Jackie Lapin is one of the high-power publicists I love to work with. She works primarily with authors of books related to spirituality, but she has instituted some a new services that may appeal to other authors. She is my guest blogger today and for the next two Fridays starting with a new service of resources for Virtual Summits. (If you aren't familiar with virtual summits, keep reading! You need to know more! (-: ) And put July 17 and August 8 in your trigger file to come back to this #SharingwithWriters blog and read the next two posts in her series!
Attract New Book Buyers and Clients Through Virtual Summits
and Conscious Media Relation’s
Virtual summits are currently one of the hottest ways to add more people to your opt-in list, but they are also a great way to introduce your book to hundreds--or even thousands--of potential new book buyers.
Virtual summits –which encompass both telesummits on the phone and video summits presented online—are generally produced by a host who assembles a group of experts on related subject matter so enticing that people will immediately submit their name and email to gain access to the interviews. Each of the experts support the promotion by offering a free gift (requiring opt-in) during their interview and inviting their communities to register for the summit. The benefit to the participating guest presenter is that you will gain many new followers whom you would not otherwise have reached. And for an author, the even greater benefit is that you have anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour to interest the audience in your book.
You’ve likely seen these summits show up in your in-box and thought to yourself: “I wish I’d known about this before. I’d be perfect for it!”
How would you like some advance intel on upcoming summits with open guest presenter seats—so you can jump on the opportunities right away?
I’ve created a way to do that with www.SpeakerTunitySummits.com™ . I provide you insider information not available anywhere else, including all the direct contacts where you can book yourself for Virtual Summits!
For only $35/month—far less than your valuable time to search these out yourself.
For the past 10 years, I have served “authors with a message” by introducing them to a proprietary list of 3,000 personal growth and 400 health and wellness radio shows via our acclaimed Conscious Media Relations Radio Media Tours. But many authors also asked for more opportunities for exposure that they could undertake on their own—without a lot of headaches and hassle.
With more visibility comes more books sales and even more clients! Visibility you don’t have to pay someone else to get for you...
So we created three simple easy, time saving, subscription services that will get and keep you booked! SpeakerTunity Summits™ is the first one you should know about. Watch for the other two in Carolyn’s future blogs. Find the next one on great radio and podcast lists on July 28. https://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2017/07/time-saving-radio-and-podcast-lists.html This link will not work until it publishers on July 28. Try it then. It's magic then!
Thanks, Carolyn, for inviting me to be a guest blogger for three of your "favorite Fridays!"
MORE ABOUT JACKIE
Jackie Lapin is a leader in helping transformational leaders, authors, practitioners, speakers and messengers connect with their next followers around the globe. For the past 10 years, her internationally acclaimed Conscious Companies have been providing PR campaigns, radio media tours and speaking engagements to support the growth and revenue of change-makers. Her clients have included Don Miguel Ruiz, Dr. Joe Vitale, James Twyman, Denise Linn, Arielle Ford, Hay House and more.
The success of her companies has been built on her detail-oriented, comprehensive proprietary one-of-a-kind data-driven lists—the information from which she is now sharing with the world! Her most recent offering is SpeakerTunity™, the twice monthly transformational speaker leads tip sheet, providing speakers with the direct contacts to book themselves on stages across North America. (www.Speakertunity.com) The newest additions to the SpeakerTunity™ family are SpeakerTunity Radio Insider™, with leads to book transformational radio shows; and SpeakerTunity Summits™, where you can submit yourself to Virtual Summit hosts.
Jackie is also a bestselling author with two Amazon.com bestsellers, The Art of Conscious Creation, How You Can Transform the World and Practical Conscious Creation: Daily Techniques to Manifest Your Desires, the latter having been named “Best Spiritual Book of the Year” at the International New Age Trade Show.
For more information, go to: www.ConsciousMediaRelations.com
   Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors) and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )As many of my subscribers and visitors know, tolerance is a theme deeply imbedded in my creative work and some of my nonfiction as well (Consider my crusade against #bookbigotry in my advocacy for authors!). One of my special friends finished a run of her play (once a movie!) with a special showing for charity on July 28th (see below for details). Here she tells a bit about her extraordinary trek in the writing and production of this play. It is well worth hearing--as inspiration for your own important creative work and to take on as a project to find ways for this play and its message to be seen even more widely. Please take a moment to learn more about Marlan Warren and Yuri Kochiyama's never-give-up approach to the lessons of history.
