I entered a one-sheet contest

A one sheet is a marketing document that communicate the heart of your story. Here's my entry.

And as for the story, I'm writing it. Again. For the 5th time. But that's okay. I want to produce the best story I can, and each rewrite is getting me closer to that goal.

And that, my friends, is what you call perseverance.

Writers, market yourself

I dreamed of writing novels since I was in grade school. My first book, Searching for Spice, released in 2008. When I became serious about my goal of publication, I joined a writers' group, ACFW, and began to become a part of the publishing community.

I soon realized that you have to start thinking of marketing long before you ever get a publishing contract. You have to start marketing yourself -- to agents and editors. And to market yourself, you need marketing materials.

My point is that I took my goal seriously enough to present myself as a professional. I think it not only helped to make me look professional to agents and editors, it helped to give me confidence that, yes, I

was a writer in a professional capacity.

I know not everyone can afford to have professionally designed business cards, and in all honestly any card with your image and contact info will probably do. If I had to choose between a homemade photo and a homemade business card, I'd choose the card. A professional image is worth the price. If you can't afford it, barter it. You are a writer, right? Write advertising copy, and trade words for images.

Eventually I hired a designer and printed new business cards. Here's a picture of my cards. (I couldn't decide on which I preferred, so I bought two different sets.)

I purchased my cards at clickbusinesscards.com. Check them out--they'll even send you free samples. I chose the card with the matte celloglaze finish. It feels nice to the touch, doesn't smudge, and you can write on it with a pen.

If you're an unpublished author, start thinking of yourself as being president of your own writing business. Invest in your business with time and well-crafted marketing pieces. I thought of my writing as a (potential) business, and thank goodness my husband thought so as well. To be honest, there were times when I felt it was fiscally irresponsible to spend the family budget on my writing dreams. But my husband believed in me and encouraged me to keep working. Believe me, I know it's not cheap to buy books, create marketing pieces, and attend conferences. But what business doesn't have start-up costs?

The MasterCard Pickle Jar Commercial's Commentary on Culture

Food for thought. What audience are they playing to?

I like a good commercial, and historically the MasterCard “priceless” commercials have really hit the spot. I've considered them honest, insightful, and playful.

I’d consider the newest MasterCard “priceless” commercial a hit but for one word that is in the script. That one word is a commentary on our culture, a commentary on what’s considered normal and everyday. Now, I’m not what one would consider a culture warrior, I’m more a cultural observer. And this observer is disappointed.

The commercial shows a guy twisting and turning, trying to open a pickle jar. Have you seen the commercial MasterCard calls “Pickle Jar?” If not, go take a peek.

Did you catch the word I’m objecting to? It’s very subtle. The word is boyfriend. I wouldn’t have thought twice about the commercial if that word was husband.

Here’s the script: “Gym membership for February: $68. Gym membership for March: $68. Gym membership for April: $68. Finally convincing your boyfriend he should go with you: priceless.”

A sociologist will tell you that a culture that values marriage over cohabitation is stronger and healthier. Why did MasterCard choose to use the word boyfriend? Wouldn’t it have been just as clever with the word husband? Does their choice of noun reflect our culture?

I’m not naïve. I know that many people live together outside of marriage. I’m not even going to take on the why-they-do or why-they-shouldn’t. That dialogue has been around for decades.

What I want to know is why did MasterCard use the word boyfriend? Did they think no one would notice? I did. Apparently they don't care. 

Megan's Speaking Brochure

This is the front and back of my new marketing piece to promote my speaking ministry. Pretty, isn't it? My designer, Natasha, (tash100proof@gmail.com) created exactly what I had in mind.

















I gave Tash a photo I took last year of the beautiful prairie flowers that grow alongside the path I walk on during the warmer months. (The Cherry Creek Trail runs behind my neighborhood.) That's the same photo I've used on my blog and website. I told her that I wanted to use those colors. Didn't she do a great job?

For the back image, I gave her a mountain-view photo that I took two weeks ago when I crashed the Colorado Christian Writers Conference for the day. I went there to cheer on some friends who were attending. If you scroll down to the previous post, you can see that lovely photo.

