To read this newsletter in PDF (with a bit more pizzazz) copy and paste:

To read this newsletter in PDF (with a bit more pizzazz) copy and paste: http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Apr_17_2009.pdf

April 17, 2009

Sharing with Writers

A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs! Associated with the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally series

of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com

From the Desks of

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

and Sharing with Writers Subscribers

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor--that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible--this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other

writers when they make editing boo-boos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly and it's long!

~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~.:~~~.:~~~:.~~~~~:.~~~.:~~~

Contents

This Issue

~Note from Carolyn

~Letters-to-the-Editor: Amazon Is Controversial, Always ~Thank Yous (where you also find leads and great resources!)

~Tips and News Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!) ~Opportunities

~On Poetry

~Author Successes”

~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column – “Using the Senses – Part Deux” ~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching

~Wordstuff ™

~Feature: Can’t Ignore My Latest Addiction, Twitter! ~Feature: What I Learn from My Librarian Friends ~Feature: Money-Saving Hints from Valerie

~Feature: BEA Is Coming! Plan for It This Year--Or Next!

Regular Features

~Cheryl Answering: YOU Asking: monthly feature ~Humor Hint by Anne Louise: A monthly feature

Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

You may ask what C. Hope Clark’s picture is doing in my newsletter. Well, it isn’t only because she is the cutest pet lover and grandmother ever. It’s because she uses her photo in her newsletter. She does that because she’s such a smart marketer.

Recent studies show that people who use a smiling picture as their avatars on social networks collect more followers faster. Emphasis is on the word smiling. I’ve always preferred to use my book covers because visual recognition of a book cover is also an important factor in book sales. So, picture (smiling) or book cover art? It may be a tossup!

The thing is, many people don’t use anything at all. By that I mean they let those ghostly things provided by the social networks do their work for them. That is to say, they don’t use them to send any message at all other than that they don’t care about their image or are lazy.

Or they use cutsie avatars that don’t help with their marketing because no one can figure out what the connection is between the little cartoon and the author or the author’s book.

Why do they do that? Perhaps it’s a privacy issue. But we’re authors. It’s obvious that a book is nothing without an author and it’s known that readers follow authors more avidly than they do titles. So, if you don’t want anyone to see your face, use your book cover. But do let images help you market.

So, OK. Maybe I’ll include my own picture next week. I won’t be using one every week like Hope does. She must have one patient husband to take shots of her in her garden, on the beach, and with her granddaughter. But you might get one every now and then. Because I’m lazy, too, the ones you get will

probably be of pictures I already have in my file. Otherwise, look for pictures of my book covers. How I love my books. (-:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

PS: You’ll want to subscribe to Hope’s Funds for Writers newsletter. As you can tell, I’m an avid reader of her letter and a fan of what she

does.http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Double PS: This picture was taken by my critique partner and author Leora Krygier in the hills around Los Angeles.

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Please note the new Resource for Writers page on Contests at

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/contests.htm Follow the “Click Here’s to other valuable lists on my site.

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Letters-to-the Editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: John Kremer’s letter and my answer in last weeks’ newsletter I personally like Amazon and love buying from them. Amazon may be

removing such reviews with author's links because many of these type reviews are obviously fake. They take them down because people complain. Because so much of it goes on they remove even non offenders. I've seen authors post reviews of books they obviously didn’t read. I've seen authors who write their own reviews. Amazon isn't being stupid they are protecting their site from fraud. Yes, it burns that you suffer because of other’s fraud but they are a big business.

It's the same reason you can't put your own books in a listmania. People complain.

VH Melville Lives in the state of confusion and has a novel Death Toys for Quasar published by Diskus Publishing, http://diskuspublishing.com/vhmelville.html

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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many, I do not mind if you use only

portions of it as long as you credit the writers and include this subscribe information: "To subscribe to 'Sharing with Writers' send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with 'Subscribe' in the subject line."

