Kenneth Atchity's Blog, page 200

Guest Post: 50 Things Under $50 Bucks To Promote Your Book by Penny C. Sansevieri,

These days it seems like everyone's book marketing budget is a little
tighter. If you're feeling the pinch, or if you're just looking for
some great free stuff to do on your own, here are some tips that can
help keep you on track. Along with the tips, I've also linked to other
articles I've written on the various topics, in case you want to dig
deeper: 



 






Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book.
You can get domain names for as little as12.95. Tip: When buying a
domain always try to get a .com and stay away from hyphens, i.e.
penny-sansevieri.com - surfers rarely remember to insert hyphens. You
should also consider using your keywords in your domain because it'll
help you rank better. Social media is great, but don't use your Facebook
or Twitter pages as your "website" - you should own your domain and
have a site. Period. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/how-to-build-the-perfect-_b_1932184.html
Head on over to Wordpress.com and start your very own blog (you can add it to your website later): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/ten-reasons-why-you-shoul_b_839231.html
Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore. Do an event and not a signing, book signings are boring!
It's all about content these days so why not create a
calendar for content? Often if you aren't sure what to write, or when, a
content calendar will keep you on track. You can plan the calendar
around your free time (though you should blog weekly) and around
holidays or events that may tie into your book.
Then, while you're at it: brainstorm content ideas and start a
content folder you can always refer back to when you aren't feeling
"inspired" to write anything.
Check out other, similar authors online and see if you can do some networking.
Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five
new stations this week. Here's a great place to find radio stations!
http://www.radio-locator.com/
Ready to get some business cards? Head on over to
Vistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo on the
back, if you don't they're still really inexpensive.
Put together your marketing plan. Seriously, do this. If you
don't know where you're going, any destination will do. If you don't
feel like doing an entire "plan" then pick ten things you want to do
this month to promote your book.
Plan a contest or giveaway. Contests are a great way to promote your book. Make sure to mention the contest on Facebook!
Time to get yourself onto Wattpad. Never heard of Wattpad?
It's a place where you can run your content, chapters, short stories,
whatever you want, and it's a fantastic way to build fans and get
feedback on your work!
Send thank-you notes to people who have been helpful to you.
Send your book out to at least ten book reviewers this week.
Do a quick Internet search for local writers' conferences or book festivals you can attend: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/eight-tips-to-make-your-n_b_850665.html
Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.
Ready to pitch bloggers? Excellent, then start by doing a
search for the right ones on Google. You can also head over here and
plug in your search term to find the top blogs in your market: http://www.invesp.com/blog-rank/
Enhance your Amazon Author Central Page by linking to your blog, Twitter feed or adding a video if you have one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/sell-more-on-amazoncom-un_b_3670424.html
Plan your free eBook promotion. If you're on KDP (Kindle
Direct Publishing) drop your price to zero for one day or three days.
You'll want to schedule this a week or so out, then head on over to
sites where you can list your freebie. There are tons of them but here
are two to get you started: www.igniteyourbook.com and www.ebookswag.com
Write your bio and have someone who can be objective critique it; you'll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media.
Schedule your first book event!
Start your own email newsletter; it's a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success.
Start a Twitter account and begin tweeting. If you don't
think Twitter is significant, think again; it's been a major part of our
marketing strategy for over two years now (before anyone even knew what
Twitter was).
Develop a set of questions or discussion topics that book
clubs or online book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your
website for handy downloads.
Start a Facebook Fan page. Fan Pages are much better than a personal profile for marketing because they're searchable in Google.
See if you can get your friends to host a "book party" in
their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive
audience!
Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for
and then submit your packet to them for consideration. If you're unsure
of what catalogs might work for you, head on over to
http://www.catalogs.com/ and peruse their list.
Go around to your local retailers and see if they'll carry
your book; even if it's on consignment, it might be worth it! Don't just
offer this at bookstores either, see if your local dry cleaner, gift
shops, and restaurants will take it. Often local establishments are very
supportive of their local authors!
Visual is so important these days, how about getting an
account on Vine or Instagram and doing short videos and pictures about
your book or topic? Visuals are a great way to sell a book!
Write a review for someone else's book that's similar to
yours. Not sure how this relates to your promotion? Well it's called
networking and it's just a great idea to always do outreach.
Get yourself on Library Thing or Goodreads and start gathering friends and building your profile there: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/how-to-become-a-goodreads_b_3719161.html
Make sure your blog is connected to Amazon via their Amazon
connect program (yes, it's free). (You can do this through your Author
Central Page)
Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.
Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.
Subscribe to Talkwalker.com or Mention.net and make sure that
you are getting alerts under your name as well as your book title(s),
brand, and keywords.
Pitch yourself to your local television stations.
Pitch yourself to your local print media.
Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You'll need it when you start booking media interviews!
Schedule a book giveaway on Library Thing or Goodreads. It's a fantastic way to drive new interest for your book! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/the-power-of-the-goodread_b_3736965.html
Is the topic of your book in the news? Check your local
paper, and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and
promote your book!).
Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event. They love local authors.
Do you want to get your book into your local library system?
Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances
are the other branches will too.
Go to Chase's Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!
Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event or two.
If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.
Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local
companies first and see if they're interested in buying some promotional
copies to give away at company events.
Don't forget to add reviews to your website. Remember that
what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than
anything you could say!
Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in
your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the
media.
Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with
an interest in your topic and then go for it. Remember all they can say
is no. Check out the Actors Guild for a list of celeb representatives.
Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some
regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance
article for reprint consideration?
Work on your next book or work on writing mini-books.
Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your
second, but also many authors are writing and promoting mini-books to
keep readers engaged while they wait for their next book to come out.
How long do mini-books need to be? 50-75 pages. That's it!

