Thursday, October 28, 2010

Sign Up for Blog Jog Day and Get Traffic to Your Blog

The May 9, 2010 Blog Jog Day was a huge success and I enjoyed reading and following blogs I had never visited. Plus, I got hundreds of visitors to stop by my blog that day and as a result have made new networking buddies.

November 21, 2010 is the 38th annual World Hello Day. Anyone can participate in World Hello Day simply by greeting ten people. With this in mind, I will be participating in the 2nd Blog Jog Day event sponsored by Carol Denbow on November 21.

This fall season event has been deliberately scheduled just before the holidays so if you have products or books to promote you have a better chance of sales.

Read FAQ about Blog Jog Day

Hope to see you here on Blog Jog Day November 21, 2010!

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

How Many Voices?

by Dianna Calareso, a team member of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services

I was recently asked: "Changing voice in a story or book: Is it okay? Only in dialogue? Is it okay for more than one voice to tell the story? Using verb tenses?"

I think it's okay, the same way I think butter is okay: in moderation! In today's distracting world, a reader's attention cannot be taken for granted; one of the main reasons a reader will disengage from a book is confusion.

Multiple voices to tell a story can be extremely effective (think Faulkner, As I Lay Dying). However, it can easily move from a unique way to show multiple perspectives to a gimmick that the writer is using at the expense of a clear, confident story. Readers do not like gimmicks - they can sniff them out a mile away, and won't finish the story/book. Readers also do not like confusion...so if you feel that multiple voices are essential to your telling of the story, keep it simple, and keep it clear. Don't obscure for the sake of obscurity; don't insert vague voices to be mysterious -- just tell your story.

As far as multiple verb tenses are concerned, my opinion is that if you're going to do it, you'd better have a REALLY good reason for it....and then you'd better be REALLY good at it. Otherwise, it leads to confusion, then frustration, then...you've lost the reader. Generally, present tense stories are very hard to pull off; they have a meta-quality to them that can be wonderful if wonderfully done, and awful if weakly written. Readers will always be most familiar with a past tense voice, so I think it's a safe place to start - as the story progresses, you can go back and revise if you feel your story would benefit from a different tense.

It can be helpful to practice telling the story in multiple voices or tenses to figure out what ultimately works best. A truly good story can stand on its own, gimmick-free. Read the story to yourself out loud in each voice/tense. What sounds the best? Are you confused?

There may be times when you are writing to a very specific audience, in which case obscurity or jumping around may be appropriate. For example, if you are writing a very niche science-fiction story about time travel, naturally you may have good reason to work in multiple tenses. If that's the case, I say go for it - but be prepared and willing to be rejected by a mass readership who will not understand why their confusion is essential to the story.

If you are an excellent writer who is confident with alternate styles of story-telling and who has a target audience for this type of story, there's no reason why it can't work. Otherwise, your best shot at attracting and keeping loyal readers is to leave them with a story that they engage the entire length of the read, with no need to step outside of the story and ask what's going on. Sometimes the best way to keep them there is a simple, wonderful story that has a voice of its own.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Poetry Corner October 2010


Tempus Fugit

You can’t go West,
East, North or
South.
Try, but you can’t
Escape my mouth.
Really, it’s painless.
Don’t attack.
All you just were
You won’t get back!
I come to
Savor and devour,
Munch on your past,
Ingest each hour.
No one’s exempt, and none can flee.
Everything is consumed by me!

Rita Janice Traub

She Buried Her Biker Today
She was an angel, an angel with tears.
And she buried her sweet biker today.
He was a big guy, with a big ole heart.
As all who knew him would just have to say.

Just kids together, they were wild and free.
Their weekends were saved for nonstop riding.
Their friends were bikers, and biker chicks too.
They were loving, living, racing, driving.

Then the years passed by, and time flew away.
They all had babies; they made happy homes.
They felt just as young, but not quite as free.
They all felt restless, down deep in their bones.

The years took their toll; his motor just stalled.
His big, strong spirit just floated away.
She was an angel, an angel with tears.
And she buried her sweet biker today.

The Harleys were there; the Harleys were loud.
All in formation in front of the hearse.
The bikes were thunder; the bikes had a roar.
All along the way, people heard them first.

She was an angel, an angel with tears.
And she buried her sweet biker today.


Jan Bossing © 2010, Joelton; Tennessee

Survivor

I often wondered which of us would
Ultimately outlast the other
In this snarling war of words where
Reason is a casualty.

Grappling like jungle beasts who know
The tactics of our foe
And seek to slash with razor teeth
All semblance of reality.

Can’t remember who was first,
Don’t recall the reason why,
Only know that it’s been going on
Far longer than it should.

Pass the blame from left to right
To left again, and on it goes.
Don’t know how to stop it
If we should, if we could.

No way to resolve the difference.
No hope to revive.
One moves on and one is left
Struggling to survive.

Website: http://www.iwritesome.com%20lulu/
Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/

The Menu Changer

You need a qualified changer of menus?
I’m an executive looking for work.
I was a manager; then came the merger;
I’d even consider a job as a clerk.
That robot voice says to carefully listen;
your options menu has recently changed.
I pity someone who hits the wrong button;
it won’t be long till they’re fully deranged.
Let me assist you in planning your menu,
so that a caller will know how to choose.
Too many options and too many numbers
changing each morning are sure to confuse.
I know I’d make an adept menu-changer,
keep them consistent for more than a day.
That’s a position I’d like to apply for
though I’m aware I’ll receive lower pay.
What? Changing menus is all automated?
That’s a surprise -- I just hadn’t a clue.
Do you have any more open positions?
Oh, just for robots -- in other words, you!

Rita Janice Traub

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Nashville Writing Workshop with Dianna Calareso

Stuck? Not sure what to write?
Bored with your own writing?
Come to

WRITING WHAT YOU (SUBCONSCIOUSLY) KNOW
A workshop with Dianna Calareso of

Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, you always write what you know. But what you know isn’t always on the surface – it’s often buried in your subconscious.

In this workshop, Dianna will lead writers through a series of writing exercises designed to help you tap into what you really know – and what you really want to write about. Each hour will include an introduction, discussion, writing time, and follow-up discussion/sharing time. We will learn from each other!

Saturday November 6, 9am – 1pm
Celebrity Centre Nashville (Church of Scientology)
1130 8th Ave South
Cost: $100 (cash or check)

Email questions to Dianna: dcalareso@hotmail.com

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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Please Help Me Title My Book

I realize how important the title of a book is and I need your help. As writers, we tend to get so close to our work and what we intend to say that we that we can't quite determine if we've actually said it in a way that other people understand it.

A nonfiction book title needs to say what the book is about and what it will do for the reader. It has to do so with as few words as possible.

