Publishing 101: Authors’ Release Phase Marketing

Today, the Publishing 101 series takes a look at release phase marketing in the author’s journey. As I mentioned last week, this series will look only briefly at author marketing, but we’ll come back to the issue. The next series, which will start in April or May (as soon as this one finishes) will focus on effective author marketing. In its most expansive definition, “release phase” starts when pre-orders go live, but you won’t start the heavy lifting that early.  Release Phase Marketing starts, in its earliest sense when your book can be “purchased” (which includes pre-orders) and continues through the

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The Curious Nature of Seahorses

After three years as a seahorse-keeper, I still never tire of watching these odd little creatures explore their environment.  Seahorses are curious creatures by nature, a fact that can get them in trouble on the reef. Like small children, they “explore” the world around them as much through touching and tasting as with their eyes. Everything is either grabbed: Or tasted … or both. Many times, I look over and see a seahorse with its snout pressed up against the rocks, examining something inside a hole. They love to feed on the little live gammarus (small crustaceans) that live in the

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An Interview with Kerry Schafer

Please help me welcome Kerry Schafer, author of the new fantasy release WAKEWORLD (The Between, #2) (Ace Books, January 2014) Kerry Schafer lives in Washington State with her family. Her job as a Mental Health Crisis Response Specialist takes her regularly into odd pockets of reality that provide inspiration for her writing. A self-styled perpetual student, she earned an RN from Royal Alexandria Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta; a BA in English (Honors) from York University in Toronto, Ontario; and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Washington State University. She is the author of Between. Vivian Maylor is trying to hold it together.

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An Interview With Marci Jefferson

Please welcome Marci Jefferson, author of the debut historical novel GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN (Thomas Dunne Books, February 2014)! Years after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, immersing herself in a Quality Assurance nursing career, and then having children, Marci realized she’d neglected her passion for history and writing. She began traveling, writing along the way, delving into various bits of history that caught her fancy. The plot for GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN evolved slowly after a trip to London, where she first learned about the Stuart royals. Marci is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She resides in the Midwest

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Introducing: The Self-Publishing Guest Series, by Tammy Salyer

Today, I’m delighted to introduce a new guest series on self-publishing and independent authors, written by my friend and fellow author Tammy Salyer. Tammy is an independent editor and author of the speculative fiction series SPECTRAS ARISE (which is one of my favorite recent Sci-Fi releases, and I encourage you to check it out) as well as two books of short stories. She’s a consummate professional and knows the self-publishing side of the business well, which is why I’m delighted she agreed to write this series over the next few weeks. And, with no further ado, here’s Tammy: Treat your writing

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Marketing in the Author’s Journey, Part 1: Pre-Release

Today, we continue our ongoing Publishing 101 series with a look at author marketing. After this series finishes, I’ll be running a summer series with a focus on author marketing, but since marketing is a part of the author’s journey to publication, we’ll be taking a bird’s eye view of the process as part of this series also. One note: this series focuses on traditionally published authors, but that doesn’t mean we’re ignoring the self-publishing road. In fact, starting tomorrow I’ll be hosting a weekly guest post series by independent author and editor Tammy Salyer. Tammy’s posts will offer the same

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The Manly Art of Writers With Beards

I’m guest blogging at Prose Before HoHos today, talking about “The Manly Art of Writing Women (and the Opposite)” – a look at techniques for writers creating opposite-gendered characters. Bonus: a photo of me with a beard. (No lie.) http://prosebeforehohos.com/2014/02/05/the-manly-art-of-writing-women-and-the-opposite/ Stop by and check it out!

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January 2014 on the Reef

  This year, I’m trying to keep up with the monthly reef-retrospectives, where I share some of the best images from the month before. Here’s a little of what I saw in January: Ghillie and Ceti, the seahorses, sharing dinner: Some new purple mushrooms (settling in well – despite the adventurous hermit): Max. Being Max. Emo the clownfish, hiding in a cave: And, last but not least, Red Spot the fire shrimp enjoying a rare trip into the open: Which is your favorite? I can never decide.

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Looking for a Writing Retreat? Try IRELAND this summer!

The Road Less Traveled Tours is offering fantastic seven-day writing tours of Ireland this summer:      Have you written a manuscript that you’d like to see published, but you know it needs the perspective of a professional editor?      Maybe you’ve got a short story you know you could sell if only you could get some constructive feedback.       Would you like a vacation amid castles and megalithic tombs, faerie forests and soothing blue lakes?  Then come venture down The Road Less Traveled, and get the vacation of your dreams, along with individualized advice from a professional

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