Inbound Marketing - What do Your Readers Want?

Most likely all of you know what inbound marketing is - it's the method of bringing traffic to your site by offering content. Today's guest post is by marketing expert Penny Sansevieri and she explains just how you can find out what your reader wants.

Inbound Marketing Rocks! Now What? 
By Penny Sansevieri

Crafting a Message Your Audience Will Care About
So at this point, you probably all know that Internet/inbound marketing is not only the wave of the future, but the best way to sell yourself, your book, your product, or your service. So maybe you're on Twitter, Facebook, you might even have a blog that you keep updated but if it feels like nothing seems to be meshing.

Before you plug in another tweet, take a moment to step back and really focus on who you're tweeting to. The point really of a good inbound marketing campaign is to bring consumers "in" and you can't do that if they don't care about what you're saying.

How can you determine what your reader wants? Well, ask them. If you do a lot of speaking events, or any at all, you probably get questions. I find that audience questions can really help to seed ideas, meaning that the Q&A portion of any author event is often a great resource to gather the needs of your market.

There are other ways that you can figure out what your reader wants, the first is to stay current. You can do this by subscribing to blogs, following industry leaders on Twitter or getting Google Alerts (which you should do anyway). Getting Google Alerts for your keywords is a great way to see who's writing what about your market.

Let's say that you have identified a message, maybe two, that is crucial to your market. How do you know if you've hit on your right marketing model? Well, the numbers never lie. By "numbers" I mean site hits, increased Twitter followers, etc. Here are a few ways to measure results:

1) Measure effectively: in order to know if stuff is working you'll need to measure effectively. Here are a few ways to do that: Retweets on Twitter: the best sign of success on Twitter is the amount of retweets. Are you getting them and if so, how often? If your tweets are good and your followers are active, you should see a few a week at least (depending on the amount of followers you have).

2) Site hits: are the hits to your site increasing? Are you watching your analytics to be sure? If you're not, you should be. Watch your site stats closely and monitor the increase in traffic and where it's coming from.

3) Inbound links: how many new ones are you getting? Did you do a vanity search before you started this campaign? If not, do that now. Make sure you know how many new incoming links you're getting as a result of your efforts.

4) Sign-ups to your mailing list: are they increasing? If you're doing the right stuff in your social media they should be increasing weekly.

Finally, before you launch headfirst into any marketing campaign, be sure and set some clear goals. For example, you might ask yourself, what are your goals are for Twitter? If it's just about gathering followers then you are missing a big piece of this social networking tool. For many marketing people it's all about the number but numbers don't make as much sense unless they are driving interest to you and your book. If the numbers keep growing along with traffic to your website then you're on the right track. But if you're just growing numbers for the sake of being able to say that you have 10,000 followers then it makes no sense. That's like buying a fancy car you can't really afford. Eventually the debt of it will drag you down. It's the same with Twitter and Facebook and any other social media site. It's not about the numbers. It's about the activity.

In another issue, we're going to look at the specific marketing tools available to you online. We'll take an in-depth look at Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. For now, find your message and determine your goals!

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

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Related Articles:

Outsourcing Articles: Is it Right for You?
Keep Your Website Focused
Book Promotion: Creating an Informational Funnel

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If you’d like to check out my books pages, go to Karen’s Books Page.

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Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Marketers

Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional and experienced with keywords and SEO. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

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Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV

Plan a Virtual Book Tour: The First Steps

You’ve taken the initial steps to begin your book marketing journey. The first rung on your marketing ladder is to create a quality product, in the case of an author, that would be a book. You need to create an engaging story, be part of a critique group, make sure the manuscript gets edited/proofread, and have a knock-out cover.

Creating the book might be considered Research and Development under the Marketing umbrella, and the foundation of a marketing strategy.

The second step or rung on the marketing ladder is the actual book promotion: creating a platform and brand for you and your book. This is accomplished through visibility which includes: creating a website, adding content to your blog on a regular basis, doing article marketing on a regular basis, and garnering guest blog spots on quality sites, among other strategies.

Once all the above is underway and your book is going to be available for sale, even if it’s for pre-sale, now is the time to go on a virtual book tour.

Plan a Book Tour

Virtual book tours can be an effective promotional strategy, and you can initiate one on your own, or pay a publicist or book promotion marketer (tour service) to do it for you. Obviously, depending on your financial situation, you will need to decide which will work for you.

The advantages of hiring either a publicist or tour service is their wider audience reach. If the service is a quality one, it will have quality sites for featuring you and your book. When choosing a publicist or tour service find out exactly what you’ll be getting for your money. You might also ask around for recommendations.

I know of three reputable book promotion services:

The World of Ink Author/Book Tours
Pump Up Your Book Online Book Publicity
Author Marketing Experts

You can check them out or do a search for “book promotion,” or “virtual book tours.”

On the other hand, if you’re intent on initiating and managing your own tour you will need to post messages in all your social networks asking for bloggers to participate. If you are active in your groups, and have been paying-it-forward, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Try to aim for bloggers who have followers in your target market. While most writers belong to writing groups, try to expand your reach to groups and bloggers who actually have readers who will be interested in your book.

For example if your book is for the middle grade crowd or children who read chapter books you might look for bloggers who are involved in parenting groups, grandparent groups, teacher groups, etc.

You should begin this process at least a month or two (two is better) before you want to have your tour. It may take a while to get all the hosts on board, decide who will feature what, have reviews prepared, answer interviews, prepare a press release, and so on. Give yourself enough time so you’re not rushing.

