Friday, August 28, 2009

Buying Books & Peaches

I bought some peaches the other day. Not headline-making news, but consider this, I knew that I had peaches at home in my fridge.

The reason for my impulse purchase was because the clerk at the store stopped me to tell me how delicious the peaches were. She said that she really looks forward to eating one when they’re this fresh and ripe. She made those peaches sound like the most delicious fruit on earth. I bought them because she hand sold them to me.

Having someone talk up a product adds perceived value to that product. Keep reading . . .

Friday, August 21, 2009

ACFW Conference Photographer

If you're one of the lucky authors who will be attending the ACFW Conference next month, consider updating your headshot at the conference. Pauline Fortuna of Fat Tuna Photography is offering ACFW authors a screaming deal.

Pauline's my photographer, and I can't say enough nice things about her and her high level of skill in capturing amazing images. She's a consummate pro, a delightful person, and a skilled imaging artist. A professional photographer can help you to put your "best face" forward. And let's face it, if you're over 30, you really need professional digital artwork for the portrait to look its best. For a long time I've preached the importance of presenting yourself in the most professional way with your marketing. Curious? Go here to read my blog posts on marketing. If you scroll down, you'll find tips on preparing for a portrait session and what to wear.

Don't think about it any longer -- schedule an appointment now. You don't want to miss this opportunity.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

How do you get to know your characters?

Writers, how do you get to know your characters? Readers, can you tell how well an author knows their characters?

Having a thorough knowledge of your book’s characters is imperative in writing fiction. You have to be true to the character you’ve created for their world to be believable. Keep reading. . .

Friday, August 14, 2009

What authors and writers can learn on Twitter

Every writer knows that social networking is good for your career. I’ve had the pleasure of making new friends and acquaintances online who have been a great encouragement and have given me advice and insight.

There are some agents, editors, and writers who are active on Twitter who occasionally . . . Keep reading...

Friday, August 07, 2009

A delightful surprise

One of our local magazines, Search Parker, came in the mail yesterday. I was delighted and surprised to see a blurb for Out of Her Hands and a photo of the book's cover on the "book" page.


I love living in our community. It's a beautiful, caring place where individuals reach out to one another, and our local merchants truly care about their home area. Thanks, Pam Waid. You made my day.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Book Spines

The other day we discussed book covers and how they’re designed to intrigue readers enough to pick up the book and give it a chance.I read several industry blogs, one of them Michael Hyatt’s. If you don’t know, he’s the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. His recent post about the importance of listening to consumers, talks about market research and how to best use the spine of a book cover as a marketing tool.

Continue reading . . .