Writing inspired by the places, people, culture and history of the Midwest.

Trusting my “baby” to beta readers

June 6, 2013 By 8 Comments
The Prose Crows book club knows how to make an author feel welcome!

The Prose Crows book club knows how to make an author feel welcome!

Sound the trumpets! Strike up the band! Last month I reached a milestone in writing my novel. I had a draft that was as good as I could make it. The story was complete. The characters were developed. There was lots of conflict. The historical setting and facts were in place. It felt good.

But not so fast. What do I know? Just because I like the story doesn’t mean anyone else will. The real test is in what readers think.

So I took the next step and put my manuscript in the hands of two groups of beta readers – people I’d gauged to be thoughtful readers, representative of my target audience. One group includes members of my own book club. I looked to balance the fact that these women know me really well with other readers who were not so familiar. The second group was the Prose Crows, a lively book club that had invited me to join them last February when they discussed my memoir Growing Up Country.

Along with the manuscript, I gave these volunteer readers a list of questions for reaction. Questions that ranged from overall reaction to the story, to story structure, and character development. Because I’m writing historical fiction, I also probed whether there was too much historical detail or too little and if they spotted anachronisms. I encouraged candor, assuring them I could take it. Whatever “it” was.

Letting go of the manuscripts made me anxious. My stomach roiled. My blood pressure rose. The feelings were akin to watching my five-year-old walk off to school alone for the first time. For the past month, my heart has been pushing out of my chest and into my throat. Anticipation – eager or anxious – can be uncomfortable!

Over these five weeks, I’ve lived with my vow not to revisit, revise, or rewrite even one word of the manuscript. Instead, I’ve focused on marketing, gardening, the incessant rain, pretty much anything to keep from thinking about reader reactions. By next Monday night, I’ll have received all the feedback. Then my baby will be back in my hands again. Then I’ll know what has to happen next. I am excited!

I know many authors use beta readers for that first level of market reaction. How have you chosen them? What guidelines have you given? What has been your experience?

Filed Under: Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , ,

Even fantasy has to be historically accurate – Guest Post – Annamaria Bazzi

March 31, 2013 By 5 Comments

WhiteSwansARegencyEra for blogsI want to thank Carol for hosting the tenth stop on my blog tour for the young adult fantasy short story series White Swans: A Regency Era. It’s great to be here, Carol. It’s been quite a different experience scheduling my own blog tour, and not always as fun as doing the research and writing for my book!

The research I did for the first short story of the White Swans series was both interesting and fun. Historical facts are important no matter what genre an author writes, but especially writing for young adults, since teens are impressionable and tend to believe everything they read. Even the accuracy of the details of clothing, which might seem trivial, is essential.

The Regency Era has intrigued me since I was a child, but even more so after reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For many of my facts, I turned to the Jane Austen websites, which are full of wonderful historic details.

One of the more challenging items I researched was how to address people. I had been under the impression that I could refer to a duke as ‘My Lord.’ Boy was I wrong! To do so is quite degrading. A duke is addressed as ‘Your Grace’, and he’s introduced as, for example, ‘Charles Emory, the Duke of Deverow.’ Yes, he is one of the leading characters in my book.

What about the funny little hat maids wore that looked like a shower cap? Well, that’s called a mob hat, and no, it has nothing to do with mobsters and gangsters. It was an essential part of a maid’s uniform.

Speaking of servants, I had to understand what a footman does versus a butler. A footman did a variety of indoor and outdoor jobs. Important to me were the indoor jobs. Learning that a footman laid out the table, served the meal and tea, and assisted the butler helped me determine what Wordsworth’s duties had to be in the book.

During this research, I learned that the butler was responsible for household security and most important, the wine cellar. The butler didn’t wear a uniform, but he wore a black cravat instead of a white one so he would not be mistaken for a gentleman.

I also needed to know the difference between a chambermaid, parlor maid, a personal maid, and a lady in waiting. The housekeeper supervised all the maids including the cook, ordered food and supplies, and took care of the household accounts. She pretty much ran the house. I chose not to give my character Lady Kendíka a lady in waiting. Instead, I gave her a companion, whose duties I describe in the second book.

Another very important servant was the personal maid or “abigail.” A personal maid took care of all the lady’s needs. In White Swans, Cordova is Lady Kendíka’s abigail, Cordova dresses and undresses Lady Kendíka, helps with her hair and also mends and takes care of all her dresses.

Finding out about men’s wear was interesting. I always wondered about the cravat, also called a neckcloth. Worn with high-collared shirts, a cravat is a long, narrow strip of linen or silk wrapped around the neck several times and tied in the front.

