A Day with Nathan

(An Interview with Nathan Arnold, 7th Grade at Westminster School, St. Louis )

Nathan came to my office to “shadow” me for professional development day. He asked me some questions about my work and I asked him questions about his desire to become a writer.

Question for Joanna: What activities are enjoyable as a writer?
Answer: I enjoy writing, reading and marketing. I love what I do.

Question for Nathan: What activities seem enjoyable, even exciting about the job of an author?
Answer: Reading a lot, writing, meeting fans.

Question for Joanna: How many hours do you work a day?
Answer: Eight to ten.

Question for Nathan: What activities appear unpleasant or excessively boring?
Answer: Reading over your book so many times.

Question for Joanna: Does the position require homework after hours?
Answer: There’s some after-hours work, like working on marketing at night or when I go to conferences and meet with readers and other authors.

Question for Nathan: In what specific ways does school now prepare you for the world of work later?
Answer: It teaches you the basic skills in every subject. And the encore classes teach you about different things and unique skills you might need later on.

Question for Joanna: What other responsibilities do you have outside of work?
Answer: Well, I’m a mom. I make meals and do laundry. I take care of my dogs.

Question for Nathan: What do you like to write?
Answer: I like to write historical fiction and just plain fiction. Maybe some science fiction. I’m into fiction.

Question for Joanna: How did you decide to pursue this career path?
Answer: I always wrote. I can’t say that I actually decided to be an author, I just always read and wrote a lot. That’s how I think. How I process the world.

Question for Nathan: What surprised you about what you observed on the job?
Answer: The amount of work needed to make the book and get it finished. The amount of perseverance.

Question for Joanna: What are the top five most needed skills and characteristics for the job?
Answer: 1.) Perseverance 2.) Continuous learning 3.) Marketing 4.) Writing skills and 5.) The ability to handle rejection and criticism.

Question for Nathan: Is this a job that you might be interested in doing someday?
Answer: Yes, because I love to read and write, and I like what I can learn from reading and writing books.

Question for Joanna: What do you do to market your books?
Answer: I write for three blogs, contribute to newsletters and other publications, make appearances, create excerpt booklets and bookmarks, approach the media about publicity, create partnerships with organizations who might sponsor coupons or special events, work with other writers, set up book signings, work to create online communities, and appear on panels.

News Travels Fast, So Make Sure Your Name Stays With It

I found this wonderful and very savvy piece by Michelle May. M.D. http://www.amihungry.com/ and asked her if I could reprint it here.

Savvy marketers, take note! (I added the subheads, so don't blame Michelle if you don't like them. I just thought her info was so powerful, that I wanted you--my readers--to take note.)

STOLEN CONTENT

Like many infopreneurs, I was posting some of my articles in various ezine directories. I have Google Alerts set for several of my keywords so I receive an email when these keywords show up on Web sites or in blogs. I began to see that a lot of my content was being stolen from these directories and published without crediting me as the author.

MAKING THE SWITCH

Therefore, I’ve switched my focus to providing quotes for other authors and supplying articles to more targeted Web sites that value the content and are happy to give me credit and a link back to my Web site.

Last week, I got a Google Alert for my name that led me to an article in US News and World Report that quoted me http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080316/starved-for-sleep-watch-your-waistline.htm. It soon showed up on numerous other reputable online news sources like MSN.com http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100198286.

GOOGLE ALERTS

I had forgotten about the interview and probably wouldn’t have even known the article had been published had I not received the Google Alert. Within a couple of days I got more alerts for my name that led me to the same article on many different Web sites and various blogs, sometimes without the author’s name. In one blog, the blogger even made it appear that he wrote the article in response to a question one of his readers posted http://askglen.blogspot.com/2008/03/lack-of-sleep-linked-to-weight-gain.html.
Another example. My expertise is in weight management without dieting and I was interviewed by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD who writes for WebMD. The article, 15 Best Diet Tips Ever http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/15-best-diet-tips-ever?page=1 was very popular on websites promoting diet drugs, supplements, etc. and appears over 10,000 times in Google. However, Kathleen’s name was not included in many of those posts.

WORSE THAN STOLEN--MISATTRIBUTED

Worse yet, in some instances, the article was stolen by someone who posted it on an ezine directory with HER name as the author, so wherever the article was picked up from there and the byline is left on, she appears as the author. Since my name is in the article, it appears every time that article is published (too bad it didn’t include a link to my website!).

THE LESSON?

The lesson is that your name is more likely to stay with an article when it is in the article than when it is in the byline.

WHAT TO DO?

So what about quoting yourself in an article? Most of us do it for our press releases but would feel uncomfortable doing it in an article with our byline. I asked Mary Westheimer, an expert on marketing with articles, and here is what she said:

I believe that being quoted in the body of the article is the best way to go. Why?
It’s easier to make it like a real news article, which makes it more likely to be printed.
There are more places an article can appear than a column (in which you are the expert-as-writer as opposed to being the quoted expert). That gives you more potential venues.
I think (just a gut feeling) a quoted expert has more credibility with readers.
You can better control the quote (what you would like to be “heard” saying).
Being quoted in the piece means you get the exposure if the byline gets “lost.”

AND THE BEST IDEA YET...

If someone is uncomfortable quoting themselves (being the author and expert), he or she could have a “PR partner” and they could interview each other.


Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly!
Michelle

Michelle May, M.D.
MMay@AmIHungry.com
480 704-7811
http://www.amihungry.com/
http://www.michellemaymd.com/
Blog: http://blogs.eastvalleytribune.com/consumed/

101 Ways to Market Your Books

101 Ways to Market Your Books by Joanna Campbell Slan, author of Paper, Scissors, Death (Available September 13, from Midnight Ink. ISBN: 0738712507 Pre-orders now accepted.)

This article was prompted by a challenge by John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book.

1. As I write it, I think of the discreet audiences within and build in opportunities.

2. Get the best cover possible.

3. Ask for help refining my back cover matter.

4. Request over-runs of the cover.

5. Print marketing information on the inside of that over-run cover and use it like postcards, especially to market to booksellers who want to see the cover before placing an order.

6. Make interesting bookmarks. (I customized them and added flowers.)

7. Get blurbs from people with recognizable names.

8. Get reviews and permission to use those reviews in anyway I dream up.

9. Run a contest associated with the book. (Mine is The Best of British Scrapbooking administered now by ScrapBook inspirations Magazine in the UK.)

10. Send information about that contest through a variety of channels—online, websites, magazine, the magazine’s blog.

11. Offer a prize for the contest.

12. Put out birth announcements through an online invitation site when my book launches.

13. Have stickers made of the book’s cover.

14. Use cover stickers on name badges when I attend conferences.

15. Attend conferences.16. Ask to be on panels.

17. Ask to host tables at banquets.

18. Create super handouts that are “keepers” for any panel or appearance. Include marketing information.

19. At table (that I host) give away “goody bags” with items related to the book.

20. Invite booksellers or reviews or well-known fans to join me at that table.

21. Carry around a faux subpoena, fill it in to invite people to share my table on the spot.

22. Contact people through the business cards I collected last year and ask them to sit at my table.

23. Contact people from last year and tell them I’m looking forward to seeing them at the conference.

24. Offer my book as a prize for charity auctions. (Go to the social section of the daily paper and find these events.)

25. Give a portion of sales to a charity.

26. Ask to be a party of the charity’s annual event.

27. Ask to have my book publicized in the charity’s program.

28. If the charity has an auction, and if my item fetches a nice price, immediately tell the auctioneer that I will also offer a duplicate item for the runner-up. (This gives the charity twice the money, and me twice the exposure.)

