Writing and Publishing News

Ever heard of networking? Of course, you have. Do you participate in this activity? Yeah, I mean, when you hear about a car for sale, do you text your friend who’s looking for a car? If you stumble across a great recipe, bit of advice, book marketing idea, good editor, etc., do you automatically share it with someone who might benefit?

Or do you just take from those who are good networkers—who are thoughtful and who reach out when they have something to share?

Networking—in order to be successful—is a give and take proposition. You probably have friends and colleagues who constantly or even occasionally send you something they think might interest you. What a gift! You may not use everything they send your way, but those bits of information and recommendations you do use to make your life easier, to move your career forward, etc., are priceless—wouldn’t you say?

Do you adequately acknowledge and thank those people who have your back—who think of you often—who share, share, share? You should. I should. Sometimes we get busy and don’t give appropriate thanks. With that in mind, I want to publicly thank my friend and colleague, Sandy for being such a great networker. She is constantly bringing something to my attention. And I’m pretty sure that I do not adequately thank you. She also always lets me know when I’ve posted a blog without crossing all of my t’s. Thank you Sandy. I really do appreciate you!!!

Now, let’s discuss the other part to networking. It’s called “giving.” This, for some, is hard. It means that when something crosses your desk or your path that you think might benefit someone else, the generous thing to do is to pass it on. Share. Give. Do something selfless. Think of someone else. Take time out to give back. Pay it forward. Yes, while Sandy and certainly others give to me, I might discover a great resource or idea for someone else I know. It’s okay—in fact, recommended—that one networks outside of his or her circle.

I remember, as a child, waiting near the mailbox in case the mailman would bring me a letter. My mother finally told me, the best way to receive a letter is to write one. It’s the same with networking. You’re more apt to receive help, advice, information, useful resources, etc. when you are in the habit of giving.

But don’t give with expectations. Oh, now there’s the downfall of the system right there. Thinking, “Well, I’m not passing this along to Derek because he never thanked me the last time I sent him a potential new client,” is counter-productive. No, no, no. Give without stipulations and without expectations. Just give. Be openly thankful. You will get something back immediately. Giving makes us feel good—don’t you think?

Today, consider looking for ways to give and just see what gifts you get in return.

The other day I was waiting in line at the post office. Later I sat in the dentist’s office waiting room. After that, I went to lunch with my mom. What I observed in all three situations gave me pause for thought.

You see, everywhere I went that day—even as I was driving along city streets—I noticed people walking or standing slightly slumped peering down into their cell phones rather than engaging with the people amidst them or even acknowledging their environments. They were texting or reading email messages or visiting their facebook pages rather than facing their current reality—or living in the moment.

This got me to thinking about a couple of things. If a crime were to take place at that moment, these would be horrible witnesses. “Uh, I didn’t see a thing…there was a robbery and the robber walked right past me? Nope, I didn’t even notice that.” Of course, there’d be others taking out their phones and snapping pictures of the event and then putting them on YouTube.

Another thought I had was how sad it is that we’re not interacting with others. For me, waiting or strolling, for example, are opportunities—opportunities to relax and reflect, but also opportunities to connect, learn something, share something.

What happens when you notice, acknowledge, reach out to someone? I’ve sold books to strangers—many times. I sometimes get ideas for stories or characters. I’ve learned things from a wide variety of people I meet and I’ve had the pleasure of helping by sharing knowledge or information. And if you don’t think that a warm “thank you” can brighten your day, you’re spending way too much time looking at the screen of your cell phone.

I walk most days. I like walking in a lovely area we call The Meadows. I’ve even seen people out in this amazing near-wilderness area texting as their dog exuberantly explore along the trails. What a shame that only their dog is aware of the carpet of yellow mustard flowers, the bluebird building a nest, the bunny hopping across the trail, the ducks floating on the pond…

The next time you step outside your house whether for a walk, to dine with a friend, or to run an errand, spend more of that time in the moment. Keep your cell phone in your pocket. Connect with real people in real time in person. You might just walk away with a lovely gift—a compliment, a new book recommendation, a coupon for those cookies you love, a warm thought after a moment of reminiscing with someone your age, or simply a smile.

Klepto Cat Mysteries

Have you been one of the hundreds who have already ordered your Kindle copy of Mansion of Meows? This one seems to be a 5-star wonder. Those who’ve read it are begging for more. Heck, I don’t know how I could write any faster—I brought out 6 Klepto Cat Mysteries in 2014. Mansion of Meows is number 9 in this series. Yup, I’m working diligently and happily on book 10, despite my chiropractor’s insistence that I get away from the computer more often. Guess I’d better take my own advice and go out and mingle more. Order all Klepto Cat Mysteries here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2. All 9 of the books are formatted for Kindle at $2.99. The first five are also in print.

