Dawn Colclasure Allows Me to Give Away My Pick for Best Free Download of the Year

I am so excited to offer subscribers and visitors to this blog Dawn Colclasure's new FREE book as a Christmas thank you as well as just an #AuthorsHelpingAuthors gesture for #writersblock or just maybe #craftdisplasia--if there is such a thing. Ahem.  I want to help authors avoid one of my biggest booboo--that is I didn't find the "perfect first line" for my novel until it was out of print!

 Here is is more about her freebie. I vote it the season's best free download. But don't forget Dawn's
great newsletter, now more than a year old.  Information on subscribing to it below. Just keep scrolling!

Do Not Fear the Blank Page! Let a First Line for a Story Get You Writing

By Dawn Colclasure

One way in which writers can find time to write is if they get up early in the morning to have some uninterrupted time. But what happens if everybody else in the house gets up early, too? Things get busy, there’s the rush for people to get out the door, and kids need to be transported to school. The writer hoping to grab some time to write just so they can get the words in their head onto paper may have trouble finding that time.

This is where writing down that first line comes into play. By writing down that first line I plan to use for what I want to write, I can come back to it later, when I have more time, to pick up where I left off. 

But having that first line to get started with serves another purpose as well: It eliminates the dread of facing a blank page. 

The most seasoned writers can sometimes have a hard time putting all of those thoughts in their heads into words. They know what they want to write and do have the time to write it, but facing that blank page with all of that space to fill up with words can be off-putting. It can incite a sense of dread that the words you choose to fill that blank space with must be perfect. There is the expectation that everything written on that blank page will be the final draft which everyone will read.

Even as we know this is not true, these implied feelings can keep the writer from even putting that first line onto the blank page.

But if you already have a first line written, there’s nothing to fear. The writing has begun, and it’s up to you to finish it.

That’s where my new ebook, 30 First Lines for Fiction Writers, comes in. 

By having a first line of a story or a chapter for a novel written, the writer can approach the task of writing feeling better prepared to write a story. There is no blank page they must deal with and no sense of dread on how to start their story. That first line is already written. All the writer has to do is use their imagination to write the rest.

Of course, no first lines are written in stone. The writer has the freedom to take that first line and revise it according to their own ideas, style and needs. A first line is only a suggestion or an idea. The writer can take that first line and change the point-of-view, change the dialogue, add greater detail or rewrite it according to their trope of choice.

Whatever the writer chooses to do with that first line is up to them. The point of this ebook is to provide a first line to get the writer’s creativity going and spark some ideas. The first line of a story is written; now the writer can take it from there to create the story they want to write.


Here is the blurb:

Writers of fiction often struggle with how or where to start their stories. The idea for a story isn't enough to start writing a story; a lot of times, the writer needs to figure out that first line. Just as a first line of a story can pull a reader in, it can also spark a writer’s creativity to help them get started on writing a story.

This book contains 30 first lines which can be used to help you start writing a story. It may not be the same first line used in the final draft, but a writer hoping to get that first draft written can start with any first line they so choose. 

Select a first line from any of these options and get busy writing your story! Get your free copy of this ebook here:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/r5om5ilasi 

More About the Author

 Dawn Colclasure is a writer living in Oregon. She is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and columnist. She is the author and co-author of over four dozen books, among them her horror novel, Shadow of Samhain. Her forthcoming titles from PsychoToxin Press include the YA horror story collection, The Worst Thing You Ever Did, and the psychological horror novella, All the Beautiful Things. She also has a magical realism novel, I’ll Be Ghosting You, scheduled for a November 2023 release by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. Her work has appeared in magazines, websites and anthologies. She writes a regular column for ReaderViews.com's "First Chapter Plus", also a downloadable freebie.  Her websites are https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/. She’s on Twitter @dawnwilson325 and @dawncolclasure.

