PR Isn't A 4-Letter Word by Marcia James

Self-promotion isn’t for sissies. It can be expensive and time-consuming. There are many factors that play into an author’s decision concerning which PR options to try, including technical savvy (e.g., creating your own Web site), shyness (e.g., public speaking and power-schmoozing), budget and whether the publisher is also providing promotional support. You need to decide if you’re going to target existing romance readers and/or try to “convert” new ones. Here are several options to consider, starting with the most traditional types of author promotion.

Readers can be found on message boards and email lists. And there are many Web sites that offer access to romance readers for a price. You can also purchase a list of readers groups from Pat Rouse and mail them your promotional items. Or you can buy an ad in RT BOOKreviews. But don’t overlook budget-saving options. For example, there are sites (e.g., Coffee Time Romance) that offer some free services, such as an online calendar for authors to post their booksignings. And many publishers have an email loop for their authors to chat up readers, as well as post book blurbs and excerpts.

You can reach readers by cross-promoting with other authors. The simplest way is reciprocal links—authors posting each other’s URL links on their own sites. Another is guest-blogging, which is an easy, free way to introduce yourself to another author’s readers. An additional positive to guest-blogging is that it requires a short commitment of time.

There are also authors who interview other writers for articles and blogs, such as this one. And there are free e-zine opportunities for author interviews. One great example is Su Kopil’s The Motivated Writer e-zine (http://themotivatedwriter.com/), which features fiction authors at all stages of their careers.

Creativity is part of a writer’s “toolbox”, and many are putting it to good use by inventing interesting ways to cross-promote. One such author is Paige Cuccaro, who has a popular Writer’s Cave page on her Web site (http://www.paigecuccaro.com/). She posts photos of other authors’ offices along with their URLs. Readers visit Paige’s site to see their favorite authors’ offices, then stay to explore the other authors’ photos and sites.

In addition to meeting readers and other writers, an author can forge relationships with booksellers and librarians through readings and booksignings. Consider joining with several other authors to booksign at a store or do a panel discussion at a library. If you’re too shy to speak in front of groups, you might consider presenting an online workshop. And there are print and electronic publications that are always looking for articles from authors.

Targeting niche markets is a great way to reach interested romance readers and tempt those who normally avoid romance novels. Look at the different elements in your book to see which groups might be interested in it. For example, if your hero drives a vintage car, there are groups of vintage car enthusiasts who might buy your book. If your heroine is a veterinarian, you can send a press release to the veterinarians’ professional association. Library reference books, such as The Encyclopedia of Associations, offer the contact information on thousands of groups.

You can also reach readers through your local media. Some of the questions to consider when developing a press release include: Who is your audience? What is your angle? Also, it’s important to use a cover letter to put the press release in context and suggest the next step to your media contact (e.g., an interview, coverage of an event or simply your availability as a subject matter expert).

The contents of a folder-style press kit can include: the cover letter, a business card, an author bio, a press release, the book’s cover flat, a book excerpt, book reviews and copies of any previous media coverage. The press kit and its components should reflect your author brand (e.g., darker colors for a suspense author vs. brighter colors for a comedic author). You should share your press kit with your editor and agent, so they’ll know how you’re promoting yourself. And you can put a version of your press kit on your Web site.

Whichever PR options you choose, promote your author brand as well as your books. There are a number of good resources on branding, including articles on author Jenn Stark’s Web site (http://www.jennstark.com/). And it’s never too early to create your brand or to develop your Web site, on paper at least. If you go to the national RWA’s Web site page on member sites (http://www.rwanational.org/cs/authors_and_books/rwa_author_websites), you can check out what others have done and note what you like and don’t like about their sites. When it’s time for you to create (or pay a Web designer to create) a Web site, you’ll have noted your preferences on color, graphics, visuals, etc. Also, lock in your pen name’s domain name before you get The Call.

Self-promotion is a vital part of the business of fiction writing, and the time to study it is BEFORE you’re published. Don’t get caught playing PR catch-up after you sell. Learn about the many PR possibilities and which might work best with your schedule, budget and personality. But most of all, have fun with it. Your options are only limited by your imagination.

Thanks for sharing all that wonderful information with us!

Bio: Marcia James tapped her own PR background to develop her brand—an author of “hot, humorous romances”. Her logo is a Chinese Crested hairless dog, an animal found in all of her manuscripts. And her PR giveaway, a thumbcuff keychain, hints at both her law enforcement protagonists and the level of sensuality in her writing. In addition to writing articles and presenting workshops on author promotion, she has a 100+ page PR information WORD file she shares with any RWA member who would like it. Just go to her Web site (www.MarciaJames.net) and request the file through her “Contact Me” page. This file includes details on the PR options mentioned in this article.

