Walking Through Walls Nominated in Predators and Editors Readers Poll

I got some important news today, so am posting twice. My children's middle-grade fantasy adventure, Walking Through Walls, is nominated in Predators and Editors Readers Poll under Children's Novel.

I'm excited, but this means I need votes, so I'm putting the call out.

If you're unfamiliar with Walking Through Walls, you can check out a number of reviews at:
http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Just click on the Reviews Page.

So, if you're so inclined, I'd appreciate your vote:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelchildrens.shtml


Just scroll down till you see Walking Through Walls. Vote for my book and they'll send you a confirmation email - you'll need to click on the link for it to take.

And, Please share this post!

Thanks so much,

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Other 4RV Nominations are:

Science Fiction - Time Pullers by Horton Deakins
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml

Print Book and e Publishing ( yes, both) - 4RV Publishing
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ebookpublisher.shtml


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Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer, Editor, Marketer

Karen’s Books Page:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
http://KarenCioffi.com
http://WritersOnTheMove.com
DKV Writing 4 U

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/107054879622971281466/posts

Book Marketing: 20 Strategies to Broaden Your Reach

It's here! January 1st, 2012, and along with wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year, I have 20 book marketing tips you can use to help you on your book marketing journey.

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Book Marketing: 20 Strategies to Broaden Your Reach

While most of us already know the book promotion basics, there are also a number of other avenues you can take to broaden your book promotion reach and make your promotional efforts more effective. Here is a list of 20 strategies you can use to promote to a wider range of potential customers.

1. Make use of your website’s opt-in box. Provide a weekly newsletter that offers information your reader/subscriber will value. Along with the information, you can offer your books for sale. Building your subscriber list is a key marketing strategy.

2. Use article marketing and social networks to broaden your reach, and be sure to provide links that go directly to a designated landing page for the sale of your book/s.

3. Book virtual book tours with tour services or create your own. Try to get guest spots on sites that are geared toward your target market.

4. Create trailers for your books and post them on sites such as YouTube. You can try your hand at creating a trailer for free at http://OneTrueMedia.com. If attempting this seems a little overwhelming, you can hire someone to do it for you.

5. Create postcards, business cards, and flyers with your book information and cover. Include the link to your book’s site or your author site.

6. Contact your local newspapers and request they do an interview or a feature on you as a local author.

7. Request book reviews from reputable reviewers and ask them to post the reviews on your Amazon and B&N selling page, Goodreads, Shelfari, and other sites that can help promote your book. Post them on your own site/s as well.

8. Enter competition. Winning a contest, or getting second place or mentionable awards is a great way to increase interest in your book/s. Be sure to enter reputable contests. Also, check out your state book lists

9. Put out a request in your groups to be a guest on blog talk radio shows that feature authors. While it’s good to find those that feature authors in your genre, it’s also a good idea to broaden your reach and shoot for shows that are diversified.

10. If you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field, you can give teleseminars or webinars. This is a proven strategy for increasing your subscriber list, thereby increasing your selling reach.

11. Give free or reasonably priced workshops. Again, this is a proven strategy to increase your subscriber list with people who are interested in your topic.

12. Create a how-to-course and offer it in daily or weekly segments through emails. You will easily boost your subscriber list through a course. It also guarantees that those who subscribe for it will open your mailings.

13. Have a 2 for 1 sale and promote the sale through all your social networks and a press release. Everyone loves a sale.

14. Create and publish press releases on a regular basis. You can report on your teleseminars, how-to-courses, workshops, news, sales, etc.

15. You can also look into associations, businesses, groups, schools, and other avenues that may be interested in your book. This is also a great way to sell in bulk.

16. Sell through catalogues. This may take a bit of research, but the benefits may be more than worth the effort. Do an online search for ‘your genre’ book catalogues.

17. Become a part of joint ventures. Publicists may be looking for authors to be partners in their book promotions. You help promote their authors’ books, and you’re listed in their content, usually by offering a free or discounted book, or e-book. There are also different situations. Again, this can be worth the effort.

