Deb Simpson's Blog, page 4
October 17, 2012
Five Fun Games for writers !!
Get inspired while having fun!!
Great gifts for kids and adults!
Christmas is just around the corner!!
October 9, 2012
Book sale trends and how authors can affect them
http://www.livewritethrive.com/2012/10/08/the-cycles-of-book-sales/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LiveWriteThrive+%28Live+Write+Thrive%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Trend Lines Are Pretty Much the Same
The book industry has sales trend lines that have been consistent for the past forty years. Sales are relatively flat on a week-to-week basis for forty-six weeks out of the year. Slight sales increases are seen on the minor sales holidays. This means approximately the same number of books is being read in any given week compared to the previous year. The marketing efforts of authors and publishers generally do not increase the total amount of books that are purchased. The marketing effort is to get the consumer to purchase your product (book) instead of the competitor
to read the full article, click the link above
Trend Lines Are Pretty Much the Same
The book industry has sales trend lines that have been consistent for the past forty years. Sales are relatively flat on a week-to-week basis for forty-six weeks out of the year. Slight sales increases are seen on the minor sales holidays. This means approximately the same number of books is being read in any given week compared to the previous year. The marketing efforts of authors and publishers generally do not increase the total amount of books that are purchased. The marketing effort is to get the consumer to purchase your product (book) instead of the competitor
to read the full article, click the link above
August 16, 2012
Read To Succeed reviews Closing The Gate!
Closing The Gate review by Read To Succeed Rutherford
Closing the Gate: Inside Heaven’s Gate, by Deb Simpson
by Read to Succeed staff
Review by Laura Beth Payne
When I began reading Deb Simpson’s book, I was prepared for a labyrinth of conspiracy theories and mysterious events about the cult that attracted her brother Jimmy and eventually led to his suicide. Instead I found something familiarly sad and too common: the story of a lost child trying to find a family when his own was falling apart. I found the story playing over in my mind long after I finished it.
More than half of the book is not about Jimmy or Heaven’s Gate at all, but about Simpson’s family, since it is what Simpson believes caused Jimmy to seek “another family” in Heaven’s Gate members. It’s no coincidence that Simpson now, besides her writing, serves as a volunteer for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children who, just like herself and Jimmy, are members of broken families.
The chapters are written in different voices, alternating between Simpson’s mother, father, brother and herself. I cringed empathetically at the way she captured her abusive father’s own deranged, guiltless point of view, and I grimaced at the mother’s voice. She is not so much of a horrible character as a helpless one, having suffered at the inept hands of psychiatric “care,” rootless religion and abusive relationships. Jimmy’s tone evokes a quiet, contemplative man who is starving for understanding.
While Simpson is eventually able to leave her parents and find healing in her marriage, school, therapy and a job, Jimmy stays at home with their mother and won’t leave despite encouragement from doctors, therapists and Simpson herself. Instead he begins corresponding with those who seem able to give him the spiritual direction he craves—Heaven’s Gate cult members.
Spending a period of time at the compound gives Jimmy a sense of belonging and community that his own family had not given him, but he leaves when he realizes that he was not “as spiritual” as the other members. It was not until after the mass suicides that Jimmy decides he wanted follow his “family” to the next spiritual level: death. He shot himself through the heart in his apartment.
Yes, the story is haunting; I don’t think a story involving a suicide and cult activity can be anything less. But even more sobering than the events leading to Jimmy’s death are Simpson’s reflections afterwards:
“I believe [Jimmy] was looking for someone to show him the way . . . but no one did. We were all too caught up in our lives to understand the depth of his struggles. I will forever regret my own blindness to his pain, and his inability to tell me.”
Readers of Closing the Gate will find much to ponder from Simpson’s portrait of her family, her own escape and her brother’s descent into cult life. But if Simpson is successful, readers will also find a piercing reminder of the significance of our relationships and our human mandate to engage with the struggles and pain in those around us.
Deb Simpson is a Murfreesboro resident and the current president of the Tennessee Writers Alliance. For more information on her and her work, visit debsimpsonbooks.com.
Closing the Gate: Inside Heaven’s Gate, by Deb Simpson
by Read to Succeed staff
Review by Laura Beth Payne
When I began reading Deb Simpson’s book, I was prepared for a labyrinth of conspiracy theories and mysterious events about the cult that attracted her brother Jimmy and eventually led to his suicide. Instead I found something familiarly sad and too common: the story of a lost child trying to find a family when his own was falling apart. I found the story playing over in my mind long after I finished it.
More than half of the book is not about Jimmy or Heaven’s Gate at all, but about Simpson’s family, since it is what Simpson believes caused Jimmy to seek “another family” in Heaven’s Gate members. It’s no coincidence that Simpson now, besides her writing, serves as a volunteer for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children who, just like herself and Jimmy, are members of broken families.
The chapters are written in different voices, alternating between Simpson’s mother, father, brother and herself. I cringed empathetically at the way she captured her abusive father’s own deranged, guiltless point of view, and I grimaced at the mother’s voice. She is not so much of a horrible character as a helpless one, having suffered at the inept hands of psychiatric “care,” rootless religion and abusive relationships. Jimmy’s tone evokes a quiet, contemplative man who is starving for understanding.
