The Wednesday Word

Author To Author’s Newsletter                                                    

December 11, 2013

Writing & Publishing Tips

 Reader Appreciation Parties

As an author, there are always times when one should let their readers know how much they are appreciated. Whether your sales are through the roof or stuck in a ditch, you should always show your gratitude to those who support your hard work.

I find the best way to do this is to host what I like to call "Reader Appreciation Parties". Though these are not actual physical parties, they can be planned on Facebook and Twitter and you might be surprised by the amount of people that will show up.

Just this past weekend I hosted one in celebration of reaching the 2000 Like milestone on my Facebook author page. I invited all of my Facebook fans and Twitter followers to an event on Facebook.

Events are easy enough to create and allow you the chance to host a party for anyone who would like to come, without clogging the newsfeed of others. An event is private, yet public. Anyone may attend, but the activity doesn't land all over Facebook and irritate or annoy those who might not be interested in participating.

I had roughly 100 attendees and did 10 giveaways that included games, Christmas questions, and tasks to visit other author's pages. Quite a few fellow authors donated books and swag to the event. As a final thank you at the end of the party, there was a Grand Prize Pack awarded to one winner.

Everyone who attended expressed their thanks and let me know how much fun they had. That made me feel as though I had accomplished my goal, which was to show my readers how much I truly appreciate their support.

Hosting these types of events is easy, fun, and a great way to connect with fans, both past, present, and future!

What types of things do you do to you show your appreciation to your readers?

 

By Author to Author Member and Contributor, Andrea Goodson. You can learn more about Andrea on her website, www.andreagoodson.wordpress.com

Exciting News for Author to Author Group Members

Join Author Lindsey Gray for a Chat!

Lindsey Gray is hosting an author chat on December 16th! Click here to join the fun!

December to Remember Giveaway

You can also join Lindsey Gray in her December to Remember Giveaway that runs now through December 23rd! Don't miss it, there are 40 books up for grabs! http://lindsey-gray.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-to-remember-40-ebook-giveaway.html?zx=bef8a3908db3a876

Enjoy a Free Christmas Story

Sherri Hayes is offering A Christms Proposal FREE! Download your copy today!

 

Pacific Northwest Author Event

Join T.M. Franklin along with other authors at the Barnes & Noble in Kennewick, WA on December 15th! The event runs from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Click here for more information!

R.E. Hargrave offers holiday Savings!

Sugar & Spice will be available for only 99 cents throughout the month of December! Download your copy today!

 

The 12 Days of Christmas

Join Author to Author Members as we celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with a huge giveaway! Starting December 13th you can enter to win every day for 12 days by visiting the author's Facebook pages! The details will be posted on the Author to Author Facebook page, so don't forget to check in on the first day and enter for your chance to win!

Wednesday's Weird Word

Esurience

Definition: Hunger or appetite.

Savvy Savings

Riverbend: The Collection

99 Cents

By Andrea Goodson

http://www.amazon.com/Riverbend-Collection-Andrea-Goodson-ebook/dp/B00FE5BTLK


Holiday Hijinx

99 Cents

By Roxy Queen

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZ01RRO


Sugar and Spice

99 Cents

By R.E. Hargrave

http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Spice-R-E-Hargrave-ebook/dp/B00FJRVMYC


A Christmas Proposal

FREE

By Sherri Hayes

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Proposal-Hidden-Threat-Short-ebook/dp/B00A3DZ0TU/

Thank you for reading this week's edition of Author to Author's The Wednesday Word! Visit us again next week for more news and savings to refresh your bookish pleasures! As always, feel free to share and spread the word!

The Wednesday Word

Author To Author’s Newsletter                                                    

September 25, 2013

Writing & Publishing Tips

Reader Reviews:The Good, The Bad, and How to Handle It All

 

When I signed my publishing contract for my debut novel, Lessons Learned, one of the first questions I was asked on my marketing form was about unfavorable reviews and how I would react to them. Of course, I had heard horror stories about one-star reviews that could rip an author’s dreams to shreds. I’d also heard about “bad author behavior” where the author would engage with a reviewer in a negative way. But I had never really considered how I would react to it.

 

Lessons Learned was definitely my baby. My blood, sweat, and many, many tears went into the book. It is a sweet love story with undertones of religious and social issues. The subject is timely and somewhat controversial, so I expected some reactions. For the most part, I’ve received nothing but wonderfully supportive reviews. Sure, there have been reviews I’ve disagreed with, or wished I could talk to the reviewer and explain something that perhaps wasn’t clear to them, but I never have. The honest truth is that the very best reaction to a negative review is no reaction at all. At least not publicly.

