazer, rhinestone-studded
lapel pin, and always with the Mrs, she as gray
as a Midwest winter day, beside his hollyberry
splendor. I peek discreetly. There walking
among Etruscan tombs, perched on remnants
of a Corinthian capitol at Ephesus
as if it were a stool, bright red and green
against the sand at Giza, wandering
through the ship’s casino, poking a placard
high to bid on a Kincaid canvas replica
(Ahhhh! The colored lights illuminating
the snow embellished by the master
himself). Best of all, night of nights! Santa
seated front row in the Stardust
Theater, other upfront guests volunteer
him to saw the gammy woman in red fringe
and sequins in half. He hesitates not a moment,
but went straight to his work.
The chapbooks in the Celebration Series include Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love), also with artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse); She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) with photographs by May Lattanzio (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook); Imagining the Future: For Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions (for the men in your life) (www.budurl.com/Imagining). And now Blooming Red for the special folks on your holiday list! (www.budurl.com/BloomingRed). All are available individually at only $6.95 on Amazon but are only $3. each when ordered in quantities of 25 or more directly from the poets. Put HOLIDAY ORDER in the subject line and send an e-mail to me at HoJoNews@aol.com . I will make payment arrangements with you and give you the small shipping cost for the number you order.
Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous five-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings (http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America and She Wore Emerald Then won its highest honor of gold. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms at www.howtodoitfrugally.com or www.magdalenaball.com. To learn more about artist Vicki Thomas and to see her work, go to http://www.vickithomasartist.com/.
Wishing you a lovely autumn and winter season,
Carolyn
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Friday, October 15, 2010
A Holiday Video Resource for Writers
This is like an early holiday gift for you authors who subscribe or follow this blog. As you know, I try to give you resources, especially frugal ones! (-: So here is a service offered by Aggie Villaneuva at Promotion a la Carte.
The little video she just made for a group of her clients is at the top of this blog. Fun, huh? She also everything she does like crazy. On her Web site and on her social networks.
If you would like to help spread the word to your author friends, you can pick up the html code at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDZYjFErRlU
Whether you choose a promotion like this for the holiday season or some other, I hope you will promote!
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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 how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
The little video she just made for a group of her clients is at the top of this blog. Fun, huh? She also everything she does like crazy. On her Web site and on her social networks.
If you would like to help spread the word to your author friends, you can pick up the html code at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDZYjFErRlU
Whether you choose a promotion like this for the holiday season or some other, I hope you will promote!
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Be the Star You Are and US Bank Sponsor Contest
This is a post in my continuing series of contests that are free or reasonably priced and ethical. This one comes from a nonprofit organization run by Cynthia Bryan, an author in her own right.
7th Annual Essay Contest from Be the Star You Are!®
Be the Star You Are!® literacy charity announced its 7th Annual Essay Contest sponsored by US Bank. It runs from October 18, 2010-January 18, 2011. Win $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!® www.bethestaryouareradio.com, publication in our Star Searcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org, and an autographed copy of Be the Star You Are!®. The topic is “How do we create more happiness and abundance in our lives through service to others?”
Tax deductible entry fee donation is $10. For guidelines, visit http://www.bethestaryouare.org/ or email info@bethestaryouare.org
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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 how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
7th Annual Essay Contest from Be the Star You Are!®
Be the Star You Are!® literacy charity announced its 7th Annual Essay Contest sponsored by US Bank. It runs from October 18, 2010-January 18, 2011. Win $100 plus guest appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, Be the Star You Are!® www.bethestaryouareradio.com, publication in our Star Searcher Express newsletter and at www.bethestaryouare.org, and an autographed copy of Be the Star You Are!®. The topic is “How do we create more happiness and abundance in our lives through service to others?”
Tax deductible entry fee donation is $10. For guidelines, visit http://www.bethestaryouare.org/ or email info@bethestaryouare.org
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Saturday, October 09, 2010
An Open-To-All Submission Opportunity
I often try to bring Sharing with Writers visitors and subscribers accessible ways to get published. It's so essential in those early days of building a platform and we all know that it can be very difficult to break into many of the listings in Writer's Digest's Markets. So today! TaDa! Heather Paye to the rescue with an anthology opportunity. It's not that new writers shouldn't pay close attention to submission guidelines or go into this expecting that all submissions will be accepted, but Heather's new project is open to all. Here are some questions and answers and some links for you to learn more. Oh yeah. It's also frugal. No fee for entering.
Project: Old Man Anthology.
http://old-man.webs.com/
Heather: To make a long story short, this "Old Man Anthology" is a planned anthology for next Father's Day. It will have short stories by both new and seasoned writers whom have submitted their work to be included. It's a great way to show respect to fathers everywhere - which, if you're dad is like mine, he's super hard to buy gifts for!
Right now I'm accepting entries to put into the anthology. If you submit a story of yours, it will be included in the work. It's a great opportunity if you're a writer... or just looking for something to get the picky father.
