Great Writers' Courses--Frugally

I have been intrigued by a new product advertised in magazines like National Geographic, Time, Archaeology and the like. It is a series of courses offered by http://TheGreatCourses.com. All are taught by accredited college or university instructors—mostly colleges we would be familiar with. Their ads always publish a complete list of the individual lecture titles and give the name of the professor. These programs remind me of the ones I took a long time ago; we called them home study courses and everything was done by mail. I can remember typing up my lessons on a typewriter, folding them, and stuffing them into an envelope, licking it, and licking the stamps. Yes! Licking! 

This month the ad featured a course called “Writing Creative Nonfiction.”  I haven’t bought it—yet. The CD course is $49.95 and the DVD is $69.95, so they’re frugal enough. Lots more frugal that most courses from accredited universities. The teacher for this one is a full professor from Colby College. And the name of one of the lectures: “Writing the Gutter—How to Not Tell a Story” caught my attention. I also thought the one called “How To Not Have People Hate You” might intrigue writers who worry—a lot—about that! Perhaps I would pick up some tips for the presentations I do for writers' conferences. 

So, what’s keeping me from ordering the course? So, what is holding me back? Time. I’m still in the final throes of writing the third full book in the HowToDoItFrugally Series. It is How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically: The ins and outs of using free reviews to build and sustain a writing career to be released this fall. I’m through the fun part and am struggling with the Index. So maybe I need a break? What do you think?

BTW, if you are interested in checking this course out, go to http://TheGreatCourses.com/5TME. There may be some other fantastic ones that would interest you. The range of topics that would interest creative people is huge. And, if you buy one, let me know what you think, will you? 

ABOUT YOUR SHARINGWITHWRITERS 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 .

National Association of Memoir Writers Presents Tips on Marketing Memoirs

January 18, 201311 AM PST 12 PM MST 1 PM CST 2 PM EST

And interview with Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Too many memoirists and others who write in literary genres like poetry have come to believe that marketing or promotion won’t work for them. Worse, that it can’t be done. Worse still, that it is counter to their artistic intent. How do you feel about marketing? Does it make your heart beat harder? It’s time to get in the flow of positive thinking about getting your book, and yourself, into the world.

Some of our greatest writers and artists have been master marketers. Think Mark Twain, Dickens, Andy Warhol, Peter Max. Think, too, how many more people they reached and inspired because they were good at reaching out to people. Won’t you join us to learn how you can get over your barriers to being a magic marketer?

During this teleseminar you will learn:

• How to get over your fear of publicity and marketing
• About the single most important technique for memoirists and other creative types
• Important information about query letters and book proposals
• How to develop a positive, joyful attitude about marketing

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an award-winning poet. She is also the author of a literary novel that garnered eight awards and a book of creative nonfiction short stories. Both are based on elements of memoir. She also has a new memoir being shopped by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary. She utterly rejects the notion that it’s futile for authors of literary genres to market their books. In fact there has never been a time when they can reach more readers faster and more effectively. You can become your own publicist or a full marketing partner with your publisher or publicist. Come let her share publicity basics and some of her promotion secrets with you. Learn more about her at http://howtodoitfrugally.com.

 

Learn more at http://www.namw.org/2012/12/magic-marketing-for-memoir-its-never-too-late-or-too-early-to-do-right-by-your-book-january-18-2013

----- 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 . 

Linda Wisniewski Guest Blogs with "Tips for Writing Memoirs"

Writing the stories of our lives seems one of the most important topics for writers I can think of. It is my pleasure to introduce Linda Wisniewski and her story to Sharing with Writers readers. Please share a bit of your story, too--under the comments!By Linda C. Wisniewski, author of the memoir, Off Kilter: A Women's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, & Her Polish Heritage

Writing the stories of our lives is one of the most valuable things we can do. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Set aside a time and place, and write freely for half an hour a day.
• Use props to jog your memory: keepsakes, photos, even articles of clothing. Why do you keep it? What emotions does it bring forth in you?
• Make lists of historical events that happened in your lifetime, people you've loved, addresses where you've lived, places you've visited, hobbies or jobs you have held. Then write a page about each one.
• Make a chart of your life in decades. Under each decade, list the turning points or times of transition. Then write a brief story about each turning point.
• Use an index card for each important person in your life and write a few words on the card about what you want them to remember about you. Then write that person a letter about why these things are important to you.
• Write down the names of your favorite recipes. Who gave them to you? When do you make these foods?
• Stop writing and stare into space! After you have a rough draft, ask yourself: Why am I telling this story? What does this episode remind me of in my current life?

Try one of these tips with your own memoir writing. And send me your own ideas as well! I’ll post my favorites on my website with your name attached. Happy writing and reminiscing!

Email Linda: lindawis@comcast.net

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Linda C. Wisniewski is the author of Off Kilter: A Women's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, & Her Polish Heritage. She writes for the Bucks County Herald and teaches memoir classes for Bucks County Community College. A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, she holds a master's degree from Villanova University and a certificate of advanced study from Drexel University. She is regional representative of the International Women's Writing Guild and a board member of the Story Circle Network. Linda is a contributing editor for the Story Circle Journal and is co-editor of Story Circle Book Reviews. Find out more about Linda by visiting her website: http://www.lindawis.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, 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. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal." Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.