2013 AFAUSSS Conference in Boston

Clint Hill meets President George H.W. Bush. Mr. Hill has met every president



















Clint Hill and Tom Wells (Kennedy Children's Detail)   



Kennedy Detail agents Rad Jones, Ken Wiesman, Chuck Zboril, Clint Hill, Toby

Oscar Castro-Neves Praise for Dr. Warren Woodruff's Dr. Fuddle and The Gold Baton

"How wonderful to discover a book for young readers that is full of art, history, great music, and yet teaching what is right and what is wrong. All done in an magical and imaginative way. We need this book."   ~ Oscar Castro-Neves











Oscar Castro-Neves



Oscar Castro-Neves (born May 15, 1940 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began as teens so this was only slightly unusual. In 1962 he was in a Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall, later he toured with Stan Getz and Sérgio Mendes. He went on to work with a diverse array of musicians includingYo Yo Ma, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, João Gilberto, Lee Ritenour, Airto Moreira, Toots Thielemans, John Klemmer, Carol Welsman and Diane Schuur. During the 1970s and early 1980s he was member of the Paul Winter Consort.

He currently lives in Los Angeles, California where he has worked as an orchestrator for several films including Blame it on Rio and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.  




 



Dr. Fuddle and the Golden Baton

by Warren L. Woodruff

Only retrieving the gold baton can hold back chaos.

Oscar Castro-Neves Prais for Dr. Warren Woodruff's Dr. Fuddle and The Gold Baton

"How wonderful to discover a book for young readers that is full of art, history, great music, and yet teaching what is right and what is wrong. All done in an magical and imaginative way. We need this book."   ~ Oscar Castro-Neves











Oscar Castro-Neves



Oscar Castro-Neves (born May 15, 1940 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer who is considered a founding figure in Bossa nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza. Many of the early Bossa Nova musicians began as teens so this was only slightly unusual. In 1962 he was in a Bossa Nova concert at Carnegie Hall, later he toured with Stan Getz and Sérgio Mendes. He went on to work with a diverse array of musicians includingYo Yo Ma, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, João Gilberto, Lee Ritenour, Airto Moreira, Toots Thielemans, John Klemmer, Carol Welsman and Diane Schuur. During the 1970s and early 1980s he was member of the Paul Winter Consort.

