Allie Boniface's Blog, page 43
June 4, 2012
Monday Mentionables: A Great Way to Learn is to Pitch!
OK, time for another week of the Great Print Book Giveaway - remember, all you have to do to win FREE books is comment right here or on my Facebook Fan Page (what book would you like to win? what do you like to read?) or Tweet about the contest. Last week's winners have their books on the way right now!
I pitched my 2 novellas to Entangled Publishing over at Romance University last week. The managing editor will be posting feedback on all 120+ pitches (wowzer!!) as well as making requests too. And I'll tell you a secret: it was sooooo interesting to read over the various pitches and see what people are writing and how powerful some of the first 100 words of a manuscript can be. If you ever have a chance to participate in something like that, do so. Reading over others' work can be a great learning experience for your own writing.
My Goodreads Giveaway of Summer's Song runs through this Thursday and is already up to 330 requests (as of late Sunday night). Have you entered??
I pitched my 2 novellas to Entangled Publishing over at Romance University last week. The managing editor will be posting feedback on all 120+ pitches (wowzer!!) as well as making requests too. And I'll tell you a secret: it was sooooo interesting to read over the various pitches and see what people are writing and how powerful some of the first 100 words of a manuscript can be. If you ever have a chance to participate in something like that, do so. Reading over others' work can be a great learning experience for your own writing.
My Goodreads Giveaway of Summer's Song runs through this Thursday and is already up to 330 requests (as of late Sunday night). Have you entered??
June 2, 2012
Saturday Update
Sorry I'm a little late in posting this week's Great Print Book Giveaway winners BUT.....they are
Mary Hay
Debby (debby236)
Congrats! They each have their pick of the books on my list :) Email me your choice at allieb@allieboniface.com The next round os giveaways starts again Monday...
Also, just an FYI: my Facebook Fan Page is going to be down for a few days while I make some changes/updates. Stay tuned and I'll let you know when it's back up and accessible!
Mary Hay
Debby (debby236)
Congrats! They each have their pick of the books on my list :) Email me your choice at allieb@allieboniface.com The next round os giveaways starts again Monday...
Also, just an FYI: my Facebook Fan Page is going to be down for a few days while I make some changes/updates. Stay tuned and I'll let you know when it's back up and accessible!
June 1, 2012
Friday Fun Facts!
First week of the Great Print Book Giveaway! At 6 pm today (EST), I'll announce 2 winners from all those who have commented/posted/Tweeted about the contest - and those 2 winners can have their pick of any print book from my bookshelf. Want a chance? More info on how to enter right here.
My Goodreads Giveaway for Summer's Song is going strong, now through next week! Enter here to win an autographed print copy.
Summer's Song will also be releasing as an audio book later this summer. I'm expecting the proofs of the audio files next week sometime, which is always exciting. It's so cool to hear your own words spoken by a professional narrator!
And on a writing note, I've decided my next project will be a major reworking of my novella Tequila Sunrise, which needed loads more conflict driving the action. The good news is that I have a complete draft to work with. The bad news is that I'm planning on changing a whole lot of it. Ah, well. Back to the drawing board. School is almost over, and then I'll embrace my summer vacation and the extra writing time it brings, with open arms!
Here's the new blurb for Tequila Sunrise. What do you think?
When accountant Lou, newly-divorced and unable to have children, is given the chance to sign up for a free dating service, she decides to take a chance on Toby, a construction worker who has no interest in kids or commitment. But when both end up in the “second-choice speed dating room” because they don’t meet the criteria for Charming Hearts, Lou must decide whether she’ll confront the Charming Hearts owners by suing for discrimination, as well as deal with Toby’s surprise announcement that he has a son he never knew about, in spite of the fact that she has no legal experience and suspects Toby only wants a relationship so she’ll take care of his child.
My Goodreads Giveaway for Summer's Song is going strong, now through next week! Enter here to win an autographed print copy.
Summer's Song will also be releasing as an audio book later this summer. I'm expecting the proofs of the audio files next week sometime, which is always exciting. It's so cool to hear your own words spoken by a professional narrator!
And on a writing note, I've decided my next project will be a major reworking of my novella Tequila Sunrise, which needed loads more conflict driving the action. The good news is that I have a complete draft to work with. The bad news is that I'm planning on changing a whole lot of it. Ah, well. Back to the drawing board. School is almost over, and then I'll embrace my summer vacation and the extra writing time it brings, with open arms!
Here's the new blurb for Tequila Sunrise. What do you think?
