Feature Your Book on Doodle.ly by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

You've seen other book promotion campaigns where authors are launching their books utilizing contests and giveaways through Facebook parties, Twitter contests, photos of readers showing book covers, Pinterest story boards depicting what the story is about or the story behind a book's creation. Now there is Doodle.ly,  a social-drawing app or social-sketchpad. It's a free website and Ipad app that you can download.

Doodle.ly is creating quite a stir with the backing of Park Street Ventures, including several sports teams who have agreed to use the app, such as The New Jersey Devils. Fans were given the opportunity to doodle a sketch that would be chosen as a t-shirt design. Fox Home Entertainment is using it to promote the DVD release of the movie Chronicle. The show, Cake Boss, held a contest for four weeks allowing fans to draw their favorite cake design. The selected winner received a grand prize and their design would become a real cake that would be featured in his bakery.

Your creative juices may already be flowing in how you can use this new app for your upcoming book launch. For fiction, readers may draw their favorite characters or settings and win goodies you give away. For nonfiction, readers may draw other themed images associated with your book's content. You can gather support and momentum for Doodle.ly campaigns by announcing it on Twitter and Facebook where you already have a following.

If you're looking for something new and different from the traditional book reviews and interviews where readers merely leave a comment and a random winner is drawn, this is an idea to think about before it too becomes an old idea.

• Social Drawing, an Up and Coming Marketing Tool - The New York Times
• How to Promote Your Book with a Free Doodle App - Media Bistro
• Doodle.ly and Cake Boss to Launch Campaign to Give Fans Honorary Cake Designer Opportunity - iPhone Developer's Journal

Meet you at the conference? by Terry Burns

Soon it will be time to head over to Marshall Texas to East Texas Baptist University for the East Texas Christian Writer's Conference. I've gone to this conference for a number of years and I love it.

Set on the shady, peaceful campus of ETBU it is an economical conference packed with lots of content and excellent presenters. The dates are October 26th and 27th, starting right after lunch on Friday and ending up about 5 pm on Saturday. The keynote speaker Friday evening will be James Watkins speaking on "I have a dream!"

I'm going to be talking about the difference in writing to reach the nonbeliever. Christian readers and nonbelievers look for different things in a book, Christians want a lot of faith content and they want it right from the get-go. But the very thing that they are looking for will cause a non-believer to put the book down. Many who say they are writing a 'crossover book' are actually writing a book that will not have enough faith content to satisfy the Christian publishers but with too much such content for the secular publishers. They end up in the 'no man's land' in between where neither want the book. A true crossover book is written for one market or the other but written in such a way that it manages to cross over to the other.

I'm also going to talk about how to develop a writer's persona. Many people are simply too shy to meet with editors and agents to pitch, or to do promotion or interviews, or the other activities a writer must do to be successful. There is a way to develop a writer's persona and pretty much hide behind it to do what we need to do. Others are about as shy as a chain saw but they are uncomfortable in such writing situations because they don't know how to present themselves as a writer. These are the totally opposite ends of the spectrum, but for both as well as all of the degrees in between, the answer is learning how to determine how we need to present ourselves as a writer and to project ourselves that way.

Finally, my third session will be a "look behind the curtain." I'll be talking about editor and agent pet peeves. Participants will hear a lot of things from a survey that Hartline agent Linda Glaz and I conducted, things that turn an agent or editor off. But there are also peeves that authors have about agents and editors as well, that sword cuts both ways. Those in the class will have the opportunity to unburden themselves with some of the things that bother them as well.

The conference is a short but content-packed event that people are sure to enjoy and sure to feel they really got their money's worth. Hope to see you there.

Would You Read On? hosted by Diana Flegal

Thank you for joining us again for this weeks edition of Would You Read On?
Today we are asking you to comment on the opening prologue of a narrative nonfiction title.

PROLOGUE:

"We’ve said goodbye in so many places, and in so many ways. A cavernous Air Force hangar built to hold beasts of planes, used to herd my husband off to war. In countless civilian airports. After the first few times, passionate embraces in full view of those poor ticket agents just cease to be embarrassing. Or, you forgo the kissing and give him a quick peck and do the casual goodbye because it almost feels routine, never mind that after you drop him off you will flee homeward and hide away, rewriting the narrative of the next year. Two weeks. Two weeks is what it takes for me to assimilate to my new normal. To emerge, to coexist with the undercurrent of worry and the well-meaning but horribly misguided friends and strangers who think what you really need to hear right then, is their opinion on the war. Really, thank you but no. 

