Newsletters: Creating a First Page Header by Rochelle Weber, Newsletter Editor #MFRWorg

In September, we talked about adding guest interviews, character interviews, and book blurbs and/or excerpts to newsletters. Today, we’re going to talk about creating a header for your front page.

I suppose it’s not very professional of me, but for some reason I’ve never quite been able to wrap my head around Adobe Photoshop. I can’t quite get the layers to work. I use Microsoft Publisher and Irfanview (which is free) to create the MFRW Newsletter. I start with blank pages in letter size, 8-1/2 X 11, Portrait. The first thing you need to do is create headings for your pages. Well, okay, I suppose you need to figure out how many pages you’re going to use and what kind. Then you can determine what sort of headings you’ll need. On the first page, I suggest using your banner if you have one. Open it in Irfanview or whatever program you use that allows you to resize photos. Resize it so the width is 8.5 inches with the aspect ratio kept intact. I find 150 dots-per-inch (dpi) is about perfect. It creates a nice, sharp image without taking up too much bandwidth. Save as in your newsletter artwork folder. I have a subfolder for permanent artwork and one for each issue.

If you do not have a banner, now is a good time to create one, and you can do so in Publisher. Besides, you’ll want to add a few things to your banner to create your header.

The MFRW first-page header consists of our banner—roses and pearls with our name across the top. Directly beneath and abutting our banner is a solid pink bar that states our purpose: NEW RELEASES IN GENRES OF ROMANCE. I used Gill Sans MT 14 Point Bold for the font in that bar. Then we have another inch or so of white space with our newsletter logo. The M is in Vivaldi 72 Point Bold in its own text box, and the FRW is Gill Sans MT 22 Bold. The word Newsletter is Gill Sans MT 14 Bold. Since we won the Preditors & Editors award, I’ve added that to our header, as well. I saved it both as a pub file and a jpg file. Then, I opened the jpg file and cropped it just below the bottom of the lowest bit of text in the newsletter logo. Even though the sizing says it’s 8.5 inches wide, I usually have to stretch it across the page to make it fit.

Next, I open another blank page. I click on Insert Photo and insert my new header. In the white space of the header, I draw a small text box, about two inches wide. I decide what color and type fonts I plan to use. In there, I put the month and year of the current issue, as well as the Volume and Issue numbers (if you care to keep track of those). Actually, for the template, I put in three asterisks where the month should be, then a comma, and then the year. I add the Volume number and put another asterisk where the Issue number should go. Next, I delete the jpg of the header so all I have on the page is the date-box template and I save that.

Each month I insert the header jpg, open my pub file, copy and paste the date box, and it should go right in where it belongs. All I have to do replace the asterisks with the month and Issue number, and my first page header is complete.

Rochelle Weber is a Navy veteran and holds a BA in Communications from Columbia College in Chicago with an emphasis on Creative Writing. “Would you like fries with that?” Her novels Rock Bound and Rock Crazy are available in both e-book and print. She edits for Jupiter Gardens Press, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter, winner of the 2013 Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll for Best Writers’ Resource.

Rochelle battles bi-polar disorder, quipping, “You haven’t lived until you’ve been the only woman on the locked ward at the VA.” Her song, “It’s Not My Fault,” won a gold medal in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. She lives in Round Lake Beach, Illinois. She has two married daughters, four grandchildren, three step-grandkids, and one step-great-grandkid. Two cats allow her to live with them and cater to their every whim.

You can access the MFRW Newsletters at:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MarketingForRomanceWriters/files/MFRW-Newsletter/

Or:

http://issuu.com/mfrw/docs

#MFRWauthor Richard Brawer Shares His Experience As A Writer #amwriting

My experience might help you.
You can read books about writing, but I think the best thing you can do is read books by major authors. Once you have decided you want to write, while you read you will analyze how the authors create characters, scenes and conflicts.

Don't give up. Writing requires perseverance and practice, practice, practice. My first couple of books were not widely received. But I kept on and now I have an historical fiction novel praised by experts and recommended for students of the era. i also have a suspense novel with 71 reviews on amazon.Writing like everything else comes from doing. If you are thinking of

Find a critique group that will give you honest feedback on character development, dialogue, voice, plot, conflict and setting.  But don’t automatically take anyone’s critique as gospel.  Remember, it’s your story.  Analyze the critiques to see if they have merit.  Say you have a six person group.  If one person criticizes something then it may or may not be valid.  But if three or four in the group say the same thing about a segment then you should take it under serious consideration.

Have a lawyer go over your contract. If you or he finds something you don’t like try to get it changed. If the publisher or agent will not change that section, then you have two choices, sign or pass.

Hire an editor, or the very least, a proof reader. It is difficult for the author to proof read his own book. He knows it too well and will begin skimming.

Post written by MFRW Author Richard Brawer
Richard Brawer writes mystery, suspense and historical fiction novels. When not writing, he spends his time exploring local history.  He has two married daughters and lives in New Jersey with his wife. You can connect with him at his author website here: www.silklegacy.com.

