September Podcasts Bring Opportunity to Escape and Improve

Writers in the Sky September Podcasts to Feature New Works of Fiction as Well as Books Which Challenge the Listeners to Better Lives

Nashville, TN, August 26, 2009—The Writers in the Sky podcast will use the first half of the month to feature books that transport their readers to a world of fantasy. September begins with an author who offers an exciting new approach to the vampire novel, in which the main characters are forced into a violent battle that dates back for generations. The next week will bring a new book for young readers that follows the adventures of a spunky parrot named Cisco that simply wants his opportunity to be famous and will try anything to reach his goal. The focus of the podcast will shift for the latter part of September, as Writers in the Sky leaves the world of fiction and looks at two publications that promote self-improvement. First, listeners will learn about a new book that instructs readers to create a fuller and more empowered life through a partnership with The Divine. The month ends with an author who will share his new approach towards breaking the strong and dangerous addiction to nicotine.

The September series of podcasts begins on September 4 when R. L. Sloan will be Sarah Moore’s guest to discuss her new book Embellish. This novel approaches the vampire story with a new twist and takes its readers into the world of the paranormal. When Solis Burkes encounters a handsome vampire while out on the town with a friend, she unlocks a history that involves generations of warfare with a dangerous and powerful family. Solis also learns that she is now the one with the power to bring the violence to an end. R. L. Sloan will be discussing her interest in the paranormal and how she developed the memorable characters in the book. To purchase Embellish, please visit the Amazon website.

The podcasts continue on September 11 with a conversation between Patrick Shannon and Sarah Moore. Mr. Patrick Shannon will be joining the podcast to share his new work of fiction, Viva Cisco, with the Writers in the Sky audience. This book, aimed at younger readers, details a world of fantasy in which a parrot named Cisco is willing to try anything to become famous. After several unsuccessful attempts to develop new talents, Cisco leads his friends on an adventure that may finally be the path to his desired fame. Patrick Shannon will discuss how he created the unique story idea and the message that he hopes to share with readers through Cisco the parrot. Please visit the Amazon website to purchase Viva Cisco.

On September 18, Writers in the Sky team member Sarah Moore leads the podcast interview once again when Barbara Joye joins her to discuss her new book The Light Won: A Tutorial in Co-Creation. In this enlightening book, Barbara shares what keeps us from living a fuller and more empowered life. She explains how to identify and alter your personal beliefs in order to have the life you desire. This life is one that each of us can co-create once we learn to communicate with The Divine/The All. Barbara will be talking about how readers can apply the principles in her book to their own lives, regardless of their age, nationality, or personal experiences. Listeners can purchase The Light Won: A Tutorial in Co-Creation by visiting the Amazon website and learn more about the author at her website.

The month of podcasts ends on September 25 when Barbara Milbourn sits down with author John English. The two will be discussing English’s new book Kill the Addiction. John English battled an addiction to nicotine for fifty years and in Kill the Addiction he lays out in detail his method to stop smoking. Knowing the difficulty that comes when someone tries to quit this difficult habit, John is anxious to share his solution with others. He will be discussing the unique benefits of his method as well as whether or not his method can be used to treat addictions other than smoking. Interested listeners may purchase Kill the Addiction by visiting the Amazon website.

“What a great way to transition from the relaxing days of summer to the new opportunities that come with the turning of the seasons!” shares Yvonne Perry, owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, which produces the podcast. “Listeners will enjoy the exposure to new authors with offerings of fiction and then learn about two publications that share new approaches to bettering the mind, body, and spirit.”

About Writers in the Sky: Writers in the Sky blog, podcast, and newsletter is a three-fold production filled with information about writing, publishing, and book publicity created by Yvonne Perry as part of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (http://writersinthesky.com/ )

Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Go to http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

Marketing Guru Pam Perry

TGI Friday! I have uploaded a new show to my podcast this week! Pam Perry will be joining us today on Writers in the Sky Podcast!

During our interview, Pam Perry will talk about how she got started in marketing. We will find out why she chose to work in the African-American Christian market and what the biggest challenge is for Christian authors. Pam will discuss the top five mistakes new authors make, and then we will then find out what is next for her.