Tip:

Many of us neglect speaking with readers to reading/book clubs. Librarians generally know about groups that meet at their own library and others. For book clubs outside your area, do webinars, teleseminars or tweetchats and send the group signed labels for their books--sort of a new media approach to visiting with readers.

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Please paste this little blurb--perhaps with a little endorsement--in your newsletter or website: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto

subscribe box. Ask for a f r ^ ^ classified ad on my Web site in return.

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Tip:

I just posted an article, “Learning To Love the Passive” on my Web site. This page is where you can go to get all kinds of info--for learning and to republish in your newsletter, on your blog, etc. All for free.

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/free_content.htm

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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com

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Tip:

Find who’s mentioning your title in the social media by using

www.whostalkin.com. Use it to send thank yous to those who love your work. I’d like it better if it notified me in my e-mail. Google Alerts does that, but it doesn’t pick up on some of the social network chatter.

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Book Proposal Help:Phyllis Zimbler Miller and I ran a fun Tweetchat on book

proposals. She edited it for easier reading and posted it for those who missed it. There is lots of info in it on shopping your book to agents, too. Remember, you read tweet chats like you follow blogs. From the bottom up. http://budurl.com/bookprotweetchat

Another book proposal help is The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less for 49 cents at

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YG6O5U/

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Feature

BEA Is Coming. Plan for It This Year--Or Next

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choices.

I am not crazy about them because the urge to do it all abides in my genetic code. For instance, I had to decide in favor of the National Stationery Show over Book Expo America because I will be signing my new book on retail marketing and presenting at NSS. NSS is two weeks before BEA and I couldn’t stay for an extra (almost) two weeks. That’s the kind of choice I hate the most. The times when I can’t do everything I want to reach my readers. I am staying in New York a few extra days to meet my granddaughters,

though. We are going to a tearoom for children, I kid you not! I guess that was another choice, but a really easy one to make.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t think about going to BEA

(http://www.bookexpoamerica.com) though. It isn’t too late. It’s May 28-31 with some good seminars and stuff occurring a couple days before that. Don’t wait until it comes to a town closer to you. The Expo people have decided that it will remain in New York for the next three years due to economic conditions so, if you aren't a New Yorker, it could be a long wait.

I remember so vividly my first BEA. I wasn’t a stranger to tradeshows because of my retail background but even at that it was just so much. So much to see. So much to do. So many networking possibilities. So much learning available. Really, you have not been fully published until you have been there and experienced it first hand.

If you are waiting until you can sign, wait no more. Contact Irwin Zucker at

irwinzuckerpr@aol.com. Ask him if you can join his Book Publicists of Southern California group (about $35) and also be part of his booth there (at an extra charge--but not a whole lot!). You do not have to live in Southern California to support this group. Tell him I sent you and that you know how to promote a booth! Sell yourself! Bet he’ll let you do it, even last minute.

Another way to sign at BEA is to submit your book to Jeff Keen at USA Book News. He has a booth in which he features his winners. I did that last year in Los Angeles and it was fun.

Of course, you can always take a booth of your own. I don’t advise it. It’s way too expensive but you might work out a share situation for 2010.

For newbies, you should know that BEA isn't a book fair. It really a trade show and it is different on quite a few levels but the biggest is that books are given away to attendees. Attendees are booksellers, librarians, publishers,

distributors, etc. In other words, publishing industry professionals. Book fairs, on the other hand, mostly reach out to readers. Having said that, the tips in

The Frugal Book Promoter that help with book fair booths will help with

whatever you decide to do at BEA, too. Also, if you go to back posts at my fair booth blog No Hum-Drum Book Fairs Allowed, you’ll get lots of ideas for value-added promotions. www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.com. Many will work for trade shows as well as book fairs.

