A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that fiction reading is on the rise, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds.
–Newsweek
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Networking with Real Power – From on HIGH!
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have always been wired to network. I love sharing information; connecting cool people with other cool people, seeing groups come together for a common cause. There’s strength in numbers. Jesus said, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).
Because networking is so much a part of my personality, I have been teased a lot. I had even begun to think I was a bit strange – until I realized Jesus was a networker. He had to be. He took twelve folks and revolutionized the world. He turned it upside down!
He had a life-changing message that He imparted into mankind through the networking of men. The twelve disciples told some people, and they told some people, and so on and so on…
Isn’t that what life is all about? No man is an island – we all need each other. How could anyone have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior if they had not heard the Gospel? And how can they have heard without someone telling them? (Romans 10:14). That’s the ultimate “network.” Hooking people up to the “true vine” because Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1 and 5).
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King talked about networking too. He said, “As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I had a billion dollars… I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent. We are all interdependent.”
Networking is not always about getting. It’s really about giving. Actually, you’re more blessed when you give than when you receive (Acts 20:35). I have a passion for God which has caused me to have compassion for people.
We must be committed to helping people. Ephesians 4:3 says, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” When we network together, we weave a bond of ultimate power. Creating alliances and cultivating relationships is critical today, especially in business.
Networking is love in action (see 1 Corinthians 13). The master networker, best-selling author of “Success Runs in Our Race” and publisher of the Success Guide, George C. Fraser said, “I think success really involves the situations you get yourself into and the people you meet. No one can be successful by themselves – it’s the relationships that you develop with the people around you. Throughout my life, I’ve had people who helped me do better.”
Success does run in our race. Fraser has been on a mission to link African Americans together for the betterment of them all. For more than ten years, he has published The Success Guide to accomplish this goal. More than an upscale directory of contacts, it is the only vehicle that has African American professionals from 7 different countries and 75 cities. “It’s networking in an instant with real people getting real results,” said Fraser. He is also the author of the new book, “Click.”
The Bible tells us in Matthew 25:39 to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the key to a successful life. Another recurring phrase in the Bible is “one another.” We are to: love, instruct, encourage, stir up, lift up, rejoice with, prefer, serve, pray with, submit to, admonish, minister to, fellowship with and edify one another. Sounds like networking to me.
Nobody gets to the highest peaks without help from others. Networking is the identification of relationships for the purpose of sharing information and resources. Taking time for people and communication is the key. Don’t ever get too busy to share information or your wisdom.
Success comes when you hook up with like-minded folks and kindred spirits. Moving ahead often involves reaching out and being willing to give. We reap what we sow.
So, how does one “network” for success?
Here are some practical tips to implement:
1. Be visible. Dress sharp and snappy. Look like someone others want to know because your image says “success.” Be willing to attend functions alone. Networking expands your circle of influence, builds your personal brand, and garners support.
2. Give before you get. Sow before you reap. Look for ways to be a blessing. Share information and resources with contacts before asking them for anything. Search for their interests and goals when meeting someone new. Figure out a way to help them.Gather, collect, and distribute info. Position yourself as the “go to” person for ministry information. Provide regular updates about helpful events or books. Use an email database system like Constant Contact or AWeber to simplify the process and send information attractively.
3. Write your vision. Make it plain. Make the most of networking opportunities by having eye-catching marketing materials. Have more than a business card when going to a conference or event. Be intentional about your purpose. Have a bookmark or postcard describing your book. Offer a CD or brochure as a speaker.
4. Demonstrate your sincere faith by being a person of character and integrity. Follow the Golden Rule which says, “Treat others as you want to be treated”, with respect and courtesy. Follow up and follow through. Deliver on your promises.
So be deliberate in creating partnerships, building relationships and keeping friendships. Make it your intent to be kind, really care about people, treat others with respect and value everyone.