James’ debut comic romantic suspense, AT HER COMMAND, is out in trade paperback from Cerridwen Press. Buy at: http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=1-4199-0704-2

Book Recommendation - Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant

Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant, 309 pages
Self-Council Press, 2007
ISBN: 1551807394

If you’re just starting out in the romance genre, Writing Romance is a good place to start. The author, Vanessa Grant, has over 9 million books in print and has written 25 Harlequin romances, so she has the experience and publications to know what she is talking about.

Writing Romance delves into several topics of interest. The author touches on many of the basics regarding telling vs. showing, viewpoint, pacing, plotting and conflict. Ms. Grant uses her own work as examples.

For advanced writers, you might glean some new information, but basically this book is for the beginner. Also, this is specifically tailored for the romance writer. There is also useful information for any genre writer though.

I can see why this title has been updated. This edition includes much more on the internet and its resources.

The Neurotic Writer's New Years Resolutions

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Therapist: Suzie, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen you. How was your holiday?

Suzie Writer: Wonderful! I cooked an awesome twenty-pound turkey for my family. We ate, joked, drank, and ate some more.

Therapist: Sounds like you had a relaxing, enjoyable day.

Suzie Writer: Sure did! I was having so much fun, I let the family stay an extra hour before I kicked them all out to write. This year, I even let Uncle George back inside to get his car keys. Last year I made him call a cab and wait on the front lawn. I warned everyone they had to leave by three. I read on the loops that you have to write every day and set boundaries so no one keeps you from your work. Even children cannot interfere unless they’re bleeding a gusher or running around with their clothes set on fire.

Therapist: Did you ever think the person who wrote that message on the Internet loop was exaggerating?

Suzie Writer: Oh, no. No pain, no gain.

Therapist: That applies to exercise, not to the safety of children.

Suzie Writer: Let’s talk about me. I wrote my New Years resolutions. 1. I will write thirty pages every day. I heard Nora writes a chapter a day. That’s the secret to her success. 2. My first published book will hit #1 on the New York Times list.

Therapist: Do you think it’s wise to set a goal you have no control over?

Suzie Writer: What are you talking about? I can turn myself into a New York Times Writer. I’m visualizing and using the power of positive thinking.

Therapist: What happens if you don’t make the list this year?

Suzie Writer: (Extends her palm in the “Talk to the hand” position.) Now, I’m visualizing you and Nora at my book signing. You’re fighting over who gets the first copy. I would let Nora have it. I’ve heard her speeches on tape. She sounds like she could hold her own in a brawl. Reminds me of my sister.

Therapist: (Resisting the urge to roll her eyes) Well, I’m visualizing the clock and I’m positive our time is up.

Web of Deceit Now Available in Print

Web of Deceit is now available in print from
The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Kim Watters is also the featured author this week over at
The Long And The Short Of It.

Stop by and try and win an e-book copy of Web of Deceit.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/

Web of Deceit has also been nominated as "Best Romance of 2007" in the long ebook category over the The Long And The Short Of It. So stop by and cast your bote today!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/poll.htm

Interview with Eilis Flynn

Happy New Year! To start off a fantastic 2008, I’d like to welcome our guest today, Eilis Flynn. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called INTRODUCING SONIKA. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Sure! A daughter of super-heroes who turned away from her birthright when her parents were killed finds herself facing her destiny when that past comes back to haunt her in the form of a man who seeks revenge against the son of her parents’ greatest enemy.

INTRODUCING SONIKA is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Really? You think it’s interesting? It’s a cliché, but it was too appropriate not to use it. It’s a tip of the hat to the titles of comic book stories. Almost invariably, "Introducing" somebody is how a new character comes into the ongoing story. Duh, right? Nothing else really worked as a title, and since my editor didn’t object, I figured it was fate.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Actually, I did, but not for the comics part. I worked for DC Comics when I was younger; I wrote a few stories for them, and when I was a teenager I was a comics geek, writing letters to the editor and critiquing the stories. That stuff came the easiest. No, I did research into the anti-gravity device that plays a part in the story.

What character did you like writing about the most, and why?

