Goals…Just Do It!
At the start of every year, many of set goals in which we want to accomplish within the span of twelve long months. Like many people I set goals as well. And I tend to stick to them. Unfortunately, I always seems like I never do enough.
Recently, I sat on a Super Saturday hosted by my local RWA chapter. The guest speaker was New York Times writer Debbie Macomber who took the time out to tell us how she broke into the business. Her life story as a struggling writer was inspiring, and I took away more than I expected. One of them being her use of goals. Not just yearly goals but also weekly and even daily.
I didn’t give much thought to advice since I essentially chalked it up to writing down a to-do-list BUT when I went home and put it to work, I found I could do more in average day with a goal list than without it.
Since the meeting I’ve completed a manuscript, sent it into my editor, finalized an overdue trip to Europe, started a major project in my nine-to-five job and expanded another internet venture I started a little over a year ago.
So, set your goals and just do it!
Today the literary world has lost one of its icons, J.D. Salinger. As the author of The Catcher in the Rye, Mr. Salinger was one of the first writers to capture teenage angst, alienation, and disallusionment with society. With his hero, Holden Caufield, he created the total embodiment of America’s youth and their search for more. And even though he did not find it, I’m sure Holden’s quest not only inspired but provided solace for many.
Red Sage Publishing Starts New Year With A New Look!
While plodding through email this morning, I ran across an email from Teresa Stevens, the editor of Red Sage Publishing announcing their newly revamped website. It looks awesome. Known for their hot erotic romance, the website is a perfect compliment. It looks dangerous and sensual at the same time. Kudos to the staff for directing the websites new look. If you’re interested in taking a look at the new site, just click on the cover for my Red Sage release, The Merry Widow.
In response to the recent debacle over the Transportation Security Agency’s (TSA) security manual being posted online for everyone in the world to see, the U.S. Government is scrambling to protect their intellectual property. Join the club! The publishing industry has been scrambling for over a decade or more. If I scramble anymore you might as well lay a piece of ham next to me and a slice of toast.
In the past month or so, several government agencies have posted a multitude of jobs and proposals for contract work pertaining to cyber security. Even the U.S. Border Customs and Border Patrol is seeking requests for informational and planning purposes for information rights/digital rights management of their intellectual property.
Even Congress signed a Bi-Partisan Bill which will provide $30 million in new funding to help prop up the newly passed Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act or (the PRO-IP Act). The funds include $20 million for new state and local economic, high-tech and Internet crime prevention grants, which could see us giving up our cell phones at the popcorn counters at the movies; $8 million for new FBI agents targeting intellectual property crimes; and $2 million for new Department of Justice IP prosecutions.
Here are some of the new provisions provided by the new Pro-IP Act :
* Creation of a an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) within the Executive Office of the President. This person will oversee the development and implementation of a Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and piracy and also advise the President on enforcement policy.
*Seizure or forfeiture of personal property such as a computer or hardware used to carry out a copyright crime could be seized by the Justice Department and auctioned off.
*A fine can be imposed on those found guilt of copyright infringement with the maximum penalty for infringement being $30,000. In addition ”multiple awards of statutory damages” can also be sought by those whose ownership rights have been infringed.
Yes this bill goes further than the E.Us current Anti-Piracy Bill, which calls for banning a person up to a year off the internet, but in my opinion it provides a huge loophole for file sharing websites (sites that allow people to share files, i.e., music, movies, books and only Satan knows what else) to continue to do what their doing without any legal recourse.
In my opinion file sharing sites are the major offenders because they provide a drop off point or means of connection for strangers to meet and commit the offense. Then they’re able to hide behind some flimsly exemption that as long as they are unaware of the files being downloaded they’re not held liable.
With the obliteration of these sites, it would be harder for people to troll for books or to barter hundreds of copies in one sitting. Unfortunately, since we are at the infancy of this new Bill only time will tell and more royalties will be lost for those of us in the book industry.
So, what are your thoughts will authors finally see some relief and fatter royalty statements one day or should we just continue to pop Tums?
If there was ever anthem for feminist film the title of a brand new blog entitle “No Oscars For Old Women” is it!
A movie fanatic in my own right, I was tilling around the web today and came across the aforementioned blog founded by a 24 year -old graduate film student from Buffalo, NY.