"The work of the Crusaders, although obscure and unknown, was a means by which young people in confinement were able to prove that no physical boundaries could stop them from transcending beyond the 'barbed wires.' - Yuri Kochiyama (aka "Mary Nakahara")
Play Title: "Bits of Paradise: Kochiyama's Crusaders" Playwright/Director/Co-Producer/Actor: Marlan Warren Co-Collaborator/Actor/Co-Producer: Ariel Kayoko Labasan Cast: Ariel Kayoko Labasan, Douglas N. Hachiya; Scott Shima; Mack Wei; Jacky Jung; Zoë Kim and Marlan Warren.
(Los Feliz) in Church Theater.
Press: Reporters & Reviewers Contact Rev. Dr. Kevin L. Downer, Interim Senior Pastor Founders MCC / ICM Fundadora
Skype and Facebook rev.kevin.downer MORE ABOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY CHURCH This performance is a Benefit for MCC. The church originally housed the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church (see below for details) whose members protested the "internment" of innocent people in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. And, in fact, at the front of the church is a cross made out of wood from a U.S. concentration camp barracks!
Founded in October of 1968, Founders throughout its history has had a long standing commitment to social justice and standing with people in the margins and made vulnerable by intolerant societies and inhumane laws and policies. The congregation is the first known Christian faith community anywhere to have had a primary ministry to the LGBTQIA community. Today the diverse congregants from Founders MCC continue this legacy by celebrating an inclusive faith, serving those in the margins, and seeking a more just and loving community, city and world. MORE ABOUT THE PLAY | This documentary film will honor the war effort of Japanese American girls and women held in American concentration camps during World War II. Led by the young activist, Yuri Kochiyama (aka "Mary Nakahara"), they called themselves "The Crusaders" as they embarked on a passionate letter-writing campaign to boost the morale of "any soldier in need of a letter." |
Bits of Paradise: Kochiyama's Crusaders, by Marlan Warren in collaboration with Ariel Kayoko Labasan, focuses on a women's movement founded by renowned human rights activist Yuri Kochiyama when she was known as 20-year old "Mary Nakahara" and incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps during World War II with her fellow Japanese Americans. Calling themselves "The Crusaders," the girls and women mobilized a morale-boosting letter-writing campaign that ensured that "any soldier missing a letter" would receive mail.
"The performances will be more 'staged' than 'reading,'" explained Warren, who co-produces with Labasan, and directs the play. "Some actors may not be holding scripts, and there will be action sequences, props and costumes."
Warren originally directed and produced Bits of Paradiseas a Reader's Theater piece at The Marsh Theatre in San Francisco in 2008.
Recently, the play was reworked and re-titled Bits of Paradise: Kochiyama's Crusaders, after Warren joined forces with actor/playwright Ariel Kayoko Labasan, whose solo show, "Yuri Speaks Out!" played to packed houses at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Labasan will reprise her role as Yuri Kochiyama, portraying the activist from ages 20 to 84.
"My first encounter with Yuri Kochiyama was while I was in New York," said Labasan. "As an actor, I was seeking out roles that made me feel braver. I searched online for 'strong Asian American women in history'...and suddenly she popped up!"
"We wish to thank Rogue Machine Theatre for this amazing opportunity," said Warren. "They are currently featuring 'Les Blancs' by Lorraine Hansberry, and their set looks exactly like the interior of a Japanese American Internment barracks."
"Before she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and before she held Malcolm X while he lay dying and before she occupied the Statue of Liberty in protest of injustice, Yuri Kochiyama was a young woman in love named Mary Nakahara whose fiancé, Bill Kochiyama, had volunteered to fight in order to prove loyalty to the U.S. while the people he loved were held in an American concentration camp.
"It sounds like a very dark time, and in fact it was," said Warren. "But the contents of The Crusaders Scrapbook in the Japanese American National Museum are full of humor and cheer and flirtations." In 2001, Warren was granted permission by JANM to adapt the scrapbook into a play for educational purposes.