Pam Perry is known as the “PR Guru” and “Marketing Whiz” by the national media. Pam has arguably been one of the more high-powered and visible figures in public relations. Her career serves as a notable example of the potency that personally handled promotion has acquired in the mass media. Perry’s rise in the wrangling world of publicity began when she worked in public relations and advertising. Learning the business from the inside out, Perry became a PR agent and eventually formed her own firm, BART (Blacks in Advertising, Radio & Television), a nonprofit networking organization for African Americans in the media.

Pam will walk authors through the steps to help them fulfill their dreams. She helps as a PR Coach giving authors resources, contacts, best-selling tips, proven PR strategies to get your book out there.

Click on the arrow below to hear Pam's interview.

As a PR Coach, she can help authors:

• Define and target your audience
• Build a platform
• Create a brand
• Develop a campaign strategy
• Produce dazzling press and marketing materials
• Navigate social media
• Generate media hits
• What’s the best way to work with a PR Coach?

Read more at http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/.

Pam also mentioned Ardyss Body Magic garment that can help you drop two to three sizes in ten minutes. Check out her Ardyss presentation on YouTube.

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Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

The Traditional Marketing Piece in the Book Trade

The traditional marketing piece in the book trade is a flyer, often called a “sell sheet.” Your sell sheet should include pertinent details, including:

· High-resolution cover artwork
· Title and subtitle
· Wholesalers and distributors who carry the book
· Publication date
· ISBN and list price (for all editions, including hardcover, paperback and audio)
· Binding type, dimensions, and page count
· Library of Congress Number and/or notice of Cataloging-in-Publication data
· List of special features such as indexes, bibliographies, and illustrations
· Quotes from reviews, especially from library journals (include date of review) and quotes from librarians. Even better, quote the full text of important library journal reviews on the reserve side of your sell sheet or include photocopies in the package.
· Awards (including finalist status)
· Brief synopsis and/or statement of benefits. Be sure your synopsis points out how your book is different from competitors.
· Brief author bio/credentials
· Publisher contact information

All this goes on one page, so you must write tight to conserve space and make your point clear. WITS author’s assistant Sarah Moore knows how to do this. Why not let her help you?

Crashing a Book to Pub Date

If you're going to bring a book to market within a year's time, there is a lot to be done even after you've collected your research material. Perhaps it is different when writing a novel where your imagination is allowed to flow easily.

If you're pushing to get a book published in a short time as I was when I released Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America, there are some things you need to know.

It’s important for those considering a career in writing to realize how much time writing a non-fiction book really takes. Everyone thinks that their time is free, but that’s a quick trip to the poorhouse. You may or may not make any money when you take into consideration the amount of time it takes to prepare a book. I put more than 600 hours into the research, writing, editing, and proofreading Right to Recover.

I started my research in late summer of 2006, and had a publisher accept the book from my tentative outline. I had a contract before I had even written the first sentence. For nine months straight, I couldn't take on any new clients because I was working night and day trying to get everything finished by May 2007 so my publisher could take a galley copy of my book to BookExpo America (BEA) in June. It’s true the book wasn’t set to publish until October, but it takes the publisher several weeks to layout the book’s interior, design the cover, and get everything uploaded to Lightning Source Inc. (LSI) or whatever printer the publisher uses, and get copies shipped to the event. The field of stem cell research changes very rapidly as new discoveries are made. I had to give up on having the latest statistics and information in my book and go with what I had at the time. By rushing the book to finish by the middle of May, I turned in an unedited copy knowing there would be tons of changes to be made before the final copy could be printed and released. It cost me $350 for LSI to make the changes to my manuscript.

If you need motivation to write, there’s nothing like having a deadline to meet. Therefore, I urge writers to participate in events and contests that give incentive and encouragement to get the juices flowing. This also helps develop the habit of writing. Just don’t turn in your work before it is edited.

Yvonne Perry, is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of highly qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com

Follow WITS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/writersinthesky

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it.

Should an E-book Have a Different ISBN and Pub Date Than Its Print Version?

Barbara Techel, author the multi-award winning, Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog wrote in with a question about ISBNs for books and e-books:

I am having WITS graphic designer Jessica Dockter get my Frankie book formatted as an e-book. Should I change the copyright page to state that this is the e-book version? Also, do I need a different ISBN # if it is e-book format? And lastly, do I keep the same publishing date or do I change that for the e-book version?