I am writing a book about my journey as an "empath." Although it's apparent that the word has to do with empathy or being empathic, some people have not seen this word used as a noun for someone who is more sensitive to energy than the average person. The intuitive gift of empathy can detrimentally affect people who inadvertently pick up on the thoughts, sicknesses, and emotions of others and carry this energy as if it were their own.

Folks who are looking for help with shutting off or managing the overload of emotional information they receive may use the word "empath" when searching for answers. My book will give helpful information about how to shield oneself from unwanted energy and develop the skills needed to use this gift in a way that is beneficial for all.

So, my request is that the readers of this blog offer me some input and feedback about the proposed title. Which of the following three choices best conveys the message of the book? If you think of a better combination or an entirely different title choice, I'd like to know that too. Please put your answer as a comment underneath this post or email me at writer @ yvonneperry dot net.

  1. WHOSE STUFF IS THIS? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You
  2. A GUIDE FOR EMPATHS: How to Protect Yourself from Being Overwhelmed by the Pain, Energy, and Emotions of Others
  3. WHY EMPATHY HURTS: How to Avoid Being Distressed by Others' Pain, Energy, and Emotions
  4. WHAT IS BREAKING MY HEART? Help for Those Who Are Overwhelmed by the Pain, Energy, and Emotions of Others
  5. THE EMPATH’S GUIDE: How to Avoid Picking Up the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Others


Thank you for your help!

Yvonne Perry,
Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://Writersinthesky.com



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Friday, October 22, 2010

Editor's Corner October 22, 2010

Within the past few years, Lightning Source (LS)—the printer for about 90 percent of all traditionally-books published—began offering publishing services to individual authors. This company will use off-set printing (bulk order) or print-on-demand technology (one book or a few at a time) and place your book in Ingram's distribution channels. If you print the book in this manner, you will still have to market your book, but Writers in the Sky can help with that. See our book promotion packages at http://writersinthesky.com/author-publicity.html.

You can sign up for an account with LS and become your own publisher. There is a cost for set up and you have to pay for the print cost of each book you order, but they do not ask for royalties because they are a printing service and you are both the author and the publisher. You will have to provide your book's interior layout and cover design yourself or you can hire someone to do the cover as I did for my children's book, The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children.

No matter what method you use to publish, you will have to pay for the cost of printing each book. Color printing is much more expensive and if you add glossy paper to your order, the price per book goes up even more. Your book will be considered a color print and charged thusly even if only one photo in your book is in color. The printing company will not run part of your pages in black and white and the rest in color then collate and combine the pages to create the book. It's one or the other—color, or black and white.

It is very important to have someone edit and proofread your text before submitting your file to LS (or a publish on demand service) because the printer will print exactly what you send without making any changes or revisions. No matter where you are in the writing of your book or story—idea, development, copy edit, or proofread—our writing instructors and editors can help you take your skills to the next level. Take a look at the services we offer and let us know how we can assist you.

Writers in the Sky Podcast is a weekly podcast where we interview guest authors, publishers, and book marketing experts. Each Friday a new show is uploaded to iTunes.com and is also available at http://nashvillewriter.audioacrobat.com/rss/writers_in_the_sky_podcast.xml. WITS podcast blog features more information about those who are guests on our podcast.

You are now on WITS e-zine blog. This is a networking site where we post announcements, book reviews, poetry, articles, and other material from our community of readers—that's you! Check out the submissions guidelines to send us items you want to include.

Find me online:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
EzineArticles

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Free E-Book

Are you a new writer looking to improve your writing skills? Are you a writer who needs help with a starting freelance writing business? Do you need help setting prices for your writing? Need info about selling your work to magazines? This book is available at no cost to anyone who subscribes to Writers in the Sky Newsletter about the craft and business of writing. Request WITS Newsletter and download this free e-book on freelance writing!

Yvonne Perry,
615-415-9861

Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services is a team of highly-qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com


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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Book with a View October 2010


Book Title: Opur’s Blade
Author: James Ross
ISBN: 978-1-9334-4987-6
Publisher: Nightengale Press
Genre and Target Market: fiction, human drama, sports
Publication Date: 2010
Book Length in Pages: 465
Reviewer: Sarah Moore of Writers in the Sky

For the first time in my experience working in the writing and publishing industry, I have had the opportunity to read and review four books from the same author. It is such a pleasure to see the evolution of a writer’s style and message, especially when they are developed in books I have enjoyed so much. After spending hours and hundreds of pages with the work of James Ross, I have an ever-growing sense of his overarching commentary about how we relate to one another and the expectations that we place on people based on stereotypes or superficial characteristics. As with his previous three novels, in his new release, Opur’s Blade, Ross offers us his view through the prism of golf and the background of the Prairie Winds Golf Course.

Opur’s Blade tells the story of Owen Purler, Jr., a preteen boy who is raised by single mother Raylene after his dad, whose job as a trucker never had him around much anyway, leaves the home for good. Owen struggles with self-esteem and an accompanying stuttering problem until Raylene takes him to the Prairie Winds Golf Course to take advantage of free summer lessons. After only a few minutes of hitting balls with old clubs found in storage, club pro J Dub Schroeder realizes that Owen, whose names are combined by the regulars in the clubhouse to form the nickname Opur, has an amazing talent for the game.

While Ross always develops his storylines around the backdrop of golf, Opur’s Blade focuses more detail on the execution of the sport than all of his other three novels combined. Nearly half of the pages in the novel are dedicated to Opur’s participation as an unlikely contender in the most prestigious of all golf tournaments—The Classic. Ross takes his readers through the mechanics of the play and the rollercoaster emotions at every hole, as the championship title comes down to the underdog Opur and Tank Olgethorpe, a past champion who carries all of the bravado and fan support that a celebrity would expect to have. Through his writing, Ross displays an obvious expert knowledge of the game, both from a player’s perspective and for those who love to watch the drama unfold from the viewing areas or on their television screens. Readers who are avid about the sport of golf will find wonderful content to meet their interest in Opur’s Blade.

This is not to say that fans of Ross who follow his work for its characters and social commentary will be left out due to a more dominant focus on golf. Instead, I believe that this may be Ross’ most compelling and focused work yet in terms of its character development and richness in exploring human relationships. As I progressed through Opur’s Blade, I found myself rooting for Opur as he struggled to overcome a troubled and lonely childhood and eventually find his way onto the biggest stage in golf. James Ross offers the relationship I formed with Opur to all of his readers by creating a young man who is determined, optimistic, but also, like the rest of us, flawed in character. We all have been the underdog at some point in our lives, and it is wonderful to read such a touching story about someone who succeeds in spite of having the odds stacked against him.