Once the Hosts are Booked

For the tour of my children’s middle-grade fantasy book Walking Through Walls, as each blogger accepted my request for hosts, I created a list of their names, the dates I’d be on their sites, and what would be presented on each host’s site: a book review, an interview, an article (with the title), or a combination.

A note here: Offer a variety of content during your tour. While your initial thought might be to promote, promote, promote, readers will quickly get tired of reading review after review, or umpteen interviews. Offer writing and marketing articles in addition to the reviews and interviews, and alternate their postings. Try to keep the tour fresh.

For the interviews and articles, you can add your promo at the end of the content. You might include a brief review, synopsis, even a favorable email a reviewer sent you (just be sure you get the person’s permission first).

To read Parts 2 and 3 of this three part Virtual Book Tour series go to:

Plan a Virtual Book Tour: Attract Followers
Plan a Virtual Book Tour: Be a Gracious Guest and Effective Promoter

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Related Articles:

Book Promotion: The Foundation
Book Promotion: Creating an Informational Funnel
12 Book Publishing Things to Avoid

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PLEASE take a moment to JOIN THIS SITE and SHARE the article (both on right sidebar) – THANKS!

You might also want to sign-up for my Free monthly newsletter, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two Free e-books if you do!

And to be sure you don’t miss any posts here, simply subscribe to my blog (RSS feed).

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If you’d like to check out my books pages, go to Karen’s Books Page.

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Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV

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Back to School Basics for Teachers

Back to School Basics for Teachers

By Karen Cioffi and Robyn Feltman

Well, so much for summer break. The teaching grind is just around the corner. Yeah, yeah, two months off isn’t long enough, but hey, it’s pretty good.

So, now it’s time to start getting in gear to go back to the professional attire and mindset, early morning rising, and don’t forget to get your bladder in shape so that one daily visit to the rest room will be enough.

Okay, let’s go down the checklist for the things you’ll need to get prepared for the inevitable day:

1. Don’t forget to wait until the last minute to get your teacher supplies at the teacher store so you’ll have time to make an hour worth of phone calls while you’re waiting on line, because all the other teachers waited for the last minute also.

2.  Get started writing your lesson plans for the first couple of weeks, but don’t get too attached to them, because you know they’ll change once you get in the swing of things.

3. Remember to agonize over picking that first day’s book that you’ll read to your class. Of course, they will be absolutely enthralled and give you 100% of their attention – they’ve been waiting all summer to have this book read to them.

4. Create a new schedule plan. No more beach days; no more waking up at 10am or later; no more having the use of a restroom ANY time of the day; no more use of the phone anytime of the day; no more eating whenever you want; and no more peace and quiet.

5. Start working today to get your body and mind prepared for 30 or so restless kids with different personalities, strengths and weakness; for 30 or so sets of parents with different personalities; for the school administration, and for your co-workers. Start building your strength, stamina, and inner resilience – you’re going to need it.

6. Get your mindset in order. Repeat the following mantra 100 – 1000 times a day:
My days in class will be productive and calm; my students will not affect my well-being; I will remember my teaching skills; my students are great and I love them; my students enjoy learning; all my students will pass the State tests with flying colors; my students’ parents are wonderful as is my school administration.

7. Calm your nerves. You will be able to teach again; you will be able to get back into your professional mode; you will be able to concentrate on what you’re doing.

8. Watch those late nights. Be sure to start at least a week before school and go to bed at a reasonable hour. You will definitely need your rest.

9. Mark the calendar: 180 working days to go until next summer’s vacation – let the countdown begin!


Robyn Feltman is a 4th grade NYC public school teacher.

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PLEASE take a moment and JOIN MY SITE and SHARE this article (both on right sidebar) – THANKS!

You might also want to sign-up for my Free monthly newsletter, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two Free e-books if you do!

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If you’d like to check out my books pages, go to:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

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Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Marketers

Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional and experienced with keywords and SEO. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, and the Working Writer's Club.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

Book Sales Getting Musty?

Today I have a guest post from award winning author and expert marketer, Carolyn Howard Johnson. So, get out your pen and paper, or just copy and save this informative article for your personal use.

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Book Sales Getting Musty?
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Adapted from the multi award-winning Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo)

In the world of publishing as in life, persistence counts. If course, there is no way to keep a book at the top of the charts forever, but if you keep reviving it, you might hold a classic in your hands. Or your marketing efforts for one book may propel your next one to greater heights.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen authors who measure their success by book sales give up on their book (and sometimes on writing) just about the time their careers are about ready to take off. I tell my students and clients to fight the it’s-too-late-urge.

Publicity is like the little waves you make when you toss pebbles into a lake. The waves travel, travel, travel and eventually come back to you. If you stop lobbing little stones, you lose momentum. It’s never too late and it’s never too early to promote. Rearrange your thinking. Marketing isn’t about a single book. It’s about building a career. And new books can build on the momentum created by an earlier book, if you keep the faith. Review the marketing ideas in this book, rearrange your schedule and priorities a bit, and keep at it.

Here are a few keep-at-it ideas.


*Run a contest on your Web site, on Twitter, or in your newsletter. Use your books for prizes or get cross-promotion benefits by asking other authors for books; many will donate one to you in trade for the exposure. Watch the 99 Cent Stores for suitable favors to go with them.

Hint: Any promotion you do including a contest is more powerful when you call on your friends to tell their blog visitors or Facebook pals about it.

*Barter your books or your services for exposure on other authors’ Web sites.

*Post your flier, brochure, or business card on bulletin boards everywhere: In grocery stores, coffee shops, Laundromats, car washes, and bookstores.

