Find Fat Quarters: A Patchwork of Stories for Quilters at local bookstores or online. It’s my flash collection of quilt-themed stories. It launched in May, I did an out-of-state reading in June, followed by a July book signing in Sisters, Oregon. I wrapped up my summer promotional efforts in August in Bend at a local author Saturday event. Herringbone Herringbone Books in Redmond, Oregon carries Fat Quarters: A Patchwork of Stories for Quilters. Look for it in the local author section just to the right as you enter the store. Owner Brandon Weimer supports local authors by stocking their books and hosting author events and book signings. In addition to…
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Self-Promotion
Self-promotion comes naturally to those raised on Instagram, YouTube, FaceBook and other social media platforms. However, if you are a pre-millennial like me, you may find it hard to toot your own horn. Did I just date myself with that expression? Whether you are just starting to pitch your work or are a published author (indie or traditional), self-promotion will help build your resume. What do I mean? Resumes typically list skills, experience, and training or education with the goal of securing work. In order to get published, a writer needs an editor to notice their work. First, of course you need to have a strong grasp on writing skills…
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Five W’s of Press Releases
Press releases answer five questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Answering these five questions will help spread the word to your target audience about your event or product in an efficient, affordable manner. Who Anyone with an event or product to promote should use a press release. Hosting a 100-year birthday party for your favorite aunt? Running an auction to raise funds for the local food bank? Promoting your new book? Start with a press release to get the word out. What A press release is a statement to the media to promote an event or product. Nowadays the media landscape includes everything from print to digital media. Digital…
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Publishing Overview
In today’s post I will give you a publishing overview. Let’s say you’ve written the next great American novel. You’ve shared it with a critique group, applied feedback from beta readers, and had it professionally edited. What’s next? This publishing overview post will introduce three kinds of publishing: traditional, hybrid, and indie (formerly known as self-publishing). Traditional Publishers Traditional publishers are businesses that procure, produce, and promote written work. They have a team of experts for everything from cover design and editing to marketing and distribution. Most traditional publishers work with literary agents who pitch manuscripts that fit a particular publisher’s needs. The author signs a contract with the publisher…
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Create a Board Book
Create a board book for that special infant or toddler on your gift list. Board books are typically concept books with a single theme: family, animals, vehicles, toys. Usually, one page will have an illustration or photo and the facing page will have limited text-sometimes a single word. With durable pages and personalized content, board books are sure to be read and reread. Choose a Recipient I’m a long-distance Grammy. To create a board book for my new grandchild, I focused on photos of family members including those of us who live in a different state. Grammy, Grandpa, and Auntie are featured on two pages each with rhyming text. I…
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Treat Yourself
A writing retreat pays big dividends, and it doesn’t have to take a bite out of your wallet. Do you have access to a cabin, a condo, or a room over the garage? You could sign up for a Costa Rican retreat with daily writing, critique, and personal coaching sessions at a couple of thousand dollars per person. Or. . . create your own retreat for next to nothing! That’s what my critique group did. Share the Load One member generously offered her time-share condo for the weekend, another made sure we had enough snacks to keep us going, and two members provided meals. Everyone was responsible for their own…
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NaNo Prep
NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. What’s that you ask? It’s shorthand for National Novel Writing Month. Each November since 1999, participants have attempted to write a 50,000 word novel. That’s a lot of words! Resources: Word Tracker NaNoWriMo’s website at NaNoWriMo.org is chock full of helpful resources. There’s a word tracker to show progress toward your word count goal. It’s set up as a graph. With days on the X axis and word count on the Y axis a target slope gives you a daily word count goal. Your actual progress shows where you stand in relation to the target slope. If you write every single day with no…
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What Should I Write About?
Where do you find ideas for stories? Well . . . there are plenty of places to discover something interesting or worthwhile to say. But to track them down, you have to keep informed about what’s happening in the world, brainstorm original ideas, and keep your ear to the ground for the curious, the weird, or the otherwise fascinating. Finding Something to Say Ideas for stories are everywhere. In the news, in that summer novel, in your neighbor’s backyard. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, an idea is out there waiting for you. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic that inspiration is ripe for the writer who is open to…
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Opportunity
I had the rare opportunity to attend an author presentation this week. Our local Deschutes Public Library System hosts renowned authors each winter. A pair of $25 tickets literally fell into my lap the day before Richard Russo spoke. Opportunity Knocks A friend of a friend couldn’t use their tickets so in a roundabout way they were passed on to me. I snapped them up and invited my writerly friend and critique partner to share in my good fortune. Richard Russo is a Pulitzer Prize winning author. So it’s a big deal. An evening with Mr. Russo We settled in for an entertaining presentation. Mr. Russo began with a standard…