If you have read James Ross’ previous novels, Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, and Tuey’s Course, then you already are familiar with his detailed and vibrant writing style and I have no doubt that you will find the same literary satisfaction in reading Opur’s Blade. If you are new to Ross’ work, you do not need to return to his other books in order to enjoy this new release. But, I imagine that you will want to read the earlier books that take place at Prairie Winds Golf Course once you have finished Opur’s Blade. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves golf, a great underdog story, or a thoughtful examination of the fight that exists in every human spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Title: He Blew Her a Kiss: Communications From Loved Ones Who Have Passed
Authors: Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar
ISBN: 1432760920
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Link to purchaseReviewer: Vonnie Faroqui

This wonderful collection of real life accounts will touch your heart and be the opening for many a healing moment between friends and family.

He Blew Her a Kiss is a collection of inspirational stories relating experiences of communication from loved ones who have passed. The entire volume has been compiled, with sincere and gentle treatment by the authors, from email submissions by and personal conversations with ordinary people. Accounts of after death communication [ADC] are difficult to explain in terms of religion or dogma, but are not uncommon, regardless of cultural or ethnic background. However, acceptance of the phenomenon is not necessary for enjoyment of the book. Instead of being sad or depressing the stories are touching and within moments will draw the reader into empathic resonance. The book will be especially gratifying to those who have had similar mystical experiences. Readers who have second hand or no ADC experiences to share, but for who near death and after death experiences are of interest, will also be attracted to these life affirming stories.

The idea for the book came to Angie Printup after a dear friend related what might be called, an extraordinary coincident by some and by others, a tiny miracle of after death communication. Kelley Dollar, a long time friend of Printup, was asked to assist in transforming the rough first person stories into a third person narrative form that proves to be both thoughtful and effective. The authors show tremendous sensitivity and embrace the mystery of ADC experiences with loving acceptance. It is obvious from the care and treatment of the stories that helping others overcome devastating loss and grief is the primary purpose of this work and their book. They have been tremendously successful in compiling the stories tastefully, without unnecessarily adding to or sensationalizing the individual accounts.

Believing that our consciousness continues after death, or in the possibility of communication with loved ones who are in spirit, is unimportant next to the immeasurable comfort and relief sharing these experiences bring. It is hard to refute the validity of a mystical experience one has not shared and the authors waste no time in trying to win supporters. They simply and deftly offer the stories up as messages of hope and comfort. Those with similar accounts to share will immediately relate and waste no time in debating the validity of ADC. Others will look to these stories for inspiration and as an affirmation of faith guiding the way into an afterlife full of hope and continued purpose.

He Blew Her a Kiss is a beautiful volume of collected stories that you will want to share with others. Not all of the stories are dramatic examples of after-death communication, relating instead simple and poignant moments that have brought healing in times of grief. Some of the accounts are quite extraordinary and impossible to explain; all are uplifting and demonstrate humanity’s capacity to love beyond any obstacle, even death. The book is slim, attractive, and would make a wonderful gift for conversational reading and is suitable for those suffering loss as an aid through times of grief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Title: Infinite Exposure
Author: Roland Hughes
ISBN: 978-0-9770866-9-6
Publisher: Logikal Solutions
Genre and Target Market: thriller; current events; fiction
Publication Date: 2010
Book Length in Pages: 469
Reviewed by: Sarah Moore

You can imagine a suitcase exploding in the middle of Times Square, slaughtering hundreds of tourists and commuters in its wake. We have seen the aftermath of a suicide bomber who makes a violent statement at a crowded marketplace in Baghdad. But, how many of us have contemplated the possibility of a terrorist plot that does not involve a single missile or IED? In his compelling novel Infinite Exposure, Roland Hughes challenges his readers to look at a world in which technology, economics, and old-fashioned greed merge to spark the Armageddon in a way that, although perhaps much different than most of us have imagined, seems all too plausible.

At the heart of the plot in Infinite Exposure is the desire by Kent Braxton, a business school graduate eager to move up the management ranks of First Global Bank, to find some cost-cutting measures for his company and therefore earn the promotion and larger salary that he craves. His solution, marketed to him by Big Four Consulting, is to consolidate all of the bank’s data centers to one location in India. Now, one-third of the world’s money supply will be traveling through a place in which the workers receive little training and are subject to minimal security checks, and where al Qaeda can easily infiltrate. The consequences of this naïve and ill-informed decision result in a run on money and resources that is catastrophic.

Hughes lends substantial credibility to his work through the ease with which he employs the language of computer systems and data networks in his writing. As someone who admittedly is not well-versed in these fields, I found my literary comfort level stretched when reading the technical details in Infinite Exposure. However, I also realized that I was reading the work of someone who approached the dire situation he lays out in his book with the expertise to know that the scenario is not necessarily restricted to the world of fiction. While I may not have understood every reference to backup media and terminal emulators, I became convinced of the warning that Hughes sends us in the pages of his novel.

Beyond detailing the technological manipulations that take place on a global scale, Infinite Exposure puts forth questions of ethics and international policy that should result in its readers looking at the stories on the 24-hour news networks from a different perspective. How is the drive to relocate our businesses to offshore sites in order to increase the profit margin opening the doors for terrorists to infiltrate our financial systems? What happens when we allow corporate greed to take precedence over sound and informed decision-making? What are the consequences of partnering with strange bedfellows, such as Nazis who want to harvest the organs of captured terrorists, when a shared enemy is being hunted?

As someone who always has been drawn to novels with a basis in history or actual world events, I was naturally curious about the premise put forth by Roland Hughes in Infinite Exposure. It did not take long for his masterful writing and chilling use of realistic scenarios and personalities to engage me fully in the storyline. While not a book that you can curl up in a chair and read in one Sunday afternoon sitting, Infinite Exposure will drive you forward through each new chapter as the simmering tension developed by Hughes slowly mounts with sophisticated craftsmanship. I strongly encourage everyone to read Infinite Exposure by Roland Hughes and then decide if our collective fear over national security threat levels has overlooked a more dangerous attack than any of us have imagined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White Gold Railroad: Plaster City Narrow Gauge
Charles M. O’Herin
Link Pen Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780977627912
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views

Providing an in-depth look at the Plaster City Railroad, “White Gold Railroad” is great for train aficionados, train model enthusiasts, and history buffs. The book provides an in-depth look at the narrow gauge railroad, complete with detailed histories and both black-and-white and color photos.

The Plaster City Railroad is an example of progress by necessity. When Samuel W. Dunaway envisioned the creation of Imperial Gypsum and Oil Company in the 1920s, a way to transport the products from the quarry to the production plant also had to be created. Unlike other railroads that have occasionally doubled as a public transportation system, the rails at Plaster City have always been dedicated to the sole purpose of moving gypsum, a soft mineral used to make plaster, Sheetrock®, agricultural soil conditioner, and some cements.

