new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: sharon ledwith, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 26 - 50 of 56
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: sharon ledwith in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
‘Tis the season to start thinking about giving and receiving, isn’t it? So what better way to kick off the upcoming holiday season with a Goodreads Giveaway and a chance to receive a Kindle full of over fifty tween reads via the Emblazon Christmas Giveaway! Sounds like Santa is coming early, doesn’t it?
The Emblazon Kindle Christmas Giveaway begins Tuesday, November 17thand ends Tuesday, December 1st. That’s two full weeks for a chance to win your adolescent a new Kindle pre-loaded with over fifty ebooks for your tween. Just visit HERE to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance win this awesome gift for your tween girl or boy! I’ve also decided to create a Goodreads Giveaway for only Goodreads members in Canada and the United States so the winner will be able to receive a signed copy of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis in time for Christmas. The Giveway commences on November 18thand ends December 9th, so there will be plenty of time to mail the winner his or her copy. Wishing you all good luck and happy holidays! Cheers!
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 11/16/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Stephen King,
Genres,
Book Marketing,
Rick Riordan,
Author Platform,
JRR Tolkien,
Diana Gabaldon,
Author Branding,
Sharon Ledwith,
Author Taglines,
Kelly Armstrong,
Reading,
Add a tag
In order for an author to be successful, he or she must have a successful author brand. Your brand is your name. It’s what people connect you with or think about when your name is mentioned. For example, Stephen King = horror, Rick Riordan = young adult myths and legends, JRR Tolkien = epic fantasy, Kelly Armstrong = paranormal romance, and Diana Gabaldon = time travel romance. I could go on, but you get the picture. Each name evokes a genre or a series, and each brand is high concept.
So how do you develop your author brand (name) into a household word that conjures creepy clowns or teen demigods or hobbits or sexy werewolves or time traveling standing stones and kilts? You need to hit your readers in the heart. Create a positive emotional experience so that they’ll become loyal readers and word of mouth heralds for each book you publish.
This strategy is the basis of social media. You connect with others because of what they say, pictures they post, or the experiences they share. Somehow, an emotional cord is struck, and you want to reach out to people and give them your support or a kind word or thank them for making you laugh your ass off for posting a cute dog or kitten video. Emotion connects us all, makes us human. And depending what you share or post, if people like what they read or see or hear, they begin to trust you. If you’re an author who writes books with animals as main characters, you can bet you’ll grab the interest of animal lovers all over the world.
One way to help figure out your ‘brand’ is to create a tagline for yourself, just as you would for a book. I did a lot of soul searching on this and decided that I wanted to conjure feelings of nostalgia with each book I write—give my books that ‘good old days’ spin. Who doesn’t like happy memories of their childhood? So I came up with: Escape to the past and have a blast. Simple and direct. I want my readers to escape from the mundane and be drawn into a familiar world where they’ll have a pleasurable and exciting experience. At least that’s my hope!
When you find out what makes your audience tick, you’ve hit their sweet spot. You give them more of what they want. They need it. They crave it. Write it for them. Make them feel throughyour words. It’s what authors do. It’s what we crave.
So what about you? When it comes to reading, what hits your heart? What do you crave? Would love to hear your comments! Cheers and thank you for reading my blog!
In my book,
Legend of the Timekeepers—the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series—Istulo, a high priestess from the Black Land is a whiz when it comes to concocting potions and elixirs. But I bet she’d trade an arcane secret or two just for a taste of this mouth-watering ham and potato brew. Easy to prepare with a prep time of 20 minutes and cook time of 25 minutes, this heavenly soup will get a thumbs-up from even the fussiest high priest or priestess in your brood.
Thumbs-Up Ham and Potato Soup 3½ cups peeled and diced potatoes
⅓ cup diced celery
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup diced cooked ham
3¼ cups water 2 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
½ tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tbsp. butter
5 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
COMBINE potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Lower temp to medium heat. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.
MELT butter over medium-low heat in a separate saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.
STIR in milk lowly as not to allow lumps to form until all. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.
SERVE immediately.
Now, while you’re waiting for the potato and ham soup to digest why not put your feet up and relax with a good book? Ready for a trip to Atlantis?
This has been one hell of a tough year so far. It started in February when my then-publisher decided to close their doors, leaving many authors either scrambling to find a new publisher or deciding to try the self-publishing route. I was lucky. I immediately hooked up with Mirror World Publishing whom I met at the Windsor-Essex Book Expo in November 2014, and signed two contracts with them. It was truly a serendipity experience. And I am so grateful.
Both my books were polished and re-released world-wide within six months. My first book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantiswas re-launched in June, and Legend of the Timekeepers in August. I went from a stressful situation to relief, and yes, worked hard with my new publisher to get the books back on the shelves. It was a fresh start. A clean slate. And I am so grateful.
Then, I got the reminder that life’s too short, too precious to waste. This past July, my youngest brother succumbed to cancer. He was only 49, and was diagnosed with a double-wammy of a rare muscle disease and cancer of an unknown primary about 1 ½ years ago. You can never predict something like that is going to happen. Ever. But we know it can—and does. Who knows when life can change for us or those around us? So be grateful for your health. If life’s not what you want, go out and find a new one. If life’s great, live it to the fullest and be thankful every day for all that you’ve been fortunate to do and have. Whatever stage of life you’re in find a way to enjoy it and to maximize your circumstances. I know I’m moving forward with my life. And I am so grateful.
This past August, my hubby and I celebrated our 30thAnniversary—a milestone in this day and age. We booked a cruise to the Western Caribbean in November to mark this momentous occasion and to get a little R&R. It’s a first for us who always seem to put our needs and wants on the backburner of life. So we decided that it’s our time to enjoy what we’ve worked so hard for during the last thirty years together. And I am so grateful.
As I write this post, the combine harvester is reaping the soybeans in the field behind our home. It was a tough year, even for those soybeans with the relentless spring rains, and unpredictable elements. A reminder perhaps, that each year brings different challenges, and new life experiences. I urge you to find what gives you fulfillment, happiness, and a sense of accomplishment. Appreciate the little things and laugh at yourself. Find the courage to change, to rebound, to persist, to pursue, to seek, to speak out, to trust in others, and to cut away the relationships that cause you pain or do not bear fruit. I have. And I am so grateful.
How has your year been so far? What have you been grateful for? Would love to read your comments! Thank you for investing your time in reading my blog! I am so grateful. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!
By: Sharon Ledwith,
on 9/14/2015
Blog:
Sharon Ledwith: I came. I saw. I wrote.