29. Make a “jacket” for my three-legged dog and feature a photo of my book on it.

30. Have a tote bag made with the cover of my book on it. (Use the tote bag.)

31. Distribute bookmarks to the local library.

32. Go to the bookstore at the local airport and offer to help them put together a display of books by local authors.

33. Create shelf-talkers.

34. Send shelf-talkers with media kits to local libraries.

35. Ask friends to call their local library and ask them to order my book.

36. Offer to do a program at my child’s school.

37. Create handouts for the program with links to booksellers and my ISBN.

38. Staple a copy of my book to a cheap package of seeds. Add a card saying, “It’s spring and good books are blooming.” Leave in gardening centers.

39. Offer to do a program for retirement homes.

40. Create a handout for attendees from retirement homes—make it large enough to add the attendee’s photo and suggest they post it in their rooms so that their family can see my book when they visit.

41. Carry my book with me and read it while I’m waiting in public transportation.

42. Leave bookmarks on seats in public transportation.

43. Offer to do a lunchtime program for local companies.

44. Work with other authors to create a speakers’ bureau.

45. Come up with an idea for Chase’s Calendar of Events and CelebrateToday.com and have a holiday that relates to my book.

46. Offer free support materials online for my holiday.

47. Have a website.

48. Have a MySpace page.

49. Have a FaceBook page.

50. Enter myself on as many social authors’ groups as possible.

51. Come up with a list of blogs where it would be ideal for me to blog.

52. Ask them if I can guest blog.

53. Give them a copy of my book to give away.

54. Ask the blogs that allow me to guest blog if they’d suggest a friend who blogs.

55. Get my book into company libraries.

56. Get my book into hospital bookstores—don’t forget the shelf talkers.

57. Contribute to social marketing sites and add my book in my signature line.

58. Add my book in my signature line of all email.

59. Drop a business card into all our outgoing mail.

60. Have an open house in my neighborhood to launch my book.

61. Ask a local real estate agent if she’d like to host a book launch party for me and invite her clients.

62. Make my book available to my son’s school, and ask the librarian to send out a notice in the parent correspondence about my book.

63. Tell my doctor and dentist that I’d be happy to personalize a copy of my book for each of their employees.

64. Hold a book signing in a local grocery store near the holidays.

65. Package several of my books together with a ribbon around them and sell them as a package.

66. Offer to email people a free report or goody to anyone who shares an Amazon order number with me after purchasing my book.

67. Run contests through my blog that reward people for bringing in new readers. (They must identify the name of the new sign up so I know this happened.) Give away an excerpt booklet or a bookmark

.68. Create my own fan club—and have someone else run it.

69. Swap with an author friend: I put up her info on Wikipedia and she does the same for me. We both mention our books.

70. Work with other authors, create a program and offer it to libraries.

71. Offer to speak to book clubs at libraries and in schools.

72. Ask my spouse to keep my business cards with his and to hand out as appropriate.

73. Wear a pin made of my book cover to social events.

74. Made a donation to public radio and have four announcements about my book made in one day.

75. Contact all my local media with a story idea.

76. Apply to write a column for my local media.

77. Write articles for my trade publication.

78. Create a group of interested bloggers who will receive review copies of my book to start the buzz.

79. Attend local Chamber of Commerce activities and offer a program about my book.

80. Post information about my book on bulletin boards where I shop and exercise.

81. Promote my upcoming book signings with a flier for booksellers to drop in their outgoing purchase bags.

82. Put a contest in the back of my book—use it to collect more names/details about readers.

83. Offer character naming rights in a contest.

84. Offer character naming rights to a charity to be auctioned off.

85. Offer character naming rights to anyone who pre-orders my book through a local bookstore.

86. Have book club questions on my blog, and offer to be available by phone or online to clubs.

87. Take classes that are relevant to the topic of my book. Offer bookmarks and business cards to other students.

88. Have a large poster made representing something of interest in my book. (In my case, a harlequin Great Dane) Take it along to book signings to spark conversation.

89. Offer to take other authors (from out of town) around to do signings. This helps me build professional relationships with both the author and booksellers.

90. Find a society or association that would be interested in some aspect of my book (Great Dane Rescue Society), and ask them to run an article about me.

91. Designate a day when a portion of all sales are donated to that society or association.

92. Teach Adult Ed classes that relate to my books.

93. Teach something online that relates to my books (I teach online scrapbook journaling.)

94. Send a mailing to your high school alumni list.

95. Send a mailing to your college alumni list.

96. Send postcards (over-run of your covers) to stores that should stock your books. (In my case that’s scrapbookers.)

97. Offer to sign books in local coffee shops or Starbucks.

98. Check out your state’s arts programs, especially the visiting author programs.99. Offer to be the “author in residence” at a local high school.

100. If your family lives in another area of the country, ask them to help you set up a book signing there.

101. Ask people who read your blog to come up with 101 ideas for promoting their books. Tell them you’ll post them online.Check out John's site for 101 More Ways . . .

Marketing Resources You Need to Check Out

I casually mentioned on Murder Must Advertise that I thought all of us would benefit by reading how self-published authors promote their work. After all, if you are self-published, you KNOW you have to make it on your own, often with limited resources.

Here's a list of sites and blogs I compiled. There's a lot of great of information here. I suggest you choose one each day and spend a little time going through the articles or posts.

http://www.pma-online.org/articles/search.aspx (This is great…a wealth of articles on marketing)

http://www.pma-online.org/articles/shownews.aspx?id=1421 (The most interesting and useful article I’ve read on marketing fiction…PERIOD. Opens your eyes to new ways of seeing how to promote your books.)

http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/ (Okay, this isn’t self-publishing, but she’s written about self-publishing)

http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/index.cfm (The guru/granddaddy of self-publishing.)

http://www.selfpublishingresources.com/Articles.htm (The godparents of self-publishing.)

ftp://ftp.fripp.com/One-PageTemplates.pdf (Since marketing yourself as a speaker is a great way to sell your book, this is a super resource. You can adapt it for your book.)

http://podwriting.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/how-to-promote-a-self-published-book/ (These might seem obvious…but how many of us do them?)

http://www.elderstribune.com/writing/how-market-your-self-published-book-online-free (Some interesting and new ideas.)

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php (Fascinating article--that all anyone needs is 1,000 True Fans.)

http://www.bob-baker.com/self-publish-book/blog/2007/12/beyond-myspace-and-facebook-meet.html (On becoming an octopus or a squid, and why you’d want to.)

http://www.bookmarket.com/tipsindex.htm (I hate all the sales-BSP stuff at the beginning of his newsletters, but I love the info and opportunities.)

http://www.authorsandspeakersnetwork.com/articles.html (Terrific articles.)

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/blogmarket.htm (Great articles...especially this on finding top blogs.)

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/pub_mkt.htm (A treasure-trove of links.)

http://www.publishingbasics.com/category/sales-and-marketing/ (Ignore the self-publishing references. It’ll work for traditionally published authors, too.)

How to Pitch a Reporter

I contacted a newspaper I once worked for...and even though my book isn't out yet (but it can be pre-ordered through Amazon), I wrangled a nice interview:

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/04/14/life/features/1031691.txt

Because book pages are slowly going the way of the dinosaur, it behooves us to "pitch" reporters who may not be book reviewers. I went to the newspaper site, trawled around for articles, and decided Arlene looked like a good match for what I had to offer. Then I called her and made my pitch. We noodled around, and she suggested the slant for the interview.

