Strategy is the Key to Sales…I Hope

While not a teen anymore, I will be doing some marketing soon for short stories and hopefully one of my husband’s books (as yet to be finished). It’s always fun to see what other authors are doing/planning so as to perhaps find something more fun or interesting to replace another task you find annoying or distasteful. lol

My debut novel, INSOMNUS, comes out this August (yay!), which means I am in the midst of marketing my book (see updates). The most important thing I’ve discovered is its practically impossible to start too early marketing and platform building. Here are the things I have already done and will do to market my book (that […]

via A Teen Writer’s Book Marketing Strategy — molly fennig

 

“More girls should go on adventures”

You guys should read this!  🙂 

  As a young girl I never really wanted to be the ‘main’ hero, but I always wanted to go along on the adventures. I still do. Perhaps that’s why I have so many dreams of conquering the writing world, creating a few businesses, building my own kind of empire (of friends and allies), and traveling through Europe and certain parts of South America. All with my strong, brave and true husband by my side. It wouldn’t be the same without my carefully chosen knight in shining armor.  🙂

Inkspelled Faery

A while back a seven year old young lady by the name of Charlotte sent this letter to the LEGO corporation.

It reminded me of a blog post I read by Maggie Stiefvater about how, growing up, she didn’t have crushes on the male action-adventure leads, she wanted to be them. When I read that, I had a “You, too? I thought I was the only one!” moment.

Now, I have never wanted to be a boy. As a little girl, I was required to always wear dresses (not as unfair as it sounds, a long story), even with my jeans. I played with Barbies (G.I. Joe dolls, too), had tea parties, loved fairies (still do), and was a fan of every Disney princess. But none of that stopped me from rolling in the mud, climbing into trees, crawling under barbwire fences, building forts out of juniper trees, wrestling goats…

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Should Authors Have to “Market Themselves”?

This has been a crazy day. I had a meeting two towns over, cooking, cleaning, errands… basically life happened today.
So, I offer a blog post that will fit just about everyone. If you are in any type of business where you need a personal brand this is a great blog post for that.

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If you couldn’t care less what a personal brand is, just cruise through until you find the YouTube box and watch the funny video. (It made me laugh, anyway.)

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Hopefully my brain will be unscrambled by Friday evening and I can come up with a poem for you. If not, then I’ll just have to come up with a helpful and entertaining substitute… again.

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Enjoy! 😀

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Kristen Lamb's Blog

“Crap. Revisions tore my hose. But I need to sell more books and get out and ‘market myself’…”
Image via Darwin Bell, Flickr Creative Commons.

All right, don’t stone me, but I feel some of the marketing “buzz words” range from terrifying to annoying to outright offensive. For instance, every time I read “target your demographic” or “target your readers” I wonder if this comes with a Predator Drone or at least a laser sight.

I don’t know about you guys, but I get creeped out being “targeted.” It makes it seem we (seller and consumer) are opponents—one the cunning victor and the other the hapless dupe who landed in the marketing crosshairs.

But the one that’s gotten my hackles up over the past week or so is when writers are beating themselves up. They write things in my comments like, “I know need to try harder to market myself”…

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Conspiracy Theory

James and I seem to be suffering from similar (albeit far from identical) troubles. The world at times demands your undivided attention, and will not allow you to get back to your writing until certain things are off your mind, to do list, or schedule. But don’t take my word for it, you read it and decided if you think it’s funny, too. 😀

James L'Etoile

Pssst…

Come here…

There is a conspiracy out there, I tell ya.  A cabal of ruthless, black-minded villains put in overtime this week to keep me from writing.  They’re cagey, these evil-doers.  At every turn, they construct a barrier, obstacle, or canyon, so deep and wide that I have no choice, but to retreat and do their bidding.

I know it is a conspiracy because only an organized effort could appear so innocent.  The forces behind this dark movement keep themselves hidden in the shadows, making it seem like everything that’s happening is a big coincidence.  I don’t believe in coincidence, chance, or dumb luck.  Let me list off a few of their dark deeds and you be the judge…

I finish a rewrite of a new novel and before I can dive in again for another editing pass, I find myself two days deep into installing new hardwood floors…

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The Hidden Benefits of Reading

I love to read. Really should be doing more of it, actually.
So here’s a reblog that reiterated that for me, and perhaps inspire you to keep reading (and trying to Be read).

WordServe Water Cooler

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I read in order to avoid writing. There. I said it. I read at stoplights often enough that my children have to point and say, “Green. Green! GREEN!” in increasingly frantic tones, just before the rude non-reader honks come from the cars behind us.

I read while I wait for my children and while I brush my teeth. Just last week, I read on my daily walk. While passing my oldest daughter’s home, I understand that she pointed out the window in disbelief. “Nick!” she called to her husband, “Is that lady really reading while she’s walking?! Oh. It’s my mom. Why am I even surprised?” Once, I even read 43 pages while in the dentist’s chair.