Some of Dawn's books for writers include: 

BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents 

https://booklocker.com/books/1743.html 
The Big Book of Writing Challenges

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2MC4CFP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1XBV6LO8EIDOK&keywords=Writing+Challenges&qid=1653786330&s=digital-text&sprefix=writing+challenges%2Cdigital-text%2C125&sr=1-3 
Free Stuff For Writers 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BC6H8PDQ 
Write for Your Life!: The Health Benefits of Writing 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZLVZ4G9 
The Newbie Author's Guide to Getting Your Book Published 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9R8H3C7 

Dawn is also a book reviewer. She reviews books for her blog, Dawn Reviews Books, https://dawnreviewsbooks.blogspot.com/, as well as for Reader Views. 

As a freelance writer, her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She is also a self-publisher. 

She publishes the free newsletter for writers, the SPARREW Newsletter, each month. The SPARREW Newsletter is a free monthly newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers! Stay updated with the latest industry news, read interviews with some of today's most prolific industry leaders, and receive a free ebook with every issue. Subscribe here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/oQMfjTl/spring 
Her author site is at: https://dawnsbooks.com/ 
Check out the site for her latest release and to download free ebooks! 
You can check out Dawn's work as a freelance writer and read the latest issue of the SPARREW Newsletter at this link: https://www.dmcwriter.com/  
Dawn tweets as @dawncolclasure and @dawnwilson325. She is also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawn10325/

The SPARREW Newsletter is a free monthly newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers! Subscribe here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/oQMfjTl/spring

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/1615996001  offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically" (https://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews), and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. 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" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog,Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Bookbaby Offers My New Book as Gift to Help Publishing Industry

As many of my SharingwithWriters blog subscribers and visitors know, I am a fan of what Bookbaby.com does for individual writers and the industry as a whole. They are conducting a survey today that they plan to share with others in the industry who can benefit from better data. I hope you will take a minute to participate in it and claim your free gift—one of which is an e-book copy of the third in my HowToDoItFrugally series, HowTo Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically: The ins and outs of usingfree reviews to build and sustain a writing career. (It will be released in paperback next week but you—my SharingwithWriters peeps—deserve this opportunity—to help our industry and to get the free book—if anyone does!

Keep writing and promoting!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, http://howtodoitfrugally.com 

            

PS: HERE IS THE INFORMATION AND LINKS DIRECTLY FROM BOOKBABY:

Calling all authors—both published and aspiring: We need your help. Self-publishing has evolved into an effective way to take your story directly to the marketplace. But getting published is only half the battle. Promotion and marketing is the self-published author’s next mountain to climb. This kind of work is often foreign and intimidating for authors. Writers just want to write, right? Honestly, things can be better, but not without your voice. How you can help BookBaby has teamed up with over 15 publishing industry partners to conduct what we believe will be the largest survey in self-publishing history. We’re asking over 1,000,000 writers - including YOU - to share your opinions, experiences, and goals as a self-publishing author. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive examination of book promotion and marketing by the self-publishing community. We’ll publish the results of this survey in early 2017 in hopes of helping authors make more informed decisions regarding their own promotional strategies. What you get in return As a thank you for sharing your experiences, BookBaby and its partners are offering a number of giveaways and promotions, including a chance to win a Complete Self-Publishing Package. Share your voice today 15-20 minutes is all it takes for you to contribute to the self-publishing industry’s progression and overall improved experience for all self-publishing authors.

Tell us

Participation is optional. Your survey responses are separate from these promotional opportunities. No other contact information will be requested or retained.

OR  TO TAKE THE SURVEY GO TO https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/selfpubsurvey  

MORE ABOUT BOOKBABY JUST 'CAUSE I THOUGH YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW! 

BookBaby offers everything a self-published author needs to get their manuscript into the marketplace. From premium editing services to quality cover design, eBook and Printed book formatting and production, and world-wide distribution through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and dozens more retail websites.

BookBaby is people-powered publishing! Our publishing specialists are available via phone, email or website chat to answer all your questions about self publishing. Based in our Philadelphia-area office, BookBaby’s friendly and knowledgeable customer service team is available from 9 am to 5 pm weekdays to discuss your self publishing needs.

BookBaby offers the strongest guarantee in the publishing industry. You can buy with the highest confidence knowing that your eBook or printed books will be produced to your complete satisfaction. If there are any issues with the quality and craftsmanship of your book project, we will work with you to make it right or we will refund your money.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; 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 .