You know, the media are "herd" animals. They don't want to be left out of a good story. I remember when I worked for newspapers and freelanced for radio--the news director would go through all the day's stories and grill the reporters with, "Why didn't we get this story? Check it out. Do a follow up."

What makes a story newsworthy?

1. A unique angle (see the link above)
2. A local or seasonal tie
3. Number of people affected and how close to home it happened
4. Sex,blood, money, scandal and celebrity
5. Human interest--which includes humor and a look at other people's lives
6. Something new....

The more of those qualities you can pitch, the more likely you are to get coverage. Visualize a slot machine: How many cherries can you get in a row? In fact, if you go through the interview, you'll see she and I touched on all of the above. (The "blood" being I wrote a mystery.)

j

What to Put in Your Media Packet

Your media packet represents you to the media and to conference organizers or others who might be interested in your work. Your publisher will probably instruct your publicist to put together one for you. Typically the publisher will have a list of outlets they’ve worked with in the past. So, it’s best to ask for that list and supplement it by sending out your own kits. You can also share your media kit at conferences because it’s not unusual for book reviewers, bookstores, and publications to attend. If you have a copy of your media kit with you, it’s easy enough to hand it out on the spot. Do ask first, however. Some folks would rather you mail your kit to them later.

Here’s the point: Your publicist will never send out as many media kits as you’d like. And you can’t pass one along if you don’t have it. So putting together a media kit is a wise idea. Besides, it really isn’t that hard.

Start by Preparing Your Folders

Start by buying folders with pockets from an office supply store. Or ordering nicer quality folders from places like Paper Direct. (http:www.paperdirect.com)

Ask your publisher to “over-run” the cover of your book. Do this before they go to press. After they finish printing all the covers they need for your press run, they will keep the color press going and crank out more covers. This makes the additional covers very, very cheap. What costs the most is the set-up of the press.

Adhere the cover to the front of your folder OR slip it inside your folder.

If you don’t have copies of your cover, you can simply label the outside of the folder. For my book The Best of British Scrapbooking, I created labels that said:

The Best of British Scrapbooking
Media Kit
Contact: Joanna Campbell Slan
joannaslan@aol.com

You want the folder to be quickly and easily identified as YOUR information. Sure, a color copy of your cover looks great, but the media are pretty pragmatic. They are more concerned about a good interview possibility than about stuff being fancy.

Tip: Another option is to include a copy of your book cover on a CD. Also put your photo on the CD.

Tip: If you are simply sending a book in hopes of a review, just slip your information inside the front cover and dispense with the folder. Do be sure, however, that all your information includes your contact details.

Create the Guts of Your Media Kit

Your Author Photo

Sad to say, the media are more likely to interview you if you are attractive. So you need a great author photo. The mood of your photo should enhance your credibility. If you have written a thriller, and you appear pleasant and smiling in your photo, you’ve done yourself a disservice.
Okay, here’s the controversy: If you never wear makeup and you do just for your author photo, will folks recognize you at conferences? My vote is to be the best YOU possible, not to tweak your image so much you don’t match the picture.

Be sure your photographer knows you are using this photo for publicity and sells all rights to you. Otherwise, you can have problems later.

Ask your photographer how much he will charge to make 4” x 6” copies.

Tip: I ordered 100 copies of a 4”x 6” color shot for less than $10 with shipping from Snapfish. (http:www.snapfish.com)

Tip: Keep on the lookout for Snapfish coupons in scrapbooking magazines.

Tip: You could have 100 color copies of your cover made by Snapfish. Just load the cover as you would a photo.

Media Release

You need a simple release, one-page long that quickly describes the “who, what, when, where, why and how” of your message. Answer those questions and you’ll have the guts of the release.
Now, let’s work backwards. What’s the most interesting aspect of what you’ve done? Consider what makes anything newsworthy:

1. Sex (if that’s part of your book or your book’s hook, go for it)

2. Money (see above. Also were you given an enormous advance? If you were, what the heck are you doing reading this? Give me a break.)

3. Location (Are you local? Are you a small town person with a New York publisher? Is your book set in or near the area covered by the media you are targeting?)

4. Number of people affected (My book is about scrapbooking, and by one estimate there are 32 million scrapbookers in this country alone. That’s a big number. If your book affects or is about a lot of people or a problem that could affect a lot of people mention that.)

5. Blood, guts and tragedy (Of course, if it’s a mystery, there’s bound to be some of that. Otherwise…is your killer unique? Or some part of your story fascinating. For example, Darkly Dreaming Dexter is about a serial killer.)

6. Celebrity (Are you famous? Is your story about someone who is famous? Perhaps you’ve written a roman a clef about someone in the news. Share that. Also, someone can be a celebrity in an industry or in an area, but not a national celebrity, so don’t disregard your stint on the city council too quickly.)

7. Unique (Are you the oldest person to be given a publishing contract? One of a family of sextuplets? Are you a Siamese twin? Distantly related to George Washington’s slaves? The only person in your state to ever write a book? Whatever makes you one of a kind is newsworthy.)
Human Interest (If you love kittens and your book is about one, or if you have a sappy ending or if you wrote this book because your dying grandmother begged you to…share that.)

Standard media release format is always used for these. See the sample at the end of this piece.

Tip: A press release is a release that only goes to the press: magazines and papers. So the term "media release" is more current and all-encompassing.

Reviews and Blurbs

Create a sheet with all your blurbs. If you have already had media coverage, copy those articles and put them in the packet. If you’ve made any appearances on television or radio, you can include a CD or put in a page with links to those videos and audios. If you’ve had any public speaking background, you might wish to include this. Broadcast media—radio and tv—want to know if you can handle yourself on air and if you are well-spoken. Make sure that your information answers that question for them.

A Tip Sheet or a List

If it applies to your book, you can produce a tip sheet. For example, if your book is about a pet-sitter, you could write Ten Tops Tips for Pet-Sitters.

Another take on this is a list. So you might create Ten Things to Ask Your Pet-Sitter.

An Author Bio

Try to stay away from clichés or long-winded information that’s not interesting. Think of the highlights of your life and why you were the right person to write this book. The main reason to do an author bio is to enhance your credibility, so stress your qualifications as an author. If this is your first book, what else have you written? (If the answer is “nothing,” you must be the luckiest person on earth. However, knowing that the media will want to know all this…write something! Create a blog. Contribute to an organization’s newsletter. Freelance articles.

Sample Interview or Sample Questions or an Author Q & A

The more of the media’s job you do for them, the more likely they are to cover you. So…think like a reporter and interview yourself. To get a sense of what questions a reporter might ask, read interviews with authors in your newspaper. (If your newspaper doesn’t interview authors, check out the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and book editor Jane Henderson. Or, go to websites of prominent authors you admire and read interviews with them.)

Excerpt

If you can’t include a copy of your book, include an excerpt. Bes ure to get your publisher's permission.

Cover Letter

Go ahead and ask for what you want! If you’re hoping for a review, tell the media that you’ll be happy to send a copy of your book for review purposes. If you’re hoping for an interview, tell them you are available in person or by phone. But…you are not the greatest thing since sliced bread, so be straightforward and business like. For example, “I hope you’ll be interested in reviewing my book. If you are, simply email me and I’ll get you a copy.” OR “I’m available for radio interviews, and I hope that you will consider me as a guest on an upcoming program.”


