Cyn

Writing is our business...

 

How can we show we are taking this career seriously?

 

In "Guerrilla Marketing for Writers" author Jay Conrad Levinson and associates offer this bit of advice...

 

Prove You're a Pro.

 

How do you do that?

 

Make sure your printed materials are perfect. This means you need 100% accuracy. Sure we all make typing mistakes, especially on the Internet when we're posting excerpts and answering loop emails, but we still need to be aware and catch as many of those errors as we can.

 

When you make a serious grammar mistake, like misusing "your" for "you're" your professionalism is questioned. So is the company you represent.

 

This is especially important if you are providing answers that are going to be more or less permanent. Whether it's a newspaper interview for the local independent or an interview in an author's online newsletter, gross mistakes stand out.

 

In online versions, you also want to make sure you provide the purchase link to your story. Many people are lazy and so it is up to you to make the purchase of your story as easy as possible.

 

Other things you can do:

 

1)Act like a professional.

 

2)Continue to learn your "craft" and perfect it.

 

3)Answer questions simply.

 

4)Don't be a know it all. Honesty goes a long way. If you don't know something, admit it.

 

5)Keep promises.

 

6)Use a signature line.

 

7)Participate in loops for more than just posting excerpts.

 

8)Participate with groups associated with your writing niche.

 

9)Say thank you! That's to editors, supporters, reviewers, whoever has helped you in even the smallest of ways.

 

10)Keep your goal in mind. A lot of us know, in order to do that, we have to have goals set, and we have to strive toward those goals. We need to keep track of our progress.

 

11)Listen to the voices of writing wisdom around you.

 

12) Practice, practice, practice. Translated: write, write, write. Apply what you learn.

 

Much love and success to all of you.

 

Lucynda
www.LucyndaStorey.com
Now available at Loose Id Refugee

Save The Quiet Kitty Contest and Celebrity Auction

Want to get some really cool stuff?

Read on to find out how!

Natural disasters like floods, fires, and disability often hit without warning, leaving chaos in their wake. When a crisis hits our friends, we all want to help. The Save The Quiet Kitty Fund is here to help authors in crisis.

From time to time, many of us have organized a short-term pool to help an author in crisis -- short-term crises that called for short-term solutions. The Save The Quiet Kitty Fund is designed to be a longer-term solution.

Our friend Camille Anthony was diagnosed in 1989 with Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, caused by exposure to asbestos while an employee of the State of California. (There is a pending class action lawsuit against the State of California which has been in Pre-Trial hearings for almost a decade.) Camille is now a full time author with no health insurance. She's in stage four of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and can't get health insurance because of this pre-existing condition.

Oxygen and hospital bills, as well as other medical expenses, are long-term needs. The irony is, Camille makes just enough residual income from her writing to keep her from being eligible for Medicaid. Since Medicaid turned her down, ongoing medical tests will run as hi as $1800 each – all out of pocket.

We hope to raise enough money, with your support, to not only cover Camille's current medical expenses, but to help other authors in crisis.

To help in this quest, various authors around the world are donating items for a Celebrity Auction. All proceeds will go into the Save the Quiet Kitty fund to be used for authors in need. Details of how to enter the auction will be published in a few days. Check out some of the things that will be offered!

Celebrity Auction Items:

Bath & Body works Gift Certificate from Alecia Monaco

Victorian Choker from Alexis Fleming

Autographed Print copy of Agency of Extraordinary Mates 1,2, and 3,

hardbound Secrets Volumes 7 and 8, a collection of favorite recipes from Alice Gaines

Avon Gift Set worth $86 from Amelia Elias

A Gift Basket with books from Berkley Sensation to include Captive Dreams, Master of Swords, Master of Wolves, Master of the Moon, and Master of the Night from Angela Knight

Print books from Ellora’s Cave to include Lawyers in Love series: The Defenders, The Prosecutors AND The Enchained Anthology which includes Mastered, also a beautiful silk makeup case from Ann Jacobs

Signed Print Copy of Calabi Chronicles: Blood Stone, and banner services to include an animated banners, at 468x60 pixels, up to 6 frames per banner, 3 banners total from Ann Vremont

Victoria’s Secret gift certificate from Dakota Cassidy

An Autographed set of the Devil Trilogy from Brava to inclued The Irish Devil, The River Devil and The Southern Devil from Diane Whiteside

Amethyst Necklace and one book download from Elayne S. Venton

Downloads of the complete Heaven and Hell Series by Emma Ray Garrett

Print copy of Midnight, Magic, and Naughty Things from Isabella Jordan

Print copy of A Touch of Heat and A Breath of Heat from Judy Mays

Print copy of Wolf Tales, Sexy Beast, Wolf Tales 2, and Kate’s newest Wolf Tales release, Wild Nights from Kensington Press and a Stuffed wolf from Kate Douglas