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Sharon Ledwith,
Rita Monette,
Mirror World Publishing,
Elizabeth J.M. Walker,
Justine Alley Dowsett,
Murandy Damodred,
Nate Friedman,
Author Readings,
Book Signings,
Add a tag
The beginning of September proved to be a busy start for myself and 5 other authors who celebrated our summer of new releases through Mirror World Publishing. I also got a chance to meet long time author peep, Rita Monette who came all the way from Tennessee. Even the Nordic god Thor showed up via the brilliant flashes of light behind the authors as they read from their most recent book. When all was said and done, the night was quite profitable for all the authors, so a big thank you to all those who braved the traffic and the thunder storm to attend our special night!
Throughout the evening, I noticed a few glitches during the readings, plus listened to some good advice from the people in attendance. So I compiled a list of dos and don’ts from what I gleaned during our author reading event...
Do speak up. I know this is a no-brainer. The venue we were reading in had poor acoustics, so that made it even harder for a soft spoken person. Perhaps having a microphone or
Karaoke machine on hand would eliminate this problem in the future for similar venues.
Do introduce yourself. Tell your readers (or future readers) a little about your past and how you got into writing. Keep it short and simple and interesting.
Do thank everyone for coming. Again, a no-brainer. Practice the attitude of gratitude.
Do pick an excerpt that will hook your audience. I did not, according to a few comments, and now thinking about it, I must agree. *Head desk* Make your reading exciting, not boring. I did manage to change my voice and mannerisms for certain characters, so I get a thumbs up for my performance.
Don’t forget to shut off your cell phone, or turn off the ringer. Um…should be a no-brainer, but obviously a couple of people did not do this. One person actually answered his phone DURING A READING. Not cool. Please be respectful to the authors and audience.
Don’t forget to acknowledge your publisher. After all, you wouldn’t be there without them!
Don’t forget to mingle and mix with the audience. You want them coming back to your next book reading event!
So there you have it, my dos and don’ts based on my first experience participating in a group author reading event. Whether you’re an author or a reader, do you have anything else you could add to this list? Would love to read your comments! Cheers!
NOTE: Originally posted on the Emblazon website.
Blurbs. Stop groaning. You know you need one to help promote and market your book. And if you do up a blurb correctly, have an eye-catching cover, and wrote a great story, then you’ve done your job. The blurb is one of the most important marketing tools in getting your book ready for publication. In fact, you've already got a version of your blurb done—the synopsis in your query letter is essentially the same thing as a blurb. Here again, though, there are some significant differences. With a query letter, you're relating the entire plot. With a blurb, you want to entice the reader—to get them engaged with your story so they can come along as you unravel the plot for them. So here again—while the forms look very similar, their purpose is quite different.
Here's a surefire method to develop a quick, cohesive blurb. THINK THREE PARAGRAPHS. In the FIRST paragraph, introduce your main character. Now in the SECOND paragraph, introduce your secondary character— a BFF, love interest or antagonist—and the conflict. Remember, the conflict is what drives your plot.
Then in the THIRD paragraph, you bring it all together. This is where you pose a question to the reader—maybe not a straight out QUESTION but a rhetorical one. You want to give the reader a sense of urgency regarding the plot—what will happen if the characters' attempt to resolve the plot fails. In other words, what the stakes are.
The blurb in its entirety tells its own little story—and that's what keeps people buying and reading this book. You want to set up the protagonist, the conflict, the obstacles to resolving that conflict and to give the reader a sense of the risks involved in failure. What you've done is to create a microcosm—a tiny example of what your book—the macrocosm—is.
Writing a successful blurb is a test of any writer's skills. It's darn hard to filter down sixty thousand words into five hundred. But this is a skill a successful writer must learn to do. Throughout your career, whether this is your lone book or the first of hundreds, whether you stay in independent publishing or whether you move on to the Big Six, you MUST LEARN to write effective taglines and blurbs that work. That sell. Your. Book.
Below is the blurb to the prequel of my time travel series, Legend of the Timekeepers, just re-released on August 1stthrough Mirror World Publishing. Although I didn’t use three paragraphs, I used all the information stated above. Let me know what you think:
Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.
Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.
Intriguing? I hope so! If you’re an author how do you go about creating blurbs? And if you’re a reader, what blurbs have caused you to make that book purchase? Love to hear your comments! Cheers!
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending my first Art Market with my new publisher, Mirror World Publishing. I looked forward with anticipation to the throngs of new readers I would meet there. I had my bucket of candy good to go. I had signed postcards and trading cards lined up across our table. I had my Sharpie® marker at my side, ready to sign the copious amount of books I’d sell. And I had Justine, my trusty publisher by my side to introduce me to the world. Um. Yeah. Cue the crickets. What I found out was Art Markets and Craft Shows are not for the faint of heart and may not be the best venue for authors. However, NEVER underestimate the power of connecting with future readers, and getting the word out about your books and products.
Below are six simple tips I picked up from ‘working it’ on the blacktop during those two days at the local Art Market:
1. Usually potential customers (a.k.a. readers) are lured to tables when they see books. That’s a no-brainer. Make sure you have an eye-catching banner running across the length of your table and that your books are strategically placed in stands (you can purchase these at any dollar store) and positioned together in the same genres.
2. Engage readers immediately and ask them what genre they like to read. Then, go for the sweet spot and ask them the names of their favorite authors. Since my publisher had an array of books and authors of different genres splashed across the table, we had a better chance at filling the readers’ literary needs. For example some liked fantasy, others were avid young adult fans, so we steered them toward the appropriate section. FYI – two of the most popular genres were mysteries and historical fiction. I think Justine made a note of that!
3. Next, ask the reader what book covers hook them. You’d really be surprised at their answers. A group of gray-haired women loved to read blood and guts (still laughing about that), yet my cover for Legend of the Timekeepers—the prequel to my time travel series—scared the hell out of one of them! They ended up buying one of the darkest books we had on stock. *Head desk.
4. If children or teens are in tow, move to the front of the table and go for the candy. They’re already staring at the jar, so why not offer something that they love! Just make sure their parents are on board. Even adults love candy, so go with your gut and offer them a sweet temptation.
5. The elements of nature can be a loving force or a force to be reckoned with. Be prepared for anything. My publisher brought a drop sheet in case it rained, but when the wind kicked up we had to hold onto the tent for dear life! Thankfully a kind vendor across from our table loaned us a couple of cinder blocks to batten down the hatches!
6. Finally, never ignore anyone, and always end conversations on a positive note whether they purchase a book or not. Hand them a brochure on your products or a signed postcard along with a smile. You never know. They might just buy your book at later date!
So there you have it! My six tips based on my first experience working at an Art Market. If you’re an author who loves doing the Art Markets or Craft Shows what tips can you add? If you’re a reader—what book covers pop for you? What covers scare you? Would love to read your comments! Cheers!
Eighth-graders frequently seem confused about how grown up they are. And do you blame them? Not me. Twelve to fourteen-year-olds pay adult admission, and are about to make the giant leap into high school, yet they’re not allowed to drive or work. Bummer. Girls, already on the road in developing the forms and functions of grown women, deal with parents who one moment scold, “You’re practically grown up!” and then awhile later become hysterical when their princess ASKS about the ins and outs of dating. Boys, with their physical and sexual maturity just beginning to awaken, are suddenly surrounded by a horde of newly attractive and unnervingly gigantic girls. Yikes!