The cast members are a mix of Asian American heritage, including two--Douglas N. Hachiya and Scott Shima--who have family members who fought in the legendary 442nd Combat Team. The play is an ensemble effort, as Warren notes: "Actor Mack Wei has outfitted the men with uniforms and rifles from a short film he made, and Progressive Rags print shop owner, Radical Jack, in Miami, Fla. has donated three 'Free Mumia Abul-Jamal' t-shirts for Yuri to wear."
The young women playing The Crusaders will also appear as octogenarians being interviewed for a documentary. In fact, Warren has been making a film with the elderly "Original Crusaders" since 2008 ("What did you do in the War, Mama?: Kochiyama's Crusaders"). The women in the film are Yuri Kochiyama, Ruth Ishizaki, Patricia Goto Takeshita, and Rinko Shimasaki.
"Working with this material has been a healing process," said Warren. "For those whose family history incurred these scars, it is very personal. And for those of us who feel empathetic with its story of loss and love, it is also very meaningful."
 MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER  Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, is a story about how even subtle intolerance can be destructive. No longer in print but available on Amazon's New and Used Feature, it won eight awards. Her book of creative nonfiction, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered,won three. Her fiction, nonfiction and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies and review journals. A chapbook of poetry, Tracings, was named to the Compulsive Reader’s Ten Best Reads list and was given the Military Writers’ Society of America’s Silver Award of Excellence. Her most recent book of poetry is Imperfect Echoes, which was released to rave reviews from Midwest Book Reviews. She speaks on Utah’s culture, tolerance, and book promotion and editing and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide. The first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book” and the Irwin Award. The second edition is also a USA Book News award winner. Her TheFrugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and EnsureSuccess also won a nod from USA Book News and won Readers’ Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards. The latest book in that series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.
Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, the Book Publicists of Southern California’s Irwin Award and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of fourteen women of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen.” She is also an instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program
The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-four countries and has studied at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her website is www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
I am always pleased when one of my clients is excited enough about a writers' aid to want to share it with the rest of writing friends! Brother Simeon, manger of Light of the Spirit Press, recently sharesdthis aid in a full-blown review. I hope there are those among you who will find his review of Dave Chesson's as a valuables a resource helpful --especially for the intricacies and benefits offered by Amazon KDP and advertising features.
Review for Dave Chesson and Kindlepreneur
Guest Post/Review by Brother Simeon of Light of the Spirit Press
I would like to give a triple positive review to Dave Chesson. First, I have found his website, Kindlepreneur.com, to be an never failing resource for all things relating to Kindle ebooks. This especially relates to marketing, essential for anyone who has written a book and is serious about getting the word out. This even relates to authors who have signed on with book companies who, in theory, take care of promotion. He gives practical, do-it-yourself articles which are always useful and informative, even entertaining. And he always keeps his readers informed about the latest trends in what an author can do to promote his or her books. Subscribing to his blog is essential for book marketers.
Second, he recently made available an incredibly useful series of tutorial videos on Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) at https://kindlepreneur.com/ams-book-advertising-course/ which walks the viewers through how to successfully set up an AMS account and all steps for marketing through Amazon’s in-site marketing network, and making the ads as effective as they can be. Having begun implementing these steps, I am finding success with Amazon ads already, and as I apply the suggestions for optimization of the ads which Dave recommends in his course, I expect to have even more success.
And third, Dave has created some software, KDP Rocket, which is a fantastic help with all things relating to Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP Rocket is meant to help authors find profitable book ideas, get more readers to their books in Amazon, increase Kindle rankings, and find profitable AMS keywords. And he gives useful video tutorials on how to effectively us the capabilities for KDP Rocket. I can personally vouch for the software’s capacity to save hours of time not only in finding related keywords for desired keywords, but also books and authors related to the keyword inquiry, which can be used in AMS campaigns. And it does so FAST. And the list can be downloaded as an Excel file for editing. I look forward to using all facets of the software as I expand my efforts to market our books on Amazon.
My special thanks to Dave for his help to authors and publishers.
MORE ABOUT DIRECTLY FROM OUR GUEST BLOGGER
[Note: Please feel free to share comments and ideas for his coming book!]
 I just finished producing a new book by Abbot George [spiritual leader at Brother Simeon's monastery] Dwelling In The Mirror: A Study of Illusions Produced by Delusive Meditation and How to Be Free from Them. I have worked hard on getting pre-publication reviewers, mostly from Facebook ads and from a stable of previous reviewers.