Of course, the name be a little offputting but upon delving a little deeper one will find that the purpose of the blog is to look at ”Hollywood’s obsession with youthful women” and provide “a venue for the author’s thoughts on age, popular cinema, and feminism”.
Of course, the author sort steps off on the wrong foot detailing reasons why Meryl Streep should not win an oscar for her turn as famed uber cook Julia Child in the movie Julie/Julia, the blog might be worth following. If you get a chance check out No Oscars For Old Women
Happy new year everyone! Yes, I’m up bright and early because I’m ready to start this brand new year which will be filled with fantastic opportunities that are going to come by the truckload. Why you ask? Have I looked into a crystal ball. No, it only makes sense because in 2009 I dumped a ton of dead weight. Hope you did too since this year is a perfect year to rev your engines and soar!
Last week Facebook users received an open letter from Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg thanking them for being one of 350 million members.
So, what does all this mean to you as an author?
If you aren’t on Facebook, you should be! In fact, having a facebook page can almost replace your a functioning website since the network’s features allow you to share resources, add multimedia such as book trailers via the You Tube tab and much more.
Facebook is a great social networking tool authors can use to brand themselves. It ’s a great open forum in which to engage readers in a more intimate setting, by sharing more about yourself while they do the same.
But like all other social networking sites, you decide to use make sure you not just wasting your time or spinning wheels. And how do I do that you ask?
Profile vs. page/group
Facebook allows users several options regarding the type of face you want to present to the world. If you’re an author with a well known name you might want to opt on a fan/group page since the number of friends you connect with won’t be limited by the magical number 5,000 which can lead to your profile being deleted. Plus a fan/group pages let you share links, videos, photos, and start discussions. It also allows your brand to go viral, since your page/group will be showcased on other people’s profiles.
If you’re like me, you can maintain a more intimate profile page and then open up a fan page in the future when you start to grow your friend/fan base.
Speaking of building friends, I have a couple of tips on how to build friends, which in my opinion is difficult and taxing at times. Even to the point where I’ve faced an inquisition a time or two from people who questioned how I knew them? And where I’d met them. Come on people get real.
Sorry, I digressed.
Besides using your email contacts list, promote your Facebook profile on your websites/blogs. It always amazes me when people don’t cross promote. Another great way to connect with fans/friends is the friend list of other authors. If the person willingly connected with another author who writes within your genre, then they’re probably a pretty safe bet. I’ve done this as well with my myspace profile.
Private Vs. Public
Depending on your branding goals, you should decide on whether to set your profile on private, limited visibility or public where the entire world will see your profile. Of course having a private profile would entice people to connect with you to see what you’re talking about. But then there are also two valid reasons why you should consider a public profile.
The main reason would be to increase your visibility and profile ranking in name search. The higher your ranking the more likely someone will click on you and discover what a great author you are.
Also, Google’s newest venture ”real-time search” not only pulls data from websites but also from real-time social networking sites Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter and then lumps them into all search results.
This new launch which went live today means any topic you maybe discussing on your social networking profiles, such as your new book, will now be displayed on Google search. BUT that’s only if your Facebook/Twitter profile is public and your Myspace stream data is publicly available. This new venture if you use it properly can help you reach an even bigger audience that didn’t even know you existed or weren’t neccessarily looking for you.
To see how the platform works, here’s a YouTube promotional video:
Information Vs. Blank Slate
Your readers want to know the persona behind their favorite books. So paint them a picture by filling out the information fields provided. Luckily with group/fan pages you don’t have to go through this rigamorle. Also be sure to provide the links to your blog, other social networking profiles (i.e. twitter or myspace accounts) and most importantly your author website where they can read excerpts or find links to buying your books. You can also use this area to with keywords that potential readers can search against.
Also don’t forget to update your status. It’s rather hard for your readers to follow you if you’re not saying anything. Pressed for time? Schedule your status updates with Hootesuite up to day or a week or even months in advance.
Host/Post an Event
Surprisingly, events are a great way to extend your brand. Let the general public know what you’re doing and invite them. Even better host an event on Facebook. For example, Rachel Hauck just hosted her birthday party on line while integrating her new release Sweet By and By co-authored with country singer Sarah Evans. And since the party was public anyone searching for Sarah Evans, Rachel Hauck, or Sweet By and By would be directed to the event and hopefully converted to being a friend of Rachel’s page.