Most eighth-graders concerns are related to friends, family, and school. Honestly, it’s a social media nightmare at times. Are they going to be embarrassed? Will their BFF still be their friend tomorrow? Does he like me like me, or just like me? You get the drift.
So as a writer, how do you connect with such a tough audience, who’s not quite grown up, yet feel that all systems are go and are ready to wear bigger shoes? One way is to hook into their characteristics, and extract a much needed trait or a combination of traits to make your characters feel authentic to your readers. In order to do this, we need to take a look at what makes an eighth-grader tick.
Here are Eight 8th Grader Characteristics:
1. Can be touchy, and express anger easily.
2. Music is increasingly important to them, as is technology and the latest got-to-have gadget.
3. Sarcasm is a prevalent quality. (I use that one a lot!)
4. As their self-concept develops, they can be withdrawn or prone to challenging others. They struggle with a sense of identity.
5. Abstract reasoning skills are strengthening and expanding.
6. May test limits and rules, but also develop ideals and choose role models.
7. Skin problems may be emerging, boys’ voices are changing, and girls are menstruating. Personal hygiene and self-confidence become issues.
8. May begin to experiment with sex and substances.
Remember, readers this age are looking for escape, to experience things they can’t in their own lives. Being attuned to how they think, and what they’re feeling is a step in the right direction to creating a story that will keep this age group turning page after page of your latest tween read!
Well, it’s finally here! Book release week. Or in my case, book re-release week! On June 17th, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis will officially be back on the market through Mirror World Publishing. There’s a Facebook Party happening that day too from noon to 9 p.m., so if you get a chance, I’d love for you to surf by and get to know me, and even enter for a chance to win some awesome prizes. Plus, I’ve hooked up with Sapphyria’s Book Promotions for a virtual book blog tour starting June 17thto June 26th (excluding the weekend), so I’m pumped about that! And just in case you didn’t know, I’ve got two signed paperbacks up for grabs through my Goodreads Giveaway for the whole month of June.
So much has happened since my former publisher closed their doors at the end of February. I was lucky enough to score a new publisher immediately. Since signing contracts with Mirror World Publishing for both my time travel books on February 26th, a lot has happened. Both books got re-edited and polished, and I decided to purchase the image rights and keep my covers because I felt they were beautiful, vibrant, and eye-catching.
I’m really looking forward to a fresh start with another publisher, and hopefully I’ll be as good a cheerleader for Mirror World Publishing as I was for Musa Publishing. As I’ve always said, “Life is a team effort. Period. Nothing is ever done without the help and support of others.” True that. I’m also excited to have an actual book launch party thrown for me! Woo hoo! So if you’re in the neighborhood, I’d love you to come and attend! Here are the details:
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis Book Launch Party
When: June 19th, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
From what I understand, my publishers Justine and Murandy will be serving coffee and baked goods (yum), and there will be plenty of chances to win some great prizes and gift baskets. They will also have copies of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis on hand which I would love to sign for you! Plus there will be a reading by yours truly, and a question and answer session. Thank goodness for all those author interviews I’ve done in the last three years—at least I’m primed!
I want to take this opportunity to thank Mirror World Publishing for investing in me and my books, and for breathing life back into my career. Seriously, thank you, Justine and Murandy. I also would like to thank all the readers I’ve got to known in the last three years who have taken the time in their busy lives to read my books, and care about my characters the way I do. Cheers and salute!
In anticipation for the upcoming re-release of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis through Mirror World Publishing, I’ve decided to giveaway two signed copies of the first book in my middle grade/young adult time travel series. I’m also throwing in a signed post card and a rubber wrist band with each paperback.
This Goodreads Giveaway starts June 1st and runs until June 30th so you have plenty of time to enter. I’m hoping whoever wins these books may choose to take them along to the cottage, beach, or wherever you’re going on your summer holiday. BTW—this contest is open WORLDWIDE, so if you’re the lucky winner who lives in the southern hemisphere and not enjoying the summer heat, then it’s a good excuse to curl up on the couch with a hot beverage and have a blast in the past!
Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to enter to win! Cheers and enjoy your summer (or winter) season!
In anticipation for the upcoming re-releases of both my MG/YA time travel books with Mirror World Publishing, I’ve decided to hire a book promotion specialist to help with the process of setting up and running a book blog tour. I’ve learned in the past that for me, it’s easier to delegate rather than take on certain tasks. However, if you love the thought of being in the driver’s seat and setting up your own book blog tour, then this post is for you.
Below is a 15 point checklist for planning your virtual book blog tour. It’s not rocket science, but it will give an author an idea of the different steps that are needed to pull off a successful book blog tour.
· Make sure you plan at least 2-3 months in advance.
· Determine your goals for your book tour. Remember you’re bringing awareness to your book(s) so make sure you’re clear on what you want to get across to potential readers.
· What type of tour will you be running? Book blast? New release?
· Determine the length of your tour and the tour dates.
· Are you going to run a contest during your book tour?
· Decide whether or not to offer giveaways or discounts. I usually use Rafflecopter to run a giveaway. It’s easy and picks the winner at the end of the tour. · Make a list of prospective hosts and research them. Hint: pull from your well of blogger author friends who write in the same genre as you do. You’ll be able to pay them back when they do a book tour.
· Write an invitation and send to your top prospects.
· Correspond with hosts and send confirmations.
· Set-up a schedule of tour stops.
· Post schedule on your blog or website.
· Plan your promotional strategy, and include your tour hosts. Some may want to do a review. Others may want to share an excerpt. Do up a top ten list or dream cast based on your book. There are plenty of ideas to draw from!
· Write articles/posts and send to your hosts at least ten days in advance. Don’t forget any images you may want to include.
· Set-up a daily routine to follow during your book tour.
· Finally—this is a must—make sure you COMMENT on each of your host’s blog. Check in periodically to see if anyone has commented, and reply to them. This is a common courtesy, and your hosts are going out of their way to help support you and your book.
BTW—my virtual book blog tour for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis begins June 17th and finishes on June 26th. I’ve hired Sapphyria’s Book Promotions to do most of the leg work on this one. It should be a blast! I’ll be posting the tour schedule on my blog in the near future, so stay tuned!
Thanks a heap for reading my blog. Authors, if you have time, please leave a comment and share how you go about organizing a virtual book blog tour. If you’re a reader, please share what you enjoy about virtual book blog tours? The giveaways? A chance at winning an awesome prize? Engaging with the author? Finding a new author? I’d appreciate your input. Cheers!
