The Power of Networking and Conferences

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Aloha from Karen. It’s a beautiful day on Maryland’s eastern shore. This is one of my granddaughters reminding me that time spent with someone is important and we should make the most of those moments. It’s also been a great week where a few aspiring writers have written to thank me and let me know results of networking and I have also seen fruits from networking.  

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Write Anyway!

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Hey, this is Sherry Kyle writing from my laptop on my kitchen table as I drink my morning coffee.  As I pondered what to write, I glanced at my mug and was struck by how two little words could have so much impact. Write Anyway!  Yes, that is the slogan printed across my cup. There are so many distractions keeping us from placing our fingers on the keyboard—family responsibilities, chores, friendships, etc. I’m sure your list is as long as mine. Sheesh! How can we get that manuscript complete with so many things pulling us in different directions?

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To Tour Or Not To Tour

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How to Make Your Blog Tours More Successful An author recently asked me (Cat Hoort), “do blog tours really work?” I sat silent for a moment, wondering how to react. I could be shocked: “What do you MEAN? Of course they work!” I could be ambivalent: “Meh. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t.” I could be doubtful: “Not really. But we can keep our fingers crossed.” I could be enthusiastic: “Absolutely! All the time. Every time!” So which one is it?

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Tips from the Pros: Diana Brandmeyer

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin on a crisp fall day that makes me want to cuddle up in a warm quilt – perhaps like one of the quilts author Diana Brandmeyer features on her website. Not only is she an extraordinary quilter, she’s a gifted writer with plenty to share with us today. Diana, how did you get into writing? Like many, I wrote stories when I was little, but it wasn’t until the birth of my second child I realized I could make a little money and share my faith with my stories. I started writing devotions for children, which…

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Jill Williamson on Creating an Author Website

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If you are a published (or an almost published) author, you must have a professional-looking website where readers can find out more about you and your books. Take a look at mine: www.jillwilliamson.com. It’s far from the best author website out there, but it’s free. And free is good. I made the whole thing with a WordPress blog. It was easy to do and there were a number of website templates to choose from. If and when I can afford to pay someone to make me an amazing website, I will. Until then, I have a site that I can…

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I’m Planning a Party! – Part II

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Hi, all – Ava Pennington here. Planning a book launch party is a labor of love. It’s a lot of work, but since it’s for my baby, I don’t mind! Last month I covered planning and logistics for a successful book launch party. If you missed it, here’s the link to Part I. This month, let’s talk about invitations and publicity for your book launch party.

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More than just Boring Assigned Reading

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  Happy Monday from Jeanette! Last week I finished and sent the final section of a three-part review of the classic novel Les Miserable. Not only did this fun writing assignment allow me to revisit why I enjoyed the book so much but it also reminded me of the many ways that a writer can benefit from reading the classics.

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Oprah Works For Me

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Oprah Winfrey is one of the world’s most successful and influential women. Her TV show is broadcast to 145 countries across the globe. Oprah’s Book Club has over 2 million online members and can make a book an instant bestseller. Oprah’s website averages 7.5 million unique visitors a month. Her satellite radio show draws millions more. And next fall Oprah launches her own TV network called OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). So it might be a surprise that Oprah works for me.

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Tips from the Pros: Linda Kozar

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Greeting from Sarah Sundin in California, where it’s finally feeling like fall. Today I have the pleasure of interviewing multi-published author, Linda Kozar, who has some seriously clever answers. What do you expect from someone whose latest title is Babes with a Beatitude?  Linda, how did you get into writing? I started out freelancing personal interest stories for various newspapers, earning next to nothing but developing valuable writing skills and learning to work on tight deadlines. Then in 2003, I decided I’d had enough of that stuff and determined to put my efforts toward writing a book.  Of course, the first book I wrote wasn’t…

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What Matters Most

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Dan Walsh here, writing from Daytona Beach, FL. I know some of you were able to attend ACFW’s annual conference a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. Many who could not, have probably read some of the great articles written about the wonderful time we had (just remembered that old postcard line: “Good time was had by all”).

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