101 Ideas for Internet Marketing - How to do It Effectively! A Great PR Tool

If you want to know how to really leverage the internet to market your book, brand your ministry or grow your business, read this slideshow:

101 ideas for Internet Marketing

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Don't Wait Until Black History Month to Shop the Black book Section

Blacks folks have a lot of passion. We love tons of things. We love what we can touch, feel, smell, hear and taste. We’re an exciting group of people with a lot of soul. But what’s inside our hearts? What’s really driving us?

READ A BOOK BY AN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND FIND OUT! :) (Not a classic or a book by Barack Obama - but a contemporary Christian Author like Stacy Hawkins Adams, Bill Winston, Ken Brown, Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook or Andre Butler)



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My first Online Writer's conference. I was Spotlighted as One of "Best" Literary Pros

It's great to be recognized by your peers and it's good to be in good company with people who know and understand you. People you respect and love! The Sistaz!


But I couldn't actually "hear" anyone...but in real time (if they were present at their computer or PDA) we could converse. If not, we could read each other's posts! How cool is that? I just love the internet. Such energy and focus - and wow, I meet some really cool folks! Literary people love to exchange ideas!

In addition to industry professionals panels, they are also spotlighting some of the best literary professionals on the net. Join me in welcoming: Marlive Harris (MsGRITS) of TheGRITS.com Literary Services, Pam Perry of Ministry Marketing Solutions, Ella Curry of EDC Creations, Sylvia Hubbard of Motown Writers Network, LaShaunda Hoffman of SORMAG, 3 Chicks on Lit (Nakea, Tiffany & TuShonda).

This was all organized by Tee C. Royal (Rawsistaz-affair.com) She rocks!


Sharing Literary Resources
by Tee C. Royal, Rawsistaz.com


I will be sharing literary resources, but don’t feel slighted if you’re not listed. Instead, share your information (or any other links) you recommend in the comments section.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS (FOR WRITERS)

Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 2006: Who they are! What they want! How to win them over! by Jeff Herman

Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract : For Authors, Publishers, Editors and Agents by Jonathan Kirsch

Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers by Mark L. Levine

On Writing by Stephen King

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.

The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

The Shortest Distance Between You and a Finished Book by Susan Page

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Connor

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-On Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed by Donald Maass

Writing the Fiction Synopsis - A Step by Step Approach by Pam McCutcheon




RECOMMENDED BOOKS (FOR READERS)

A Book Lover’s Diary by Shelagh Wallace

A Passion for Books: A Book Lover’s Treasury of Stories, Essays, Humor, Lore, and Lists on Collecting, Reading, Borrowing, Lending, Caring for, and Appreciating Books by Harold Rabinowitz

Booknotes: The Booklover’s Organizer by Marilyn McDonald

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler

Only in Books: Writers, Readers & Bibliophiles on Their Passion by J. Kevin Graffagnino

So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson



GENRE SPECIFIC LINKS & ORGANIZATIONS
American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)
American Society of Journalists and Authors
Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Divine Literary Tour
International Black Writers Association (IBWA)
Romance in Color
Romance Writers of America (RWA)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Self-Employed Writers and Artists Network (SWAN)
SORMAG
Urban-Reviews (Urban/Street Fiction)
Women Who Write
Motown Writers


LITERARY GROUPS, BOOKSTORES & OTHER WEBSITES

AALBC
Book-Remarks
C & B Book Distribution
CushCity
Mosaic Books
Pages in Black
RAWSISTAZ Literary Group
The Black Book Network
The Black Library
The GRITS.com
The Nubian Chronicles


LITERARY MAGAZINES & INDUSTRY NEWS

Black Issues Book Review
BackList
Romantic Times BOOK Reviews
Quarterly Black Review (QBR)
Poets & Writers
Publishers Weekly
Writers Digest
Written Magazine

Somebody tell Oprah what's going on here!
We got the best, brightest and beautiful authors on RawSistaz! She'd better recognize!



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Self-Publishing Tales from the Front Lines

"Do You Have a Book Burning Inside You?"

This is from my colleague's blog: Diane Eble. She can help you get published! Her site: www.wordstoprofit.com will help you! She is a great BOOK coach! So, we're like a team. She will give you information about how to write - and I'll give you info on how to promote it and sell. If you're a Christian writer, you need this information. Yes, you hear from God - now do your homework so you will be prepared to be a success!

On her blog, She writes:

Publishing is so confusing these days! So many options … and new publishers are springing up all the time, with various kinds of new programs.

