Tag Archives: Books

Authors, Larry Brooks, Writing Conference

Writers Conference

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11.7.15

 

This past weekend we had a local writers conference in town for two days. It was the third year, at the library and totally free. This was the first year I have not been asked to volunteer so I was able to move around the rooms and talk, network and connect with those who I don’t always get to see. To pick the best part would be hard for I loved all of it. I mean I got to hang out with similar minded people like myself who knew what a character arch was, who knew what it felt like to revise a story to death, who understood the dread of editing one’s work and other cool things we get to do as writers. The headliner was Larry Brooks who I am a groupie of.

Approaching him I said, “Mr. Brooks, would you sign my book for me please. I have read it three times already and it is one of my to go books when I write.”

He smile really bright and said, “You have made my day.” He made mine as well with his lecture and easy-going nature when you talked to him.

It got better. Without even trying I have a new client now. One of my contacts introduced me to a new writer and said I needed to meet her. A few minutes later we made plans to meet and for me to sign her up for my Author Platform program that I created. Another contact from my woman’s networking group knows the owner of a local book store and wants to introduce me to her in hopes of getting my books in that establishment. If that works that means I will have books in two stores in my area. And this all happened while mingling with others at the conference.

Writing conferences are so much fun. So much going on to where you don’t want it to end. But it comes with networking which is huge and contacts made can lead to so many different opportunities. All in the day and life of writers mingling with other writers.

Book Cover, Pictures inside your book, Sharon C. Williams

Pictures inside your book

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In my first book there were few pictures. This was something I received slack on. The ones it came from were my friends. The ones who don’t have books out yet and haven’t gone through the process of putting a book together.

I wish there had been more but there was a reason why there wasn’t. Price. The more pictures you place in a book the more expensive the book is to of set the cost of the pictures. I didn’t want to have my very first book be so high that few people would purchase it. And to be honest who could blame them? Definitely not me.

When my second book came out, Squirrel Mafia, I wanted pictures for each chapter, a challenge for my team to get it in there just right without making the pictures look crappy hence the book crappy. Now the price will go up for two reasons. The first as I mentioned by having pictures in the book. But if those pictures are color, than watch out for  the price goes incredibly up as is the case with my color version of Squirrel Mafia. But I did that one for a purpose, it was for me. I wanted one in color to give to my mom, my mother in law and to have one for myself . I did not expect anyone else to purchase it since it is high. Well, I was wrong. People are buying which is nice but suppressing.

Price of your book does depend on a few factors and pictures are one of them. Whether you add pictures or not, color photos or not or rather you just have text. It is up to yo, but one must keep in mind with the price, the audience your book is geared at and if they will be willing to pay those prices.

Author, Author Sharon C. Williams, Promotion and marketing

Authors, keep pushing forward

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In April I did an interview for a local magazine. I was soooooooooooooo excited. I told everyone. It being in a local paper I thought was awesome, and it is, for your name gets out in your area. May, the first week of May was when it was supposed to come out. The first week came and went and I was not able to find the magazine. Contacting the editor she directed me to where she knew some had been dropped off. YAY!

I celebrated to early. Upon finding the magazine I scanned through it, I didn’t see me. I scanned again. I didn’t see me. That is when I knew I had not been included. That was a let down feeling of a mini epic proportion. I did noticed they had only included one writer apart from the main article they had written. That gave me a small bit of, okay it’s not just me. But that was still a let down.

As I wrote on FB my revelation of not being in the paper I hash-tagged #Notstoppingme and it won’t. As one friend tried to cheer me up she said, “They left out the best part.”

And in a blink of that happening I was asked to present myself to the 1 Million Cup group in town and became a member of a professional women’s group in town whose goal it is to help each other out. Things got better and got better fast.

Don’t let little bumps in the road stop you. Find a way to go around it.