When I was a girl, I used to call Victoria Day, ‘Firecracker Day’ for obvious reasons. I always loved going to watch the firework displays with my family during my childhood. There was something nostalgic and magic about it. Loved getting those sparklers and writing your name in the air with them too! Ahhh, the good old days…
But was it really that good back then for Queen Victoria during her reign? This got me thinking about her Royal Highness Vicki. So, I thought I’d do a little digging on some facts you may not know about her. This is what I found:
1. She was barely five feet tall. For an outspoken broad with an imposing reputation, this tidbit surprised me. In later years, her girth almost caught up to her height. Some accounts claim she had a 50 inch waist by the end of her life. Queen Vicki would have been a shoe-in for the Biggest Loser reality show!
2. She proposed to hubby, Prince Albert, and not vice versa. Vicki was only 16 when she met her first cousin Albert (yup, they were related) and was immediately smitten with him. Her uncle Leopold suggested that she propose to Albert since she was the queen, and he couldn’t propose to her. Guess it must have been true love—after all, they had nine children together!
3. She was raised by a single mom, and later became a single mom herself. Her father, Edward, Duke of Kent died of pneumonia in 1820 when poor Vicki was less than a year old. She was left to be brought up by her mother who was under the influence of her advisor, and not out for her daughter’s best interests. When Vicki was crowned queen, she booted mommy-dearest out of the limelight and to a distant set of apartments. Oh yeah, and she fired that useless advisor too. Royalty has its perks.
4. She was the first known carrier of hemophilia, an affliction that would become known as the ‘Royal disease’. Who knew marrying into the family gene pool would weaken it too? Hemophilia is a blood clotting disorder passed along the maternal lines within families; men are more likely to develop it, while women are the carriers. Bummer. Sufferers can bleed excessively, since their blood does not proper coagulate, leading to extreme pain and even death. Her son Leopold and three of her grandsons died from the disease. Presently, hemophilia appears to be extinct in the European royal lines. Someone got smart enough not to push the DNA envelope anymore.
5. She had at a least six serious assassination attempts made against her during her reign—most while she was riding in a carriage. At least two of the trigger-happy gents were found not guilty by reason of insanity. Another would-be assassin fired a gun loaded with paper and tobacco at the queen, but the charge was insufficient. Hmm…maybe he should have been chucked in the insane asylum too. One man even tried to hit the queen with his cane. She wasn’t amused. However, looking for the silver lining, every time there was an assassination attempt on Queen Vicki, her popularity soared among the British public. In these days, guess that would be the same as getting more likes on Facebook. Go, Queen Vicki, go!
6. Finally, she was an artist and writer. Knew I liked the old broad! Queen Vicki began drawing as a child, and throughout her life continued to sketch and paint. She also enjoyed writing, and wrote daily entries in a diary. Her daily journals eventually spanned more than 120 volumes, and this Queen Bee wrote about 2500 words a day. Can you say prolific?
Whatever you decide to do this Victoria Day, take a moment to think about how far we’ve come since Queen Vicki’s rule, then give her silent thanks when you see the burst of color streaking through the sky as you watch the firework display with your family or friends. Salute!
 |
| May the Fourth be with You... |
THEN:
ALL SYSTEMS GO! (First posted May 4th, 2011)
May the ‘Fourth’ Be With You!
Sorry. I couldn’t resist. After all, it is Luke Skywalker Day.
First, let me introduce myself—my name is Sharon Ledwith and I write young adult fiction. My genres include: time travel mysteries (kind of like a mesh of fantasy with a splash of sci-fi meets Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys), as well as paranormal stories where teens deal with psychic powers like psychometry, telekinesis, animal communication—stuff like that.
My intention of this blog is to:
#1 Get you to know me as a writer, and post my experiences as an indie publisher of eBooks.
#2 Introduce and showcase my stories and characters.
In a nutshell—market myself and promote my work.
That’s it really. You see, writing is all about the reader. My goal is to influence and empower today’s youth—the next generation—through the stories I create. I believe everyone is here at this time with a mission and a purpose, and every child has something to add to our evolutionary advancement. Children truly are the keys to our future. It is my hope to unlock this portent.
NOW:
Wow! To be honest, I was so afraid when I started blogging and putting myself out in cyber-space. Reading my first post over again, I realize that I’ve come a long way in my writing journey. Back in 2011, I didn’t have a publisher and was still querying agents and publishers. This blog and my Facebook account was the beginning of my online presence, and I really felt like a fish out of water. But I kept blogging and posting on Facebook. I learned to share interesting and helpful posts for other authors as a way of connection. I figured out what works for me and what doesn’t—still an ongoing process, I must admit! And I continue to work on my author brand and platform through blogging and networking with other authors, readers, publishers, and bloggers.
I’ve also gotten better with time. Go figure. My intention has changed a lot since that first blog post. I’m much more confident and tech savvy then I was. Now I’m a published author, and represented by a literary agency. I’ve also learned to adapt to my environment, and go with the flow through the ups and downs of the publishing industry. So what have I learned in the last four years? In grand Oprah-like fashion, I’d like to share with you what I know for sure:
· I’ve realized that I do NOT want to be an indie publisher, but rather be part of a publishing company. I’m more of a team player and had to figure that out for myself. I like having the support of a publisher behind me. Plus I didn’t have to look for, and invest in an editor, cover artist, and book formatter.
· I’d rather write blogs that uplift or help authors and readers.
· I love showcasing middle grade and young adult authors and their books and/or series on my blog for readers to find.
· I enjoy doing Goodreads Giveaways. I’ve connected with so many readers this way!
· Book blog tours are exhausting. I’ve learned to delegate blog tours to the professionals whenever possible!
· Trying to fit into other authors’ shoes is painful and unproductive. Stand in your truth.
· I can only be one place at a time. Too many social media accounts = too many distractions and not enough writing time. I decided to stick with Facebook, get on Twitter, join Google+ and Goodreads, and occasionally share on LinkedIn. That’s it!
· I blog every Monday. I used to do it twice a week, but couldn’t keep up. I’ve learned being consistent keeps you out there and creates an audience.
· I’ve learned to develop a positive mental attitude. Trust me, a PMA will keep you afloat on the days you just want to throw in the towel.
· I’ve learned from other authors. Success leaves clues. Follow the clues.
· Finally, I’ve learned that writing is both a business and a passion. It requires wearing two different hats. You need to juggle these hats if you want to be a successful author.
 |
| Where the Magic Happens... |
I still believe writing is all about the reader. And I still hope to influence, uplift, and empower through my books. My personal motto is: I write to make people’s lives better, create something of value to make them smile. May the fourth be with you, everyone! Cheers!
If you look up the word morale in any dictionary chances are it reads: the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group. For me, as an author, morale means much more than that. It is that needed punch in the arm authors give each other, that WOO-HOO for a 5 star review, that tweet or share or shout out to help authors with their sales, and that blog post comment to help them get on the cyber map.