Yvonne answers: your e-book should be treated as a separate entity from the print version of your book. Therefore, the e-book will have its own ISBN and pub date. You should change the copyright page to reflect that this is the e-book version.

Here’s an extra tip: Make sure you include a list in the back of the book that shows all the other books you have written. Since this is an e-book you are publishing, you can link directly to the titles so readers can get more information and make a purchase.

Pam Perry the "PR Guru" and "Marketing Whiz"

Pam Perry will be joining Yvonne Perry on Writers in the Sky Podcast August 28, 2009!

Pam Perry is known as the “PR Guru” and “Marketing Whiz” by the national media. Pam has arguably been one of the more high-powered and visible figures in public relations. Her career serves as a notable example of the potency that personally handled promotion has acquired in the mass media. Perry’s rise in the wrangling world of publicity began when she worked in public relations and advertising. Learning the business from the inside out, Perry became a PR agent and eventually formed her own firm, BART (Blacks in Advertising, Radio & Television), a nonprofit networking organization for African Americans in the media.

Pam will walk authors through the steps to help them fulfill their dreams. She helps as a PR Coach giving authors resources, contacts, best-selling tips, proven PR strategies to get your book out there.

As a PR Coach, she can help authors:

• Define and target your audience
• Build a platform
• Create a brand
• Develop a campaign strategy
• Produce dazzling press and marketing materials
• Navigate social media
• Generate media hits
• What’s the best way to work with a PR Coach?

Read more at http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/ and be sure to join us on Friday.

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Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

TGIF August 21, 2009! Author Lillian Brummet

Lillian Brummet will be joining us today on Writers in the Sky Podcast to discuss her latest book Purple Snowflake Marketing! Learn why bookmarks are one of the best and most effective tools for marketing a book. Lillian shares how to build your platform, why online marketing is more cost-effective than hiring a traditional publicist, and how to determine your target market by making a list of labels for yourself and your book. Her book teaches you how to create a marketing plan before you submit your query letter to a publisher.

Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd, is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snow storm of writers. With nineteen chapters and twenty-five appendices, this book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. Whether it is utilized by order of chapters or randomly at the reader's discretion the book is a marketing plan in itself. The book makes use of breaks and ample headings to break up the monotony of learning. Readers will find the multiple headings useful when they wish to refresh their memory on a particular aspect, and will feel encouraged to create a marketing plan that suits their unique situation.The book also provides over 900 resources that will accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers. Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance to authors along with ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors. This e-book was originally released in June 2007 and since then has made the recommended reading lists of more than a dozen writing courses. Authors of most genres will find this inspiring book an essential component for marketing their book.

Listen to the interview by clicking the arrow below.

Dave and Lillian Brummet have been writing professionally as a team since 1999, starting out as free lance writers which they continue to do today. To date, they have written three published books. The Brummets are also the hosts of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show and of the Authors Read radio program. They supplement these activities with two blogs and a newsletter in an effort to provide ample information to their audience. The main focus of their work is to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.

Purple Snowflake Marketing is currently available exclusively through booklocker.com.

More information at:www.brummet.ca/purple.html

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Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

Have you thought of hosting your own podcast? It's easy. Learn how at http://nashvillewriter.audioacrobat.com/

If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to leave a comment on iTunes to help others find it.

Showing Thought in Written Form

What is the correct way to write a character’s unspoken, internal thoughts?

The following question was posed to WITS editor Barbara Milbourn.

Does the sentence below need quotation marks or should the thought line be italicized?

Staring across at the greatest entrepreneur and the richest man in the history in the world, I thought, “What do I say to this man?”

Barbara replies: This is a tough one. I have read three things [and do not remember the sources].

1. Because they are not spoken words or a quotation, they are not to have quotation marks.
2. While some authors—mostly novices—put thoughts in italics, this, too, is discouraged.
3. The idea is to write strong and clear enough that the thought reads as a thought and needs no augmentation; or you reword like: I stared across at the greatest entrepreneur—the richest man in the history of the world—and wondered what I should [might, would, could] say to him.

If you need a good editor for your nonfiction manuscript, Barbara is a great choice.