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So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you those skills alone doth not make. An editor knows formatting, front and back matter, indexing, structure, the elements of fiction and on and on. But mostly she'll see your manuscript in a fresh, new light. Learn how to hire a great editor and learn to be a better partner for any author, awful to superb, in The Frugal Editor.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/

Tweet Tip:

.Find who is mentioning you or your book’s title on Twitter by going to www.tweetvolume.com

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Recently Yvonne Perry, owner of WritersintheSky Creative Services, and I chatted about editing, everything from em dashes to why what works on the Web doesn't work for you book's manuscript. Yvonne offers you the f r ^ ^ podcast on her blog:

http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-you-have-questions-about-editing.html. You'll find other f r ^^ podcasts on writing on her blog, too.

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Opportunities

Organize Your Cross Promotion with Writers on the Move

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Put your writing career in motion with the Yahoo marketing group VBT –

Writers on the Move. Promote your platform, yourself and your books! We utilize ONGOING tours, Viewpoint segments, mystery site give-aways, blog radio spots and much more to increase visibility and readership. To learn more contact Karen at karenrcfv@yahoo.com. Please put CHJ-KCV in the subject box.

New Conference on Historical St. Simon’s Island, GA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plan a fantastic vacation at a great resort in a historic part of the country and hear me speak, too. That makes your vacation, at least in part, a tax

deduction. Ha! You know you want to do this! It’s Scribblers’ Retreat Writers Conference at Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia, November 12-15, 2009 “Novels, Short Stories, Etc.” Other featured speakers are: Chris Rumble, Lois Ruby, Len d’Eon, Prof. Richard Krevolin, Julie Grimm, and Patricia Patterson. Contact Jeanie Pantelakis at 1-800-996-290 or go to

www.scribblersretreatwritersconference.com

for more information.

National Assoc. of Baby Boomer Women Offers Contest

Enter YOUR Age of Elegance Contest sponsored by National Association of Baby Boom Women toWin $100 Cash and FREE Membership or Renewal into NABBW www.nabbw.com

According to author Chloe Jon Paul who wrote, Entering the Age of Elegance - A Rite of Passage & Practical Guide for the Modern Maturing Woman, this second adulthood reaches us around age forty and if this “rite of passage” isn't done with style and grace, we can become disoriented and lose our way. We want to know what the Age of Elegance means to you. Fulfillment? Exploration? Discovery? Tell us!

To enter this submit your 500 word entry in a Word document as an

attachment. Include your name, e-mail address, and bio (no more than 75 words) inside the Word document. Submit to - contest@nabbw.com with Age of Elegance in the subject line. Deadline – May 31, 2009.

Tony Eldridge Offers Contest to Win

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

. . . my marketing and editing books and those of other book marketing stars on his Website. Hurry, time is limited!

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2009/04/contest-win-signed-library-of-marketing.html

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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to

subscribers, display ads are available at

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/advertising.htm at less per year than most sites charge for a single month. Find classified there, too.

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Feature

What I Learned from my Librarian Friends

Librarians and I go back a long way. My favorite aunt was retired from being head of a library system’s accounting department before she died. My children always received library bound books from her on birthdays and Christmas and her love for reading and for the chidren became palpable with these little gifts. My daughter had the entire Little House on the Prairie series. One of my good critique partners is a librarian. His intensity for books and literature and for helping others permeates his life.

Thus, I feel almost violated when I hear an author say that they don’t want to sell books to libraries because if people borrow books it keeps the author from selling them. No, no, no! When people get books from libraries, it helps a book’s buzz. It helps people who can’t afford a book access your work. It can even help you promote if you keep in touch with librarians.

Recently my library friend and critique partner confided that libraries’ budgets are severely restricted--in many cases more than they have been before. No news there. But he also mentioned how they generally make their book-buying decisions. They, of course read journals like Library Journal to guide them. But in addition they check their distributor’s stock (places like Baker & Taylor) and if B&T doesn’t have 100 or more copies in stock, they take that as an

indication that there isn’t much call for the book in bookstores. If there isn’t call in the bookstores, the reasoning goes, there won’t be in libraries either. And that’s pretty much all it takes for a book to be cut of their lists.

