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Does Book Promo Really Work?

November 19, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , , ,

Monica Stoner/Member at Large
We’ve all heard the quote “50% of advertising is effective, but no one knows which 50%.”  I’d say for books it’s more like 25% and we really don’t know which 75% is just spinning our wheels.  In an ideal world we would be able to write the best books ever created, and the world would beat a path to our door. Of course in that same ideal world I could have a bagel smothered in butter every morning and lose five pounds a week.
Yeah, that’s not happening either.
So we blog and Facebook, we Tweet and we join Triberr to help ourselves by helping others.  And we sigh in wonder at the success of other writers who don’t seem to be doing anything yet doggonit their Facebook page has 1258 followers.
Some people are a whiz at promotion. I hope you took advantage of Tara Lain when she was there earlier this month.  She’s amazing at promo. And the rest of us stagger along.
In an attempt to come a bit closer to mainstream I took advantage of a current blog hop/tag, The Next Big Thing blog, which turned out to be a lot of fun, since it’s about our WIP instead of the ones already in print, and aren’t we generally far more enthusiastic about what we’re writing than what we’ve written?
Even better, this hop/tag lets us help promote our fellow writers, so I was able to give a shout out to Lex Valentine, as well as several other exciting authors.  You can check it out here: Mona’s Next Big Thing
Yeah, I don’t use Monica when I write, funny story about that.  Then again my name has been a funny family story for most of my life and I ended up sharing that on the Black Opal Blog But Who Am I?
And of all things, Skhye Moncrieff invited me to blog about the inspiration for my first book, and it ended up publishing today.
So it looks like I’ve managed to be in four places at one time. Maybe one of these will be the tipping point for my fabulous success at promotion.  Just in case I’m going to keep on with my NaNo book.
Miss you all

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PRO-Motion

November 12, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

Sunday, September 23rd was the fall equinox, and a harvest moon graced the skies at 13:59 Greenwich time the following Saturday. A full moon always disturbs my sleep, wakes me in the middle of the night and insists I stare at its garden. In September, I was drawn to that moon for all six nights. I dismissed the first night as normal when I woke at three in the morning, but by the third night, I swore at the light shining through my window. I got up and turned on the TV. I clicked past Mexican soccer and landed on Password Plus. Even at this hour, my wordsmith heart wanted to watch. It wasn’t terribly exciting to see dead people playing the game, but at the end of the program, the host, Allen Ludden (late husband of the incomparable Betty White), left the audience with a question, “Are you moving the stool when you should be moving the piano?”
The next morning, I woke with the question on my lips. I thought of our OCC writers and my own writing. How would I answer that question? Have I been rolling that stool around and ignoring the piano? Have I been wrapped up in the little things and forgetting the big things?
I want to ask about your piano. Is your writing moving forward or are you rolling that stool around in circles?
By the time you read this column, I guarantee my piano will have moved. Join me. Happy writing! 
Ottilia Scherschel
OCCRWA PRO Liaison