Media Release (This should be centered, but blogspot.com won't let me without centering everything! Use 16 point type and a serif font. Serifs are those funny little feet on letters. This is a serif font. This isn't.)

For Immediate Release: (today’s date)
Contact: (Your publicist or you)
Phone: (Make sure you will be available. Don’t give them a number and go on vacation!)
Email address:

Local Scrapbooking Celebrity Sets Mystery Series in St. Louis (centered)


After writing ten non-fiction books and establishing herself in the scrapbooking world as a celebrity, Joanna Campbell Slan claims it is no mystery why she chose St. Louis as the setting for her new mystery series which begins with the release of PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH on September 13, 2008. “Our town absolutely fascinates me. You couldn’t find a richer more complex setting for a series,” says Slan.

PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH features Kiki Lowenstein, a woman who has only ever been good at two things in life: scrapbooking and getting pregnant. After the suspicious death of her husband, Lowenstein is forced to sell her home in Ladue. But her daughter continues to attend a private school modeled after MICDS, where Slan’s son went. During the course of the book, the protagonist will travel to the City Museum to visit the World Aquarium and its famous two-headed snake, We.

“Did I model the private school after MICDS, heck, yes. St. Louis has more private schools than Chicago does, and we’re one-quarter the size of the Windy City. There’s definitely a whole private school culture here which is rich in tradition,” says Slan. “The challenge for any writer is to create an alternative universe that is new for the reader. But at the same time, it must be realistic. So I used the world I’ve gotten to know.”

Slan is well-known to scrapbookers. Here in the US, they’ve nicknamed her “The Journaling Goddess,” and in the UK they call her “America’s Scrapbooking Queen.” She’s written for all the industry magazines, taught at major conventions, and founded a contest for scrapbookers in the UK. She is also the author of seven books on the subject, teaches it online, and writes an online newsletter which reaches 4,000 readers. Her first book Scrapbook Storytelling came out when the hobby was young and sold 85,000 copies.

PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH is the first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery series. The ISBN is 0-7387-1250-7 and it is available through all booksellers. For more about Slan or scrapbooking go to her website: www.joannaslan.com

--30-- (This is newspaper slang for "The End.")

How to Promote Your Book

Since some of you asked...it was easier to write this up than to keep sending emails.

The best time to think about promoting your book is before you write it. Yes, I know a lot of you might disagree, but I’m the author of 12 books and I’ve sold more than 175,000 copies so I think I’m qualified to suggest this approach. By thinking before you write—or even as you write—you can build in natural audiences.

Venn Diagram Marketing Approach

You do this by finding that intersection between your reader and your characters. Think of this as a Venn Diagram. One circle would be all that comes to mind when you imagine your reader’s life and interests. Another circle is your character (or characters, but do this one at a time) and her/his unique interests and lifestyle. Where these two circles overlap, you have an arena of marketing potential. You need to keep this arena of marketing potential in your mind as you write. It’s a delicate balance. If you pander to that arena of marketing potential, your book will be a shill for products and organizations. If you ignore that arena of marketing potential, you’ll be without hooks for your manuscript.

Steps to Promotion

But let’s say you’ve already done that. Here are the promotional steps in nearly chronological order:

1. Start by getting a website. Today, a website tells people who you are and why they should buy your book. It tells folks you are for real, serious and in this for the long haul. You need to get one up and going before people can buy your book, because a lot of people will check out your website before deciding whether your work will be of interest to them. Some agents and editors will even look at your website to decide if you are going to do “what it takes” to create sell-through in the marketplace.

2. If you can’t get a website up and running (and trust me, this makes remodeling your house seem a snap), create a blog. You can do this very easily at blogspot.com At least you’ll have a presence on the web.

3. Join writers’ organizations. You can’t go it alone. If you don’t have time to go to meetings, join organizations with strong online communities. These communities will help you by offering you opportunities such as signings and contests and by answering your questions.
Work hard to meet people in your genre and to make contacts. Be a giver, not a taker. These people will help guide you, offer you opportunities, and perhaps blurb your book. But don’t count on any of that. Go with an open heart and an open mind. Years ago, I read a supermodel’s secret to success: “I steal with my eyes.” Great advice. Keep your eyes and ears open. You’ll learn a lot and save yourself a lot of heartache. (Believe me, I have. This is the best advice I ever read, bar none!)

4. Create a basic “kit” to promote your book: business card with your book and ISBN; bookmarks, and a media pack. Make it a goal to pass out tons of business cards. They don’t do you any good in your desk. Keep a copy of your media pack ready to mail out at all times. Yes, your media pack or kit can be files in your computer, but a hard copy is also a good idea.

5. Figure out what organizations might benefit from learning about your book. Let’s call these Allied Interest Groups or AIGs. This is where that Venn Diagram comes in handy. What special themes do you cover? Who is your main character? What is he/she involved in? What are your hobbies or your protagonist’s hobbies? Where is your book set geographically?

Think of these as links…as side roads that can lead a reader to your work. For example, my protagonist rescues a Great Dane. This provides the following organizational “links”:

Great Dane groups
Great Dane rescue organizations
Any dog rescue organization
Any dog lovers’ group

Once you figure out your AIG, think about creating a win-win situation. How can you help them? What can they offer you? (Notice the order of these questions.) Think of a win-win proposal you can offer. Here’s a chance to use your creativity.

6. Create your own media list. This would include:

AIGs
Your local media
Any alumni publications
Any other affiliations you have—churchs and synagogues, clubs, associations, professional groups, neighborhood alliances, businesses you patronize, where you work, organizations your children are part of

7. Make connections with local booksellers. Don’t press yourself on them. You might even volunteer your time. Learn about their customer base. Your goal is to be an ambassador for your book, not to be a pest or to demand that your book be front and center. And never, ever demand a book signing or demand that they carry your book. Both are privileges.
If your book would be a fit, ask (do NOT demand) to do a signing or special event at the store. But you need to realize it will be up to you to market the event, so think this through.

You can also do stock signings.

Some booksellers will let you talk to their employees or post a message in their coffee-break room.

8. Read every book you can get your hands on about marketing, promoting and publicizing your book. Sign up for Murder Must Advertise (MurderMustAdvertise@yahoogroups.com), a wonderful service by Jeff Marks. You never know when you’ll stumble over a great idea.

Ideas will fall into two categories:

• Low-hanging fruit—It’s a business term, but one that’s perfect for the visual. These are easy opportunities that come your way. Like the parents’ book club at your child’s school. Or dropping a copy of your business card in the mail with all your bills or holiday cards.
• Top of the tree fruit—These take longer and include more risk. These are a stretch. You might have to work on these ideas for months before they pay off. They might include giving a workshop or being covered in the media.
  
  
  Books to Help You Promote Your Book
  
  1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer
  Guerilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman & Michael Larsen
  Buzz Your Book by MJ Rose and Douglas Clegg
  Take the Mystery Out of Promoting Your Book by p.m.terrell
  Publicize Your Book by Jacqueline Deval
  Bestselling Book Publicity by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman
  Plug Your Book by Steve Weber
  The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
  Intent to Sell by Jeffrey Marks
  The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity by Lissa Warren
  
  Websites and Blogs to Help You Promote Your Book
  
  By the way, don’t worry that some of these seem to be for self-published authors if you aren’t. Remember: Self-published authors HAVE to do all their own promotion. So this is really good stuff.
  
  http://joannaslan.blogspot.com/
  http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
  http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/
  http://www.mysterypromotion.com/
  http://authorsaccess.com/archives/category/marketing
  http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/
  http://www.rickfrishman.com/blog/index.php
  http://www.author101.com/
  http://www.selfpublishingresources.com/Articles.htm#PR
  http://www.bookmarket.com/tipsindex.htm
  http://www.larsen-pomada.com/pages.cfm?ID=18
  http://www.writing-world.com/promotion/buzz.shtml
  http://www.sitepronews.com/

About Giving Away Your Book

In my last post, I mentioned that an overly enthusiastic author pushed a copy of his book into my hands at Love Is Murder.