*Offer classes in writing to your local high school, college, or library system. Publicizing them is easy and free. When appropriate, use your own book as suggested reading. The organization you are helping will pitch in by promoting your class. The network you build with them and your students is invaluable. Use this experience in your media kit to show you have teaching and presentation skills.

*Slip automailers into each book you sell or give away for publicity. Automailers are envelopes that are pre-stamped, ready to go. Your auto mailer asks the recipient to recommend your book to someone else. Your mailer includes a brief synopsis of your book, a picture of the cover of your book, your book’s ISBN, ordering information, a couple of your most powerful blurbs, and a space for the reader to add her handwritten, personal recommendation. Make it clear in the directions that the reader should fill out the form, address the envelope, and mail it to a friend. You may offer a free gift for helping out, but don’t make getting the freebie too tough. Proof-of-purchase type schemes discourage your audience from participating.

*Send notes to your friends and readers asking them to recommend your book to others. Or offer them a perk like free shipping, gift wrap, or small gift if they purchase your book for a friend. That’s an ideal way to use those contact lists you’ve been building.

*While you’re working on the suggestion above, put on your thinking cap. What directories have you neglected to incorporate into your contact list? Have you joined any new groups since your book was published? Did you ask your grown children for lists of their friends? Did you include lists of old classmates?

*Though it may be a bit more expensive than some ideas in this book, learn more about Google’s AdWords and AdSense. Learn about these opportunities on your Google account page. Many authors of niche nonfiction or fiction that can be identified with often-searched-for keywords find this advertising program effective.

*Check out ad programs like Amazon’s Vine review service. You agree to provide a certain number of books to Amazon and pay them a fee for the service. Amazon arranges the reviews for you. It’s expensive, but it gets your book exposed to Amazon’s select cadre of reviewers who not only write reviews for your Amazon sales page but also may start (or restart!) a buzz about your book.

*Some of your reviews (both others’ reviews of your book and reviews you’ve written about others’ books) have begun to age from disuse. Start posting them (with permission from the reviewer) on Web sites that allow you to do so. Check the guidelines for my free review service blog at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com

*Connect and reconnect. Start reading blogs and newsletters you once subscribed to again. Subscribe to a new one. Join a writers’ group or organization related to the subject of your book.

*Record a playful message about your book on your answering machine.

*When you ship signed copies of your book, include a coupon for the purchase of another copy for a friend—signed and dedicated—or for one of your other books. Some distributors insert fliers or coupons into your books when they ship them for a fee.

*Adjust the idea above to a cross-promotional effort with a friend who writes in the same genre as you. He puts a coupon for your book in his shipments; you do the same for him in yours.

*Donate your book to contests run by other authors. In return they promote your book for you and provide links to your Web site or blog.

Explore the opportunities for speaking on cruise ships. Many have cut back on the number of speakers they use, but your area of expertise may be perfect for one of them. I tried it, but found ship politics a drawback. Still many authors like Allyn Evans who holds top honors in Toastmasters and Erica Miner have used these venues successfully. For help with the application process from beginning to end, contact Daniel Hall at speakerscruisefree.com.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson has been promoting her own books and helping clients promote theirs for nearly a decade. Her marketing plan for the 2nd in the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) won the New Millennium Award for Marketing. Learn more about her at www.howtodoitfrugally.com

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Other Marketing Article:

Creating, Promoting, and Selling in the Writing World
Using Multiple Domain Names for Your Landing Pages
Book Promotion: The Foundation

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PLEASE take a moment and JOIN MY SITE and PLEASE see the right sidebar to SHARE this article – THANKS!

You might also want to sign-up for my Free monthly newsletter, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two Free e-books if you do!

And, to be sure you don’t miss any posts here, simply subscribe to my blog (RSS feed).
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If you’d like to check out my books pages, go to:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Marketers

Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional and experienced with keywords and SEO. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, and the Working Writer's Club.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: 
http://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

Back to School Count Down

Well, it's that time of year again. Teachers are moaning and groaning, and so are kids. In light of the upcoming new school year, I have a post from August 2009 to reprint.

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Back to School Count Down

Five, four, three, two…yup, it’s that time of year again, rising early, getting to school on time, homework, tests…yuck!

But you know, it’s not really that bad. If you’re prepared and get into the right mindset, that’s half the battle. Everything we have to do in life and come up against in life gives us two options: (1) put a positive or good spin on it, (2) dread it.

Since you have to do it anyway, you might as well opt for Option #1.

To get you started in the right direction, here is a list to help you get in gear for, “school time, school time, good ole golden rule time.”

The Do List:

1. Many teachers have lists of what you will need for your upcoming school year. Try to find out if your new teacher has one and how you can get a hold of it.

2. To avoid needed school items being sold out; have Mom or Dad let you do your shopping early.

3. Make sure to get the items that are actually listed. If the list says “one red pen” don’t come to class with a green or purple one.

4. At least a week before school starts, go to bed at the time you normally would on school nights. This will give your body a chance to get accustomed to waking and eating breakfast early. If you do this, your body and mind won’t scream at you that first school day morning, “Hey, are you crazy? Only roosters are up at this time!”

5. A week before that inevitable morning, start a new mantra (saying): “I will listen to my teacher. I will listen to my teacher. I will listen to my teacher.” You can say this 100 to 1000 times a day. Another useful mantra is: “I will be respectful to my teacher and classmates. I will be respectful to my teacher and classmates. I will be respectful to my teacher and classmates.” Either of these two mantras is fine.

6. Make sure to get to school on time and obey your school and classroom rules. Practice Rule #5 so this won’t be a problem.

7. If you are required to have your classroom items in class the first week of school – have them there the first week…having them at home doesn’t cut it. You have to actually bring them to class.