The layout of the book makes information easy to find by splitting the history into distinct categories – Historical Summary, Trains & Operations, Structures, and Flora & Fauna. Detailed indexes make easy work of locating a particular figure or photograph by providing easy-to-read lists that provide page numbers, figure/photo names, and brief summaries of each item.

I thought “White Gold Railroad” provided an interesting look into the past, providing some provocative insight into Sam Dunaway’s efforts of transforming his vision into reality. Instances such as getting the attention of potential investors by including the word ‘Oil’ in the company name of Imperial Gypsum and Oil Company, although there was never any evidence of oil being found in the area, reveal how dedicated the man was to his idea…and how lucky he was that gypsum turned out to be such a profitable product that the lack of said oil never caused any investor relationships to turn sour. The fact that the Plaster City Railroad is still hauling loads of gypsum today is another testament to the vision of a man who saw potential where others did not.

I was also impressed by the work and the challenges faced by the engineers who were dedicated to making the railroad work. The terrain and weather of the Imperial Valley in California were not forgiving adversaries and a lot of work went into designing, and re-designing, a transportation system that could withstand the harsh environment.

With “White Gold Railroad,” Mr. O’Herin set out to create a book that would “give railroad hobbyists, enthusiasts, and historians equal consideration of their interests” and I believe he did exactly that with this detailed look at the Plaster City Railroad from it’s origins to it’s present-day operations.

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The Lost Secret of the Green Man: Book 2 (The Crystal Keeper Chronicles)
Tiffany Turner
Trafford Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9781426921575
Reviewed by Evan Weldon (age 8) for Reader Views

The Lost Secret of the Green Man: Book 2” by Tiffany Turner is an AWESOME book! This book is about two girls who go into the fairy world to help save the bees that the fairies are finding dead everywhere. The first chapter is a little bit slow but the rest of the book is page-turning entertainment.

The book starts out on Wanda’s first day of middle school. Wanda is no ordinary kid. She is a Crystal Keeper and has a cat named Brewford who is a sorcerer. As a Crystal Keeper she does missions for the fairies. Once she gets to school, class starts and she meets a girl named Eddie. They become best friends. But unbeknownst to Wanda, Eddie, like her, is a Crystal Keeper and has a mission from the fairies. After school Eddie said that she knew a place that Wanda would like, so they ran to the park. At the park there was a little hill with a tree which was Eddie’s special tree for entering the fairy world. Then Eddie revealed to Wanda that she was a Crystal Keeper and that the fairy queen had a job for the two of them. All the bees were dying and that since the bees helped the fairies before, now it was time for the fairies to help the bees. So the girls headed to a crystal store to do research and found a book about the Green Man. The Green Man balanced the forest life but now that most people thought he was a myth, he went into hiding. Eddie and Wanda go in search of the Green Man in hopes that he will know why the bees are dying and can help them. Will they find the Green Man? Does he know what is happening to the bees? Can they save the bees? Is some evil brewing?

The mission was more dangerous and complicated than they had anticipated. Luckily, they had the help of Chyra, a unicorn, and Brewford’s crystal-ball reading teacher who was a cat. The crystal ball revealed secrets even graver than the bees dying. Will Wanda and Eddie be able to help? Will they survive?

I would recommend this book to all my friends. “The Lost Secret of the Green Man: Book 2” book is great. There is something in it for everyone to enjoy. It leaves off on a cliff hanger, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book!

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Monday, October 18, 2010

Podcasting for Authors

By Yvonne Perry

When I started Writers in the Sky Podcast in October 2006, many people had never heard the word “podcast.” So, whenever I told someone that I was doing a podcast I got a blank stare or total silence and had to explain. A podcast is a series of recorded shows (interviews, demonstrations, workshops) that are uploaded as digital files to an online site and released episodically. Podcasts can be video- or audio-based shows offered as links or in a player on a blog, YouTube, iTunes, or other online podcast directories where people go to find music, movies, videos, or audio books. Podcasts can be downloaded and played on an MP3 player, iPod, or computer; but unlike music files, most podcasts are free to download and listen to.

I remember when authors were practically considered celebrities and getting in touch with them directly was nearly impossible. You had to go through the publisher. Nowadays, authors are plenteous and accessible. The drawback is that authors are also expected to do their own promotion regardless of how their book is published, but some do not know how to promote a book. After all, they are writers, not marketers.

I started WITS podcast as a way for authors to promote their books that our team members had edited. During our 30-minute show, we ask the authors to talk about the content or story of their book and then share his or her publishing experience and a few marketing tips. People started emailing me to say how much they appreciated the book promotion aspect of the podcast. Within the first month of going live with our podcast, I had so many authors booked to be on the show that our podcast was filled for nearly six months in advance.

Taking our promotion effort a step further, I wanted to fill the need authors have for someone to guide them with online promotion. So, we started offering book marketing as an added-value service and expanded the team to include a book marketing and podcast coordinator. The podcast interview comes as a perk when an author purchases a media release, article, press kit, book review, social marketing campaign, or virtual book tour (see http://writersinthesky.com/author-publicity.html) or the interview may be purchased as a stand-alone for $50. Vonnie is now offering video author interviews to those who have Skype and a Web cam. Vonnie@writersinthesky.com

Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just go to our blog at http://www.writersintheskyblog.com/. On the right sidebar there is a link to RSS feed for the podcast. You will find every show we have done since 2006 in that list.

If you are interested in hosting your own podcast with an easy-to-use cost-effective service, see http://nashvillewriter.audioacrobat.com/.
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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Avoiding the Deadly Scourge of Author’s Alterations

By Joel Friedlander

Author’s alterations: Just the words carry a certain dread and weight. Galleys or proofs marked up with AA in the margins meant $$ chargeable changes. When it comes time to produce your book, you will become familiar with the idea of Author’s Alterations.

For most people, writing a book is a challenging task. The mental discipline to keep it straight, the ability to span hundreds of pages of material to ensure consistency, are special skills. Authors get well-earned respect for turning out competent, useful or entertaining books.

What might take an author years to produce, we read in a few days. We naturally compress the story into a short time, especially if it grabs our interest. We want to keep reading, or get to the next lesson.

So the time it takes for a reader to get from the first chapter to the last is very short compared to how long it took to write them. Or to edit and rewrite them. This magnifies any inconsistencies in the book. They are just a lot more obvious.

The Book Designer

As a book designer I’m at the end of the writing, editing and rewriting process. The book may have gone through many revisions. It might have been worked on by several friends or editors.

But all of a sudden, the manuscript you’ve worked on all these months or years is going to be turned into a book. A real, live book, with typesetting and chapter openers, with a proper copyright page.

And it’s my job, in the typesetting of your book, to warn authors about Author’s Alterations.