Prodigious Audio Publisher Shares Audio Books, Tips

My psychological thriller, The Prodigal Son, is now available as an audio book on iTunes and Audible via Amazon.com. 

The Prodigal Son is a story about a teenager's refusal to attend school which leads to criminal charges against his parents and disastrous consequences for him. His parent's recent divorce, his father's hasty remarriage, his brother's leaving for college leave Andrew Tibbet in a desperate whirlwind of emotions. Using revenge as his weapon of choice Andrew sets out to destroy his family emotionally and financially. Psychologist, Allyson Freemont, comes to understand the boy's anger and frustration when she learns the disturbing truth about what's been happening behind closed doors.

If you enjoy listening to books, contact me for a FREE coupon for The Prodigal Son. I'd like to hear from you. (Limited time.) 

You can find The Prodigal Son here Amazon.com/dp/B01BPGJNQO

In addition to The Prodigal Son, I've now published five other audio books all via ACX. They can be found here:

Suffer the Little Children 

Amazon.com/dp/B01369MDYC

Sins of the Father 

Amazon.com/dp/B016LH0XOI

Amazing Grace

Amazon.com/dp/B01974PXLU

'Tis Herself: Short Story Collection

Amazon.com/dp/B00VU39JSA

Beyond the Inkblots: Confusion to Harmony 

Amazon.com/dp/B00HYO5X98

I do a 50/50 royalty deal with the narrator. This does not cost me any money up front and it also opens up an entirely new source of contacts. The narrators have their own network and are eager to promote the audio book to earn royalties and to grow their talents with more and more exposure within their theatrical world.

Audio books are my biggest sales revenue. The audience is a smaller but these folks are eager to find new books in audio format. Not too many authors publish audio books, thus, there is less competition for those of those of us who do.

It's an easy process via ACX (Audio Creation Exchange) and it's FREE. 

Find them at http://ACX.com .

Please tell your SWW subscribers to give it a try ~

--

~  Valerie Allen  ~

                                                ValerieAllenWriter.com                                                    VAllenWriter@cs.com

The Prodigal Son

Amazing Grace
Sins of the Father

Suffer The Little Children

'Tis Herself: Short Story Volume One

Summer School for Smarties

Bad Hair, Good Hat, New Friends

Write, Publish, Sell! 2 ed

Beyond the Inkblots: Confusion to Harmony

-----
 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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; 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 .

Thanks to BookBaby.com you can have my multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter free!

This month I’m doing something kind of special for my readers. I have partnered with BookBaby.com, online publishers that offers a free track for publishing books and lots of professional help, too. They are offering the e-book iteration of the second edition of my The Frugal Book Promoter to their customers free because they believe in it as an aid for their—well, book babies. 

I figured my SharingwithWriters subscribers and visitors should benefit from this promotion, too. If you already have the paperback, you will benefit from having an e-copy because of the ease of using it as a reference by searching important keywords for promotion. If you only have the first edition, this edition has been updated and expanded. If you already have the e-book, why not pass this link along to a friend you have been coaxing to get it: http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n. 

This is one of BookBaby’s ads. I love that they agree with me that "you need this book." (-:

Welcome to BookBaby!

You need to read this book.
So we’ll give it to you for free!

For a limited time BookBaby is offering you a free copy of the second-edition of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s classic, The Frugal Book Promoter. http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n

Get it at http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n

PS: You know how fast things on the Web change? Well, as hard as I try to use permanent links to resources in my books, sometimes the worst happens. The Bookbaby’s e-book offer iteration has been updated just for this promotion. Eventually the updates will take effect in the regular books, too. But until then, you’ll have the most recent links.

PPS: And an after-after thought that it also a lesson in asking for what you need. It's great promotion as long as you let your reader or contact know it comes from a place of caring and passion. Won’t you please look into Bookbaby’s services if you:

1.   Have a book that has been with an agent too long.

2.   Are considering self-publishing a book and weren’t one hundred percent satisfied with the last publisher/printer who published a book for you.

3.   Just need a little nudge or some inspiration. This offer of The Frugal Book Promoter will cost you nothing; you are certain to get a new tip or whole new idea for marketing your book; and it will be the nicest thank you possible for this newsletter that comes to you with my love every month.

