The weather keeps getting warmer and I feel like my toes are finally defrosting. The plum tree is flowering, there's a lot of green in the front garden and the plants I potted last week still look healthy. This morning was hectic - I finished an urgent project from a client, finished another client report and emailed and invoiced for them both. I also booked a stand at the local Spring Fair
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Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Storytelling tips for parents, Add a tag
Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Parenting, Storytelling tips for parents, Add a tag
I recently met Preni (online) who directed me to her web site, Fantasy Books, which I thought might be of interest to parents who visit this site.Fantasy Books sell personalised books. “Our Mission at Fantasy Books is to offer Adults the opportunity to bring back reading into their homes and child’s lives by offering fun-filled/colourful/exiting stories where the child is the star of his/her own
Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Storytelling tips for parents, Other people's stories, Add a tag
I'd love to be able to tell a story with skill, passion and humour and that indefinable something, like Carmen Agra Deedy, an international author of children’s literature and a storyteller. To understand what I mean, watch this video of her presentation at a TED. <!--cut and paste--> My thanks to online enterpreneur and blogger Ramon Thomas for showing me her video. Yesterday I had tea with
Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Books, Social Commentary, Storytelling tips for parents, Other people's stories, Internet Matters, Add a tag
I was very impressed with the Jabavu Library, which was launched today amid a whole lot of fanfare. The city of Johannesburg. partnered with the Vodacom Foundation and .the Department of Public Works to build and kit out of the R14 million facility, which is described as the biggest library in Soweto. For more information about the Vodacom Foundation's participation read my article for ITWeb I
Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Stories posted online, Storytelling tips for parents, Other people's stories, Add a tag
Camille Lagarrigue, author and illustrator of the Miss Behave books is taking part in the Exclusive Books Children's Festival. Today she's doing a book signing at The Zone in Risebank, starting at 10am. If you missed today's signing, don't worry. She's also at Monte Casino on Saturday 15th March and Maponya Mall on Saturday 29th March (at 10:00am for both sessions) Baby loves Camille's books,
Blog: STORYPOT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Parenting, Storytelling tips for parents, Books;, Storytelling tips for parents, Books;, Add a tag
Tomorrow morning Baby is taking part in a school arts programme as narrator of her class play. She was thrilled to land the role, which she had to audition for. She even started mumbling about a career in the arts, but I suspect something else will soon grab her attention. Or she’ll go back to wanting to be an accountant. That's what she wanted to do for years after finding out that there were
Blog: Quake: Shakin' up Young Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: san diego, echelon press, promotions, books, conferences, networking, writers, promotions, san diego, echelon press, Add a tag
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.
Blog: Quake: Shakin' up Young Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: promoting, marketing, promotions, authors, Writing, success, promotions, promoting, Add a tag
So you want to be Nora Roberts (Pt. 2)
© Karen L. Syed
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:
Escape the Ordinary
www.echelonpress.com
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!
Blog: Miss Snark, the literary agent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: promotions, Predictions, Add a tag
Remember when I told you vidlit was going to be hot?
Well, here's the reason it's going to work..
I saw the weather report for Joburg today. 27!! I think your toes must be nice and toasty now, although the nights are so cold.
I've had a love/hate relationship with Vodacom lately. On my pre-paid phone, I've made out like a bandit with free airtime, but on my contract number I've been fighting the whole year over accounts that seem exorbitant to me. We're at an impasse now on that one. I'm also glad the weather is changing - I am a southern hemisphere kind of a gal. No winter lover am I. Good luck