new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Do You Know Your Target? Morgan Mandel, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 11 of 11
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Do You Know Your Target? Morgan Mandel 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.
 |
After my Fortune Hunt, I was
happier than she is! |
Some of you ladies may not relate to this. You're the perfectly organized ones, with spotless homes, and always put everything in its place. You'd never think of changing purses without completely emptying the first purse before using the next.
I feel sorry for you, because you're missing out on playing the Fortune Hunt.
Here's how you play it. When you change purses, you don't empty the first one completely. In your hurry to get the next purse ready, you leave stray items inside the first: receipts, shopping lists, paper money, especially singles, and a bit of change.
Then you forget about using that first purse, or decide you just don't like it as much. You don't throw it away. You put it in the closet. Well, this goes on with more than one set of purses, because, let's face it, if you love purses as I do, you'll have plenty to play the game with.
Now comes the really fun part. When you need money, you go on the Fortune Hunt. I went on one this morning and found sixty dollars in my purses, plus eight dollars in change laying around my desk in singles and change! I'll use it all on my next vacation.
A little something of how this ties in with books. It just so happens that Zoe, the heroine in my upcoming romantic comedy release,
Her Handyman, is also not a neatnick. She's an artist, and is more caught up with painting than inessentials. Well, she doesn't have to go on a Fortune Hunt, because she's got tons of money, but at least I admire where her heart is, with her passion, not stuff that doesn't matter as much.
Her Handyman Coming Soon to Kindle!
Morgan's Amazon Author Page:
http://amazon.com/author/morganmandelFind Links to Morgan's Books for other formats at
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com
Shoes say a lot about a person. So don't forget to mention them when you're describing what your characters wear.
Why am I thinking about shoes? That's because I spent all morning cleaning out the bottom of my closet, where the shoes collected over the years were running amuck.(figuratively speaking)
The result is I'm donating four bags of shoes to Goodwill, and I have more room in the closet. No, I'm not buying more shoes to fill any of the empty spaces. At least not for now!
For excerpts and buy links to Morgan's novels,
check out
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com
“Self-Publishing is No Longer a Dirty Word”
By Jean Henry Mead
Not everyone agrees that independent publishing is the key to writing success, but a growing number of authors are proving the naysayers wrong. More and more writers are leaving their publishers to strike out on their own, some with unparelled success, such as Robert Walker, who has repeatedly said that the secret to success is to consistently turn out quality work on a regular basis.
But even Rob will admit that there’s more to it than that. We’ve all heard that writers need a platform and a fan base of readers who trust the author to turn out quality work. But how does one acquire a fan base? Not by hermitting him or herself at the computer without making contact with the outside world. Those days are over.
When I put together my second volume of mystery writer interview, I met some successful new writers, among them Canadian bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, who publishes not only her own work but others with her Imajin Press from Alberta.
She says in The Mystery Writers: “In 2010 Amazon opened KDP to Canadian authors and I went back to my roots—to indie publishing. For me it's probably the best fit. I am by nature very independent and a strong marketer. Plus I'm ‘an idea person.’ Even my old publisher saw this in me and often called me a "guru" or "marketing genius." While I don't consider myself a ‘genius’ I do know that I'm a risk-taker.”
Independent publishing isn’t for everyone. It requires not only writing talent but good marketing skills and industry know-how to succeed. A number of other self- publishers are included in The Mystery Writers as well as bestselling traditionally published novelists such as Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block, J.A. Jance, Vicki Hinze and James Scott Bell (former Writer’s Digest fiction columnist).
Tim Hallinan, award-winning author of the traditionally published Poke Rafferty mystery/thriller series, decided to self-publish his Junior Bender series—humorous stories of a burglar with a “moral code who works as a private eye for crooks.” Tim’s earlier novels earned him critical acclaim but not enough money to retire from his day job. He now earns thousands of dollars a month with his self-published ebooks.
He said the reason he decided to leave his agent and publisher is because “the money we were offered by the publishers wasn’t very good. I looked at the offers and thought, ‘I’d rather own my books.”
Rebecca Dahlke once managed her father’s crop dusting service in Modesto, California, and decided that her protagonist—a beautiful former model—should also be a crop duster. She then decided to independently publish her novels, with successful results. Rebecca, like Cheryl, is a promoter and a humorous one at that. She says, “Self-publishing is no longer a dirty word. . . Eons ago, back in the dark ages (of publishing)—was it really only five years ago?—all we authors could hope for was a good agent,
All those pesky little details an author better get right, or else--
Late afternoon yesterday I noticed all our early blooming daffodils, both in the backyard by the kitchen window and by the fence, had fallen over. I thought that may have been due to the strong winds, but just in case it was from the heat, I gave the ones by the kitchen window some water.
This morning, both sets of daffodils had sprung back up, so my conclusion is they didn't like the heat, but revived during the night because it was cooler.
Daffodils do not usually bloom in Illinois this early, nor do forsythia bushes, green grass, and other tulips happen yet. We also don't usually have bees circling our backyard, ants on the sidewalk, gnats in the air, or mosquitos flying around, not to mention 80+ temperatures this early in the season. This year is an exception, which I've heard is due to a jetstream.