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Gazelle Intensity

November 9, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as ,

I almost can’t believe it, but I met four deadlines last month! I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my writing life. Maybe the only time I’ve accomplished so much in such a short space of time is for school/college. But the point is – I did it.
What I learned from that experience is that I can do more than I think I can. Past experience may tell me that I can’t – until I make an experience that tells me I can. What I have to be careful of is thinking I can always get this much work done. It would be foolish of me to think I can work 10-16 hours a day, six days a week, for an infinite amount of time. For one thing, there is no time for friends or family, little time for exercise or healthy habits, and almost no time for fun.
However, last month I reminded myself that I can work very intensely and accomplish a lot in short bursts. Life is a marathon, and the writing life is a marathon, but sprints are useful and appropriate. (In my half marathon training, I use short sprints in training.)
John and I are participating in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, a money management course designed to get you out of debt and keep you out forever. In one of the lessons, Dave shows a video of a leopard chasing a gazelle. Even though the leopard can run faster than the gazelle, the gazelle got away! Why? Because the gazelle could make quick leaps out of the leopard’s path faster than he could move to intercept. The gazelle only has to keep this up for a short intense period until the leopard gives up and looks for easier prey.
Dave suggests we use this method to get out of debt. A short, intense burst of effort to pay off everything from credit cards to student loans to the balance on your mortgage. I listen to his radio podcast and people call in saying they’ve just paid off their last debt. Dave asks them how much they paid off and how long it took, then they give their debt free scream. It’s very inspiring! People are getting out of debt to the tune of $20,000 to $158,000 (that I’ve heard) in 12-48 months. John and I will be right in that range, and it’s exciting to know it can be done.
That’s what I learned last month with my writing deadlines. I focused like I have rarely focused before on one project, then another, then another, then another. And I got them all done, on time. I had hoped that on November 2, I would be able to sleep in, read a little, take a deep breath, and go back to a more relaxed lifestyle. But I still have four more time-sensitive projects to finish. At first, that made me feel super tired just thinking about it. Then I remembered the gazelle intensity speech.
I can’t keep up this pace forever, but I can do it for four more weeks. As one friend reminded me on November 2 when I was trying to figure out if I could do all this, I can’t “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done over the last year. But I can pick the most important things to finish now, and re-schedule my other goals for 2013.
National Novel Writing Month is about gazelle intensity. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are finding it can work for their writing life. But it works in every area of life. What do you really need to get done? Not just urgent things, but important things. Piles of paperwork? Haphazard, overcrowded home? Behind in something you could finish if you just really applied yourself for a few weeks?
Think about it and decide what you’re going to do about it. In the end, you’ll not only have accomplished something wonderful, and maybe done something about those monkeys on your back, but you’ll find pleasure in your own personal growth as self-discipline blooms in your life.
I’m nervous about failure, about exhaustion, about missing out on fun things other people are doing, but last month I proved that it can be done! So I’m going to keep it up for another month. See you at the finish line!
[Note: If you want more encouragement and direction in planning your goals for 2013, join me for my online class Going the Distance: Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer. Here’s to a fabulous and productive new year!]

Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was released in September 2011 as an ebook and will be available soon in print format. Kitty has also written magazine articles, devotionals, and worked as a magazine editor. She is the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Monday. Her next novel, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be released in late 2012.
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Writing Camaraderie

November 3, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , ,

“How’s the Writing Going?”
It’s one of those questions that writers love and hate. If the writing is going well, we love to talk about the process. If it’s not? Well, it can be a little painful to answer.
No one quite understands the writing process like another writer. Earlier this year, while working on the third book in my The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolfseries, A Threesome Wedding Adventure, the “writing” actually wasn’t going all that great at times. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I didn’t care for one secondary character much. He was a disappointment to my main character, and not very pleasant. Unlike some villains who are just so fun to write, this one wasn’t.
At home, the writing exists in a sort of vacuum. If I’m on deadline, my husband tends to ignore the overabundance of mess in the household, and will take our daughters to birthday parties, etc. in order to give me time. That said, he never, ever asks those magic words.
Every now and then, my mom does. She’s an artist, and understands the creative process. When I hadn’t talked about my writing a lot, she ventured forth to test the waters.
More than anything, you know what helped? Coming to OCC/RWA meetings. Believe it. Every single Saturday, Brenna Aubrey would look at me and ask, “How’s the writing going?” and we’d talk. She knew to ask, and even that little push helped. Member Nikki Prince has mentioned that knowing she’ll get a rose for a sale also acts as an incentive. We understand.
Coming off the OCC 31st Birthday Bash and the Pajama Parties, and heading into 2013 and our very first Book-in-a-Year push, headed up by Beth Yarnall, who did wonders for the EVA chapter, and the SoCalRWA Conference in March 2013, I’m feeling the love of the writing camaraderie.
November 1 also kicked off NaNoWriMo – a month of insanity where writers all around the world push to crank out 50,000 words in a month. They don’t have to be the best words ever … just a working draft. We have many members of our chapter taking part. Check out Twitter and Facebook, and share in those high word count days, and those that were a bit harder to get through.
And come Saturday, Nov. 10, when we gather together to listen to the magic of Tara Lain and Darynda Jones, remember to turn to the person sitting next to you and ask, “How’s the writing going?” 

