Do You have a Book Marketing Plan? Get it Here. Limited Time.

Ok. So I've been praying and contemplating about my Book Marketing Dee-Mystified Planning Workbook. Should I give it away or charge a fee? It's no mystery that I'm living under a money crunch, but I'm doing okay. Thank you, JESUS! Thank you for your prayers, friends and family stepping up and getting Selah prepared for school and keeping me from driving off into a ditch. Y'all have held me up, and I'm grateful. But I've been dealing with this. I want to give you guys something from me that's a great tool I created that I know will help you become more confident about your next book title launch. This fall I will be doing more coaching and writing and reviewing and seeking a literary agent, then in the trenches with authors. So've decided to give this workbook to my Mastermind Session attendants for free(I think that's fair,) but for you guys you get it for $3. One for the Father, One for the Son, One for the Holy Ghost, but for a limited time like August 7, 2009. Then I may up the price or put it in my vault. lol.

What does this workbook contain?

• 60 page workbook
• media analysis
  
• market analysis
• social media design primer
• 9/12 month book marketing action plan
• step by step guide to help you create a marketing plan you can use now or as a part of your book proposal's marketing section
  

I think that's good. I wish I had this when I began writing. In fact, I'm using it myself and it's $3 until next week. Remember?

So how do I get the workbook?

It's an ebook. I will email it to you after you make your payment via paypal. my account is vidae at writing dot com. That's it. I will not take your email and add you to a mailing list or sell the listing. If you would like to receive my monthly Dee's Goody Email, hit me up on Twitter and I will add you. Otherwise, your email addy goes into the vault.

Please pass this short time offer on and give me some feedback here on how you like the workbook. Once again thanks for being here for me.

Dee

Oh and that book I'm holding is Claudia Burney's Wounded.

Wednesday Readup: The 2009 Christy Book Awards

Wednesday Readup for week ending July 28, 2009

The 2009 Christy Book Awards Winners have been announced:

Contemporary Romance

Beyond the Nightby Marlo Schalesky (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas

You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman (FaithWords)

Contemporary Standalone

Dogwood by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel

Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake (David C. Cook)

Historical

Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin (Bethany House Publishers)

Historical Romance

From a Distance by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers)

Suspense

The Rook by Steven James (Revell)

Visionary

Vanish by Tom Pawlik (Tyndale House Publishers)

Young Adult

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Publishers)

Congratulations to the nominees and winners!!

Book Spotlight: Tom Sullivan's Alive Day(Thomas Nelson)

Synopsis: The story of Marine Antwone Carver, his psychiatrist Brendan McCarthy and Brendan's black labrador, Nelson.

This book cover is above. Alive Day is a sweet, fast, well written read. It seems so real to be fiction, and the spiritual takeaway makes you feel warm, fuzzy and safe. If you're feeling down and wonder if God has providence over your life, read this book.

Lift Every Voice Essay Contest
email lifteveryvoice@moody.edu
www.lifteveryvoice.books.com
Deadline August 31. see website for details

Trailer Park Tuesday: It's In My Blood, Shawneda Marks

Today is Trailer Park Tuesday. I'm featuring Shawneda Marks, It's in My Bloood(December, 2009.) This is a teaser trailer for her novel. Let me know what you think here or via Twitter.

Congrats to Penny Pinching Diva!

Our very own Blogalicious Media Correspondent, and thifty blogger extraordinaire, Shynea Hunter aka Penny Pinching Diva is featured as The Coupon Queen in this month's Essence magazine (you know - the one with a smoldering Idris Elba on the cover!) Shynea offers tips and tricks of the trade on how to get the most for your hard-earned money.
Congratulations Shynea!!
Catch the Penny Pinching Diva in person, live on the purple carpet in Atlanta this October at Blogalicious 2009. I'll be there. Hope you come, too.

Why?

If you're an author hoping to reaching progressive women bloggers of color, then you need to be there. Subscribe to this blog to stay informed or meet me live in Atlanta next month for our first Atlanta Blogalicous Meetup at StoneCrest Mall.

M & M: What an Author Press Release Should Cover

For the time being I will be merging content from my DeeGospel PR Blog into Christian Fiction, as I do an overhaul of both blogs and the site. So today I hope to add a new Monday feature called M & M: Mondays & Marketing.

Todays M & M tips is regarding press releases and fiction writers. Here are three dos and don'ts for your next PR(press release.)