18. Think about having your book included in book clubs. Again, do an online search.

19. Look locally. If you’ve written a children’s book see if your local toy store, baby store, or children’s clothing store will be willing to offer your book for a percentage of the selling price. If you’ve written a cook book, talk to the local bakery owner or coffee shop. And, don’t forget doctor’s offices, dentist’s offices, beauty salons, and so on. Don’t be afraid to seek out facilities that may not be an exact match. Establishing this type of partnership is a win-win situation.

20. If you have the funds, find out what a publicist or professional book marketer can do for you.

Remember: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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Related Articles:

Book Promotion: The Foundation

Book Promotion: Creating an Informational Funnel

Book Marketing: Choose a Website Domain Name

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Learn about writing and marketing with Karen Cioffi at http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. Sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World, and get TWO free site-related e-books for subscribing, and ONE more for just for stopping by

And,to start the New Year with a BANG, from January 1 through February 28, 2012, she is offering all her writing and marketing e-books (purchased directly from her site/s using the Paypal SHOPPING CART) for a $1.19 each. And, this will include new titles added within that time period.

For a complete list of the available titles and links to more information:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/2011/12/2012-writing-and-marketing-ebook.html

For a complete list (with brief descriptions of each ebook) go to:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

*****

To Infinitively Split

If you play Trivial Pursuit, you know about the grammatical error featured in the opening credits of Star Trek. The famous line “to boldly go where no man has gone before” contains the split infinitive “to boldly go” (where the adverb “boldly” splits the infinitive “to go”). While the line remains mostly unaltered throughout Star Trek’s many incarnations, it gets “corrected” in the first episode of the series Enterprise, in a recorded speech by warp drive inventor Zefram Cochrane: “To go boldly where no man has gone before.” Doesn’t have quite the same ring, does it?

The prescriptive rule against split infinitives was created in response to its growing usage in the 19th century.  While no one was clearly identified as the creator of said rule, there were many writers who supported the edict.  According to Bache (1869), "The to of the infinitive mood is inseparable from the verb.” Of like mind, Raub (1897) states, "The sign to must not be separated from the remaining part of the infinitive by an intervening word.” There were perhaps as many who denounced the restriction. But the rule took hold of public consciousness by the early 20th century, gaining a firm toe hold in academia and the media.

Trying to correct a split infinitive will sometimes cause problems. The aforementioned “to boldly go” converts well enough into “to go boldly.” The altered phrase might not have as much panache (if only because the original is so strikingly familiar), but it does carry the same meaning.

By contrast, consider the following (with the first line containing the split infinitive “to slowly remove” and the remaining lines as possible “solutions”):

1. “She decided to quickly remove all split infinitives from her writing.”
2. “She quickly decided to remove all split infinitives from her writing.”
3. “She decided to remove quickly all split infinitives from her writing.”
4. “She decided to remove all split infinitives quickly from her writing.”
5. “She decided to remove all split infinitives from her writing quickly.”

While the meaning (making quick changes to the writing) is most often unaffected, line #2 instead describes a quick decision. Furthermore, line #s 3-5 come across as clunky.

Split infinitives might be against the rules, but sometimes they can’t be avoided. If you can find a way to omit them or rephrase them, by all means do so. But don’t alter them at the expense of meaning.

Consider this bit of sage advice from the Fowler brothers: "The 'split' infinitive has taken such hold upon the consciences of journalists that, instead of warning the novice against splitting his infinitives, we must warn him against the curious superstition that the splitting or not splitting makes the difference between a good and a bad writer" (The King’s English, 1907).

In closing, remember this overall approach to grammar:

Learn the rules. Understand the rules. Then decide when, how and why to break the rules to best effect.

NOTE: A tip of the virtual hat to Wikipedia for the quotes used above.


Betty Dobson is an award-winning writer of short fiction, essays and poetry. She also writes newspaper and magazine articles but is still waiting for those awards to materialize. In the meantime, she continues to run InkSpotter Publishing, which has three new books available and several more in the works for 2012.