This was one of those books that I really enjoyed writing in the viewpoint of all the characters! The heroine, Sonika (or Sonya in her ordinary life), lived as quiet a life as possible, with all that power waiting underneath the surface; I loved that feeling, knowing that one day that was all going to change, burst into being what was always meant to be. And then there’s my hero John, who was crippled by a master criminal wannabe, with all this grief and rage rolled up into one, only to be startled by and attracted to this young woman who was a mystery to him – that was an amazing feeling too!

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero’s shoes?

My husband and I have spent a lot of time talking about this. John’s supposed to be pretty geeky, and he thought Patrick Dempsey was geeky enough. Yeah, someone who plays a character nicknamed "McDreamy" is not geeky. When Dempsey was a young actor, sure, but now? No, he’s aging well. There are a few actors who could do John. The next time you watch TV or watch a movie and there’s a thirtyish actor who slips on a pair of glasses … that could be John.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

So many!

What do we have to look forward next?

Right now, I’m finishing up a romantic sci-fic that’s supposed to be part of a continuity series for Ellora’s Cave/Cerridwen Press. I’m one of the founding authors of this thing, so I feel a certain protectiveness about the Hunters for Hire series, and I really want to finish it. Other than that? I’ve got a loooong list of books I need to write, and at least one is a sequel to INTRODUCING SONIKA!

Thanks, Eilis!

Bio. Eilis Flynn is a longtime member of the Greater Seattle RWA, a veteran of the Wall Street wars, has been a professional journalist, was a scholar (for a very short while), and even wrote comic books. She lives in a quiet neighborhood with her all-suffering husband and cranky cats.

Check out the author’s website at http://www.eilisflynn.com/.

Buy INTRODUCING SONIKA at http://www.cerridwenpress.com/.

SHOW AND TELL—AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

SHOW AND TELL—AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

INSTRUCTOR: Shannon Donnelly
WHEN: Jan 5 to Jan 16 (6 lessons posted over two weeks)
COST: $15 for NEORWA members, $20 for nonmembers
REGISTRATION: www.neorwa.com for registration form and workshop details or
contact Kristine Thompson at thompos@ameritech.net

WORKSHOP: Show, don't Tell" is a cliché that has almost lost its meaning. But"showing" and "telling" are both valuable tools for any writer. In this workshop, we'll use writing examples to figure out the truth hidden in this tired phrase. The "telling" part of the workshop includes tips, tricks, and techniques tohelp improve narrative and identify when it's time to tell your story.

The "showing" part blends a set of exercises to strengthen an understandingof what makes a scene come to life.

Topics we'll cover:
1) Telling: Use of the Narrative Voice
2) Showing to Pull a Reader into Your Scenes
3) Descriptions: How to Make them Vivid
4) Deep Viewpoint to Show a Character's Inner World
5) Time, Transitions & Word Count--where Telling Helps
6) Showing and Telling--Not Absolutes
7) Write to Your Strengths: When to Show, When to Tell

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:Award-winning author of romance novels, children's books, video games, and non-fiction books, Shannon's work has earned praise from Booklist and other reviewers who have called her work: "simply superb"..."wonderfullyuplifting"....and "beautifully written." Her awards for writing include anomination for RWA's RITA for Best Regency, winning the RWA's Golden HeartAward, winning the Grand Prize in the "Minute Maid Sensational RomanceWriter" contest, (judged by Nora Roberts - which gave her a trip to Paris), and multiple finalists in the Bookseller's Best, Orange Rose, HoltMedallion, Colorado ACE, and other contests. Shannon is a member of LosAngeles Romance Authors, Orange County Chapter of RWA, East Valley Authors,and the Published Author Special Interest Chapter. She regularly teaches online workshops, has taught writing at UCLA, and has spoken at RWA's National Conference, as well as at RWA chapter meetings and other conferences.

She can be found online at ShannonDonnelly.com and atmyspace.com/randomfreshink.

5 Angel Review for When Johnny Comes Home!

My dear friend, Kim Watters, does not like to brag so I'll do it for her.

When Johnny Comes Home received an awesome 5 angel review from

Fallen Angel Reviews!

Read what Linda L (the reviewer) had to say:

"When Johnny Comes Home is a heartwarming story that transports the reader... I adored the beautiful written letters between Johnny and Aubrey, not to mention almost hearing the sounds of Glen Miller playing in the background. One can almost see the soldiers saying goodbye to their loved ones and feel the emotions when they are reunited again. I was mesmerized by the whole ambiance of the era. Kim Watters paints a beautiful read that captures the reader and holds them spellbound."

See the whole review at http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2007/December/LindaL-WhenJohnnyComesHome.htm

Buy the story at www.thewildrosepress.com