What can we authors do about it? Well, when one library catalogs a book it may encourage another to do so as well. So:

~Work with your library to speak or teach at their library. ~Donate a book or two.

~Buy (or put together) library lists and send out query letters explaining why your book is a must for their library.

~Try real hard to get reviewed in Library Journal (information on how to do that is in The Frugal Book Promoter).

~Display at library tradeshows and conferences (like BEA but regional). ~Work libraries (meaning make sales calls) one at a time.

Is it worth it? The American Library Association says that libraries buy nearly 1.8 BILLION in books annually. You tell me. Is it worth it?

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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested

in the F r ^^ Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site,

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/free_content.htm I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.

Tip:

These days people can tell other people what they like by Sharing. You’ve seen those little “Share” buttons on blogs. They often get there when the blogger uses the service offered by www.AddThis.com. You should

probably have buttons like that on your blog and on the articles on your Website. Having said this, when you see them on others’ blogs, do a friend a favor and SHARE. It takes a couple clicks to do it, but it’s about all being in this together.

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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love for you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course.

HoJoNews@aol.com

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On Poetry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well, inadequate about the writing or the

promotion. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

When I was writing for Writer’s Journal, I got f r ^ ^ copies. One of the things I miss most about not getting them anymore is Esther Leiper’s column at the back of the book. In it she critiques poems submitted by readers. It’s a great learning experience.

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Endorsement: I wanted to tell you how your workshops, reading your newsletter, and just chatting with you has been a great help to me. I have a background in marketing from the fashion world and even though it has helped me get my foot in the door, I honestly have to say that after getting to know you, reading your books, and everything else I just said has truly helped me put Stories for Children Magazine on the map. ~ VS Grenier, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Stories for Children Magazine. http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.

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The Road to “Getting” Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even the CEO of Twitter says most people don’t get Twitter when they first start using it (I read the quotation in Time magazine--excuse me if I don’t have the issue!). I certainly didn’t get it at first. I just liked it because it was fast. Well, it isn’t nearly as fast as I thought it was. Not if you’re doing it right. And by “right” I mean using it in a way that advances your writing career and exposes the title of your book.

It occurred to me that the reason most people who aren’t using it (and lots who are) don’t get it is because of that saying in the posting window that says “what are you doing now?” I’m pretty sure no one expects you to tell us you’re having maple syrup on your pancakes unless you wrote a cookbook and can link back to a section that tells people how to make substitute maple syrup in your own kitchen.

So, I'm giving you some ideas for what you could tweet about if you signed up with Twitter (that part IS really easy and fast!). Maybe it will help you get an inkling of how you might use it for your book. In general, no matter how you tweet, try to be helpful to others. Even your writing is about how you can entertain or help others, right? Make your Twitter about those same things!

~Yes, you can talk about your book! And about what’s happening to you in terms of marketing your book. That includes your speaking, your reviews, your signings, etc.

~Tell people what you think of a product or another book. Preferably your choices should relate to your promotion campaign. Example. I tweet movie reviews. I mention aspects of the movies for authors to look at that might improve their own writing skills--characterization, pacing, etc. That relates to my editing but it also relates to the fact that I once wrote complete reviews for the Glendale News-Press and sort of miss doing it! And most everyone is

interested in movies.

~As your get more followers, it becomes impossible to read all your followers’ tweets. Use www.tweetdeck.com and manage your Tweet account. Follow the

the rest. Sorry, but that’s the reality, folks. It’s one reason you want to talk about more than that you are tired and going to bed.

~As you get more followers, it’s OK to repeat your tweets. I try to reword and re-slant them, though.

~Feed your blog to Twitter. Just be sure the first 140 character of each blog is meaningful so people on Twitter get what you’re tweeting about! Use

www.tweetlate.com to do this.

~Post your media releases and other longer stuff on twitwall.com. It’s so easy you won’t need any tutorial. It’s easy to use a picture with these posts, too.

~Advanced users can share music and videos. Twitter users will appreciate them more if they are short. Don't worry about this for a while, though. Just enjoy.