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Some Howling Good Calls (for Submission)

October 31, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

This month features one call for submission with “bite,” a first-time vampire anthology by Ravenous Romance, a nostalgic look back at mixed tapes and a new shared world series on Cupid’s Conquest.
First Bite

Ravenous Romance is extending the deadline for their virgin vampire anthology FIRST BITE. While the main point is for the characters to have a virginal experience, (first night, first bite, first vamp ménage, etc.) the stories already selected to be in the anthology have created a blood cocktail with a twist. Most stories incorporate a plot twist or discovery that neither the narrator nor the reader see coming. For a cohesive anthology, please include these details in your stories: virgins with a twist, who doesn’t love those? We are open to all types of couplings, but are still looking to fill the voids of ménage, m/m, f/f, and vamp/vamp.

Submission Guidelines: Email your 2500-6000 word short story to Fidencia@literarypartners.comas a word doc, including a short story query letter and your bio. The Deadline is November 30, 2012. Payment is a flat fee of $25.
Mixed Tape – An Anthology Based on Love Songs
Okay, be honest…how many made one? Had one given to them? What? You don’t know what I’m talking about? Way back when, when you needed to tell that special someone how you felt instead of writing a note you put together a compilation cassette tape of MUSIC. Songs that reminded you of that special someone, songs that told them how you felt so you didn’t have to say it to their face (just in case they didn’t feel the same). I’m putting together a MIXED TAPE of stories inspired by love songs (especially from the 1980s). So break out those cassette tapes, acid wash jeans and neon colors.
Stories will:
  • Range between 5 and 40k
  • Be inspired by a love song that plays a part in the story (some suggestions: Air Supply, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Duran Duran, to name just a few)
  • Flashbacks, paranormal, contemporary, historical (okay, is the 1980s really historical?) all welcome
  • Must abide by MLR submission guidelines (M/M)

Stories due by March 15, 2013 to special_submissions@mlrpress.com
Questions should be sent to me at KrisJacen@mlrpress.com
Amber Allure
For the first time in its long history, Amber Quill Press is opening submissions to the general public. Although this open submission call is for only a limited time, we may extend it in the future, so please check back in the months ahead to see if submission deadlines have changed.
Additionally, at any time in the future we may also have specific “series submissions calls” listed below. Typically, submissions for these series are open to allauthors, those already contracted with Amber Allure and those aspiring to be published with us. See below for any current series submission call(s) and the detailed guidelines associated with it/them, and (important) please note that the acceptable word counts, guidelines, etc. may be different from the “General Open Submissions” requirements.
For more information, visit http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AA_submissioncalls.html
Cupid’s Conquests

Cupid’s Conquest is a new multi-author, shared world series unique to Evernight Publishing.
The series focuses on contemporary romance between unlikely pairings or those kept apart by forces internal or external who are brought together by the magic of Cupid’s arrows. We’re looking for heroes and heroines readers will want to see overcome the odds against them. 

Cupid’s been a bad boy…
After years of letting love languish on Earth, Cupid has been banished to the surface until he teaches humanity to love again. One couple—or more—at a time. 
  • 15,000-35,000 words.
  • Evernight Heat Level 2 or higher
  • M/F, F/F & M/M 
  • Combinations of above considered.
  • HEA required. 

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/special-lines/
For more information on requirements and how to submit, please contact: Seleste deLaney at selestedelaney@gmail.com and include “Cupid’s Conquests” in the subject line.
— Louisa Bacio
Starting Nov. 12, I’m teaching the Online workshop “Submission: Writing the Short Story for Anthology Call-Out” for OCC/RWA. For more information, visit http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov12.html

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