Tarot Card Reading from Kira Stone

Personalized pen/key ring/fridge magnet/bookmarks from Kyla Logan

Bright Blue Suede Mini Flogger Key Chain from Lena Austin

Three months free advertising for authors and three months free advertising for publishers from Literary Nymphs

Print set of the three book EC Pantasia series to include Hook, Wine & Tinker, For Pete’s Sake, and Forever on the Isle of Never from Mardi Ballou

Print copy of Chocolate Flava from Marilyn Lee

A “Wings For Your Mind” Coffee Mug, and a free banner service to include an animated or static banner from Marteeka Karland

Autographed print copies of I’m the Vampire, That’s Why, and Cupid, Inc. from Michele Bardsley

Two Out of Print Ellora’s Cave print books from Shelby Morgan

A personalized short story – you supply the characters from Sierra Dafoe

Print copy of Magic in the Blood from Samhain

and a Magic in the Blood magnet from Silvia Violet

Autographed copy of To Serve and Submit of Roc (Penguin Group) by Susan Wright

3 one year memberships to, and 3 twelve week static ads for authors from The Romance Studio

Set of Three autographed CD’s from Willa Okati

Print Copies of A Changeling For All Seasons, Agency of Extraordinary Mates volumes 1, 2, and 3, and All Wrapped Up from Changeling Press, LLC

Jason Statham in Crank is just about as hysterical a gang, drug, action thriller as you could possibly create. Bloody and violent, this story laughs at itself along with all the other blow-em-up, shoot-em-down, I'm seeking revenge movies to have appeared in the last decade.

Being hot helps and Jason has some very nice musculature, but the scene where we see his buns as he's running around in a hospital gown is too funny.

According to certain bios, the sexy Statham was an Olympic fish, hit hard times, and ended up selling Guy Ritchie several watches. He ended up in Snatch and since then, seems to be a successful, sought after actor.

I, for one, am glad. He's the right amount of muscles, seriousness, and impishness in the characters he plays to keep this movie goer happy. Adults, Crank is not for kids...not at all. The humor and the situations are all very adult from the violence, to the sex, to the outright guffaws.

You're an author! Announce it to the world!

 

Leave your card at restaurants, in those little luncheon jars (put your card here for a free drawing), everywhere you go, give one out.

 

This is really a great opportunity if you travel outside your community to spread the word about you and Aspen Mountain.

 

When people ask what you do, tell them you are an author, then hand them your card. Be friendly. Smile! According to a marketing book I read, well over 80% of customers don't return because of indifference on the part of the company (you).

 

If you have an eBook reader, a palm pilot, a pda...load books onto them...show people what eBooks are. Be ready to counter their arguments. Believe it or not, our best market is those that are 25-45 because they embrace new technology. Many just don't realize they can put books on these devices. If you don't have one, seriously consider such an investment. Why? Its hard to sell other people on the value of eBooks if you don't value it yourself.

 

You can get eBookwise readers on Amazon. I got mine for a little over $100, and its worth the investment. When people tell me they like the "feel" of a "real" book, I hand them my reader. It "feels" like a real book. Then when I show them the bookshelf and tell them I can easily carry 25 books around, can read without a light (the eBook reader has a lovely backlight), and that the battery life is incredible...I've done my job. I've made them aware, and gotten them interested in me as an author.

 

Couple that with the information I sent last night about selling better than three quarters of the print books that are available and you have another compelling argument for eBooks.

 

EBooks are the wave of the future. How do I know? Go to Fictionwise and see the "famous" authors whose books are available. NY print contracts are now asking for electronic rights (and still only paying 8-10%).

 

Your business card is a marketing opportunity for you. Use it generously. Think of your card as a mini-brochure-a small investment that holds the potential of a great return.

 

All selling of books, whether E or print, rely on the author and how they present themselves in real life to real people. I recently watched my friend, Lizzie T. Leaf in action at a book signing for her print book. She didn't sit behind a table, she was in front of it, approaching people with a smile, asking if they enjoyed romances and if they'd heard of hers. It was a beautiful thing to behold because Lizzie took a genuine interest in the people coming to the store. Lizzie later told me that at book signings a lot of managers are happy if the author sells 4-6 copies. They consider that a success...Lizzie more than doubled that and was asked to return.

 

That's how we have to be. If you don't want to say you write "erotica" you can say, I write historicals, mysteries, paranormal romance...and if you feel the need once they're interested add on ... they're hot. You'd be surprised at how many people say "that's okay"...amazing really.

 

Some of you write without the heat. That makes it all the much easier for you, imho. But even if you can't go into detail about your work, you can hand them your card ... try it, you may like it...and it will go on your pda. :)

 

• Nielsen Bookscan tracked 1.2 million print titles in 2004
• Only 250,000 sold more than 99 copies
• Only 200,000 sold lmore than 1,000 copies