Said goodbye in more aircraft hangars. A lot of aircraft hangars. Said goodbye when we had six months to prepare, or two months, or two weeks, or a full year. Said goodbye to my husband praying it was only temporary. Said goodbye to my best friend at her funeral. Said goodbye to unborn babies I wanted so badly to live. Said goodbye to my sweet firstborn girl for a year, pleading with God even as I left that I wouldn’t have to go.  

I say goodbye to my husband every day in a community where mistakes mean machines fail and people die. Complicated flying machines that depend on a meticulous symphony of man and metal. To be fair, it’s a joyful, freewheeling job, the flying. Even now, when I close my eyes I am soaring upward, so elated, so free. But the haunt of loss is ever present. The joy tinged a pale gray around the edges."

Please let us know if you would read on by leaving your comment below.

We appreciate last weeks contributing author: Becky Doughty. Please stop by and visit Becky at the following sites.
www.beckydoughty.com
https://twitter.com/#!/beckydwriter

Please Follow the Directions by Andy Scheer

First thing this morning I rejected three inquiries from people who wanted to be my clients. They made my choices easy.

While none of the projects were in genres I felt well-positioned to represent, that's not what made my decisions easy. None gave more than a hint of having read and followed the directions.

The Hartline Literary website details what we need to see from a potential client. It spells out the vital elements of a book proposal. There's a reason for such specificity. Without a complete picture, we can't correctly assess a project's potential—and neither can a publisher's acquisitions editor.

I just returned from the annual convention of a book collectors group. In my five years with them, I've gotten to know the people—and what to expect from them. Some I can count on to do the right thing. I enjoy being around them and try to help them if I can. Other think they deserve special privileges. I try to be polite, but ...

I was reflecting on that convention experience as I reviewed this morning's emails.

One person concluded her query by asking if I'd like to review the full manuscript. (Nope. If I were interested, I'd like to study her proposal.)

The next (a retired CIA agent working on a spy novel) sent his resume in the hope I'd take him on as a client. (I told him to wait until he'd finished his novel, then send a proposal for it.)

The third, who'd written a combination memoir/devotional, send three attachments: a table of contents, three chapters, and a sample devotion. All important elements, but lacking key ingredients—especially in a buyer's market.

Maybe they are fantastic potential clients—just too new to writing to know the expectations. So in my responses I tried to educate them. But I'd rather work with someone who comes across as a serious professional.

Beginning or the End? by Linda S. Glaz

So, your crit group tells you the story rocks! Now what?
You attend a conference and meet an interested agent. Now what?
You send a proposal to the agent, wait a couple months.
He/she wants you for a client. Now what?
Numerous publishers say no, a couple “might” be interested.
One finally asks for a full read. Now what?

They like it! A contract is signed.
Now what?

Are you facing the end of a long journey or are you merely at the beginning? If you think you’ve arrived—you’re crazy. This is just the start.

Now, you have to sell yourself, your story, a reason for someone to lay out a lot of money to read all that work you’ve devoted the last 2, 3, 10 or 15 years to.

We so often think, “if only” this happens or that happens,
THEN I’ll be happy. THEN I’ll have what I want. Don’t look now, but your happiness doesn’t rest in being published or validated in any other way. Your happiness is there every day of your life to have for the grabbing. BE content with the life you have and view the extras as just that. Or like my mom used to say, the frosting on the cake. But don’t miss out on the yummy cake while you’re waiting for the frosting.

Life is too precious to overlook any one day.

Are you enjoying your writing journey even if no publisher has signed you?
Do you write because you have to?

If you write because you have to as surely as you have to breathe, then you are writer, published or not!
Have a happy one!

Upon the Rock Speaker's Bureau

I have some good news for Hartline clients as well as others who might be hoping to launch their speaking career as the next step in building their platform. Upon the Rock Publicist is launching a Speaker's Bureau. It's brand new so the fields have not been populated yet, and we will no doubt have some kinks to work out, but we are now ready to accept submissions.


While this will be a paid annual service of only $25/year, ALL Hartline Literary clients may submit a listing for free for a limited time (until December 31, 2012), so be sure to get in your submissions.

Below are a few things you will be allowed to include in your listing, some are required, but not all.

• Name or pen name
• Websites and Social Media Site links
• Bio
• Head and shoulder photo
• Speaking video/audio file upload
• Up to 5 speaking topics
• Up to 3 recommendation quotes from others
• Speaking fees
• If you are willing to travel and locations
• Contact info for bookings
• Contact info if you are only accepting bookings through an agency

We will be listing Speakers by both alphabetical order and under specific speaking categories. Once we receive your submission, we will be in touch with you about specific categories you might want to be listed under. We didn't include categories in the form since we expect to add many more.