So how do you go about bolstering author morale? Follow the Golden rule. Treat other authors precisely as you wish them to treat you. If they don’t respond at once, keep at it, again and again and again. If there’s no response, no Esprit de Corps among them, then it may be time to move on and find another group of authors willing to help build your author platform with you. Then, once you’ve establish an Esprit de Corps, you go the extra mile.
Going the extra mile is the state of mind you must develop in order to build morale and keep the momentum going in ANY endeavor. And going the extra mile makes you indispensable to others. You do for them what no one else does. And if they ask what they can do for you, tell them. So the next time you find yourself perusing your favorite social network — go the extra mile and give an author a boost. Share their wares. Like their post. Comment on their blog. Tweet their stuff. Friend and follow them. Trust me—you’ll get it back in aces.
Thanks a heap for reading my blog. Authors, if you have time, please leave a comment and share what you do to go the extra mile with other authors. If you’re a reader, please share what you do to boost your favorite author’s presence? I’d appreciate your input. Cheers!
Well this has been an interesting 2015 so far. Never saw what has happened coming, but life is full of surprises, isn’t it? It began with the closure of my former publisher, Musa Publishing at the end of February, which took all their authors by surprise, including me. Rather than rushing to self-pub and get my two time travel books back up on Amazon and my website ASAP, I decided to contact a new publisher I met at the Windsor-Essex Book Expo last fall. My intuition paid off because I was signed within the week, and found a new home for my MG/YA series with Mirror World Publishing.
A few other Musa Publishing young adult authors have signed on board with Mirror World Publishing, so I’m looking forward to reconnecting and working with them!
Re-release Dates are as follows:
The paperback and ebook for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis will be released on June 17, 2015, through Mirror World Publishing. I will add the new buy links to my website when available.
The paperback and ebook for Legend of the Timekeepers with be released on August 1st, 2013, through Mirror World Publising. I will add the new buy links to my website when available.
NOTE: Both books will be available EVERYWHERE in the world. Yup, you read that right! So you can go into your local bookstore (chain or independent) and ask to order my paperback if you wish. Or if you’re a lover of ebooks, go to Mirror World Publishing’s Web Store or Amazon and grab your virtual copy there. Gotta love technology!
Book Blog Tour Announcement:
I’ve set up a book blog tour with Sapphyria’s Book Promotions from June 17 to June 26th to help spread the word about the re-release of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. It should be a blast with prizes to be won (signed paperback, Babel necklace) new readers to meet, and getting back out into the published world again. Looking forward to reconnecting with my audience!
Goodreads Giveaway in June:
Love doing these! I’ll be setting up a Goodreads Giveaway for multiple copies of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis during the month of June to celebrate the re-lease of book one, so stayed tuned!
Local Stuff:
I thought I’d stretch my sales wings and join Mirror World Publishing at their book during the Art in the Parking Lotcraft show on Saturday, May 30th. Great place to meet local readers and enjoy the weather! Plus the show is only a few weeks before my book is re-released, so it’s a win-win for sharing my wares and getting back into the spotlight!
Updates:
This month has been hectic! It started out with half the family getting together for Easter dinner, followed by my hubby and I going to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs (our favorite NHL team) play the Columbus Blue Jackets. Um…yeah. Need to find another favorite hockey team. On the book business side of things, I’ve been busy tweaking and editing my paranormal romance/suspense for my agents at Walden House (Books & Stuff)due mid-April. My agents also have Lost and Found, book one of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series in the hands of a list of traditional publishers. Unfortunately, Disney Books passed on the series after serious consideration saying they liked my writing and the story, but it didn’t make the final cut. Oh well, I believe things happen for the best. Chin up, and keep smiling!
I’ve got edits due May 1st for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, so I’ll be busy the next two weeks getting those done for my new publisher. After finishing up with these changes, I’ll be back in the writing saddle again to work on book two of The Last Timekeepers saga, which is tentatively called The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret. I’ll be glad to start creating fresh stories for my readers who have been so patient! Big hugs to all of you! Cheers!
There are times when we just gotta clear the chess board and begin the game again with new and improved strategies. Whether it’s in your life or in your work, sometimes you need to shake things up, see what’s left standing, and bulldoze the rest.
If you haven’t already found out through the social media or other blog announcements, Musa Publishing—my publisher of 3½ years—decided to close their virtual doors for good on February 28th, 2015. It was truly a sad day indeed, not only for the scores of authors who had their books published through Musa, but for the editors, book formatters, promotion specialists, and the five owners who put their blood, sweats, and tears into the company. I will always be grateful for Musa Publishing kick-starting my writing career. ALWAYS.
Thankfully, The Last Timekeepers time travel series was picked up immediately by another publisher. Again, I’m on the ground floor of a young publishing company who will bring my books to the next level, and a wider audience. Last week I signed two contracts with Mirror World Publishing for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, and the prequel to the series, Legend of the Timekeepers. Both books will be available for purchase worldwide in paperback and ebook format this summer. I’m so excited about this opportunity to reach new readers, continue on with my series, and create something of value to make people of all ages smile.
The chess board has been reset. The game has begun.
Recently, my son-in-law (SIL) told me about this documentary he watched in his university course about the penal system in the 1950s. He’s studying law enforcement and this documentary was a case study where they took students to live in a prison-like setting. Half the students were told that they were the prisoners and the other half were the guards. The take home message from this case study was that ALL the students fell into their roles and didn’t veer from them. If they were prisoners, then they were stuck in character. If guards, that’s who they became. This got me thinking. Our thoughts are so powerful. If we BELIEVE we’re writers, and practice this ROLE, then by God, we begin to FEEL like writers.
Sometimes it’s a matter of unplugging from the hard-wiring we’ve had growing up. As children, we fall into roles quite easily and sometimes are stuck in these roles for the rest of our lives. An ‘A’ student will always be the smart one. The ‘C’ student won’t. When I began the journey to be a published author, at first I thought only teachers or people with masters in English or in creative writing were good enough to be authors. It was a huge obstacle to overcome for me mentally, but overcome I did. I broke the mold that I was stuck in for years.
Once I retrained my mind, I developed a positive mental attitude, and I found that I started to feel free from the limitations I grew up with. It really didn’t matter if I didn’t possess an English degree or MFA, I knew I could learn to become a published author by sheer determination, perseverance, patience, and practice. I had the time to invest in following my heart, and I did.
I made a commitment. I scheduled my time. And I asked for support from my family or friends when I needed it. Remember the only thing holding you back from your writing aspirations is YOU. Break out of the role that’s keeping you from your dreams. You’ll be happier and healthier in the long run.
Thanks a heap for reading my blog. If you have time, please leave a comment and share what YOU do to create the role of writer for yourself. Cheers!
NOTE: This post was originally featured on Susan Gourley’s blog. You can find out about this wonderful fantasy, romance, and science fiction author who also writes as Susan Kelley HERE.