Behavior and manners are also important. My character Charles has exemplary manners. While his etiquette is excellent, Kendíka, who is new to the world and comes from the 21st century, has much to learn.

It is my firm belief an author should use the facts of history correctly to leave the proper impressions with the reader, especially when dealing with impressionable teens.

White Swans: A Regency Era

Left an orphan, Kendíka cries herself to sleep and startles awake in a Regency castle. Terror consumes her, and she attempts to escape only to discover the new world is her prison. Having no choice, she attends a ball given by her guardian, Lord Deverow, to introduce her into society. He admonishes her to follow the rules and promises to protect her from the wrath of the strange, hazy set of eyes spying on everything. But when she ignores his warning, Kendíka learns firsthand what it means to be disobedient.

Annamaria Bazzi

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent.

She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.

Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

You can visit Annamaria at:
Blog
Facebook

email: annamariascorner@yahoo.com
Twitter

Links to Annamaria’s books
White Swans: A Regency Era — Amazon
A Simple Matter of Justice — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords
Revelation of Abaddon — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords 

Filed Under: History, Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Visualize, write, promote that book

March 15, 2013 By 2 Comments

Prairie Lights Bookstore I’m pleased to be a guest on two blogs this week sharing my experiences with writing and promoting my memoir.

Writing in Detail – People who’ve read my memoir often comment on how much they enjoy all the details I included to bring our family farm in the 1950s to life. Rachelle Ayala invited me to talk about how I teased out all those details. Click on over to Rachelle’s Window to see how “Visualizing the Right Details” made a difference in my writing. 

Win a Bundle of Books – While you’re there, take a moment to sign up for a chance to win five books Rachelle is giving away to celebrate the launch of her new book “Hidden Under Her Heart.“  Or you can sign up for the Gratitude Giveaway right here. See the details below.

Tips on Marketing – Once you write the book, a whole new kind of work begins as you market the book.  I share my experience “Book Promotion – Launching a Book” on Spread the Word. 

I’m honored to have these opportunities to be a guest on Rachelle and Leilas’ blogs. I hope you enjoy the posts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , ,

The Embers at Galdrilene – New & Improved!

November 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

I reviewed A.D. Trosper’s fantasy novel EMBERS AT GALDRILENE a few weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the story but stumbled over the editing, a step some indie authors shortcut for a variety of reasons. When I learned that Trosper was re-launching a professionally edited version of the book, I shouted Hallelujah!

I’m delighted to let her tell you about the re-launch herself and have her answer a few questions I had after reading this engaging dragon/magic fantasy. A.D.?

I knew in the beginning that Embers probably needed work, but like a lot of cash-strapped first-time indie authors, I couldn’t find anyplace I could afford. I feel incredibly lucky I was able to find a wonderful lady who formatted. But everything else was so far out of range. I did put hours and hours into doing my best to edit Embers and make it look nice. But when I had the chance to get professional editing and design, I jumped at it. I wanted Embers to be the best it could be and wanted to deliver a quality product to my readers.

I chose to go with my own imprint because in expanded distribution, if places like Barnes and Noble see a Createspace ISBN number, they won’t touch the book, since Createspace is a part of Amazon.

You also asked how I come up with the people and place names. Friends helped come up with some, but most of the characters showed up in my head with their names already known to them.

You also picked up on social issues in the novel that parallel today.  I didn’t start with any kind of position, it just kind of happened. I really didn’t mean to make any kind of parallel to today. It’s just how the story developed in relation to what had to happen to give the characters their motivations.

Thanks, A.D. Congratulations on your re-launch. Your efforts are a credit to the indie publishing world.  Now here’s more about EMBERS AT GALDRILENE.

Get The Re-release Of “Embers At Galdrilene” By A.D. Trosper For Only 1.99 Cents From 11/17/12 Through 11/24/12 – Don’t Miss The Dragon’s Call!

Embers at Galdrilene has undergone a huge transformation! It now sports a beautifully  redesigned front cover, spine and back cover. It also has an awesome custom designed interior and has been professionally edited. All thanks to the incredible team at Blue Harvest Creative. And as an added bonus, when you read the final page of Embers at Galdrilene, you’ll get an exciting sneak peek for the prologue Tears of War, the second book in the Dragon’s Call series.

In celebration of its re-release, Embers at Galdrilene will be available for only 1.99 cents! But this price only lasts from November 17th to November 24th. Embers won’t turn into a pumpkin at the end of its re-release promotion, but it will return to its regular price of $3.95. Don’t miss out on this bestselling fantasy book. Wrap up the holidays with the gift of reading!