Dont's:

1. do not send a boilerplate press release to media contacts and bookgroup gatekeepers. I can't tell you how many Facebook, Twitter and email messages I receive about promoting their book on my sites or on Media Candy, and how many of those messages I never read. Take the time to research the media (including blogging) outlets that fit your book's audience. Learn the correct contact's name, when to contact them and the type of content they prefer to receive from you. Then provide that. Generally, here at the blog I work with about five publishing houses, four writer's event planners, and a handful or literary publicists for content requests for the blog. Everyone one of them came to me personally about their clients or themselves. As a blogger, how effective are boilerplate releases for you?




2. don't submit a boring, non buzz worthy event. Newsflash to you and unfortunately to some of my present and former clients submitting a news release about your upcoming bookclub event isn't good enough anymore. To ensure that your media contacts take you seriously, listen to what they want from you, submit them press releases that are relevant and helpful. Otherwise use the online events calendar to submit your book club meetings and signings.




3. don't include your book's synopsis in your press release. A press release should be formatted correctly and contain info that suggests to media that my book has a public takeaway value. Use your press release to do that. Here is an example:

• Dwan Abram's Wear Red & Read Dessert Fundraiser




• Sherri Lewis finals for ACFW Writer of the Year

We will talk about the DO's tomorrow. In the meantime send me your current press release and let me fix it here on the blog. Email me at deegospel pr at gmail dot com.

And if you haven't registered yet for my summer book marketing mastermind session you still have a chance. For $75 you receive six weeks of book marketing coaching. session begins tomorrow. our first lesson is on basic marketing and this funny thing called a press release, where to distribute it, how to make it, and how to track results free. email me or direct message me on Twitter to register.

Weekend Chatterbox: E. Lynn Harris Are you Making a Literary Impact

Early this morning I received some sad news that prolific author E. Lynn Harris had passed while on a book tour for his latest title, Basketball Jones .

Harris' tales introduced me to a new kind of literature, a new kind of guilty pleasure, celebrity romance novels. His stories about behind the scenes life of celebrities, ballers, ministers were fabulous cautionary tales and all possessing themes about homosexuality, identity and redemption.

Here at the blog we featured his novel, I Say a Little Prayer. It was released during a time of controversy here in Atlanta. A popular megachurch led a public rally denouncing the homosexual lifestyle. His book mirrored this event-- but more than that--explored the tortured soul. How can you move past self-condemnation? How do you defend your faith and your identity at the same time?

I've listened and have spoken about homosexuality and the church, the prevalence of secret sin and shame among African American Christian men, and how the war against HIV/AIDS can't be won when people of faith refuse to call the prejudice out.

I don't know Mr. Harris personally or what he believed, but I do know that his works inspired my and millions of readers. Yesterday was a hard day for me, because the enormity of my financial situation has began to kick against my health. Truthfully, I wanted to lay in bed and just look at the wall all day. Then God spoke to me to get up and open the window. The sky was blue, a gorgeous blue that for some reason is captured in the color of Michael Easley and James McAvoy's eyes (really!) I got up, and then I received the call of Harris' passing. I say this to you and myself, as I ask you this weekend's chatterbox question: What are we doing with what God has given us today? Are we making a literary impact? And what will it take for us to start now before it's too late?

Summer Reading Challenge: Worth a Thousand Words

We're now well into July and I need to update you on the summer reading challenge. Today I'm going to juice things up a bit and give you a review for one of my picks for the month, Stacy Hawkins Adams Worth a Thousand Words.

Genre: Christian Fiction, Romance, Muliticultural
Title: Worth a Thousand Words
Author: Stacy Hawkins Adams
Release Date: June 2009
Publisher: Revell


Synopsis:
College graduate and photographer, Indigo Burns is staring down a bright road to her future. With graduate school in her plans, photography summer internship in her hometown[Jubilant, Texas,] and her longtime boyfriend going away to Officer Candidate School (NAVY,) she would have the time and attention to focus on what she thought was God's purpose for her life. That changes when Brian proposes. Is she ready for marriage? Can she fulfill her dreams and be an officer's wife, too?

Naval aviator candidate Brian Harper knows his destiny and believes that Indigo is a big part of it. But when he attends OCS in Rhode Island he is reminded of a nasty skeleton in his closet that would surely ruin his chances in the Nacy and with Indigo. With his past clouding his view can he now face the truth about his want for marriage?

My review:

Ok. Stacy. Girl, you did that. LOL. Ooh, Honey. This was a sweet and fast read, perfect for the summer. Stacy's writing has grown. I'm so proud. I didn't know how this story would end, yet it still held the qualities of a great summer romance. Kudos!

I recommend this book for a study with single ministries, wedding guilds, and young adult ministries. I also think it is a great bookclub discussion with topics that extend far past the puplit. ($12.99)

Dee Stewart,
Reviewer