By opening up your event to everyone, you can meet new people and discover other people who have a shared interest and can support your career. Events can also be cataloged on your Facebook page.
Do you have any other tips? They would be greatly appreciated in the comments section:)
up next: Facebook in your Face!
There are only 38 days left in the calendar year so you know what that means? Cosmopolitan magazine will soon be looking for the Hottest Bachelors of 2010! But before they dive into that bonanza of testosterone, I wanted to take a break and say good-bye to all the hunkalicious hard bodies who made our lives just a little more bearable during this year of Change, Sarah Palin Going Rogue, and and Harlequin turning into the wicked witch of the West.
So, I’ve picked my favoriteTop 10 bachelors from the 50 chosen by Cosmopolitan Magazine and posted them here in hopes of brighting the rest of someone’s day or year. Enjoy:)
10. Chris Bordoy, Bartendar from Hawaii
photo credit: Alexa Miller
9. Shawn Sparks, Business Consultant from Kansas
photo credit: Alexa Miller
7. Eric Cottner, Outside-Property Claim Representative
photo credit: Alexa Miller
6. Brandon Boyd, College Student from Houston, Texas
photo credit: Alexa Miller
5. Matt Smith, 3rd Grade Teacher from Ohio
photo credit: Alexa Miller
4. Chad Bauer, Publishing Sales from Minnesota
photo credit: Alexa Miller
3. Madison Gouzie, Photographer from Maine
photo credit: Alexa Miller
2. Grad Student from Indiana
photo credit: Alexa Miller
2. Adam Miller, College Student from Florida
photo credit: Alexa Miller
1. Charlie Vargas, law student from New York
photo credit: Alexa Miller
So, do you agree with my choices? To see the rest of Cosmopolitan’s Hot Bachelors visit: Cosmo’s Official Website
Harlequin Limited Enterprises has just launched a new division, Harlequin Horizons. According to their website this new line is their self-publishing division “that offers aspiring romance writers the opportunity to self-publish their work.”
So, with a fee beginning at $600 now any writer can become a published author. But that’s not it Harlequin Horizons is also offering other services to help make your book the next best seller or the next Twilight!
My favorite? The Hollywood Book Trailer.
For only $19,999, your vision can become a “live-action Hollywood-produced book trailer“. Even better? The finished product will be reviewed by an agent and if it meets the muster they will present it to a movie studio. Gee golly whiz too bad Neiman Marcus has already published their 2009 Christmas Book because this ranks right up there with there with their past doozies such as the…
![oprybarn[2]](http://kokobrown.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/oprybarn2-302x190-custom.jpg "oprybarn[2]")
GRAND OLE OPRY EXPERIENCE from the 2004 Christmas Catalog where for only $25,000 the lucky buyer can join country music royalty on stage during a live Opry broadcast. Along with sitting in with the band live on the show, the exclusive package includes a music lesson with an Opry band member, a pre-show gourmet dinner for two in your dressing room, a gig co-hosting the Opry warm-up show live on 650 AM WSM and luxury accommodations for two at the Gaylord Opryland Resort.
AND Manuel, the legendary creator of cowboy couture for Elvis and countless other music legends, will design and create matching his and hers jackets for the purchaser. For another priceless memento, an array of Opry performers will autograph a Takamine acoustic guitar.
Or this years, HALL ARTISAN WINE AND ART EXPERIENCE ($20,000) - Learn organic, artisan winemaking firsthand from Kathryn and Craig Hall, tour the Rutherford Estate, enjoy tastings of exclusive private vintages — and have the singular chance to create your own personal vintage in a private blending session led by HALL Winemaker Steve Leveque.
And in 2008, the true equestrian for $10 million could have purchased 3 Chimneys Farm in Midway KY, complete with a stable of up to 15 race horses. Home to Kentucky Derby Winner Big Brown, Smarty Jones, and Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew, 3 Chimney’s Farm purchase also included experienced trainers (with your guidance of course), boarding, the opportunity to enter your new stock into various horse races, design the jockey silks for your “stable”, attendance at all races, and all of the winnings & trophies that are won.