8. What about the reading you were to do over the summer? Did you do it? Well, if you didn’t, start today. It’s better to read a least one book than none. Did you know that anything you want to be, an astronaut, a doctor, a firefighter, a superhero, all require reading. Okay, not the superhero, that jut takes a good imagination.

These 8 Dos should give you a jump start on a smooth new school year.

Now for the Don’t List:

1. Don’t ignore the ‘Do list’ above!

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I'm having a slow start to building my fanbase on my new Facebook Fan Page, so if you have a moment, please click on the link and LIKE me!
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Here are a couple of writing articles you may find of interest:

Imagery and Your Story
Character Sheets: Adding Dimension to Your Characters
Is Your Manuscript Ready for Submissions?

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Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, and the Working Writer's Club.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

Want to Attract Customer/Clients for Your Books and Services?

Join me tonight, Friday, August 19th, at 8PM, EST (U.S.): Got to http://workingwritersclub.com/join-2/

If you're a writer, speaker, or coach, chances are you love what you do for a living. But, you may HATE the sales part of your business.

I know just how you feel. Aside from being unpleasant, it just so time consuming.

Cold calls leave YOU cold.

Query letters are the LAST thing on your to-do list every week.

And expensive paid advertising just isn't within your budget.

So you tend to avoid sales as much as possible.

But the down side of that avoidance is, you don't have as many clients, customers, sales, or speaking gigs as you would like.

What If I Told You There's an Easier Way to Sell?

Fortunately, for you and me, and other professionals who hate to sell their products and services, there IS another way to create a stream of new business.

It's called informational marketing.

With informational marketing has the potential to free you of all those torturous sales activities.

You won't have to make a single cold call.

You won't have to write a single dreaded query letter.

And, perhaps best of all, you won't need a big advertising budget.

Here's What You Will Need

What you will need is know-how. Information is power, which usually translates into money.

So, you'll need to know what informational marketing is, how it works, and how to create your own informational marketing plan.

Here's How to Get That Know-How

To get that know-how, so you can start making informational marketing work for you, simply join the Working Writer's Club and attend the live teleclass tonight - or listen to the replay later - called Attract Customers/Clients with Informational Marketing.

The teleclass will be presented by me - freelance writer and author Karen Cioffi-Ventrice. And, through informational marketing I have new clients actually coming to me!

During this teleclass, you'll learn how to start making informational marketing work for you like this, too.

Membership in the Working Writer's Club is just $9.99 per month, so it certainly won't break your budget. And at the end of this call, we'll show you additional ways the club will help you painlessly market your business on an ongoing basis. I've been a member for a couple of years now (under it's former name and now the new club) and can attest to its value!

To attend tonight's teleclass just join the club; go to http://www.writemoresellmore.com right now.

Hope to see (talk with) you tonight!

Karen Cioffi

Author, Ghostwriter, and Freelance Writer

Oh, while you're here, please Tweet and FB this post, subscribe to my site, and Join my Site! LOL Pretty Please!

Autoresponders and Sales

Being inventive and flexible is key to a writer's success. While writing books may not make you wealthy, it is a calling card for other writing ventures that will help you supplement your income and possibly earn a living.

One such money making writing strategy is creating and emailing an e-course. And, it's actually rather easy to do. The required tools: a substantial article or a report and an autoresponder.

To explain how this works, I have a guest post by book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri:

Using an Autoresponder to Create More Sales
by Penny Sansevieri

Quite simply, an autoresponder is a piece of software that enables you to send emails to people automatically. This doesn't mean that it writes the emails for you and it doesn't involve spam or sending unsolicited email. What it means is that you set up a sequence of prewritten emails that are sent out to prospects on your database at regular intervals.

The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Time and time again Internet marketing gurus tell you that the money is in the list. This is not by accident. The online marketing specialists know that this is fact. The more people you have on a mailing list that are interested in your products or services, the more sales you will make.

You can use an autoresponder to essentially send emails out to your prospect list, even when you're not at a computer. What you do is you create, let's say, a seven-part email course. Then you can set the intervals for the emails to, say, once a day and send them one part of the course each day. So you write the emails one time, and then anyone joining that list will automatically be sent those emails for the next seven days.

This doesn't matter if you're online or if you're away from the computer. The emails will get sent automatically. The prospects also get added to the list automatically. And if they choose to unsubscribe, all of that is taken care of without you having to lift a finger.

The main benefit to using an autoresponder is connected to the fact that the majority of people need to be told about a product seven times before they buy it. So I want to ask you, how many times are you telling your visitors about your product on your website? Chances are it's less than seven.

They'll land on your homepage or somewhere else on your website and they'll look at your offering, but the majority of your sites visitors will disappear. Unless you can get them onto an opt-in mailing list, either a course or free information that is of multi-part format, the chances are you will have lost them forever. You can use an autoresponder to send these messages out to people with their permission convincing them and educating them about your product.

This is the system I use and recommend: http://tinyurl.com/webnow.

Over the next few newsletters I'll be covering five steps built around this one simple idea - building a "money magnet" that will turn prospects into customers (sales) for you on a regular, automated basis. Stay tuned for the details!

Tip offered by Susan Gilbert, AME's Search Engine Marketing Expert and Web 2.0 company owner, http://www.susangilbert.com/, which provides Social Networking websites and services.

~~~
Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos - Photographer: jscreationzs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Marketing Articles

Creating, Promoting, and Selling in the Writing World
An Effective Book Marketing Strategy: Joint Ventures
Keep Your Website Focused

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND FOLLOW MY BLOG and PLEASE SEE THE RIGHT SIDEBAR TO SHARE THIS ARTICLE – THANKS!