During November 2014, I decided to go gung-ho and promote my two time travel books. So I prepared a plan and outlined it HERE. This is gist of my book promo strategy:
1. I created a Goodreads Giveaway for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, and the prequel to the series, Legend of the Timekeepers. I offered only one signed paperback book, and included signed trading cards. I made these giveaways international, hoping to reach a lot of readers worldwide, and ran it for the first three weeks in November.
2. I signed up for a month-long Holiday Giveaway with Mother Daughter Book Reviews. The prize was a Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet, perfect for the upcoming holiday season. I was hoping to reach my target audience with this giveaway, since Mother Daughter focuses on reviewing children and middle grade books. The price of being part of the giveaway was $10, so it seemed a no-brainer to me.
3. Along with doing the Holiday Giveaway with Mother Daughter Book Reviews, an offer was given to authors to support Daughter by purchasing a $30 coupon book for her school’s fundraising campaign. And the offer? A promotion package which included advertising my book cover on the site’s sidebar for 30 days (which gets about 50,000 views monthly), plus a book review, and a two week Mini Social Media Blitz. Normally this promotion would have cost me over $70, so it seemed like a win-win to me! Plus the coupon book has already paid for itself! LOL!
4. As I mentioned in the outline, I’m part of this fantastic tween author group called Emblazon. We planned a HUGE Rafflecopter giveaway for a new Kindle preloaded with over 50 of the Emblazoners middle grade books which ran for the first 2 weeks of November. In addition, a Facebook party was set up for three days where readers could interact with authors and win great prizes. This was all to advertise the release our 2014-2015 Winter catalogue in time for the holiday season.
5. I participated at the Windsor-Essex Book Expo on Sunday, November 23rd to build my brand, connect with local authors, and meet readers. Along with my paperbacks, I brought a huge jar of Twizzlers® to hand out to the kids and adults, signed trading cards, and postcards.
And the results…drum roll please:
Goodreads Giveaways: What a surprise here folks! I couldn’t believe the entries I received. For The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, I had 2100 entries—a new record! And for Legend of the Timekeepers, I garnered 1502 readers wanting to win—another record! One book ended up going to Turkey for a cost of $11.65, and the second book surprisingly went to Quebec, Canada for $4.10. Not bad if you include the price of the books ($10 each). I was more after exposure here, which I got big-time. Plus I connected with one of the winners, who said he’d write a review for me.
Mother Daughter Book Reviews Holiday Giveaway: There were 34,002 entries for the Kindle Fire Kid’s Edition. Not bad in my books! Congrats to winner Joelle D. Again, exposure was the name of the game here. I wanted to get my book out in front of my target audience, and generate interest in my author brand.
Promotion Package with Mother Daughter Book Reviews: This finished December 8th, and I have to say I got some pretty good buzz with this promo plus a wonderful book review. I reached new Twitter followers, and received some more likes on Facebook. The shocker came on December 8th when my Amazon Bestseller Rank skyrocketed from 700,000 to 97,000. Um…huh? I didn’t see that coming, especially since my rank in November kept going down. Must have done something right!
Emblazon Preloaded Kindle Giveaway: I was mildly disappointed with the Facebook party, but we held strong and got a few readers stopping by to comment during my allotted time. In fact, I believe the winner of my ebook was a book reviewer, so you never know! We did manage to get more likes on our Emblazon Facebook page, so I feel we did okay. As for generating interest in our 2014-2015 Winter Catalog, the stats are in: 222 new subscribers for a total of 338 subscribers for our catalog! We’ve only been doing this for 2 years, and we’re all very HAPPY with these results! The Emblazoners even purchased another Kindle during the Black Friday sales for the next promotion. So stay tuned…
Windsor-Essex Book Expo:This event has all to do with location, location, location. And it wasn’t the best location for walk-in traffic. That said, I did sell seven books, so after factoring in the cost of renting a table ($35) and buying the candy ($10), I come away with about $25 in my pocket. Um…considering this event ran from 10 am to 5 pm, I made about $3.57 an hour. Again, this was about networking with other authors and meeting perspective readers—which I did. Plus the licorice was a BIG hit, and was a great ice breaker! I also made a few author connections too. Would I do this event again? Sure, and hopefully next year’s venue will be in a high traffic area.
Bottom line:With all the promotion and marketing I did during November 2014, my Amazon author rank and sales dropped drastically until AFTER December 8th, when my rank took a surprising turn for the better. Not sure why it took so long, but so happy it did! This whole author/promoter/marketer business is one crazy roller coaster ride to begin with. What did happen during the month that surprised me was that a 19-year-old reader from the Netherlands connected with me through Goodreads, and we struck up a relationship. She loves my books, and even reread the prequel and sent me a detailed email asking questions about the book. She even asked if she could review my writing in the future, so I think I’ve found my dream beta reader. Now that’s a super fan! And truthfully, this is what authors are after in the long run—cultivating relationships with readers that will last a lifetime.
Only time will tell whether these promotion strategies will translate into long term sales, but since I’m in for the long haul, I feel most were good investments.
Plans for 2015:I want to finish up the second book in my time travel series by spring to submit to my publisher this year, plus I'm going to have anniversary book blasts in May and August for my existing MG/YA books. There will also be at least four Goodreads Giveaways during 2015, so stay tuned for those contests. I’m within chapters of finishing revising and editing my first book—a paranormal romance with a Beauty and the Beast twist—my agent has requested, and hope to have the MS in her hands in February. I wanted to get The Last Timekeepers and Arch of Atlantis and Legend of the Timekeepers out on audio books, but have found that this Amazon service is only available to residents of the US and UK. Bummer. I'm hoping that Amazon's audio book service (ACX) will open up to the Canadian authors in the near future.
Authors—what promotional strategies have worked for you? What haven’t? Readers—what book promotions seem to hook your attention? Love to hear from you! Cheers and thank you for reading my post!
In my recent time travel yarn, Legend of the Timekeepers, the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series, I give you an up-close-and-personal look at Belial, the nasty antagonist of the entire series. Love him or hate him, Belial is the foundation that cements this middle grade/young adult time travel series together. Face it, without a villain to fight, a hero has no purpose, no goal. And the Timekeepers need a quest in Earth’s past to stop Belial from changing history, or all hell will break loose. Which, by the way, is exactly what Belial wants to happen. Bahahaha!
The following recipe will make you look like a hero in the eyes of your family and friends. It takes about 25 minutes prep time, and a total of 5 hours (including refrigerating) to create. And it's a perfect choice to serve on New Year's Day! Can you say chocolate?
One Devilishly Charming Chocolate Mousse Cake
½ cup chocolate syrup
1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix (we use Betty Crocker® Double Fudge)
1 cup water
⅓ cup oil
7 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 package (250 g/ approx ½ lb) cream cheese brick, softened 1 cup sugar
1 can (370 mL/12 oz) evaporated milk
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted (we use Baker’s®)
1 cup thawed whipped topping (we use Cool Whip®)
PREHEAT oven to 375°.