Postcards and Bookmarks as Marketing Pieces

Postcards and bookmarks are a handy tool for giving people information about your book using as few words as possible. They may be used as handouts at speaking engagements and book signings, or as giveaways with the purchase of your book. You can include one in the correspondence you have with clients, friends, or co-workers. I have even enclosed them with my bill payment. After all, someone has to open the envelope to log in your payment, which means a connection with a potential reader.

As a marketing piece for a book, the postcard or bookmark should have these items:

· Your book cover photo
· Book title
· Author’s name
· Very brief book synopsis
· URL to purchase

If you have enough space in the layout, you can add an endorsement from a celebrity (if you were fortunate enough to garner such an endorsement), or someone who is well-known as an expert in the topic of your book. If you don’t have an endorsement that carries clout, pull something from your best book review and use it as an excerpt. Be sure to give credit to the person who gave you the endorsement or wrote your book review.

Once you’ve got an idea of what you want to include on the bookmark or postcard, you’ll need to find someone to design and print them for you. If you design them yourself, you can take them to Kinko’s or your local printer. Call first to get their upload specifications. Some will accept an MS Word document, but others prefer a PDF and will charge an extra fee to open a Word document.

There are plenty of companies online that can design and print the cards at an affordable price. I’ve made a list of places to get the bookmarks or postcards printed. This came from a social networking site where several folks chimed in.

One person was very pleased with the results when they used http://www.48hourprint.com/ and stated that she found their prices to be the most reasonable; they shipped quickly and the quality was very good.

http://www.earthlycharms.com/ has author-related items. They also have stickers that read Autographed Copy, Local Author, or Award Winning Author.

I’ve personally used http://www.vistaprint.com/ for business cards, postcards, tee-shirts, and check printing. Use their designs or upload your logo to create your own design. This company offers several other promotional items free with purchase. I’ve been pleased with the quality of their products and their customer service.

PS Print http://www.psprint.com/ has several promotional items as well as postcards. Even though I haven’t used this company, others in my network report they have quality service and reasonable pricing. A bulk of 500 color 4” x 6” postcard run about $0.08. This company also provides mailing services.

http://www.gotprint.com/ for full color, high gloss products such as bookmarks, postcards, business cards, and brochures. Their work is outstanding and the shipping price is low.

Yvonne Perry, is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of highly qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com

Follow WITS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/writersinthesky

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it.

Purple Snowflake Marketing

Lillian Brummet will be joining Yvonne Perry on Writers in the Sky Podcast August 21, 2009 to discuss her latest book Purple Snowflake Marketing!

Dave and Lillian Brummet have been writing professionally as a team since 1999, starting out as free lance writers which they continue to do today. To date, they have written three published books. The Brummets are also the hosts of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show and of the Authors Read radio program. They supplement these activities with two blogs and a newsletter in an effort to provide ample information to their audience. The main focus of their work is to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.

Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd, is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in asnowstorm of writers. With nineteen chapters and twenty-five appendices, this book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. Whether it is utilized by order of chapters or randomly at the reader's discretion the book is a marketing plan in itself. The book makes use of breaks and ample headings to break up the monotony of learning. Readers will find the multiple headings useful when they wish to refresh their memory on a particular aspect, and will feel encouraged to create a marketing plan that suits their unique situation.The book also provides over 900 resources that will accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers. Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance to authors along with ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors. This e-book was originally released in June 2007 and since then has made the recommended reading lists of more than a dozen writing courses. Authors of most genres will find this inspiring book an essential component for marketing their book.

Purple Snowflake Marketing is currently available exclusively through booklocker.com.

More information at:www.brummet.ca/purple.html

Is that Distant Thunder I Hear?

Our podcast guest today is Jimmy Root, Jr., the author of the prophetic fiction thriller, Distant Thunder.

Jimmy Root, Jr. is an author, blogger, and is a pastor with thirty years experience. He has lived in Costa Rica, in Central America, and Colombia, South America over a period of five years and is fluent in Spanish. He is professor of Eschatology (study of end times) for Global University in Missouri, is the host of the Bible Uncensored Radio Show, and a published author. Married with three grown children, Jimmy was born and raised in the mid-west and is an avid outdoors man, reader, and enthusiast of Nebraska Cornhusker Football.