No, BookBaby didn't ask me to say this. As you know from the title of this blog, I believe in sharing good resources

-----
 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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; 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 .

Mother's Day Free Poetry Tribute to a Recently Deceased Mom

There are times when writing can help us heal and I asked my poetry coauthor Magdalena Ball if I could share this with my SharingwithWriters subscribers and visitors today--for that reason and because it so touched me that it felt a fitting tribute to my mother who hasn't been with me for some time.  Thank you, Magdalena.

And because this blog is always meant to be practical and I think this a perfect example of how to market with heart.

This post comes to good mothers everywhere--mothers who encourage us to write (or do anything else we want to do). Mothers who unknowingly inspire us to write.

BITTERSWEET MOTHER'S DAY AND POETRY

by Magdalena Ball


This Mother's Day will be bittersweet for me.  Sweet, because I have three wonderful children and a terrific husband who will be celebrating the day with me.  Bitter, because it's the first Mother's Day ever where I am unable to phone my mother, send her a gift, or thank her for being wonderful.  I will, of course, spend the day, as I have done every day since she passed away on the 30th of January this year, thinking about her, missing her, and perhaps writing about her.


At my mother's memorial, I grabbed a copy of the poetry book Carolyn Howard-Johnson and I co-authored from her bookshelf, and read a poem from it about how I used to climb into her bed as a young child, and how safe it felt to me (my own children did the same when they were younger...).  I've reprinted that poem below. Of course, I'm not the only one in the world who has lost my mother.  She Wore Emerald Then was released the week of the death of Carolyn’s mother, so the book, which has always been tied to Mother's Day, has a certain poignancy for both of us.  Carolyn and I are going to be running another freebie this year from the 4th of May to the 7th of May at Amazon.  If you don't already have a copy of She Wore Emerald Then, which features beautiful photography from May Lattanzio, please go and grab a copy for free here:  http://www.amazon.com/She-Wore-Emerald-Then-Reflections-ebook/dp/B00BXPW2XO  anytime from the 4th to the 7th of May (US dates).

If you're a mother, or if you have a mother (and that's all of us, even those of us whose mother is no longer alive), please have a happy Mother's Day, even if that happiness is tinged with longing, because every beautiful moment has a kind of permanence to it, even as it disappears into the transience of time. 

Mother's Bed
In the restless night

when mortality lurks in every shadow

the blanket won’t cover your fear

and morning is a half-forgotten dream

vague and uncertain,

slink into my bed

the pillow holds a mother’s secret

whispered charm

you can sink your head into.

There are no demons here;

no whirlwind of memory and anticipation clouding sleep

only eternal warmth

a shared space

free from the ticking illusion

of time, motion, and change.

~Magdalena Ball, novelist and coauthor of the celebration series of chapbooks

-----
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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; 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 .

Make People WANT What You're Giving Away Free

Many thanks to Karen Cioffi for today's guest post.  Too many of us forget to explain the benefits of the services we offer and we're even more lax when it comes to letting our visitors know why we're the one with the credibility to help them.

Shout Your Author-Writer Qualifications
on Your Email Opt-in Landing Page

 By Karen Cioffi

All writers, including an author and writer, must have a Web site. It’s just the way it is. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you still need a Web site.

Everyone from Writer’s Digest’s Chuck Sambuchino to Jane Friedman (formerly with Writer’s Digest, now an editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review) to agents to publishers, adamantly proclaim the need for an author Web site, even before your book is published.

While a Web site is mandatory, another must-have is a separate landing page to entice visitors to subscribe to your mailing list. Many offer a freebie to entice them to do so.

 

Having a separate landing page for your email opt-in offer is a good marketing move. The primary purpose of this separate page is to avoid visitor distraction. On a regular author Web site or freelance writer site there are usually too many options and that translates into distractions for the visitor.

Think about it.

Do you have a Home page, About page, Reviews page, Events page, Awards page, Excerpts and Illustration pages? Audio? Video? Do you have ads or other sidebar content?

 

These are all distracting features. They may have their purpose, but they are counterproductive in regard to focusing in on building your subscriber list.

