Join us on Wednesday, November 14, 7 pm for this fun and informative teleseminar on how to incorporate celebrity in your book promotion.
Sponsored by the Publishers Association of Los Angeles
One of my editing clients, author JORDAN McAULEY, is an expert in all things celebrity. For this November seminar, I will be interviewing him to mine his secrets on working with the stars to generate greater visibility and sales for your books and other products.
Below is the program description. To sign up, pay via PayPal by November 12, 2012. The PayPal link is found at the bottom of the PALA website at www.pa-la.org.
THE COST: $5.00 for PALA members; $10.00 for IWOSC members; $15.00 for nonmembers.
To pay by check, prepay by November 9, 2012. Send a check to PALA, 408 20th Street, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Be sure to include your e-mail address.
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Teleseminar Description
CELEBRITY LEVERAGE:
INSIDER SECRETS TO STAR-POWERED PUBLICITY
with Jordan McAuley
As marketing guru Dan Kennedy has pointed out, celebrities dominate the media, across all demographics. Discover creative ways to hitch your wagon to a star for more powerful publicity, increased credibility, and greater exposure for your book.
How do you choose the right celebrity for your book?
How do you find their contact information?
What are the right ways to approach celebrities?
How do you handle the various options for incorporating celebrities in your PR campaigns?
Planned topics include:
- Book endorsements
- Gifting your book to a star or their personal assistant for word of mouth or to make the initial connection
- Getting in gift bags and gift suites
- Obtaining photos with the star at an event
- Hiring the star yourself for your event
- Getting your product placed on TV shows and in films
The discussion will also cover tips on becoming a celebrity yourself, as an author.
Learn how to maximize the power of the celebrity in your PR. Join us for this informative and valuable teleseminar.
OUR SPEAKER:
JORDAN McAULEY is known as the "King of Celebrity Contacts." He is the author of the book "Celebrity Leverage," as well as the founder of one of the most respected publicity resources in the world, www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com . Jordan has been quoted in "Entertainment Weekly," "Publisher's Weekly," "USA Today," and "Investor's Business Daily." He is featured in Timothy Ferris's "The 4-Hour Work Week," Dan Kennedy's "Marketing to the Affluent," Dan Poynter's "Publishing Encyclopedia" and John Kremer's "1001 Ways to Market Your Books." His other books include the best-selling annual directory "Celebrity Black Book" as well as "Secrets to Contacting Celebrities." www.ContactAny Celebrity.com www.celebritypr.com
OUR MODERATOR:
ROBIN QUINN has been in the book business for more than two decades. A book coach, book editor and ghostwriter, Robin specializes in self-help, health, inspirational, spirituality and the media. Previous clients include actress Julie Newmar ("The Conscious Catwoman Explains Life on Earth"), Dan Poynter ("Self-Publishing Manual"), Jordan McAuley ("Celebrity Leverage" and "Secrets to Contacting Celebrities"), and recent award-winners Ruth Frechman ("The Food Is My Friend Diet"--Best Nutrition/Indie Excellence Awards 2012) and Steve Nakamoto ("Wall Street Craps"--Best Finance/Investment/Wealth--Nonfiction/Global Ebook Awards 2012). www.writingandediting.biz
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PALA will confirm your registration and give you the call-in telephone number when they receive your check or the notice from PayPal.
The organization encourages you to submit possible teleseminar questions by Nov. 9. Please send your questions to Sharon at pplspeak@att.net.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Third Annual Global Ebook Awards Now Open for Submissions
To get the attention of readers, your ebook needs promoted. Media coverage can come from the publicity generated by an award. The Global Ebook Award Program is an opportunity for your ebook to become recognized in a positive way.
Learn how to submit your book here: http://globalebookawards.com/instructions-for-entering/
In addition to actual winners, finalists for each category can also promote their finalist status.
The dates for eligibility are an ebook released anytime in 2011, 2012 or 2013.
The deadline for application deadline is April 30 2013, midnight, Pacific Time.
“To break out of the pack and rise above the noise, your eBook needs to get read,” says Dan Poynter, Founder of the awards. “Readers have to read it, love it, and tell someone else. This is called ‘word of mouth.’”
Bottom Line: The Global Ebook Awards can assist you in building a greater profile for your book and therefore help readers find and eventually praise your ebook.
The Global eBook Awards
http://www.globalebookawards.com
Contact: Barbara Gaughen, (805) 968-8567, barbara@rain.org
Learn how to submit your book here: http://globalebookawards.com/instructions-for-entering/
In addition to actual winners, finalists for each category can also promote their finalist status.