Click HERE to buy at Amazon

 

“A ray of light, a stain of shadow, shall endure to breathe life and death into the future” 

The war between the Guardians and the Shadow Riders ended in total devastation. The final battle killed all the dragons and left nothing but fields of ash. A small clutch of dragon eggs was all that remained to provide hope for the future.

Five hundred years later, the ability to use magic is a death sentence and dragons are remembered as a curse. But the unhatched dragons sing for their riders…and soon six lives will be changed forever.

The elements of magic are drawn together as the dragons’ call leads them on an epic and dangerous journey of discovery. They soon learn everything they’ve been taught to believe about magic and dragons is wrong.

With the last of the dragons and the world at stake, they will risk everything to heed the call. But an evil from the past soon threatens their discovery and newfound joy. Shadow Dragons ride the dawn once more…

 WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT EMBERS AT GALDRILENE

“Evil lurks at every corner and eventually bursts, bringing forth a vivid confrontation that kept me at the edge of my seat, turning page after page.” ~ Annamaria Bazzi

“The characters are well thought out, and the plot is great. I loved Galdrilene itself, and the idea of the dragon eggs singing to those who are meant to hatch them.” ~ The Crooked Word

“I was so impressed by this excellent story! The characters and setting were vividly detailed, and the storyline was unique and enticing. I loved that the characters had strong bonds and connections to other beings, and Trosper did a magnificent job with pacing and stringing together the plot.” ~ Katie Jennings (author of the Dryad Quartet and When Empires Fall)

“There is something about dragon stories that is truly captivating and Trosper has certainly encapsulated this in her novel. This story follows the lives of young men and women as they escape a life of control and fear to find their true talents and true selves… Expect to be entertained with dragon fights, romance and witty comebacks in Trosper’s creation of an idyllic world. You are even given a rare insight into the workings of a dragon’s mind.” ~ Elizabeth Wright of Bestchicklit.com

“Anne McCaffrey’s Legacy… I was extremely wary when this book was immediately evocative of every story Anne ever told about dragons, their ‘Impression’ on their destined riders, and the immutable bond between the two. Like Asimov’s laws of robotics, Pern’s dragon lore is indelibly etched as ‘fact’ in my psyche and anything markedly different does not sit very well with me at all.

I am immensely pleased to say that A.D. Trosper did not let me down. There was enough of Pernish dragon-lore to satisfy my need for continuity, whilst at the same time enough differences to make this clutch of dragons her very own. Well done Ms. Trosper!” ~ Richard King

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Here is where I’m supposed to talk about myself in third person for whatever reason. But, even though there are a lot of people in my head, referring to myself in third person still sounds too strange.

Born in Kansas, I spent a lot of my childhood moving around. I lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, Washington State (around Seattle), and southern California. I had many great adventures growing up. I’m now settled down in Kansas with my wonderful husband, three children, my wonderful dog Katie, assorted cats, and small flock of chickens.

I’ve been an avid lover of fantasy since I was young child. Dragons, elves, fairies, dwarves, and other denizens of the fantasy world as well as magic have always fascinated me. As I grew up, I developed an interest in vampires, zombies and my interests branched out to take in paranormal and urban fantasy.

I don’t have any special writing credits to my name other than a wildly active imagination and the ability to form that imagination into written stories.

Want to know more or connect with me? Follow the links, I promise there is no wicked witch of the west at the end…most of the time

CONNECT WITH A.D. TROSPER:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

 

Filed Under: Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

The Angry Woman Suite – Author Interview

November 13, 2012 By 16 Comments

Join me in welcoming Lee Fullbright to my blog today. I recently met Lee through my growing network of  historical fiction writers. Lee is the  author of the award-winning The Angry Woman Suite, published earlier this year. I’ve invited her to share some of her writing experiences.

Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog site, Carol.

Tell us a little about your book.

The Angry Woman Suite is a historical suspense novel about a celebrity double murder in Pennsylvania, in the early 1900s, and the attendant repercussions on several generations of one very fragile family, as told by three very different narrators. It was a Kirkus Critics’ pick, a 5-starred Readers Favorite, and winner of a 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award. 

What inspired you to write historical fiction?

Looking back, I realize that my first “grownup” reads were largely, and accidentally, historical, like Gone with the Wind, Jane Eyre, Ramona, and The Good Earth, because those were the books that filled my mother’s bookshelves. Then, in my early teens, I became enamored with Anne Boleyn’s story, and that started my love affair with the Tudors. I read anything and everything Tudor-ish. 