He currently lives in Los Angeles, California where he has worked as an orchestrator for several films including Blame it on Rio and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.  




 



Dr. Fuddle and the Golden Baton

by Warren L. Woodruff

Only retrieving the gold baton can hold back chaos.

Huffington Post: Stopping Time

Managing your work doesn't work for a simple reason: Work is infinite. Good work only creates more work; in fact, bad work creates more work too. So the more you work the more work you will have. It's basic common sense that you can't manage an infinite commodity.

What can you manage? Time. You not only can, but must, manage your time because time is all too finite.

They say, "If you want to get something done, find a busy person." The busy person succeeds in getting things done because he knows how to manage his time. We all have the exact same amount of time at our disposal, 60 minutes each hour, 24 hours each day, 168 hours each week, 8,736 hours each year. If you put one hour into a project each day for a year, you'd have worked on it for 365 hours -- more than enough time to write a book, build a house, launch a new product, plan and execute a new campaign. "If you put a little upon a little," said the ancient Greek almanac writer Hesiod, "soon it becomes a lot."

One memorable day in Manhattan I was delivering a broken antique wall clock to my favorite repair shop. As I completed my drop off and turned to leave, I noticed an ultra-modern stand-up clock constructed of shiny pendulums, a different metal each for hours, minutes, and seconds, all enclosed in a sleek glass case. It was simply the most beautiful timepiece I'd ever seen.

Then I realized: it had no hands. At first I thought, No wonder it's in the shop. It's broken. Then I studied the clock more closely.

No. It was designed that way. It was a timepiece that Salvador Dali would have been as thrilled with as I was.

And it reminded me that time is a free force. It just happens, whether you do anything about it or not. It's up for grabs.

It doesn't belong to your employer, or to the government, or to anyone but you!

The trick is where do you find that free time? -- a question busy people are asked regularly. Here's their secret: busy people make time, for the activities they decide to prioritize. One good way to wrestle with that question is to ask yourself, "Where do I lose it?" You'd be surprised.

Make a chart of your weekly hours and use it to determine how many hours you devote to each activity in your cluttered life. Maybe you'd be surprised, or maybe not, that most people have no idea where the time goes. They come up with a grand total of 182, or 199, or 82 hours of activity -- until they remember that they, like every other human, have only 168 hours each week to spend.

Then we get serious and analyze exactly where they're lying to themselves about the time: forgetting about the endless phone calls with friends, or the true amount of time in front of the television, or the accurate time devoted to the daily commute, or the time doing absolutely nothing but staring out the window. When we get the time inventory accurate most people are surprised at the truth. But the truth is the first step to freedom, and managing your time effectively is the greatest freedom of all.

I call it "making the clock of life your clock." I believe in this philosophy so much I haven't worn a chronograph for nearly thirty years, despite owning a vintage wrist watch that belonged to my father and an even older pocket watch that belonged to my grandfather. The only chronograph I carry around with me is one that allows me to make life's clock mine: a stopwatch. It makes the Spanish proverb, la vida es corta pero ancha ("life is short but wide") come true. You can get an app on your cell phone!

The stopwatch method of time management is simple. You use it to make sure that your Priority Project is getting the amount of attention you want to give it to move it -- and your personal success -- ahead with certainty. You know that the wall clock, or the one on your wrist or displayed on your cell phone, has a way of running away with your day. You say you'll work on Priority Project from 7 to 8 a.m. and something is certain to come along to disrupt that hour almost as though life were conspiring against you. What's really happening is that you're letting life interfere with your personal time management. Of course when the interference occurs, you tell yourself "I'll catch up later," or "I'll start again tomorrow and this time protect myself from interruptions," but over the years we discover that life runs rampant over any such resolutions.

The stopwatch method works best in a life jam-packed with stimuli and distraction. It allows you to "steal time." While clocks on wrists and walls record public time, your private prime time happens only when your stopwatch is running. The stopwatch allows you to call "time out" from the game everyone else is engaged in.