Richard's latest release is Love's Sweet Sorrow, a Mainstream Romantic Suspense with Vinspire Publishing.
It is said opposites attract. There can’t be two people more opposite than Ariel and Jason. Ariel is a traditional Quaker with an absolute aversion to war. Jason is the lead council for America's largest weapons manufacturer.

Their budding romance is thrown into turmoil when Jason uncovers evidence linking his employer to international arms deals that could devastate America. His determination to stop the treason puts Ariel in the middle of dangerous territory.

The kidnappings, killings and harrowing escapes from those trying to retrieve the evidence force Jason and Ariel to delve deeply into their often opposing long-held convictions, and question if they are truly meant to be together.

AMAZON  |  BARNES & NOBLE

An #MFRWauthor's #NaNoWriMo Experience: Flossie Benton Rogers @FrostFrye

Flossie Benton Rogers talks about her NaNo Experience.

NaNoWriMo 2010 resulted in my first published novel, Wytchfae Runes, and jump started my post-retirement career. By that time I had personally participated in NaNo for five years. I wrote like a demon each November and put the manuscripts away and never looked at them again. Library work kept me busy.

During this time I also handled local NaNo events. As director of a county library system, in 2005 we organized an annual NaNo program for budding writers. Local authors offered presentations before, during, and after November. Loretta C. Rogers was one of those who gave unselfishly to help others put pen to paper. She inspired me with her knowledge and experience, and I began to believe that I, too, could be an author.

Like many people, becoming a published author had been my lifelong dream. I wrote my first fairy tale at age eight. With a passion for fairy stories and later, mythology, I wrote all my life but with the misconception that published authors were from some higher plane I could never reach.

Thank heaven my husband never let me forget my dream and periodically reminded me of it. When I retired from the library in 2011, he urged me to spend my time writing. Instead of putting away my 2010 NaNo manuscript, I set about the Herculean task of turning it into a publishable novel. With my husband’s support and Loretta’s critique help and encouragement, I made a commitment to become a published author. A pitch at a writer’s conference and a series contract from Secret Cravings Publishing were the other alchemical ingredients. Being a published author was a whole new world, and I loved every minute of it. Now on book number seven, I still do.

Lord of Fire – Wytchfae 5

Paranormal Romance

When demon hunter Garnet McAnnaencounters a mysterious warrior known as The Hawk, can she cope with the soul scorching flame he ignites within her?

Connect with Flossie

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  LinkedIn  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

#MFRWorg ASKS: Are You a #NaNoWriMo Newbie? @MaeClair1 #MFRWauthor

Are you a NaNo Newbie?

I was last year. A close friend of mine faithfully tackled NaNo every year but I resisted tossing my pen into the ring. The timing was always wrong, I was too busy working on a WIP, or had some other excuse in the pipeline. Then last year I decided NaNoWriMo was something I should experience at least once in my lifetime. A rite of passage.

So in September, I started thinking about my project and pre-planning. My normal style is to wing scenes as I go, something that I knew wouldn’t fly if I wanted to churn out 50,000 words in November. I also have a regimental habit of editing as I write, making sure everything is polished before moving ahead. NaNo is the exact opposite of that—plan before you start, then write like a warp-drive engine.

Could I do it?

As an A-type personality , I hate to fail. I planned my story, devised intricate character worksheets, sketched out my town, and outlined the first four chapters of my novel scene-by-scene. I didn’t have the whole book plotted, but had a good hand on the story and was pleased with my pre-prep. I even took the time to write and schedule all of my regular weekly blog posts for November so I wouldn’t be distracted.

November 1st rolled around and I burst out of the starting gate with a rush of exhilaration. The excitement was overwhelming, everyone racing along with me. Mid-month rolled around and I settled into a steadier gait, my eye on endurance and hanging in there for the long haul. By the closing week, I was exhausted, wondering if I would last, certain I would never attempt such creative madness again.

The result?

I walked away with a 50,500 word rough draft of a novel that was far was from finished, but taught me the value of plotting and put me further ahead as a writer than I’ve ever been in 30 days. I’ve since added an additional 8,000 words on my goal toward 20,000 more. The book is shaping up to be the best I’ve ever written and will likely be ready for submission early 2015 if not before.

So am I doing NaNo again this year? You betcha.

Like last year, I’ve already picked my project, lined up my characters and plotted as much as I can, including the first four chapters, scene-by-scene. It worked for me last year, so I’m hoping the formula proves true again this year. Most importantly, I know that when November 1st rolls around, I need to write like a steam locomotive, focused on accomplishing the goal of 50K. Turn off the editor, turn off the polisher, and know that a host of other writers are sloughing through those same trenches with me.

I’m no longer a newbie, but feel every bit as giddy as I did when attempting NaNo for the first time. I hope you’ll join me and experience the madness!

About The Author

Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.

Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.net

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Twitter  |  Google+  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Amazon Author Page  |  Goodreads

The Business of Writing: Formatting Part Two #mfrwAuthor #mfrworg

This image came from my pinterest account

I touched on formatting the last time because as an editor it is one of the things most authors have errors with. Part of that problem is because publishers really don’t give you an exact list. They don’t tell you where they might want you to start the chapter on the page, how to break your scenes or what size font to use. I write for two publishers and they have different rules on scene breaks, or where the chapter should start on a page. Even the size of the font is different. I really have to think about who I’m writing for with that.