The dates for eligibility are an ebook released anytime in 2011, 2012 or 2013.
The deadline for application deadline is April 30 2013, midnight, Pacific Time.
“To break out of the pack and rise above the noise, your eBook needs to get read,” says Dan Poynter, Founder of the awards. “Readers have to read it, love it, and tell someone else. This is called ‘word of mouth.’”
Bottom Line: The Global Ebook Awards can assist you in building a greater profile for your book and therefore help readers find and eventually praise your ebook.
The Global eBook Awards
http://www.globalebookawards.com
Contact: Barbara Gaughen, (805) 968-8567, barbara@rain.org
Friday, September 21, 2012
Client Steve Nakamoto Wins 2012 Global Ebook Award
Last month, I attended the top-notch ceremony for this year's Global Ebook Awards in Santa Barbara, California. Held on Saturday August 18th at the exclusive University Club, the awards were founded by publishing expert Dan Poynter and featured actress and author (newest release Total Memory Makeover) Marilu Henner as a guest presenter.
Among the winners selected from entries sent from over 16 countries was my client Steve Nakamoto for his most recent book, Wall Street Craps: How to Play Today's Hot and Cold Stock Market for Fast Money with Less Risk. Nakamoto's title took the top prize for the Finance/Investment/Wealth category in Nonfiction. Two of my clients were also Finalists in their respective categories. Exploring Europe: Our Experiences While Living Abroad by Shelley Row was a Finalist in Travel/Guidebook - Nonfiction while Alpha Chick, Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power by Mal Duane ranked as a Finalist in Self-Help - Nonfiction.
Poynter, who travels extensively as a speaker on publishing, has been reading ebooks since the early 2000s. He began on the Pocket PC and now uses the iPhone, utilizing Kindle. Dan has long been an advocate for ebooks, and he has been publishing them from his website since 1996. Poynter founded the Global Ebook Awards in 2011. For information on next year's 2013 Global Ebook Awards, go to http://globalebookawards.com/registration/.
Enjoy some more photos taken during the festivities!
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
From Blogs to Books by Shelley Row
This is a guest blog from my client Shelley Row. Shelley and her husband Mike managed to live a dream … a visit for ten months in a small village in France, and a total of a year of travel experiences in all. Their adventures produced three books, “Living Like a Local: Stories of Our Life in France,” “Traveling Around the World: Our Tales of Delights and Disasters,” and “Exploring Europe: Our Experiences While Living Abroad.” Shelley leads workshops on how to make your dreams come true. To learn more, go to: http://www.shelleyrow.com/.
Below is advice from Shelley (someone who has been there) on how to convert your blogs into great books. Enjoy! Robin, The Book Coach
Perhaps it’s just me. I think “blog” is an unattractive word. It sprawls on the page devoid of artistic flair. Consequently, I never aspired to be a “blogger.” Imagine my surprise to find that I loved blogging. And now I have three published books from blogs. Here are tips I learned to convert blogs to books.
First, you need to develop a blog and it must have ample content. With the blog-to-book process, your book is written little-by-little over time. My blog started when my husband Mike and I left our home in Maryland and moved to a village in France for ten months. My blogs were a way to communicate with my 80-year-old mother while we lived abroad. As I wrote, magic happened. I discovered that other people read and enjoyed my blogs. Then I discovered that I loved to write. Blogging made me a keen observer. I returned from France with 90 blogs and encouragement to publish them. So take a fresh look at your blogs. They could be a book!
Next, you need a common theme and common voice. If you write regularly on a specific topic, the theme may emerge naturally. If not, pick through your blogs to select those with commonality. Seek to maintain a similar voice – tense, tone, style – across the blogs. If you blog frequently, your style is more likely to be consistent. My writing style evolved over time; consequently, my blogs benefited from a good editor (Robin Quinn of www.writingandediting.biz) who smoothed out inconsistencies.
You will need an Introduction. The Introduction provides context for the blogs: what they are, why you wrote them, and who you are.
Read the book with fresh eyes. Do the blogs make sense as standalone chapters? Do they flow from one chapter to the next? If there are gaps in the storyline, add transitions between the blogs. Also, I suggest replacing the word “blog” with “story” or “tale.” In my opinion, most people prefer a collection of short stories over a collection of blogs.
Now consider the closing. If you write an ongoing blog, you’ll need to create a closing chapter. The closing may summarize your experiences, lessons learned, or key points. The book reader needs a satisfying ending.
The beauty of creating a book from a blog is that you already have content. Yes, you will do additional writing to make the blogs work for a book reader, but the modifications are minor. With a book made from blogs, you’ll have more energy to tackle publication details.