What Exactly Is An Author’s Alteration and What Isn’t?

To get this exactly, look at how a book project unfolds:

1. After being contracted, I get a sample of the manuscript from the author that shows most or all of the formatting that will be needed in the book.

2. I use this sample to develop several page designs that are appropriate and meet the author/publisher’s criteria.

3. We collaborate as necessary to get to a final design, and the client signs off on it.

4. I request from the author the final manuscript, the one she is ready to go to press with. I remind her that this is what we’ll use to typeset her book, and that she might want to check it over one more time.

5. When the author gives me the final manuscript we marry it with the page design and produce a complete page proof.

The book is now fully paginated. If there were no corrections we can use the proof for proofreading and indexing, and we would be ready to go to press.

But no.

It just never happens. Particularly with self-publishers, most of whom are creating their first book, something else can happen. You see your manuscript now in book pages. The subheads are set in different type. The lines are hyphenated and justified. It looks different.

Because you’re seeing your work in a whole new way, inevitably you see things you never saw before. You see changes you could make, or a better way to say something. You notice the date you meant to check, but forgot about 2 months ago.

You are now in the AA Zone. You are about to change the final manuscript the typesetter has already laid out into book pages. And when you start to make changes,

One change can change the ending of a line…

which can change the length of the paragraph…

which can change the ending of the page…

which can change the number of pages in the book and the pagination of the rest of the section where the change occurred…

which can change the indexing, the table of contents, the lists of figures or tables.

You now have to pay the typesetter to go back and make the changes in the book, because it’s a file on the book designer’s computer in a page layout program. And if there are anchored graphics in your book, tables, charts, graphics or text boxes, they may all have to be adjusted, too.

Author’s Alterations are not to be confused with Printer’s Errors (PEs) which are corrections to mistakes by the typesetter or layout artist. There is no charge for correcting PEs.

Nobody Likes AAs

Flowing a text file, even a long one, into a page layout is a pretty smooth and efficient process. Going back over a 300 page book finding mispellings on the 7th line of the 2nd paragraph from the bottom on page 117 is an excrutiating and time-consuming process. One or two corrections can easily take as much time as it took to lay out the whole chapter.

Every book is going to need changes—it’s like a law of nature—so I try to account for them into my agreements. “Two hours of author’s alterations are included in this estimate…” is common. Four hours on larger projects. Why?

I’m like you. If I budget for a certain job, I want to know it’s going to cost that much at the end. But time and again it happens, and the AAs start to pile up. All of a sudden you’re two weeks behind schedule and going back into layout. Everyone has to adjust.

Last year I had a client who, against my advice, continued to change, correct, alter, adjust, tweak and experiment with his page proofs. By the time we reached proof #12, the cost of his project had exactly doubled.

Even though there was twice the income from the project, I wasn’t happy about it. No one wants to do the same thing over and over again, it’s a waste of time and energy.

Some authors say it’s just the price they pay for being “spontaneous” or that they are “visual” and have to see the book on the page before they finish editing.

But I say: Avoid the scourge of Author’s Alterations: make sure what you think is “final” really is final. Your book will sail through production and you’ll be a happy publisher.
Article by Joel Friedlander

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.


Friday, October 15, 2010

Academic Tutoring from a Teacher with a Passion for Written Word

By Sarah Moore

I have had a passion for writing all of my life. I was fortunate to have wonderful teachers in school who fostered my skills and my love of words both through creative writing opportunities and research papers. I believe there is a true art to placing words and phrases together in such a way that the person holding the pen (or typing on the keyboard) makes an image or an emotion or an argument come alive.

When I became a high school teacher, I knew that I would emphasize writing in all of my courses. No matter the discipline, I believe that students should be able to express what they know through writing. This priority continued when I moved to teaching at the college level and worked with students in a senior-level research and writing course. In addition to these classroom settings, I spent nearly a decade as a college advisor and administrator at several large universities and two community colleges and, through these positions, guided students through application essays and other important graduate school preparation.

I now have a career that allows me to combine my lifelong relationship with writing with my most important role, which is being a mom. Being a freelance writer and editor offers me the flexibility to be there for my children while continuing to make connections with students.

I now offer academic tutoring and editing services for high school, college, and graduate students who are looking for assistance with any writing assignment. I work with students on term papers, expository essays for English classes, proper research techniques, college and graduate school applications, and much more. I let the students know when their approach is effective and where improvement can be made.

In addition to the important fundamentals of spelling, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation, I partner with the student to discuss phrasing, word choice, point of view, style, and other intangibles that really create a strong piece of writing.

Students should not contact me looking for someone to do their writing for them . . . that will not happen. But, they can expect a professional with the academic background and the dedication to make them better writers moving forward in their careers both in the classroom and beyond. I hope you will consider my services the next time you are facing an assignment that could use another set of eyes to take your writing to a higher level.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Title Development

I have a special favor to ask our readers this week. I am writing a book about being an empath and how I have been adversely affected by carrying the energy of others. In the book, I will share what I have learned about protecting myself from this type of energetic exchange that many people—especially those in service-related careers such as the medical field, hospice care, or other emotionally-demanding positions—make unaware.

The title I have proposed for this book is What is Breaking My Heart? A Guidebook for Empaths Who Take On the Burdens of Others. I would like to know what you think of the title. What message does it convey to you? Does the title give you a clear idea of what the book is about? Any feedback is much appreciated. Please leave a comment below this post.

Thank you!

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Monday, October 11, 2010

Craft of Writing Tues, Oct 19, 7 pm, Yvonne Perry, Guest Speaker

On Tues, Oct. 19, at 7 pm Yvonne Perry will be the guest speaker for the Nashville Writers Meetup Group. The topic will be on the craft of writing.

Be prepared for an exciting and informative experience.

Details: http://www.meetup.com/nashvillewriters/calendar/14937903/

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, author and keynote speaker who enjoys assisting people on a spiritual path by writing about topics that inspire excellence and uplift the spirit. She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. She has written and published more than 170 articles on a wide variety of topics.

As a ghostwriter, Yvonne helps people get their message into a well-written book or article. She is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of full-time writers located in Nashville, Tennessee.

You will want to take notes at this meeting.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Authors of Children’s Books Will Love New iPhone App

By Scott Lorenz-Westwind Communications

As a book publicist I am always on the lookout for new tools and technology to reach consumers and convince them to purchase my client’s books. During the past decade, the most important tool has been the Internet, especially email, online search (like Google and Yahoo), and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. During the past couple of years, it has become very clear that book promoters need to take advantage of the huge popularity of hand-held devices with Internet connectivity…especially smart phones…especially iPhone Apps.

As part of my book marketing strategy, I have made several contacts and established continuing business relationships with iPhone App developers. The experience and knowledge I have gained convinces me that the successful book promoter will tap into any and every iPhone App that’s related in any way to their book.

