The Fabulist Flash

Issue 60

November 3, 2005
Featured Product

2006 Hoover Dam Reflection
$6.50
 

In This Issue:

  1. This Week
  2. A Unique Way To Get Published
  3. Make the Most of Your Book Endorsements
  4. Online Article Directories
  5. About The Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

Welcome to Issue 60 of The Fabulist Flash.

The word from my publisher is that 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live is shipping to bookstores and libraries around the country this week. In preparation, I've been reading and re-reading books on book promotion.

One of the ideas discussed in these books is writing articles, including a generous bio with site links, and submitting them to reprint article directories.

While I work on a book related article for submission this week, I decided to take a brief piece I wrote to promote my eBook, The Endorsement Quest, "10 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Book Endorsements," and submit it to a series of reprint article directories to try out the submission process. You'll find this article below and hopefully begin seeing it in other newsletters soon. To help you begin your own article campaign I've included a list of online article directories that accept reprint articles later in the newsletter.

Getting others excited and involved in your career and book marketing is important. I followed this advice by sending out letters of congratulation to all the mayors whose cities are profiled in my book. Along with the letter, I included a full-color certificate of achievement and a personalized press release for their communication's office. I'm hoping that these cities are excited about being in the book and will begin aiding in my promotion efforts.

The other big action I've taken this week is to begin a viral marketing email campaign. I really don't like the name, but the concepts are solid. Basically, you send an email to your friends, family, and colleagues with a series of actions you'd like them to take. I'm sharing my list here both as a point of reference for your own similar campaigns and to ask you for help.

1. Visit my website: http://www.FabCities.com Your click will improve my internet search engine rankings. While there, you'll also find more information on 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE and ways to order through online bookstores or signed copies directly from me.

2. Contact or visit two (or more) local libraries and ask if they have 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE in their collection. If they do, please check it out (and return it ontime!). If they don't, please ask them to order a copy and put your name on the waiting list.

3. Contact two (or more) local bookstores and ask if they have 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE in stock.

4. If you purchase and like 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE, please provide an online review or recommendation at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or any of the other online booksellers that allow customer reviews.

5 Make plans now to attend my book release event on December 2, 2005, at The Holsum Lofts Building (231 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV) 6-10 pm.

6. Email this list to any of your friends who might be interested in 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE. If you have ideas to help promote 50 FABULOUS GAY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO LIVE (friends in your local media, book signing or speaking opportunities with your group or organization, ideas you've seen others doing, etc.) please contact me at Gregory@Kompes.com

It's important to think creatively, to step outside the box. This creative thinking isn't relegated to promotion after the sale, but works when brainstorming ideas for ways to sell our work, too. Just take a look at Suzan L. Wiener's creative idea article Placemats - A Unique Way To Get Published.

Until next week,

Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a writer, photographer, professional speaker and author of 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live. Learn more about Gregory and his work at www.kompes.com

2. A Unique Way To Get Published

Placemats - A Unique Way To Get Published
Suzan L. Wiener

I enjoy writing fillers such as jokes, anecdotes and 4-line poems. I was fortunate enough to find a new avenue for them. What is that? Getting them published on placemats and getting paid as well.

It’s a unique way to get published and have others get a laugh out of your work and make money too. You can get published this way also. I did this and it was an easy sale since I had these fillers already in my files, so there was virtually no work involved.

Here are some tips that helped me make quick sales.

l. Make sure the jokes are original as they don’t want recycled or old ones.

2. Type the jokes, etc. on individual cards so the person, who’ll hopefully buy them, will be able to read them quickly.

3. Know the price you’re willing to accept for your work. Don’t be unrealistic with the amount. If you are, you won’t make a sale.

4. Keep your jokes g-rated as these are family restaurants.

5. Be patient. The contact person may not get back to you right away, but don’t give up hope. I once waited two months for a decision and then made a sale.

I came upon this stroke of good fortune when a friend told me about someone she knew who needed jokes for his business. He printed them on placemats. He sold those placemats to different restaurants. That was rather unusual, but I gave her my phone number and said I’d be very happy to have him call me.

The fellow did contact me several days later. He asked me to send him thirty jokes and he would chose some from those. I did that immediately. To my delight and surprise, he bought twenty-four of them, using six each time a new set of placemats came out, throughout the year. He even sent me copies of the placemats. What a novel way of getting people to see my work. I made $30 for 6 jokes each time I sold them. I’m sure you can even get a higher rate if you negotiate more than I did. Again, don’t be unrealistic with the payment.

