Showing posts with label author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author. Show all posts

Thursday, August 1, 2013

More Marketing Ideas! by DL Larson


TV Time
Dyanne Davis, past president of the Windy City RWA Chapter, hosts a TV program.  She and her husband Bill do an amazing job highlighting authors.  Dyanne asked me a few years ago to be a guest on her show and I said, 'when my next book comes out, I will.'  She held me to that.

Our talk was about writing, ideas for writing and marketing.  She asked me to explain my storyline for not only my new book, Promises My Love, but also for my previous ones. The time flew by. 

This isn't the first time I've been on television, for my first book I visited a local TV station.  I was nervous and my husband said I spoke as if I had laryngitis.  I did better on the radio interview a few weeks later.  Those interviews were live and the sense of urgency that surrounds a live show made me extremely nervous.
My talk with Dyanne was just the opposite.  We laughed and talked without hurry or worry about the time.  Bill will edit the show to pull out any unnecessary tidbits. 

The talk will air in a few months.  It will be on the local cable, channel 6, and from there spread, hopefully to U-tube.  We'll see. 

My next blog tour will be this Monday, August 5, at Sugarbeat's Books Blog.  Find me at
http://sugarbeatsbooks.com    Stop by and leave a comment!

Guest bloggers are generally asked to offer something as they tour various sites.  Many offer free books, ebooks, etc. which I have done.  Others are stepping up the anty and offering more. 
My question, if you so choose to share your thoughts ... would you offer a $50 Amazon gift card or even a $100 gift card to a lucky commenter if you were doing a virtual book tour? 

Til next time ~

DL Larson


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Please Welcome the Spunky L. Diane Wolfe

Acme Authors Link is Proud to Welcome Professional Speaker & Author, L. Diane Wolfe - www.spunkonastick.net/
www.thecircleoffriends.net/

Known as “Spunk On A Stick”, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars on promoting, leadership and goal setting.




Wolfe’s title, “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties all of her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together into one complete, enthusiastic package!
Available: March 17, 2009
Publisher Direct
Amazon
Barnes & Noble




The author’s young adult series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories that appeal to both teens and concerned parents. Ten years associating with a motivation training system and her experience as a foster parent gave her the in-depth knowledge of relationships, personality traits and success principals.


The author offers her seminars through community colleges, organizations and clubs. Wolfe travels the East Coast extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements. She averages over one hundred appearances each year, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, manages an online writer’s group, and contribute articles for several other sites. She also does characterization sessions for schools and speaks to writer’s groups.

Get ready to write after this sample of L. Diane Wolfe's inspirational abilities:

Is it Worth the Price We Pay? by L. Diane Wolfe

A four-state book signing tour. A month-long virtual tour. Deadlines looming on the horizon. And a checklist that sprouts two new items for every one we eliminate. Between all the headaches, hassles and constant running, we often wonder if it’s worth the price we pay as authors.

The general public rarely glimpses the unglamorous side of writing. Most people are unaware of the long hours spent creating our storylines, staring at the computer screen until dawn. They can’t conceive of the marketing efforts required of all but the best-selling authors. Our fans don’t realize that we often spend the entire day establishing contacts and composing letter and emails to websites, bookstores, and the media.

The repetitive and occasionally boring tasks required of us really wears on our enthusiasm as well. What began as a passion for writing now feels like work. Our personal lives take a backseat as we attempt to stay ahead of the game. In our profession, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the many details and daily grind.

Besides the time-consuming duties, there are negative aspects as well. The book signing without books when the store forgets to place an order. The speaking engagements cancelled due to lack of funds. The reviewer experiencing a bad life who takes it out on our novel. The pre-taped interview that is cut due to time constraints. These situations can really place a damper on our spirits, causing us to feel even more discouraged.

Is it honestly worth the trouble? This really struck me one day while returning from a book signing. As I crossed a long and lonely stretch of road, Twisted Sister’s “The Price” began to play on my satellite radio. The lyrics echoed my thoughts at the time, and I began to ponder my current path of choice.

Why do we pay such a high price, making so many thankless sacrifices? Certainly not simply for financial gain. I can think of less complicated ways to make money! We don’t do it solely for personal satisfaction. Perhaps that’s the thought initially, but the glow eventually fades. Recognition is pleasant, but we must continue producing if we expect more. None of these factors will motivate us forever.

So why do we pay the price required of an author? The reason is simple – for our readers and those we touch with our words.

How many young writers do we inspire? How many individuals are entertained, their imaginations envisioning the worlds and characters we’ve created? What of those who were without hope until they read our book or heard us speak? We cannot begin to fathom the lives transformed by our mere words. Consider the websites and communities who follow our work, the emails and letters from excited readers, and the fans who drive hours out of their way to meet us in person. These people feel passion and an emotional attachment to our creations. What if our visions had remained locked away in our minds forever because we felt it wasn’t worth the price?