~Help writer friends by tweeting about what they are doing, especially when what they are doing will help your followers.

~Offer advice in your field of expertise. You know how I like tips. I offer lots of tips on Twitter, too.

~When you learn new things about Twitter, tweet about it. There will be

followers who will help you advance with your tweeting skills but there will also be newbies who can benefit from your experiences.

~Follow people who follow you. When it becomes too hectic, use Tweetdeck.com to organize your tweets.

~Network. I tweet regularly about the agents, bookstores, and reviewers I find on Twitter so my followers can learn more about them.

~Use www.tweetchat.com for chats of your own design. I’ve presented chats with a new tweeting friend @zimblermiller (that’s her Twitter address) on book proposals and query letters with more to come. (-: BTW, you'll see certain tweets with the number sign in them like #bkpro. Those are the chat entries that also come up on the twitter board. Occasionally they don't make sense because you haven't been following the whole thread, but

occasionally they have little jewels in them--stuff you'll really be glad to know.

It is obvious that you can learn a lot from people who tweet like this. So tweeting is not only about... well, tweeting. It’s also about listening. Find me tweeting at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo.

CHJ

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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.comfor only $25 to $30 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at

hojonews@aol.com.

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Author Successes

None to report this week. Where are you? What are you publishing. What are you winning?

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Available: http://www.tri-studio.com/audiodivas.html from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career. Here is the page where you'll find the full list of the writer-related ones at http://www.tri-studio.com/writers.html. Titles include Contest Facts: How to Add “Award-winning” to Your Name, Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction, Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing, and more.

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Recession-Fighting Promotion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By VH Melville

You might be spending money in unnecessary places, money that might be best saved for a better PR.

1. Never send a reading fee to an agent. The better agents work on

commission from ten% to 15% of sold work. I once called an agent who had a fee to take me as a client. I called to say I didn't have the money at the time and his phone number was fake, not out of order but fake.

2. Don't send press kits on colored paper or use a fancy typeface. If the producer has difficulty reading your media kit it might be thrown out. Too-fancy media kits are like having a web page with background that overpowers the text.

3. Don't send books to all the libraries in your county. If you donate a book to your library, donate one copy or two to the smaller library in your town. People at the bigger library in your county can then get the book on

interlibrary loan. If your book is popular enough, they might buy more copies. Books that don't have enough circulation will be sold or thrown out.

4. Use libraries and academic libraries to do research rather than buy books. Because these libraries have limited space, I've purchased and even gotten books and magazines for f r ^ ^. Our local college also gives books away. 5. I don’t drink and usually don't serve alcohol, but if you're going to host your own book launching party do not have an open bar. This adds considerably to your book launching expenses. Also remember to invite local press.

---VH Melville Lives in the state of confusion and has a novel Death Toys for Quasar published by Diskus Publishing, http://diskuspublishing.com/vhmelville.html

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Yes, I do consult. I tailor my fees to your needs--everything from coaching to full edits (sorry no partial edits) to hour consultation so help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing.

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/consulting.htm

Tip:

Add you blog to Twitter by using Twitterfeed.com. Don’t add your Tweets to Facebook using RSS feeds. It’s OK to tweet frequently but your Facebook pals may get tired of it if 10 a day appear on your Facebook page!

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Thank Yous

Thanks to Katie Hines . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

. . .for posting my article on how to “get Twitter” on her blog.

http://katiehines.blogspot.com/2009/04/road-to-getting-twitter.html

.

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If you're starting your own blog or want to market the one you have or focus it better here’s a f r ^^ chapter from Phyllis Zimbler Miller’s and my coming book. Download it now at http://budurl.com/bloggingchapter.

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Tip:

Use www.deartweetie.com to get answers to your questions. If you are an expert on certain subjects, let Dear Tweetie know by sending a tweet to @deartweetie with your field of expertise. When a question comes up in your field, DearTweetie will let you know so you can answer.