When accountant Lou, newly-divorced and unable to have children, is given the chance to sign up for a free dating service, she decides to take a chance on Toby, a construction worker who has no interest in kids or commitment. But when both end up in the “second-choice speed dating room” because they don’t meet the criteria for Charming Hearts, Lou must decide whether she’ll confront the Charming Hearts owners by suing for discrimination, as well as deal with Toby’s surprise announcement that he has a son he never knew about, in spite of the fact that she has no legal experience and suspects Toby only wants a relationship so she’ll take care of his child.
May 30, 2012
Writers' Wednesday: Something for Everyone
For readers: in addition to the print books I'm giving away all summer long (see Monday's post if you missed the news), I'm also giving away one signed print copy of my novel Summer's Song, over on Goodreads. Check it out if you're interested!
For writers: Entangled Publishing is taking pitches tomorrow, all genres, heat levels, and lengths. Click here for more information.
Happy Hump Day!
For writers: Entangled Publishing is taking pitches tomorrow, all genres, heat levels, and lengths. Click here for more information.
Happy Hump Day!
May 28, 2012
Monday Mentionables: The Great Print Book GIveaway
Announcing.......The Great Print Book Giveaway!
OK, here's the deal: my closet and several bookshelves are overflowing with books. Many I've read. A select few I'll keep. Most I would love to pass on to new readers. That's where you come in. Every week, until the list is exhausted, I'm going to give away 2 print books for free. Yes, totally free - I'll even pay for the shipping. Sorry, this one's for US readers only :(
(Notes: These books all come from a smoke-free home. Most are in good-to-excellent condition. A few are brand new.)
How can you get your hands on free books? Each week, do any of the following:
1. Post a comment on my blog.
2. Post a comment on my Facebook Fan Page.
3. Retweet the contest news.
4. Post an original Tweet about the contest.
5. Talk about the contest on your own blog or Facebook page (make sure to email me the link! Send it to allieb@allieboniface.com)
Earn up to 10 chances a week by doing any combination of these, and then every Friday I'll pick 2 names randomly to choose a book from the list below. No limit to the times you can win, either :) A new round will begin every Monday, with the updated book list, and will continue until there are no more books to give away. And that's it!
The Great Print Book Giveaway starts right now! **********************Books currently available:
The Accidental Tourist (Anne Tyler)
An Affair Before Christmas (Eloisa James)
Alison's Automotive Repair Manual (Brad Barkley)
Animal Husbandry (Laura Zigman)
Baby Proof (Emily Giffin)
Bungalow 2 (Danielle Steel)
The Carousel (Belva Plain)
A Child Called It (Dave Pelzer)
The Color of Water (James McBride)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Rebecca Wells)
Emergence: Labeled Autistic (Temple Grandin)
Everything's Eventual (Stephen King)
Fireworks over Toccoa (Jeffrey Stepakoff)
Five Men Who Broke My Heart (Susan Shapiro)
A Good Dog (Jon Katz)
Her Father's House (Belva Plain)
How to Deal (Sarah Dessen)
Intimate Enemy (Marilyn Pappano)
Little Children (Tom Perrotta)
Mama Makes up her Mind (Bailey White)
McKettrick's Luck (Linda Lael Miller)
The Memory of Water (Karen White)
The Mommy Fund (Madeline K. Jacob)
On the Street Where You Live (Mary Higgins Clark)
One Child (Torey Hayden)
One Day (David Nichols)
The Poet (Michael Connelly)
Prep (Curtis Sittenfield)
The Prince of Tides (Pat Conroy)
Rachel's Holiday (Marian Keyes)
Secrecy (Belva Plain)
Sleeping at the Starlite Motel (Bailey White)
Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend (Robert James Waller)
Snow Falling on Cedars (David Guterson)
The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien)
Twilight Before Christmas (Christine Feehan)
Vinegar Hill (A. Manette Ansay)
The Wedding in White (Diana Palmer)
We Were Soldiers Once, and Young (Moore & Galloway)
May 25, 2012
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Today is the beginning of Memorial Day in many regions of the country (acually, several schools around here had yesterday off as well), so it's a good time to remember and be thankful for all the men and women who have served and given their lives to protect this country. A moment of silence in honor of them.......
May 23, 2012
Writers' Wednesday: Business or Pleasure?
I've been following an interesting discussion on one of my author loops over the last couple of weeks. It started as a discussion of how to measure sales based on a novel's Amazon sales rank and morphed into a general discussion of marketing, sales, and reasons for writing.