There are a few things that seem to be the basic things across the two publishers I work with, and as I have spoken to other authors with other publishers they tell me the same thing. One is the .3 indent for the beginning of a chapter that I mentioned before, and using Times New Roman as the font, one inch margins all the way around. Both of my publishers use astrids to divide the scene but that is where it stops. One wants four with no space the other wants four with space. It’s the little things that will drive you crazy.

Writer’s Tip:

If the publisher doesn’t indicate a particular size font use 12 font. It will be easy to adjust if they use a different size and it’s easier on the eyes of your potential editor. Use double space unless otherwise instructed. One inch margins all around is the norm, so is .3 indents on paragraphs. When starting your chapter there is normally a blank line between the word chapter and the first line of your scene. I have found most publishers want the number next to the word Chapter instead of having it spelled out. When you do a scene break I do recommend using the astrids – the reason behind that is your editor will know that it is a scene break and not just an extra line. Use your tool bars and program the document to set up your indents instead of using the tab button. Use astrids and dashes sparingly. A comma normally does the job and most publishers will pull them out. Use Italics when your character is thinking out loud or when you want to emphasis a word. Using underlines is old school now and most publishers, especially the e-pubs want italics.

Bio:

Barbara Donlon Bradley wears many hats. She’s a mother, wife, care-giver, author, and editor. She’s a senior editor for Melange Books, and writes for Phaze and Melange books/Satin Romances with over twenty titles under her belt.

Barb's Links: 

Website: http://www.barbaradonlonbradley.com/

Publisher: http://www.phaze.com/author.php?author=21

Blog: http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Donlon-Bradley/118673448173249

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbbradley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbaradbradley/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7773192-barbara-bradley

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0072OTZJE

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Barbara-donlon-bradley

ARe:http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Barbara+Donlon+Bradley

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Search?Query=Barbara%20Donlon%20Bradley

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/search/books?Keywords=barbara%20donlon%20bradley

#MFRWorg Newbie World: Is Your Blog Gaining You New Readers?

Is your blog gaining new followers?

(How to Transform All of Your Blogs Into Evergreen Content)

It’s a question most of us avoid asking ourselves. We know we’re “supposed” to blog, and so we dutifully crank one out at regular intervals. Sometimes, the blog is about something trivial, like our cats. Or it’s a clear promotional piece for another author or for ourselves.

Don’t quote me as saying that either of those things are unimportant. But will they get you new readers? Probably not.  So what does work?

Evergreen Content!

Let’s talk about something that marketers call evergreen content. I first learned about it from Jeni Elliott (aka The Blog Maven). Evergreen content is that content that people come back to again and again – those posts with engaging titles and easy quotes that we love to forward, comment on, and share.

The main question is: Will people still read this and think it’s interesting a year from now?

Now, I know for sure that most of my blog posts are not that kind of content. Are yours? Are they the type of things that your readers are searching for, year after year? For instance, let’s say that you write paranormal romances (ahem). You could do a post on your top ten paranormal romances, ever. Or try a post on a popular but timeless book, TV series, etc., and what you think about it. Like “How Anne Rice Transformed Paranormal”. (And be nice! We all know karma’s moniker.)

What we don’t want to do, though, is just continue to post because we feel that we have to. If it’s not something great, then don’t post it. Don’t we all tend to filter out or delete posts and emails that we feel have no relevance in our lives? Our readers are doing the same thing, so make your post amazing.  Or at least great.

Make use of keywords.

Even though Google has tamped down on allowing us to find the best keywords, you probably already know what these are for you. For instance, I should have paranormal and romance in my content somewhere, because that’s what my readers are searching for.  And try these  other ways to search for trending keywords.

Know your Reader.

Of course, all of this only helps if we know first who our ideal reader is. Who is that one reader out there that you think of when you sit down to write your blog – that one reader that retweets, shares, and comments on your posts? What does that reader most want from you? Is it recommendations for new books, insight into your writing process, or just general personal information? Thinking of what that person wants will help to shape your writing.

A reader survey is also a great way to get to know your readers. If you already have a newsletter (and if you don’t, start now!), then you can include a very short questionnaire on the reader’s wishes. A give-way helps here to get responses. Try to see if there is something that the reader gains from reading your books and blogs – what sort of emotional transformation do they get from reading what you write?

TALK TO US.

What are your tricks for bringing more readers to your blogs? Do you feel as if you are hitting your target audience, or just struggling to find stuff to write about?

Posted by Author Erin Moore

Erin writes sensuous paranormal romances set in exotic locales. Her latest book is a sexy minotaur shifter story set in Crete.  A regular blogger for Marketing for Romance Writers as well as Heroes and Heartbreakers, Erin is sadly neglectful of her own blog. She lives in Atlanta with her two little paranormal beings and one unruly husband.

Erin also now offers editing services, including help with bios and queries, on her website.  She's giving away a critique of a first chapter with a subscription to her newsletter!