For you bloggers, I hope you take advantage of your material and create a book! It’s fun, personally satisfying, and worth the effort. You will become an “author” instead of a “blogger.” Now doesn’t that sound nice?
Below is advice from Shelley (someone who has been there) on how to convert your blogs into great books. Enjoy! Robin, The Book Coach
Perhaps it’s just me. I think “blog” is an unattractive word. It sprawls on the page devoid of artistic flair. Consequently, I never aspired to be a “blogger.” Imagine my surprise to find that I loved blogging. And now I have three published books from blogs. Here are tips I learned to convert blogs to books.
First, you need to develop a blog and it must have ample content. With the blog-to-book process, your book is written little-by-little over time. My blog started when my husband Mike and I left our home in Maryland and moved to a village in France for ten months. My blogs were a way to communicate with my 80-year-old mother while we lived abroad. As I wrote, magic happened. I discovered that other people read and enjoyed my blogs. Then I discovered that I loved to write. Blogging made me a keen observer. I returned from France with 90 blogs and encouragement to publish them. So take a fresh look at your blogs. They could be a book!
Next, you need a common theme and common voice. If you write regularly on a specific topic, the theme may emerge naturally. If not, pick through your blogs to select those with commonality. Seek to maintain a similar voice – tense, tone, style – across the blogs. If you blog frequently, your style is more likely to be consistent. My writing style evolved over time; consequently, my blogs benefited from a good editor (Robin Quinn of www.writingandediting.biz) who smoothed out inconsistencies.
You will need an Introduction. The Introduction provides context for the blogs: what they are, why you wrote them, and who you are.
Read the book with fresh eyes. Do the blogs make sense as standalone chapters? Do they flow from one chapter to the next? If there are gaps in the storyline, add transitions between the blogs. Also, I suggest replacing the word “blog” with “story” or “tale.” In my opinion, most people prefer a collection of short stories over a collection of blogs.
Now consider the closing. If you write an ongoing blog, you’ll need to create a closing chapter. The closing may summarize your experiences, lessons learned, or key points. The book reader needs a satisfying ending.
The beauty of creating a book from a blog is that you already have content. Yes, you will do additional writing to make the blogs work for a book reader, but the modifications are minor. With a book made from blogs, you’ll have more energy to tackle publication details.
For you bloggers, I hope you take advantage of your material and create a book! It’s fun, personally satisfying, and worth the effort. You will become an “author” instead of a “blogger.” Now doesn’t that sound nice?
Sunday, March 04, 2012
BOOK EDITING: Don’t Pass on Editing Your Ebook
This article was recently featured in Dan Poynter's newsletter Publishing Poynters.
The buzz is that one of the major missteps ebook authors are making is avoiding professional editing. I noticed that Mark Coker, Founder of the ebook publisher Smashwords, is among those pointing this out. In a recent article on author mistakes, Coker notes, “Many indie authors rush their books to market before the book has been properly edited or proofread… Every book benefits from the unforgiving eye of an independent editor and proofreader.”
Think again if you believe that readers are more accepting of errors and sloppy writing in ebooks. On Amazon, readers are complaining about such frustrations in Kindle ebooks, and some are even demanding refunds. Readers say that grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, and other blunders are annoying, take away from the writer’s credibility, and can make them stop reading the book. Some are becoming jaded about ebooks altogether, and choosing to stay away.
The eyes of a professional editor are trained to see the mistakes your eyes overlook. For instance, I recently did an edit of a novel that the author believed to be ready for publishing. In the subsequent edit, I was able to eliminate his redundancies, point out unclear sections, correct inconsistencies, spot embarrassing misspellings in his field of expertise, and fix or query questionable “facts.” This was in addition to addressing basics, like punctuation, grammar and typos.
Beyond a lack of editorial attention, one way errors slip into ebooks is in the production process. To avoid issues during the conversion to multiple formats, keep the formatting of your ebook manuscript minimal. Unless you’ll only be producing PDFs, it can be helpful to avoid tables and charts (or insert them as static graphics inline [no wrapping of text] in the .gif or .png format), avoid columns, and stick with plain text and a couple header levels. Times Roman is the perfect font for epublishing. I recommend working with designers with experience in laying out ebooks, as well as dealing with the various ebook outlets. Also, Bookbaby, Smashwords and the newer Folium are popular services that help get your books in the various ebook formats.