This is the ninth book our press offers (in addition to three ebooks which we offer for free: reader magnets with ads for all our other books at the end of each). We just finished proofing today on the 10th book, which I hope to promote big time, actually putting into practice many of the things which I learned from our consultation, and from reading your books.
As this is the tenth book from Light of the Spirit Press, I thought it would be an opportunity to promote LOSP through press releases, contacting book stores, etc., playing up the angle of the Monastery as a growing micro-press, if that is the correct term. I hope to consult with you about this as this project goes forward, regarding press releases and the best way to use this milestone to our benefit.
Regarding this 10th book, it is a collection of questions and answers regarding all things spiritual which Abbot George has collected over the years. I think it might be of great interest to readers in our genre, though I am not un-biased. It will be a larger book, over 300 pages at 6x9, I imagine. The problem immediately before us is a catchy title. We thought of Dear Abbot, but we are of an older generation that remembers the Dear Abby columns, so it might not interest younger readers. Ask the Abbot is another limp idea. I thought of a sub-title like Questions and Answers on Life, Spiritual Liberty, and the Pursuit of Ultimate Happiness. But I think that might be too corny. What do you think? I also thought of a Facebook contest or inquiry from our readers.
Learn more about Brother Simeon and his press:
Brother Simeon
Light of the Spirit Monastery Light of the Spirit Press
lightofthespiritpress.comP. O. Box 1370 Cedar Crest, NM 87008 505.281.4888
My friend L. Diane Wolf is offering a great way to pitch publishers and agents--fast! It's called a Twitter Pitch Party and if it works out, it may become a regular. Still, if you or an author friend has a book ready to pitch, don't miss this. It may be a one of a kind. And see the amazing gatekeepers you can reach (with links!), below! Learn more at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-twitter-pitch.htmlHere's the invitation:
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Twitter Pitch Party!
#IWSGPit
July 27, 2017
8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time  All writers and authors are invited to participate in our very first Twitter Pitch.
Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On July 27, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.
Rules:
Writers may send out 1 Twitter pitch every 1 hour per manuscript.
Publishers/Agents will favorite/heart pitches they are interested in. Publishers can either Tweet basic submission guidelines or direct writers to their submission guidelines. (Writers, please do not favorite/heart pitches.)
Pitches must include GENRE/AGE and the hashtag #IWSGPit.
Ages:
#C - children’s
#MG - middle grade
#YA - young adult
#NA - new adult
#A - adult
Genres:
#AD - adventure
#CF - Christian fiction
#CO - contemporary
#F - fantasy
#H - horror
#HI - historical
#LF - literary fiction
#MCT - mystery/crime/thriller
#ME - memoir
#NF - non-fiction
#PB - picture book
#PN - paranormal
#R - romance
#SF - sci-fi
#WF - women's fictionParticipating Publishers and Agents:
*Authors, please check out the publishers and agents before #IWSGPit day and before submitting.* Please join us and spread the word! MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGERHoward-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors) and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )Many of my #SharingwithWriters subscribers and visitors know that much of my poetry and fiction has a tolerance theme and so I felt I just must let you know about the premiere productions of a new play by Marlan Warren. It's in Los Angeles so I hope you Southern Californians can support it; I hope the rest of you will stow this play in the recesses of your memory and gift it some affirmative energy so it will make it to your town!  MORE ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
| This documentary film will honor the war effort of Japanese American girls and women held in American concentration camps during World War II. Led by the young activist, Yuri Kochiyama (aka "Mary Nakahara"), they called themselves "The Crusaders" as they embarked on a passionate letter-writing campaign to boost the morale of "any soldier in need of a letter." |
| sites.google.com What did you do in the War, Mama: Kochiyama's Crusaders grew out of the play, Bits of Paradise by producer/director/playwright Marlan Warren which showcased at The ... |
Learn more about Marlan: Marlan Warren Roadmap Communications Book Publicity by Marlan Twitter: @marlanwarren MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for  writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com) Her most recent book is Imperfect Echoes which fits right in with today's theme of tolerance and was released this year to rave reviews from Jim Cox, Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review. The cover is by Conrad Jackson, an artist who is serving 25 years to life in the California penal system for receiving stolen property. More Recent Articles | |