While Simpson is eventually able to leave her parents and find healing in her marriage, school, therapy and a job, Jimmy stays at home with their mother and won’t leave despite encouragement from doctors, therapists and Simpson herself. Instead he begins corresponding with those who seem able to give him the spiritual direction he craves—Heaven’s Gate cult members.
Spending a period of time at the compound gives Jimmy a sense of belonging and community that his own family had not given him, but he leaves when he realizes that he was not “as spiritual” as the other members. It was not until after the mass suicides that Jimmy decides he wanted follow his “family” to the next spiritual level: death. He shot himself through the heart in his apartment.
Yes, the story is haunting; I don’t think a story involving a suicide and cult activity can be anything less. But even more sobering than the events leading to Jimmy’s death are Simpson’s reflections afterwards:
“I believe [Jimmy] was looking for someone to show him the way . . . but no one did. We were all too caught up in our lives to understand the depth of his struggles. I will forever regret my own blindness to his pain, and his inability to tell me.”
Readers of Closing the Gate will find much to ponder from Simpson’s portrait of her family, her own escape and her brother’s descent into cult life. But if Simpson is successful, readers will also find a piercing reminder of the significance of our relationships and our human mandate to engage with the struggles and pain in those around us.
Deb Simpson is a Murfreesboro resident and the current president of the Tennessee Writers Alliance. For more information on her and her work, visit debsimpsonbooks.com.
August 9, 2012
Who Gets Your Book(s) When You Die? - Yet Another Case of Heirs Fighting Over an Author's Copyrights
Who Gets Your Book(s) When You Die? - Yet Another Case of Heirs Fighting Over an Author's Copyrights
http://writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/007496_08082012.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+writersweekly+%28WritersWeekly.com+-+Freelance+Writing+Ezine%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
http://writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/007496_08082012.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+writersweekly+%28WritersWeekly.com+-+Freelance+Writing+Ezine%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
July 23, 2012
July 9, 2012
Lulu--is a Lulu at self publishing! Read about the recent changes at this powerhouse!
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/07/whats-new-at-lulu-com-video-interview-with-sarah-gilbert/
excerpt:
The first major player in print on demand for self-publishers—and still one of the largest of all—is Lulu.com. Since their founding in 2002 by Bob Young,
click the link above to read the full article
___________________________________________________________
I first self published through Lulu and they remain my choice for trying new approaches due the ease of use and flexibility, and the new ebook offerrings are worth exploring!
If you are nto familiar with this key player in the publishing arena, please sop by their website and check out the authors who are featured in Lulu Author Spotlights! (I am pleased to be counted among them!)
excerpt:
The first major player in print on demand for self-publishers—and still one of the largest of all—is Lulu.com. Since their founding in 2002 by Bob Young,
Lulu has published over 1.1 million titles by creators in over 200 countries and territories and adds 20,000 new titles to their catalogue a month.—Wikipedia
click the link above to read the full article
___________________________________________________________
I first self published through Lulu and they remain my choice for trying new approaches due the ease of use and flexibility, and the new ebook offerrings are worth exploring!
If you are nto familiar with this key player in the publishing arena, please sop by their website and check out the authors who are featured in Lulu Author Spotlights! (I am pleased to be counted among them!)
July 6, 2012
July 2, 2012
Author blogging styles--good practical tips
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/07/author-blogging-101-8-blogging-styles-you-can-use-today/
1. Personal reflection
Probably the first blogging style, since blogs started as online journals. This is still powerfully attractive to writers who love having an outlet for material that might not fit projects they are working on for publication. The downside of this style is the difficulty of finding subject matter that other people actually want to read.
there are 7 other styles....
Mix and Match Blogging Styles for Variety
Over time as your blog matures you’ll find yourself using many of these styles at different times. You can mix how-to articles with curated content from other how-to blogs, for instance, to give your readers some variety
please click on the link ot read the full article
1. Personal reflection
Probably the first blogging style, since blogs started as online journals. This is still powerfully attractive to writers who love having an outlet for material that might not fit projects they are working on for publication. The downside of this style is the difficulty of finding subject matter that other people actually want to read.
there are 7 other styles....
Mix and Match Blogging Styles for Variety
Over time as your blog matures you’ll find yourself using many of these styles at different times. You can mix how-to articles with curated content from other how-to blogs, for instance, to give your readers some variety
please click on the link ot read the full article
June 29, 2012
Hook your Hook!
Evaluate your hook
from Writers Digest March/April 2012
With each story you start, always remember that an effective hook needs to do 7 things?
1) Grab the readers attention
2) Introduce a character that readers care about
3) Set the story's mood
4) Establish the storytellers voice
5) Orient readers to the world of the protagonist (and enable them to picture it)
6) Lock in the genre
7) End in a way that is both surprising and satisfying
from Writers Digest March/April 2012
With each story you start, always remember that an effective hook needs to do 7 things?
1) Grab the readers attention
2) Introduce a character that readers care about
3) Set the story's mood
4) Establish the storytellers voice
5) Orient readers to the world of the protagonist (and enable them to picture it)
6) Lock in the genre
7) End in a way that is both surprising and satisfying