~~~~~~~~~~~

You Can check out my books page at:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

~~~~~~~~~~~

And, if you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Individuals

Do you want to get that idea turned into a book? Do you want to write your memoirs? Do you need editing, proofreading, or a professional critique? Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional, experienced with keywords and SEO, and we cover a number of writing services. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Imagery and Your Story

Probably one of the most difficult aspects of writing is providing content that your reader can turn into pictures or imagery. You may know exactly what you’re trying to convey, the image you want your reader to see, but does your content translate into effective imagery for your reader?

Stephen King discusses this topic in an informative article in the August 2010 Writer magazine. Obviously, any advice from this author is valuable, but I especially like his views on imagery. A key tip that struck me is: “Imagery does not occur on the writer’s page; it occurs in the reader’s mind.

The question that follows is: how does a writer transfer what’s in her mind into the mind of the reader?

The answer is through description.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds. What many writers may tend to do is offer too many details that aren’t necessary and may weigh the story down. According to Mr. King, you need to pick and choose the most important details and descriptions that will allow the reader to understand what you’re conveying, but also provide enough room for the reader to create his own unique image.

To accomplish this task Mr. King says to “Leave in details that impress you the most strongly: leave in the details you see the most clearly; leave everything else out.”

The strategy in this is to look carefully at what you want to convey. Picture an image in your mind and focus on the key aspects, the aspects that give you a clear picture of what it is. Then, write what you see. Again, this may not be easy to do, but Mr. King suggests that there is another vision tool to use, which he calls “a third eye” of imagination and memory.

What we see is translated to our brain. Once there we need to interpret that image and transcribe it into content that will provide the reader with a strong gist of what it is, but also allow the reader to fill in her own details. And, those details should convey what you’re targeting.

For example: The house stood dark and dreary.

While this simple sentence provides imagery that should enable the reader to create a picture, there are probably not enough details for the basic image you might be going for. What color is the house? Is it in disrepair? Is it a new or old house, big or small?

A possible alternative to the above example that adds a little more detail, but not too much is: Cracked shingles hung on the dingy grey house; chipped paint and missing caulking on the windows further emphasized its disrepair.

Another example of imagery is from my children’s middle grade fantasy book, Walking Through Walls: Wang bound the last bunch of wheat stalks as the sun beat down on the field. Sweat poured from the back of his neck drenching the cotton shirt he wore.

The two sentences provide sufficient imagery for the reader to understand the situation, while not giving too many details. If you notice, the content doesn’t mention the color of his shirt, or if Wang knelled on the ground or hunched over the bundle. It’s also missing a number of other details that aren’t necessary and would weigh the story down.

Interestingly, along with concise details, your characters’ names might also add imagery to your story. When you read my character’s name, Wang, what image comes to mind?

You might think of your story’s imagery as an outline or sketch, rather than a colored and finely detailed painting. The basic idea is there for your reader to enhance with her own imagination and memory.

~~~~~~~~~
Related Articles:
Successful Writing Strategy: Know Your Intent
Storytelling: Don’t Let the Reader Become Disengaged
8 Steps to Take Before Submitting Your Manuscript

~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND FOLLOW MY BLOG and PLEASE SEE THE RIGHT SIDEBAR TO SHARE THIS ARTICLE – THANKS!

~~~~~~~~~~~

You Can check out my books page at:

http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

~~~~~~~~~~~
And, if you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Individuals

Do you want to get that idea turned into a book? Do you want to write your memoirs? Do you need editing, proofreading, or a professional critique? Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional, experienced with keywords and SEO, and we cover a number of writing services. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Writing Article Links Smorgasbord for August 13th