If professionals work together, exchange ideas, contacts and learn how to joint venture – we’d really be about our Father’s business and that’s real power networking! By letting God direct and guide our actions, we’ll have the ordained relationships for success and that’s better than any social network.
Ministry marketing pioneer, Award-winning social media strategist and PR Coach Pam Perry helps African American Christian authors garner publicity and leverage online strategies. As a 20-year PR veteran, she is also the co-author of “Synergy Energy: How to Use the Power of Partnerships to Market Your Book, Grow Your Business and Brand Your Ministry.” For a free MP3 of “What Every Author Should Know,” go to http://www.PamPerryPR.com. She offers help through her private mentorship program at http://www.PamPerryMentoring.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pam_Perry/267934
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5448022
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Learn how to build a beta team and ARC team all in one. Launch your book with reviews, get free editing and build momentum before you even hit publish.
Take your fears to the next level and use them to gain more book sales and achieve more literary goals!
https://www.e-junkie.com/ejm/hubbooks
Comment now about your book fears this month or leave your marketing challenges you’ve overcome to teach others!
Path of the Hero Presentation Information
In this presentation, writers will learn how the study of mythology and the archetypes represented inside them can help them to write better protagonists.
Writers will learn how to take their readers on a journey of discovery and transformation as experienced through the main character, as he or she follows the path you as the writer has laid out for them.
Writers will learn tried and true methods for writing more believable and impactful hero characters.
These techniques may be used by writers of both fiction and non-fiction.
Keith Young Biography
It is hard to put so much genius in one container! Keith is an author, educator, historian, artist and
community activist. Similarly to the eminent mythologist, writer, and lecturer, Joseph Campbell, Keith love to dig through the mines of ancient myths, legends, and religions to unearth their deeper meanings and their significance to our daily modern lives.
Keith is a lifelong Detroiter with deep roots in the community. Among his accomplishments he sites
graduating from Cass Tech, becoming a Detroit Police Officer, and teaching the young and old at various Detroit Public Schools and Non-Profits.
If your book isn’t selling what you hoped, you can use these questions as a checklist to determine whether you’ve done everything possible to help it reach the right readers.
Of course, you don’t have to do everything on this list, but choosing elements from each section will help your book stand out from the crowded market. If you want to fill it in, you can download it by clicking the links below.
This is an excerpt from How to Market a Book Third Edition by Joanna Penn, available in ebook, print and audiobook.
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/08/02/book-marketing-questions-to-help-you-sell-more-books/
Marta Minujín is a 74 year old artist and she has just created a replica of the Greek Parthenon from 100,000 copies of banned books. It was built in Kassel, Germany where Nazis famously held a book burning party in 1933. “Democracy without books is not democracy,” says Minijín in a statement.
The artist built a similar structure in 1983 when Argentina’s dictatorship fell, and at the end of the installation period, they tipped the structure over so people could get the books. A similar fate is planned for this structure.
https://goodereader.com/blog/business-news/artists-creates-the-parthenon-out-of-100000-banned-books
I’m always available to answer questions for you because it may be the questions millions of other authors are trying to get answers and the answer we come up with could help not only you, but others as well.
If you’d like just a private consultation, click here.
Now, HOW CAN I HELP YOU? (Leave your response in the comments)
Follow these 12 steps and you’ll see yourself in print – OFTEN.
1. Get newsworthy info into the hands of the media. Make a habit of sending out releases on a regular basis about your events, special speakers, or anything impacting the community at large. Use a media directory or “Google” on the web to find names and contact information.
2. Get to know the beat of reporters of the daily and weekly newspapers. Position yourself with them as an accessible and reliable source and a key authority to be featured in future stories.
3. Read the dailies, weeklies! Respond to articles where you can take a stand on an issue while branding your book by writing a “Letter to Editor” or an “Op Ed” – Opinion Editorial.
4. Send out media releases for really intriguing or fascinating human interest stories by using news wire services. Wire services get wider distribution and can be picked up by national media via the web.