Do you have a message you’d like to share? Are you adamant about an issue and you want to spread the word, but you don’t know how to get started?

I know a whole lot of people who are passionate about animals, for example, and who are either working in some way on behalf of the animals or they’re trying to figure out how to make a difference. We all know and admire people who give of their time and energy to help. There are certainly enough causes to go around.

If you are like many who have a heart for orphaned kittens or wild animals, the spay/neuter issue, stopping animal or child abuse, tortoise rescue, using water wisely, protecting your finances from scammers, or (fill in the blank), here are some ways that you can get involved and spread the word:

• Write a book on the topic and then promote it through a website, social media, at sites related to the topic and in person every chance you get.
• Write articles or stories for appropriate newsletters, blog sites, magazines, and newspapers on the topic.
• Educate the appropriate group—children, seniors, etc.—by speaking at schools, senior centers and so forth.
• Establish a blog that spreads the message and then advertise it widely.
• Collect email addresses of those interested in this cause and keep those people apprised of current laws, events, activities, opportunities, etc.
• Seek out reporters and editors who share your concern and ask to be interviewed.
• Team up with others who share your passion and brainstorm about how to inform or educate others.
• Seek out an established group already spreading the word and volunteer.
• Vow to talk about this with three people each day either online or in person.
• Add a “signature” to your outgoing emails, so everyone who receives an email from you will get your message about spay/neuter, etc.

There are many ways to do the right thing and to spread the word about something worthwhile. Remember, however, that it’s much easier to teach or convince an individual who hasn’t already formed the opposing view. That’s why there are so many children’s books designed to teach character values, kindness to others and animals, etc.

If you’re passionate about a cause or have ideas for creating a more beautiful, gentle world, consider stepping outside your comfort zone and getting involved. This is exactly what many, countless authors have done and are doing.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to promote a book with a message.

I’m Patricia Fry, the author of 45 books, some of them with a message. PLFry620@yahoo.com

Today, I’m going to suggest that you read my interview on book promotion at Tara Lazar’s blogsite. http://www.taralazar.com If you get there too late, just be sure to look at the blog posted August 3, 2013.

Do you enter your writing in contests? It seems that some writers and authors are kind of obsessed with entering contests. Others avoid them. I have entered very few of them over the years. But some of them really intrigue me. Here’s one that a friend and colleague told me about this week. Black Lilac Kitty Literary Agency is running a contest for fiction. They want a story of from 2,000 to 7,000 words and it must have a cat and a Rottweiler in it. Sounds like a fun challenge, doesn’t it? Not sure if I’ll participate, but let me know if any of you do. Deadline is April 1, 2013
http://www.blacklilackitty.com/feature.html
Here are links to some newsletters and websites featuring contest directories.
http://www.winningwriters.com http://wordsmithsix.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/frontiers-in-writing-contest http://altongansky.typepad.com/writersconferences/2013/01/2013-contest-time.html

Before entering any writing contest, you might want to read how to protect yourself from scams. Very interesting: http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/contests

Many of you are published authors with books to promote. In the process of promoting your books, do you ever think about the various levels of promotion? Have you wondered when promotion becomes obnoxious? When is it promotion and when it is in-your-face-pushy, aggressive marketing?

We all complain about SPAM. But SPAM, after all, is simply advertising. It’s junk mail. Only instead of coming in your tin mailbox, it lands in your bulk email box. SPAM is a nuisance, for sure. For those of us with very busy email boxes, it can interfere with real work and the receipt of real email.

SPAM is so annoying that those of us with books to promote hesitate using email to spread the word about our books. We wonder, is it appropriate to promote our books through email? Should you promote through email only to people you know? What about people you’ve met in passing—those whose business cards you’ve kept? Is it still considered SPAM when you send your message individually to one email box at a time? If you send to multiple email addresses, should you use the blind copy function or is it best to reveal the other recipients? How many people can you email your promotional material to before it is considered SPAM?

Is it cool to sign up for message boards and chat rooms in order to promote your books? Is it okay to send your book announcement to the people whose websites you visit?

What about promoting outside of the computer—the old-fashioned way? As an author, you’re told to talk about your book everywhere you go. But when is enough, enough? How much is too much promotion among your family, friends and acquaintances?