Reawaken Your Creativity By Revisiting Your Childhood Pleasures

Revisit Your Childhood Pleasures to Spark Your Creativity

Inside each and every one of is a small child with a creative heart and soul. Most small children have boundless energy and enjoy living in the moment. They spend their days involved in creative and imaginative play. As a result of this spontaneous way of being, children experience joyous emotions. When you tap into your blissful inner child, you are able to shift your writing in profound ways. This week spend some time observing a toddler at play. Notice how the small child unabashedly displays his or her emotions and follows his or her inner voice. Record your observations and your experience in your journal.

As we mature, we learn from those around us that our desires are not always socially acceptable. From an early age, we are urged to conform to societal norms. Others insist that we share our toys when we want to play alone, urge us be nice when we feel angry or demand that we use the toilet before we are truly ready. Misguided parents use food to reward our behavior when we adhere to their standards. This causes confusion as we begin to view food as a prize instead of life sustaining nutrition. As a result, we learn to mask our genuine emotions and our creativity is diminished. During adolescence, the voice of our inner self is further silenced as we are encouraged to constantly look toward the future instead of living in the present. Well-intentioned parents and teachers may steer us away from a profession in the creative arts and encourage us to pursue a career that will provide us with a stable income and job security. As a result of this conditioning, many adults find themselves unhappy in their personal and professional lives and turn to food for comfort.

Journal Exercise: Find Your Inner Child

This week, honor the small child within yourself by revisiting the activities that brought you the most pleasure as a child. In your journal, make a list of all of the activities that you delighted in when you were a youngster. Think of the things that you used to do that made you lose track of time. Don’t dismiss items because they seem silly or unproductive. Examples of pleasurable childhood activities include; roller-skating, finger-painting, making cookies, playing with dolls, dancing to loud music, horse back riding, and playing in a sandbox. Or maybe you enjoyed writing letters to friends or arranging parties for your dolls. After you complete your list review each item and try to recall the feeling each activity evoked within you. For example, playing with playdoh brought caused you to feel excited as you experienced the endless possibilities of your own creativity.

This week, spend at least thirty minutes doing the activity that brought you the most pleasure in your childhood. Give yourself permission to be silly and spontaneous. Leave the office a half-hour early to go for an impromptu bike ride or trip to the playground. Notice how your serenity increases and your sense of possibility expands on the page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aileen McCabe-Maucher is a writer, licensed clinical social worker/psychotherapist and registered nurse who has helped many people find inner peace and discover their unique
life purpose. Aileen has fifteen years of experience providing individual and group counseling to a diverse client population. She is a graduate of West Chester University of
Pennsylvania, Widener University, University of Delaware, and The Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia at Bryn Mawr College. Aileen studied yoga and the chakra system at The Yoga Lifestyle Center in Paoli, Pennsylvania. She is the author of the
book, The Inner Peace Diet, which was published by Penguin/ Alpha Books and released nationwide on December 2, 2008. Aileen can be reached via email at innerpeacediet@gmail.com

A sample of Aileen's first book,The Inner Peace Diet, can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Peace-Diet-Permanentebook/
dp/B001RWQVQC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317419274&sr=8-2

Inspiration and Motivation for Your Writing

The rush of the Holiday season, with all of the shopping, the wrapping, food preparation and dinner parties, can drain one emotionally and leave little time, if any for your own writing.  When all is over and done and the presents and dinner are but a memory  As you recover and rest from your busy shopping days, let the following writers give you inspiration for your writing.

“Only those that risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

T.S. Eliot

“You are never to old to be who you might have been.”

 George Eliot

“To be a goodwriter, you not only have to write a great deal but you have to care.”

Anne Lamott

“I heard an angel speak last night, and he said, ‘write’!”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“In the end, the best thing a writer can do for his society is to write as well as he can.”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“Anyone can become a writer. The trick is staying a writer.”

Harlan Ellison

“I nearly always write just as I nearly always breathe.”