I've had limited online access this past week, so haven't posted since Sunday. But, today I have a number of great writing article links for you.

~~~~~

Interesting and informative article links:

An Interview With Jane Friedman About “The Future Of Publishing: Enigma Variations” E-book

Fair Use Legal Lingo You Can Understand

Cashing in on Anthologies Craze

Organizing and Structuring Picture Books
Components of a Good Query Letter

You Need a Complete Manuscript

Writing Books - Is There Money In It?

Character Sheets: Adding Dimension to Your Characters

And, here are two FREE information event tools that allows you to offer live chats, teleclasses, and webinars:



Every Where Chat
http://everywherechat.com

Provides a live chat box for you site or you can use their online portal. This is a great tool for offering live chat discussions, workshops, or other live chat event.

AnyMeeting
http://anymeeting.com

This is a site I just learned about from author, poet Maggie Ball. It provides the tools to give webinars or teleclasses. I signed up yesterday and will have to read their tutorials, after I'm familiar with it, Writers on the Move will provide webinars and teleclasses through this service.

Hopefully on Monday I'll have my regular Monday, Wednesday, and Friday posting schedule back up and running.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by! And, please JOIN THIS SITE by clicking the button on the right sidebar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Blog Jog Day

Welcome to Blog Jog Day! This is my first year participating. Please check out my site then click over to http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com to see what the next Blog has to offer!

Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://blogjogday.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from. Thank you for stopping by my site!

While you're here, you can also check out a few of my articles:

Character Sheets: Adding Dimension to Your Characters
Successful Writing Strategy: Know Your Intent


Storytelling: Don’t Let the Reader Become Disengaged
Book Promotion: The Foundation

I hope you found this site informative and hope you go on over to the next Blog Jog site at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Sportsmanship and Geese: Honoring the Game of Golf (and Junior Golfers) through our Writing

Today, I have the pleasure of conversing with Kristin J. Johnson and Samuel DiMatteo, with special guest, Sami DeMani—the hero of THE HIGH-TECH GOOSENECK PUTTER.

KAREN:  I’d like to start out this interview by reading this press release, which is full of great praise about my guests, Samuel DiMatteo and Kristin Johnson.

Golf, Geese, Love: The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter Published by Outskirts Press

Children’s authors Samuel DiMatteo and Kristin Johnson have teamed up with illustrator James Borgett to create this heartwarming and inspirational tale about the power of golf to boost self-esteem, change lives and bring a community together.

River Grove, IL, June 02, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Authors Samuel DiMatteo and Kristin Johnson announced today the release of The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter, published by Outskirts Press. The authors’ charming new juvenile fiction work features a Canada gander who’s been a legendary golfer, but who now must learn a powerful lesson about sportsmanship, perseverance and love and about what really matters in life.

Sami DeMani is a Canada gander with a renowned golf game and he’s on track to win the prestigious Waterfowl Tour. Not only does it look like he’ll win the trophy, but he’ll also put his nemesis, the ruthless Pete Swan Lake, in his place, once and for all.

Just as Sami gets ready to take his critical swing, though, a surprise scare changes everything. The shot is ruined, Sami ends up in the hospital and his chances for the ultimate golf glory are dashed.

No longer able to play golf himself, Sami designs a special Gooseneck Putter, a breakthrough club that has the power to change everything -- even the confidence of the golf prodigy who uses it. Sami starts training his nephew, Myles, with the innovative device and with an eye on winning the next tournament, but no one is prepared for what happens when the Gooseneck Putter is first introduced on the course, nor does anyone expect how many feathers will eventually be ruffled by these two golfing geese.

The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter is an inspirational tale for juvenile readers which uses the love of golf, sportsmanship and a couple of delightful ganders to offer valuable lessons about love and about building a sense of community.

The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter is available on-line in paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at http://www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore

Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.com/High-Tech-Gooseneck-Putter-Samuel-DiMatteo/dp/1432764500

Okay, now for the interview. Welcome, Kristin and Samuel.

KRISTIN/SAMUEL: It’s a pleasure to be here.

KRISTIN: And we’d like to thank Kelly Schuknecht of Outskirts Press for the press release.

KAREN: I understand we might have a special guest, too?

SAMUEL: Oh. He’s either busy coaching golfers or spending time with his mate. He forgets everything when he’s doing either of those things.

KRISTIN: We sent him an email on the GooseNet. He could be watching the finals of the 36th Annual Junior PGA Championship today.

KAREN: Oh, yes. You scheduled this interview to coincide with the championship. Tell me a bit about that.

SAMUEL: Let me begin at the beginning. The Gooseneck Putter, started in the spring of 2002, when a TV newscaster reported that a goose was collecting golf balls on a golf course. I asked myself, what was the flock thinking? They probably thought the goose was crazy. I thought that the flock would wiggle and waggle, giggle and gaggle, and fall over backwards laughing. From these beginnings the story grew, I thought of the story as a family movie. I viewed the opening, in my mind as, a flock of geese flying over a golf course. The Frankie Laine song,  "I Must Go Where the Wild Goose Goes," opened up the movie.

KRISTIN: Then you turned it into a book.

When Samuel contacted The Happy Guy Marketing for writing help, he pitched the project as a novel for junior golfers. I loved the idea of writing a family story, a family comedy at heart, which crosses genres. It’s a book in the sports genre and also a mystery.  But the game of golf is the hook for the novel.

I grew up around golf, close to a major golfing tournament. I’d walk the course, and I knew there were junior golfing events because I heard friends and family talk about them. I knew there was a junior open. As an adult, I’ve seen young friends excel in the sport of golf, or at least show promise. The daughter of my friend, author Jennie Hernandez Hanks, was on the girls’ golfing team in high school.

Golf is probably one of the sports where you have the most longevity, so it’s a bit more realistic for a young person than, for example, being a pro baseball player, basketball star or football player. Football players’ careers tend to be short—the average career of an NFL player is 3.3 years—and how many people make pro anyway? In golf, pro golfers on the PGA your can play the Senior PGA tour after age 50. In addition, even though golf can be physically demanding, you don’t have the career-stopping injuries that you do in football.