Simply promise yourself you won't go to sleep at night until, by hook or by crook, you've clocked one hour (60 minutes) of working on Priority Project on your stopwatch. Turn the stopwatch ON when you're working on it, and OFF when you get interrupted. Your stopwatch minutes may be gleaned over a six-hour period, or over a twenty-four-hour period. You "steal" them when you can: waiting at the dentist's, community on public transportation, when an appointment hasn't shown up yet, when your cell phone dies and no one can reach you until you've replaced or recharged the battery, when your date for the evening calls in sick. It takes a few days to get used to this process, but once you do you'll recognize the power it gives you over time.

Isn't it hard to work in fits and starts? You might very well ask that very good question. The answer is that it's actually easier to work that way than it is to work without stopping if you employ the time-management technique of linkage.

Here's how linkage works. The phone rings, so you have to turn off your stopwatch. But you let it ring one or two more times, taking that time to make a mental decision about what you'll do when your stopwatch is running again -- that is, in your next Priority Project session. And here's a useful secret: it doesn't matter what decision you make. The minute you make it, as you answer the phone and go on from one activity to the next, your mind starts thinking of better decisions than the one you made; in fact, your mind becomes increasingly motivated to get back to that Priority Project because it knows exactly what it will do when the next session begins. You've created an automatic linkage, that makes restarting when your stopwatch is next running, no longer an occasion for blockage. Instead, you're fully ready to jump in and get as much out of that next session as possible before it's interrupted by life's next distraction.

And, yes, have a desk drawer filled with stopwatches so you can employ a different colored chronograph for each major activity you're engaged with.

The stopwatch method can truly make the clock of life your clock.



___________________________________________________________________

Dr. Kenneth Atchity has been consulting on time management for decades. His 20 books include Write Time: A Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision through Revision; and How to Quit Your Day Job and Live out Your Dreams.





Follow Ken Atchity on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kennja

Story Merchant Client George J. Fowler's My Cuba Libre FREE FIVE DAY KINDLE DOWNLOAD September 9 to 13!

Please enjoy your FREE Kindle Download and REVIEW ON AMAZON!

George Fowler's very personal story about his lifelong dedication to the cause of Cuban freedom and his efforts to remove the dictator Fidel Castro from power and bring democracy to his homeland.

STORY MERCHANT BOOKS AUGUST BEST SELLERS

Fossil River

by Jock Miller

Prehistoric predators threaten the U.S. economy.
















The Messiah Matrix

by Kenneth John Atchity

A gold coin reveals the true origins of Christianity.












Writing Treatments to Sell

by Chi-Li Wong & Ken Atchity











The Tall Dolores

by Michael Avallone

An Amazon Stripper, Diamonds and death











So Help Me God

by Larry D. Thompson

An abortion gone wrong pits church against state.

Association of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service (AFAUSSS) 2013 Conference

There was a special luncheon at the JFK Library yesterday, hosted by Director Tom Putnam.  The agents were honored and had the opportunity to share a few memories with the group and they received a standing ovation from the agents (and spouses) who followed in their footsteps. 







The agents with JFK Library Director Tom Putnam (next to Clint)







Clint Hill







Ken Wiesman, Ken Giannoules, Toby Chandler, Chuck Zboril, Clint Hill, Tom Wells, Rad Jones, Walt Coughlin, Bob Kollar

Join Me on February 15, 2014 at Southern California Writers Association Lecture on the "Pros & Cons of Direct vs, Legacy Publishing"

 

SCWA - Future Speakers - February 15, 2014




Opportunities in a Dynamic Environment



Dr. Ken Atchity







Story Merchant Dr. Ken Atchity believes in the power of stories to change the world. A storyteller himself (his recent thriller, The Messiah Matrix , can be visited on www.messiahmatrix.com) Ken has been privileged to spend a lifetime helping stories reach their ideal audiences in both publishing and entertainment. As a literary manager he has sold over 200 books (fiction and nonfiction), and overseen over twenty New York Times bestsellers, including Mrs. Kennedy and Me, The Kennedy Detail, Dracula: The Un-Dead, and The Last Valentine. As a producer working with both major studios and indie financiers, he’s produced thirty-something films, most recently Hysteria, Erased, The Lost Valentine, and the Emmy-nominated The Kennedy Detail.