SPRAY 3-L (12 cup) fluted tube pan (Bundt) with cooking spray. Pour in chocolate syrup; tilt pan to evenly cover bottom with syrup.
BEAT cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs with mixer for 2 minutes or until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Pour over syrup in pan.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add remaining eggs; mix well. Blend in evaporated milk and melted chocolate; gently spoon over cake batter. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray, sprayed-side down.
PLACE Bundt pan in large pan (like a lasagna pan). Add enough water to larger pan to come at least 2 inches up side of Bundt pan. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely in Bundt pan on wire rack. Refrigerate 2 hours. Invert cake onto plate; remove pan.
SERVE with whipped topping. Makes 24 servings.
NOTE: To unmold cooled cake, use a long thin spatula to loosen the cake from the sides of Bundt pan. Place plate over pan; invert cake onto plate. Spoon any chocolate syrup remaining in pan over cake.
Now while you’re waiting for this devilishly good chocolate mousse cake to cool, how about making a date with Belial and the Timekeepers? After all, better the devil you know, than the one you don’t!
Happy New Years to all my readers! May 2015 bring you much love, happiness, blessings, and contentment! Cheers!
 |
| Sharing the Good things in Life with my BFF |
The upcoming American Thanksgiving paves the way for the holiday season, and because many of my author friends live in the USA, I feel I’m celebrating being thankful right along with them. Thanksgiving (both in Canada and America) not only gives us time to be with family and friends, but to think about what we’re truly grateful for. It’s also a time for us to reflect on the past year, and take stock in what we have reaped and accomplished thus far. As some of you know, I moved from cottage country to the warmer southern climate of Ontario this summer, and have never looked back. So in keeping with the spirit of giving thanks, I’d like to share one of my experiences since moving down here that I’ll always be grateful for…
Living in wine country has its benefits. So when my BFF came down for a visit this past September, it was a no-brainer on where to take her. Setting a course for a couple of wineries, getting lost for about 15 minutes, then finally getting back on track, we made it to the first winery, and we were not disappointed.
To be honest, I’ve never been to a wine tasting. Usually they’re free if you purchase a bottle. We both tried a few—my BFF preferring red, and I going to the light side, our palette’s danced and tonsils rocked to the taste of each wine sampled. My house warming gift consisted of a rather nice chardonnay. Salute!
Next, we asked for directions to the next winery (far be it for us to put our faith in an out-dated GPS). We found it easily, and met up with a whole lot of bikers on their Ride for MS. What a fun group! We met kindred spirits and wine lovers in two participants named Sharon and Mike, and did a selfie with them! Fun times! Of course more wine was sampled and bought before we cashed in our chips and headed back home.
This whole experience has taught me something. It takes a lot of time to grow, nurture, and prepare grapes before the wine making process begins and after the wine is bottled. It’s a huge industry that relies on many people. So how would you compare making wine to writing a book? It comes down to this: some wines take years to be released into the world, while others maybe months. Authors can crank out words like stomping on grapes until they’re satisfied with the tone and flavor. Other authors take their time, allowing their words to ferment for a while, let breathe, until they too are ready to uncork their properties. However you write, and whatever you write, you can be sure of one thing: everyone’s tastes are different, and there’s bound to be an audience just for you.
What or who are you grateful for this time of the season? Your health? Your family? Your job? Red or white? Fiction or non-fiction? For me, it’s our new home, living closer to family, and knowing in my heart that it was time for a change. Oh, yeah, and white, definitely white. Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and family! Cheers and thank you for reading my blog!
 |
| And a Good Time was had by All! |
I began writing my master business plan for publishing my novel series on March 9th, 2011. This was about 1½ years before I had a signed publishing contract under my belt. Since then, there have been many revisions to this plan. I decided to write down a business plan when I took the plunge to learn all I could about starting a blog to help me develop an author platform. After a few months of intense research, my blog launched May 4th, 2011. Publishing my first post was the beginning of putting my plan into action, and it was truly a lift off for me and my writing career.
My business plan and strategy spans five pages. I’ve broken down the plan into headings, and what I’d like to see happen. I’ve set short term goals (next 1-5 years) and long term goals (10 plus years). I also have an objective, which helps me keep my feet on the ground and fingers on the keyboard. I review my plan quarterly, and revise it once a year. This helps me keep on track and weed out the things I’m doing that aren’t working for me.
So how do you even go about preparing a business plan for your writing career? Every writer is different of course, and I can only give you the benefit of my experience writing MG/YA novel series. But we all have to start somewhere.
First:Begin with your objective. Why are you writing in the first place, and what do you hope to accomplish. I want to give readers an experience they’ll never forget, and organize my life around what makes me happy. Figure out your objective, and get it down!
Second:List your short term goals. What do you hope to accomplish in 1, 3, 5 years? Don’t go overboard you can only handle so much. Once you figure out what these goals are break them down into headings like ‘Online Presence’, ‘Website’, ‘Novels’, ‘Work in Progress’, ‘Time Management and Commitments’, ‘Sales Plan’, ‘Promotion and Marketing Strategy’, and ‘Financial Goals’.
Third: Now for the fun part! Under your headings list the steps you need to take to accomplish your goals. For example, under my ‘Online Presence’ heading I’ve listed in point form all the tasks I need to do to keep my author name out there in cyberspace. Here are some examples:
- I’ve joined HootSuite to help schedule my shares and tweets.
- Guest Blog on other author blogs within the same genre, and make sure to share this info on my social media groups.
- Continue to do interviews with other authors, especially when there’s a new release.
- Approach book blog reviewers, especially a month before a new release. Offer a free copy for honest review.
- Offer my blog as a platform for other YA authors—either interviews or guest posts.
Fourth:Depending on the amount of headings and steps you have, make sure you don’t pile on too much as to make this plan unmanageable. Get real with what you can handle, delegate what you can’t. I had to hire a web designer. No shame in that.
Fifth: Now onto the long term goals. Remember to dream big too! Would you like your books translated into movies? How many books do you plan on writing? What about a book series? Or graphic novels? How many books are you planning on writing in your series? Create a master plan for each series too. It will be easier on you in the long run. Intellectual property like video games or apps is also important to think about and write down. After all, you never know what the future holds if you don’t help it along.
Sixth:Finally, SIGN the bottom of your master business plan. This makes it real. Commit to it. Revise it when things aren’t working out, or your situation has changed. Be flexible, and ask for help if necessary. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your writing career.
Here’s a formula that will keep things in perspective and keep you on track of your writing goals: TIME + BACKLIST (4 or more books) = SUSTAINABLE AUTHOR CAREER.
Thank you for reading my blog. Have you created a master business plan for your writing or anything else you’d love to pursue? If so, please comment and share your experiences. Love to hear from you! Cheers!