If you were writing a book with a setting near Chicago, Illinois, and the timeframe of March, unless you were specifically mentioning this year, all the things I mentioned above wouldn't be here. Instead, to ground your readers in a story, you'd mention snow starting to melt, or grass still brown, if you even see it peeking from the snow. The temperatures would typically be in the 50s, or if you're lucky the 60s. You might see a few buds on the bushes, or daffodils or tulips beginning to come up, but not blooming. The insects would also be few and far between.
When I wrote Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, I had to check certain details also, such as when the rose bushes bloom, and when they're dormant, what the temperature is in Scottsdale, Arizona compared to Flagstaff, even what time it's sunset in that part of the country. Though I'd taken a trip to Scottsdale in April, 2011, and garnered much information which proved useful, that didn't mean what I witnessed in April was typical for other times of the year in that area, or even in Flagstaff.
Fortunately, the Internet is a great source for learning such pesky little details. An author needs to get them right, because, God forbid, if they're wrong, a reader will notice.
What other pesky little details should authors be aware of? Can you share any you've encountered when writing a book?
By the way, the thriller I mentioned, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, is on sale on
kindle at 99 cents through March 24, 2012, after which it returns to $1.99. It's also available at the regular price of $1.99 in other electronic formats, and is in
5 Comments on Pesky Little Details, last added: 3/22/2012
I keep hearing that even though popular networks such as Facebook and Twitter exist, blogs are still an excellent way to gain followers for whatever you wish to market, including books. That being the case, I thought we could share blog links and, if you'd like, also mention something about your blog(s).
If some of you are like me, you probably contribute to more than one of them, so let's keep it to four for each person. After that, I'm afraid our readers may get glassy eyed.
Here are mine:
Double M's Take on Books, Blogs, Dogs, Networking & Life - http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/
My personal blog about what the title says. I also hosts guests from time to time. This used to be a daily blog, but now I try to get a blog in once a week, since I've been busy working on my Forever Young-Blessing or Curse manuscript.
Acme Authors Link - http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/
My group blog, where I post every Wednesday. The members here write romances and mysteries. We post writing tips and share our writing lives, and at times host guests.
Make Mine Mystery - http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/ - My posting days are the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month, but lately I've also been doing all the Mondays, since we're short a few members.
As you can guess from the title, our members all write mysteries and our focus is on that genre. At times we host guests.
The Blood-Red Pencil - http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ - My posting days are the 1st and 2nd Tuesday of the month. This blog is comprised mainly of freelance editors and some authors like myself. We offer editing and writing tips and also host guests occasionally.
Your turn. Tell us about your blogs and don't forget to include the links.
Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/
 |
| Make Mine Mystery |
 |
| Acme Authors Link |
 |
Forever Young
Blessing or Curse |
I'm almost through editing Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, but there's still time to add extra touches. One item I'm kicking around is whether or not to give a hobby to my main character, a 55 year old widow who turns 24.
Should she have one? Will it make her more well rounded?
My main hobbies, which have exploded into consuming occupations are writing and social networking, followed closely by reading. I love acquiring new gadgets, like my iPhone and kindle, but that's not exactly a hobby. I'm not sure if watching DVDs would qualify either. Television watching is out. Though I'd love to do so, I hardly ever find anything worthwhile on TV to watch anymore.
I took piano lessons for a few years and tried cross stitching. That was almost 30 years ago. Even further in my past, as a child I played the accordion, took tap and ballet lessons, and even went around collecting coins from change, sidewalks and park grounds.
I'm not sure if any of these hobbies would work for my character. Do you have any suggestions? Or maybe you'd just like to share your hobby.
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
7 Comments on Get a Hobby, last added: 10/6/2011
As usual, I took Rascal for a walk around the neighborhood. Also as usual, I saw many For Sale signs, most of which had been up for at least a year.
Then I noticed something different. One of the signs said SOLD! That was a happy surprise. It feels good to witness someone's success, even if I don't know that person. I have no idea about the circumstances behind the sale. Perhaps the seller had to lower the price drastically. Maybe the seller decided to make further improvements to make the property more eye catching or up to standards.Maybe a new realtor entered the picture. Maybe the right advertising was done. Whatever the case, the end result was a sale.
It didn't take me long to make the connection betweem that and the author situation. Many of us are either doing what we can to get noticed by an agent or editor, or going through the steps for self-publishing. Whatever the case, our manuscripts need to be in tiptop shape, and appealing. It doesn't stop there. Once our books are published, be it electronically, in print, or both, we need to get noticed. We need to spread the word our books are quality and are really great reads.
One way is to find our target audience and go after it, so our books can be SOLD, like that house.
What other ways are there?
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle &
Smashwords,
Also in print at $13.95
Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse coming soon.
Two Wrongs also to be
re-released at
99 cents on Kindle
& Smashwords.
One of the egroups I belong to was discussing taglines and their importance. They're those little phrases or sentences, sometimes two, that give a reader a sense of your author style.
My first was Fast-paced, poignant suspense.
My website now says Offering Diversity and Versatility.
