Published
for the betterment of your
writing career since 2003
Newly
Formatted
by Silicon Valley's Tech Consultant/Poet
Samanthi Fernando. Find her on Instagram @poetsamanthifernando.
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"A more than a decade of bettering writers'
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how-tos, tips, and publishing news."
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For great tips and how-to articles
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Current Issue
March
2018
Oh my gosh! Keywords that pack a punch. Fake News. Freedom of speech.
Bad habits learned from the Net. Financing your next book. Someone
doesn't want us using the words "transgender" or "fetus."
Opportunities you haven't seen everywhere--or at all. Your usual tips
and a little humor at the end.
Back
Issues
January 2018
Happy New Year!
Let's see. Marlan
Warren's report on audio books--the expense or self-record process? My
editorial--ramblings on friends who publish controversial books, Fire
and Fury, free press, high school newspapers. Yeah, lots to cover in
one little editorial. A few opportunities and everyone's favorite--tips,
tips, tips. Oh, and a free gift for Valentine's from subscriber Samanthi
Fernando. And back to my old format.
December 2017
Merry Christmas! Feature on Speaking: How
to Handle Hecklers. Spotlight on Mindy's Free Speech/Press. Check out
Dr. Bob Rich's new free award and others.
October 2017
Borrowing Green Formatting from the
Greats, Getting Blurbs the Easy Way, and check out those tips for
AuthorsDen.com's new way to get free book reviews! Help me celebrate
Samanthi Fernando's new format design! Find her on Instagram @poetsamanthifernando.
September 2017.
Inspiration for great PR, The Silly
E-book vs. Paperback Conundrum, Learn from Q&A a la Ann Landers,
and featuring, Seasonal Book Sales and Promos--or Not. If you didn't
catch Samanthi Fernando's great newsletter format (still hand-produced
but much prettier!), check it out this time!
August 2017 AVAILABLE ON REQUEST AT
HOJONEWS@AOL.COM
Foiling the "no service" gremlin
that appears on your handheld device and How to Position Yourself as the
Go-To Author and Expert Using HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Make
Editors who Need Help Eat Out of Your Hand. Oh, yeah! Hope you'll love
Samanthi Fernando's Reformat of SharingwithWriters!
April 1, 2017
Let's speed up the action scene in
your manuscript! The truth about going viral! And an early bird value
for a writers' conference you won't
believe!
March 12, 2017
"How I Came About My Book
Marketing World View," Mindy's help with
writer's retreat resources, Carolyn takes on the topic of cussing (it
may not be what you think), and how winning a contest before your book
is published can help your career.
February 22, 2017
This seems to be
new scam and kinks-in-old scams week! And if you have been putting off
doing visitors because you've never uploaded a video, subscriber Helen
Dunn Frame has the perfect tips for you! Oh, yeah. I know you'll want to
read my rant. Sometimes I just can't help myself!
January 21, 2017
Read right away (expiring
opportunities!).
Why you shouldn't
worry about Amazon's new review guidelines. Grace Allison gives us a
Webby tutorial on letting Amazon (easily!) promote our books with an
e-mail! And Midwest Book Review gives you a tip on timing your review
query submissions! Yep, I'm celebrating the release of
How to Get Great
Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically that has even more tips of utilizing Amazon in our
book review campaigns
December 5, 2016
You know you want to know the 15
Commandments for more book sales in 2017. You know you can't miss my
favorite tip for December.
November 11, 2016
Renewed enthusiasm for the people who are
the publishing industry with the release of
How to Get Great Book Reviews
Frugally and Ethically,
how to choose the best book tour operator and my fave Twitter tip.
Oh, yeah. How to get a free e-copy of my new book--courtesy Bookbaby.com
or Amazon Prime.
Please give it a review, too! At
http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews.
October 10, 2016
A new contest scam for you to avoid. Q&A
a la Ann Landers helps readers work with bookstore "appearances" without
being there. And, yes! The cover reveal for my
How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.
May 20, 2016
Forget Christmas in July! Get your
holiday promo ideas in May! Mindy's Itty Bitty column at its most
memorable. Generous Marketing. A short list of agents. Another short
list of library resources.