At a recent ebook panel, Smashword’s Jim Azevedo said that the place where authors are making money with ebooks is on Amazon. One way to get your ebooks on Amazon is through its Kindle Direct Publishing program. Be aware that this is an exclusive distribution program for your ebook.
If you have any questions about editing or ebooks, feel free to contact me. Bottom line: Take pride in your book, hire a good editor, and give yourself and your book the best chances for success.
To your publishing success!
Robin
Quinn’s Word for Word
310-838-7098 / www.writingandediting.biz / quinnrobin@aol.com /
Book Editing, Ghostwriting, Copywriting & Book Coaching
The buzz is that one of the major missteps ebook authors are making is avoiding professional editing. I noticed that Mark Coker, Founder of the ebook publisher Smashwords, is among those pointing this out. In a recent article on author mistakes, Coker notes, “Many indie authors rush their books to market before the book has been properly edited or proofread… Every book benefits from the unforgiving eye of an independent editor and proofreader.”
Think again if you believe that readers are more accepting of errors and sloppy writing in ebooks. On Amazon, readers are complaining about such frustrations in Kindle ebooks, and some are even demanding refunds. Readers say that grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, and other blunders are annoying, take away from the writer’s credibility, and can make them stop reading the book. Some are becoming jaded about ebooks altogether, and choosing to stay away.
The eyes of a professional editor are trained to see the mistakes your eyes overlook. For instance, I recently did an edit of a novel that the author believed to be ready for publishing. In the subsequent edit, I was able to eliminate his redundancies, point out unclear sections, correct inconsistencies, spot embarrassing misspellings in his field of expertise, and fix or query questionable “facts.” This was in addition to addressing basics, like punctuation, grammar and typos.
Beyond a lack of editorial attention, one way errors slip into ebooks is in the production process. To avoid issues during the conversion to multiple formats, keep the formatting of your ebook manuscript minimal. Unless you’ll only be producing PDFs, it can be helpful to avoid tables and charts (or insert them as static graphics inline [no wrapping of text] in the .gif or .png format), avoid columns, and stick with plain text and a couple header levels. Times Roman is the perfect font for epublishing. I recommend working with designers with experience in laying out ebooks, as well as dealing with the various ebook outlets. Also, Bookbaby, Smashwords and the newer Folium are popular services that help get your books in the various ebook formats.
At a recent ebook panel, Smashword’s Jim Azevedo said that the place where authors are making money with ebooks is on Amazon. One way to get your ebooks on Amazon is through its Kindle Direct Publishing program. Be aware that this is an exclusive distribution program for your ebook.
If you have any questions about editing or ebooks, feel free to contact me. Bottom line: Take pride in your book, hire a good editor, and give yourself and your book the best chances for success.
To your publishing success!
Robin
Quinn’s Word for Word
310-838-7098 / www.writingandediting.biz / quinnrobin@aol.com /
Book Editing, Ghostwriting, Copywriting & Book Coaching
Sunday, January 15, 2012
VIDEO: The Why, What & How
According to the Digital Buzz Video Blog, YouTube is serving a billion videos a day! The average Internet user watches 182 videos a month. Join us this Tuesday for a free program on using VIDEO IN YOUR MARKETING.
HAPPY 2012! Robin Quinn www.writingandediting.biz
JANUARY JOINT MEETING
of Author’s Corner & Made in the Valley
THIS TUESDAY'S PROGRAM IS ON USING VIDEO IN YOUR MARKETING
Host: GAIL LARA
Location: VEDC, 5121 Van Nuys Blvd., 3rd floor conference room, Van Nuys, CA 91403. Park under the building or on the street (No parking at Burger King; they tow!)
When: Tuesday, January 17th
Time: Networking begins at 6:30 pm. Program runs from 7:00-9:00 pm.
Need to get up to speed with video? Come to this panel to learn why video is becoming so popular. We’ll discuss what video to create and how to use it as a marketing tool. Program includes sample videos.
Moderator/Producer: ROBIN QUINN, Book Coach/Editor/Writer, www.WritingandEditing.Biz
PANELISTS:
RICHARD ALLEN, Videographer, Partner of the digital production company, Hit Me with Your Best Shot
ANITA REINSMA, Producer, Partner of the digital production company, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Author of Stop Waiting for Prince Charming
RUTH FRECHMAN, Registered Dietitian, Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Author of the new book The Food Is My Friend Diet
JUDITH CASSIS, “Bounce Back” Coach, Writing Instructor, and Publisher of Tidbits of Santa Clarita Valley
To RSVP, call Made in the Valley at 818-359-2692
or email lara.unlimitedllc@verizon.net.
ADMISSION IS FREE!