So, I’ve always loved history, and not just the signing of this pact and the taking of that country, but imagining the nuts and bolts of day-to-day life: the music and art, the manners and customs. 

How do your novel ideas come to you?

In the case of The Angry Woman Suite, it was a random excursion to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, site of an infamous Revolutionary War battle, which gave me an idea. I was wandering a lush field of an old battlefield, imagining the horror of the fight between the British and the Colonials, and what it was they were fighting for; what was at stake—and all of a sudden, out of the blue, I thought of a young girl fighting against her family, for her freedom. And that was it. I could hardly wait to sit down and start piecing together Elyse Grayson’s fight for autonomy in the 1950s, as told by a young woman looking back on her life.

What has been your worst moment as a writer?

That’s an easy one. It took me a very long time to “corral” The Angry Woman Suite’s backdrops, as I was mentally all over the place, dropping story lines right and left. It wasn’t just Elyse’s story in the 1950s, or the 1777 battle that serves as her metaphor, but there are two other narrators of The Angry Woman Suite. Both are male—one is Aidan Madsen and the other Francis Grayson—and both intersect perspectives with Elyse’s, in shifting time frames, to tell the novel’s larger story of a celebrity double murder in the early 1900s and its subsequent fallout on three generations of one very fragile family, which is Elyse’s stepfamily.

So, lucky me—and I’m not being facetious—but I also got to research the Jazz Age, art, big band music, and oh, the list goes on, all the elements I got to play with, in order to re-create sixty years’ worth of a tale (not counting that Revolutionary War battle metaphor) about a girl’s search for autonomy, a young man’s for an identity, and an older man’s quest for justice.

I pieced my narrators’ stories together carefully (working at staying mentally “corralled,” so I didn’t lose myself or stories), each of their chapters like patches on a quilt. I started the novel with Francis’s voice, then went back in time to Aidan’s and the murder at the core of this saga, and then moved forward again, to Elyse’s, and so on, and back and forth I went, until I finished.  

And then I joined a writers group, and, lucky me again, but my group loved The Angry Woman Suite—that is, until they heard Elyse’s voice, and then they wanted to change everything.   

I’ll never forget when sister-writer Shelley said, “I think you should start the book with Elyse, and not with Francis.”

My heart skipped way too many beats. Didn’t Shelley know what that would entail? Yes, she had some good reasons (for wanting me to start with Elyse), but you don’t just copy and paste chapters and everything falls into place nice and neat, easy-peasy. No, once I’d start ripping—not cutting, but ripping—I’d have a big ol’ mess. I’d have what used to be a book. I’d have remnants. 

I drove home after that meeting and crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head, thinking, kill me now. All that work down the drain (because as soon as I’d heard it, I’d instinctively known Shelley was right). It would take a year, at least, to make a book again, if I even could, and then it would still be rough.  

Sounds like a tough journey, and one I can so relate to! To balance that, tell us about your greatest moment as a writer.

Winning a 2012 Discovery Award for The Angry Woman Suite—and Elyse Grayson, as a young girl, is this novel’s opening voice, thanks in large part to Shelley and my entire writers group. It was the right decision.   

I’ve been inspired by your writing experience, Lee. Congratulations on having all your work confirmed through the Discovery Award! And, thanks for joining us.

For more information on Lee Fullbright and The Angry Woman Suite, here are links to guide you:

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/#!/fullbrightlee
Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13555924-the-angry-woman-suite 
Lee Fullbright blog/website  http://www.leefullbright.com 
Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/The-Angry-Woman-Suite-Fullbright/dp/193769853X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352389647&sr=8-1&keywords=the+angry+woman+suite   

Filed Under: History, Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Making the most of a book signing

August 6, 2012 By 23 Comments

J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and Amy Tan sit at tables to sign books while people line up out the door and down the block. These super stars barely have time to take a drink of water for the crush of fans waiting to talk to them.

Now you’re an author, too, and you’ve lined up book signing events. You’ve got your books all displayed. Pen at the ready. Readers will be just as eager to line up for your book, right?

Enter the reality. Book signings are a great way to get your name out there, to meet readers who may become loyal followers, and to sell books. They can also be tedious, even spirit crushing. So tedious, in fact, that you might be tempted to read a book, file your nails, or eat lunch to fill the time. But don’t do it. A successful book signing requires work on the author’s part.

Here are some things I’ve learned from other authors and from doing dozens of signings myself. These won’t guarantee success, but they will help your book signing events come closer to your dreams.