Now I'm ready to really start promoting my speaking. I'm only going to have only about 50 of these printed (locally) for now because I'd like to have a new headshot taken by the talented and delightful Pauline Fortuna of Fat Tuna Photography.

I was in a rush to create this piece because I'm going to be the featured author at ParkerFest next Sunday (6/7) on Mainstreet in downtown Parker. If you're in the area, you should come over. It runs from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and is a wonderful street fair with food, cool stuff to buy, and great music to enjoy.

The piece is what is called a rack card. I wanted my brochure to stand out from so many of the tri-fold brochures that are floating around out there, so I choose a different format. This card rack is a 4x9 glossy with color on both sides. This is a great size to pass out, and it will fit into a legal size envelope. Like I did for my bookmark, when I order a larger quantity, I'll purchase it online at PrintRunner.

In addition to this hard piece, I'm also going to have a digital brochure that can be emailed. I love to network (I've passed out over 2,000 bookmarks in less than a year) and when I'm at book signings or events like ParkerFest, I'll give my speaker brochure to people who agree to pass it along to the women's ministry leader in their church.

If you click on the images, they will enlarge in your browser.

An Announcement!

I've got an exciting announcement about a promotion that I'm doing in partnership with Tyndale House Publishers to promote my new release, Out of Her Hands.

I can't wait to share it with you, but I've got to. I'll post the details on my website's "For Readers" page next Saturday, October 25th.

I can give you a hint, though. It involves FREE books!

In other news:
I've updated my blog a bit to reflect the seasonal change. I've also updated my website for autumn. It's fun. Kind of like redecorating your house for a holiday.

Author Chat

Have you ever heard of Eons? It's an online community for boomers. I'm a member, and I was delighted to hear that they're doing a promotion with their member authors to promote their books this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday (10/4, 10/5), authors and writers will be featured in a two-day event on the front page of Eons.

Our book covers and first chapters are online, and anyone (eons members) can chat with a eons authors about their books or publishing in general. I'll be online chatting from 11 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

It's simple and free to join to join Eons.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening when my friends and family will celebrate the launch of Out of Her Hands with me.

The image on the left is my new book signing poster. Isn't it pretty? My designer did a great job.

I'll post photos of the party on Sunday!

New Bookmark!

My new bookmark was delivered from the printer today!

The images are two sides of the same bookmark. I love it because each side represents that book so well.

The design was created by 100 Proof Design.

(If you click on each image, it will enlarge.)

Five Questions

Five Questions, that's the name of the article that featured me in The Troy Record. The intro to the article said this:

"Troy native Megan DiMaria of Denver, Colo., is the author of Searching for Spice, a work of contemporary fiction published April 2008 by Tyndale House. The story features a woman married nearly 25 years who decides she wants to have an affair -- with her husband. Its sequel, Out of Her Hands, by the same publisher is due to be released in October. On a recent trip to Troy, DiMaria donated a copy of Searching for Spice to the Troy Public Library."

You can check out the Five Questions here.

Wowie!

To see more about the photo session and my time at the library, see the post below.

Dreams Come True!

This day was not only a dream come true, it was an amazing marketing opportunity. When I was planning my trip to NY I contacted the local newspaper, hoping I would get some traction out of this event.

I always dreamed of being a published author.

When I was a young girl, my first job was as an envelope stuffer for the commissioner of jurors at the Rensselaer County Courthouse in downtown Troy, NY.

That's a photo of the Courthouse on the left. (I was 15 and had to get working papers.) The County Courthouse was next door to the Troy Public Library. The photo on the right is of the front door of the library. On my lunch hour I would stroll through the stacks of books, running my finger along the spines--on the author's names, locating the spot where my book would sit.

Well, fast forward 38 years, and you can see that my dream has come full circle. Today I donated a copy of Searching for Spice to the Troy Public Library. Dreams do come true!

This is a photo of the photographer from the Troy Record Newspaper, taking my photo for the paper.

This was also a significant moment because my first job in publishing was in 1973 as a high school intern working for that newspaper. I thought I had arrived--I had a job in publishing! I wrote wedding announcements and obituaries. LOL

Make a Big Splash ~ Book Launch!

I am currently presenting some posts on marketing. Also check out the previous posts.

If you want to generate excitement, you need to make a big deal about the book you’re promoting.

