END OF THE YEAR...WHAT'S NEXT?

It's the end of the year, so what is next?

Well now is the time that you need to sit down and make a budget for all of the things you want to do, get or get done that involves your writing.

Are you going to transform that extra bedroom into an office for your writing? Well now is the time to get those great deals on all things that you will need. You will need a new desk, a new chair; maybe a computer or a new light. And if you use that office solely for your writing, you can deduct some of that cost on your taxes. But make sure you talk to an LICENSED tax professional about it.

Now, what conference was too expensive this year, that you might want to attend next year? 
Now is the time for you to make plans and a budget to get to that conference. Don't let another year go by that you don't attend a conference. You don't have to go for the weekend or week. Choose one that you can attend for one day. Choose one that you and a couple of your author friends can attend together. Share a room, split the cost. Better yet. Split the cost of a conference. Chose one that is at least two days long. Then decide which day you and your friend will want to attend and co-share the conference. Getting that experience is better than missing it.

Well, what if you don't want to go to a conference or fix up that room. Well you still need marketing materials, right?

Here's your chance to make a budget for those business cards, banners, table scapes, book holders and all things that you will need for your display. 
Don't forget about about things to give away. After all, we all like FREE things, right.

Now, here's the last thing you need: BOOKS. 

Your books to be exact!

You need to order a stock of your books; at least 50 to keep in your car; at work, or anywhere you are traveling. After all, YOU are the BEST salesperson your know.

So, the end of the year is almost here, what are YOU going to do next?

Q and A with author C.A. Verstraete:

Today I welcome to my blog, a new author hitting the scene with a great YA zombie novel. I read it and it is amazing! I wanted to sit down with her and find out some of things she has learned and some of the things she is doing for her first novel. Make sure you leave her a comment.

Thank you for joining me today and I am going to jump right into it...

 Hi, B...thanks for hosting me as part of my Book Launch Blog Tour for Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie, which just released!

What piece of advice would you give to new authors trying to get their novels published?

Verstraete: Be patient. (What is that?) Be persistent. And don't start sending it out too early. (Yes, I did. See reverse of first answer. ha!)

What is the thing the one thing that you have learned about publishing that you didn't know?

Verstraete: That there really, truly, is such a thing as a marketing/publicity person other than myself, though I've heard they're near as rare as unicorns. J

What made you write about Zombies? And do you think that Zombies are the new 'fad'?

Verstraete: I actually got into zombies with a short story I wrote a year ago (The Killer Valentine Ball) that I called "zombie light." I've always been a Night of the Living Dead fan, but The Walking Dead really hooked me.

Monsters seem to be the bearers of society's ills, and with all that's going on in our society, I think it's a theme that'll continue to be around for a while. People need a "boogeyman" and for now, zombies seem to be it.

Tell us what you like about being an author?

Verstraete: It's a good way to get the words out of my head or I'd be talking to myself. (Not a good thing. ha!) I just enjoy writing - at least when it's going well.

Why did you decide to go with Intrigue Publishing?

Verstraete: I liked the idea of a royalty-paying publisher and I liked Austin Camacho's long experience in publishing.

Your characters are Hispanic? Do you think it is harder to find a market for an ethnic novel than a novel with the characters being African American or White?

Verstraete: I actually don't think of my character, Becca, being any different than anyone else. She is part-Spanish, but that is only part of who she is. I think readers will find that Becca is multi-dimensional, with being a part-zombie and coping with "full" zombies more noticeable than her ethnicity. After all, not everyone has a "twirly" eye and a female, "Wolfman" gait...

This blog is about writing, shoes and books. What are your favorite shoes, your least favorite book, and why?

Verstraete:  Shoes? Well, who doesn't like shoes! I love platforms and wedges, and as someone barely reaching 5-feet-tall, I'm soo glad they're still in fashion. But I may still wear them anyway even if they weren't! And I absolutely adore miniature shoes (and purses!) They're dollhouse-sized, but look like the real thing. (For fun, check these out and tell me you're not in love!)

Books: One immediately comes to mind: Moby Dick. I hated reading (or trying to read) that book in school. Bo-ring! That doesn't mean I didn't like other classics, which I did. To this day, I still like to re-read Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Tell us about what is next for you.

Verstraete:  Next? More zombies, of course. I'm not done. Be sure to enter here to win a great prize

Website: www.cverstraete.com

Blog: GirlZombieAuthors, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com

BUY:
Amazon:  *Canada - China - France - Germany - India - Italy - Japan -Spain - US - UK

* Books-A-Million   *Barnes & Noble   *IndieBound   * Powell's

The Life of a Marketing Director

Ah, the life of a marketing director is never easy.