SAMUEL: Except if you have snakes on the course!

KRISTIN: And if you’re afraid of snakes, like our hero, Sami DeMani.

There’s an interesting article on golf injuries, http://www.jointrehab.com/golf_today_magazine.htm. An odd coincidence: one of the experts quoted in the article is a Dr. Fox. Our book has a Dr. Darlene Fox who helps our hero recover from an injury that causes him to lose the Divisional Waterfowl Tour Championship. In the world of the book, waterfowls play golf.

KAREN: You also have turtles that play golf. What about tigers?

KRISTIN (laughs): Well, we haven’t ruled out a Tiger Woods guest appearance, despite the troubles he’s had…I just had an email from a colleague who mentioned one of his young relatives is a Tiger Woods fan. But maybe we would have to change his name…Panther Woods? I’d like to see him shoot it out with Sami, even though Sami’s more into coaching these days.

SAMUEL: I’d just like to say a bit more about the young people. The First Tee, a PGA-supported program I learned about recently, helps junior golfers from disadvantage backgrounds learn to play golf and develop the life skills and values that will benefit their futures.  There’s a First Tee chapter in Douglas Park, the Greater Chicago Area, near my hometown in Illinois.

KRISTIN: There are two on the Big Island of Hawaii, my home.

SAMUEL: The geese in our story have grown up with golf. One of Sami’s sisters develops an attachment to the golf balls, just like the goose on that news program. Not everyone is so fortunate. And the kids need the values and the education that golf can bring.

KRISTIN: Adults, too. The First Tee actually stands for several values we try to incorporate in the book—without preaching, because first of all we wanted to tell a good story.

The nine core values are: Honesty (we learn a lesson from one of the main characters about that), Integrity (Sami is true to himself and does what he says he is going to do), Perseverance (Sami is nothing if not determined), Sportsmanship, Respect (Sami shows respect to everyone, including his oddball brother), Confidence, Responsibility, Courtesy and Judgment.

And I also wrote a bit about sports bullying into the story, because bullying is one of my hot-button issues.

SAMUEL: I don’t believe in getting stressed out, over bullies or anyone else. I’m a Laughter Yoga Leader.

KAREN: Where do I sign up for that?

SAMUEL: I teach in Illinois, through Mather Lifeways, where I met my illustrator, James Borgett. You should fly on down here sometime. But I want to talk a bit more about stress. We have a poem in the book supplied by one of the characters, Leni, a golfer-poet:

"When the golfer in front of you is playing too slow,
and you're full of pep and ready to go,
don't cuss or swear, don't you dare,
or flip your wing into the air
Because this causes stress,
and stress will prevent you from doing your best."

KAREN: That’s excellent advice.

KRISTIN: Golf is a game of patience. I’ve played it somewhat, but not to the extent Sami, Leni, and Sami’s nephew Myles have.  It’s a game of focus. We write in the first chapter, when Sami is preparing to make his push for victory on the Waterfowl Tour:

Sami laid up his second shot, strategically resting his ball between two cacti, just 75 yards from the green, setting up to flop on the green and putt for birdie. It was a tough shot but it afforded a great shot to the green. Sami would have to hook the ball around the trees that blocked a direct birdie shot to the green. He didn’t even notice the 90-degree scorching weather.

KAREN: But focus alone wasn’t enough to win the Waterfowl Tour.

KRISTIN: No. Without giving away too much of the plot, Myles, who takes over the family golfing dream with Sami’s blessing….

SAMI (flipping and flopping into cyberspace): Sorry I’m late.

KAREN: Sami, it’s an honor to meet you. You learned to play golf when you were just three, and—it looks like you’re blushing.

SAMI: Because I’m late.

SAMUEL: Or because you were with your mate?

KAREN: Well, at least you dressed for the occasion. I love the red tam and golf pants. And—what is that amazing golf club you’re carrying?

SAMI: Oh. Myles let me borrow this.

SAMUEL: That is the Gooseneck Putter. The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter.

KAREN: Shaped like an actual goose’s head, and look at the craftsmanship!

KRISTIN: Yes, even though gooseneck putters exist in the human world, this is one of a kind. But in our world, gooseneck putters date at least back to the 1920s and are named for the particular angle and construction of the putter head and hosel. William Gibson and Company made the granddaddy of all gooseneck putters in Scotland. It looks truly beautiful when you see pictures.

SAMI: But nothing can beat Nibbles Nip! The official golf club equipment sponsor of the Waterfowl Tour and the maker of this putter.

KRISTIN: I said the human world, Sami. In the goose world, Nibbles is matchless. Just like you.

KAREN: Can the High-Tech Gooseneck Putter help me with my swing?

SAMUEL: That’s what we love about golf.

SAMI: In golf, you are really playing to meet your goals. You could strive to win a championship, or just play a good game of golf and even, if you’re pro, win some prize money. Because if you place on the leaderboard, you’re still a winner.  Or you could just try to shoot under par.

KAREN: Sounds just like writing.  And that’s an excellent way to end this interview. Thank you so much for visiting with me today. High-Tech Gooseneck Putter sounds wonderful!


Check out these wonderful illustrations from the book:

Sorry for the odd spacing of the pictures - Blogger just didn't want to cooperate.

Be sure to order your copy of High-Tech Gooseneck Putter today:


The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter is available on-line in paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at http://www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore

Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.com/High-Tech-Gooseneck-Putter-Samuel-DiMatteo/dp/1432764500

~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,


Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Walking Through Walls July Book Tour Winners

My July book tour for Walking Through Walls went very well. In the process, I learned a thing or two about long tours - it’s not the best strategy to use. But, I’ll be writing about that at a later date.

Today, I want to thank each of my tour stop hosts and all those who visited and commented during the tour.
As promised, I have the list of winners. I also added 4 extra prizes for those who commented 5 or more times during the tour.

The Contest breakdown:

Prizes 1 and 2:
 $10 Amazon Gift Card
Prizes 3 to 5:
The newly revised How to Write Books for Children: Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Children’s Books (Nominated in the Global eBooks Awards!)
Prizes 6 to 9:
Writing, Publishing, and Marketing – You Can Do It
Extra Prizes 10 to 13:
How to Attract Customers With Informational Marketing

And, now on to the WINNERS:

1. Deana Barnhart
2. Beverly McClure
3. Alex C
4. Cheryl Malandrinos
5. Beth Reinke
6. Mary Trimble
7. Rachna C
8. Barbara Bockman
9. Terri Forehand
10. Margot Finke
11. Vanessa Leavitt
12. Carolyn Howard-Johnson
13. Kathy Stemke

I have been emailing the winners and getting their gifts off to them this week. I should have it all done by the end of the week (hopefully). If you see this post and I haven’t contacted you yet, please email me at karencioffi – at [ymail] – dot c o m