If I decided to send my Christmas cards early along with a note suggesting some of my books as gifts, is this overkill? Will my efforts be well received?

I believe that it depends on the individual you’re approaching. While some people will lambaste you for sending them an email announcing your book, others will warmly thank you. While some will be insulted to find an advertisement in their Christmas card, others will be thrilled that you made the suggestion.

There’s no pleasing everyone and it’s futile to try. I believe that it is more important that you find your comfort level with promotion than to worry about what others are going to think. Once you’ve established and implemented a promotional plan, stretch some and strive to expand your level of comfort. It’s a process of setting a goal, reaching the goal and then raising the bar. And don’t try to second-guess potential customers to the point that you talk yourself out of some valuable promotion.

Last year, I received an email notice from a SPAWN member telling about her newly revised book. I placed an order that day. When the author received my order, she emailed me and said, “I almost didn’t send you my announcement because I knew that you were already aware of my book.” What she didn’t know was that the first time I heard about her book, it sparked an interest. I saw it at a book festival and made a mental note to purchase it sometime in the future. When I received her announcement, the timing was right.

I think this is a good lesson for all of us.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

Note: This blog was first posted here in November of 2005.

I have an unusual job this morning. A magazine editor contacted me yesterday and asked if I would update an article I wrote for him in 1997. The article has some tips for staying connected with your long-distance grandchildren. Since technology has changed in the last 15 years, they will need a revision before publishing that piece again.

Speaking of technology, I had an email conversation with a friend this week about using wireless services when traveling. Most hotels and motels—even bed and breakfast establishments, etc.—offer free wi-fi. But the hotel where I stayed in San Antonio did not. There was a daily charge. I learned that if I joined their hotel membership program, however, all charges were dropped. The membership is free. There are other benefits as well—some of which I hope to use at some point in my travels.

My friend mentioned that she needed to be hooked-up while traveling to her computer, Iphone and Ipad. I was surprised that someone needed all of these things when traveling. I carried my computer this trip and my cell phone, camera and Kindle and that was almost electronic overload, when you consider all of the plug ins, battery chargers, etc. But she had even more gadgets and evidently has different uses in her business for the different communication devices. She lost me in the explanation of it all.

Remember when we could travel with a small purse (for women) and maybe a newspaper in hand for men? And you dressed for the trip—no shorts, sweats, tanks, flip flops or even jeans. You simply walked into even a busy airport a few minutes before your flight, strolled directly to your gate, got on the plane and flew away. While in the air, you were served a meal—as I recall, at no extra charge. And the flight attendant spiel did not include mention of electronic devices.

Yes, I’ll have quite a few changes to make to my 1997 article on how grandparents communicate with their long-distance grandchildren when I work on that article this afternoon. But first, I have to check email in 3 different places, check cell phone messages to see what time my daughter wants to walk this morning and email my mom in the next city to make sure she is doing okay this morning. I could go on facebook to see what my own grandchildren are up to this week—one just got back from Florida, another is heading for Tahoe for his wedding anniversary, another one is scheduled to fly his plane in a competition and I’d like to learn whether one got the job she was applying for.

How long does it take you to check all of your electronic devices each day? How much time do you spend in communication mode using electronics? I’d probably be surprised by your responses.

I have a couple of editing jobs coming in. But they won’t take long in case you need help with your manuscript. Contact me here: PLFry620@yahoo.com. I’ll give you a free editorial evaluation and sample edit.

I’m traveling this week with my junior high girlfriend—yes, we’ve been friends since 8th grade and we’ve had many adventures together. We’ve shared the passages of our lives. And I’ve used some of our stories in my writings—probably not so she would recognize them, however, because generally I just extract various attitudes, perspectives, impressions and lessons from them.

I’m sure that you do this in your writing. You have learned a lot over the years from some of your experiences. Whether you know it or not, you use phrases, points, ideas and even entire storylines from your life events and activities and lessons.

The next time you balk at taking time off from your writing or you feel neglectful because you do, consider all that you could ultimately bring back to your writing.

• A fresh outlook—renewed energy.
• New ideas and storylines for your fiction or nonfiction work.
• Unique phrases and points of view from those you meet.

If I discuss writing or publishing with a stranger, for example, I often walk away with a new blog post, article or even book in mind. When I’m doing a book festival or I’m out speaking to authors, I carry a pen and pad to jot down all of the ideas that occur to me from audience questions, discussions with authors, etc.

I have several more days of travel and adventure here in San Antonio and I’m eager to see what might inspire new writings when I get home.

PLFry620@yahoo.com
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com