True success is achieved when we affect others in a positive manner, leaving the world a little better than when we found it. There will always be disappointments and stress, but if we can focus on the pleasure and satisfaction our work brings to others, we will persevere. Their joy will fuel our enthusiasm, providing us with a sense of genuine self-worth and happiness. If we lose sight of this purpose, our author experience will be a shallow victory at best.

So, is it worth the price we pay? For the many new friends we make during our journey, our eager fans, and those lives we touch, you betcha!

- Author & Professional Speaker, L. Diane Wolfe
http://www.spunkonastick.net/
http://www.thecircleoffriends.net/

Please leave your comments for our guest. Do you sometimes get discouraged? Is it worth it to you? Please share.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Meet Woman of Mystery, Marilyn Meredith

Blog Address:
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn Meredith is the author of the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series as well as over twenty published novels. The latest is, Kindred Spirits, from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, the latest, Smell of Death, from Tigress Press.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, EPIC and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com/

Kindred Spirits
Click Here to Order
Trouble in Deputy Crabtree’s marriage is soon forgotten when the body of a murder victim is found in the wake of a forest fire. Sent to Crescent City in search of information introduces Tempe to the victim’s Tolowa relatives and friends–along with two stalkers and Big Foot.

Upon her return home, a pig’s heart on Tempe’s front porch serves as a warning. Detective Morrison becomes an unusual ally, and the victim’s spirit visits Tempe in the night. She and husband Hutch set off for Santa Barbara in an effort to flush out the murderer and once again she finds her own life threatened.

And Now, Here's What Marilyn Shares With Us Today...

Why on Earth Would You Do Something Like That?

Recently I flew all the way from California to St. Louis MO, rented a car and drove two hours to be a presenter at a small writers conference in Illinois. My husband went with me because I really don’t like to drive places I don’t know anything about. We suffered on the airplane in the extremely cramped seats and brought our own snacks because nothing is free on an airline flight.
This was an expensive proposition. I only sold one book and not to one of the attendees but another presenter. An $11 book didn’t come anywhere close to paying back what I’d spent for the airplane tickets, the rental car, the motel and meals. While there though, I signed a new contract for a book and went to dinner twice with my new publisher.

Like many other writers, I’ve gone to mystery conventions in Alaska, Chicago, Milwaukee and other places scattered around the country and I’ve never ever come anywhere near selling the number of books to pay for what the trips cost.

My best event happened recently when I launched my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Kindred Spirits. Hubby and I drove two days to reach Crescent City, CA. Two luncheons were held back-to-back in a lovely Victorian Bed and Breakfast. Included in the price was an autographed copy of the book. I spoke at both sessions and so did the Tolowa woman who had inspired part of the story. We also appeared at the library and I sold more books. That was the most money I’d ever made at any event, but still didn’t pay for all our expenses.
Most of my friends and family think I’m a bit crazy to do these things. Though most authors probably understand, here are my reasons.

When I go to a writers conference, I have the opportunity to help aspiring authors just like many others helped me over the years. There’s nothing I like better than talking about writing except discussing my latest book–which is what I have the opportunity to do when I attend mystery conventions.

At both of the above, I have the opportunity to meet a lot of potential fans and I always make new friends and get to see a lot of writing friends that I’ve made over the Internet and at various cons and conferences. Hubby and I’ve seen a lot of the country we’d never have seen any other way, we’ve made a lot of friends that we enjoy being with, and possibly most important, we’ve had a great time.

So maybe I am a bit crazy to spend so much money and time on such promotional endeavors, but I don’t think so–I think the pluses far outweigh the expense and discomfort.

Now it’s time to get back to writing my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. You can find out more about her and read the first chapter of Kindred Spirits at http://fictionforyou.com/

Marilyn Meredith
http://fictionforyou.com/
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

FIRSTS By JUNE SPROAT


Firsts

Hello all and thank you so much for inviting me to be a fill in blogger for Acme Authors.

When Morgan asked me if I would be interested I answered “YES” before I gave it much thought. That’s how I’ve been doing a lot of things this year. Jumping in with both feet and really not looking where I would end up. For the most part I’ve landed pretty well, lets hope the trend keeps up.

My first book came out in March. It’s a young adult book titled “Ordinary Me”. The main character, Kate, is a sophomore in high school who inadvertently foils an escaped convict’s getaway during her drivers ed class. Needlessly to say, Kate is thrust into the spotlight, and she thinks her life is over, and it is, well her life as an ordinary anyway. Overnight she is plucked from the ordinaries and plopped into the “in crowd”. At first Kate is in denial of her status change, but then she likes it, that is until she’s labeled a snob, her locker gets trashed and one other minor thing – she’s being stalked.

So basically, it’s teen angst 101 with a little mystery to keep things rolling along. I had a great time writing this book and it seems like it is being received well. At least that’s what I believe from the excellent reviews I’ve received, one which said reading my book reminder her of reading Judy Blume. Another first that turned out really well. I can die happy now.

Thanks for having me!

June

www.junesproat.com