Contest drawing information: 

I prepared a spreadsheet and listed the names of each commenter – the commenter’s name was included the number of times he/she commented during the tour - the list was numbered. This gave me a total number of comments; then I used that total number at http://random.org to get the winning numbers for the promised prizes one to nine.

If any of my hosts would like any one of the e-book prizes let me know – I’ll be happy to email it to you!

You can learn about the e-books I’m offering at:
Writing for Children One Step at a Time, Newly Revised Into:
How to Write Books for Children: Writing, Publishing and Marketing Children’s Books

Writing, Marketing, and Publishing – You Can Do It!

How to Attract Customers With Informational Marketing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Articles:

Create an Online Media Kit for Books

Beyond Book Sales Income: Marketing and Diversification

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Individuals

Do you want to get that idea turned into a book? Do you want to write your memoirs? Do you need editing, proofreading, or a professional critique? Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional, experienced with keywords and SEO, and we cover a number of writing services. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON 

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Cioffi-Ventrice/157731977630305?sk=wall

Four Writing and Marketing Informational Events

Gee, time is slipping away from me. I forgot to post this yesterday! Oh, well, better late than never.

I have four great informational events to share with you:

The 1st is provided by Working Writers Club: 

Topic: Build Your Business with Easy-to-Create E-Courses
Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011, 7:00 p.m. CDT
Presenter: Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer’s Coach
Format: Teleclass (55 minutes)
Details at: http://workingwritersclub.com

Description: This is our beginning of the month teleclass for August. Every month we have a teleclass that covers at least one way to make money as a freelance writer, coach, speaker, or other small business professional. In this teleclass, we’ll learn how to create e-courses as an income stream. Club members will also receive a 6-part e-course as a model for creating their own e-courses.

*****

The 2nd is through Writers on the Move:

Title: How to Create PayPal Buttons and Accept PayPal Payments on Your Own Site
Presented by: Maggie Ball
Date: August 16, 2011- DATE CHANGE TO: Monday, AUGUST 15th
Time: 7 PM EST (U.S.)
Format: Live Chat (approximately 30 minutes)
Moderator: Karen Cioffi
Cost: FREE
Go to: http://writersonthemove.com

Description: Have you ever wanted to take payments on your blog or website? Do you want to create PayPal buttons or learn about other ways to accept one or recurrent payments, small or large?

This free course provides an inside perspective on turning your booklets, e-books, and documents into sellable items, with no cost, and very little effort. You'll learn about setting up "buy it now" buttons, creating options for shopping carts, installment plans, donations, gift vouchers, and subscriptions, managing payments by email, and even how to send out refunds.

To register, email Maggie at: maggieball@compulsivereader.com. Please put "August Workshop" in the subject box.

Registered attendees will receive instructions for attending. While the Writers on the Move Workshops are FREE, your email address will be added to the presenter's mailing list.

Registered attendees will also be provided a transcript of the chat, if requested.

We will have a After Workshop Package consisting of the related e-book (if applicable), transcript, and possibly a podcast, within a month, for those who would like to purchase it.
Once it's complete, we'll have more information about it here.

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The 3rd is provided by the Working Writers Club:

Topic: Attract Clients/Customers With Informational Marketing
Date: Friday, August 19, 2011, 7:00 p.m. CDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.)
Presenter: Karen Cioffi
Format: Teleclass (approximately 45 minutes)
For Additional Details go to: 
http://www.workingwritersclub.com/ 
Click on Upcoming Events

Description: The first two ‘core’ ways to establish a successful online business, one that generates income is to create your own product to sell and/or create a service to sell.

You may have a book, e-book, or white paper to sell. Or, maybe you’re a ghostwriter or freelance writer looking for work, or you’re offering workshops or coaching. Whatever product or service you have to offer you will need to create and maintain the ‘right’ visibility.

Discover how to attract clients/customers to your site who are interested in what you have to offer.

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The 4th is provided by The Working Writers Club

Topic: From An Editor’s Perspective – Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Fiction (and How to Fix Them)
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 6:00 p.m. CDT
Presenter: Margo Dill
Format: Teleclass (55 minutes)

Details at: http://workingwritersclub.com
Description: During this 55-minute teleclass, Margo will cover the following fiction mistakes:

* Mistake #1: Stilted and unnatural dialogue
* Mistake #2: Talking heads
* Mistake #3: Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
* Mistake #4: Passive voice
* Mistake #5: Pacing
* Mistake #6: Beginning in the wrong place
* Mistake #7: NOT letting readers think for themselves
* Mistake #8: Wrong facts and information
* Mistake #9: Rushing the ending
* Mistake #10: Character confusion (for the reader!)

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The Working Writers Club is offered by writing coach Suzanne Lieurance. I've been a member of it's preceding group, The Morning Nudge, for a couple of years, and I've been a member of Suzanne's now retired group the Children's Writers' Coaching Club (for about 3 years). From experience I know Suzanne's value as an instructor and coach. She is a savvy business woman who know the ins and outs of writing for a living and marketing your work.

The Working Writers Club is for freelance writers, writers who create their own informational products to sell, coaches, speakers, and professional writers. Members are provided teleclasses (there are three in August - click on the Upcoming Events to see what's on the agenda), resources, articles, weekly 'answer your questions' audio clips, live informational chats, and so much more.

What is exceptional about the Working Writers Club is it is ONLY $99 per YEAR. That's less than $10 per month for a tremendous amount of instruction and resources.

In all honesty I can say the Working Writers Club is a valuable group to belong to if you are trying to earn money as a writer, if you are a working writer, or if you are striving to be a working writer. I highly recommend it.

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If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!

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Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy adventure book)
You can get your copy today at AMAZON

For reviews and more info go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
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