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I now have a social media page on my Website. I’m including the link for you to see so you can use it as a sample if you don’t have a similar page on your own Web site. And yes, this can work even if you only network on one site. Just use more space giving your visitors an idea of how they will benefit if they join you.

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/new_page_4.htm

Tip:

Let www.ping.fm help you post to many different places on the web with one post. It’s a real time saver. Caveat: I don’t use it all the time because I like to space out the reposting and recycling I do.

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The semi-annual AllTips edition is now in the works. Please send me your best tip for writing or promotion AND please let your fellow writers know now is the time to subscribe to Sharing with Writers--so they don’t miss it. Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to hojonews@aol.com.

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Tip:

Use Tweetbeep.com for twitter the way you use Google Alerts for the Web. You need them both so you can do what your mommy taught you, send thank yous. But you can also use them for research, to evaluate how effective you media releases have been, etc.

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This is an example of one of my Twitters: “FrugalBookPromoNew trend? Borders to buy nonreturnable books from HarperStudio in return for a deeper discount.” They cover everything from news to more tips and resources all in 140 characters or less. If you don’t want to Tweet, at least follow me. Make a profile page and invite

www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo.

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Tip:

I post blogs in advance by using the “post options” link near the bottom of the post window on blogspot.com. Other blog services probably have a similar feature. It’s great for when I’ll be out of town or have set aside a day for writing.

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The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews--with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.

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An Itty-Bitty Column on Writing

Using the Sense in Writing – Part Deux

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

In Writing Begins with the Breath by Laraine Herring (

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Begins-Breath-Embodying-Authentic/dp/159030473X/) she tells writers how to use even their breathing to become writers more in tune with their story. She also cautions writers not to go overboard with using the sensory, telling us to leave something to the imagination (as in a dress with a slit up the side is often more alluring that one that offers total exposure).

Herring’s book offers us a tutorial in using our breathing, our ability to focus and what she calls “deep writing” to sculpt scenes.

So don’t go overboard using descriptive information in your stories. Leave out something that readers can use as a quantum leap between one idea and another.

LINKS

Laraine Herring

http://www.laraineherring.com/

Using the Five Senses in a Descriptive Essay

http://www.korepetycje.com/writing-resources/fivesenses-descriptiveessays.html

Sense-ical Writing

http://www.diyplanner.com/node/949

http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/pdfs/148300.pdf

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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! Carolyn Howard-Johnson will be on a panel at UCLA’s Career Day on

Wednesday, April 22, 7-9 pm at the UCLA Career Center, 502 Westwood Plaza, LA, CA. The topic is “Writing Careers: So You Think You Can … Write” For more information contact John G. Taborn, Ph.D. at 310 206 1025. Or go to

www.career.ucla.edu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! Watch for a new podcast on writing The Great First Impression Book

Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YG6O5U/ ) at Authors Access’s great, f r ^ ^ service for writers in June. In the meantime, find an old one on book promotion we did on book promotions at http://authorsaccess.com/archives/90.

It was their most listened-to podcast last year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

!Carolyn Howard-Johnson will sign a new chapbook of poetry She Wore

Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood as well as her other books, including the HowToDoItFrugally series of books, at the world renowned LA

Times/UCLA Festival of Books the last weekend in April, 2009, on the UCLA Campus. http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/. To learn more

about a signing position for yourself next year (at a special early-bird price), contact Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite@yahoo.com.