You actually have to write the story yourself - ha ha - yeah. There isn't a catch. It's free to enter a short story. You can enter up to five short stories to be included in the book. They have to be something about Father's Day. They have to be your original work. You have to have the rights to the work. Each story must be in English. Stories must be suitable for readers twelve and under (no cursing, profanity, violence, etc.). You actually have to edit your story - but fear not, work will be edited and polished before it's published - and you'll be notified of the changes - if any. And each story must be under 1,000 words.
Write a non-fiction short story about your father. Write a fictional story about one of his hobbies (i.e. he likes poker, write a story about someone who plays poker), write about Father's Day in general, write about anything you think has to do with the subject. Just as long as it's actually a story, not a short biography, not a poem, but an actual story. It can be any genre you want, as long as it's suitable for those twelve and under.
What if you want to write a story with a friend? You can enter the story in the contest, as long as both of you agree. There can be up to three writers per short story, it can be entered as long as all writers agree.
You can enter starting... now! Entries will not be accepted after March 31st at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time. If an overwhelming amount of entries is received, the contest may close sooner. In which case the entry link will be disabled. All of those who entered will have their stories included.
So what do you get? You get your story/stories featured in an awesome anthology beside many different authors. You get an author's discount for purchasing copies of the anthology. Need more reasons? You get your work read by other people in the universe. You get to keep all of the rights to your work. The only right you give is for me to put your work in the anthology. You can take your work anywhere else you want at any time you want - heck you could even burn it if you wanted!
Everyone can enter. Providing they can write actual words... If you're under 18, go over the agreement at the bottom of the submission form with your parents. After you have permission, submit your stories!
This Anthology is being published by me, Heather Paye. Just like the poetry anthology I did for Mother's Day 2010, I will be in charge of the book cover, layout, illustrations - everything. The anthology will be self-published and available in print on Amazon.com and through the printer at CreateSpace.com.
Just fill out the form.
If you still have more questions, go to the "Contact" page and drop a note. I'll answer any questions that come to me.
Heather Paye is the author of a book of poetry, For You, From Me, and active in author and poetry circles online. Find her at http://heatherpaye.blogspot.com . She tweets at http://www.twitter.com/kittynadem Her Web site is http://agiftfromabove.webs.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 how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Project: Old Man Anthology.
http://old-man.webs.com/
Heather: To make a long story short, this "Old Man Anthology" is a planned anthology for next Father's Day. It will have short stories by both new and seasoned writers whom have submitted their work to be included. It's a great way to show respect to fathers everywhere - which, if you're dad is like mine, he's super hard to buy gifts for!
Right now I'm accepting entries to put into the anthology. If you submit a story of yours, it will be included in the work. It's a great opportunity if you're a writer... or just looking for something to get the picky father.
You actually have to write the story yourself - ha ha - yeah. There isn't a catch. It's free to enter a short story. You can enter up to five short stories to be included in the book. They have to be something about Father's Day. They have to be your original work. You have to have the rights to the work. Each story must be in English. Stories must be suitable for readers twelve and under (no cursing, profanity, violence, etc.). You actually have to edit your story - but fear not, work will be edited and polished before it's published - and you'll be notified of the changes - if any. And each story must be under 1,000 words.
Write a non-fiction short story about your father. Write a fictional story about one of his hobbies (i.e. he likes poker, write a story about someone who plays poker), write about Father's Day in general, write about anything you think has to do with the subject. Just as long as it's actually a story, not a short biography, not a poem, but an actual story. It can be any genre you want, as long as it's suitable for those twelve and under.
What if you want to write a story with a friend? You can enter the story in the contest, as long as both of you agree. There can be up to three writers per short story, it can be entered as long as all writers agree.
You can enter starting... now! Entries will not be accepted after March 31st at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time. If an overwhelming amount of entries is received, the contest may close sooner. In which case the entry link will be disabled. All of those who entered will have their stories included.
So what do you get? You get your story/stories featured in an awesome anthology beside many different authors. You get an author's discount for purchasing copies of the anthology. Need more reasons? You get your work read by other people in the universe. You get to keep all of the rights to your work. The only right you give is for me to put your work in the anthology. You can take your work anywhere else you want at any time you want - heck you could even burn it if you wanted!
Everyone can enter. Providing they can write actual words... If you're under 18, go over the agreement at the bottom of the submission form with your parents. After you have permission, submit your stories!
This Anthology is being published by me, Heather Paye. Just like the poetry anthology I did for Mother's Day 2010, I will be in charge of the book cover, layout, illustrations - everything. The anthology will be self-published and available in print on Amazon.com and through the printer at CreateSpace.com.
Just fill out the form.
If you still have more questions, go to the "Contact" page and drop a note. I'll answer any questions that come to me.
Heather Paye is the author of a book of poetry, For You, From Me, and active in author and poetry circles online. Find her at http://heatherpaye.blogspot.com . She tweets at http://www.twitter.com/kittynadem Her Web site is http://agiftfromabove.webs.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 how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including 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. 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 . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
Friday, October 01, 2010
The Most Useful Book on a Writer's Desk!
