REALITIES OF “MARKETING” Part II

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    This follow-up article is a continuation of James Watkins article on Self-Publishing And Piranhas . He is graciously allowed me to share this information with you. Feel free to visit Jim’s web pages filled with wise thoughts about writing, publishing, and marketing at: http://www.jameswatkins.com/marketing.htm. This discussion covered warnings for writers considering self-publishing on the many scams and poor choices that are beckoning to eager writers. The next point talks about the number of copies that must be ordered and finallly, the question regarding your niche market. I hope you find this article helpful.   

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Tips from the Pros: Janet Perez Eckles

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Happy New Year from Sarah Sundin in foggy California. Several years ago I had the joy of meeting Janet Perez Eckles at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and I was impressed by her humor, warmth, and strength. Today I have the honor of interviewing this accomplished author and speaker. Janet, how did you get into writing? Years ago I wrote my story – for my kids and grandchildren – and self-published it. Quite raw in the writing and also in the marketing arena, I was stunned with reactions from readers. I learned two things: readers don’t care about beginning…

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Hopes and Fears

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Good morning from Ava Pennington, CAN Secretary, in sunny Florida… The week between Christmas and New Year is a time between times. The build up to Christmas is over. The new year has yet to begin. Anticipation gives way to fatigue. The Christmas decorations seem to have outlasted their welcome, but I’m not ready to take them down yet. And as much as I love Christmas hymns and carols, they seem anticlimactic. But one Christmas hymn in particular speaks to the writer in me this week.

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Tips from the Pros: Daniel Darling

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Merry Christmas from Sarah Sundin! Today I have the honor of interviewing author, pastor, and speaker Daniel Darling. Daniel serves as the senior pastor of the Gages Lake Bible Church outside of Chicago, and is a highly regarded speaker. He also is a frequent contributor to columns and blogs. And yes, he writes books too. Dan, how did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? I’ve been a writer and editor for about twelve years. For several years I worked as an in-house writer and editor for a large Christian media organization. I began freelancing about…

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SELF-PUBLISHERS AND PIRANHAS (Part I)

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Welcome to the CAN Blog on this wintering morning in Michigan. Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin @ www.gailmartin.com This excellent article by James N. Watkins appeared a while ago in his newsletter. I asked him if I could share it with you, and he had no problem with that. I’m glad because every writer who considers self-publishing needs to be aware of the scams and poor choices they can make. Since this is a long article I will beginning and continue with a link so you can read it all. The next article will continue with Jim’s thoughts on the…

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Tips from the Pros: Rebecca Ondov

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! I pray you had a bountiful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Today I have the honor of interviewing Rebecca Ondov, who turned her extensive experience as a horseback guide and Ranger into the book Horse Tales from Heaven. Rebecca, how did you get into writing? For years I’d been working from the saddle in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana, taking people on horse pack trips. During the winter of 1992 when I was “out of the hills” and working an off-season job, I reached in my mailbox and pulled out a Guideposts magazine….

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Tips from the Pros: Darlene Franklin

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Hello from Sarah Sundin on a crisp November day! Today I have the privilege of interviewing multi-published author Darlene Franklin. Darlene, how did you get into writing? I started writing daily in the wake of my divorce, twenty years ago. My first book was published in 2005. How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? I have fifteen books in print and five more in process. This fall I’ve had three books published: Lone Star Trail, book 1 in the Texas Trails Series; Christmas at Barncastle Inn, a contemporary Christmas anthology; and Knight…

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Tips from the Pros: Jeanette Windle

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Good day to you from Sarah Sundin! Today I have the honor of interviewing award-winning author, Jeanette Windle. Her most recent novel, Freedom’s Stand, was nominated for the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year, and her novel Veiled Freedom was a finalist for the Christian Book Award and the Christy in 2010.   SS: Jeanette, how did you get into writing? JW: Writing has always been such a part of my life, I can’t remember ever consciously wanting to write. The missionary kid boarding school I attended in the Venezuelan Andes put great emphasis on proper composition (we were doing…

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Seasons

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Hi, all! Ava Pennington here from Florida…where the temperature has cooled to a mere 85 degrees. That’s about as much change in seasons as we’ll get until our version of winter finally arrives. Seasons. They’re not limited to the calendar and the weather. We move through seasons of life as we parent babies and teenagers, experience empty nests and become caregivers for our own parents. Writing adds another layer to already full lives. So let’s talk about seasons in a writer’s life…and in the lives of CAN members.

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By the Numbers

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Hi, all! Ava Pennington here from sunny Florida…well, mostly sunny Florida. The afternoon rainstorms have finally started, to the residents’ joy and the tourists’ chagrin! Lately, I’ve been thinking about the relationship between words and numbers in the publishing industry. I’m a writer, not a mathematician. I love words – their structure and style, their rhythm and rhyme. I enjoy alliteration and onomatopoeia. I’m drawn to the images that words evoke. Numbers…not so much. Still, serious writers know that publishing—even Christian publishing—is a business. And business is often about the numbers.

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