Promote the event yourself. You can’t count on the host to do it all for you. Post on all your social media sites that you’ll be signing books and invite your friends to come.  Email everyone who may not use social media. Friendly faces are helpful even if they’ve already bought.

Location, location, location. Arrive early to get the lay of the land and thank your host for the opportunity. If it’s possible, get your table moved closer to the door. You want to be in the highest traffic spot possible. Ask to have a few of your books positioned next to the cash register to encourage impulse buys.

Set up your display. Have a stack of books but also have a stand to hold one book so the cover is clearly visible. Prepare an 8×10 sign that includes the cover of your book, a pithy review comment or two, and the sale price.

Have something for everyone. A bookmark touting your book and your contact info is great. People like bookmarks and even if they don’t buy your book on the spot, the bookmark will be a useful reminder of  your book and how to get it.

Sell yourself. Stand beside your table (instead of sitting behind it), make eye contact, smile, greet people. People who may have walked on by may be drawn in by your friendly greeting. Tell them you’re an author that xyz location has invited to chat with their guests. Ask them if they have a moment so you can tell them about your book.

Sell your book. Be ready to explain your book in 30 seconds or less. Here’s where your log line comes in. Put a book in their hands. It’s harder to say, no, when they’re already holding the book. Ask questions to engage them in a conversation and find out their reading interests. Tell them you’d be happy to sign a copy for them. When they buy, ask how they’d like the book inscribed. Be sure to ask them to spell their name for you. You’d be surprised how many ways there are to spell Carol!

Thank them. If they buy, thank them. If they don’t buy, thank them. Make sure everyone you meet leaves your table happy they met a real, live author. And get a bookmark into their hands.

Backroom Details.  It took me a few signings (and a little lost money) to learn these tips. 1) Be sure you and the store agree on how sales will be handled. Will the store ring up the sale? Before you sign the book? Or will you handle the money? 2) Keep track of book numbers. Know how many books you came with and how many you have left. Even bookstores can’t always tell how many of your books rang through their register and you’ll settle up before you leave. And of course, thank the store owner for the opportunity.

These tips work as well if you’re on your own at a signing or if you’re in the company of a dozen other authors, at bookstores, restaurants, libraries. 

Have I thought of everything?  Probably not. If you have other tips, or book signing stories to share, don’t hesitate to leave a note. And, happy book signings!

photo credit: BlissDom 2012 via photo pin cc

Filed Under: Marketing, PR, Writing Tagged With: ,

Going visiting – Blog style

August 3, 2012 By 6 Comments

Would you like some coffee?

Most families in our farming neighborhood saw Sunday as a day for resting and visiting. A day of resting and visiting AFTER you milked the cows at 5 a.m., had breakfast, went to church, and ate Sunday dinner–and BEFORE you milked cows again that night. Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. there were a few hours for visiting.

The whole business of visiting is different these days. Particularly in the social media world. As I’ve made new friends in the worlds of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Goodreads, I’ve watched authors go visiting blog style. Just like Sunday afternoon visits on the farm, blog visits are a chance to share the news, deepen existing friendships and make new friends.

There were a few ‘rules’ to Sunday afternoon visits: catch up on neighborhood news, enjoy the lunch that will always be served, and leave when it was time for chores. I don’t know all the rules of blog visits yet, but they seem to be about the same: chat about appropriate topics and don’t stay to long. The lunch part is left to readers bringing their own cup of coffee and a bagel.

I’ve hosted Diane Glass and Debra Engle, the authors of Winter, here and I’ve made a few visits myself. Each discussion has been different, reflecting the personalities of the blog hosts. Here are three blogs I’ve been invited to visit recently to share thoughts about writing my memoir.  I hope you’ll click on the links below, catch up on our discussions and share your thoughts.  There’s nothing bloggers like more than to have readers jump into the conversation.

Rachelle’s Window  Rachelle Ayala wrote MICHAL’S WINDOW, a look at the biblical story of King David from the perspective of David’s first wife Michal. As a lover of historical fiction, I find these kinds of stories fascinating because they take someone many people know well (King David) and show the events from the perspective of a lesser known character. Rachelle is true to the biblical story while weaving a fascinating tale told from a woman’s perspective. 

A.D. Trosper Audra Trosper raises goats and writes fantasy. How interesting a combination is that? I haven’t read her book EMBERS AT GALDRILENE (Dragon’s Call) yet, but how can I resist when I know the author understands the seriousness of milk fever in dairy cows and goats?