Yes, I am away again. This time I'm just finishing the first writers' retreat I've ever sponsored, this one with my fellow UCLA instructor, Eve Caram, an award winner. So, I'm using one of my Reviews for Riters (tm). Trust me,though. This is much better than fill. You may find it the most useful book on your desk.
It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences
Subtitle: a writer’s guide to crafting killer sentences
By June Casagrande
Ten Speed Press (2010)
ISBN: 9781580087407
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Buy Link: http://budurl.com/GrammarSnobs
Publisher's Site: http://www.tenspeed.com/
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, a chapbook of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally Series of book for authors
Rules. Rules. Rules. I didn’t realize how tired I was of the same old writing advice until this little black book landed in my mailbox. I promised to review it fast, but this It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences book by June Casagrande isn’t a book a serious writer wants to flip through fast.
I could see from the subhead in the first chapter that this book would include something better than most. It read, “Thy Reader, Thy God.” What a concept that is! The Reader and not The Rule Book! Ahem! And it got better and better as Casagrande explored all the subjects I knew everything about. Or thought I did. She uses examples so a writer can see the differences between OK writing and acrylic-clear writing.
By the time I got to “Are Your Relatives Essential?” I was really sold. This is a Wow- Chapter, even for accomplished editors. The writing tips she gives in Chapter Twelve for using tenses effectively are just what I need to convince my students that I’m not the only editor/teacher in the world who believes that tenses needn’t match all the way through a story (or even a paragraph, for that matter!). That chapter is called “You Will Have Been Conjugating.”
I could go on and on, chapter by chapter. What isn’t new to a writer or what doesn’t elucidate will remind and amuse Casagrande’s God, The Reader. For those who know Casagrande’s work, this book isn’t as funny as her first one, Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (www.budurl.com/GrammarSnobs ). Nevertheless, the reader will still occasionally get a good laugh. For chuckles read Chapter Nine, “Antique Desk Suitable for Lady with Thick Legs and Large Drawers.”
For Casagrande, the lesson is always that grammar needn’t be dreary. Why should it be when we love writing? How could it be when grammar is the nails and tacks, the color and structure of what we love? Writing.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her book of creative nonfiction Harkening, won three. A UCLA Writers' Program instructor, she also is the author of another book essential for writers,USA Book News' Best Professional Book of 2004, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't.(www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo ). The second in the HowToDoItFrugally series, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor ) covers writing successful query letters and includes helpful hints from twenty of the nation's top agents. Her book Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB ) will appeal to the same crowd that falls in love with Casagrande’s books. Learn more about Howard-Johnson at her new site http://howtodoitfrugally.com/ .
It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences
Subtitle: a writer’s guide to crafting killer sentences
By June Casagrande
Ten Speed Press (2010)
ISBN: 9781580087407
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Buy Link: http://budurl.com/GrammarSnobs
Publisher's Site: http://www.tenspeed.com/
New Book May (Should!) Replace Your Stunk and White!
Grammar Guru Offers Advice
Like None You’ve Ever Seen—All in One Place!
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, a chapbook of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally Series of book for authors
Rules. Rules. Rules. I didn’t realize how tired I was of the same old writing advice until this little black book landed in my mailbox. I promised to review it fast, but this It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences book by June Casagrande isn’t a book a serious writer wants to flip through fast.
I could see from the subhead in the first chapter that this book would include something better than most. It read, “Thy Reader, Thy God.” What a concept that is! The Reader and not The Rule Book! Ahem! And it got better and better as Casagrande explored all the subjects I knew everything about. Or thought I did. She uses examples so a writer can see the differences between OK writing and acrylic-clear writing.
By the time I got to “Are Your Relatives Essential?” I was really sold. This is a Wow- Chapter, even for accomplished editors. The writing tips she gives in Chapter Twelve for using tenses effectively are just what I need to convince my students that I’m not the only editor/teacher in the world who believes that tenses needn’t match all the way through a story (or even a paragraph, for that matter!). That chapter is called “You Will Have Been Conjugating.”
I could go on and on, chapter by chapter. What isn’t new to a writer or what doesn’t elucidate will remind and amuse Casagrande’s God, The Reader. For those who know Casagrande’s work, this book isn’t as funny as her first one, Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (www.budurl.com/GrammarSnobs ). Nevertheless, the reader will still occasionally get a good laugh. For chuckles read Chapter Nine, “Antique Desk Suitable for Lady with Thick Legs and Large Drawers.”
For Casagrande, the lesson is always that grammar needn’t be dreary. Why should it be when we love writing? How could it be when grammar is the nails and tacks, the color and structure of what we love? Writing.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her book of creative nonfiction Harkening, won three. A UCLA Writers' Program instructor, she also is the author of another book essential for writers,USA Book News' Best Professional Book of 2004, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't.(www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo ). The second in the HowToDoItFrugally series, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor ) covers writing successful query letters and includes helpful hints from twenty of the nation's top agents. Her book Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB ) will appeal to the same crowd that falls in love with Casagrande’s books. Learn more about Howard-Johnson at her new site http://howtodoitfrugally.com/ .
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