It's Monday again. Another week starts and I feel like I have twittered away too much time recently. Literally Twittered too much. Although it is fun and interesting talking with everyone I have to take a break and get back to writing for a while. Well, at least writing more 140 characters at a time. It's not just Twitter that seems to be getting too much attention lately. The Internet is an excellent marketing and social tool, but it can also take your focus off other things. For me right now that's writing. Spring is quickly crashing into Summer and Summer means I will have even less quiet time in my house to write. I have a lot I want to get done before school gets out and my husband's vacation days come around. That way when I want to enjoy time with my family I won't be feeling like I should be writing.
My main goal is to finish my contemporary romance and get it back out in the mail and finish (or at least make great progress on) the two additional stories I have floating around my head, with the characters stuck where I left them. At the same time I have been thinking about a sequel to The Truth Lies in the Dark, and the story is already forming in my head. Sometimes I swear the characters have a life of their own, or maybe just my imagination does. Either way I have to get busy getting the stories already in progress out to make room for the ones that are starting to take root.
It's not realistic to say that I will not be on line at all while I am working toward these goals, but my time will be more focused on maintaining communication and marketing for my book. I will be checking my emails and occasionally checking in with my Twitter friends, as well as other writing groups. I will be announcing the winner of my Love Your Library contest on Friday May 1st. Good luck to everyone who entered to win a signed copy of The Truth Lies in the Dark and a copy for your favorite public library. If you haven't entered click on the picture of my book to the right of the screen for more details.
As always if anyone has a question or comment I would love to hear from you.
Keep in Touch,
Kristin : )
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Spring Clean Fest! Just some good, clean, fun?
It's Friday, and it's supposed to be beautiful here in CT all weekend. First thing on my list is to unplug all video games, and yes even the computer, and kick everyone outside. So far the Spring has brought many April showers, which means my house has been crawling with kids of all ages. With kids comes germs, I know it sounds terrible to say but it's true. If you have to remind your children to wash their hands before eating, and they glance down at their open palms that are embedded with dirt from playing basketball and argue that they already did, you know they are germ breeders. Which brings me to the second thing on my weekend list.
I will rally the troops for a good old fashioned Spring Clean Fest. Not your everyday surface cleaning and clutter stuffing that gets you through temporarily. I am talking the open all the windows, line up the bags for donation, relocate the spider condos kind of cleaning. It is so much fun that I would feel guilty not involving my kids and my husband. And trust me they are so happy to be a part of it. I can tell by their big smiles (which for some reason I can only see when I look at them upside down) and mutterings of sweet thoughts under their breath.
If you're going to hold your own Spring Clean Fest (doesn't the name sound fun?) there are some things to consider. You can't throw something like this together willy nilly. I just love that phrase. Throw that in during the event and your family will really think you've flipped; which makes them more likely to do everything you say for fear of you snapping further.
Ok, like I said having a successful Spring Clean Fest takes some planning and a bit of evil manipulation. Back when I was a rooky Mom I would treat this event like the opening day of Army boot camp. It never really caught on (kids didn't like being called maggots and have you ever tried to get more than 1 push up out of a 5 year old?) Now that I'm a seasoned veteran I have learned a thing or two about motivation, positive reinforcement, and consequences. This is how I put this knowledge to good use.
Motivation: What better motivation for a household of mostly guys? That's right, the promise of good food and dessert. (if you were thinking something, shame on you, maggot...drop & give me 20) Sorry that was the boot camp Mom creeping back. I picked up a rack of ribs (sorry to all vegans, but mmmm) that would make the Flintstones jealous. Nothing like the smell of slow cooking BBQ ribs to motivate a family. Then the promise of home baked cookies or brownies and I have hooked my daughter too.
Positive Reinforcement: That is easy. The more we get finished, the happier I am, the happier I am, the happier my husband is, and so on and so on. It's like positive reinforcement dominoes.
And finally consequences: I like to use any opportunity to teach my kids about the consequences of their actions. No, this is really where the bit of evil manipulation comes in. I have learned, or noticed with frequency, that if you make each child responsible for the room or area that they do the most damage in they tend to be more careful after.
