Thomas Mann Quote

Just a little inspiration for today:

Happy writing!

Being an Arizona girl, Melinda Brasher loves glaciers, streams, whales, bald eagles, and real trees with green leaves.  That's why she's in love with Alaska.  If you want to see a bit of Alaska for yourself, check out her latest book, Cruising Alaska on a Budget; A Cruise and Port Guide.  Read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.

The 3 T's for Launching Your Book

So you’ve written your book. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it. You’ve had it professionally edited it. You have a beautiful cover. You have had it formatted and you’ve uploaded to your favorite publisher. Now, it’s time to plan your Book Launch. The sweat beads up on your forehead, your hands shake, and your mouth goes dry. Panic sets in, right?! What is a little introverted writer supposed to do now?

I recently launched my third children’s book, Gloria and the Unicorn, on May 13, 2017. Each time that I’ve done a book launch, I’ve done it a little differently. Here’s some things that I’ve learned.

Here are my 3 T’s to launching your book…

1. TRIBE
You’ve probably heard this term before or if not, you have now. It’s all about your tribe which are the people that love you and support you and your work. You may not have many when you first start out. It may just be your Mom and maybe your sister or brother or spouse, but that’s okay. Start where you can start.

Ask these people to promote you to whomever they talk to—if they are on social media, they can share and talk about you and your book on all their accounts and channels. If they aren’t, they can talk to the grocery store clerk, the bank clerk, and their friends. You might even want to pay a PA/VA to help you promote and build excitement.

Join every group you can on Facebook and promote there, although only to 5 or 6 groups/day otherwise you’ll be thrown into Facebook jail. Nobody wants that!

Spreading the word and getting people excited about you is key! I believe it’s important to start local. So, tell everyone you know as well in person and on your own social media.

You build your tribe by asking people to support you. You won’t have a tribe, if you don’t ask. So, this is an important part of building your tribe.

Once you’ve done a book launch and have had people purchase your book, your tribe will grow and next time, it’ll be even bigger.


2. TIME
No doubt once you set a release date, the universe conspires to create chaos for that particular date to actually work out for you. I jest, but things happen as you head towards the deadline of a release date and so you have to build in time in order to handle these.

The first launch I did was for A Turtle’s Magical Adventure, I had watched a webinar and it told me to ask people to share what I post on Facebook. I had 4 sweet friends that I asked and bless their hearts, they never did share anything I posted. Go figure! This time, I didn’t encumber my friends, I paid two VA’s.

I was barreling towards the release date when someone said they had read my book. Whoops! No, they hadn’t because it wasn’t out yet. You guessed it, there was another book with a very similar name (it was originally called Tad, The Turtle). I knew this wasn’t good and I should have done my research so now I had to come up with another name and FAST! I did and changed it but forgot to change the book name on the back cover write up. Whoops! I didn’t realize that until after I had already order 50 books.

This time with my unicorn book, I was 2 weeks out from my launch date when a reviewer found some grammatical errors in the manuscript. I about gagged! I had paid a professional editor and everything. I quickly worked with my book formatter to get these fixed without having to re-format the whole book and we got it uploaded in time. You talk about stress!

Anyway, I would suggest giving yourself 6-8 weeks lead time for the launch of your book because trust me, things come up and you want to fix them BEFORE you release your book to the world.

3. TABLE
By table, I mean keep a list. It may be an excel spreadsheet or a paper and pencil list (that’s me, I’m old school). It’s really important to stay organized because there are a lot of moving parts. It’s almost like planning a wedding. Well, it’s almost as meaningful anyway. Ha!

Truthfully though, there are different aspects to launching a book and you want to have everything you need to get done in one place with “suggested” deadlines so that you stay on track.

For instance, I started out 8 weeks in advance. I had my VA make some graphics and got started promoting on Facebook and Twitter. I also had her make a Book Trailer and got that uploaded to YouTube and Good reads.