 

When it comes to building an e-mail list, your site must be focused – NO distractions – No visitor anxiety. It should have clear call-to-action content with a simple opt-in process.

 

This page should fully explain the benefits the potential subscriber will get if he opts in, and it should also include what your qualifications are for offering this particular information, for claiming to be an authority in your niche.

Let Your Qualifications be Known

People need to be persuaded into subscribing to yet another mailing list and into buying what you’re offering, so you need to make the YES decision and process as easy as possible. Conveying your qualifications for writing your book and the book’s merits are part of this process. For example, if you write fiction:

 

·       Do you have a ‘big name’ publisher?

·       Did your book win any awards?

·       Is your book a best seller?

·       Do you have positive reviews and feedback?

·       Are there book illustrations you can share?

·       How about a brief excerpt?

·       Do you have a book trailer?

·       Do you have good sales numbers?

 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, the Frugal Book Promoter, suggests you also “include a pitch or logline for that piece of fiction that will intrigue your Web site visitor” and “include praise (blurbs) for it.”

Even your social networking numbers matter (e.g., number of Twitter followers, number of Facebook connections, and so on).

Getting a bit more specific as to your actual qualifications for writing the book, particularly if you’re writing nonfiction, or for offering freelance writing services or products:

·       Did you take special training (e.g., classes, ecourses)?

·       Do you have a degree or certification in the topic?

·       Do you have ‘good’ clips?

·       Do you have great testimonials?

·       Have you won awards?

·       Do you belong to relevant groups/clubs?

·       How in depth was your research?

·       Do you teach the topic?

Whatever gives you authority in your niche, whether fiction or nonfiction, be sure to include it in your list.

Sites claiming to be an expert in a particular niche are a dime-a-dozen. Let the visitor know you and your book are the ‘real deal.’

--------- 

Karen Cioffi is an author/writer online platform instructor and provides Web site critiques and optimization services. Take a moment and check out what she can do for your site:
http://www.karencioffi.com/website-services/

----
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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; 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 .

Penny Sansevieri And I Love FREE Book Promotions

What would we do without friends. Penny Sansevieri is my guest today while I am taking a break. I love her articles because she always seems to touch on subjects that I am passionate about, too--like this one. After all, I am your FRUGAL Book Promoter. (-:  But I also want you to sell books and build a writing career. Free that doesn't do that, isn't working for you.