 One way to announce that your book launch party is a big deal is to have custom invitations created. This goes hand-in-hand with my post of 8/14 that speaks about presenting yourself professionally.

I sent invitations everywhere I could think: 

• bookstores
  
• newspapers
• magazines
• local authors, agents, and editors
• radio and television stations
• libraries
• churches
• I even sent an invitation to the mayor of Denver. We're a very literate city, and although he didn't make it, I was flattered that it was under consideration by his office.

The image above is the front and back of the invitation. See the tower on the invitation? That's the D&F Tower. The party was held on the floor behind the clock face and the floors above. Like my bookmarks, I also carried around a handful of invitations in case I ran into someone I wanted to invite.

A word about your book launch party: the reason for the event is not to celebrate with friends and family, as much fun as that is. The reason is to generate publicity for your book.

I live in suburban Denver, and I could have found a nice venue in which to hold my party. Fortunately a friend offered me the use of the top floors of the D&F Tower, an historic building on the 16^th Street Mall in downtown Denver. 

The reason for using a fabulous venue is to lure people to the party who might have declined the invitation had it been held in my local rec center. Mission accomplished! Three different editors of local magazines came to the party as well as book store employees who received the invitation.

Another consideration was the day and time of the party. I held it on a Thursday evening because professionals who are not acquainted with me (editors, bookstore employees, etc.) might be more likely to attend a function on an evening that doesn't cut into their family time. That's why the party started at 6:00 p.m. as well. 

If you're curious and want to see more posts about my book launch party go here. The night was perfect and ended all to quickly. Sigh.

Currently I'm planning my book launch party for Out of Her Hands. It's going to be a very different type of party. I'm doing a charity tie-in to help increase awareness of my books. I'll let you know about it in a little while.

Step Up to the Plate

FYI: I'm in the middle of presenting some posts on marketing. Also check out the previous posts.

I had been involved in the publishing industry long enough to know that when I got my first contract it would be imperative for me to contribute my own time, effort, and money toward marketing.

One of the first things I did was have a professional bookmark created for Searching for Spice. I did this in August of 2007. My book didn't release until April of 2008. No, I'm not crazy. I had the release date on the bookmark and started passing them around eight months before Searching for Spice released. If you want to get up close and personal with the bookmark, click on each image to view them larger.

My friend at 100 Proof Design and I worked on the design together, and I also ran it by the folks at Tyndale for their input. The Tyndale marketing people wanted me to put my photo on it, so I had it ghosted in. Apparently having an author photo helps reader connect to the author. Makes sense. I had the bookmark printed at Print Runner, an online company.

I ordered 1,000 bookmarks. They were 2x7 glossy, color both sides, UV coating both sides, printed on 14 pt. paper. Including shipping, they cost me $95.37. I think that's a good price, they were about a dime each.

I always have a handful of bookmarks with me, and pass them out every opportunity I can -- the grocery store, the Post Office, restaurants, the doctor's office, any time I can strike up a conversation with someone.

I have what my daughter calls my pick-up line. Let me give you an example, I was in line at the grocery store the other day when I couldn't resist the impulse to buy one of those recipe magazines at the check-out counter. When I put the magazine down on the counter, the lady in front of me made a comment about how good the sandwich on the front cover looked. Okay, that let me know she wouldn't freak out if I started to talk to her.

So I gave her my pick-up line: "Are you a reader?" She smiled and said yes, which gave me the opportunity to say, "Well, I'm a writer, and I've recently had my first book published. May I give you a bookmark?" When she agreed, I dug it out of my purse and gave her my one-sentence synopsis of what the book's about. Then I also asked if she's a part of a book club or knows someone who is. She says she was, so I give her a few more bookmarks to distribute.

Don't neglect word-of-mouth marketing. Most people are fascinated by writers, and they seem happy to meet an author. Having a bookmark to hand out when I introduce myself serves as a visual aid should they decide to consider buying the book, and having an attractive marketing piece (the bookmark) gives me some credibility.

One more thing, this year Tyndale gave me some Searching for Spice bookmarks to distribute. This new version also mentions Out of Her Hands releasing in October.