I'm not sure which I'll keep, or if I'll change it again. It would be easier if I stuck to one style, but I kind of skip around from mystery, to romantic comedy, to romantic suspense, and now to thriller in the genres of my books.
What about you? What's your tagline? Or, don't you have one? Or, maybe you really like someone else's. Let us know.
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
If you like romantic suspense,
Killer Career is 99 cents
on
Kindle and
Smashwords.
Also available in print at
Amazon and other vendors.
Today, I'm inviting everyone to leave links for your group blog, your own or others. There are many great ones out there, and we need to get the word out.
I'll start with mine -
Acme Authors Link - http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/ - where I blog every Wednesday -
A great group of romance and mystery authors sharing experiences as authors in our genres and writing tips in general.
Make Mine Mystery - http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/ -
As the name implies, we're mystery authors. Our posts reflect that, as well as observations on the writing craft.
The Blood-Red Pencil - http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/
A group of editors and authors, who share tips on writing and editing.
All of my group blogs also host guests on occasion.
Those are mine. What are yours?
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
Morgan Mandel's current romantic
suspense,
Killer Career, is 99 cents on
Kindle and
Smashwords.
Her debut mystery, Two Wrongs,
will soon be re-released on Kindle
and Smashwords starting at
99 cents.
Soon to come - A thriller -
Forever Young-Blessing or
Curse.
Real time has a way of escaping. Summer flashes by so quickly before you know it its time to get the Christmas list going.
Don't let this happen to you when you write. You need to keep your readers grounded. You can't let time of day, day of the week, month or season escape, or your readers will get confused, or even angry.You can cheat on the year, if you want to keep it generic, but you need to be consistent. For instance, you can't describe a 70's happening when you want the book to occur in present time, unless you're doing a flashback.
 |
Forever Young
Blessing or Curse |
While editing Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, I found spots where I'd meandered from the timeline, saying in one place three months had passed, then later I'd unintentionally jumped back to one of those past months.
It gets tricky to keep track of a timeline, but it's essential to do so. The best and easiest way to do this is by keeping track as you go along, but of course I chose the hard way. I wrote what I wanted and then had to face the consequences when I edited. I had to go back through the chapters and figure out exactly when each event took place and make corrections. For that, I started taking notes, but found that too tedious. I then proceeded to write events on a printed calendar, but couldn't fit them in, not to mention that after typing for so many years, my handwriting is hard for even me to read.
Inspiration struck and I did what I should have done at the beginning. I told Microsoft Word to find me a calendar, and it offered me a nice selection. I chose one with lines and columns on one side, holidays underneath, and on the other side the actual calendar for the year, with all the months, days and dates. With this calendar I can type in what I want and even change the column headings if I so desire. Mine say Events, Date, Time and Day. So far it's working pretty well.
I'm happy with my new way of keeping track of the timeline. Now I can be sure my readers and I both know the answer to the When Is It question.
What's your way? Or, maybe you'd like to try mine.
http://www.morganmandel.com/http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ Killer Career now 99 cents
on Kindle and
Smashwords.
Some authors write the book of their heart. They enjoy the experience so much they can't and won't write any other way. When they're through, they have a quandary. What's their audience? Who will read their book?
Others right away target a specific audience before even starting their manuscript. They don't have as much trouble finding an audience.
Then there's another category. They write the book of their heart, plus have a good idea who might like it. They have the ideal situation, unless they're wrong about who'd really like their book.
For my upcoming paranormal suspense, Forever Young - Blessing or Curse, I'm hoping to belong to the last category, and also hoping the senior audience will enjoy it. If younger ones like it, that will be an added boon I'd love to happen.
What about you? Which category do you fit in? If you know your target, what is it?
Morgan Mandel
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/Every Thursday a new post about a
Spunky Senior. July 7 Maggie
Toussaint goes kayaking!
My romantic suspense,
Killer Career, is 99 cents on
Kindle &
Smashwords.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Sounds great to me ... our granddaughter, an artists and vocalist, is named Zoe, and my husband Rick is a handyman!
Among your random acts of kindness, consider donating some of those purses with some of their mysterious contents to a shelter?
Wow! That's quite a windfall of 'forgotten' money. Congrats!
And I can't wait to read "Her Handyman".
Got my second edits back today, and not much to change, so I guess I did something right. Yay!
Now, I'm at that nervous stage, afraid I forgot something. Will check it over in kindel format tomorrow before releasing it.
Morgan Mandel
I'm quite glad to see FuFu on the cover. Yay!
I wouldn't dare leave FuFu off!
Morgan Mandel
Fun post. I love it when I pull out a jacket I haven't worn in a while and find money it it. Most I've found is $20, though. You did find a fortune. LOL
That's because I have lots of purses, Maryann! One hadn't been checked since my first book was published in 2006.
Morgan Mandel
I'm always amazed at the stuff I leave in a purse. There have been times when I've searched through my purses for a lipstick. Silly, I know, but I've done it.
DL Larson
I clean out my purses, but always leave a bit of change. I hate clutter and get rid of everything. If I haven't used it for a year it goes to Amvets.
Margot
www.mjustes.com