And this is what I found most interesting: many more people than I realized write for money. That is to say, many of the people who chimed in on this discussion are very successful authors (in terms of sales and hitting various best-seller lists). Over and over again, the common thread was that these authors spend as much time marketing themselves and studying which promo efforts translate into the most sales as they do writing their actual books. The feeling among most of them was that this is a job, I'm making a living, and thus I have to study the business side of it just as much as (if not more) the creating side of it.
I found that soooo interesting, mostly because I and the writer friends I know personally do NOT make a living from their books. They write on the sidem at nignt, on weekends, whenever they can, because they love it. If they make money, great. If not, they're still creating something they love.
This is not to say that the authors mentioned above don't love to write, but they don't seem to get lost in the creative efforts and experiences because they can't afford to. At least two of the authors in this discussion confessed that they wrote in the genres they did because those were the genres that sell best, not the ones they love best. They have deadlines, so they don't agonize over finding the perfect word or creating the perfect scene. They write the book for the audience that's awaiting it. They know what sells, and that's what they write.
This whole discussion was somewhat eye-opening for me just because I've heard so often, "Write what you love" but let's face it: there are many successful authors out there who write what sells - and they know how to sell it. I envy those authors to a certain extent, and I start to wonder if I'm going about this all wrong. Certainly, I don't need to pay the bills with my books, but maybe I should be thinking more about the end result of sales than I am right now.
What do you think? Are you an author who spends a significant amount of time studying marketing and sales? Do you tailor your writing and your promo efforts to make the most $$? Have you shifted what you write to take advantage of market trends, even if you're not in love with the genre? I'd love to know...
And this is what I found most interesting: many more people than I realized write for money. That is to say, many of the people who chimed in on this discussion are very successful authors (in terms of sales and hitting various best-seller lists). Over and over again, the common thread was that these authors spend as much time marketing themselves and studying which promo efforts translate into the most sales as they do writing their actual books. The feeling among most of them was that this is a job, I'm making a living, and thus I have to study the business side of it just as much as (if not more) the creating side of it.
I found that soooo interesting, mostly because I and the writer friends I know personally do NOT make a living from their books. They write on the sidem at nignt, on weekends, whenever they can, because they love it. If they make money, great. If not, they're still creating something they love.
This is not to say that the authors mentioned above don't love to write, but they don't seem to get lost in the creative efforts and experiences because they can't afford to. At least two of the authors in this discussion confessed that they wrote in the genres they did because those were the genres that sell best, not the ones they love best. They have deadlines, so they don't agonize over finding the perfect word or creating the perfect scene. They write the book for the audience that's awaiting it. They know what sells, and that's what they write.
This whole discussion was somewhat eye-opening for me just because I've heard so often, "Write what you love" but let's face it: there are many successful authors out there who write what sells - and they know how to sell it. I envy those authors to a certain extent, and I start to wonder if I'm going about this all wrong. Certainly, I don't need to pay the bills with my books, but maybe I should be thinking more about the end result of sales than I am right now.
What do you think? Are you an author who spends a significant amount of time studying marketing and sales? Do you tailor your writing and your promo efforts to make the most $$? Have you shifted what you write to take advantage of market trends, even if you're not in love with the genre? I'd love to know...
May 21, 2012
Monday Mentionables: Reviews Come From the Strangest Places
Happy Monday!
Today, a couple of reviews worth mentioning. Not traditional reviews, though - one is written by a student of mine who chose to read Summer's Song for her "book of the month" reading assigned (I suppose you could say she was hoping for a good grade, though she's diplomatic in certain places, and I know her well enough now, that I think she's being honest). The other is a fan email from a woman in Russia. The first time she wrote to me, I thought it was a fluke (sorry Katerina, if you are reading this), so I emailed her back with a couple of specific questions. She answered them :)
So it's true: you never really know who will read your book, who will love it, who will hate it, and who will review it. Once your words are out there, they're fair game for the reading public, which can be both a blessing and a curse :) Today, I'm focusing on the blessings:
From a student's review: "I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone; I was hooked after the first page! The book's amazing plot never fails to keep the reader on edge as it includes the surprise of suspense novel, the heart-warming sentiment of a romance novel, and life philosophies all in one...Additionally, the story inspires one to forget the "ghosts" of the past and look toward a happier and brighter future. The novel provides you with the perfect happy ending, and a description of the ever enduring, life-changing, can't-live-without-it kind of love that women crave."