For example, my oldest works outside and occasionally with cows. He insists that there is nothing on his shoes as he kicks them off by the door. So he gets that room to clean out in the Spring Clean Fest. I can tell by the greenish color to his face that he realizes there may actually be something on his shoes after all and he begins to kick them off in the garage (for the next week anyway).
My middle son gets the upstairs computer/game room, which he always swears he and friends clean up after their weekly sleep over. After 3 full bags of garbage and countless empty soda and juice bottles, I can see that he is even questioning his definition of clean.
My youngest son gets the exciting job of washing hand prints off of the walls and door frames. Because it is not enough that he will very soon be taller than me, but he must jump and touch ever surface above his head to prove it.
My daughter gets the windows. With spray bottle and towel in hand she makes our world a little brighter. Which is fitting since she loves to breath on them all and write her name in the fog so that when I cook something steamy her name starts appearing everywhere like some ghostly horror movie. I'm not kidding, it can be unsettling. I keep waiting for her to start writing REDRUM like the son in The Shining (so glad we don't have an ax).
The only thing I haven't figured out is how I always get stuck with the bathroom. I guess I'm going to have to wait for them to get their own places for that consequence to come full circle.
So there you have it. Use these tips or make up your own ways to make Spring Clean Fest a huge success at your house.
Happy Cleaning! (if there is such a thing)
Kristin :D
I will rally the troops for a good old fashioned Spring Clean Fest. Not your everyday surface cleaning and clutter stuffing that gets you through temporarily. I am talking the open all the windows, line up the bags for donation, relocate the spider condos kind of cleaning. It is so much fun that I would feel guilty not involving my kids and my husband. And trust me they are so happy to be a part of it. I can tell by their big smiles (which for some reason I can only see when I look at them upside down) and mutterings of sweet thoughts under their breath.
If you're going to hold your own Spring Clean Fest (doesn't the name sound fun?) there are some things to consider. You can't throw something like this together willy nilly. I just love that phrase. Throw that in during the event and your family will really think you've flipped; which makes them more likely to do everything you say for fear of you snapping further.
Ok, like I said having a successful Spring Clean Fest takes some planning and a bit of evil manipulation. Back when I was a rooky Mom I would treat this event like the opening day of Army boot camp. It never really caught on (kids didn't like being called maggots and have you ever tried to get more than 1 push up out of a 5 year old?) Now that I'm a seasoned veteran I have learned a thing or two about motivation, positive reinforcement, and consequences. This is how I put this knowledge to good use.
Motivation: What better motivation for a household of mostly guys? That's right, the promise of good food and dessert. (if you were thinking something, shame on you, maggot...drop & give me 20) Sorry that was the boot camp Mom creeping back. I picked up a rack of ribs (sorry to all vegans, but mmmm) that would make the Flintstones jealous. Nothing like the smell of slow cooking BBQ ribs to motivate a family. Then the promise of home baked cookies or brownies and I have hooked my daughter too.
Positive Reinforcement: That is easy. The more we get finished, the happier I am, the happier I am, the happier my husband is, and so on and so on. It's like positive reinforcement dominoes.
And finally consequences: I like to use any opportunity to teach my kids about the consequences of their actions. No, this is really where the bit of evil manipulation comes in. I have learned, or noticed with frequency, that if you make each child responsible for the room or area that they do the most damage in they tend to be more careful after.
For example, my oldest works outside and occasionally with cows. He insists that there is nothing on his shoes as he kicks them off by the door. So he gets that room to clean out in the Spring Clean Fest. I can tell by the greenish color to his face that he realizes there may actually be something on his shoes after all and he begins to kick them off in the garage (for the next week anyway).
My middle son gets the upstairs computer/game room, which he always swears he and friends clean up after their weekly sleep over. After 3 full bags of garbage and countless empty soda and juice bottles, I can see that he is even questioning his definition of clean.
My youngest son gets the exciting job of washing hand prints off of the walls and door frames. Because it is not enough that he will very soon be taller than me, but he must jump and touch ever surface above his head to prove it.