An excellent case study is the Kids Book App (http://www.kidsbookapp.com/), an iPhone App created by 1776 Productions that connects book buyers directly with the San Francisco Book Review (SFBR) and Sacramento Book Review (SBR) which produce some 500 new book reviews every month from 40 genres – most of them books for young adults, pre-teens, and children. The Kids Book App not only provides hundreds of book reviews, but also author-related events, such as tour stops and book signings, in addition to author podcast interviews.

1776 Productions was launched in 2008 by Heidi Komlofske and Ross Rojek to help readers find new books and authors and to be a means to support and encourage writers, publishers, and readers. One of the latest ventures of 1776 Productions is the Kids Book Review App, which can be downloaded at the iTunes App Store.

Any author of a book written for children, middle schoolers, teens, or young adults will certainly want to do what it takes to get a review of their book done by SBR or SFBR, which can be accessed anytime, anywhere by book buyers using the Kids Book App to make a purchase decision. In offering your book up for review, remember that SBR/SFBR is only interested in new releases that are within 90 days of their release date.

“There are a few options for book publicists or authors to submit a book for review with us,” says Ross Rojek. “We have about 150 books a week coming in for review, with about 130 book reviewers. Options for submitting a book for review are available at http://www.sanfranciscobookreview.com/submission-guidelines/

The address for mailing books is: 1215 K Street, 17th Floor, Sacramento, CA 94518. http://www.sanfranciscobookreview.com/

One author who found this service especially helpful was Karen McFarren, author of “Flaherty’s Crossing”, who comments: “As an author, reviews are incredibly important and a wonderful tool for marketing your book. My experience with Sacramento Book Review/San Francisco Book Review was nothing short of amazing. I received an honest, timely appraisal of my story and would love to have future novels reviewed by this professional group. Their name, alone, adds credibility and should be on the top of any author’s review list!”

If the Kids Book App does not meet your criteria, simply go to the iPhone Store and search the apps on sale there for one that is appropriate and relevant to your book marketing needs. Then go to the developer’s website and learn more about the App and how to get your book listed.

Technology opens many new doors for us each month. Let’s be sure we enter every one!

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it's their first book or their 15th book. He's handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com/ or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090.

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Saturday, October 9, 2010

How Cookbook Authors Can Do a Great Cooking Segment on TV
















By Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications

Authors of cook books have an advantage over traditional authors because they can employ a TV appearance to increase book sales. One of the best ways for cookbook authors to get this extra exposure is to demonstrate their capabilities by showcasing recipes and talent on an in-studio cooking segment on television.

A lot of things can go wrong on a live in-studio cooking demo. Here are some tips to insure that your cooking segment is great.

Most importantly find out how much time you have to work with. There’s a big difference between a 2 ½ minute segment and 3 ½ minutes. My advice is to plan on a 2 ½ minute segment. Ask yourself what can you do in that time period and plan accordingly. Anticipate and have strategies to deal with interruptions. Practice by setting up a camera in your kitchen so you can film and time your process.

Don’t do a lot of talking during the segment. You are there to demonstrate how to prepare a certain dish and that’s what your audience and host expects of you. So keep the words down.

Remember that there are three groups that you need to satisfy – the producer, the audience, and yourself. The producers are looking for interesting/compelling television; your job is to make them look great. The audience wants to learn something. What’s their takeaway? What will you do to make their lives better? Among your goals is to point people to your website. A great way is to offer a free item like a recipe or appetizer in your restaurant. Once they sign up for the free item, use their email address for future marketing.

It’s very important to find out in advance about the capabilities of the studio kitchen. Some studio kitchens look good on TV but the stove may not even be hooked up! Come with a prepared cooked version of your dish that can be displayed ahead of time and have another ready for the demonstration.

It’s always a good idea to bring some extra samples for the crew. I’ve never see them turn down food! Outdoor segments, such as barbequing, really go well in the summer because that’s what audience members do in the summer. For the fall, a Tailgate segment is great.

Here are some practical tips for that great cooking segment:

• The camera loves food that sizzles, bubbles, and flames. Keep that in mind when selecting the dish you will prepare. Can your dish be prepared and plated in the allotted time? Pre-cook the dish halfway if necessary to meet the time limit.

• If there are promotional screen graphics provide the producer with the information several days before the shoot.

• Make a packing list of all the gear you need to cook off premise. Double-check your list and pack efficiently. Arrive at the studio 45 minutes before air time. Bring a cart to transport your gear and ingredients from the car to the studio quickly and efficiently.

• Digital TV cameras can be unforgiving so bring some make-up to apply in the studio.

• The camera loves color so bring some colorful ingredients as well as a seasonal table decoration.

• Upon first arriving at the cooking set, check all burners to make sure they work.

• Be set up 15 minutes before air time. Walk in front of the cooking table and scan what the camera will record. Is the tablecloth on straight? Are all ingredient labels faced outward? Are the ingredients balanced in uniform fashion?

• Provide the host with a list of suggested questions. This will help the host stay focused and on track and will help prevent any ringers from being thrown your way.

• Always refer to the host by name. Make direct eye contact and smile.

• Go with the flow. Some hosts will ask distracting, non-relevant questions so have a plan to deal with that possibility.

For many of my clients, I suggest they use a professional media trainer to better prepare them for the television or radio appearance. One trainer I frequently recommend is Jess Todtfeld, former FOX News producer and President of Success in Media (http://www.successinmedia.com/) Among the suggestions Todtfeld gives to help deliver a great cooking segment are:

• Don’t expect the studio to have a stylist for you. You must take the necessary steps beforehand so you look as beautiful as you are and so your segment is great from beginning to end.

• Bring all the ingredients, tools for preparing, and a finished version of your dish. Don’t expect to really cook it during the segment.

• Bring extra finished food for the crew. The quickest way to their hearts is through their stomachs. It will be worth every penny in materials when they decide to book you again.

• Have your entire segment planned out from A to Z to make the producer’s life easy. That, in turn, will make him love you and book you again.

• It’s not all about the food. Be fun. Show your personality.

• Give a copy of the recipe and let them know they can place it on the station’s website.

• Days before the segment ask if they can prepare a “for more information” graphic for the lower third of the screen that will display your website address so people can find you after the show. It’s a pretty standard practice but if you don’t ask they might forget.

• Have something free on your website to plug, such as five of your most requested low-cal recipes or a chapter of your book. Be able to monetize the value of your free gift.

Make sure all the vegetables and cuts of meat are fresh and will appear appetizing. Place them in clear glass dishes along with pre-measured spices. There’s only so much you can prep ahead of time; some things need to be done in the studio.