5. Place ads in local newspapers and monthly magazines. Have the ads consistent with your other marketing materials.
6. Become a regular advertiser in at least one publication. You build brand equity with that audience by advertising in one publication. They learn to trust you. Purchase ads in souvenir program books like the NAACP or SCLC to show your commitment to the community.
7. Feature bold graphics and a lot of white space in your newspaper and magazine ads. Keep copy to a minimum. Steer people to your web site. Color commands attention and adds impact. It also gets better ad placement in newspapers.
8. Supply media with well-written and professionally developed press kits. Include press releases (the who, what, when, where, how and why), fact sheets, bios, photo, brochure, annual reports and news clips. Suggest a story idea in the cover letter. Use the industry format for releases to improve your chances of gaining publicity.
9. Expect very little communication back from editors. They are very busy every day with tons of lead for stories. Assign an intern or team member to follow up by phone, email, or both.
10. Read any and all publications you can. Note stories that deal with issues important to your ministry. Add that reporter to your media contact list to send them future releases. The best media lists are the ones you personally create and are familiar with the reporter’s work and style.
11. Send out thank you notes to reporters who feature you in stories. They will remember your personal touch and will keep you in mind as a good source in the future.
12. Assign a photographer to take photos at ALL events where you are participating. Releasing the photos to the media after an event is called Post-Publicity. Send the photo with a brief description of the event. Identify the people in the photo with a label on the back. Realize that newspapers always need good photos. Most black newspapers love to chronicle events in the community.
Ministry marketing pioneer, Award-winning social media strategist and PR Coach Pam Perry helps African American Christian authors garner publicity and leverage online strategies. As a 20-year PR veteran, she is also the co-author of “Synergy Energy: How to Use the Power of Partnerships to Market Your Book, Grow Your Business and Brand Your Ministry.” She offers help through her private mentorship program at http://www.PamPerryMentoring.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pam_Perry/267934
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1870402
Take The Next Step:
I’m interested in coaching/consulting services
I’m interested in “Done For You” Marketing, Branding & PR Services
Get affordable, professional, quality flat-rate editing, just $175 for 20,000 words. That’s it.
Plus, I don’t just copy-edit for grammar and spelling, but analyze content (POV, plot holes, inconsistencies, etc.) to bring your manuscript to publication/submission-ready quality. Visit http://ckbrooke.com/editing/ to learn more.
Are you ready to do more?
Write?
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Download these files to give you assistance in your literary journey.
And don’t forget, you can always request Sylvia for your writer’s group to speak or request a private consultation!
Are you frustrated and just need quick questions to all your eBook needs without breaking your bank?
Sylvia Hubbard has been in the eBook industry since 2000 and can become your eBook whisperer. Called an author’s best friend, she has spoken in the United States and Canada on Ebook Writing Publishing and Marketing.Let her spend a little time helping you get to your eBook Literary goals!For $30 dollars you will receive ONE HOUR of coaching and answers to your questions. Price: 30.00 USD
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Where are you from? Born, raised and still live in Detroit Michigan, pretty sure I’m not gonna leave.
Tell us your latest news? I am signed with a new up and coming publishing company called Artistic Words Publishing. It’s exciting to get in at the beginning of something new.
When and why did you begin writing? I started in the fourth grade it was a class assignment.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? When I finished my first book, Dark Reflections in 2011. It’s self-published but I’m most excited for my newest release In The Footsteps Of A Killer by Artistic Words Publishing.
What inspired you to write your first book? I used to have trouble sleeping at night. So I would sort of telling myself a bedtime story until I got sleepy. I would always pick up wherever I left off the night before. Eventually, I was sleeping with no problem. The story would come as a dream. It didn’t come every night but when it did it would pick up wherever it left off before. Until one night all I saw were white lines moving like movie credits and I woke up and thought…maybe I need to write that down. I also dreamed most of In The Footsteps of A Killer. I dreamed the beginning, some of the middle and for sure I dreamed the end.