My daughter gets the windows. With spray bottle and towel in hand she makes our world a little brighter. Which is fitting since she loves to breath on them all and write her name in the fog so that when I cook something steamy her name starts appearing everywhere like some ghostly horror movie. I'm not kidding, it can be unsettling. I keep waiting for her to start writing REDRUM like the son in The Shining (so glad we don't have an ax).
The only thing I haven't figured out is how I always get stuck with the bathroom. I guess I'm going to have to wait for them to get their own places for that consequence to come full circle.
So there you have it. Use these tips or make up your own ways to make Spring Clean Fest a huge success at your house.
Happy Cleaning! (if there is such a thing)
Kristin :D
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The More I Catch Up...the more I fall behind.
I haven't added a new post in a while. I have been busy with some new projects on and off line. Now I think I have things under control, at least for now. This is what I have been up to.
I don't know about you busy parents, but this time of year is crazy. Everything seems to go even faster as school and the kids extra activities come to an end for the season. I know there are still two months left, but everything seems to be at fever pitch. Like every teacher and coach is just realizing that summer is almost here and they haven't done half of what they had planned to. The past week I have been helping my kids juggle projects, prepare for field trips, and make sure they maintain their day to day assignments. At the same time I am inundated with summer camp offers from all of their after school activities, which my kids beg and plead to do because their friends are.
I know the outcome of saying yes to summer activities, it's not good. Once my kids are out of school they don't want to get up for baseball or soccer camps, or anything else. They, like me, enjoy a nonscheduled summer. That is the reason I became a substitute teacher, so I could have the same hours and vacations as my kids. I know, what was I thinking?
As crazy as it sounds, I love spending time with my kids. I am also a huge believer that boredom breeds creativity. Being over scheduled is unavoidable during the school year, but summer for us is a time to slow down, relax, and take a deep breath before the next school year begins. Believe me, I know I am fortunate to have the choice and opportunity to stay home all summer. Many parents today do not. Both incomes are needed in order to survive. Thankfully, there are many day cares and baby sitters who feel the same as me. They make it their job to care for children and make sure that they are safe, fed, and given the chance to remain children as long as possible. For that they deserve a lot of credit.
My on line projects are not as crazy, but time consuming on their own. I started a new contest blog, as many may already aware of. Love Your Library is a contest that I think is a Win, Win. One lucky reader will win a signed copy of my book and a second copy will be donated in their name to a public library of their choice. I have been getting some great feedback on it. Imagine how great it would be if all new authors offered this. Public libraries would be jam packed with great new books to offer their patrons, and for not much more than a regular book giveaway would cost an author. If you haven't entered for your chance to win, you can follow this link or click on the picture of my book to the right of the screen. Good Luck to you and your Public Library!
http://kcscontests.blogspot.com
I have also joined a brand new group dedicated to authors and readers of Independent books. I am excited to be one of the first author members on Indiereaders. The Grand Opening is April 23, 2009. Be sure to stop by and check it out. It is looking like a very promising group with lots of friendly and helpful people.
http://indiereaders.ning.com
Well, that is most of what I have been up to. You don't want to hear about the daily battles with the dishes, and that mountain of laundry that I continue to try to turn into a molehill. These are all losing battles in a war with no end.
Have a great day and feel free to leave any comments or questions about writing or anything. The best way to help each other is through communication. Tell me what you've been up to with your own project, or just vent about your own crazy busy life.
Thanks for stopping by,
Kristin
I don't know about you busy parents, but this time of year is crazy. Everything seems to go even faster as school and the kids extra activities come to an end for the season. I know there are still two months left, but everything seems to be at fever pitch. Like every teacher and coach is just realizing that summer is almost here and they haven't done half of what they had planned to. The past week I have been helping my kids juggle projects, prepare for field trips, and make sure they maintain their day to day assignments. At the same time I am inundated with summer camp offers from all of their after school activities, which my kids beg and plead to do because their friends are.
I know the outcome of saying yes to summer activities, it's not good. Once my kids are out of school they don't want to get up for baseball or soccer camps, or anything else. They, like me, enjoy a nonscheduled summer. That is the reason I became a substitute teacher, so I could have the same hours and vacations as my kids. I know, what was I thinking?