There’s a discussion on Book Marketng Ning that I started, asking people for their experiences with self-publishing. Most recently, Joanna Penn shared her experience:


“I am a huge fan of self-publishing because I love speed and control! I wrote my book and wanted it out there so I self-published on Lulu.com so the book is for sale worldwide. It is print-on-demand in the US and I am in Australia so the costs would be prohibitive any other way. I market it and it sells from there or from my website here in Australia www.HowToEnjoyYourJob.com

“The fantastic thing is that I had control and did it all myself for very little cost and people can still reach it in the same forum as traditionally published books. I had it on Amazon a month after finishing the manuscript. Traditional publishers currently cannot move that fast. So my experience is overwhelmingly positive so far, and I intend to self-publish my next book too.”

I’m glad Joanna had such a good experience. I think self-publishing can be very good for authors who want/need control, need their book out quickly, and will take responsibility for promoting and marketing their book. (Which is of course the mindset all successful authors adopt.)

I would add here that Lulu’s had mixed reviews from what others tell me. One issue I have with Lulu (and many POD publishers) is that the price structure is problematic. Joanna’s book is between $21 and $25, depending on the format. True, she has a guarantee, but she’s also competing against best-selling books (say on amazon) that are much less. POD-published authors can’t get the bookstore distribution (for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being no returns, which bookstores insist upon). But for those who don’t care about those things, Lulu and other POD programs work well.

Again I would refer you to the Virtual Book Tour I did with Mark Levine on The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. We covered a lot of aspects to think about before self-publishing, and Mark’s book is a terrific resource.

Publishing is changing very fast! I’m seeing the traditional publishers floundering, while those with a different business model, such as Morgan James Publishing, are prospering. I suspect traditional publishers will move more toward a self-publishing model eventually. They almost have to. It will be interesting to see what happens with the retail in that case.
Diane Eble
Your Book Publishing Coach
http://www.yourbookpublishingcoach.com



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African-American Market Comes of Age says Publishers Weekly

Patricia W. blog's talks about the recent Publishers Weekly article on Christian fiction. The question she brings up is "how edgy do you want YOUR Christian fiction" to be? I like Christian fiction - nonfiction Christian books too for that matter - because of the message.

I want to hear the spiritual elements of story and how GOD showed up in the character's lives. Now, if the Christian fiction is like an episode of "Desperate House Wives" and at the end they receive Jesus - that's not Christian fiction.

That's baiscally some smut and the last page they clean it up. NOT! I don't want my mind flooded with foolishness - like I always say, "garbage in, garbage out."

Christian fiction is to edify and uplift - not suggest the vulgar side of life. Don't we have enough of that already! And you can see the mess the world is in - it's wacked out and confused about basic beliefs and morals. What exactly is Christian fiction? Is it a novel written by a Christian or does it have to just be "clean" literature that includes God? What do you think?

Here's what Patricia W. wrote in her blog called Readin N Writin (in part):
African-American Market Comes of Age (by the way yours truly was quoted in the article)
So says Publisher's Weekly, about the African-American Christian publishing market, in an article here.

Not so fast, I say, and I believe some of the quoted subjects would agree with me.

The African-American Christian market hasn't come of age. It's always been there and has been eager, even dying, for good content. By that I mean, stories in its language, from its perspective, by its authors, with its flavor.


"What most people don't know is that we're dealing with a 200-year-old tradition, with the writing and publishing of religious materials within the African-American church,” says (Tony) Rose. “Frederick Douglass and other writers used the church as a vehicle to sell their books and pamphlets, and they self-published through their churches. African-Americans always wrote, always read—we had to write about our plight, whether it was slavery or Jim Crow or some demeaning situation. What we're seeing now is an extraordinary re-emergence of this self-publishing movement, whether it's urban literature, Christian literature, fiction—and religion is leading the pack."

What has come of age is the industry's acknowledgement and recognition of this market.


Authors like Kendra Norman-Bellamy, Tia McCollors, Angela Benson, and Felicia Mason along with more recent faces, like Dwan Abrams, Sherri Lewis, Mikasenoja, Shauna Burton and Sheila Lipsey, have brought fresh voices to the market.

And, I may add: KIM BROOKS!





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Five Things Christian Writers Should Know

Five Things Christian Writers Should Know by Pam Perry


“Just because you have a computer, doesn’t make you a writer,” said a publishing executive at a recent Book Expo of America.

Fact is 81% of all Americans think they should write a book (according to Write & Publish magazine) and only two percent of that crowd ever actually complete a manuscript – and get it published.

True computers have made writing a book easier and print-on-demand (POD) has made publishing a snap.

Problem is there are about 150,000 new books a year and they’re not all selling!

So here are some simple things to do to move you from book idea, manuscript to real sales!

1. Learn about writing. Taking writing courses. Go to www.ACWriters.com and get info on their American School of Christian Writing, The Writer’s Institute and/or Writer’s Mini Course. Also subscribe to their newsletter (The Christian Communicator or The Advanced Christian Writer). Take time to go to various writers’ conferences where you’ll meet editors, publishers and other authors. You may even find a mentor at some of these events.