On our podcast, Jimmy will discuss the following with Sarah Moore:

• How the mundane things of life add to the development of characters caught up in an adventure.
• How using everyday activities and experiences in writing can cure writer's block.
• How writers can build emotion, conflict, and anticipation into their characters by tapping into their own experiences.
• How current world events are prophesied in the Bible.
• How fiction can build a platform of awareness and action.

Click here to listen... to the entire interview.

The ordinary and mundane can be utilized in developing extraordinary characters. Reality is a stimulating adventure just waiting to be written. Author and pastor Jimmy Root Jr, knows adventure. He portrays it in his fast-paced Prophetic Thriller called Distant Thunder--Book One of the Lightning Chronicles. Published by American Book Publishers, Distant Thunder is set to be released nationally on August 10, 2009.

For more information, please see www.lightningchronicles.com or visit Jimmy's blog www.lightningchronicles.blogspot.com

How Much Time Does It Take to Successfully Market a Book?

After putting 600 hours into the actual research and writing of my book, Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America, I did not expect to turn around and spend nearly that many hours promoting it.

I was spending a lot of time trying to arrange appearances, giving lectures, setting up book signings, doing a virtual blog tour, writing and sending media releases, and writing articles about the topic and posting them on free article directories where other people would pick up stuff. Additionally, I was querying medical magazines hoping to get an article published there. There was constantly something to do every day to promote that book.

I spent close to $4,000 on traditional marketing because I hired a publicist to help me. To spend that much time and money on it, I needed the sales from the book to cover at least my investment in order to say that it was worth the time and effort. When that first royalty check came, I was not impressed enough to continue promoting the book. Maybe if I had continued it would have sold enough copies to even things out, but I had to go back to trying to make a living to pay for what I had already invested.

Maybe I didn’t get a financial return on my investment, but what I did get from the experience is an education. I learned so much from writing and publishing that book—not just about stem cell research but also about the publishing industry, how a book goes through the process at a publishing house, and what BEA and other books trade shows are all about. I also learned a lot about how to market a book. I’ve learned that the best way to market a book is online. When I started utilizing the Internet for book marketing, the sales increased because I could reach more people in less time and spend less money doing it—a lot less!

I have shared the knowledge I gained from marketing my book in hopes of saving someone the frustration and disappointment I faced. I’m now offering my knowledge and information in Book Marketing in the Digital Age: Online Promotion Made Easy available at http://www.onlinepromotionmadeeasy.com/.

Yvonne Perry, is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of highly qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com

Follow WITS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/writersinthesky

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it.

What is Anchor Text and Why it Matters

If you ask any Search Engine Marketing Expert they will tell you the importance of anchor text. What is this exactly? It's the hyperlinked text that you click on to follow a link. Most people overlook this text, using words like "click here" or other nebulous terms. If used correctly, anchor text can really help with your site ranking. It's not that difficult to implement really, you just need to understand a few basic concepts.

First, anchor text should be descriptive. It should describe the link you're sending people to using keywords that reflect the page you're recommending.

Second, if you know the high traffic keywords for your market you can use those as well to describe the link (but only if the keywords relate to the page you're sending visitors to).

Third, knowing where to use anchor text is almost as important as the text itself. All external links should be anchor text, but often web designers forget internal links (i.e. links leading to pages within your site) although they are equally as important. Your home page is also critical for anchor text links. If you have a blog (and you should) make sure that any article, web site or blog you reference has anchor text in the hyperlink.

Creating these hyperlinks is easy, especially if you're using them in a blog. Most blog software have some very simple one-click anchor text creation widgets. So take some time and go through your site, make sure that anything you have hyperlinked is anchor text. Stay away from nebulous terms like "click here" or "follow this link" because you won't get picked up by search engines that way. Make sure the text is focused and specific. How long can anchor text be? It doesn't have to be long, but if need be, it can be multiple words. Keep in mind that as long as the words are relevant to your topic, the anchor text verbiage is all that matters.

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Penny Sansevieri is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of courses on publishing and promotion. Her company, Author Marketing Experts, Inc, specializes in non-traditional promotion for exceptional results. To learn more about her upcoming events, books or promotional services, log onto her web site at www.amarketingexpert.com.