I received a lot of comments about that…both here and in my personal email account.

So I need to be very clear: I wasn’t angry with him. No, he wasn’t a bad guy. He was a very nice man. And his book might be just fabulous. It was nicely done from what I could see.

I don’t blame him. I wasn’t writing about what he did to blame him. In fact, I identified with him. A lot.

See, Paper, Scissors, Death will be my eleventh published book. I still get really, really pumped about seeing my work in print. But along the way I’ve learned to temper my exuberance.

I’ve also noticed something else. When I think back to conferences I’ve attended, I realized that over the past year I’ve not only had people push their books into my hands, I’ve actually been given three books free by the authors. All the books were self-published. Does that mean the books are no good? Not at all. (This isn’t an A plus B equals C sort of thing.) Does it mean the authors were selling themselves short? I think so. I mean, something about these folks handing over their work devalued it. I guess the very act, while generous and well-meaning, gave me the message they didn’t trust me to seek out their work. Or to buy it. And maybe, just maybe, they were also telling me they weren’t sure their work was worth the price on the cover either.

So I tried to imagine a few of my favorite authors handing over copies of their books. (I conjured up images of Anne Perry and Nancy Pickard, both lovely women whose work I admire.) And I just couldn’t. In fact, last week when I met Leighton Gage, author of Blood of the Wicked, he mentioned his daughter wanted to give away a copy of his book. He told her, “Authors don’t give away their books.” There was this tone in his voice of fatherly advice and I really took it to heart. (Thanks, Leighton!)

But I truly do understand that urge. I used to be just like that guy at Love Is Murder. In fact, I was probably worse. I’d give away copies of my books at the merest hint anyone was interested. For example, a home repair guy was walking through our house. He noticed my scrapbooking supplies. He commented his wife likes to scrapbook. So I did the logical next thing…I gave him a book.

Duh. Do you think he discounted his work for that? No.

Finally, my husband took me aside. “I don’t give away Steinways,” David said.

“But this is a book. It’s not a Steinway,” I said.

“Joanna, you put yourself through college. You’ve worked for years as a writer. Your work has value. You need to stop giving stuff away. Give yourself a little credit,” David said.

He was right. I remembered something I learned at good old Ball State U during a psychology class. They found that therapists who charged indigent patients a buck for a session found their patients improved faster than those who did sessions for free. It’s just human nature. We value what we pay for.

So if you’re at a conference and you are carrying a copy of your book, resist RESIST resist the urge to press it into someone’s hands. And if the urge to give away your book hits you…go up to your room lie down, take two aspirins, and call your favorite bookseller in the morning. And if you see me doing it—give me a swift kick in the butt, okay?

Reviewing My Promotional Efforts at Love Is Murder

So, now’s the hard part. I need to review what I did to promote myself at Love Is Murder and decide what was worthwhile. Okay, here goes:

1. Interviews—I still think this was worthwhile. When I spoke to Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child and Barry Eisler, they all remembered my name. Lee said it was the best interview he’d ever had, which was the sort of psychological boost that keeps me going.

2. Business cards—Definitely worthwhile. I just need to train myself to pass them out.

3. Presentation and appearances—There’s no way to check this out…but I was lucky enough to be assigned to a panel with Jon Jordan. I asked if I could do some writing for CrimeSpree and I wouldn’t have had the courage to do this without being on the panel.

4. Promoting myself as a writer with expertise as a speaker—Well, not so good. American Airlines kept canceling my flight so I raced into an empty room 10 minutes late. I was told no one was waiting, and it made sense. Most of the folks there early had paid to go to Master Classes, and I’m realistic. Between me and Tess Gerritsen, heck, it’s no contest. But I did worry about the unsold copies of Using Stories and Humor. So I had to make a mid-course adjustment and figure out how to sell the book…(Which I did. See below.) I really, really wanted to beat myself up over this. I felt horrible. But I decided in the end, it was better to move on. There was nothing I could do.

5. Handouts—Rosemary Harris came up to me and told me she STILL had my handout from SleuthFest, proving to me (at least) that good handouts are worthwhile.

6. Recipe Cards and Homemade Cookies—It was difficult to give these away. I had a real attack of shyness and awkwardness. I mean, I found it hard to decide when to share them and how. Have to work on this.

7. Pre-Order Contest--Vicki Erwin of Main Street Books was kind enough to agree to take pre-sales. ( mstbstchas@sbcglobal.net 636-949-0105 ) She'll keep a list of all the pre-ordered books. From those, I'll draw one purchaser's name to be included as a character in book #2. I don’t know if this will work or not. It’s early days.

8. Bookmarks—Now I know I need two kinds: the fancy ones I customize to hand out personally and the plain ones. The plain ones can be left in a room for people to pick up willy-nilly, but since the customized ones take so much time, I should hand them out individually.

9. Prizes—Didn’t get them passed out. Just couldn’t figure out how to make this work. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, just needs tweaking.

10. A Small TBR Album—Unsure. It did impress some people.


One thing I learned NOT to do.

An excited author came up and told me about his book. Then he pressed a copy into my hands. I felt very uncomfortable. I felt backed into a corner. What do you say? This isn't my kind of book? Please back off? Well, I couldn't. People may think I'm tough, but...I just didn't know what to do except lie and promise I'd buy a copy so he would move on. That's a lesson to me: There's a fine line and making folks uncomfortable around you is bad stuff.


Benefits and Opportunities Along with a Mid-Course Adjustment

And now for the benefits I couldn’t have planned for and my “mid-course adjustment.”

1. In the shuttle bus, Al B. from Florida (sorry, I didn’t write down your last name, buddy!), told me he’d read this blog and the post. So that proves that just doing this blog was worthwhile. Thanks, Al!
2. My mid-course adjustment to not being able to promote my textbook during my session on presenting: I decided to give Joe Konrath a copy of Using Stories and Humor. Joe knows so much about this business, and he’s so generous about sharing his resources. I figure if he likes it, and if he runs across someone who needs that information, he’ll share it. A good thing, I think.
3. Carried around a copy of Using Stories and Humor, mentioned it during my last panel. I know we sold some copies. That worked!
4. Met with Tom Schreck, another Midnight Ink author and heard about some of this promotional ideas. Tom has done well with going to basset hound events, since his book features, Al, the basset hound. That encourages me to continue to work with the Great Dane rescue people.
5. Learned the value of getting my blurbs in early. From several people I heard you are safest if they go in with your manuscript. Important stuff.
6. Saw how Barry Eisler with his great joie de vivre totally wowed people. A reminder that energy attracts energy.
7. Offered to write for CrimeSpree.
8. Met the great Earl Merkel and was reminded that sending along a recording of an interview helps radio folks decide whether to book you.
9. The nice people at Brain Snacks not only carried Using Stories and Humor but also told me about a scrapbooker who got kicked out of the Hall of Fame, something I’d missed. That was important since I write about scrapbooking. (And yeah, I'm not surprised.)
10. Met a librarian from the Palatine Library. Yeah!
11. Got a recommendation about a store north of Chicago that’s great for signings.
12. Michael Dymmoch offered to help with the next Forensic U. That’s priceless.
13. Will continue to do interviews for LIM. That’s really professional development in disguise!
14. Kelle Z. Riley shared a nice contact at a bookstore. Thanks, Kelle!