Do you have a specific writing style? I like to write horror but I can write romance as well.
How did you come up with the title? I dream some of them and others I lose myself in what I want to say about the story and the title usually pops up.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I didn’t start out with a message but I grew to want my horror to scare but to remind people that God is present even in the midst of horror and to look to Him for help and salvation. He comes through. At the end of “Footsteps”, you see some Devine movement and I think that was something that AWP Artistic Words Publishing saw and liked.
How much of the book is realistic? It depends on if it’s my horror or romance (yet to be released) but in the horror, the possibility of reality is more real than the reality itself.
Are experiences based on someone you know or events in your own life? Parts are again depending on what I’m writing. There is a little of me in each story or someone I know and love.
What books have most influenced your life most? Robert R Mccammon and his book Swan Song. It’s more apocalyptic but I remember being mesmerized by it. Then there was anything written by Stephen King, John Saul, and Dean Knootz.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Stephen King by far is the master of terror.
What book are you reading now? At the moment I’m more focused on promotion but I have several waiting on my kindle for pc so as soon as I slow down I’m grabbing one.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? There are so many I am finding through Facebook and social media. I am amazed at all the talented people writing. But no one comes to mind.
What are your current projects? I am working on a sequel to In The Footsteps Of A Killer. It’s called Through The Eyes Of A Killer.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. A lot of my Flight Attendant friends (before my current airline) who would answer passenger call lights while I sat on my jump seat and wrote. And of course Artistic Words Publishing…they saw my work, believed and took that chance and I’m not about to let them down.
Do you see writing as a career? For sure. I want to write until the well runs dry then look for new ideas to write about and yes quit my job and get paid to do it…lol.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Maybe I would tone down some of the killings. But what else does a serial killer do…he hunts the innocent.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Well, when I wrote my class assignment in the 4th grade I wanted to write then. My teacher didn’t give me a good grade so I never wanted to write again. It would be another twenty years before I would even try.
Can you share a little of your current work with us? My sequel finds my heroine once again up against dark forces, now she and her unborn child are in danger.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Making the insane and crazy seem possible. In horror, a lot of what happens is not always based in reality. Again the reality of making it seem real.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Stephen King because he can take reality and bend it, twist it so that your mind begins to believe that it is possible for a girl with hidden powers to kill half the high school. Carrie. Or a dog Cujo can be bitten by a bat and turn into a vicious killer…poor puppy.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I’m a flight attendant I get all the traveling I need. Lol…but I would if I had to and I do a lot of research on the computer. Yeah, computers.
Who designed the covers? For In The Footsteps Of A Killer my publisher Carla Dean at Artistic Words Publishing used someone that they deal with. And if I say so myself this book cover rocks!
What was the hardest part of writing your book? The hardest part for me was writing the killings. It is unfortunate that in our society women are by far the first and most times easiest targets. And for the most part, the serial killer is almost always a man. Is it wrong? Yes. Does it make for good fiction? Maybe. I can only write what comes to me and in this case, this is what came to me and I had to write it to be true to my new found passion.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned that writing is a hard task master that you will love. Ideas come to me in dreams and in everyday circumstances. They force me to get up and write. Ideas come sometimes at the most inappropriate times and places and force me to seek out something to write on. I usually have a pen and I have started carrying a pad of paper so I am not forced to write on napkins or toilet paper.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Write. Write when your happy write when you’re sad. Write when you don’t feel like it writes when you have nothing to say. Get it on paper you never know what will come out and where you can use it.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Writing for me has been a journey. It has made me make decisions like should I go out and party or stay in a get a few chapters done. Writing almost always wins out. You do have to make time to refresh, relax and have a little fun. That helps free your mind to the next set of book ideas. I enjoy the fear factor of writing horror because my mom was a horror nut. She and I would read, then discuss, then go watch something spooky on TV. She always loved a good scare. And I’m not talking about blood and gore, just for the sake of blood and gore but the kind that made your mind bend. Old school horror up to the horror of Final Destination. Yeah, there was a lot of blood ( in Final Destination) but the idea that it was all somehow what Death wanted to turn it into something different for her. She set my feet on the path of horror and I will always be grateful to her. And I will continue to write in memory and honor of her.