From a fan email: "I am very happy write the letter to you!! You help me survive when I was in trouble. You know the best romantic book I read by you was called "One Night in Napa". The heroes are for ever in my heart. When I feel bad I think about them and I feel good myself. It was very very exiting!!! But that would be beautiful to read in in your native language. Thank you very-very-very much for my the happiest houres with your book!!! I am a big fan of romantic book since I met your book!!! And now I study English for to read your book in English!!! Your creativity made my life better. Thank you!!"
Today, a couple of reviews worth mentioning. Not traditional reviews, though - one is written by a student of mine who chose to read Summer's Song for her "book of the month" reading assigned (I suppose you could say she was hoping for a good grade, though she's diplomatic in certain places, and I know her well enough now, that I think she's being honest). The other is a fan email from a woman in Russia. The first time she wrote to me, I thought it was a fluke (sorry Katerina, if you are reading this), so I emailed her back with a couple of specific questions. She answered them :)
So it's true: you never really know who will read your book, who will love it, who will hate it, and who will review it. Once your words are out there, they're fair game for the reading public, which can be both a blessing and a curse :) Today, I'm focusing on the blessings:
From a student's review: "I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone; I was hooked after the first page! The book's amazing plot never fails to keep the reader on edge as it includes the surprise of suspense novel, the heart-warming sentiment of a romance novel, and life philosophies all in one...Additionally, the story inspires one to forget the "ghosts" of the past and look toward a happier and brighter future. The novel provides you with the perfect happy ending, and a description of the ever enduring, life-changing, can't-live-without-it kind of love that women crave."
From a fan email: "I am very happy write the letter to you!! You help me survive when I was in trouble. You know the best romantic book I read by you was called "One Night in Napa". The heroes are for ever in my heart. When I feel bad I think about them and I feel good myself. It was very very exiting!!! But that would be beautiful to read in in your native language. Thank you very-very-very much for my the happiest houres with your book!!! I am a big fan of romantic book since I met your book!!! And now I study English for to read your book in English!!! Your creativity made my life better. Thank you!!"
May 18, 2012
Friday Fun Facts!
Happy Friday! Some fun facts for today:
~I'll be sending out my bi-monthly newsletter at the end of this month, so if you haven't signed up to receive it, you can do so right now, over on the sidebar -->
~Do you belong to Goodreads? I'll be holding a book giveaway over there in June - keep an eye out for it!
~Project Gutenberg offers a collection of Free books for your Kindle - click here for more details!
~Check out the website ACX, where authors can connect with narrators and/or audio book companies interested in producing the work in audio. Big congrats to my writing friend Liz Matis for scoring a partnership there!
~OK, this one isn't a fact but a question: does anyone out there use TweetAdder? I bought the software a few weeks ago and have been having huge trouble with all of the automated features :( I have some tweets that are set to post every day, randomly, but for some reason sometimes they post and sometimes they don't. Any ideas?
Have a great weekend!
~I'll be sending out my bi-monthly newsletter at the end of this month, so if you haven't signed up to receive it, you can do so right now, over on the sidebar -->
~Do you belong to Goodreads? I'll be holding a book giveaway over there in June - keep an eye out for it!
~Project Gutenberg offers a collection of Free books for your Kindle - click here for more details!
~Check out the website ACX, where authors can connect with narrators and/or audio book companies interested in producing the work in audio. Big congrats to my writing friend Liz Matis for scoring a partnership there!
~OK, this one isn't a fact but a question: does anyone out there use TweetAdder? I bought the software a few weeks ago and have been having huge trouble with all of the automated features :( I have some tweets that are set to post every day, randomly, but for some reason sometimes they post and sometimes they don't. Any ideas?
Have a great weekend!
May 14, 2012
Monday Mentionables: A Link or Two for You
Just a couple of quick links to share today, since I'm buried under papers from the college English classes I teach. Ugh! One more day, and 230 papers will be in the books. Until then...
Mandy Roth shares a collection of posts on marketing right here
Savvy Authors Blogs About What to Keep in Mind When You're Editing
Don't forget to stop by the Brenda Novak Online Auction to check out the many, many items up for bid, including my very own Summer Fun Tote!
OK, that's it for now. Have a great day everyone! See you back here Wednesday :)
Mandy Roth shares a collection of posts on marketing right here
Savvy Authors Blogs About What to Keep in Mind When You're Editing
Don't forget to stop by the Brenda Novak Online Auction to check out the many, many items up for bid, including my very own Summer Fun Tote!
OK, that's it for now. Have a great day everyone! See you back here Wednesday :)
