We CAN! promote our books

Never Too Late

Hi, Jeanette is back after an absence (my husband had back surgery. Not fun). It’s great to be back.

Last week I received a surprise package in the mail—several promotional key chains and a pin for my book Want More? Joy. An author friend offered to make them for several of us a year or so ago, for a small fee. Knowing she was using the proceeds for something important, I took her up on it and sent a jpg of my book cover. Then I guess life kept her from sending them. Until last week that is.

Book Signing: The Sequel

Hello again, from Jeanette. Two weeks ago I was very excited about a group book signing and promised to share how it went.

I’m sure that some would have considered it a bust. The store was having a slow day and we signed very few books. But none of us considered it a failure. Here’s why:

Breathing some Life into Old Titles

Hello from Jeanette. Three author friends and I are preparing for a book signing event this Saturday, at a local Christian book store. Only one of us has a new title to promote, but we are still excited about it, knowing that summer and graduations might stir the need in some to buy books. We see it as an opportunity to resurrect interest in not-so-new titles. In order to boost our chances of success we used the following tactics:

Putting a Price Tag on Words

Hello, it’s Jeanette’s turn again. This week I’ve been struggling with a common question for those of us who do a lot of freelance work in addition to writing books—how much should I charge for my services?

Why I'd Rather Write than Dance with the Stars

Hi everyone! Jeanette is back and now sharing Thursdays with Jeanne. I’m so thrilled to be blogging again.

The other night, as my family and I had some quality bonding time in front of American Idol and results night on Dancing with the Stars I thought about how fortunate I am to be called to write. I love to sing and perform but I must say I consider myself blessed to be a writer instead of competing to become the next pop-chart topper or ballroom dancing sensation. Here are a few reasons why:

The Benefits of Teaching

Hello, Jeanette is back after a week off to teach at the Castro Valley Christian Writer’s Seminar. One thing that I love about this particular conference is that it is so beginner friendly. It is strictly about learning the craft. I taught “Writing for Today’s Teen” and co-taught “Writing Dynamic Devotions.” Teaching at writer’s conferences is one of my favorite things to do. Here are a few reasons why.

10 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Crazy Writer

Happy Thursday! Jeanette is back. This morning I had a teary conversation with a friend. In the end we recognized that I’d gotten a bit too isolated lately. Writing and bad weather has kept me house bound more than usual. She reminded me that sometime I need to plan time away from my computer like I plan other things.

As wonderful as writing is, it can also be lonely at times. It’s pretty well known that many of us get depressed. Sometimes I wonder if the isolation contributes to that. So here are some tips for all of us on how to not become, what my son calls, a crazy writer.

When Your Writing Isn’t what it could Be

Happy Thursday from Jeanette! Have you ever gone through a time when you knew you weren’t writing as well as usual but had a deadline to meet? I experienced this last week while finishing what should have been a relatively straight-forward devotional assignment. My mind wandered to anything but the given topic. The problem? I was reeling a bit from a frightening experience over the previous weekend, when 2 stoned teenagers had a brawl in front of our house and tried to break in (we were home).

In the end I got it done, of course, and turned everything in on time. But as I attached the document I knew I could have done better. A week after the fact I’ve rewritten several of those devos and learned (or relearned) a few things in the process. Read on for a few tips on handling those times when events, illness, or stress does a number on your brain while you’re pushing a deadline.

Still Learning

Hello, Jeanette is back so apparently it really is Thursday already. As I said last week, I am working on a book proposal that an editor gave me the okay to send. In some ways I feel like I’m still learning how to write a decent one. I didn’t have to write proposals for any of my three published books (long story that has nothing to do with me being so special that I got to skip that step). Suddenly I feel very clueless. But through it all I’m learning some new things and being reminded of others—all of which I will share with you right now.

Reality Check!

Hi, it’s Jeanette. God stopped me in tracks today as I was preparing a proposal for a book that has been in my head for years. Surely that never happens to you. Here’s what happened.