blogs of note for 11/30/07

Here are a few blogs to check out. Remember, if you've seen a great blog this week email it to me at greatcommission2@aol.com with "Blogs of note" in the subject line.

http://inspireddaybyday.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheres-my-branding-iron.html

http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2007/11/literary-agents.html#m
ore

http://carlastewart.blogspot.com/2007/11/rose-is-not-orange.html

I'd love to hear what you thought of these blogs and tell me about others!! Tiff

Caitie's Corner: book picks for kids, by a kid

Hi, this is Caitie

I have some old books and new books that I like. Maybe some of you would like to read them too.

Pilgrim's Progress:
This is a story about survival.

Barbie: the mystery of the lost valentine. Mystery files #5
This is better than a plain mystery

In Jesse's shoes [by Beverly Lewis]
It tells what other kids are like [mom's note. She reviewed this book. Check archives]

Santa and the Christ child.
It's about Santa meeting Jesus.

The angel and the ring [by Sigmund Brower]
A boy goes to find his father

Loves Long Journey
A time of wonder. That's what I think it's like [mom's note. She's read the book and seen the movie and loves it.]

American Girl's "Addy Series"
It tells me what it was like in the past.

Green Eggs and Ham
It's a funny book.

I like other books. I'll write more next week.

Bye for now, caitie.

Is the book dead?

I read an interesting post today on Michael Hyatt's blog. He had previously discussed the changing technology in the book industry. Here is the link to the blog.

http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2007/11/is-it-really-bo.html

What I found so interesting is the emotional attachment some people have to books. I suppose since I'm a visual learner that it would be assumed that I prefer reading books. But I don't. I love to be carried away by books on tape [or CD].

Maybe it hearkens back to when I was little and my dad would read to me from a picture Bible before bed.

Maybe it's because my life is so jammed that I have to multitask constantly.

Whatever the reason, I love the idea of books in various formats to reach a wider swath of readers.

I think as authors we should consider how various formats would affect our book marketing. Should we consider audio formats? According to Chip MacGregor on a recent blog, most publishing houses lose money on audio books and thus don't offer them to writers.

I wonder if it is the chicken or the egg. Do they lose money because audio books aren't profitable OR [as I believe] are audio books unprofitable because they aren't being effectively marketed.

I mean, we have music coming out of our PHONES for crying out loud. Is it that far fetched that somone would download a book on their ipod? If I could download books cheaper on an ipod I'd do it.

So, how should we, as authors, market our books? Should we work to build an audio platform or should we focus on what we know works?

That's the question I pose to you.

Don't know what you've got, till you get it back.

When I thought about what to say the Monday after Thanksgiving [in the US] this phrase kept running through my mind:

Don't know what you've got, till you get it back.

This year has been a time of getting back most of the things I'd always taken for granted. The year started with the possibility that cancer had returned in my husband's body, followed only days later by the death of my husband's grandpa. From that first week of January until the middle of October we saw the loss of jobs, a blown engine in our only car, health issues, family strife, and nearly the loss of our house. It was a really rough time made bearable only because we had faith and my husband and I leaned on each other.

But this blog isn't about what ALMOST happened; it's about what did happen.

What did happen was I learned to be thankful for the things I'd always taken for granted. You don't realize how much you value family until you have to spend time away from them.

You don't realize how much you value your home, until you nearly lose it.

You don't realize how much you value your job, until you don't have one.

The main thing I realized is the value of a mom and dad to their children. I've been a SAHM [Stay at home mom] for almost nine years now and I felt like...well I didn't feel good about myself. I had a college degree and recruiters calling me straight out of college. I had Grad Assistanceships available for the asking. But my husband and I learned we were expecting in my last semester of college and I wanted to be a mom to the child I was carrying.

When things were tight I always thought "Well, if I get a job it will all be okay." When I had to get a job I realized the grass might be greener but it still had to be mowed.

I know this isn't the usual topic of my blog but for today consider what your goals and priorities are. No amount of writing success will be worth anything if you forget what is truly important.

You only truly know the value of something when you lose it, and then get it back.

I'll see you tomorrow with our usual fare. And sorry for my long absence, I haven't had internet for almost 5 days and right now am paying by the hour for dial up. :-)

What a great idea!

Wow, I have learned so much from people who run successful businesses these last few weeks. These are people who not only blog to share useful information but also run their business using their blog. One in particular has had a huge influence on me. One thing he does is give gifts to his blog subscribers.

So I decided that I am going to do what these people do and offer you gifts for your loyalty to my blog.