As crazy as it sounds, I love spending time with my kids. I am also a huge believer that boredom breeds creativity. Being over scheduled is unavoidable during the school year, but summer for us is a time to slow down, relax, and take a deep breath before the next school year begins. Believe me, I know I am fortunate to have the choice and opportunity to stay home all summer. Many parents today do not. Both incomes are needed in order to survive. Thankfully, there are many day cares and baby sitters who feel the same as me. They make it their job to care for children and make sure that they are safe, fed, and given the chance to remain children as long as possible. For that they deserve a lot of credit.
My on line projects are not as crazy, but time consuming on their own. I started a new contest blog, as many may already aware of. Love Your Library is a contest that I think is a Win, Win. One lucky reader will win a signed copy of my book and a second copy will be donated in their name to a public library of their choice. I have been getting some great feedback on it. Imagine how great it would be if all new authors offered this. Public libraries would be jam packed with great new books to offer their patrons, and for not much more than a regular book giveaway would cost an author. If you haven't entered for your chance to win, you can follow this link or click on the picture of my book to the right of the screen. Good Luck to you and your Public Library!
http://kcscontests.blogspot.com
I have also joined a brand new group dedicated to authors and readers of Independent books. I am excited to be one of the first author members on Indiereaders. The Grand Opening is April 23, 2009. Be sure to stop by and check it out. It is looking like a very promising group with lots of friendly and helpful people.
http://indiereaders.ning.com
Well, that is most of what I have been up to. You don't want to hear about the daily battles with the dishes, and that mountain of laundry that I continue to try to turn into a molehill. These are all losing battles in a war with no end.
Have a great day and feel free to leave any comments or questions about writing or anything. The best way to help each other is through communication. Tell me what you've been up to with your own project, or just vent about your own crazy busy life.
Thanks for stopping by,
Kristin
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
You planned a Virtual Book Tour. What's Next?
Now that you have decided to do your own Virtual Book Tour you have to let people know about it. The reason for doing the tour in the first place is to benefit both you and the blog you are a guest on. You want to generate attention for your book that will hopefully increase sales. The host of the blog is hoping that having an author as a guest will bring more readers to their site. So you don't want to rely on the host to do all of the advertising, just as the host should not rely solely on the author to bring more fans. If both parties do their own promoting the odds that the blog and your book get more attention will improve. But how do you generate attention?
There are so many ways to reach people online. You can announce the tour to any online community that you belong to, write articles, and post it in every public site that allows announcements. Just like the planning and writing for the tour, this will take some effort. But, also like the tour, all of the effort and time is worth it if you can help your book succeed. The following are some of the resources I used to announce my virtual book tour. They are all free and fairly easy to use.
As a writer, you probably are already a member of one or more groups. If you are not start joining some. Not only are they are great places to announce your successes and events, but they are also great for exchanging ideas and supporting each other. These are some of the groups that I am a member of. There are many more great group out there. If you know of some tell me about them and I will post them for others to check out.
http://bookmarket.ning.com A network set up by marketing expert John Kremer
http://www.mywriterscircle.com Writing advice and support
http://bookblogs.ning.com A place for writers, readers, reviewers to talk about books
When I first started researching marketing and promoting I had no idea where to begin when it came to articles. Websites and other authors said to write and publish articles about my book and any events I was planning. I remembering thinking, 'How much more can I write in a day and how much is this going to cost?' Be careful of where you look for publishing an article; some sites charge you for distribution. I found some that did not charge anything as long as you kept your membership at the basic level. Don't feel cheap about looking for free options. There are many things you will have and want to pay for in advertising, and others that you can and should use for free. Here are some of the sites I found that allow you to submit articles and some offer much more. Again if you know of more, let me know so we can share the information.
http://www.biblioscribe.com Offers many services to authors like; distributes articles and press releases, and includes your book in their book store w/a link to purchase.
http://pr.com Allows you to write and distribute articles. All submissions are professionally edited before they are are accepted for distribution. (Basic level is free. Any other level, adding links, or advanced distribution will cost more)
http://published.com Offers authors their own book directory, articles, and advice on marketing
Posting your announcement on public spaces online is the easiest form of advertisement. It is pretty much like word of mouth. You don't have to prepare a professional looking article or promo, just a quick note to let everyone know when and where your tour will take place, and if they allow it put a link to your own website or main page that shows your tour schedule.