Sticky, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth heaven. I’m talking about S’Mores – one of the mainstays of camping and a first choice with kids around the campfire. Here’s an easy-peasy treat that takes five minutes to prep, fifteen minutes to make, and serves eight. And guess what? No campfire is required. You can create this treat in the comfort of your own back yard with your barbecue.
What You Need:8 jumbo marshmallows
16 milk chocolate squares
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
½ cup of crumbled honey graham wafers (about 3) spread on a plate, plus 16 whole wafers for serving
Maple grilling plank, soaked in water for 2 hours
What You Do:Preheat barbecue to medium.
Make a slit in the middle of each marshmallow end. Stuff each marshmallow with 2 squares of chocolate (one in each end), hiding chocolate inside. Lightly brush stuffed marshmallows with butter and roll in graham crumb to coat evenly.
Grill soaked plank for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (to help intensify smoky flavor and prevent warping). Once plank begins to smoke and crackle, place prepared marshmallows on top and close barbecue lid. Bake for 3 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly toasted and slightly gooey.
Remove plank from barbecue and set on metal pan. Serve marshmallows directly on plank with whole wafers for scooping and sandwiching.
ADDED BONUS – if you feel adventurous you can spread smooth peanut butter over the milk chocolate squares before stuffing it into the marshmallow. Trust me—it will make a peanut butter cup blush. Oh, and make sure you have plenty of napkins or wipes on hand. Enjoy!
Note: The following post was originally published on the Writer’s Fun Zone blog, a site designed to help writers succeed and improve their author platform. When you have time, I urge you to check out this fantastic resource.
This post could have also been dubbed ‘Balance 101 for Authors’. About sixteen months ago the first novel in my middle-grade/YA time travel series hit the cyber bookshelves. There was so much to do, and it felt like there wasn’t enough time to do everything. I needed a time portal just to get all my marketing and promoting put in place. This included getting a website up and running, ordering promotional giveaways, setting up blog hops, writing blog posts, and joining the appropriate social media networks. The lists seemed endless, and when the date finally arrived for my book release, I was wearing my shoulders as earrings.
Needless to say, by the end of my first book blog tour, I was exhausted, spent, and bent out of shape. Even my eyelids ached.
What I learned from that whole experience last year is that authors need to learn to structure their writing life, or their writing will take a nose dive. We need to learn to create balance so that the task of being a writer plus a marketer plus a promoter doesn’t wear us down. So, how do we do this when so much is expected of a writer nowadays?
Start with finding your comfort zone. Find your personal comfort level with promotion or marketing, do that and do no more. That’s it. Do it. Or you’ll get burned. If you don’t heed my advice, then sure as shooting, negativity will leach into your writing. And that’s the last thing a writer wants!
Need help finding your comfort zone? Go to the dollar store and buy a timer. It will be one of the most important investments (and cheapest) as a writer you will make. For less than two dollars you can purchase a piece of sanity to help you organize your writing life and keep you in your zone. Set your timer to check emails. Fifteen minutes? Twenty minutes? Then do the same for Facebook and Twitter. But keep in mind which activity will help you as an author in the long run. Apply the 80/20 rule. Write (produce) for 80%, promote and market for only 20%. After all—social networking is a marketing strategy—as long as you treat it as such. Then, once you have laid the timer law down, set it for how long you want to sit and just write, with no interruptions (unless the dog really needs to pee).
So, stop pushing the zone. Relax. Let go. Breathe.
That doesn’t mean writers shouldn’t learn or try new things. By all means learn and try. Get your hands dirty if you must. But don’t burst a vein in your brain doing it. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you collapse into a quivering mass of writer goo. As writers, we must protect our work—and ourselves. It takes time to build an on-line (and off-line) marketing presence in this new publishing world. Learn this, cut yourself some slack, and prosper.
Thank you for reading my blog. How do you find balance as a writer? Love to hear your voices…
There are many people in the world eager to take the back end rewards without contributing effort at the front end. They have the attitude of entitlement. Asking, “What can I get out of it?”
Um…not how the Universe works. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Look at it this way: A farmer earns rewards after the harvest, putting in his or her effort (a.k.a. blood, sweat, and tears) up front by preparing the ground, planting the seeds, nursing the seeds, making sure the seeds are not crowded out by other species, and are properly irrigated. With me so far? Then after harvesting the crop, the farmer collects the back end reward. Having no idea at the start what that final reward may be, farmers know only what might come from their labors if they do everything right. If the farmer messes up or Mother Nature steps in and wreaks havoc, then it makes sense that a lesser reward is taken. The farmer is only entitled to the results of the harvest.
So how does this work for writers?
Simple. All writers should ask themselves, “What can I put into my writing career to get the best possible reward?” Figure out what steps you need to take, and from there follow the farmer analogy above exchanging the word ‘seeds’ for ‘books’. Every author writes for different reasons. To hit the bestseller list, you need to be in for the long haul. Patience is the name of the game here. To make any kind of money in this business—and like farming, writing IS a business—it takes time plus a back-list of about 4 books to produce a sustainable author career. You need a plan if you want to become a professional writer which includes some form of on-line presence like a website or blog (think irrigation). If you’re just writing for you and having a blast self-publishing on Amazon or Smashwords, you’re strategy may not be the same, but you will still earn rewards. So figure out what you need to put into your writing career/hobby and work toward those back end rewards.
Thank you for reading my blog. If you have time, please leave a comment and share what you’re putting into your writing career, and how it’s worked out so far. Cheers!
Ribs - a favorite of Grill Warriors. Ribs conjure up images of cook-offs and eat-to-the-death contests at festivals and fairs. Here’s a sweet and spicy rib recipe that will make your neighbors jealous, and your friends and family get down on their knees to beg you to make every time they visit. The secret is in the sauce, and most people can’t get enough of it! It takes fifteen minutes to prep, with a cook time of two hours and is ready in three hours, fifteen minutes. In the end, you’ll have enough ribs to serve eight, but will most likely kick yourself (or be kicked) for not preparing extra!
Backwoods Barbecue Ribs 4 pounds pork spareribs (we use back ribs)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup Heinz® Ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup rum (we use amber or dark)
½ cup Heinz® Chili Sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 dash ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
Cut spareribs into serving size portions, wrap in double thickness of foil, and bake for 1½ hours. Unwrap, and drain drippings. Place ribs in a large roasting pan.
In a bowl mix together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rum, chili sauce, garlic, mustard, and pepper. Coat ribs with sauce and marinate at room temperature for one hour, OR refrigerate overnight.
Preheat grill for medium temperature. Position grate four inches above heat source.
Brush grill grate with oil. Place ribs on grill, and cook for thirty minutes, basting with marinade.
WARNING—if eating outside, anything with wings (fairies included) will end up sticking to your hands, fingers, or face, so make sure you have plenty of napkins or wipes on hand. Enjoy!
View Next 5 Posts