All Dressed Up J.P. Lane and I connected because of clothes. She’s an expert on historical clothing and I needed to know what men’s underwear was like in 1910. Just let it be said that men wore far more then than they do today. Joan recently released The Tangled Web, a story of international intrigue, murder and romance played out in New York, London, Prague, and a Caribbean island.

As society changes, so do things like Sunday afternoon visits. Blog visits are one way I’m keeping up with friends. How about you? What do you see as the new way to visit?

photo credit: Jasmic via photo pin cc

Filed Under: Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Launching a print book? Think local.

July 30, 2012 By 26 Comments

With the advent of e-books and social media book launches, I wondered if print book launches even happened any more. But I’ve seen several indie authors question how to launch a print version, so I’m sharing my book launch experience and hope those of you reading will add our ideas.

Product, Price, Placement, Promotion – These are the starting point for any product launch. A book is no different. Whether it’s an ebook or a print book.

For the sake of this discussion, we’ll assume the book is written, the content professionally edited, the cover professionally designed, and the book priced so readers see a price/value correlation. That leaves placement and promotion. For a print launch, Think Local for both placement and promotion.

Placement – People have to be able to find your book. Seems obvious, but there are many considerations.

  1. When I launched, I sold my book off my website. The plus? I made the most money. The negatives? I had to do all the packing and shipping. Plus, if people didn’t know my name and couldn’t remember the name of the book, they couldn’t find my website.
  2. I walked my book into all local bookstores and gift stores. Indie bookstores like Beaverdale Books were super. The reception I received from them reinforced this lesson: You need to ask. Many authors are shy about this, but it’s time to put on your big girl panties and get out there. Ask if they’ll stock your book. Ask if you can hold an event. And keep asking. It took me four trips into one gift store to connect with someone who had the power to decide. Remember, the worst thing they can say is, no.
  3. Though indie book stores were wonderful and website sales kept me busy, I quickly learned this reality: Amazon and Barnes & Noble are the default book sources for most people. If you aren’t there, people jump to the conclusion that you don’t exist.
  4. Amazon is easy to get on through Amazon Advantage. I chose not to sign with Amazon at first because the economics (they keep 55% and I had to pay shipping) didn’t work with my book price and cost of production. With my second printing the economics worked. For me, worldwide visibility is worth some expense but not if it means losing money on each sale. For my next book, I’ll get production costs low enough to be on Amazon from day one.
  5. Getting books into Barnes & Noble is more difficult because you usually need a distributor, but it can be worth the effort. It’s a matter of scale. Indie bookstores took my book in lots of five or six. B&N took them by the case. When enough people requested my book at their stores, B&N contacted me and walked me through their process.
  6. When you think distribution, think broadly about where your book could go. Gift stores in airports, hotels, restaurants, and pharmacies are a better option than I originally realized, particularly when it comes to smaller towns that don’t have bookstores.
  7. Don’t underestimate libraries. Even though I held my hometown launch event at the library, I didn’t extend that thinking to future events. (Here is where you see me hitting my forehead and screaming, Doh!) Libraries are in the business of meeting the needs of readers so they may buy your book. Libraries like to have authors do readings. Generally they’ll let you sell books afterwards. Double bonus. Since the launch, I’ve done dozens of library readings, connecting with readers and selling books. Next book launch, I’ll do a postcard announcement to all libraries in the state.

Promotion – No promotion. No sales.

Hometown library launch

Here is where a print launch generally varies the most from an ebook launch.  A few ideas:

  1. Write a news release that has a hook specific to your book and can be personalized to each event/town/date. For me the hook was Iowa girl writes book about growing up in Iowa. Email the release to local media along with .jpg images of the book cover and your author photo. Maximize the local angle, i.e. Iowa girl (Preston girl, Jackson County girl, Eastern Iowa girl – ‘local’ can be anywhere, get it?) writes book.
  2. Schedule as many book signing and reading events as you can. Media cover events. Media coverage equals more events and more sales.
  3. Call local radio and TV stations and let them know you’re available for interviews. Again, the local angle: You’re a local person who’s written a book. You’re holding events their listeners/viewers will be interested in knowing about. (I know it’s scary, but ask. They want news. You, your book, your events can be news.)
  4. Hold multiple launch events. 
  • I held a reading/book signing event in my hometown library, arranging to have the local pharmacy stock books on consignment in advance of the event, and sending the local newspaper a release and photos touting new (local) author, new book, local event, where to buy books.
  • In the town where I live now, I teamed up with two other authors who also had new books and we held a reception/book signing for our friends, family and business associates.
  • I arranged book signings at three local indie bookstores and a restaurant gift store. I let the newspaper know about all four events, which caused them to see this as news and run an article. The article was read by bookstore owners around the state who contacted me to carry my book and arrange signing events.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

This is a bare bones outline of what my launch included. And I know it’s only one approach. If you’ve done a hard copy book launch, please share your experiences. If this triggers thoughts, let me know. We’ll share and all hold better launches in the future.

