Pitch Perfect @EPICorg *Writer's Conference*: EPICon2014

Larry K. and Lorna Collins will present PITCH PERFECT at EPICon 2014.
What is a pitch? It’s the opportunity to present your work to an industry professional. These are sometimes called ‘elevator pitches’ because the only chance an aspiring author may have to get the attention of a publisher, editor, or agent may be during the minute between floors on an elevator. Fortunately, EPICon will provide more opportunities to meet and get to know lots of industry professionals, but we intend to help prepare everyone by teaching them how to create the perfect pitch—in 25 words or less.

You’ll create your own pitch and have it reviewed during the workshop. Then you’ll have the opportunity to try it out during Speed Dating for Editors, when you can try your pitch on real publishers and editors, who may invite you to submit to them.

EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition™ (www.epicorg.com) was established in 1998 and is a global organization of published authors and industry-related professionals who actively advocate continuing education and further enlightenment of electronic publications.

EPIC’s annual conference, EPICon™, invites industry professionals to share the latest eIndustry information, hone writing and editing skills, and explore new markets and promotional ideas. Keynote luncheon speakers range from world-renowned authors to established publishing houses to eBook and print agents. For more information, please visit http://www.epicorg.com.

Register today at EPIC.org!

ABOUT THE Pitch Perfect PRESENTERS
Lorna Lund and Larry Collins were raised in Alhambra, California and have been married for nearly fifty years. Larry worked as an engineer on projects throughout the United States and around the world. Lorna was employed in Document Control, Data Management, IT Change Management, and Technical Writing.

Their memoir of working in Osaka on the Universal Studios Japan theme park, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park was a 2006 EPPIE finalist and named as one of Rebeccas Reads Best Nonfiction books of 2005. They co-wrote two mysteries, Murder…They Wrote and Murder in Paradise (a 2011 EPIC eBook Award finalist) They plan several more in this series.

Lorna has also co-written anthologies set in the mythical town of Aspen Grove, Colorado, with Sherry Derr-Wille, Christie Shary, Luanna Rugh and Cheryl Gardarian. Their first, Snowflake Secrets, was a finalist for the Dream Realm and Eric Hoffner awards. Seasons of Love was published on Valentine’s Day 2009. Directions of Love won the 2011 EPIC eBook Award for best romance anthology. An Aspen Grove Christmas was published in 2010, and The Art of Love in September of 2013. The group is currently writing several more in the series.

Lorna’s fantasy/mystery/romance called Ghost Writer was published in 2012. Another ghost story is on her to-do list. Larry’ collection of short stories entitled Lakeview Park was published in December 2012. All their books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, their website (www.lornalarry.com) and other online book outlets.

Gain Perspective on Promotion at EPICon 2014 *Writing Conference* @EPICorg

EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition™ (www.epicorg.com) was established in 1998 and is a global organization of published authors and industry-related professionals who actively advocate continuing education and further enlightenment of electronic publications.

EPIC’s annual conference, EPICon™, invites industry professionals to share the latest eIndustry information, hone writing and editing skills, and explore new markets and promotional ideas. Keynote luncheon speakers range from world-renowned authors to established publishing houses to eBook and print agents. For more information, please visit http://www.epicorg.com.

Now, why should you attend EPICon 2014? 

For the fabulous workshops?

For the entertainment factor?

For the exciting networking opportunities?

For the delightful Texas charm in San Antonio?

Yes! Yes! Yes! & Yes!

All of this while networking with industry professionals, seeing old friends and making new ones at the eFiesta and Gala eBook Awards Banquet. Delight your senses on a San Antonio River Cruise and gear up for a Ghost tour of the historic--and haunted--Menger Hotel

Register today at EPIC.org!

MEET PRESENTER Jo-Ann Power

Jo-Ann Power knows the publishing industry. In 33 years, she has been published with newspapers,

magazines, 3 traditional publishers, 6 digital and small presses under her own name AND a pseudonym—and now self-publishes some of her work in digital and print. That equals 62 novels under her own name and a pseudonym. Sharing her knowledge of the industry, she ran her own Public Relations corporation for more than 20 years, with an expertise in book and author promotion. She is no stranger to the ups and downs and sideways flow of the biz!

Jo-Ann's workshop will show how PR and PROMO has dramatically changed in the past few years. She'll teach how to assess what you need, why and how to create a PR Plan that works for you!

Attendees will get PERSPECTIVE. Vital to any PR or PROMOTIONAL plan, perspective is one aspect any harried author needs…yesterday. Best of all, Jo-Ann will offer concepts on how to tailor a PR/PROMO plan to an author's personal writing habits, needs and budget.

CONNECT with Jo-Ann on her blog: http://theyalsofought.blogspot.com.

New Author Advice: Joining Social Media

What's the Key?