HAPPY 2012! Robin Quinn www.writingandediting.biz
JANUARY JOINT MEETING
of Author’s Corner & Made in the Valley
THIS TUESDAY'S PROGRAM IS ON USING VIDEO IN YOUR MARKETING
Host: GAIL LARA
Location: VEDC, 5121 Van Nuys Blvd., 3rd floor conference room, Van Nuys, CA 91403. Park under the building or on the street (No parking at Burger King; they tow!)
When: Tuesday, January 17th
Time: Networking begins at 6:30 pm. Program runs from 7:00-9:00 pm.
Need to get up to speed with video? Come to this panel to learn why video is becoming so popular. We’ll discuss what video to create and how to use it as a marketing tool. Program includes sample videos.
Moderator/Producer: ROBIN QUINN, Book Coach/Editor/Writer, www.WritingandEditing.Biz
PANELISTS:
RICHARD ALLEN, Videographer, Partner of the digital production company, Hit Me with Your Best Shot
ANITA REINSMA, Producer, Partner of the digital production company, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Author of Stop Waiting for Prince Charming
RUTH FRECHMAN, Registered Dietitian, Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Author of the new book The Food Is My Friend Diet
JUDITH CASSIS, “Bounce Back” Coach, Writing Instructor, and Publisher of Tidbits of Santa Clarita Valley
To RSVP, call Made in the Valley at 818-359-2692
or email lara.unlimitedllc@verizon.net.
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Getting Out There!
It's a busy time of year, with lots of events before we hit the holidays.
Recently saw client Julie Newmar on a Panel, "From Actress to Author," at the West Hollywood Book Fair. I loved watching how animated Julie is when she presents and talks about her new book, "The Conscious Catwoman Explains Life on Earth."
Here I am (a little sunburned) with Julie after the book-signing at the WEHO Fair.
Julie appears at Vroman's in Pasadena next Saturday at 5 PM. Her event received excellent advance coverage today in the Star News. Visit http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_19258433 to learn more about this famous Catwoman and her book.
Two of my clients (Anita Reinsma / "Stop Waiting for Prince Charming, He's Already Married to Bob") and Lauren Gale ("Confessions of a Recovering Drama Queen") received Irwin Awards on October 20th. In the picture below, I am posing with the two authors like a proud mama just before the Book Publicists of S. California dinner and awards ceremony.
Yesterday, up in Camarillo, I made the rounds at the Ventura County Book & Authors Fair. Met many interesting authors, including Mickey Jones, who wrote "That Would Be Me," his memoir of life on the road as a drummer. Mickey shared with me that when he performed with Trini Lopez, both the then-unknown groups the Beatles and the Rolling Stones acted as warm-up bands for Trini. Author Anita Reinsma spoke at the Fair Saturday on promoting your book, chatting a bit her videos on YouTube. Here she is at her booth with her niece, who's in the state visiting from the Netherlands.
As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss! If you've got a book, get out there and promote!
Til next time,
Robin Quinn
Editor/Writer/Book Coach
www.writingandediting.biz
Recently saw client Julie Newmar on a Panel, "From Actress to Author," at the West Hollywood Book Fair. I loved watching how animated Julie is when she presents and talks about her new book, "The Conscious Catwoman Explains Life on Earth."
Here I am (a little sunburned) with Julie after the book-signing at the WEHO Fair.
Julie appears at Vroman's in Pasadena next Saturday at 5 PM. Her event received excellent advance coverage today in the Star News. Visit http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_19258433 to learn more about this famous Catwoman and her book.
Two of my clients (Anita Reinsma / "Stop Waiting for Prince Charming, He's Already Married to Bob") and Lauren Gale ("Confessions of a Recovering Drama Queen") received Irwin Awards on October 20th. In the picture below, I am posing with the two authors like a proud mama just before the Book Publicists of S. California dinner and awards ceremony.
Yesterday, up in Camarillo, I made the rounds at the Ventura County Book & Authors Fair. Met many interesting authors, including Mickey Jones, who wrote "That Would Be Me," his memoir of life on the road as a drummer. Mickey shared with me that when he performed with Trini Lopez, both the then-unknown groups the Beatles and the Rolling Stones acted as warm-up bands for Trini. Author Anita Reinsma spoke at the Fair Saturday on promoting your book, chatting a bit her videos on YouTube. Here she is at her booth with her niece, who's in the state visiting from the Netherlands.
As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss! If you've got a book, get out there and promote!
Til next time,
Robin Quinn
Editor/Writer/Book Coach
www.writingandediting.biz
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