The Author of a New Prophetic Fiction Thriller to Discuss the Art of Writing

Author and Pastor Jimmy Root Jr., knows adventure. He portrays it in his fast-paced Prophetic Thriller called Distant Thunder--Book One of the Lightning Chronicles. Published by American Book Publishers, Distant Thunder is set to be released nationally on August 10, 2009.

On August 14, Sarah Moore will interview Jimmy Root about his book, Distant Thunder, which is part of the Lightning Chronicles Trilogy. What would happen if the entire world turned on Israel? This thriller provides the answer in a fast-paced read, filled with all the action and adventure that usually accompanies the end of the world. Jimmy is a longtime pastor, a student of Bible prophecy, and the host of "The Bible Uncensored," a radio broadcast aired in various regions of the country. See http://www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/JimmyRootJr.shtml for more information.

The ordinary and mundane can be utilized in developing extraordinary characters. Reality is a stimulating adventure just waiting to be written.

Jimmy Root Jr is an author, blogger, and is a pastor with thirty years experience. He has lived in Costa Rica, in Central America, and Colombia, South America over a period of five years and is fluent in Spanish. He is professor of Eschatology (Study of end times) for Global University in Missouri, is the host of the Bible Uncensored Radio Show, and a published author. Married with three grown children, Jimmy was born and raised in the mid-west and is an avid outdoorsman, reader, and enthusiast of Nebraska Cornhusker Football.

website www.lightningchronicles.com
blog www.lightningchronicles.blogspot.com

The 4th Annual International Killer Nashville Literary Conference 2009

The 4th Annual International Killer Nashville Literary Conference 2009 will be held Friday, August 14, through Sunday, August 16, 2009. Three days of meeting authors and making publishing contacts.

Over 40 panels and discussions available on mysteries, thrillers, and general writing and promotion techniques applicable to any genre.

It’s open to everyone. There are even free book signings for those who don’t want to register for the conference. For more info, see www.KillerNashville.com.

Lynn Serafinn on Writers in the Sky Podcast

On Friday, August 2, 2009 Lynn Serafinn will be Yvonne Perry's guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast. She will be discussing The Garden of the Soul: Lessons from Four Flowers that Unearth the Self.

The Garden of the Soul is a journey on the path of least resistance to the Self through the imagery of four flowers that represent four spiritual principles:

Give (the Rose)
Receive (the Iris)
Become (the Daffodil)
Be (the Lily)

These four spiritual principles provide a model for flow, balance and deeper connection both within oneself and with others, to restore overall well-being and increase our joy. Lynn provides clarity on the connection between emotional well-being and physical health, especially with regards to the impact of long-term repression of emotions and authentic voice.

Access everything Lynn has to offer at www.LynnSerafiinn.com

Taking the reader on a daring and magical journey through the author’s life and imagination—from stage fright and burnout in a classical music conservatory, to life inside an Indian temple, to a hidden life of domestic violence, to finding inner peace atop an old English footbridge—The Garden of the Soul explores birth, death, love, art, spirituality and transformation in an eloquent, poetic and ultimately unforgettable way. It is an open invitation to readers to explore how they are already the heroes of their own lives. Within the first few days of its release, the book attained Amazon bestseller status in both the UK and US in the New Age, Mind-Body-Spirit, Spirituality and Self-Help categories, reaching as high as number 18amongst UK New Age titles.

About Lynn Serafinn

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955, and now residing in Bedford, England, Lynn Serafinn is a personal transformation coach, teacher, motivational speaker, talk radio show host and Amazon bestselling author, whose power to inspire and help people reconnect to themselves is widely acclaimed.

Owing to her long and diverse professional history in the music industry, Lynn's writing is lyrical, rhythmic, colourful, highly visual, and undeniably metaphoric. She holds a B.Mus. in music history and an MAED in adult education and distance learning, and did extensive study of music and religion in India. She taught music technology for many years was the recipient of the Microsoft UK Innovative Teacher of the Year Award in 2005. She holds a CPCC through the Coaches Training Institute and is a graduate of the Co-Active Leadership Programme. In 2007, her coaching company Create-a-Life won the Best of Bedford Business Awards. Lynn is also the Founder/Leader of the Global Wellness Circle, a thriving community-based holistic education project spread throughout the United Kingdom. She has a grown daughter, who is also a writer, and a young grandson.