Then, I had her create bookmarks and uploaded to my favorite printing company. Guess what? I have yet to get those in the mail!! See what I mean?

Lastly, I like to have my book made into an Audiobook. You have to upload it and listen to auditions. This takes a while. I wanted my Audiobook to be available on the same day as the paperback and Ebook but the lady I chose from all the auditions was clearly well-liked by others so she was backed up. I settled for whenever she could get it done because I really wanted her to do it.

In conclusion, do your very best in all of these areas and your book launch will be successful! Ask people to be part of your tribe. Give yourself some room for unanticipated mistakes and issues to pop up along the way. Don’t panic (okay, try not to panic) if something goes wrong. Work through the problem and it will be fine. Follow your list as closely to your deadlines as possible. Then, take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. You birthed a book into the world!

Wanda Luthman has her Masters of Arts in both Mental Health Counseling and Guidance Counseling from Rollins College located in beautiful Winter Park, Florida. She has worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Adjunct Professor, and Hospice Counselor for teens. She’s currently a Guidance Counselor at a local High School. She has self-published 4 children’s books (The Lilac Princess, A Turtle’s Magical Adventure, Gloria and the Unicorn, and Little Birdie). She belongs to the National Pen Women Organization in Cape Canaveral; the Florida’s Writers Association; Space Coast Authors; and Brevard Authors Forum. She presently resides in Brevard County Florida with her husband of 22 years and 2 dogs. Her daughter is away at college, like Little Birdie, she has left the nest. To download a free ebook, visit Wanda Luthman’s website at www.wandaluthmanwordpress.com and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wluthman.

Balance in Fiction Writing - The Major Elements

There are five major elements to a fiction story and it’s the combination of these elements that make the story complete, interesting, and considered good writing.  Too much of one or not enough of another can affect the readers ability to connect with the story. So, what are the major elements of a story?

The Major Elements of a Story

1.    Protagonist
2.    Setting
3.    Plot
4.    Point of view
5.    Theme

Let’s break them down:

The Protagonist: Introduce the main character. Using your imagination you can make him unique. He can have particular mannerisms or quirks, or even distinct physical attributes. You can also make him likeable or unsavory, but remember you will need the reader to be able to create a connection to him. It’s this connection that will prompt the reader to continue reading on. Your protagonist needs to be real…believable.

The Setting: This will establish the time and place the story takes place. The setting can create a feeling and mood – if you’re writing about swashbuckling pirates, your reader will be in a certain mind set. The same holds true for any other setting you choose. It will be intrinsic to the plot/conflict and will help establish vivid imagery for the reader.

The Plot: This is the meat of the story – the forward movement, the conflict or struggle that drives the protagonist toward his goal. This involves any danger, suspense, romance, or other reader grabbing occurrence. The conflict can be emotional (an internal struggle – a tormented soul) or physical (from an external/outside force – good against evil).

Point of View: This establishes whose point of view the story is being told. It’s important to make this clear. Even if you have two main characters, there needs to be one who is primary in order to keep clarity within the story.

The Theme: This establishes what is important to the story. It usually evolves along with the story and the protagonist’s progression. If Jesus is your protagonist, establishing and promoting Christianity might be the theme. It might be the story’s view on life and the people/characters the protagonist encounters. It is the idea the author wants the reader to take away with him/her.

Utilizing each of these elements can create a unique, fascinating, and memorable story.

Just like the ingredients in a cooking recipe, writing has its own set of ingredients that produce a wonderful end product. A pinch here, a dab there – you hold the unique recipe to your story.

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter. She is also an online marketing instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.
Visit her at: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi (Sign up for her mailing list.)
Follow Karen at: http://facebook.com/writingforchildrenwithkarecioffi

 This article is was originally published HERE.


MORE ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN

Writing Skills - Spread Your Wings
Writing a Book – Bait and Switch Editing
Writing to Get Published – 4 Basic Steps

Email Marketing and the Book Marketer

So, you've got a book done and you now need to get your book marketing going. Congratulations.