How to Monetize "Free" By Penny Sansevieri These days, everyone talks about free content. "Give it away!" they say, but does this really work? Well, yes and no. As with anything, there has to be a strategy. Last Saturday I was on my morning run through our neighborhood and I noticed a number of garage sale signs (that's tag sale for those of you back east). One of the signs had a sign beneath it that read: We have free stuff! As I ran though the neighborhood I passed that house and noticed they put all their free stuff in the "Free zone" and already, even at that early hour, hoards of people were migrating there. I passed the other garage sales which were doing OK, but not great. Clearly the one with the free stuff pulled more people, but did it actually sell more paid merchandise? Yes. I checked in with the sale after my run to find most of the good stuff gone (note to self: shop first, exercise later). When I talked to the homeowner they said that the free stuff went fast, but as I noted each time I passed by, it wasn't junk stuff, it was actually good enough to make the garage sale shopper feel like they got a real deal. If it's junk and it's free, it doesn't really matter. What's the lesson here? Free stuff can help you sell more of the paid merchandise, but you have to be careful, because some people just want freebies and that's fine. But they are not your customers. Here are some ips to help you maximize the use of free: Why free? The first question you should ask yourself is why are you doing this? If you aren't sure, then free might not be right for you. Free content should be offered to help further your message, build a list, and get new people into your marketing funnel. If your model isn't set up this way, maybe it should be. If you aren't interested in this kind of a marketing model, then free probably isn't your thing. Define how free can help: Figure out why you want to give free stuff. As I mentioned above, getting clear about your model will help determine if a free product is even worth your time. If it is, then you need to figure out how it will help you. As an example, we have a lot of free stuff on the Author Marketing Experts, Inc. site (www.ameauthors.com) but the free for us is designed to build trust. Distrust is rampant online, and in particular, in the book promotion and publishing industry. There are a lot of scams out there and so trust is important. Our free stuff builds our mailing list, yes, but it also builds trust. Make sure it's really free: A lot of people have content that is purported to be free when it's not really free. What I mean is that you get a sliver of it, not even a piece really worth mentioning, but the stuff you want is something you have to pay for. If you want to do free, make it free. Find something of value and give it to your customers. Make it something your end user wants: As I've mentioned a few times, make sure the free is something people want. If it isn't you a) won't bring in the right crowd of people (you'll end up just getting the freebie hunters, and b) you won't build your mailing list as fast. So, for example, give your readers something really substantial like an e-book or tips, or a workbook. Virtually any electronic product is easy to create and deliver. When I changed our freebie on the Author Marketing Experts, Inc. website, we quadrupled our sign-ups. So, what was the freebie? 52 Ways to Sell More Books. Now, as an author, isn't that appealing to you? Exactly my point. So, what if you've written a fiction book? Well, consider this: 83% of Americans want to write a book, so what if you gave them a free how-to guide? You don't even have to create this yourself, you could partner with someone who has already created this. If you don't like that idea, consider (for those of you in the historical fiction market) doing a did-you-know piece on the history you're referencing in your book. The idea here is to a) give value, and b) give your readers something they will care about. Also, whenever possible, give your readers something they need to keep so it will remind them of you and your book: tip sheets, workbooks, reference charts. All of these things are pieces that your consumer may keep, which can keep you top of mind. Take names: You should never give free away without asking for an email address. I see people do this all the time; they have a ton of free stuff but never collect emails. If that's the case, the freebies you are offering may be of great value to your end user but they won't matter to your marketing. Get emails. It's called an ethical bribe. You get something (their email) and give them something (the free stuff). Make it easy to get: Don't make free difficult. What I mean is make it easy to get your free stuff. If people have to jump through hoops, they won't do it and the free stuff won't matter. For example - put your free stuff on your home page, or at least have a link to it, though I recommend using free stuff as an ethical bribe (as a way to get sign-ups for your newsletter). When you ask for their email, make it easy. A simple click or two is all it should take. Then, don't ask for too much information. If you ask me for my address, birthday, and whatnot I doubt I will want your free stuff that badly. Shorten the staircase. If you make it complicated, it's not really free. Just bait. If you bait your consumer in this fashion. You'll lose them. Make the free stuff work for you: If you give away something, make sure that it works for you. What I mean is that when you get our free stuff, we always make sure and remind folks of who we are and what we do. For a while we had a free Twitter e-book that always went out with our product catalog embedded in it. Call to action: Make sure that your free stuff has a call to action. You are collecting names and email addresses and building your list, that's great. But what do you really want people to do? Define what you want them to do, and then include your call to action in the free stuff. Let's face it, it's a good piece - designed to help your reader - but it must also help you. It's OK to promote your book on the last page, or encourage folks to do a consult with you if that's what you offer. You can also offer specials and change these periodically in the giveaway. What will you give? People often ask me what you should give away, and I say, it depends: Who is your market and what do they want? Now, on our site you'll see 52 Ways to Sell More Books, which is an e-book we offer when you sign up for our newsletter. Do our folks want that? You bet. Why? Because they are authors and authors want to sell more books. A special report or e-book always makes a great freebie, maybe you have a white paper that you did on the industry; if so, offer it as a freebie. Follow up! The best kind of free stuff is, as I like to call it, the gift that keeps giving. Auto responders are a great system but often underutilized when it comes to marketing. If you are collecting names and then never contacting your prospects again, what's the point? Our 52 Ways to Sell More Books is delivered over several weeks, and then when we're done, we deliver more quality content. People need to be reminded, and reminded again. Now, you can also funnel folks into your newsletter as I mentioned earlier. I do both. We have the auto responder and the newsletter. Think it's too much? Maybe, but our market wants information. Define what your market wants and then give it to them. If a newsletter and an auto responder is overkill, then scale it back. No one knows your market like you do. The real key here is that free stuff can work well for you in so many ways, but free stuff without a goal is just free. Great to get free stuff, right? But then how is all of this hard work going to pay off for you? If you still aren't a believer of free, try it for 90 days and see if it doesn't change your life. If you do it right, free will monetize your audience like nothing else will. The biggest reason is that in an age of pushing things on consumers, your audience really wants to sample what you have to offer before they buy. Free is a great way to do that. It's also a great way to stay in front of your audience, build trust, and develop a loyal following. How would you like a free marketing evaluation of your book? Find out how by emailing me! penny@amarketingexpert.com Wishing you publishing success, Penny & Everyone at AME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Penny C. Sansevieri, Adjunct Instructor NYU Author Marketing Experts, Inc. http://www.amarketingexpert.com/ Find me on HuffPo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri Ready for your own success? Ask us about the 10 Bestsellers we've worked on! Will your book be next? Office: 858/560-0121 Hotline: 619/808-BOOK Follow @Bookgal on Twitter: < http://twitter.com/Bookgal> AME's Facebook Fan Page < http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Author-Marketing-Experts-Inc-AME/43882181670?ref=sgm> Get some great scoop on publishing and marketing! Listen to The Publishing Insiders on Blogtalk radio < http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ThePublishingInsiders>