Filed Under: Marketing, PR, Writing Tagged With: , ,

Is Winter your season of renewal?

June 25, 2012 By 2 Comments

We have a special treat today, an interview with Diane Glass and Debra Engle, founders of the Tending Your Inner Garden® workshops. Diane and Debra just published Winter, the first in a series of books that shares the stories and poems of women worldwide who’ve drawn inspiration from the seasons of the year. I have the honor of being one of the women sharing my writing in their book.

Diane and Debra are giving away five copies of their book this month on their website. Read on for details of the giveaway or click here and start now. Read an excerpt from Winter below.

Thanks for joining us, Diane and Debra. Tell us about yourselves and how you came to work together.
We’ve been friends and colleagues since the 1980s. But in the early 1990s we came together as women experiencing rapid change. One of us left a corporate job in the midst of breast cancer treatment. The other married, wrote a book and moved to a new home. We experienced all the stages of change and the challenges of making transitions. That led us to ask, “Do other women need support as their lives unfold in new ways?” Ten years of experience tells us, “Yes!”

What is Tending Your Inner Garden?
Tending Your Inner Garden brings together women looking for connection, community and conversation. We create a nurturing context in which women discover what brings aliveness and joy to their lives. They do this by tuning into their inner voice of wisdom and by connecting with the spirit that animates all of creation. This search for renewal often invites change. The seasons of the year—the new growth represented by spring, the rapid change of summer, the harvest and letting go of fall, and the rest and stillness of winter—provide a wonderful guide for making that change.

Why did you decide to publish books?
In our ten years of offering the Tending Your Inner Garden program, we’ve been struck by the power of women’s stories and how honest they are about their lives. As they’ve discovered more of their inner selves, they’ve shared their wisdom, triumphs, heartaches, courage, fears and joys. And so we thought it was time to publish books, letting more women’s voices be heard and extending the community as far as the books would take us.

As we sit here in the heat of summer, it feels odd to be thinking about winter. Why did you start with Winter?
Winter offers the gift of dormancy and solitude, both in short supply in today’s world. Too often we strive for continual productivity, at the expense of pausing, reflecting and discerning. This leads us to make decisions that reflect the priorities of the outside world, rather than the insights of our own hearts and souls. Although we think of spring as the time of new beginning, often that beginning starts with the period of rest and renewal offered by winter.

Who are the authors and how did you find them?
We posted a call for entries on our site, and then we used the connectivity of the Internet to help us spread the word. We posted it on Facebook, of course, and it ended up appearing on other people’s blogs and in writer’s groups in other countries. In some instances, we asked women specifically to submit, knowing the power of their writing and their story.

What do you hope for people who read these books?
We hope that women will see they’re not alone. The material covers so much ground—being a new mom, experiencing unexpected changes, understanding yourself better as you grow older, the value of friendship, etc.—that we’re guessing every reader will see herself somewhere in the book. For instance, Paula Sampson contributed a powerful piece on grieving the death of her son. For any woman who has lost a child, that essay will give solace and inspiration.

What are your plans for the other seasons?
We welcome submissions for all the other seasons. Our next book will feature the experience of Spring in women’s lives. That might include experiencing new growth emerging through the soil of their lives, cultivating a rich environment, or envisioning what they would like to grow. Women interested in sending us a poem, story or essay can find additional information here about guidelines for submission.

Thanks for joining us, Diane and Debra. I wish you the best through all the seasons!

Win a copy of Winter. Debra and Diane would like here how you’ve drawn inspiration from the seasons. Click here and share your story on their blog for a chance to win one of five copies they’re giving away this month.

About the Editors

Debra Engle and Diane Glass

Debra Engle is the author of Grace from the Garden: Changing the World One Garden at a Time and the owner of GoldenTree Communications, publisher of On Thundering Wings, Semi-Sweetness and Light and other books of artistry, new thought and inspiration.

Diane Glass serves as a spiritual director, working both with individuals and groups. She is a member of the staff of PrairieFire, a program of spiritual renewal and growth, at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center.

Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tending-Your-Inner-Garden/117449911667979
Twitter: @YourInnerGarden
Blog: http://tendingyourinnergarden.com/
GoldenTree Communications

Winter: Women’s Stories, Poems and Inspiration for the Season of Rest and Renewal is available from the editors at: Tending Your Inner Garden and on Amazon

An Excerpt from Winter

Courting Winter
By Angela Renkoski

SWF seeks wise mature man for solitude and contemplation. Must like long walks in the snow, heart-to-hearts by the fire, and enlightenment from silence. Best if able to tolerate, even appreciate, darkness and cold, and long nights and short days.

This would have been my personal newspaper ad in the years before online dating questionnaires—if I had known my true soul mate was closer to Old Man Winter than the more summery Adonises I set my eyes on. For too long I chased after the gorgeousness of spring’s lushness, the lust of summer’s bounty, and even the looming ache of fall’s harvest, and skittered away from winter’s, well, wintry, advances.

When I first faced that I might be in winter in my soul, it was early fall outside, my favorite time of year. But I was reaping nothing inside and couldn’t bear the thought that the frozen, barren picture I had of winter also described my inner world. The deeper fear was that this icy void I associated with the season would last forever—not an unreasonable fear in Iowa where I was living at the time.

After much howling at the wind in protest, I surrendered and could say without reservation, shame, regret, or fear: “I am in winter. And that’s OK.” Until then, I was more attuned outward to bright appearances and the opinions of others for happiness and security. These wilted, however, when met with adversity and were doomed to disappoint the more I depended on them, sacrificing the authenticity of Self.

Learning how nature works drew me to appreciate winter’s charms. When I looked about, I thought all was dead. Not so. Winter is the time when the trees put down new roots. In dormancy, plants and flowers prepare for new growth or suspend activity in wait for the more favorable warmth of sun and showers.

Braced with this knowledge, I peeked at and then contemplated the winter of my discontent. I came to see that it is in winter that my center is cultivated and strengthened. Like a hibernating bear, I had plenty to draw from and sustain me as I peacefully slowed down and rested in Spirit, content and less distracted by the outside world. It became a time of tremendous healing and recharging and a metaphor for seeing what was previously ignored or resisted in a new light.

In embracing winter, I also came to love previously dismissed and hidden parts of myself. Like a sled dog burrowing into the snow, I pulled within and curled around my soul, affording myself insulation from the dark and cold. I drew all the pieces of my past into my heart so it throbbed and glowed with life and love—an ember upon which I would fan the flames of growth in spring.

Now I court winter, looking for those times I am called to go within. And winter seduces me with the sensory pleasures of romance: candlelight, roses, and music that warms the soul. I take long walks in whatever snow is on the ground, hunker down next to fireplaces in coffeehouses and restaurants, and spend more time in the exquisite silence of the season.

Winter is not so distant and forbidding, nor so interminable. It is a time that begs for the space to encompass activities, thoughts and fears, a space that allows for new perspectives to breathe and stretch and put down roots in quiet and safety. Come hither, Winter. Come hither, Self.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Garden, Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Reading even with low vision

May 15, 2012 By 6 Comments

Puzzling out the morning cryptoquote

My mom had macular degeneration, a disease that destroys straight ahead vision but leaves peripheral vision. She could no longer sew or read or see the faces of people right in front of her, but she always considered herself lucky. She was healthy and able to live in her own home. But without the ability to read, she faced long hours that had the potential to be depressingly empty.

We were lucky to discover the Iowa Department for the Blind and their Talking Books. The Department for the Blind provided the tape player and their librarians quickly learned Mom’s preferences in books and authors – biographies and Louis l’Amour.  From the moment the first tape arrived in the mail, Mom was never without a book to read. Her avid reading resulted in weekly book discussions between us.

Mom’s quest to read didn’t stop there. We took a ‘mini-vacation,’ as Mom called day trips, to the low vision clinic at University of Iowa Hospitals where we found a fantastic reading machine. We bought it on the spot and Mom returned to solving her beloved crossword puzzles and cryptoquote puzzles, and enjoying pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

After I published my memoir, I heard from many people asking if it was available in large print. Because of my mother’s experience, it pained me to have to tell them no.  It was only later I learned a large print version of my book could be available through e-books with their variable type size option.  Mom passed away before e-readers were available, but I know she would have leapt to try one.

If you have a friend or relative with low vision who loves to read and hasn’t discovered the services of the Department for the Blind or teaching hospital low vision clinics or the large print features in e-books, I hope you’ll share the news. These services are a true gift.

Filed Under: History, Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,