Goals = Growth |
Marketing for Romance Writers
Goals = Growth |
It’s Day 1 at MFRW Summer Camp. Who’s on the agenda today? Check out the schedule below.
09:45 – 9:59
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Building the Campfire – Welcome to MFRW! — Intro and welcome
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10:00 – 10:50
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Building the Paranormal Character — Kay Dee Royal
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11:00 – 11:50
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QR Codes — Rolynn Anderson
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12:00 – 12:50
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Dealing With Online Piracy — Kayelle Allen
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1:00 – 1:50
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Where to Find Readers — Dawne Prochilo
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2:00 – 2:50
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Multiple Submissions — Julie Eberhart Painter
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3:00 – 3:50
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Cyber Campfire, Singalong, and S’mores – Sharing Opportunities
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4:00 – 4:50
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Open Forum – Pinterest Questions
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5:00 – 5:50
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Triberr – Suzan Butler
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6:00 – 6:50
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Open Forum – Twitter Questions
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7:00 – 7:50
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Open Forum – Facebook Questions
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8:00 – 8:50
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Open Forum – Triberr Questions: Special Guest Dino Dogan, founder of Triberr
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Membership is free. Classes are all held on the Yahoo Group in an informal style. No dressing up – no luggage to pack – no lines to wait in. Just hop online and spend some time with authors and others in the publishing industry.
Join us here:
Share Your Book Details. |
Welcome to the monthly share feature. On or about the 24th of each month, I’ll be asking fellow authors to share their blurbs and buy links in the comments section of my blog.
This month, the focus is on M/M. If you have a book of the male-male persuasion (in any genre), feel free to share it here.
We’d like to see:
Author:
Book title:
Publisher:
Genre:
Blurb:
Buy Links:
Readers are welcome to leave questions or comments. We’d love to hear from everyone.
A Mind Map of my Work in Progress. |
I’ve discovered (the hard way) that unless I have a solid plot my book ideas fizzle. I am not a pantser. I recently got a program called Freemind that is “mind map” software. You start with a central idea, and keep clicking to create new “bubbles” or trains of thought, writing down a bit to capture the idea and then moving to the next point. I’m not an “outliney” kind of person either, so making one never worked for me. But for some reason, this program helps me capture my racing thoughts fast enough that I can get them down before they’re gone. When I get an idea it springs whole into my head and I can’t put it on paper fast enough.
Click either image in this post to see them in a larger size.
Want to try the product? Go here to download it. Let me know what you think! http://freemind.sourceforge.net
Pro Writing Aid |
I’ve been enjoying a new piece of software called Pro Writing Aid. It’s my favorite price: Free. You need at least 200 words for the program to work, but since I’m working on a novel, that isn’t a problem for me.
Click the title under the logo to try it out. It opens in a new window. No worries about your material ending up anywhere else. You can clear the page when you leave, but it doesn’t keep any information if you don’t.
Below is its analysis summary of this article. Click the image to see it full sized.
Click to view in larger size. |
Once you paste in your material, click Analyze, and watch the magic happen. This program gives you words that are homynyms, shows you alliteration, sentence length variations, diction issues, sticky sentences (cumbersome or full of phrases), and much more. Each section is shown in its own neat window. Click the tab sections on the left to open the page and see the text.
I keep my document open and make changes to it while referring to the website. When I’m satisfied, I copy, clear the old data, paste the new, and analyze again. Sometimes I find things that it notes are not really “issues.” For example, it tags the word “said” as a dialog tag, even if I’m not using it that way in context. I might have written, “She said you were wrong.” That’s not a tag, but the software only catches the word said. It also picks up growled, whispered, and other such words. These can be helpful catches. Just be aware that now and then, it may be taking them out of context.
Nothing beats a good critique partner or beta reader. Mine are worth far more than gold. But in a pinch, this little program is a great help.
I’m proud to announce I’ve been invited to join Romance University as a regular contributor. I’ll be sharing posts about various aspects of marketing and writing. Romance University is dedicated to helping writers establish and advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors, and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind. Below is info taken from the “About Us” portion of the site, showing what kind of goodies are covered when.
As the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, this is a great spot for me. I currently share on the MFRW Author blog on the 3rd of each month, and I’m often on the Yahoo group talking and sharing with members. MFRW is also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads. We promote for our members, so if you’re looking for a way to get your name out there, come by and see us.
Most writers begin writing because they love the process–using just the right word, crafting the perfect sentence, giving life to imaginary people. However satisfying the writing process, many writers begin to want more. The want people to read about and love those imaginary folks. Okay–they want people to pay to read about those imaginary folks. Join us each Monday at RU where we’ll discuss the business of writing or career topic. Visiting Professors (guest bloggers) at the university often stop by the school to offer advice.
This is the day we explore every facet of writing, reading, and men.
On Fridays, RU Faculty along with industry professionals and established authors will focus on the elements of manuscript writing. Tips to help you hone your craft and write a damn fine book. After all, it will be your writing that will catch (and retain) the interest of a lucky agent or editor.We’ll tap into our own experiences, share what’s working and what isn’t as we chase our dreams of becoming published authors. We’ll also discuss advice from our favorite writing reference books and websites. So join us each Friday to experience the chaos of writing.
Please join me on Romance University, a place where friends are made and dreams are realized. http://romanceuniversity.org/