Published by Bright Pen Books
ISBN13: 9780755211265
ASIN: 075521126X
http://www.give-receive-become-be.com
Available on Amazon.com

Here is a video to help you learn more about Lynn's book.

Building a Quality List of Followers on Twitter

You are probably familiar with social networking sites such as Twitter. On these sites, you can build a list of followers and enjoy building a network of friends and business relationships while establishing a platform as an expert or promoting your product or service. Here are some of the things I do before following anyone on Twitter.

First, I look at the avatar or photo of the Tweeter. I want to get an idea of who I am interacting with. No photo, no follow. I prefer to see a photo of the real person--not their dog or a caricature.

Second, I read the Tweeter’s bio. If the bio is interesting and complete, I am much more likely to follow that person than if there is only a URL or a few words that don't really tell me what the person does or enjoys. Since Twitter has shut down their "search by category" feature, the bio is a quick way to see if I share common interests, business goals, location, or area of expertise with the potential Tweeter. Even if the person is my competitor, I hope to learn something from them.

Next, I read through the person’s recent Tweets to find out what type of information her or she is offering. Big turn offs: 90 percent of the messages are in reply to someone else and I have no idea what they are talking about. While I appreciate the interaction, I feel like I’m intruding on a private conversation if there are no other types of exchange. Big plus: links to helpful tips, articles, and even products to check out. I want interesting content, not just a URL with no explanation as to what I might find by clicking.

Then, I look at the number of updates and the date of the last Tweet. If the person is not active on Twitter, there's no point in following him or her. If someone Tweets fifty times a day about nothing more than their hairdo or what they’re eating, I’m probably not interested.

Some people wonder why I use Twitter.grader.com. This service evaluates using criteria similar to what I use to decide whether or not I want to follow someone. If I am leaning toward clicking the follow button but I'm still not sure, I will actually go to the trouble of checking a person’s grade on Twitter. If the Tweeter has a high grade, I will probably consider following him or her.

If Grader doesn’t rank a person high, I’ll probably pass--not permanently--I may come back later to see if the score improves. It could be that the Tweeter is new to Twitter and doesn’t have much history for Grader to use in giving a score.

Lastly, I check the ratio of followers to following. If a person's Tweets are interesting and helpful, people will follow in return. If someone is following 1,000 people and only 65 are following them, I suspect the person is either a spammer, a newbie, or boring.

So, if you are following me and I'm not following you in return, check the above points and make a few simple changes. Not only am I likely to follow you, so are others!

Yvonne Perry, is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of highly qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com

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Review the Book

by Erin Chavez

As the current economic slump causes several reviewers to close up shop, and print reviews become much less frequent, savvy authors are embracing the Internet as the place to market their books. An innovative, newly-launched online site, Review the Book, is ready to meet the challenge.

Review the Book, a new online book review service, has just been launched, and already hundreds of authors are signing up to get their books reviewed. The new service has assembled a team of quality reviewers; many have been reviewing books for other review publications for many years. Review the Book provides a simple and effective way to provide a much-in-demand review service for authors to find and connect with their readers.

Authors who wish to submit their books for consideration by Review the Book can go to
www.ReviewtheBook.com, create a username and password, and then list their book titles. Once titles are posted, reviewers select the books that interest them, and the author is contacted to request a review copy. This process insures review copies are not sent and ignored, and the reviewers commit to submitting a review within three weeks once the review copy is received. While a small fee is required to list the title for administrative costs, discounts exist for listing multiple titles.

Book Reviewers agree to post a 300- to 600-word review to Review the Book, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble’s websites, as well as seven additional websites of their choice. As many as five reviewers may choose to review the same book, which means the possibility of 50 book reviews across the worldwide web for one book in places where the reviews will gain the attention of interested readers. Studies show that reviews posted online are now a deciding factor for readers in choosing books to read. A good book review can propel book sales for an author, and well-written reviews by the experienced reviewers at “Review the Book” will ensure that quality books get the attention they deserve.

Because reviewers at “Review the Book” receive no compensation, other than a free book, but write reviews from a love of reading, impartiality and honesty are trademarks of the reviews. Reviewers must pay a deposit to Review the Book to ensure they will post reviews. And because reviewers choose the books they want to read, their reviews serve as a fair representation of a book’s reading audience.

