This BuzzFeed sampling shows you a video series that totally delights me. James Corden, of The Late, Late Show fame, sings along with Adele, Sia, One Direction, Stevie Wonder…
Thank you, you brilliant funny man, for Carpool Karaoke.
Who would you like to see riding in James’ van as he sings his way to work?
Do you already have a favorite?
Are your readers a bit “prickly” about writing a review for your book? Choosy Bookworm might be a solution for you.
My author clients often express frustration about how hard it is to obtain book reviews from readers. They ask, they cajole, they beg. I guess a lot of readers are either intimidated by the process, don’t know what to say, or just can’t find the time.
Luckily, one of our savvy ALWAYS tribe members—author Karen Mueller Bryson of Short On Time Books—recently shared an inexpensive answer to this problem. She pointed us to a site called Choosy Bookworm, where readers sign up for free ebooks in exchange for an Amazon review. Here’s the process:
You can find all the details at Choosy Bookworm promotion, but here are some highlights:
That’s pretty much it, and Karen swears by it… Sound like it’s worth a try, right?
What other proven techniques have you used to secure book reviews? Please share.
…………………..
Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth
Check out my Book Shepherding sessions.
avidean@videanunlimited.com
A word-of-mouth marketing example from the lens of Ann Narcisian Videan
to inspire your book “village.”
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A vintage Rocky Mountain Post article about my mom, who entertained at parties as Mary Poppins. Do you have a unique trait you can leverage to market yourself or your book?
I’m counting on this post to inspire you to find your own special talents, traits, experiences, or even your looks—like my mother did—to entice your audience to talk about you. Find something unique that also pertains to your book and, víola!, instant word-of-mouth book book marketing.
I hear you thinking, “What?!”
Think for a second. Say you looked like Mary Poppins, and wrote a book about professional organizing. You could relate the movie theme to your book marketing. “Spit, spot!” Organizing made easy! Everyone who wants a magically clean room/home can relate to the scene of the Banks’ children putting away their toys while their nanny sings, right? A unique, fun, emotional mental image. Exactly the techniques to compel readers into talking about you.
Or, maybe you’re a musician. How can you use that to tie into your books? I wrote a “soundtrack” to complement my first book, Rhythms & Muse. That became a Wow! moment for my readers. My next chat-worthy project will use my art skills. I’m creating customized faerie doors and short stories, as well as a faerie door coloring book, to complement my book Song of the Ocarina. (It’s book 1 in my Delfaerune Rhapsody series about New Zealand Fae who use Earth energy and music to make magic.)
Think now, what about you or your book would inspire someone to say, “Wow, that’s cool!” or to write a newspaper article about you? I encourage you to put some thought into this and come up with something outrageous to drive word-of-mouth marketing.
What do you do, or what’s in your book, that would entice readers to talk about you?
…………………..
Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth
Check out my Book Shepherding sessions.
avidean@videanunlimited.com
Thanksgiving tradition… spend all day Wednesday making orange rolls, and spend all day Thursday eating as many as you can.
If food could embody a superpower, these rolls would be Magneto, using culinary entrapment to lure friends and family from all points of the universe to your table.
As it is, not too many people appear to know about the super secret powers of these rolls. Their popularity may wane because preparing and baking them requires at least six hours. I’m telling you, though… Worth. The. Wait.
Everyone who tastes these raves and raves, and then raves some more. Sweet, tangy, light and soft… they melt in your mouth. Ahhh! It’s one of the main reasons I look forward to Thanksgiving every year, since it’s the only time we make them.
Ready to be drawn into our secret world of deliciousness?
You’re welcome.
Orange Rolls
Ann Videan, via Madge Narcisian, via Dee Alnutt
1 c. milk
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp. salt
2 cakes yeast
5c. flour
Scald milk, pour over shortening & sugar. Cool.
Add eggs, yeast, flour, salt, and mix well.
Let rise about 3 hrs.
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
rind from 1 orange, grated (we like more, but not too much more )
Prepare butter and set aside.
Mix together sugar and orange zest.
Roll dough flat into a rectangle and spread on butter, then sugar mixture.
Roll up like a jelly roll. Cut to about 1.5″ wide.
Place in buttered muffin tins.
Let rise 1 hr.
Bake 375˚ just until light brown (less than 10 min.).