His own books include several for storytellers, including How to Publish Your Novel, Writing Treatments To Sell, and A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision through Revision.

Former professor of comparative literature at Occidental College and Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Writers Program, Ken has also served as Fulbright Professor to the University of Bologna and as regular book review for The Los Angeles Times Book Review for twenty years.

With what he calls “the new Gutenberg Revolution” in full sway with the technologies of communication, Ken says, “I’ve not been this excited about helping storytellers for years. Today there is truly a level playing field, where the old gatekeepers are giving way to new methods of reaching the audience.” At the recent Thrillerfest in New York, his talk on “Direct vs Legacy Publishing” was the most highly-attended workshop in Craftfest. His analysis of the situation can be found on his website www.storymerchant.com.

For all his background as manager, producer, writing coach, and author, Ken is proudest of being known for “thinking outside the box.” “If I find someone stuck in old ways of thinking,” he says, “I’m not sure I can help him. We’re living in a world of accelerating change, and your mind must be open to seizing the opportunities such a dynamic environment presents. Storytellers haven’t been this fortunate in over a hundred years.” That’s what Ken will talk to us about when he speaks in February.

He can be reached at Atchity@storymerchant.com.









Banquet Room at The
Claim Jumper

18050 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Break for Lunch then reconvene with an hour Q and A






SCWA September Newsletter 

Join Me on February 15, 2014 at Southern California Writers Association Lecture on the "Pros & Cons of Direct vs, Legacy Publishing"

 

SCWA - Future Speakers - February 15, 2014




Opportunities in a Dynamic Environment



Dr. Ken Atchity







Story Merchant Dr. Ken Atchity believes in the power of stories to change the world. A storyteller himself (his recent thriller, The Messiah Matrix , can be visited on www.messiahmatrix.com) Ken has been privileged to spend a lifetime helping stories reach their ideal audiences in both publishing and entertainment. As a literary manager he has sold over 200 books (fiction and nonfiction), and overseen over twenty New York Times bestsellers, including Mrs. Kennedy and Me, The Kennedy Detail, Dracula: The Un-Dead, and The Last Valentine. As a producer working with both major studios and indie financiers, he’s produced thirty-something films, most recently Hysteria, Erased, The Lost Valentine, and the Emmy-nominated The Kennedy Detail.

His own books include several for storytellers, including How to Publish Your Novel, Writing Treatments To Sell, and A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision through Revision.

Former professor of comparative literature at Occidental College and Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Writers Program, Ken has also served as Fulbright Professor to the University of Bologna and as regular book review for The Los Angeles Times Book Review for twenty years.

With what he calls “the new Gutenberg Revolution” in full sway with the technologies of communication, Ken says, “I’ve not been this excited about helping storytellers for years. Today there is truly a level playing field, where the old gatekeepers are giving way to new methods of reaching the audience.” At the recent Thrillerfest in New York, his talk on “Direct vs Legacy Publishing” was the most highly-attended workshop in Craftfest. His analysis of the situation can be found on his website www.storymerchant.com.

For all his background as manager, producer, writing coach, and author, Ken is proudest of being known for “thinking outside the box.” “If I find someone stuck in old ways of thinking,” he says, “I’m not sure I can help him. We’re living in a world of accelerating change, and your mind must be open to seizing the opportunities such a dynamic environment presents. Storytellers haven’t been this fortunate in over a hundred years.” That’s what Ken will talk to us about when he speaks in February.

He can be reached at Atchity@storymerchant.com.









Banquet Room at The
Claim Jumper

18050 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Break for Lunch then reconvene with an hour Q and A






SCWA September Newsletter