Review the Book is the brainchild of Reader Views, based in Austin, TX. Reader Views has been reviewing books and offering author publicity services since 2005. With the decline of many other review services, Reader Views decided to launch a new book review site and assemble a fresh team of reviewers to provide more book review opportunities for authors. More information about Reader Views can be found at
www.ReaderViews.com.

By the way, Writers in the Sky also offers book reviews as part of an author publicity package.

Author Lynn Serafinn Invites Us to Give, Receive, Become, and Be

Join Lynn Serafinn as Yvonne Perry's guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast today. She will be discussing The Garden of the Soul: Lessons from Four Flowers that Unearth the Self.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955, and now residing in Bedford, England, Lynn Serafinn is a personal transformation coach, teacher, motivational speaker, talk radio show host and Amazon bestselling author, whose power to inspire and help people reconnect to themselves is widely acclaimed.

Her book, The Garden of the Soul, Lynn Serafinn invites us to Give, Receive, Become, and Be as she takes us on a daring and magical journey through the imagery of four flowers that represent four spiritual principles:

Give (the Rose)
Receive (the Iris)
Become (the Daffodil)
Be (the Lily)

These four spiritual principles provide a model for flow, balance and deeper connection both within oneself and with others, to restore overall well-being and increase our joy. Lynn provides clarity on the connection between emotional well-being and physical health, especially with regards to the impact of long-term repression of emotions and authentic voice.

Published by Bright Pen Books
ISBN13: 9780755211265
ASIN: 075521126X
http://www.give-receive-become-be.com
Available on Amazon.com

Writers in the Sky Podcast Guests Offer Tips on Book Marketing and a Scenario for End of the World! for August 2009

This month on Writers in the Sky Podcast, Yvonne Perry will be interviewing several guests who are experts at book marketing. She and her guests: Lynn Serafinn, Lillian Brummet, and Pam Perry will share tips to help authors who need more information about how to promote their books. Lynn will also give insight on how to find peace within one’s self. That information may come in quite handy in the middle of the month when Sarah Moore hosts Jimmy Root to discuss his end-of-times thriller, Distant Thunder!

Lynn Serafinn will be Yvonne Perry's guest on August 7 to discuss her book about becoming whole The Garden of the Soul: Lessons From Four Flowers That Unearth the Self. Give-Receive-Become-Be are four spiritual principles that provide a model for flow, balance, and deeper connection both within oneself and with others, to restore overall wellbeing and increase our joy. Lynn Serafinn is a personal transformation coach, teacher, motivational speaker, talk radio show host, and Amazon bestselling author, whose power to inspire and help people reconnect to themselves is widely acclaimed. Lynn is also an excellent book marketer and will share tips with our listeners.

On August 14, Sarah Moore will interview Jimmy Root about his book, Distant Thunder, which is part of the Lightning Chronicles Trilogy. What would happen if the entire world turned on Israel? This thriller provides the answer in a fast-paced read, filled with all the action and adventure that usually accompanies the end of the world. Jimmy is a longtime pastor, a student of Bible prophecy, and the host of "The Bible Uncensored," a radio broadcast aired in various regions of the country. See http://www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/JimmyRootJr.shtml for more information.

Join Lillian Brummet on August 21 as she is the guest of podcast host Yvonne Perry. These two book marketing experts will discuss Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd. This e-book is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance and ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors. Authors of most genres will find this an inspiring essential component for marketing their book in a way that suits their unique situation. See http://www.booklocker.com/books/2949.html for more information.

We bring the month to a close on August 28 when Pam Perry is interviewed by Yvonne Perry, owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. Pam Perry is known as the “PR Guru” and “Marketing Whiz” by the national media and is one of the more high-powered and visible figures in public relations. Perry’s rise in the world of publicity began when she worked in public relations and advertising. She is the owner of Ministry Marketing Solutions. She will be sharing some book marketing tips and letting listeners know how she can help authors formulate a successful marketing plan. http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/blog/

About Writers in the Sky: Writers in the Sky blog, podcast, and newsletter is a three-fold production filled with information about writing, publishing, and book publicity created by Yvonne Perry as part of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (http://writersinthesky.com).

Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Go to http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.