So, I’ve shared. Now, tell us about your most super-powered recipe… Pretty please, with sugar and orange zest on top?
Writers don’t only hang out at writing groups or libraries. One of their natural habitats is a coffee shop. That’s why I write a blog about those little hot spots. Check out my latest find on my Coffee CommuniTea blog: BuzzBerry Bistro
I love hanging out with authors. They’re interesting, smart, and — at least in my circles — extremely generous with helpful ideas. Every time I go to a place where writers hang out, I learn something.
So, what fun is it to keep all that great information to myself? I want you to benefit, too. So here are three great ideas heard in the last couple of weeks:
What book marketing tips can you share?
The path to leveraging book contests… a bit rocky? Established writers, find out how to find the most appropriate contests for you, and how to merchandise your successes, at the next ALWAYS meeting in Gilbert. AZ.
Established writer:
• Are book contests important? If so, why?
• Do you know what book contests to enter?
• How do you use a contest win to market your books?
• How much do they cost?
Phoenix-area authors will share their insights on book contests at our next ALWAYS tribe meeting.
Next gathering:
Thursday, Nov.. 12, 2015
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
(ALWAYS typically meets on the second Thursday of the month.)
Where:
Romeo’s Euro Café
(downtown GIlbert, AZ)
207 N. Gilbert Rd. #105
Gilbert, Arizona 85234
(480) 962-4224
Back-up location:
Joe’s BBQ
301 N. Gilbert Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85234
(480) 503-3805
Cost:
A writing tip, and your own lunch.
RSVP:
PLEASE show the consideration of reserving your spot at the table by:
• RSVPing through the “Join” link on our Facebook Event page
or
• Contacting Ann Videan, avidean@videanunlimited.com
If you’ve RSVP’d, please SHOW UP. If you run into a conflict, please let me know BEFORE the event so I can make the necessary adjustments for the group meeting. Cheers!
…………………………………………………………….
ABOUT ALWAYS
Are you an established writer who:
• Needs contacts to help your writing?
• Wants advice about your writing?
• Likes to hang with other cool writers?
If so, our tribe – the Alliance for Literary Writers, Authors & Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) – is the place for you. We’re an informal group of established writers looking for camaraderie, ideas, enlightenment and connection with writers, especially in the Phoenix metro area, to talk about our craft and businesses.
Any established writer can connect with us online through our ALWAYS Facebook page, get listed in our directory of writers on our ALWAYS LinkedIn page, or you can meet with us in person at a lunch meeting. We’d love to have any experienced writer join us at our next meeting … anyone who spends a significant part of his/her week writing, and wants to rub elbows with other writers.
Our tribe of established, Phoenix-area writers —
The Alliance of Literary Writers, Authors and Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) —
gathers once a month for lunch and a chat about writing. It’s rather like a Secret Writer’s Society, except our tips are not so secret, since we share them with you.
TOPIC: Book Blogging
Established writer:
• Do you blog about your, or other’s, books?
• How do you come up with meaningful content?
• What makes readers actually read your posts?
• How do you build traffic on your blog?
Established Phoenix-area authors will share their creative blogging best practices at our next ALWAYS tribe meeting, at a more central location.
Though geared for enewsletters, I found this posting frequency chart from Constant Contact quite interesting. This is the type of information I expect we will share at ALWAYS next month.
Next gathering:
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
(ALWAYS typically meets on the second Thursday of the month.)
Where:
Old Spaghetti Factory
1418 N. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(Just south of McDowell Road on Central Ave. Please plan extra time for downtown light rail traffic and parking.)
Cost:
A writing tip, and your own lunch.
RSVP:
PLEASE show the consideration of reserving your spot at the table by:
• RSVPing through the “Join” link on our Facebook Event page
or
• Contacting Ann Videan, avidean@videanunlimited.com
If you’ve RSVP’d, please SHOW UP. If you run into a conflict, please let me know BEFORE the event so I can make the necessary adjustments for the group meeting. Cheers!
…………………………………………………………….
ABOUT ALWAYS
Are you an established writer who:
• Needs contacts to help your writing?
• Wants advice about your writing?
• Likes to hang with other cool writers?