With HD cameras viewers can see everything from water spots on your glass ware to fingernails in need of a manicure and a five o’clock shadow. What may be acceptable in your kitchen may not play well on TV so be keenly aware of your appearance.

A great cooking segment will produce hundreds if not thousands of new diners, book sales and recipe downloads. It’s all possible with planning, preparation and effort. Your success will be assured if you engage the services of a professional media trainer and marketing professional and practice your demo again and again.

Just for fun, if you’d like to see how a lack of preparation can lead to disaster then you’ll want to see these videos I’ve uncovered. The first disaster occurs because the chef did not anticipate that the two co-hosts, Kathie Lee and Hoda, would do a lot of distractive talking while he was trying to prepare food and he had no strategy to deal with the distraction. Take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9k_yABNHU.

In the second video things go totally awry because Paula Dean does not take charge and gives a free hand to Al Roker and creates a massive time crunch for herself. Get ready to laugh at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTGOHckMosg.

The bottom line: Great food and a great cooking segment on TV is no accident; it’s all in the preparation. Good luck!

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with individuals and entrepreneurs to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz has handled public relations and marketing for numerous authors, doctors, lawyers, inventors and entrepreneurs. As a book marketing expert Lorenz is called upon by top execs and bestselling authors to promote their books. Lorenz grew up in a family hotel and restaurant business and has a degree in Hotel Administration from UNLV. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at www.westwindcos.com/book or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist

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Friday, October 8, 2010

9 Book Design Tips that Authors Need to Know

By Joel Friedlander

Some books involve book designers right from their conception. These are books in which the way the content is presented is intrinsic to the purpose of the book. Think of manuals, travel books, workbooks that accompany another text or a seminar. These are all examples of books where design will play an important role right from the beginning.

General nonfiction books are less likely to involve designers at the beginning. But that doesn’t mean authors shouldn’t start paying attention to how their books are put together. I think it’s fair to say that authors who are truly concerned about communicating their message effectively to their readers will pay attention to the design of their books.

Consistency is Important

Many design issues can wait until the manuscript is complete. The principle thing for authors to think about while writing their book is consistency. Books, by their nature, need to be consistent. Cues are sent to readers, often below their level of awareness, about how the book is organized and what to expect as they proceed through the book.

Here are some points to think about as your manuscript comes together. With all these suggestions, keep the reader uppermost in your mind. You’re writing to be read. Every other consideration ought to be secondary to getting the reader your information in the best possible way for them to consume it.

9 Book Design Tips that Authors Need to Know

1. Book division. Decide whether you’ll divide your book into chapters. Decide if you’ll use parts to organize the chapters into coherent sections, and if there’s a good reason to do this. For instance, if your book covers a wide range of time, it might make sense to impose a structure by dividing the main sections of the book into different parts, then, below those, to divide content into individual chapters.

2. Non-text elements. Be consistent in how you number chapters, parts, tables, figures, charts, and so on. A good method for numbering graphics is to use both the chapter number and sequential item number. For instance, in chapter 1, the graphics (or tables or figures) might be numbered Figure 1-1, Figure 1-2, and so on. In chapter 2, start the numbering over again, like this: Figure 2-1, Figure 2-2 and so on. This will make it immediately obvious to everyone working on the book which graphics go where. It also keeps your references simpler and easier to track.

3. Epigraphs. (Not epitaphs which appear on tombstones!) These are the quotations authors like to put on the chapter opening page. If you put these on one or two chapters, readers will expect to find them on every chapter. And if the first six epigraphs are one liners, do you really need that half-page quote you stuck into chapter 10? No, you don’t.

4. Bold type. Don’t use bold within the text of your book. It won’t look good, it’s non-standard and it devalues the text around it. If you need to emphasize something, use italics or re-write so it has a natural emphasis from the structure of your prose. Bold is fine in heads and subheads.

5. Formatting. Don’t kill yourself formatting. Most of the formatting authors do in their manuscripts ends up on the layout designer’s floor, discarded as useless to the book construction process.

6. Styles. Learn to use styles instead of local formatting. Are you using Microsoft Word? Have you ever looked at the style menu or style palette? Putting in 20 minutes to learn to use styles (and it won’t take longer, I promise) will save you many hours of tedium in your writing life. And you want to spend your time writing, not formatting, don’t you?

7. Tabs. Eliminate the use of tabs within the text of your document. Tabs are unnecessary unless you’re creating tables or other non-text graphics. Your designer will only have to strip them out, and any tabs inadvertently left in the file could be problematic later in the design process.

8. Spacing. Don’t double space between sentences.

9. Backups. Make a backup. Make another one, and email it to yourself. This is the fastest and safest off-site backup you can get. And it won’t cost you anything. The file, as an attachment to your email will sit on your email server until you decide to delete it (check your email client settings to see if messages are automatically deleted after some specific amount of time has elapsed.)

A lot of these suggestions are aimed at manuscripts you are preparing to send to a book designer or layout artist. While you’re working on your book you probably will do lots of formatting because it simply makes the document easier to understand and more visually enjoyable to work on.
Work on a copy of your file instead. Designate it as a backup because you will delete it when you change the master file, then create another copy to work on. You don’t want to end up with more than one version of your file, if both have unsynchronized changes.

Paying a little attention to how your book is going to look, how it will be constructed, will pay off when you go into production. Your book will get to press more quickly, it will be more consistent, and it will be better at communicating your content.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Precision Is Key for Writing Business Plans and Grant Proposals

by Martin Smith, business writer with Writers in the Sky

Banks, venture capital firms, and individual investors use business plans to make decisions for lending or investing in companies. Nonprofit organizations use grant proposals to secure funds from foundations, government agencies, and corporations. I’ve written many business plans over the years, but when I wrote my first grant proposal, I was struck by the similarity between the two documents. The purpose of both is to get money.

Writing business plans or grant proposals is precision work. Either you get the right words in the right places on the right forms or you do not get the money you require to grow your business or fund your nonprofit organization.

It takes an artist with words, somebody who knows how to write persuasively to convince banks, venture capital firms, foundations, corporations, or government agencies to part with their dollars. Chances are you’ll need the help of a writing professional because you’re in competition with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other businesses or nonprofit organizations for limited funds, and the smallest mistake can take you out of the running. Make no mistake about it. Perfection is the norm while writing a business plan or grant proposal. As is attention to the most minute details.