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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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; 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:

Sample Media Release for Cross Promotion, Free KDP Promotion

I thought my SharingwithWriters readers would like a free e-copy of my Great First Impression Book Proposal to ring in the new year and maybe they'd download a copy of my husband’s new book, too. We’re both passionate about his new reference/how-to book because we think that it could help with many misunderstandings in the world, particularly for foreigners who must work with Americans.

His book is What Foreigners Need To Know About Americans A to Z by Lance Johnson (http://amzn.to/12JoVsa). It will be f r ~ ~ on Amazon from January 13^th to 17^th. It is serious stuff, but it reads light and easy sparing none of his dry humor about his own beloved US and the quirks of the English language.

 

My Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BkPropKind) has been around a while. Even if you already have it, you will want to get the updated version.

They’re both available for almost any reader you prefer to read your e-books on—PC, iPhone, Android, Mac. You can download an app to make it work on your PC at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311

 I also thought this promotion might work for you as a sample of the kind you might use even if you write in a hard-to-promote genre. Here is the basic media release for you. It also serves as an example of how cross-promotion (the sharing of effort and files) can help you with your own book campaign. (Scroll down for the release!)

Won’t you please download and help us give my little booklet and my husband's truly amazing reference a chance at greater exposure and a shot at making Kindle’s bestseller list?

 

Sample Media Release for Cross Promotion, KDP Promo

Multi award-winning poet, novelist, and author of the famed HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers Carolyn Howard-Johnson and award-winning playwright and actor Lance Johnson have been married for far longer than the average couple worldwide and are still doing things together—in this case joining with Amazon’s Kindle Select program to give away e-copies of their books.

 

Ta Da! Two books for your Kindle (or your computer if you don’t have a Kindle—see the link for doing that below) with only a couple clicks. All you do is go to http://amzn.to/12JoVsa on Jan 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17^th, and click. Then go to http://amzn.to/UabAn7 and click. Both e-books will come directly to your computer or your Kindle.

 

Feel free to share this link with anyone you'd like to have a thoughtful—and fast—gift. Send Lance’s to a foreign student you know, an emigrant, or anyone who cut more high school civics (or English!) classes than they should have. Send the link to Carolyn’s book to any author you know. Every nonfiction author and even most fiction writers can use it, as it is becoming common for publishers to ask for proposals from writers of genre fiction.

 

Lance Johnson is an actor with national commercials, plays, and movies to his credit. He has also visited more than 90 countries and taught English and American culture abroad. His book has been endorsed by ambassadors to the US and ambassadors from the US to other countries.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's HowToDoItFrugally series for writers has won multiple awards. She has studied writing at universities in the Czech Republic, Russia and UK, UCLA, and USC. And she has been an instructor for the world renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program for nearly a decade.

For more information on these books or the authors visit:

http://AmericaZtoZ.com for Lance’s work and
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com for Carolyn’s.

PS: Free Kindle books are available for almost any format or reader you prefer. PC, iPhone, Android, Mac, etc. Just download the appropriate free app at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311

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Support material available electronically or by post on request.

----- 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 award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; 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 .