So here is the deal:

1. Every person who is subscribed to my Blog will receive a product worth $20. No this is not a coupon to be applied toward a purchase. This will be a FREE product with a retail of $20 that I will give you. Feel free to tell your friends about my offer, post my offer on your own blog [just link to my site] but this is FREE and it is my gift to you to thank you for your loyalty to my blog. I will send these gifts out all at once in December. [you can subscribe by putting your email address in the subscription box to the right of this blog]

2. I am going to offer a HUGE discount on my successful Writing Career Coach Course. People around the world have used this and told me what they've learned. [By around the world I mean the US, Canada, and Australia so if you're in another country let me know so I can add you to my list!!] This is regularly $35 but I am offering it for the next 58 hours for only $12. But to get this special offer you must go to paypal and send $12 to my acct greatcommission2 @ aol dot com [take out the spaced. That is so spammers don't take my address]. Next, email me at that same address to tell me you've taken advantage of my offer. For details on the course and the added mentorship go to www.WritingCareerCoach.com I think you'll see it is WELL worth the $12.

3. I'm going on tour and I'd like to visit you. If you'd like to have me come visit your blog send me an email or post a comment. I will contact you to schedule a date. Then I'll post on my blog where I'll be each week.

4. Finally, I'm adding a post on Fridays called "Blogs of note". If you've seen a particularly good blog that deals with marketing, business development, &/or writing email me the link. I'll pick a few to feature each Friday [I will check out each blog and not "rubber stamp" them so I will have to limit them to about 5 each week at the most. And yes, you may submit ONE of your own blogs each week.

So there you have it. Something free, something cheap, something fun. Remember to subscribe. Now isn't that a GREAT idea??

Here is the direct link to this blog. Feel free to copy and paste this link on your own blog or website. http://writingcareercoach.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-great-idea.html

What about "Il changeait la vie"?

Don't worry, this blog is in English but last night this song by Jean-Jacques Goldman got me thinking. I think it will make you think too. I think you'll see how this can help not only your writing but your perspective as well.

The story in the song is a few different people who were ordinary but became extra-ordinary by changing the way people looked at things. Goldman presents this thought in a super clever way.

The title of the song is Il Changeait la vie which loosely translated means "He changed life/the world".

BUT when it is spoken [not written] it also sounds like Il changeait l'avis which translated means "He changed the way we look at things."

There is the craft and the art. In this song he evokes strong emotions in the mind of the listener. He uses just a sentence to create an entire picture in the listeners mind. Think about the implications for your writing. Think on how you could use just ONE sentence, only a few words, to paint an entire scene in a readers mind. What word choices would grab the reader and hold on to them?

Then there is the subtle under story. This song can be listened to in a couple of different ways. It has layers!! Are you layering your stories? That is how you'll have a reader mulling your story over and over in their head. When they realize that the assumptions they brought in to the story influenced the way they saw things but if they looked at the story with a different set of assumptions...it would be totally a different read.

Since many of you are loyal readers you know my thrust is marketing. I don't spend a great deal on craft and today is no exception.

It occurred to me that if I try to make my back cover copy a song...what would happen. If it suddenly become a short story with an unknown ending how would it grab a reader? Think about it yourself. There were a series of commercials about a year ago on TV and Radio where they started a story and then said for the ending visit this website...WOW. They always grabbed my attention.

What if your back cover copy and other promotional materials did the same. What if you created a short story and left it hanging with a question? Would your reader buy your book to find out the answer.

One line from this song repeats over and over in my head:

Les reves de sa vie les prisons de son coeur.

I don't know how the french ear hears this but to me it says "His life's dreams, the prison of his heart". And inside me I think "Am I so passionate about my dreams that they imprison my heart?" Are you so passionate about your goals that you pursue them with singular focus?

When you become so driven then maybe you too will "Changer la vie". [Change the world]

Caitie's Corner

Hello, this is Tiff rather than Caitie.

Caitie will not be posting a review for the next two weeks so she can finish up school projects before Thanksgiving. [And her birthday is November 17th and there is much partying to be done.]

But don't fear!!! We have a group of books that are being sent to Caitie for review and she will be back on November 28th with her weekly reviews to help you plan Christmas shopping for the children in your life.

Next Wednesday Caitie will tell her top 5 books for kids. These are books she loves and thinks other kids will love too. So check this space November 21st for Caitie's picks on Caitie's corner.

Bye for now, Mommy [aka Tiffany, the Writing Career Coach]