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! Carolyn Howard-Johnson will be presenting two seminars at the National Stationery Show, one on Monday, May 18, called "Move Upward in a

Down Market with Free Publicity Exposure and Money-Making In-Store Promotions" and the other, "Grow Your Business Online for No $$$," on Tuesday, May 19. This is a huge show a la Book Expo America! for stationery retailers and will be at Javits Center in Manhattan.She'll also be publishing a

new book for her HowToDoItFrugally series, this time for retailers. Many of the marketing principles are the same, though. (-:

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! Book Launch: Carolyn Howard-Johnson will launch her new book Monday, May 18, at 9:30 AM at the National Stationery Show at Javits Center, NY, NY. Carolyn will present to the retail trade participants and sign A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. One of

Carolyn’s HowToDoItFrugally books, this retail-focused how-to book will be the first in a Survive and Thrive series utilizing Carolyn’s nearly three decades experience as founder and operator of a chain of gift and home décor stores. Learn more at

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/frugal_in-store_promotions.htm

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!Carolyn Howard-Johnson will speak on how editing is one of the most important parts of your book promotion with "Query Letters as Promotion: Let's Make Them Picture Perfect!" at International Conference PROMO DAY! on Saturday, May 9 at 9 am Pacific Time. The conference is broadcast from Rome, Italy so check your time conversion tables carefully to be sure you join the seminars at the right time. http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday/. PROMO DAY! is an all day international online event for people in the writing industry. There are lots of new features for the 2009 event including a workshop

chatroom.

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! For the first time, Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and Mystery Writers of America/SoCal are joining forces to present a new venture, the California Crime Writers Conference, to be held June 13-14 at the Pasadena Hilton, Pasadena, CA. The conference is titled “Breaking In & Breaking Out: Plotting the Write Course,” and is the next incarnation of the successful No Crime Unpublished conference held biannually by Sisters in Crime/LA. Carolyn Howard-Johnson will be presenting a class on “Marketing Your Book Online” on Saturday June 13 at 9 am. The time is to be announced. The public is welcome. Learn more at http://www.sistersincrimela.com/ccwc.htm.

!Carolyn Howard-Johnson will teach “Creating a Promotion Campaign for Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book.” A one-day seminar, it will meet on the UCLA

campus’ School of Public Affairs Building (Room 2317) Saturday, August 1, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Reg# U9836B Request a UCLA Extension catalog at www.uclaextension.edu.

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!Mark October 12 to 18 on your calendar for The Muse Online Writers

Conference cosponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard-Johnson: We are now taking reservations for the conference. Find more on my presentations there at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/. This year we’ve added pitch sessions: http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com/2009workshops.htm

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! Carolyn Howard-Johnson will speak on writing picture-perfect query letters at the November session of Scribblers' Retreat Writers' Conference,

www.scribblersretreatwritersconference.com at Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia. Scribblers Retreat Writers’ Conference offers four conferences of specifically chosen genres throughout the year. It is brand new and one of the few chances I will speak on the East Coast in 2009.

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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e-mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.

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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Definitions in the next few newsletters are from

www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/definitions.htm.You might have some favorite neologisms, metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

Sharing with Writers is edited and distributed by Carolyn

Howard-Johnson, http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com, and proofread by Mindy

Phillips Lawrence.

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Although I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e-mail

Carolyn atHoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with

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If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e-mail to HoJoNews@aol.comwith "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e-mail with

"Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

Please pass this newsletter to friends or e-groups. It needn't be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste. Ordering Information:

Order the Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher

Won't at stores like UCLA, Dayton University and San Diego State

University's bookstores or at Amazon where it is discounted:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2-1/ Order it as

an e-book athttp://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The second in the How To Do It Frugally series of books, The

Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and

Ensure Success, is available at

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To

Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, is available

on Amazon as a Short for 49 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Great-First-Impression-Book-Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U/ A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques is available on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441467246/

To learn more about This Is the Place,

Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, and

She Wore Emerald Then:

www.carolynhoward-johnson.com.

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood is available on

Amazon. It is coauthored by Magdalena Ball.

http://www.amazon.com/She-Wore-Emerald-Then-Reflections/dp/1438263791/

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, published by Finishing Line Press

may be ordered at

www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1-1/ Contact Information

Websites: http://carolynhoward-Johnson.com (literary)

http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing) For the Frugal Editor, Amazon-direct:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870 Blogs:

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical

http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft

http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.

And now! Tweeting at: www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo and Squidooing

at http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors and at http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward-johnson