But, now it's time to get involved in a number of marketing strategies, one of which is email marketing.

Simply put, email marketing is a permission-based means of obtaining email addresses from potential customers.

You get a person's permission to be put on your mailing list by offering a 'freebie' (ethical bride or lead magnet) in exchange for the email address.

Once these email addresses are acquired, you send information your subscribers need or want – information you initially told them you’d provide. This information is usually done through a newsletter or basic email on a scheduled basis.

The idea is to develop a relationship with your subscribers. Along with sending needed information, you can also send promotions for your books, other products, or services. This is the real purpose of email marketing.

But, do you need an email marketing service to obtain subscriber emails, organize them into useful data, and send out emails?

Yes, you do.

Email marketing is big business. It’s considered one of the top marketing tools. And, there are rules and regulations.

So, if you’re just starting out on your book marketing journey, and your budget is limited, you should consider joining one of the free emails marketing services, like MailChimp.

These free services offer great features, such as:

- An opt-in box code to input on your website.
- The organization of your subscriber list.
- The ability to create multiple campaigns. This means you can create different groups of subscribers and send them specific emails targeting different niches. It’s a great tool.
- Email automation.
- Email address credibility.
- Professional newsletter templates.
- The ability to preschedule emails.
- Easy use.
- Compliance with national and international rules for sending commercial emails.
- Analytics

Just be aware that once you reach a certain number of emails sent per month or subscribers, the service will require you to pay a monthly fee. But, if your list is growing, you won’t mind the expense. It’s a worthwhile investment in your business.

If you’re on the fence about the need for an email marketing service, here are two questions to ask yourself:

1.    Will this outside service increase my business?

The answer here is, most likely YES.

The email list is considered ‘golden’ because of the potential for sales. People buy from those they trust – the relationship you create with your subscribers leads to trust.

But, while the service will help by providing opt-in box code, automatic mailings, autoresponders, analytics, and other goodies, your business will only increase if you actually work at it.

You need to provide something your reader needs. It's the book marketing strategies you use and the value you provide that will entice your reader to click on that subscribe button and open your emails..

2.    Can I start out doing my own email campaigns?

The answer is, it’s not advisable. While you can create a spreadsheet and keep track of a few email addresses, the rest can be problematic.

Keep in mind there are rules to using someone’s email address for marketing. The FTC, in their CAN-SPAM Act, established rules and requirements for commercial email. If you’re in violation their guidelines, there could be tough penalties.

Since you can take advantage of free email marketing services, there’s no reason not to start your business out on the right foot.

Reference:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor. Get must-know writing and marketing tips at http://thewritingworld.com.

And, check out Karen’s e-classes through WOW! Women on Writing:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

10 Ideas for Social Media Posts
Book Covers That Sell – 7 Must-Haves
4 Social Media Marketing Tips to Being More Productive

Need Help Building Your Author/Writer Online Platform?

If you said yes, check out:

Build Your Author/Writer Business
Basic Website Optimization, Blogging, Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing
(It's a 4-week e-class through WOW! Women on Writing)

Writing Contests for Summer of 2017

This post is short and sweet and is about entering writing contests. These contests are a great way to move your writing career forward and boost your visibility. The link below has a list of contests for the summer of 2017.

Check out the free guide and see which ones will be a good fit for you:

Free - Guide to Writing Contests for Summer 2017
http://www.writermag.com/summer-writing-contests/

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

One Last Edit? Rethink Before Submitting
Are You Living the Writer’s Life?
Self-Publishing – The Pros

What it Takes for your Character to Overcome a Bully

Try to look at your weakness
and convert it into your strength.
That's success.
Zig Ziglar

Upstanders unite! An upstander, as described in Bullying: Prevention and Intervention--Protecting Children and Teens from Physical, Emotional, and Online Bullying, by Cindy Miller, LCSW and Cynthia Lowen, in May's post, Bullying 101, is the person who is willing to stand up to the bully. Targets are kids who don't take action, and who are afraid of the bully and can't hide their fears. Often targets don't fit in with their peers.