Still, authors need to vent from time to time. When I say my husband is my “Lucas,” it’s not an exaggeration. If I receive a negative review, he hears about it. He keeps me calm and reminds me to pay attention to all of the positive reviews and ignore the few negative. One bad apple shouldn’t spoil the bunch, they say, and in this case, that’s true. That’s not to say all negative reviews are toxic. Some can be constructive. If they are, take what they say and use it to grow as a writer. I had a reviewer tell me that Sarah and Lucas’s love story in Lessons Learned was overshadowed by Matt’s struggle with bullying. To me, that was constructive and reminds me to be more balanced in my writing. I had another reviewer (in a review for one of my short stories) say that my story wasn’t worth the .99¢ she paid for it. Needless to say, that particular review wasn’t constructive at all. As an author, you really have to find your happy place when it comes to dealing with reviews. Not everyone is going to love your book. Accept this. Embrace it. But someone will love it. Most importantly, you will love it, and at the end of the day, that’s the one review that truly matters.

By Author to Author member and Contributor Sydney Logan. You can learn more about Sydney and her books at www.sydneylogan.com

Exciting News for Author to Author Group Members

 

Lissa Bryan Hosts Ghost Story Contest

To celebrate the one year Book Birthday of Lissa Bryan's, Ghost Writer, she is hosting a ghost story contest! Visit Lissa's blog for information on how to enter, rules, and bust out your notebook and pen! There are some fantastic prizes at stake! The winner will be chosen on Halloween! http://www.lissabryan.com/2013/09/ghost-story-contest.html You can also join the TWCS Book Club on Facebook to discus Ghostwriter with Lissa the entire month of October! https://www.facebook.com/events/601835033192271/  

Cover Reveal of Riverbend: The Collection

Stay tuned to Andrea Goodson's blog to see the cover reveal for Riverbend: The Collection on Friday September 27th! It's almost Riverbend's first Book Birthday! In celebration, Andrea Goodson is rereleasing the entire trilogy, Riverbend, Rapid Water, and Waking Tide, as a one-book boxed set at a low promotional price the week of October 6th! Connect with Andrea on Facebook or her Website for fun events and giveaways over the next few weeks. www.andreagoodson.wordpress.com  

Fall into Reading Giveaway!

Stay tuned to Author to Author's Blog for the upcoming Fall Into Reading Giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a $25.00 Giftcard! Giveaway takes place September 22-29. Don't miss it! www.author-to-author-blog.blogspot.com    

Sherri Hayes Hosts Newsletter Contest

Want a chance to win a bookmark from Sherri's book, Behind Closed Doors. Visit her blog and sign up for her newsletter to enter! While you're there take a look around and explore some of her other work...that is if you like sensual romance. Who doesn't?
http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/2013/09/weekly-update-contest-announcement.html?zx=71f71efc3854ef20

Book Signing With Sydney Logan

Join up with author Sydney Logan to get your books signed on Saturday September 28th in Huntsville, TN! Sydney will be visiting the Museum of Scott County's Heritage Festival! http://www.sydneylogan.com/2013/09/heritage-festival-book-signing.html

Allie Jean and T.M. Franklin Host Vine Challenge

Are you an Instagram junkie? Don't feel bad, most of use are! Take a look at Allie Jean and T.M. Franklin's websites to enter the Vine Challenge and win a prize pack of books! The contest runs September 12th to October 17th! http://alliejean.net/ and http://www.tmfranklin.com/

Allie Jean to Release Dreams of the Cursed

The long awaited sequel to Legacy of a Dreamer is due for release next week on October 3rd! You can preorder today through the TWCS website. http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/101

Wednesday's Weird Word

Alexipharmic  

Definition: Having the quality or nature of an antidote to poison. Origin: Greek

Savvy Savings

We seem to be running low on coupons this week, but take a look at the ultra low-priced reads hand picked by A2A members on Kindle!

*covers are never posted without permission from the author*

Windswept by Fran McNab
4.5 STARS $0.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RBSO3Y/

Disenchanted by Robert Kroese
4 STARS $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009KP9VJ2/

The Laws of Gravity by Liz Rosenberg
4 STARS $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A7GK4TE/

Thank you for reading this week's edition of Author to Author's, The Wednesday Word! Visit us again next week for more news and savings to refresh your bookish pleasures! As always, feel free to share and spread the word!

Anniversary Giveaway

September 6 marks the one year anniversary of the release of Sydney Logan's debut novel, Lessons Learned. To celebrate, Sydney is offering a fantastic giveaway! 


The Blurb: A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots. English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance. Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

  Praise for Lessons Learned

"Lessons Learned is a book that isn’t easily forgotten. I urge you to give it a read. You won’t regret it. Also, did I mention it starts with a bang? Talk about the best prologue ever." -JM Darhower, author of Sempre

"I haven’t read a book in a long time that I can compare to my favorite author Nicholas Sparks. THIS book is that book." - Becky, Book Blogger

To thank her readers for an amazing year, Sydney is celebrating with a giveaway! You can win a signed copy of Lessons Learned and a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card! The Rafflecopter is below.  Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, iTunes, or Blogger. We hereby release all names listed of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. Let me know if you have any questions or issues by contacting me: @SydneyALogan. - Good Luck!