Sorry to say, I'm still working on my bookmark for Out of Her Hands. I'll let you see it when it's finalized. In the meanwhile, I'm still using the SFS bookmark that mentions OOHH.

Preparing for Your Portrait Session

FYI: I'm doing some posts on marketing for the next few days as well as the previous two days.

Now that you’ve scheduled your portrait session appointment, you want to make the most of it by being prepared.

Preparing yourself is more than selecting a good shirt and applying your makeup. There are a few tips to help you look your best:

• Be well-rested, and drink plenty of water in the day leading up to the session.
• Avoid haircuts or hairstyle changes within one or two weeks of your photo session.
• Excessive sun or tanning salon visits prior to your session should be avoided; a dark suntan may make your face look oily.

Don't stress about your wardrobe selection. Here are a few guidelines that will help you to present yourself in the most flattering way:

• Choose collars and necklines that frame your face.
• Clothes that are solid colors are best. Avoid anything with a bright or busy pattern. You want your face to stand out in the image, not your clothes. If you're not sure what to wear, black is always a safe color. Jewel tones are also very flattering, especially for outdoor shots.
• If you're wearing a suit or jacket, select a middle tone or dark jacket and pair it with a light color shirt.
• Avoid sleeveless clothing -- that will draw attention away from your face to all the skin on your arms. See the sample image of the lady in the yellow shirt? The goal of a professional portrait is to have the viewer focus first on the face, not all the skin from the neck down.
• Don't select high-neck clothing that will obscure your neck. See the photo on the left? The stripes are too busy and she has no visible neck. That's a no-no.
• Wear your usual hairstyle. Don't try anything new and risk suffering regret over wasting the photo session. Make sure your hair is styled the way you want prior to arriving for your session. You may want your usual stylist to style your hair that day, if you're nervous.
• If you wear glasses, you may want to ask your optometrist if you can borrow a pair without lenses. That way there won't be any glare.
• Avoid clothing that wrinkles easily or doesn't fit well.

You want to look as natural as possible as far as makeup is concerned.

• Don't go overboard on your makeup on portrait day. Simple, clean, and fresh is best. When applying makeup, pay special attention to your eyes. That's what people see first. Eye shadow adds depth. Stick to neutral shades and avoid iridescent colors.
• Ladies, as we age the most flattering shades of blush are peach tones. I know those pink blushes used to make you look fresh and young, but I have to tell you -- if you're no longer a young woman, it will just look unfortunate. The same goes for pink lipstick. Trust me on this. Truly.
• Bring your makeup kit with you so you can touch-up as needed.
• Gentlemen--a light powder foundation can reduce imperfections and an oily appearance. No one will be the wiser, and don't feel self-conscious about a dusting of powder to enhance your image.

For samples of great author headshots, see the previous post.

Finding a Professional Photographer

Okay, so you've decided to step up to the challenge and have a professional headshot created. Now you just need to find a photographer. That's not difficult, there are plenty around. Of course the easiest thing to do is to ask a friend who has had a professional headshot taken.

This is Kathy Kovach's author headshot. Isn't it nice?

I like it because it looks like Kathy, and the pose is open, friendly and relaxed. I also love her headshot because it is a perfect author photo, with the book shelves in the background. Notice that her eyeglasses do not have any glare on them, and the lighting is soft and flattering. Kathy is a wonderful author of Merely Players, found in the Florida Weddings compilation book and Cookie Schemes in the Love Letters compilation (Barbour Publishing).

If you don't know where to begin, I would search the Internet for local photographers and browse websites. Some things you want to look for:

• A web page advertising that photographer's business portraiture. Usually there will be samples, prices, and an explanation of packages.
• Select a photographer who works with digital cameras. That shouldn't be difficult in this day and age. This is important because you want to receive an electronic image on a CD or by email.
• Make sure the photographer offers you copyright of the image. You don't want any strings attached or permission granted to use the image for a specific purpose. You want full copyright ownership to use your image at will.
• Make sure the photo studio has skilled imaging artists to digitally enhance your photo. Don't let someone tell you this is not important. Even children's portraits are touched up to look best. And I'm not talking about someone to only do color corrections either. You want a photographer or an imaging artist who can blend your skin tones, touch up your eyes, soften shadows and necklines, etc.
• Don't go to a studio that does heavy digital retouching and will make you look like a 1950s movie star. You know the kind I'm talking about, the ones that make you look so "beautiful" that your image doesn't resemble yourself.
• Call the studios that you are interested in and speak with someone there. If they can't answer your questions and put you at ease, hang up and keep letting your fingers do the walking. You need to work with someone who gives you confidence in their abilities. You don't want to call a landscape photographer who will "give it a shot." You may also ask for references, if there are no testimonials on the photographer's website.
• $$$$ The cost of a digital image should be less than what the studio sells paper portraits for. After all, there is no sending the image to a lab. The studio will provide digital retouching and put the image on a CD. The normal price for a business headshot is around $125 or less. For this price you get a portrait session and your image on a CD in color and B&W, hi and low resolution. Additional poses can run $45 per pose. (I think some photographers charge less for business headshots because it gets potential clients into their studio so the client can see the beautiful family portraits that are created there--it's a savvy business tactic.)
• Keep in mind that business headshots are usually shorter, less expensive portrait sessions. Most are priced with one or two wardrobe changes. The more wardrobe changes you want, the more expensive the session may be. That' s because you're using more of the photographer's time. Even if you don't plan on changing wardrobe, you should expect a change of background.
• Let your photographer know what you have in mind for your image. Some authors want to be photographed in a studio setting. Last year, when I have my author photos updated, my photographer agreed to meet me at a local park so that I could create more casual images.
• Your photographer should give you around 6 - 8 images to select from.

See my author photo on the left? At the time it was taken, there was a family enjoying a picnic lunch -- immediately to the left of my hip. My photographer made them disappear. That's what a skilled imaging artist can do.

There are many options to having your portrait taken. Kathy's photo was taken during a local ACFW meeting, the photographer came to our meeting and provided a group discount. I met my photographer at a park, my friend Jan went to the portrait studio where I work to have her portrait created.

The samples I've shown you are three very different poses, to represent three very different authors. That's something to consider as well. You don't want a cookie-cutter image created. You want a portrait that will extend your warmth and personality.

One other thought, it's becoming popular for writers conference organizers to host a photographer on site. I know that the upcoming ACFW conference will have a photographer on hand. I believe you can schedule an appointment for a professional headshot with Heather Lombardo this year for a screaming deal of $40!

Tomorrow we'll discuss how to prepare for your portrait session and what (or not) to wear.

Professionalism

I was at one of the blogs I visit daily, so you wanna be published, Mary DeMuth's blog. Today Mary was talking about one of my hot buttons -- investing in a professional photographer for author headshots.

I commented on her post and decided to talk a little about that on my blog, and also about the importance of your marketing materials having a professional image.

Today I am going to share my business cards. I had a professional take the image and a professional designed the card according to my specifications. I wanted the card to say that I'm a writer without having to put that in the text. See what a great job 100 Proof Designs did for me?

Tash, the designer, went back and forth with me until I was happy with the look. I told her the colors I wanted (blue and brown) and that I wanted text ghosted in the background. I'm sorry that the scanned images don't do my cards justice. The background is a lovely shade of blue and the font is brown. She positioned my image and my contact text over some beautiful script, and ta-da! A professional business card. 

I also wanted to make sure the card would look and feel professional. I emailed online printers for samples and decided to work with clickbusinesscards.com. They were great to work with. I uploaded my order on a Monday and received them on Thursday. The finish I went with is called matte celloglaze. The cards are very substantial and the finish is soft like satin. You can also write over it without trouble. If you're going to the ACFW conference and want to see and feel my cards, just ask. Gosh, that's an odd/awkward sentence, isn't it??

If you're wondering why I have two it's because I was going to only get the couch one because I think it has a casual, friendly feel to it, but my friend Jan said my face was prettier in the other one. I know, "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity." But for $40, it was worth it for me to have two cards to hand out, depending on my mood.  

Those cards were made in 2006, so they're a bit dated. But I haven't changed that much. 

I'll continue this conversation in the next few days with information on how to select a photographer, how to prepare for your photo session, and what to wear (or not) for the session.

In case you're wondering about my credentials, I've worked for different portrait photographers for several years. I've got the scoop!