This week, my friend Karen Cote' and I talked about what a new author should do to get started in social media. We feel there are several important places to start. Just who are we to give advice? I'm a multi-published author, founder of Marketing for Romance Writers and Romance Lives Forever (two active Yahoo groups with well over 1200 members each) and owner of nine blogs. Karen is the best selling author of Erotic Deception, creator of a unique talking website, a Twitter maven with over 5k followers, and the Promotions Director for Marketing for Romance Writers.

We recommend that before you jump in and start joining social media everywhere, you take time to read MFRW member Cassandra Carr's guides for Twitter (there are two). You can download them on our resources page. http://marketingforromancewriters.org/resources.htm

Then, do the following things to begin your journey.

To me, the top thing to do is join Marketing for Romance Writers and stay actively involved. After that, start here:

1. Make a Facebook page, and start friending the members of MFRW Authors https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/

2. Get a Twitter account and follow people who use these hashtags: #mywana #mfrworg #amreading That will make more sense after you read the Twitter guides.

3. Create an Amazon Author page https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help

4. Blog at least three times a week. Use Networked Blogs to gain readers, plus, when you post a blog, it will automatically feed to Facebook, saving you time. You can pull your blog post automatically into Goodreads, and other sites as well.

5. Join Goodreads, post your books on your page, and link your blog. http://www.goodreads.com/author/how_to

6. Shelfari is a good spot.  http://www.shelfari.com/help

7. Get social by joining WANA Tribe http://wanatribe.com/  (we are not alone - authors helping authors)

Marketing for Romance Writers

Above all, be open to learning new things. Take them one at a time, and don't try to do everything at once. Have a daily schedule. I start my day by checking email, then check my Facebook account, Twitter page, and jump over to my blog, and then stop by my other accounts. I repeat that round of visits during the day. Sometimes, depending on what else needs to be done, I'll do it again in the evening. We need time for writing, a social life, and family. Social media is important, but if you don't have a new book -- what good is it?

Remember, balance doesn't mean that everything is stable. It means you are always in motion, making the fine adjustments to keep your career and life on track.

When you decided to take the plunge and join a social media site, which one was it? Why that one? Would you recommend it to a newbie?

MORE ABOUT MFRW

Group site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/
Facebook https://facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
Twitter https://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
Newsletter http://issuu.com/MFRW

eZine http://is.gd/mfrwpaperli
Website http://marketingforromancewriters.org

MFRW Summer Camp on BlogTalk Radio

MFRW Promotions Director Karen Cote' shared the Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp program on "The Best People We Know" radio program. Deb Scott's show is inspirational and features people who write and market their work. You can enjoy the show in its entirety by clicking below. I was invited to take part as well. I hope you'll give this a listen.

Drop by the site and see other programs Deb has to offer.

Listen to internet radio with Best People We Know on Blog Talk Radio

MFRW Announces New Promotions Director Karen Cote'

Karen Cote's Avatar 

Our marketing group has grown steadily over the past few years. 2012 is our sixth year. We began with twelve people and currently have over a thousand members. We have had a full-fledged professional newsletter for several years, and the group holds workshops and offers advice. We are adding our first conference this year, staffed by members. It's time to move to the next level and find more ways to help the publishing community of which we are a part. To that end, I have asked Karen Cote' to serve as our Promotions Director.

In some ways, Karen has already been doing this. She obtained promotion for us in magazines (The Book Breeze), an ezine (PRP Advertising Group), and with Lynn Crain, is organizing a contest idea she had to benefit our blogs (and its authors). She is an example of "caring in action."

Karen will be our ambassador, inviting new members, sharing information about MFRW with sites that can offer promotion, and hopefully opening doors to new opportunities to share our work as a group. She and I have discussed possibilities for the future, and ways in which MFRW can become a stronger resource, achieve value, and continue to be a "go to place" for authors needing helpful information.

Karen will also coordinate the promotional efforts for the upcoming Marketing Summer Camp. You'll hear more about that in the coming days and weeks.

Please join me in congratulating Karen on this new position. 

Ways to follow Karen Cote'
http://karencote.tv
https://twitter.com/KarensRomance
https://www.facebook.com/KarensRomance

The staff of Marketing for Romance Writers also includes:
Group Owners: Marty Rayne, Jeanne Barrack
Newsletter Editor: Rochelle Weber
Proofers: Lavada Dee, Laurie Ryan
Blog Staff: Donna Basinow, Lynn Crain, W. Lynn Chantale, Chris Redding, Jean Drew

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Posted by Kayelle Allen

Visit Our Other Blog

MFRW Authors Blog

As a group, MFRW decided to create a separate blog where members can share spicy excerpts with our readers. 


The blog director is Lynn Crain. Admins are W. Lynn Chantale, Chris Redding, Karen Cote', and me. You can visit this brand new blog by clicking its name beneath the image to the left. Please take a moment to comment, and don't forget to follow via Google Connect, or Networked Blogs.