John Steinbeck

 

Rebecca Camarena is a virtual book tour coordinator with  Pump Up Your Book.  She is a freelance writer in Southern California with a background in Journalism and Literature.  Her published articles cover a variety of topics from health, weddings, book reviews and animals.
You can find her at
Hollywood Daze
Paperback Writer,
Writing Daze,
Dogs Rule Cats Drool,

RESUSCITATING YOUR CHARACTER

To Tell the Truth, my first novel, started with a character, and from that character a story began to develop. I wrote the whole story dissatisfied with something about it that I could not quite pinpoint. I rewrote it several times, had people read it and give me their input, and read every book and article pertaining to writing. I went down the list of things needed in order to make your character more dimensional. I took it to my critique group so many times they told me to forget the book and go on to something else. But there was something within me that just would not let me give up on my book. I believe in my story and needed to believe in my main character, Anna Kayce.

What was it about Anna that so frustrated me? So many times I asked myself that question. The funny thing was no one I had gone to had an answer. So how was I supposed to come up with it? I knew it had to be something I was doing wrong, but I just could not figure out what it was. My character was so flat and yet I had done everything that all my resources told me to do.

Just when I was about to give up on my book, I received my Writer's Digest magazine in the mail, and in it was an article that was to change everything for me. It was an article on creating characters. As I went down the list of things you can do to develop your character in a dimensional way, I came to one suggestion on that list which really struck me: Do an interview with your character. I felt my heart speed up and my breath quicken. As is usual with me, I had to mull over this; but it wouldn't go away. It kept nagging at me. So with much excitement I put pen to paper and wrote a five-page interview with my character. For the first time since I created her, I began to feel as if I knew and understood her. There was a connection between us, an emotional connection which just grew from there.

I was able to get inside of her, feel her emotions and needs, and anticipate her moves and thoughts. And that was what had been missing, the emotional connection.

So if you are having problems giving your character personality and dimension, do an interview of your character.Describe your character's physical appearance, give a backstory/history of your character, even learn his/her favorite foods, hobbies, movies, etc. Explore his/her dreams and ambitions. Don't miss anything, but don't get too carried away either. Think of your character as a real person, and I don't think they will let you down.

Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming book: The Bible Murders
www.fayemtollison.com

A Book Writers Will Just Naturally Love!

I very occasionally run reviews for books I think will help writers in my Sharing with Writers newsletter. I thought I'd share this book with writers who read this blog, too. The review was also published on a great site for readers, www.myshelf.com.

Euphemania

Subtitle: Our love affair with euphemisms
By Ralph Keyes
Little Brown and Co.
ISBN: 9780316056564
Nonfiction/ (Writing/Language)
Contact Reviewer: hojoreviews@aol.com

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson originally for MyShelf.com

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If you don’t love language, it’s a good bet you aren’t a writer. But if you’re a writer, reading more about language (linguistics (?)) may not be high on your list of priorities. It’s so integral to the way you think, you believe you don’t need it.

I believe that Euphemania by Ralph Keyes will change your mind. Written with humor (because euphemisms are just naturally funny?) this book will certainly entertain. If you’ve ever wondered about the intricacies of our euphemisms—the origins as an example—this is the book for you. But who would have guessed that it also might be the perfect book to hone the skills of writers of dialogue and humor? 

Academic writers? Use it as a quick-study on how to write a book that will sell to a wide market. The secret? Voice. Humor. Colloquialisms. Yep, and euphemisms. A book does not have to have the lack of moisture content (dry!) of a text book to be a textbook. I know about academic expectations. My daughter is a Ph.D. candidate. She explains it to me all the time. Having said that, if you’d like to actually sell something rather than giving everything away to unappreciative academic journals, try rewriting your brilliant theory for the general public!

Anthropologists and linguists will love this book, too. But mostly, it’s just fun learning why we use asterisks for words like sh*t and the euphemisms like the f-word. It’s also tons of fun to identify phrases we’ve stopped thinking of as euphemisms (love handles, anyone?), just because they are so part of our everyday language.

If I were rating this book for an Amazon review, it would give it a true (not a fake) five-star rating. For usefulness. For fun. For the love of language.

PS: If you would like to subscribe to Sharing with Writers, an interactive newsletter where writers come together to promote and to learn, send me an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line and I'll do it for you. HoJoNews@aol.com.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success covers writing successful query letters and includes helpful hints from twenty of the nation's top agents. Purchased it at Amazon, www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor. Learn more at her Web site http://HowToDoItFrugally.com.