The most obvious public space is your own website. There are many free and low cost website sponsors to choose from. If you are like me, and lost when it came to starting my own, you're going to want to start with a free one. You may even like it and choose to stay with it. I found that google offers free websites and even walks you through setting it up.
Other great public places to announce your book and events include CraigsList, FaceBook, AuthorsDen, joining your favorite television or radio show networks, and of course Twitter. I love Twitter! It is a great professional and fun social network. It is easy to start an account and many different interesting people to follow. The best thing about Twitter is you can announce each stop of your tour and connect with people in the publishing field in real time.
My twitter account is: http://www.twitter.com/KCBOOKS
I hope that you have found something here to help you in the marketing and promoting of your book. Leave me a comment if you have something that has worked for you and would like to share with other authors.
As always, I wish everyone all of the luck and success in your book tours, sales, and future projects.
Keep in Touch,
Kristin Callender :)
There are so many ways to reach people online. You can announce the tour to any online community that you belong to, write articles, and post it in every public site that allows announcements. Just like the planning and writing for the tour, this will take some effort. But, also like the tour, all of the effort and time is worth it if you can help your book succeed. The following are some of the resources I used to announce my virtual book tour. They are all free and fairly easy to use.
As a writer, you probably are already a member of one or more groups. If you are not start joining some. Not only are they are great places to announce your successes and events, but they are also great for exchanging ideas and supporting each other. These are some of the groups that I am a member of. There are many more great group out there. If you know of some tell me about them and I will post them for others to check out.
http://bookmarket.ning.com A network set up by marketing expert John Kremer
http://www.mywriterscircle.com Writing advice and support
http://bookblogs.ning.com A place for writers, readers, reviewers to talk about books
When I first started researching marketing and promoting I had no idea where to begin when it came to articles. Websites and other authors said to write and publish articles about my book and any events I was planning. I remembering thinking, 'How much more can I write in a day and how much is this going to cost?' Be careful of where you look for publishing an article; some sites charge you for distribution. I found some that did not charge anything as long as you kept your membership at the basic level. Don't feel cheap about looking for free options. There are many things you will have and want to pay for in advertising, and others that you can and should use for free. Here are some of the sites I found that allow you to submit articles and some offer much more. Again if you know of more, let me know so we can share the information.
http://www.biblioscribe.com Offers many services to authors like; distributes articles and press releases, and includes your book in their book store w/a link to purchase.
http://pr.com Allows you to write and distribute articles. All submissions are professionally edited before they are are accepted for distribution. (Basic level is free. Any other level, adding links, or advanced distribution will cost more)
http://published.com Offers authors their own book directory, articles, and advice on marketing
Posting your announcement on public spaces online is the easiest form of advertisement. It is pretty much like word of mouth. You don't have to prepare a professional looking article or promo, just a quick note to let everyone know when and where your tour will take place, and if they allow it put a link to your own website or main page that shows your tour schedule.
The most obvious public space is your own website. There are many free and low cost website sponsors to choose from. If you are like me, and lost when it came to starting my own, you're going to want to start with a free one. You may even like it and choose to stay with it. I found that google offers free websites and even walks you through setting it up.
Other great public places to announce your book and events include CraigsList, FaceBook, AuthorsDen, joining your favorite television or radio show networks, and of course Twitter. I love Twitter! It is a great professional and fun social network. It is easy to start an account and many different interesting people to follow. The best thing about Twitter is you can announce each stop of your tour and connect with people in the publishing field in real time.
My twitter account is: http://www.twitter.com/KCBOOKS
I hope that you have found something here to help you in the marketing and promoting of your book. Leave me a comment if you have something that has worked for you and would like to share with other authors.
As always, I wish everyone all of the luck and success in your book tours, sales, and future projects.
Keep in Touch,
Kristin Callender :)
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