As it turns out, my reading habit might be one of the best things I can do for my writing.

Read to Inspire

We all know…

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The ABCs of Self-Publishing: A Guest Post by Mark Evans

I’m working my way through this list of self-publishing to-do’s. It’s a bit of work. Some of them are simply going to have to wait until I have a little money to work with, but they are on my list. It just has a slightly different order than that of other authors. And that’s O.K., not everyone takes the same path.

It has taken me a while to be calm about these facts, but now that I have the voices in my head have stopped screaming at each other (at least, most of them).

CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD

Today we have a guest post from self-publisher Mark Evans, who has just released his first novel, Mrs God. Welcome to Catherine, Caffeinated, Mark! 

“You remember the scene in Glengarry Glen Ross, don’t you? The one where Alec Baldwin gives a lecture on the art of selling real estate, by swearing a lot and insulting Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin and Ed Harris? It’s a great scene. Baldwin’s message can be boiled down to just three letters: ABC. Always. Be. Closing. Always be closing the deal, getting people to sign on the dotted line.

Well, Jack, Alan and Ed could have been authors and Alec could have been giving them advice on selling self-published books. The same principle applies – always be closing. It’s as easy as ABC. In fact, self-published authors should go even farther; they should be closing long before there’s something to sell. Let’s break it down.

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A Monster Eating My Brain!

I’m feeling this way again.

It was a good day. A busy day. No writing, though. Chores, errands, a meeting, another errand, family dinner, went out for dessert, late night shopping.

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Yes, the monster is chowing down. 🙂

Rose's Road

I have a monster eating my brain!

Although, I don’t feel any pain.

My thoughts are coming slower.

I feel like a wilting flower.

The day was far too long.

The night is near half gone.

Sleep is what I need.

“Sleep!” is what I plead.

The monster is exhaustion.

It haunts my every motion.

Dragging on my arms and legs,

it feasts away; my body sags.

Please, where is my pillow?

That will make this monster go.

“Away, away with you!”, I say.

“I have had enough for one day.”

I shall see thee on the morn,

When my body feels less torn.

After a good night’s sleep;

A rest of slumber deep.

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The Light Next to Tarazed

Hey! I found a really cool site today. It’s called Little Write Lies. It’s another WordPress site, owned by Taylor Eaton. I had a lot of fun perusing her blog this evening.

This is the first installment in a budding series of very short stories. There are 3 so far, but don’t despair, she has more coming in a little while.

The second story is Here.

The third story is Here.

She has more short-short stories on her site. Take a look around. 😀

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I’m not sure if she’s on any other social media, but I know her through Twitter:  @tayloreaton

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It’s a story with space travel!

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When Writers Face a Constant Climb

This! This post describes the ups and downs, the uh-ohs and the victories of a writing career in the concept of rock climbing.
I’m still feeling like a total noobie at this writing thing, but she gives hope to the beginner.

Enjoy! 😀

WordServe Water Cooler

Sandstone boulders and harnesses and ropes, not really what I had envisioned when the new guy picked me up and we headed out for the afternoon—our first date together.

Girlie-girl me had somehow landed in a ragtop Jeep headed for some serious rock-climbing. Or so Mr. New Guy thought—what actually happened was girlie-girl watched some cute guy scale the side of a cliff, up, down, and sideways.

But getting to the top wasn’t his end-all plan. He seemed most challenged {and the proudest} when he slipped and then recovered. The catch and the readjustment seemed just as exciting to him as the time he stood at the top and waved high from the completed climb.

It’s been a few years since I sat in that ragtop and watched that guy climb. Seems I was about as interested in him as I was in climbing those rocks myself.

Why would we…

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Blood Suckers

ReGi McClain has agreed to write a guest post for my little blog! Yay!
To show you why I think she’s cool enough to write something for us to read, I give you this very short story. I giggled when I read it the first time, and again after looking it up tonight.

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Enjoy! 😀

ReGi McClain

Eezzz surveyed the young. Mothers shamed by the birth of sons ushered the boys away. Eezz made a mental note to personally give her condolences to each of them later. Males were, after all, necessary to produce more females, like it or not. When all the males were gone, she spread her wings and flew into the air.

“Daughters!”

Every female within hearing distance snapped to attention. Eezz smiled down on them. A swell of pride filled her. As the longest surviving of all females, she recognized greatness when she saw it. These ones, she thought, they are all survivors. They will all fulfill their destinies. But they needed instruction. And inspiration.

“HUNTERS!”

The girls roared lustily, the hizz of their voices startling nearby prey.

Eezz let the excitement of the moment boil its way through their exoskeletons and settle into expectant silence before she went on.

“Today you…

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