April 10, 2016
Come listen in on a conversation I had
with Amazon! How I put a smiley face on a rejection and you can,
too! What to say to get FREE publicity. A prepublish peek at the
third book in my multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books,
Getting Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically and lots more!
February 20, 2016
Amazon is now a book scout! So saeth
guestblogger Beth Cox. I love this week's feature, How to Handle #bookbigotry.
Your book may be right for spinoffs, even if you don't think so and you
know you want to know how Dr. Bob Rich makes life easier for his
reviewers!
January 22, 2016
Wahhh! Rescuing
Amazon reviews when you publish a second edition. And does "corn"
mean what you think it means (a little editing tip!). Yep, and tis the
season for more contest news, too!
December 5, 2015
Barbie (Well, OK, Mattel!) gives us a
marketing lesson we all can use! Editing guru Barbara McNichol gives
SharinwithWriters subscribers the lowdown on "such as," and in the
interest of free speech and free press, SWW copy editor Mindy Lawrence
tells us what she thinks in her Not-So-Itty-Bitty column!
November 9, 2015
Attack on Fake Reviews: The more you know
about reviews and Amazon, the better prepared you'll be to share your
book with readers! Why Op Ed and Major Media Outlets Made Me Think of
V8! And some specifics on writing a query letter that's a pitch!
September 15, 2015
You probably knew
you could upgrade your e-mail signature with Bookbuzzr's amazing
flipper, but do you know the other benefits? And here are the secrets
for giving away your book on a large scale straight from my personal
experience. And, oh, yeah. Here's a tried-and-true way to get your book
into college bookstores! Plus all the usual SharingwithWriters features
except for Mindy's regular Itty Bitty column; she deserves a rest!
August 10, 2015
Lots of freebies in this one! The way to
a frugal promoter's heart! And do you know what a Midori is? Mindy
Phillips Lawrence will show you. And Scott Lorenz gives you step-by-step
for making Goodreads Listopia work for your book. And, yeah, the usual
resources, tips and inspiration.
July 10, 2015
I'm on an image roll! But we'll also talk
about Taylor Swift, assertiveness, and promotion; a case study of a
Saturday Night Live writer's promotion campaign, and another one on
getting the future right.
June 18, 2015
Mindy's Itty Bitty column is a little
piece of flash fiction for your enjoyment this month! I know you will
enjoy at least one of the freebie offers. Do you know about the "do"
dummy? And last call for WinningWriters.com first ever North Street Book
Prize!
May 29, 2015
Scott
Lorenz on what writers can learn from Motown. Really! Nina Corbett
inspires your first documentary. Mindy Lawrence on the nostalgia of real
ink. And, of course, tons of tips and resources.
May 1, 2015
Are writers and publishers
organizations like IBPA any good? What is a Published Works Almanac and
how can I use one? Karen Cioffi deconfuses editing terms and a whole lot
more!
March 19, 2015
Jim Cox of Midwest Reviews tells
you how to entice reviewers to accept your book for review. And how
about a public TV documentary to expand exposure to what is near and
dear to you? And Linda Ballou on combating Internet nasties.
February 13, 2015
Terry Doherty shares her bookmark
secrets. I'm taking a certain Valentine (you?) to The Big Story
Conference at Valley College on Feb. 20, 21, 22 FREE. And you know you
want Mindy Lawrence's tips on freebies that you'd normally have to pay
for at your library. Plus the usual Tips and In the News stuff that
helps your writing career!
January 15,
2015
Telling stories about catercorner,
kitty-corner, and catty-corner; Scott Lorenz shares PR tricks with you;
new Tricks of the Trade radio show for learning and a resource for your
own promotion; and what the heck is the subjunctive mood, anyway?
December 15, 2014
Children's author advocate Terry Doherty
tells he how to Drip, Drip, Drip to find success in the publishing
world. Mindy Philips Lawrence somehow makes us feel special by lauding
the authors we lost in 2014. Valerie Allen and other book fair gurus
tell you how to keep the book fair magic going. And oh those tips and
resources!