Also, we will be creating another form for your speaking events that you will be able to list on our calendar. We will post these speaking events on our blog and publicize them through our Social Media connections.

Submit your listing now! Go here.

A Press Kit? Guest blog by Terry's client James R Callan

Why would I need a Press Kit?  I have trouble getting my family to ask about my book.

First, that’s the wrong attitude.  You must expect there will be interest in your work.  Suppose the fifteen-year-old on the American Olympic swim team got on the block thinking, “I’m not going to win.  Why try?” She would lose. She would be indulging in a self-fulfilling prophesy.  She didn’t, and she won gold.

You need a Press Kit because you expect people to want to know about your work, and you expect some to write about your work.  Why not make it easy for them?  At the same time, why not put the pictures and words you like in front of them?  Many will take your press release as is. It saves them time and effort. It also encourages them to come back for more when you have another book to publicize.  True, these may not be from The New York Times or even Publishers Weekly. But a good mention on somebody’s website might precipitate a little buzz, generate some sales.  It never hurts to make it easier.
So, what goes into the Press Kit?  The basic elements are:

• Pictures of you
• Pictures of the covers of your book(s)
• A sell sheet (or One Sheet) for your latest book
• Author biography
• An actual Press Release (recent book release, award won, presentation, book signing, etc.)
• A list of all your currently available books
• A list of links to places you’d like them to visit.

Pictures of the author.  You should have at least two: one in high resolution and one in “Internet” resolution.  In other words, one that is perhaps two megabytes in size and one that is 100 K or less.  You want a good quality one in case someone is going to print the picture in a program or brochure.  On the other hand, a large file is slow to load on the Internet, the ensuing picture is generally small and the Internet picture isn’t going to be displayed in high resolution anyway.

I imported this 2 megabyte file (Cleansed by Fire cover)into this blog, and it was automatically cut down to  about 21 kilobytes.  I put the pictures (same picture but two different sizes) in the two sizes into Word where the sizes were maintained.  I could not tell the difference — on my monitor.

You also might want to put in two different views of you, the author. One can be a formal pose and one can be a casual pose. Present each in high resolution and in low resolution.

Covers.  The same can be said about the covers of your books. Include a high res file and a standard res file.

Sell Sheet — You probably already have one.  Include a copy in the Press Kit.  I recommend a PDF file which ensures that it looks the same after it’s downloaded.  What goes in one?  A picture of the cover of the book.  A brief description of the book – similar to the blurb on the back cover.  A small picture and a brief bio of the author.  And – this is important – where the book can be purchased, and where additional information is available.

Author Bio.  There’s one on the sell sheet, so why do you need a separate bio?  Actually, you need TWO separate bios, one short and one longer.  If the person wants a bio and doesn’t see “Bio” or “Biography”, don’t expect her to go through all your files looking for it. She’ll just do without.  Remember what I said earlier: make it easier; save them time.

Why two versions? If you only have a short one, they can’t write much about you.  Suppose you only have a long one and they want a short one.  Would you rather decide what gets cut out or let them decide what to cut?  And put your picture on each one.  “But, I have picture files.”  Make it easier.

Press Release.  Again, make it easy for them. If there’s a ready made press release, particularly one well done, they might just grab it and publish it. Give them that opportunity. Tell about your latest release (if not too old), or an award you won recently, or a book signing.  Perhaps you gave a workshop at a conference, or made a presentation to the Rotary Club.  Anything thing that is “news” and concerns you and your writing. If you haven’t done anything recently, then do something now.

List of Books.  Letting them know what else you’ve written can only be good.  Who knows where it will lead?

Links.  Guide them to additional information.  That should include your website, blog, especially good reviews, awards you’ve won, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.  They might not follow any of the links.  But they might.  We’re back to that “Make it easier” bit.  They may browse some of these sites and use nothing from them.  Is that a waste?  Not for you.  The more they know about you, the better position you are in.
At one of the Northeast Texas Writers Organization (NETWO) conferences recently, an agent and an editor stayed up well past midnight playing board games with several conference attendees.  I don’t know whether any of those game players signed with the editor or agent.  But I’m betting the agent and editor know their names, and will respond to a query at some later date.

The more they know about you, the more likely they are to remember you in the future.  It’s why you give people one of your cards.  It’s why WalMart pays to print its name on the throw-away plastic bags.

More information on the author is available at:

www.jamesrcallan.com

www.murderacappella.com     A Sweet Adelines mystery.  
Book Trailer at:  http://www.vimeo.com/38414180

www.cleansedbyfire.com        A Father Frank mystery.  
Book Trailer at:  http://www.cleansedbyfire.com