Personally, you can keep all of the above and even the Hollywood Book Trailer and just send me the customized cupcake car.
Today my odyssey into SEO for authors continues with a few tricks to improve your visibility on YouTube.
Most of you all already know YouTube is a video sharing site where users can watch everything from personal video blogs, movie clips, music videos and even book trailers. If you’ve tinkered with the idea of using YouTube or creating a book trailer you should consider it. YouTube is the most used search engine behind Google and serves more than a billion views a day.
(J. Hali Steele – With Extra Cream)
In my opinion, there are multiple ways for writers to market themselves on YouTube, but the most common method used by published authors are book trailers. Similar to movie trailers, these visual blurbs as I call them satisfy the general publics’ love of visual images/interactive media over a stagnant banner ad. Want to learn how to create a book trailer? here’s a pretty good tutorial
(Psychic Hitch by Bekki Lynn)
If you’re thinking about creating a book trailer or have a few under your belt here’s a few SEO tips you can use to improve your chances of people seeing it. And everyone wants that since producing a book trailer takes time and patience.
If you didn’t know already, YouTube has a SEO algorithm or ‘guidelines’ you should follow in order to optimize your video. Here’s a simple breakdown:
TITLE =Make your title interesting. Don’t just give the title of your book “Charmed” by Koko Brown Book Trailer. How about “Why Vampires & Las Vegas Don’t Mix” or “Werewolves Look Hot in Leather.”
DESCRIPTION=Tell users about the book, better yet use your blurb! According to techies, 2 paragraphs of text heavily innundated with keywords should be used. Think about it, the more words the more chances your video will be picked up in a YouTube search. AND DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR WEBSITE URL IN THE DESCRIPTION (preferably at the beginning before the user has to click ‘more info’) oh, yeah it wouldn’t hurt to have a CALL TO ACTION i.e., LIKE IT? BUY IT!
TAGS=The more tags you use the better. They help search engines see you. Great tags for “Why Vampires & Las Vegas Don’t Mix” would be “vampire”, “Las Vegas”, “erotica”, “eternal love”, “blood lust”, “romance novel”, “Koko Brown”, just to name a few.
NUMBER OF VIEWS=Upload your YouTube video on as many sites as possible including your website, Yahoo Groups, a MySpace comment, Facebook news feed, etc. Remember the link will always link back to YouTube and counts as a view in their stats. This will help to keep you in their recent activity log and help you with ranking. If you like using more sites other than YouTube, consider signing up for TubeMogul. It’s a great application to upload a video to multiple sites.
RATING=Don’t forget to rate your video and don’t be afraid to ask people to rate is as well. The higher the rating the higher your ranking, the more chances your video will be seen…ka ching!
(Buffy v. Edward…love this!)
Other than ‘manipulating’ YouTube’s alogorithm, here’s a few more tips you can use to improve your ROI (rate of investment) on this uber popular video sharing service:
Produce your own YouTube channel. Its the only way to obtain friends and subscribers who’ll sign up to be notified whenver you post;
Think of making your book trailer a “How- To- Video”. For example, if you’ve written a paranomal and your hero is a werewolf. How about telling the viewer how to date one? For example, “When going out for Italian hold the garlic”, “Conveniently disappear when there’s a full moon”, or “He’ll be putty in your hands if you scratch him behind your ears”. If you do this, you can leave your blurb (which always closes the deal for me) for your description box;
Put your book trailers on your website. Go even further by putting them on a separate page and use a description with your keywords. Search engines eat up any and all kinds of content;
Don’t be shy, tell people about your video. Post it on other websites/blogs also Yahoo Groups, FaceBook, when you do an interviews or chat; I would love to view a book trailer than read an excerpt anyday. In fact, I found myself stuck in Romanticon’s Voyeurs Lounge and Romantic Times concierge TV station because of all the great trailers.
Create a spin-off a la Scary Movie. Why not piggyback on the success of a blockbuster hit like “Zombieland” by using permissable clips like the creator of “Buffy vs. Edward video above.
Well, I hope this helps! Happy YouTubing everyone and stay tuned for “Make More than Just Friends on Facebook”
