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I am so super-exhausted. I cannot even adequately describe. It's been a really busy couple of weeks. I've been working on something really exciting (really, really REALLY exciting, ok?) but I'm not spilling the beans yet. Anyway, at the moment, it is in the bag as much as it possibly can be at this juncture -- SO, that's GOOD. I have a real sense of accomplishment and I have very high hopes. Please please please send lots of happy vibes!!

I'm also working on a pet portrait -- SO cute -- a St. Bernard (my first)!! Also will be doing an upcoming cover for the Graphic Artists Guild national newsletter. I'm trying to brainstorm something really good, but also really "me" for the supplied subject matter, and let me tell ya, it's a teeny bit of a challenge so far, but I think I can do it. ;)

Also, more kid art for some promos coming up real soon. One of thise pieces is going to be for Picture Book 2009. I'm so excited that I'll have a presence in PB 2009 under the Tugeau 2 umbrella. Yippee!! Pretty awesome.

Another promo I'll be doing is for something different. For that one, I will likely tackle the window-shopper girl and do a final piece of it (finally, you say? ;) ) I'm thinking that might be nice in pen and ink (traditional). I may do some revisiting of long-past-used mediums soon (namely, liquid ink). Not sure about that, though -- we'll see. More on that later.

Lastly, my agency started a BLOG!! It's a great thing and I'm glad. I plan to contribute regularly, not sure of the exact schedule, but regularly. For starters to get the blog rolling, I'll let you know when I post and maybe you will check it out. It's bound to be a great outlet -- LOTS of really talented, really great artists. (Lucky me to be in such stellar company!)

In personal news (and just for kicks, I'll share), I attended my 20th high school reunion this past weekend. What a trip that was. It was really great to see old faces and catch up a bit. With some, I felt like there was so much to say and not even time to scratch the surface. You're at a loss for words in those situations, what can you say. (Half the time, I'm like, what just flew out of my mouth?) Anyway, it would be really nice to see some of them again sometime soon in the not-too-distant future (um, definitely BEFORE the next reunion. ).

Okay... that's all for now... over and out. More later!!

Kathy

That is the image I portrayed last weekend as I yukked it up for the west coast writing scene. I was fortunate enough to be a guest at the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego over President's Day weekend and I cannot think of a better spot to have been.

The moment I stepped into the Crowne Plaza lobby I knew I had hit the right spot. I made a friend while I waited in line to register. After settling into my room, I wandered down to the conference registration and immediately ran into an acquaintance from a few years back in Wisconsin. Small world. But anyway…

Friday night I had dinner with Jeff Sherratt, Mike Sirota (the editorial wonder guy), and the absolutely delightful author of the Wine Lover's Mystery series and the Horse Lover's Mystery series, Michele Scott. It was awesome! (You can see photos by clicking here.)

There were so many highlights for the weekend. Let's start with the coordinators, Michael and Wes. What a great pair of guys. Fun, smart, entertaining, and so kind. They welcomed me, they made me laugh, and they introduced me to a whole new set of writers.

I rose early on Saturday morning to hear Jeff Sherratt (The Brimstone Murders) give the morning keynote. He was charming and clever, but I've not heard him be anything else. Immediately after that we headed down the hall where Jeff and I gave a witty little talk about the Author/Publisher Journey. The crowd was wonderful. Receptive, inquisitive, and attentive, we could not have asked for better.

There were numerous other highlights throughout the day, especially when Alexandra Sokoloff (The Price) stopped me in the hall to talk to me and say nice things about me. No matter how long I am a publisher, I still get giddy when the book celebs know me. Later I got to sit and chat with Michele Scott (Tacked to Death) one of the contributors to The Cozy Chicks Blog and Susan Arnout Smith (The Timer Game).

The weekend wound down for me on Sunday afternoon where I finalized my duties by sitting on an editor agent panel to a pretty packed house.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend where I made several new friends, some great contacts, and might even pick up an author or two. That is what these conferences are all about. Networking and making things happen. San Diego has a great group of writers and I certainly hope I get to go back again in the future.

If you are an aspiring author, I put this one at the top of the serious consideration list for conferences. And the area is beautiful too.

I also have it on good authority that Jeff was a top seller at the conference.

Unless you pay attention, you are going to miss the next generation of storytelling. 

Every few months I like to write Alternate-Reality Games (ARG)--the 21st century storytelling genre where readers get to play out a fictional story in the real world.

These are intricate scavenger hunts written by novelists, marketing folks, nerds, and gamers. They use the Internet as a springboard to launch stories into the real world.

The website Eurogamer has the scoop on a brand new ARG promoting the videogame, Halo 3. The trail of clues includes chatroom chatter, comic books, and obscure computer graphics, all part of an mystery that players must solve, on and off the Internet. Check it out:

"'Iris' is a spiral campaign designed to take gamers on an incredible journey through the Halo Universe," a spokesperson for Microsoft told us. "Led by an 'unknown' hand, users will discover bits of previously unknown information about the Halos, the Flood, the Forerunners, and the true origins behind the Halo trilogy."

If you are interested in following this story, there's more information at the Halo 3 website and xBox 360 Fanboy and this fan-controled Iris wiki. As web writers, we need to pay attention to the work of these pioneers. (Thanks, slashdot)

2. Shameless! It's all about getting the word out. Let's assume you are a very shy and introverted person. My first suggestion, if you are a writer/author is to get therapy. You are in the wrong business if you are shy. I don't make friends with this, but when you go into business with a publisher, they are counting on you being their backup. If you are afraid or too shy to toot your own horn, it is a detriment to them and the others in the publishing house. At that point, your lack of sales support draws extra time and money away from other authors.

We all eat out. Right? What does this have to do with promoting? When you go through a drive-thru, you should always say "Thank You," before you drive away. Well, how about if after you've paid and they've given you your change, you hand them a bookmark, business card, flyer, etc. with your book info on it? You simply hand it to them and say, "Have a great day!" No embarrassing moment and no pressure to converse with strangers.

Beauty salons and barbershops? Hand a card with your tip. Sit down restaurants? Again, leave it with the tip. What if you pay with credit card? Oh, think about, get creative…

VistaPrint.com is always running special of some sort and I have accumulated a supply of small generic rubber stamps that say:

You can substitute your book title and ISBN or anything that tells them you have a book for them to read. Don't put price or where to order, forget the hard sell. This is a mini infomercial. You want them to be interested, not feel pressured.

Address labels? Again, VistaPrint.com offers them sometimes for 140 labels for FREE. Same message and stick them on everything. Traveling? When you stop at a Visitor's Center and sign their little guest book, you can stick a label next to your name and address. On any envelope you mail.

If you aren't willing to sing from the highest perch about your book, you had better be willing to take these little tips and make them work for you. THE MORE PEOPLE YOU TELL, THE MORE BOOKS YOU SELL!