Was It Worth It?

Was it worth it? Well, I didn’t have my mystery in hand, so it’s not like I can point to sales, but when I review all the new opportunities, knowledge, and the contacts, I think it was very worthwhile. I’m struck by the fact that when you go to a conference, you have no idea of the opportunities that might come your way…and I remember the saying, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” So, if I keep putting myself where lightening will strike, who knows?

Promoting Myself at Love Is Murder

Attending a conference is fun, but it's also expensive. There are travel costs, registration fees, food, lodging and time away from writing.

So...the question is, "How do I maximize my presence? How do I promote myself and my book, Paper, Scissors, Death?"

My mystery won't debut until September. Still, it seems silly to "waste" this opportunity even though I don't have a book in hand. After all, I know that I make a note of books I want to read and I might not buy them for months! Surely other people have the same habits. And, I remember from my days in advertising that it takes many exposures for people to form an impression. But those exposures can't be spaced too far apart. Waiting until my book hits the shelves means all those exposures would come AFTER the book is out. And those 6 weeks afterwards are critical because that's when sell-through happens. It makes sense to start now...if I can do it economically.

Here are all the promotional activities I've undertaken for my visit to Love Is Murder on Dark and Stormy Nights. I won't be able to tell right away which of these have been valuable. Maybe when my book comes out, I'll be more sure of what worked and what didn't.

1. Interviews--I offered to interview the headliners for LIM. This has given me the chance to ask questions of the best and brightest: Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child, Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath. Plus, the interviews were shared in the LIM newsletter, and I can now post them in the resource section of my website. My aim: To be on the radar screen of some of the nation's best authors. You never know whom you'll click with. Or who will bring you the next big opportunity.

2. Business cards--I was told to wait, but that's silly. How do you follow up a meeting without information? I had the cards printed with my book cover on the front. (A tip from Elaine Viets.) The ISBN is on everything. As my pal Angie Fox said, "It's like the Social Security number for your book." Should I get a tattoo? Nah.

3. Proposal for a presentation--My unique ability is my background as a professional speaker. So I offered to do a presentation on speaking before groups. The LIM people thought this was a worthwhile idea, and now it's scheduled.

4. Appearances--I was fortunate enough to be assigned as moderator on one panel and participant on another.

5. Panel descriptions--How do people choose which panel to attend? I tried to write my descriptions in such a way that they were full of promise...promise that I knew I could deliver. I want to brand myself as offering tremendous value while having fun.

When Romance Leads to…

A romantic encounter can make a character more real, more vulnerable and more deadly. They can move a plot along or stop it in its tracks. We’ll share our favorite racy scenes and discuss what makes a romantic climax, uh, climactic! The useful takeaway? Our list of helpful ideas for writing romantic encounters. Plus, lots of chocolate hugs and kisses to get you in the mood.

How to be a Better Panelist

Or presenter. Or guest speaker. Do your knees knock when you speak in public? Are you scared you will make a fool of yourself? Would you rather die than appear before a group? We can help. (With the speaking part. The dying on the platform stuff is up to you.) Public appearances are an important promotional tool for authors. We’ll share proven ideas used by the top professional speakers. These ideas will make your presence memorable, enjoyable and profitable. Don’t miss the handout: Top Tips for Presenters.


6. Handouts--This is a key. But the handouts can NOT be self-serving. So the handout for the "Writers Dish on Writers" compiles a list of debut authors including me. I figure those in the audience are looking to expand their TBR list. For "How to Be a Better Panelist. Or Presenter. Or Guest Speaker." I created a list of tips. Some are on the handout, but the list was so extensive, the majorityare going on my website under "Resources." They should be up by Monday. For "When Romance Leads to..." I compiled some of the best thoughts from those who do a cracker-jack job of writing romantic scenes, and I added Internet and traditional book resources. Of course, on all the handouts, I share my details.

7. Recipe Cards and Homemade Cookies--Hokey, I know. But every time I've seen them offered, people snatch them up. On the front is a recipe, on the back is info about my book and a contest (see next), and my book cover is in color on the cards.

8. Pre-Order Contest--Vicki Erwin of Main Street Books was kind enough to agree to take pre-sales. ( mstbstchas@sbcglobal.net 636-949-0105 ) She'll keep a list of all the pre-ordered books. From those, I'll draw one purchaser's name to be included as a character in book #2.

9. Bookmarks--Pretty standard stuff, except that I'm customizing each one with a scrapbooking embellishment. I did a trial run of these and discovered people oooohhhhed and aaaaahhhed over them.

10. Prizes--As a motivational speaker, I was always pleasantly surprised by how excited audiences got when they won something. So I had customized bags of M & Ms made up. The colors are the same as my book cover. They say "Get Kiki" on one side, and "PSD 2008" on the other.

11. A Small TBR Album--I've also noticed that folks seem really astonished that I actually do scrapbook. So I've made the most adorable TBR album to show off. It reinforces my niche and brands me.

Okay, that's it so far. Now I'm staring out the window at the snow storm and crossing my fingers that after all this work, I can actually fly into Chicago!

Unexpected Delights

Life is full of unexpected delights. Last week I was in California, by way of Dallas, visiting colleges with my son and attending a business meeting with my husband. Along the way, I had some experiences that will keep me smiling for months to come.

College Visits for Michael

The colleges we visited were SMU (Southern Methodist University) and USC (University of Southern California). The folks at SMU were incredibly welcoming. The admissions director had read through Michael’s application and told him he was a “great candidate.” (Isn't that nice?) At USC, Michael was able to interview with an admissions director. Our goal was to get him “on their radar.” Frankly, I was overwhelmed by USC’s size. But I’m keeping my mouth shut. This is such an important decision, and I want Michael to make it without hearing my concerns. What may seem overwhelming to me might be perfectly comfortable for him.Michael wants to be a civil engineer, and he wants to attend college in a warm climate. I don’t blame him. The cold is hard for me in every way. In fact, I always feel poor when I’m cold, perhaps because when I grew up we had a coal furnace. That gaping maw in the basement had to be fed, and coal was a precious resource. We woke up each morning cold, and I’ll never, ever forget that. No matter how much my life has changed, cold still strikes a chord with me at a deep, emotional level.


Steinway Dealers Meeting

After our college visits, we went to the Balboa Bay Club for the annual Steinway Piano Dealers meeting. It’s always wonderful to connect with old friends—dealers, representatives, and artists. Steinway does it right. Everything is always first-class. We’ve known the new President of Steinway Americas Ron Losby for literally decades now—and Steinway couldn’t have chosen a finer man as a leader. It was also fun to see the Steinway owners Kyle Kirkland and Dana Messina. Dana’s wife gave birth to their second child, a daughter, this week and Dana was obviously a thrilled parent.

At the annual dinner, Steinway always has a guest Steinway artist as entertainment. One year it was Roger Williams, the greatest selling pianist of all time, another it was Randy Newman. This year we sat at a table with legendary artist Leonard Pennario, and Roger Williams dropped by to say that Leonard was the reason he’d become a pianist. How cool is that? By the way, Roger Williams is a real charmer.