If so, our tribe – the Alliance for Literary Writers, Authors & Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) – is the place for you. We’re an informal group of established writers looking for camaraderie, ideas, enlightenment and connection with writers, especially in the Phoenix metro area, to talk about our craft and businesses.
Any established writer can connect with us online through our ALWAYS Facebook page, get listed in our directory of writers on our ALWAYS LinkedIn page, or you can meet with us in person at a lunch meeting. We’d love to have any experienced writer join us at our next meeting … anyone who spends a significant part of his/her week writing, and wants to rub elbows with other writers.
Creating books can be overwhelming and expensive but, luckily, help is available! Authors can ask readers, or other interested folk, to help support the book’s creation… and pay it forward… through crowd funding campaigns like those available on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Buddy The Soldier Bear… created from the illustrations as the book’s mascot
Here’s an example of a live — through Sept. 18, 2015 — crowd funding campaign for a very worthwhile book. Buddy The Soldier Bear is a children’s book authored by a soldier’s mom and illustrated by a soldier.
If the campaign succeeds, author Marie Joy Monroe will be able to create her books and plush Buddy mascots, and donate them to public libraries, schools, and military support groups. Plus, a portion of any sales profits will go to Central AZ3 Blue Star Moms, and other nonprofit organizations who help soldiers.
You can see all the important elements of a crowd-funding campaign on Marie’s Indiegogo site:
Have you done a crowd funding campaign? What worked? What didn’t? What advice would you give to other authors considering this route?
P.S. While you’re checking out Buddy’s live campaign, think about donating to it, or at least forwarding the information to families or those in your networks associated with the military. You would support an excellent cause, and have some fun, to boot!
[Just so you know, I’m not affiliated with the creation of Marie’s book, but I love her idea, and think her cause is very important. Why wouldn’t you want to support it, too?]
…………………..
Write on!
Ann Narcisian Videan
Write • Edit • Self-publish • Word-of-mouth
Check out my Book Shepherding sessions.
avidean@videanunlimited.com
The Alliance of Literary Writers, Authors and Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) —
a tribe of established, Phoenix-area writers —
gathers once a month for lunch and a chat about writing. It’s rather like a Secret Writer’s Society, except our tips are not so secret, since we share them with you.
TOPIC:
Established authors, when it comes to book covers…
• Do you know what elements will catch a reader’s eye?
• Do you know some low-cost avenues for artwork?
• Do you know what to avoid in the design?
Let’s gather over a delicious lunch and share ideas.
If you can’t attend, can you leave a book-cover tip in the comments below?
Next gathering:
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
(ALWAYS meets on the second Thursday of the month.)
Where:
Romeo’s Euro Café
(downtown GIlbert, AZ)
207 N. Gilbert Rd. #105
Gilbert, Arizona 85234
(480) 962-4224
Back-up location:
Joe’s BBQ
301 N. Gilbert Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85234
(480) 503-3805
Cost:
A writing tip, and your own lunch.
RSVP:
PLEASE show the consideration of reserving your spot at the table by:
• RSVPing through the “Join” link on our Facebook Event page
or
• Contacting Ann Videan, avidean@videanunlimited.com
If you’ve RSVP’d, please SHOW UP. If you run into a conflict, please let me know BEFORE the event so I can make the necessary adjustments for the group meeting. Cheers!
…………………………………………………………….
ABOUT ALWAYS
• Need contacts to help your writing work?
• Want advice about your writing?
• Like to hang with other cool writers?
If so, our tribe – the Alliance for Literary Writers, Authors & Yabbering Scribes (ALWAYS) – is the place for you. We’re an informal group of established writers looking for camaraderie, ideas, enlightenment and connection with writers, especially in the Phoenix metro area, to talk about our craft and businesses.
Any established writer can connect with us online through our ALWAYS Facebook page, get listed in our directory of writers on our ALWAYS LinkedIn page, or you can meet with us in person at a lunch meeting. We’d love to have any experienced writer join us at our next meeting … anyone who spends a significant part of his/her week writing, and wants to rub elbows with other writers.
“Xylophone in the Forest,” in the Hokkaido Garden Show, was used to advertise a Japanese mobile phone company.
This happens to be an indescribably beautiful idea. When I have my own forest, I will make one of these instruments.
Cheers to Ruben Mandolini for posting this video.
Ann Narcisian Videan: Book Shepherd/Editor/Author 