You can do this as well by going into your local restaurant when you’re going out to eat. You don’t even have to make a separate trip for this purpose. Just look at the placemat on your table and write down the name and phone number which is usually on the bottom of it. If it’s not listed on the placement, often the manager can tell you the contact person. I’ve also asked the hostess or host of the restaurant for a clean placemat that I can take home for reference and they’re always happy to oblige.

I was quite pleased to see my jokes published . It was such a unique publishing idea - especially when my husband and I actually had our meals on those very placemats, and could read my jokes while we ate. I never though a published piece of mine would be under someone’s plate of food, but the idea was to make someone laugh with my writing. I knew I’d accomplished that when a couple in the booth next to me were looking down at the placemats and laughing out loud. What a thrill it was to say to them, “You know, I wrote those jokes.” To my surprise, they even asked me to autograph their placemats!

I’m happy knowing others are getting a chuckle and a smile from my work and I have the enjoyment of getting paid for it. You will too. Now, no one can say my jokes aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

About the Author
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My name is Suzan L. Wiener and I have had many articles on writing published as well as stories, personal experience pieces, greeting cards, poems and shorter pieces published as well. I now have 40-poems in a love poetry e-book up at Lionsong Publication and Reading Destiny's bookstores. I've been freelancing for 19 years and started at forty years of age when my back went out and I had to retire.

3. Make the Most of Your Book Endorsements

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Book Endorsements
Gregory A. Kompes

Endorsements, sometimes called "Blurbs," are wonderful and often witty comments about your book provided by respected authors, journalists, entertainers, and industry experts connected to your topic. They're also one of the strongest sales tools an author has in their book sales toolbox. These short quotes should be gathered both before and after your book is published. Once you've gathered your endorsements what do you do with them? Here's a list of ten ways to get the most out of your well earned endorsements:

1. Book Cover. Readers respect the opinion of others, especially respected authors and industry experts. Endorsements gathered before production should be included on your book cover. In addition to placing your blurbs on the back cover, a great, short endorsement on the front will increase your sales.

2. Inside Your Book. Place pre-publication endorsements on a page or two just inside the front cover of your book. If you don't have pre-publication blurbs, consider adding your blurbs on your next printing.

3. "What Others Are Saying" Page. Collect your best endorsements and reviews on a single page and include it in your media kit. Positive endorsements will increase your press coverage.

4. Promotional Materials. When creating postcards, bookmarks, flyers, brochures and other give-a-way items, include an endorsement. They send the message, "Don't take my word for it, this is what others think of my book."

5. Tip Sheets: Create a tip sheet to include in your media kit and as a handout. Tip sheets, sometimes called a "One Page," include four basic elements: About the Book, About the Author, Book Statistics, and Order Information. A callout box or sidebar with a blurb about your book is an excellent addition.

6. Website. Include call out boxes or sidebars on your website that contain your endorsement quotes. Boxes add interest to your website. Your site visitors will view them as testimonials from others adding a level of trust.

7. Email Signature. Endorsements included with a link to your website draw interest and attention to your email signature.

8. Advertisements. Include a quality endorsement quote or two in all your print and online advertisements.

9. Query Letters. Include an endorsement or two in query letters when selling editors on stories connected to your book.

10. Press Releases. Use endorsements as quotes in your press releases. This will add interest and value to your book related news items. Additionally, a great endorsement from a recognized name is press release worthy on its own.

Want to learn how to obtain endorsements for your book? Gregory A. Kompes is the author of THE ENDORSEMENT QUEST (www.EndorsementQuest.com). This eBook outlines an easy to follow and affordable way to obtain those all important endorsements. "A beautiful, professional piece—and much needed" --Carolyn-Howard Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter. "Well done. Smart Idea." --Eva Shaw, author, writing coach, mentor.

About the Author
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Gregory A. Kompes (www.kompes.com) is a writer, photographer, and professional speaker. Gregory is founder of The GLBT Authors' Project (www.GLBTAuthors.com) and editor of The Fabulist Flash (www.FabulistFlash), an informative and inspirational newsletter for writers. His articles and photographs have been published nationally, and he designs and produces a line of Art Cards and Gifts. Gregory is a graduate of Columbia University, New York, and the author of 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live (Career Press, 2005; ISBN: 1564148270; www.FabCities.com).

4. Online Article Directories

Placing reprint articles with article directories is a good way to build your clip file and to promote yourself, your books, and your products.

To get you started, here's a list of article directories that accept free reprint articles:

ADVERTISEMENT
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Subscribe to JustMarkets - Daily Paying Freelance Markets!

5. About The Fabulist Flash

ISSN: 1554-0804

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Make plans now to attend the 2006 Las Vegas Writer's Conference March 30-April 2, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thanks for reading The Fabulist Flash.