Today, I asked Sandra Bowman, Marketing Director of +Intrigue Publishing to tell you about the day in the life of...

First, thank you for allowing me to vent...oh I mean, share the joys of working with all of the authors at Intrigue Publishing.

They are much better than the other group I work with at my other full time job.

Even though at times I get emails that say..."did you get my email" or "you need to look at this''...which I probably already did. So I smile, nod and respond (sometimes)

Even with all of that, I think I work with the best group of people I work with.


Being marketing director is literally a full-time, 24 hour a day job for me. I wake up thinking about the things I need to get done during the day, I go to sleep stressing about the things that didn't get done, and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because of things that I need to do.

I schedule book signings, (well try to anyway with the closing of Borders), set up interviews, make sure ARC copies of books are mailed to reviewers, keep all the author's on deadline, make sure that they get that friendly 'reminder/to-do' email from me at least once a week and that is on top of making sure to show up at different events to get photos, videos and making sure the authors know I'm there for support.

Take the +Gaithersburg Book Festival a couple of weeks ago. Do you know how hard it is to wrangle a working author, a television personality and the father of a famous football quarterback into the same picture, all while making sure the picture is in focus. That took three people, a little running and a little begging on my part, but I got the picture. +Leon Harris and +Robert Griffin II, were very gracious as I pulled +Austin Camacho away from his booth to get that picture. They were also gracious when I told them I needed to take it again because it wasn't in focus.

Intrigue Authors

Then there was the +Bowie Senior Center event where I had a meeting at my other job, drove for 45 minutes to get there, hoped that the authors were set up; was informed that someone never responded but that they could still read from their novel and take video and pictures before rushing out of the door an hour later for a doctors appointment, heading back to the other job until five that evening and then needing to send out some galley books for review. (which the doctors informed me that I am working to hard) Ya think?

Boy am I glad that I have an assistant now.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being able to help people and I love being able to see other authors reach their potential. It doesn't hurt that I work with the best group of authors. +DB Corey, +Penny Clover Peterson and +Christine Verstraete are all Intrigue authors and I hope they feel the same way about me.

Now, my list of to-do things just got a little longer as I need to get a meeting with the people at this local station in hopes of getting more interviews, oh and there is the little matter of +Thrillerfest and a book release party for DB Corey to finalize.

But first, maybe I need to lay down, after all it is 2am in the morning and my other work day will begin at 5am.

Introducing...part 2

B. Swangin: Do you think there is a difference between being an author and being a writer?



 DB Corey: I think the difference between a writer and an author is the publishing part, of course. Being published allows you to claim the title of, author. But if you ask me what I am, I’ll tell you I’m a writer, unless I’m feeling especially full of myself. Then I’ll tell you I’m a novelist.



DB Corey
and his lovely wife Maggie



B. Swangin: Can you finish telling us about your ritual while writing.

DB Corey:  I get my best ideas at night, when my mind is free from the daily drudgery. Eventually I have to tie all these scenes together.  That’ when I fire up the laptop, checks emails, browse MSN, and just goof off trying to “loosen up” so to speak. Then, when I’m ready, I like to re-read the last scene or two that I’ve written, and start writing by re-writing to get to the next creative (and I use the term loosely) phase. It’s like picking up a book you’ve been reading,  but have laid aside for a day or so. You open to the bookmark, back up a few paragraphs, and refresh your memory. My writing process is much like that. Then it just kind of flows until I get tired, or my muse goes to bed.

B.Swangin: I can empathize. When your muse goes to bed that the time you should rest. Because once your muse is up...man, things can get hectic.
Can you tell us what does it mean to you that you have a book about to be in print?

DB Corey:  More than I can convey. It was never about the money (don’t tell my publisher that). It’s about accomplishment. I’m in my 60s. I’m a middle-class worker bee. I’ve done some cool things in my life, but never really achieved what I thought I could—what I thought I should—until now. I don’t expect to become  a household word because of one book, but it’s something to be proud of, a small mark I can leave behind that proves I was here,  and I just wish my mom were still alive to see it.

B. Swangin: Well, of course it isn't about the money...well, we will keep that between us...lol....and I must say for 60, you look very good. I thought you were in your 40's. Maggie is a very lucky woman.
Well folks, I have to let DB Corey get back to work on his edits for his novel, Chain of Evidence and last question, when can we look for this hot new thriller?

DB Corey: Well if everything goes as planned, it will be released in June, just in time for Thrillerfest 2013

B. Swangin: Good luck and thank you for sitting down with me. Much success.