Introducing Joja Wendt

This year, Steinway introduced us to Joja Wendt. He was extraordinary—young, amazing and personable. He reminded us all of Victor Borge. I was especially taken by his piece Asterius feat Dieter Falk. In fact, I loved it so much, I’ve downloaded it on my IPod. You have to imagine how fast his fingers moved as he played. You can hear it for yourself at:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=201693802

A lovely independent bookstore

I also found time to take a long walk over to Balboa Island. There I found Martha’s Bookstore on 308 ½ Marine Avenue, Balboa Island (marthasbookstore@balboaisland.com) and chatted with their manager Carol Crecelius. Carol loves mysteries, especially cozies. For any of you authors out there, make a note of her name—she’s a great contact.So…while my trip was hectic, it proved delightful. I hope you’ll check out Joja and Martha’s Bookstore. They’re a couple of real gems I uncovered on my travels.

I'll be at Love Is Murder

I'll be at Love Is Murder on Dark and Stormy Nights in Chicago, Friday February 1 through Sunday February 3.

On Friday, I'll be hosting a session called "How to be a Better Panelist." Here's the description:

How to be a better panelist. Or presenter. Or guest speaker. Do your knees knock when you speak in public? Are you scared you will make a fool of yourself? Would you rather die than appear before a group? We can help. (With the speaking part. The dying on the platform stuff is up to you.) Public appearances are an important promotional tool for authors. We’ll share proven ideas used by the top professional speakers. These ideas will make your presence memorable, enjoyable and profitable. Don’t miss the handout: Top Tips for Presenters.


Please stop by and say, "Hi!" (I'm bringing cookies!)

Some People are Just Plain STUPID

Monday is Martin Luther King's Birthday. It's also special for another reason: It's the day we brought home our rescue dog, Rafferty.

Two years ago, I told my husband I wanted another dog to keep our prissy Miss Victoria company. Of course, David said, "No," and later relented. "But it has to be a Bichon," he said. "I don't want fur all over the house."

My son and I checked out the local humane society. There we saw a three-legged dog. "A three-legged dog would be soooo pimping," said Mike. But that particular three-legged dog did not play well with others, so he wasn't an option. "Think about it, Mom," said Mike. "Who wants a three-legged dog? Nobody. So we have to give a three-legged dog a home."

Okay, our new family member had to be a Bichon, had to have three-legs, and he had to be young. We'd just lost our dear pet of 15 years. We couldn't go through that again.

My husband smirked. I'm sure he was thinking, "Right. Good luck finding a three-legged, young, Bichon."

But I had the power of the Internet at my disposal. I discovered Small Paws, an animal rescue agency. They had 119 dogs who needed homes. All of them were at least part-Bichon. Many were full-blooded. And there he was...Rafferty.

So that's how Raffi came to live with us. In the weeks that followed between finding him on the list and having our application approved, I worried that someone else would take him. But I needn't have been concerned.

"You're the only one who asked about him. He'd been on the list for months," said the volunteer.

I wondered why.

"Most people who want Bichons, want them to show off. Because they're pretty. I guess a three-legged dog doesn't fit their definition of pretty," said the volunteer.

Well, here's what I think. Those people are just plain STUPID. Rafferty is beautiful. And I love him. He's a wonderful, wonderful guy.

Nerves...How to Control Them When You Speak

Because I once made my living as a motivational speaker, people often assume I don’t get nervous when I speak. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, every professional speaker I’ve met—and I’ve met a lot of the big names in the field—gets a touch of anxiety before stepping up to the microphone.

And yet, they do it. They get right up there and speak.

How do professionals control their nerves? What do THEY know that you don’t?

First of all, they know they are prepared. They have practiced their presentations hundreds or thousands of time. Out loud. That’s the key; they’ve harnessed the power of muscle memory. Muscle memory is why you can hop on a bicycle after years out of the saddle and ride off into the sunset. Muscle memory kicks in whether or not your “thinking” brain is engaged.

Second, they understand that a little nervous energy is a good thing. Better to be excited and energized than lethargic and boring. As one of my friends once said, “Sure I get butterflies. The trick is to make the butterflies fly in formation.”

Third, they’re prepared for the things that inevitably go wrong. They have fun comebacks for when the microphone squeals. “Must be microphone mating season!” Or when they forget what to say next. “Okay, any mind readers out there? What was I going to say? Any ideas? Me neither!” Or even, gulp, hecklers. “Did my ex-husband send you?”

Fourth, they know that NO ONE expects the speaker to be perfect. In fact, people don’t like perfect speakers. They like speakers who care about the audience, not speakers who are overly concerned about making a mistake. One corporate trainer I knew regularly dumped a cup of coffee on himself the first day of his week long training sessions. Why? He wanted the group to know he wasn’t perfect, and he wanted them to relax. He did that by making the first mistake.

Next month I’ll share with you tips for getting an audience to like you BEFORE you ever say a word.

Meantime, if you are coming to Love Is Murder, I’m presenting “How to be a Better Panelist…Or Presenter …. Or Guest Speaker.” The handout and tip sheet should be useful. Stop in and say, “Hi!” I’d love to meet you.

And if you need help before then, check out my textbook Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience ISBN: 0-205-26893-5. It’s recommended by Toastmasters International.

News from My Little Corner of the World

Sometimes, life just isn't fair. And the most talented among us get overlooked. For example, my good friend Tony Hooper emailed me last week with this lament:

Dear Joanna,

Walter Bargen narrowly edged me out to become Missouri's first Poet Laureate. I probably should have steered away from controversy in my poems, one of which began:

I think that I shall never see

A state so fair as Missouri,

I love her highways, streets, and roads;

Some have potholes, some are closed.

Next time I'll send something from my nature series, like:

The doe stood boldly on my lawn,

Munching hostas with her fawn.

Two shots ripped the still of dawn

Now the bastards both are gone.

Were it not for your encouragement, I don't know how I'd carry on writing.

Tony

I share his pain.Last Monday the "powers that be" closed down a five-mile stretch of the main East-West corridor in our city for two years. Eeeek!!! What a mess. And the deer? No exaggeration, we have 100 deer per square mile in the suburb where Tony and I live. At any given time, a dozen of them are in my yard eating the lawn, flowers, shrubs, and trees. This photo is one I took of two babies sporting their winter coats. When I first saw them last Spring, they were--seriously--knee-high. I thought they were stray dogs! Unfortunately, the deer have no natural predators. Each week there's a new carcass at the side of the road. One municipality decided to "airlift" the animals and take them to a new location. They died of terror. Truly, I believe the herd should be culled. It's not fair to them. There's not enough to eat, they get hit and maimed by cars, and their interbreeding is causing birth defects like the buck we saw two years ago with the misformed leg. Yes, they also drive us homeowners nuts.

Tony's wife trains guide dogs, and Suzanne has to keep dosing them for parasites because the pooches eat so much deer poo. Our lawn and flowers get torn up on a regular basis. My husband wants a tee-shirt that says, "Kill Bambi" on the front. And yet...and yet...we all rush to the windows to watch the parade as the herd wanders through the yard. The sight of the little ones causes my heart to soar. As does the sight of their white flags bouncing into the woods behind the house. So...Tony isn't poet laureate, and the deer still roam freely. Life doesn't lend itself to neat packages tied up with ribbons. Sigh. That's the news from my corner of the world.

The Best of British Scrapbooking 2007

Since 2004, I’ve been judging The Best of British Scrapbooking, a contest I started in the UK to spotlight new talent. When I began the contest, people wondered if there was really enough talent – and enough scrapbookers – in the UK to support a competition. As the days ticked down closer to the contest deadline, I worried a bit. But I shouldn’t have. There was a huge stack of entries, and my judges and I worked all day to make our selections.