Through Thin to Thick

Overcoming bullying boils down to developing a thick skin. So, strategies the character in your story needs to build to overcome his tormenters may include:

• Knowing he's an equal to others.
• Doesn't accept negative comments without sticking up for himself.
• Doesn't yell, swear or lecture, but stays calm; and an excellent line of defense is to ask questions.
• Doesn't accept what the bully says or does.
• In real life, if everything else fails the target needs to seek help from an adult. But in stories, your character must figure it out for himself.

A Hero is Born

How does your character develop these strategies in the first place? Knowing them are important so you'll know how to show how your character is weak in the beginning of your story, discussed last month, and how your character discovers how to build strengths by the end of your story.

The secret? Self-confidence! Here are some ways you can show how your character builds self-confidence in order to fend off the bully. He needs to:

• Feel good about something in his life.
• Feel worthy and loved by others.
• Know how to ask for what he wants and become an advocate for others, too (so he's not just thinking of himself).
• Make eye contact when speaking to others.
• Respect other people, applaud their similarities and differences.
• Remain positive with others and supportive, never tearing anyone down.
• Have a built-in value system so that he is not easily swayed by someone trying to take advantage of him.
• Confront his fears, which helps him develop self-confidence and courage.

My Personal Caveat

The bullying my poor character endured was laced with humor. In the beginning of the story, she was a tad reluctant to engage in physical exercise, looked for the easy way out of things, and lacked flexibility. The bully tried to put her down, but because of the confidence she gained through trial and error (in authorese, the struggle she went through in order to grow), she never bent to the bully's wishes and the bully surrendered like a plucked weed. In the end, the strengths my character developed resulted in the admiration of the other characters, even her bully.

Clipart courtesy of: http://clipart-library.com/
Source: Bullying: Prevention and Intervention--Protecting Children and Teens from Physical, Emotional, and Online Bullying, by Cindy Miller, LCSW and Cynthia Lowen, and personal experience.

The drafts of my first book
make a good elbow rest! 

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction courses, picture book course and mystery and suspense course. She has currently finished her first book, a mystery/ghost story for 7-11 year-olds, and is in the process of publishing it and moving on to new writing projects. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Explore – Dream - Discover

We all experience growing pains as we push to reach our goals.  The good part is that we are growing, but the path also includes struggle and frustration from time to time. 

I have sailed away from my safe harbor and launched into creative writing.  Story writing is a whole new journey with struggles against stormy seas, but wonderful when I catch the trade winds in my sails.  I don’t want to be disappointed that I did not stay the course.

I like this quote by Mark Twain:

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.       Mark Twain

Disappointment is one side of the coin.  Moving forward productively is the other side.  What can we do each day to step closer to our goals? 

·         Write every day, even if it’s just a little.
·         Start journaling from where you are right now. You may find a springboard into an article, an essay or a story to explore.
·         Explore new ideas for your business, your website or your blog.  When you land on an idea you like, consider writing a series of pieces.
·         You set goals over different lengths of time, you break them down into doable steps; now add some dreams to inspire your path.
·         Enjoy the discoveries you make as you go.

How about you?  Have you sailed away from your safe harbor?  Don’t be disappointed; catch the trade winds in your sails.  We applaud you, your direction and your endeavors!

Please share your sailing adventure in the comment section below.  Thank you, deborah

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer, artist, and editor.  She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and caregiving mentally impaired seniors.  Deborah writes articles, essays and stories. She has published a collection of 24 artists’ interviews entitled the Artists Interview Series.  Careful editing preserves the artist’s voice as they share their journey. The series published as monthly articles for an online news network, can also be found on her web-blog: DeborahLyn Stanley - Writers Blog.  Her “How-To” articles have appeared in magazines. 

“Write your best, in your voice, your way!”