Getting a writing mentor is so critical to your success – if you listen and heed their advice! There are tons of book coaches.

Here’s a few I’d recommend: Minister Mary Edwards (MinisterMaryEdwards@yahoo.com) and Judy Cullins (http://www.bookcoaching.com/tips-writing-a-book.php?hop=pamperry) and Sophronia Scott (http://www.profcs.com/app/?Clk=2554468.) They will help you get the book out of your head and on the page!

Finally, read! Best-selling Christian fiction author, Victoria Christopher Murray, said on a recent Chocolate Pages Show, “In order to be a good writer, you have to read good writing.” I am so surprised when I talk to many Christian writers and I ask if they have read any of the “best-sellers” - as least the Christian or spiritual books. They answer, “NO.”

Some have never even read “The Purpose Driven Life” (the best selling book of all time), The Shack (a Christian publishing phenomenon in the book world) or The Secret (at least take cues how they have marketed the mega-star of a book). Most Christian authors don’t even take note of any of the top ten New York Times or CBA best-sellers.

Ughh! You have to know what the market is buying and read it to see why the book is highly acclaimed. By doing a little homework, you can improve your writing. You have to move it from a hobby to a craft if you want a viable book.

Books Every Writer Needs at Their Fingertips!

A. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Knowlton Zinsser (Paperback - April 1998)

Best book I've read on what, specifically, makes up a great piece of writing.

B. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E. B. White, Charles Osgood (Afterword), Roger Angell--

Do you ever wonder where those punctuation marks go? Well, I do, too! And when I get confused, I reach for my little Elements of Style. It's short and sweet and handy as a pocket on a shirt.

C. Also subscribe to Writer’s Digest. Invaluable information every month! Also see all these links: http://stanice.com/linkswriting.html



2. Learn about self-publishing and how the book industry works. I have had writers come to me and tell me their “publishing nightmare” stories. They talk about how printers or subsidy publishers took advantage of them.

Yes, there are companies who will swindle you. But, if you are well-informed, it will lessen the chances of someone ripping you off. Don’t rely on one source for all your information. Use Google and do some research! You must do your due diligence.

Take this test and see how if you are a good candidate to self-publish. (http://pamperryprcoach.com/are_you_ready_to_publish_yourself_take_this_quiz)

Know where to get an ISBN, how to get national distribution, where to find a cover designer, typesetter, printer, etc. Ask other self-published authors what they’ve done and how it has worked for them. Follow the leaders. Do what they did to achieve success.

Study what Kendra Norman Bellamy, Stephanie Perry Moore, Marilynn Griffith or Kim Brooks have done. Most authors have their “publishing testimonial” on their website or offer publishing tips to new authors. Read their advice – you can learn from mistakes or from mentors. Mentors are cheaper.


3. Learn about marketing and publicity. Build a platform. No book will sell without telling others about it – over and over again. Not just once. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. Creating “buzz” requires a strategy and a strong platform. (Click to hear this Podcast show where I talk about how to promote your book)

Once the book is published a lot of authors believe it will sell by itself. Many Christians sway the other way and are too humble to tell anyone about their book. They believe if they put it up on Amazon or tell a few of their “yes buddies” it will take off. NOT! Just like any product that is sold for cold cash, it must be marketed and promoted in order to sell. It takes money to make money.


4. Learn about agents. Agents are not your “literary fairy God-mothers.” They are in business to make money. And they make money by selling “marketable” writers to publishing houses. Besides having a great book, decent platform, an audience – you must also have a good book proposal. The proposal is what sells your book. Part of that proposal is the marketing plan. Again, it’s about the bottom line.

It took former Heart and Soul editor Stephanie Stokes Oliver 25 years to have her first book published. And she had a platform and was a professional writer. She had to find the right publishing house. She says she went through 10 agents and eventually got the divine connection and got three book deals.


5. Learn about Web 2.0, podcasting, blogging, social networking. Did you know you can blog on Amazon.com if you’re an author? You can even put up video reviews. How cool is that? You must embrace technology and keep up with what is moving books. Obviously the best way to move books is to get people talking – and the more they hear your passion and get curious about all the “buzz” they keep hearing from you online – the more you will attract customers.

So, “get out” by joining Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace and Twitter. Do a Blogtalk Radio Show and get a Youtube channel. Post up your blogs in RSS feeds and even do some daring stuff like join a lot of “nings” or start one! Join the Chocolate Pages Network (a new social network for Christian Authors). There is so many ways for an author to get exposure online – hey, it may even up on Oprah as part of her “Book Club.” Cha-Ching!








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