Two of those judges Mary Anne Walters and Shimelle Laine went on to work as Design Team Members for ScrapBook inspirations, a UK magazine. And ScrapBook inspirations went on to host the contest, announcing it, collecting the entries, coming up with the prizes, showcasing the winners.

But I’m still the judge. And choosing a few winners was really hard because the field was so terrific. My “Overall Winner” was Klara Wilson. Her “Reaching 18” page was phenomenal. She put her heart and soul into the layout. I also loved her Grandma Olga page. The use of flowers, patterned paper and stitching was so unusual. There was an economy of words, and yet…she told us a lot about her grandmother.

Over the next months, I’ll share more of the winners’ work. Prepare to be knocked out. I always am!

Hoppin' John for a Happy New Year

Hoppin’ John


Stop by our house tomorrow, and you’ll find me cooking a mess of “Hoppin’ John.”

“Hoppin’ John” is an essential part of southern lore, especially honored in the Low Country, South Carolina’s coastal counties. If you stop in an area restaurant around New Year’s Day, no matter what you order, they’ll slip you a small dish of beans and rice—gratis. Eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day is said to give a body good luck all year long.

The dish is believed to be first made by the slaves as a form of pilau. Black eyed peas, rice and ham hocks or bacon are traditional ingredients. The New York Times called the meal “a nutritional marvel, the culinary touchstone of the African diaspora and a hangover remedy without equal.” And the article goes on to date “the first known appearance of ‘hoppin' John’ in print was in 1838, in Caroline Gilman's novel ‘Recollections of a Southern Matron.’

My version is lowfat, and only 6 Weight Watchers’ points. If you swap out bacon for Bacos, of course that number will change.

Hoppin’ John

1/3 C chopped celery
1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 C chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 T Bacos (or bacon)
1 C chicken broth
½ can (1/2 C) black-eyed peas (cooked in a can)
¼ C chopped lean ham (Okay, if you want to use a ham hock, who am I to stop you?)
1 C brown rice, cooked

Saute first 4 ingredients. Add to other ingredients, mix well. Put in 1 quart casserole dish and bake, covered, in 350 º oven for one hour.

Back from Vacation

Just home from Kiawah Island, SC, and a marathon bookreading vacation.

My husband David and I laugh that we must be getting old. We ENJOY sitting around, reading, and going to bed early. I particularly loved reading In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spenser-Fleming. Wow. That's all I can say. It's an absolutely terrific book. One that I wish I'd written. The protagonist is an Episcopalian priest, a woman. Since I grew up in the Anglican church, I was still surprised that I could actually learn more about my nascent religion.

The tension between the female protagonist and the male protagonist is just super in this book. I loved it so much that I went back to Indigo Books and bought the next two in the series, which I "gobbled" up on the flight home. Today I ordered book #4 in the Clare Ferguson and Russell Van Alstyne series. (I think I have that right.)

Last night our Sisters in Crime chapter in association with Missouri Romance Writers Association had Luci Zahray, The Poison Lady, as our guest speaker. She's always a treat.

What's New for October 2007

So what's new?

1. Forensic University--Is right around the corner, Nov. 1-4, 2007. This will be the first all-forensic conference for writers ever held. I'm co-chairing with my pal Michelle Becker. She's done a great job, and I've worked hard too!


2. Paper, Scissors, Dead--Will debut September 2008. (This used to be called Over Exposed. I like this new name much better.)


3. My Young Adult novel is making the rounds in New York. I hate to even share this, because I always think I'll jinx any deal. But since my pal Shirley Damsgaard gave me a variety of powerful stones and crystals, I'm feeling a bit more lucky.


4. Michael has a new car--A 1969 Cutlass convertible. He named it LAURA. (I was a bit surprised by how romantic this is....) In order to get the car, he had a whole list of "things to do," and getting a job was one of them. Today they called from Guitar Center. He starts on Tuesday. He's really growing up.


5. David and I are going to Kiawah--To celebrate our 24th Wedding Anniversary. It's one of our favorite places on earth.

That's all for now!

That SCRAPBOOKING Author!

Someone called me "that SCRAPBOOK author" this week.



She meant it as a perjorative. But all I can do is laugh. You see, I'm proud to be called "that SCRAPBOOK author" for a variety of reasons.



First of all, I love scrapbooking. And scrapbookers. Scrapbookers are the loveliest folks in the world. They care about their families, their friends and the stuff of life that matters. If you had seen as many pages as I have, you'd know that scrapbooking is what I call "a love letter to life." We find the sacredness of the ordinary by saluting the daily joy we're all so fortunate to receive.



When I first told my motivational speaker friends that I was writing a book on scrapbooking, they rolled their eyes. "That's a fad. Why waste your time?" my mentor added.



Huh. That fad now extends to one in every five homes in America. It's been around for years, as I can attest because at the antique markets in England I saw some early examples.



And, let's be honest, scrapbooking has been very good to me. I've met all the scrapbooking big names: Lisa Bearnsen, Stacy Jullian, Michelle Gebhardt, Debbie Mock, Vicki Breslin, Jill Davis, Angie Randall, Shimelle Laine, Mary Anne Walters, Jane Dean and more. My articles have appeared in Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, PaperKuts, and Scrapbooks Etc. reviewed my last book. I've gotten to teach scrapbooking on a cruise, and I've flown to the UK to appear at scrapbooking conventions. Best of all, I've struck up email conversations with women all over the world. Women in Israel, South Africa, Europe, and beyond who share their love of families on their pages.



Now about that "author" part of "that SCRAPBOOKING author." Yep, I plead guilty. I'm the author of 14 books. (I just finished a Young Adult yesterday--and it's off to my agent tomorrow.) Ten are published and three are under contract or spoken for. (One's a work-for-hire book that we've decided to publish as an ebook. It's called Leaving a Legacy: How to Write a Letter That Can Change Someone's Life.) My first book was a college textbook, Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience, and Benjamin Netanyahu's speechwriter lauded it in an Israeli newspaper. I have the article!



Okay, my first fiction doesn't come out until Fall 2008 when OverExposed will hit the shelves, but I'm cautiously optimistic.



Yep, you can call me "that SCRAPBOOK author" all day long. Suits me to a T. In this blog I've added a graphic of the poster they used to promote my UK visit.



See, you can call me "that SCRAPBOOK author," but in England, they call me "America's Scrapbooking Queen."



Bow a little lower, folks!

Cogblogo Ergo Sum

Okay, I'm already writing for three other blogs, (http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com http://forustl.blogspot.com http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com ) plus notes on Crimespace. What the heck am I doing here?

It's simple: I don't want anyone to take my name.

Why? Well, it's happened to me before (a long, ugly story), and I'm a tad paranoid about it happening again.

Cogblogo ergo sum. (I blog, therefore I am. I had to make up a new word in Latin to cover this, but hey, language should be flexible, and if you are grabbing your Latin primer to check me out, well, get a life!)

And what shall I blog about?

That remains to be seen.

Probably:
1. What I'm reading.
2. How my career is coming.
3. Whatever strikes my fancy from the NYT. (Love the NYT, love it. It's my link to other thinking people.)
4. My author friends.

I'll try to have contests along the way. It's fun for you and it keeps me busy as well.

Next Sunday, I'll report to you about Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham. I'm reading it for my online bookclub. I'm very curious about what they'll say since the group is all authors, and authors tend to be very picky about what they read.

Ta-ta for now!