AWP PRESENTS… IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF A KILLER BY Denise J Bryson
EXCERPT…
Albert waited for the squealing and squeaking from the bedroom to stop. Then he waited for two hours more before creeping up the stairs. Slowly, he opened the door. He held his breath waiting to see if they had heard him enter or not. No sound and no one stirred. So, he walked into the room. They slept deep with the help of sex and alcohol. Both of which he could smell; it was an ugly smell, harsh and pungent. It made his stomach turn, and for a moment, he thought he might throw up. He swallowed hard and continued further inside the room.
On the table next to their bed lay his father’s cigarettes and on the floor sat the half empty bottle of booze. He picked it up and examined it. Why on earth do grown-ups drink this stuff? He sniffed the contents and wrinkled his nose. It stank. He timidly turned the bottle up to his lips, spilling its dark contents into his mouth. He only took in a little, but it was enough to make him gag and spit it on the floor. He almost ran because his gagging sounds caused his mother to move in her sleep, but she was only turning over. He knew he had to do it and do it now or he would never have the nerve again. He took the bottle and quietly poured its contents on the floor. Next, he reached over his naked parents and poured it on the bed between them. The sight of them in their all-in-all made his stomach turn again. They stirred but didn’t wake up. Then Albert Cain Macarthur took his dad’s cigarette, put it to his lips, exhaled, struck a match, and inhaled slowly. It was the second most awful taste he had ever tasted, second only to the Scotch. Nonetheless, the cigarette end glowed as he held in the coughs that were welling up in his chest.
He placed the lit murder weapon in the bed next to his father’s hand. The bed soaked with the liquor caught fire immediately. Taking the remaining liquor, he poured it on his parents. An insane smile crept across his face. It was the same smile that would follow him into his adulthood. He smiled as he watched first his father and then his mother catch fire. Their drunken, feeble attempts to wake up and save themselves proved futile. The alcohol they had consumed and the smoke from the flames overwhelmed them, and neither could escape their fate. He stood in the doorway smiling and watching. Their screams were deafening, as they quickly understood what was happening to them. He didn’t care; he was about to be free.
“Boy!” his father screamed while flailing about in an attempt to put out the flames and stumbling back onto the bed. “Help us, boy! Go git some help!”
Albert startled but didn’t move. His mother began laughing the laugh of the damned. She could barely move as the smoke started to overtake her. In so much pain from the flames, she barely seemed to notice.
“That boy is trying to kill us, Al.” Catherine tried to sit up but couldn’t. Her arms were beginning to burn. “He’s killing us, Al.”
In a last ditch effort to save herself, she rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a thud. With that, the room became an inferno of smoke and fire.
Albert Cain Macarthur didn’t know how he had known it, but he knew that day would be the last day he would wake up from one of his mother’s beatings. It would be the last day anyone ever called him Al. He hated that name. No more. That day she would die. That day they both would die. Albert Sr. was just as guilty for not stopping Catherine during her many tirades and abuse. Little Al had carried out the unspeakable and killed his parents.
He watched, and then suddenly, he heard the shrill sound of sirens from the approaching fire trucks. By that time, the room was in a full blaze. He had to think. He needed to look like a victim, too. He ran back into the bedroom and over toward the window. No one would ever call him Al again.
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Agents, Editors and You: The Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published (Writers Market Library)
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Kathy, Henderson: Market Guide for Young Writers: Where and How to Sell What You Write
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2007 (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
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