The point is, you’re juggling a lot of balls. Do you have time to handle this minute yourself without making fatal mistakes? If not, please consider working with me. I will examine your needs, discuss funding requirements with you, find where the available money is, write your business plan or grant proposal, and guide you and your associates through the process. scribesmith2008@gmail.com

Martin Smith is a retired small-company president who writes on business, management, and senior and health issues. The author of sixteen nonfiction books and six published novels, two of which were optioned for film, Martin has written articles for periodicals such as Quality Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Maximum Fitness, and INC. While working as a ghostwriter for Wordworks, a book packaging firm, he wrote three business/management books. He also worked as a career advisor for senior-level managers, preparing resumes, portfolios, and press kits for executives seeking to change jobs.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Network with Us October 2010


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On October 4, Stephanie Barko will be posting a text interview with Sarah Johnson, Review Editor for Historical Novel Society on my blog at http://www.stephaniebarko.com/blog. A giveaway is available for commenters that day if you'd like to promote this to your following.  The post will be especially useful for historical fiction authors and writers who are trying to figure out what it takes to get reviewed.
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Voice of the Angels.com has a NEW Exclusive Membership Site called "Tri-Age."

We are presently seeking the best authors and contributors for our exclusive membership site. Do you have products, videos, audios, MP3s, classes and courses that you only share on your website? By sharing your special products with our members you will drive traffic to your own site and gain visibility. We will link your products/contributions directly back to you. And of course there is no charge to you for this! In fact, you will earn a 15% commission for each new member referred by you who signs up for our membership site.

Visit our "Tri-Age" Membership Site!

As a contributor, all we ask is that your membership product be exclusively for sale on only on your site and ours. We also ask that you become an affiliate through our free affiliate program at www.voiceoftheangels.com/jamaffiliates/ which entails simply adding our membership site banner to your website. Again, you'll earn a 15% commission for each new member who signs up through your referral.

It's a win, win opportunity!

All you have to do is contact Anne at anne@voiceoftheangels.com who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Start earning commissions today!

Director of Membership,
Anne Toinnette
www.voiceoftheangels.com/membership
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Sheryl Owen would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! “Top 40 Books About Feng Shui” (http://www.changeofaddress.org/blog/2010/top-40-books-about-feng-shui/) would be an interesting story for your readers to check out!
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Doodle, dream, sketch and color your way to confidence, girls!

It's here! The Chloe Pink™ Doodle & Dream Coloring Book .Great new item appeals to parents, grandparents, educators and everyone who wants to see a girl succeed...and have creative fun too!

Available at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Chloe-Pink-Doodle-Dream-Coloring/dp/1453692215

About The Chloe Pink™ Doodle & Dream Coloring Book:
Chloe Pink™was created by Sharna Fulton, an after-school art teacher and former advertising copywriter.

Part sketchbook, coloring book and journal, Doodle & Dream inspires a girl's creative side. Through Chloe Pink, she hopes to encourage girls aged 3-103 to believe in themselves, be curious about everything and get support so they can follow their dreams. The book includes:

• 10 Fill-In-The-Blank self-confidence exercises

• 12 Doodle & Draw pages

• 1 Connect The Dots with Chloe Pink illustration

• A Word Search Puzzle for the curious girl

• 5 Places to create your own fabulous art

• Inspiration and support from Chloe Pink along the way

$4.75 each

Please contact us to order!
(678)523-4950 deskofchloepink@gmail.com
Check out "Doodle & Dream" on "Skirt loves" http://skirt.com/loves/doodle-dream-coloring-book-girl
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Diane Scott Lewis' historical novel, The False Light, winner of the CTRR award from Coffee Time Romance, is available at http://www.eternalpress.biz/ (ebook) and amazon.com (paperback)

Forced from France by her devious guardian on the eve of the French Revolution, Countess Bettina Jonquiere must deliver an important package to further the royalist cause. In England, she discovers the package is full of blank papers, the address false and she’s penniless. Stranded in a Cornish village, Bettina toils in a bawdy tavern and falls in love with a man who may have murdered his unfaithful wife. Tracked by ruthless revolutionaries, she must uncover the truth about her father’s murder and her lover’s guilt while her life is threatened.
http://www.dianescottlewis.com/
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Sarah Moore is available to assist high school and college students who need tutoring to improve their writing. She can edit or proofread term papers, book reports, research papers, and other assignments and offer tips to help earn better grades. Sarah is a former high school teacher and academic advisor at two colleges. You may contact her at sarah@writersinthesky.com
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Conventional publishers offer expert editing for the manuscripts they publish. However, most publish-on-demand companies that have cropped up in huge numbers do not seem to even read the books they publish—much less edit them. Wise authors always have their books edited and proofread before publishing and that’s where my services come in handy. As a free-lance editor, I work with authors to get their books ready for the publisher or printer. If an author has us edit his or her book, we automatically throw in a podcast interview. Contact, Karen Reddick, to learn how I can help you get your book ready to publish.
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Children’s e-book supports literacy! Pippi’s and Piper’s Outdoor Adventure by Joyce Shafer, LEC and Author. Twins Pippi and Piper don't want to learn another thing over summer vacation. This changes when they meet three unlikely, but likeable new friends. This story is a little instructional, a little practical, a little fantastical, a little interactive, and sure to bring a smile to children ages 4-7. And, you can make a difference: a 40% donation for each purchase goes to the I AM Foundation, a global non-profit organization that supports literacy for children and adults (see their blog post at http://wp.me/pohvK-hH). This 37-page PDF has lots of pictures to enhance associating words with images to build reading skills and a few images for children to color.
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Congratulations to Dianna Calareso—the newest member of our team. She and Kevin were married on October 2. Dianna is a ghostwriter and editor able to work with you to take your book from idea to masterpiece. Contact Dianna at dcalareso@hotmail.com.
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Saturday, October 2, 2010

Interview with Editor of Historical Novel Society

Next Monday, October 4, I’ll be posting a text interview with Sarah Johnson, review editor for Historical Novel Society on my blog at http://www.stephaniebarko.com/blog. A giveaway is available for commenters that day so come on by and leave a comment.

This interview will be especially useful for historical fiction authors and writers who are trying to figure out what it takes to get reviewed.

Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist
Austin
"Authors indigenous to the American West"
www.stephaniebarko.com
www.stephaniebarko.com/blog
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Friday, October 1, 2010

Writing, Editing, Proofreading, and Book Marketing Services

Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services is a team of professionals based in Nashville, Tennessee available to ghostwrite, edit, or proofread a wide variety of writing and editing projects such as books, articles, brochures, biographical sketches, resumes, media releases, Web text, newsletters, grants, and other business documents.

The team's writing instructors can help any writer take his or her writing skills to the next level. We provide excellent exposure for authors' books through virtual book tours, social marketing campaigns, blogging, radio/podcast interviews, book reviews, media releases, article marketing, media kits, one-pagers, and sell sheets this company offers. Get help with query letters and book proposals for traditional publishers as well as interior layout for self-published books.

Premier customer service, prompt turnaround, affordable prices we offering a quick and easy method for outsourcing all of your writing and editing needs regardless of the size of your project! You will find us online at http://writersinthesky.com



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