Stories From the Forester - Volume 1 Drops June 20th

The Quest has begun anew...

In connection with my 1,000th update on Twitter, I thought I'd add a little spice to the occasion by throwing in this major (well, at least for me) announcement:

Stories From the Forester - Volume 1, which includes the stories Dilemma and Unwritten, will be released on June 20, 2009, first exclusively on my Web site, www.flagrantfoul.com, then to bookstores everywhere!

For those of you scoring at home, Dilemma is the first story of the series, in which Reggie McCaffrey, fresh from a full-time newspaper gig, returns to Forest State University and the school paper defeated, down-trodden, but hopeful of winning the affection of Brenda Alvarez, the Forester's News Editor. The second story, Unwritten, centers around the inevitably of graduation for Reggie and Editor-in-Chief Jim Case, and their uncertain futures.

But there's more! Because Dilemma has been finished for some time, I am giving it away as a PDF e-book absolutely FREE and as a Kindle Book for only $0.99! Apparently, Amazon doesn't want me giving stuff away, so I apologize in advance!

So, with four months until the release, there's plenty of time to get ready, as opposed to the rushed approach taken with Flagrant Foul. Maybe I can avoid repeating the same mistakes twice!

On thing's for certain, I will be doing some promotions, which I will announce in the coming weeks. Two events I know for sure will be happening, with more on the way. And the more the merrier! Advance copies of the entire book will be available in early May, so anyone interested in reviewing can go ahead and drop me a line, and I'll have you on the mailing list!

And with that, off we go!!!

Will Write For...

It's a struggle out there. No question about it.

For fellow Questers, it's probably worse. After all, here we are working hard on our writing. Yet, we haven't really been able to make any money or sell books. Still, we love writing, and there's nothing else we'd rather be doing.

But until your book gains some traction, or you have a full-time writing gig, the concept of getting paid for what you write is probably quite far-fetched.

Well, not necessarily.

There are still a number of different ways in which writers can get money for their product. True, you're probably not going to get to quit the day job, but it's a little extra in these tough times. Plus, you'll gain more writing experience, which you can't put a price tag on.

1. The Local Newspaper - Believe it or not, you can likely pick up a few writing assignments with your neighborhood newspaper. While it can pay as little as $25, a byline can definitely get your name out there.
2. Textbroker (www.textbroker.com) - This site has assignments that are based on a rating system, 1 star paying the least and 4 star the most, in a number of different categories.While the assignments aren't very long (200-700 words, typically), these can add up quickly.
3. Helium (www.helium.com) - Competition for articles is fierce, but with 350-word articles paying at least $24, it may be worth your time.
4. Examiner (www.examiner.com) - If you pick a category and they accept, you'll have your own blog on their system set up. Pay is based on popularity, so, theoretically, the more you write, the more people will notice.

Looking for more opportunities? Try freelancewriting.com and journalismjobs.com. Media Bistro also has a regular updates on new positions.

No matter the case, if you feel you want some compensation for something you do anyway, there's plenty out there for you!

Need Help? Just Ask...

Like all things, book marketing takes work, planning, and a little bit of luck doesn't hurt.

Also, relying on the kindness of your fellow writers is a good plan as well.

All you have to do is ask...

This has worked for me in a number of instances. For those Questers who have been reading for a while, you've no doubt read up on my appearance on book review sites, like Shannon Yarbrough's Lulu Book Review and Metha Metharom's Book Review site. Plus, you'll recall my appearance on Pete Klein's BlogTalkRadio show, plus my Lulu.com interview.

How did that all happen? Just by asking.

Understand, of course, that not all requests will be granted or even heard, for that matter. It's a crap-shoot, to be sure. And I've had my fair share of rejection, though, as Questers who have certainly tried to gain the attention of agents and publishers alike, you know that rejection's an occupational hazard.

But even if you don't get everyone to say yes, just a couple can go a long way for you to accomplish your goal!

And it keeps on coming.

Where the Readers Are...

Marketing books is full of all kinds of small, tactical errors, especially when doing it on your own.

This, however, may be the worst...

For months, I've been banging my head, like many Questers have undoubtedly have done. And then the lightbulb comes on.

I've been doing it all wrong! Most of the places that I've been plugging both Dilemma and Flagrant Foul are decidedly not anywhere near my demographic, and therefore probably about as likely to read these books as I am to go to a Billy Ray Cyrus concert.

So, where are these people that I seek?

Well, I found a couple of answers: Goodreads and Shelfari.

First, there's Goodreads. Not only can users come together and talk about popular books, authors can join in the conversation! All it takes to create an author account is to search for books, click on the author name and submit a form, explain which books you've written. Once you get confirmation, you're ready to go!

Shelfari, which is now owned by Amazon, has a similar set-up. The only difference, at a glance, is that Shelfari does not have the author account application that Goodreads does. No matter. As long as you have your book on Amazon, just add it to your profile and share!

That said, I'm on both, here and here. Feel free to add me as a friend. And even better, drop in some reviews!