November 12, 2014
Check
Your Sell-Your-Book Expertise with Carolyn’s Quiz, Nurturing Your
Industry and Your Career, and SharingwithWriters perennial favorite Q&A
a la Ann Landers: Scammed by Bad Publishers
Plus My Best NEW
Marketing Tip for 2014
October 8, 2014
Never knock yourself out writing an inconsequential scene again (guest
feature by K.M. Weiland); the skinny on lighting and background for your
home videos; and why the "perfect" review may not be so perfect after
all!
September 16, 2014
Ampersands may not be nearly as clever as
you think they are. Time magazine tested me on initialism and I lost.
How our covers--even the pretty ones--can keep our books off of
bookstore shelves.
August 18, 2014
Do you know what elastic pricing
is for your book? It can make you feel more comfortable about
discounting and even freebies! Also news about the new Amazon List
Network, brassy poetry promotion, and using booklets to partner with
charity for the promotion of our work.
July 14, 2014
How to get reviewers to let you reprint (recycle) their reviews. So why
exactly is it you don't want to give your books away? And about that
title "content writer?" You deserve better!
June 24, 2014
Lots on the Hachette
drama, Amazon's new bookselling feature #AmazonCart, and my Q&A a la Ann
Landers on How Do You Get a Reviewer to Let You Reprint Their Review.
June 1, 2014
Don't let scammy marketing ideas derail you! And what are those funny
numbers we see on copyright pages, anyway?
May: Free
Mother's Day Offer
May 5, 2014
This is really my April newsletter but I was playing on a transatlantic
cruise. Loved Cape Town! In this issue I'm sharing tips for
decorating your writing space and Penny Sansevieri's guest contribution
on Are New York Publishers Still Relevant? Oh! And check out those
Costco tips!
March 16, 2014
Lots on perfecting your campaign for keeping your book alive with
reviews and a lovely new Itty Bitty by Mindy Lawrence on using the new
Cosmos as inspiration and for better writing.
February 14, 2014
Ragging a bit on Barnes and Noble. Is
English a conceited language. What to do when someone beats you to being
being the featured expert.
February 1, 2014
Midwest review's new policy benefits indie writers, a little on solitude
by Mindy Lawrence, and how fiction writers can use paid-for advertising
to benefit their books.
January 4, 2014
Tons of tips on reviews and one article on making more money using niche
publishing. Oh! A few tips on making online blog book tours more
effective, too!
December 10, 2013:
Ohhh, la, la. Carolyn on public radio
with Lois P. Jones talking promoting the hard-to-promote genres and
reading poetry, the craziness (and loss) of some politically correct
rules, and what a tip on learning more about Google Plus hovercards from
Joan Stewart.
November 19, 2013:
Mindy Lawrence wishes Doris Lessing a
good journey, Joan Stewart wants you to use hashtags more effectively,
and I want authors to consider using the free fine art now available
from the great museums of the world. And lots of tips as usual!
October 17, 2013:
A Better Sellsheet: Borrowing an Idea from the Smithsonian Magazine and
Subsidy-Publisher Scams
September 30, 2013:
Amazon's new BookMatch, Why I Love It and How To Do it and Karen
Cioffi-Ventrice's Pass It Forward.
August 30, 2013:
Let Amazon Work for You,
Getting Better Results for Your Freebie Offers by Karen Cioffi, and
Letting Kindle Make More Money for You.
July 31, 2013:
SharingwithWriters special AllTips
edition. Scams, motivation and more.
June 27, 2013:
What makes Amazon think they can
discount my book without my permission? And a rant: Who
says we can't write from the POV of someone very unlike us?
May 30, 2013:
Give-Away Book Promotions: The
Other Side of the Coin; Getting Published is Good Business; and
Getting Too Darn PC for the Good of the Language.
April 30, 2013:
Get your FREE Mother's Day gift and the first in a series of why
free is good or bad, some more convincers and how-tos on Pinterest,
and how not to fall into a tender (but-no-so-great) trap from Google
Blogger.
April 10, 2013:
How
to use Pinterest for storytelling with tips on how to useit to
market your book, too. There's also help in getting blurbs for your
book the easy way.
March 15, 2013:
You Want People to Accidentally Discover Your Book On
The Web and Joan Stewart Nixes Alphabet Bios.
"Careers that are not fed die as readily
as any living organism
given no sustenance."
~
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
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