Author To Author’s Newsletter                                                    August 21, 2013

Writing & Publishing Tips

“I have this great idea! See, there’s a villain, and he’s got a hideout in a gravity-shelter underground on this other planet. And there’s a hero, right? And he’s got psychic abilities and then they fight and a war breaks out and they hide from nuclear fallout and then the villain dies. Isn’t that a great story?“

Believe it or not, I have been approached with…a variety of scenarios over the years. Not this one precisely, but others that have been outlandish, disorganized and most enthusiastically presented. The hopeful writer is generally convinced that their idea is amazing and original and mind-blowing. And indeed, it may be. But it lacks … well… It lacks discipline. I tell authors about self-discipline often. To me, this is one of the KEY MUST-HAVES if one wants to work as a writer. DISCIPLINE. It does not mean spanking or whips or chains…so just tug your mind out of the gutter. Discipline means a structure for growth. For development. A writer needs that. So does her story.



Do you think this kind of artwork happens without a plan? By no means. The macrame artist has a plan. She monitors the tension in each strand of string, braiding and designing and crafting knots at the appropriate intervals. She does this knowing there will be a support, or that it will hang “just so” and works to make sure the structure of the creation will work. The pattern is secure. There aren’t a bunch of oddly spaced loose ends dangling without form or function. This is a work of art and it requires discipline to achieve. Just like a novel. There are many ways to achieve the balance of tension necessary to achieve a work of fiction that is coherent and comprehensive. One way is to outline. Another is to put different pieces together – like a quilt – and work the pieces into a glorious whole. But both ways require some planning. Some idea of what the final product will look like.

For me, I HAVE TO KNOW where I will end up before I get much beyond chapter one when I write. I might write one chapter just because an idea won’t let me go. But if it goes much beyond that…I want to know where my story is stopping. Then, I make a plan to get there.

Contributed By Author to Author Member, Contributing Writer, and Author, Sandi Layne. Originally posted on her blog, http://sandyquill.com/2011/05/02/its-like-macrame/ on May 2, 2013.

Exciting News for Author to Author Group Members

New Release from A2A Author, Savannah Leigh!

With This Ring
A Novella

Synopsis: Lily is a thirty-two year old single woman who owns Wedding Dreams. She spends her days planning weddings for other people. She is a realist, and knows that marriage is not in the cards for her. Drew Hamilton is a thirty-six year old lawyer who has no desire to have a wife or family. But, he is plagued by his desire to grant his mother’s only wish. When Drew meets Lily at a wedding, he thinks he has a solution to both of their problems. If only Lily sees it the same way.

With This Ring is only 99 cents on Kindle!

You can’t beat that price!

http://www.amazon.com/With-This-Wedding-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00EHMXUW2/

Congratulations to Savannah on her new release!

A2A Author N.K. Smith goes on blog tour with Are You Mine?

Synopsis: Human connection? Who needs it? Ever since she can remember, wealthy but weary Saige Armstrong has felt different from her peers in Pechimu, New Jersey. With only one good friend to her name, she has navigated the complicated halls of high school and is now faced with the timeless question: Now what? Fox Harrington, a fun-loving, socially charismatic graffiti artist uses his passions to color his world how he wants it. He knows exactly where his life is headed. That is, until he meets Saige. A summer project links the two together, making a tentative friendship bloom into romance, but despite their affection for each other, fundamental beliefs and ways of thinking threaten to destroy all they have built.

 "These moments in life are the best there are. They’re heavy with emotion, messy with the what-ifs, and frightening with the unknowns."

Visit N.K. Smith’s blog and view the full schedule here: http://nksmithauthor.blogspot.com/2013/08/are-you-mine-blog-tour-schedule.html?zx=14a4f7adba85412a

Are You Mine? may be purchased on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Mine-ebook/dp/B00CSVPBGC/

Author Lindsey Gray's Redemption Series I-Spy Game

For all you readers and writers out there who love to play online games and enter contests, here's a good one! The winner will receive an ebook of their choice published by The Writer's Coffee Shop! Take a look!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WoqCjX55BmRPnEkJ0pLwac7xt_jU63fEfo6Ye71WURg/viewform

Wednesday’s Weird Word

Acersecomic

Definition: A person whose hair has never been cut.

Origin: Greek- kome /Latin- acersecomes

Savvy Smashwords Savings

If you don’t have a Smashwords account, you can create one for free and download your ebooks in any format for any eReader!



Fireworks by Lindsey Gray

$0.99

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/323558

Use Coupon Code: DE22P

Life of The Party by Christine Anderson

FREE

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164487

Use Coupon Code: XZ79F




The Boomerang Effect by Lindy Spencer

Price Slash!

$6.99
NOW $2.99!

No coupon code required

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/180083




Franco's Fortune by Cara Marsi

FREE

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/290943

Use Coupon Code: GM79V

Thank you for reading Author to Author's first edition of The Wednesday Word! Visit us again next week for more news and savings to refresh your bookish pleasures! As always, feel free to share and spread the word!