Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing

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September 24, 2012

What Are You Excited About? Marketing & Promo Made Easy...

Photo: Kathy Owen ~ WANA Commons

by Jenny Hansen

As the September blog mistress here at WITS, I'm taking a page out of my personal blog's playbook and marking the beginning of Autumn with a celebration of you.

I'm doing this a few different ways...

First up, we're doing what I call "Pimp & Promote." We try to do this once every few months at More Cowbell and it's a habit I originally picked up from Chuck Wendig.

Note: if Chuck's name is unfamiliar, you are seriously missing out.

For those who are new at this…Pimp and Promote means you:

1. Promote: share one thing that you’re proud of, whether it’s a new book, an idea or a blog.

2. Pimp: Do the same for someone else whose work has lit you on fire this week.

I'll get this party started with a quick promote of the WriterStrong series we started last week here at WITS. August McLaughlin did our inaugural post and we have many, many more to come. I'm very excited about what's coming up here this Fall. We're gonna rock your world. 🙂

For my PIMP, I'm going to take a moment to call out the three top commenters here at Writers In The Storm this month. WordPress lets me see this sort of nifty statistic and today is the perfect time to say thank you!!!

WITS wouldn't be what it is without all of you but these three are the icing on top of our blogging cake this month.

Florence Fois, who many of you know as Ramblings from the Left, is one of most avid commenters here at WITS. It makes me smile whenever I see her name come across my screen. She'll have the effect on you too, I promise.

Ella Quinn participates, engages and even re-blogs our posts. She's a dream blog follower, plus her blog has spice and variety all on it's own.

Gloria Richard makes me laugh all over the blog-o-sphere. She does it at More Cowbell, at her blog, Snark Park, and in a variety of other fun places.

I keep up with these three stellar ladies and I think you should too. Click their names to see an amazing recent post of theirs. Follow them on Twitter. Find them on Facebook.

I promise you’ll be glad you did.

It's your turn to try your hand at this "Pimp and Promote" business. Don't be shy if you're new at this. We'll hold your hand...and approve your comments. You are encouraged to oooh and aaaah over each other's links and then pimp a little more. 🙂

Happy Monday, y'all!
Jenny

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.
When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at jhansenwrites and here at Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

0 comments on “What Are You Excited About? Marketing & Promo Made Easy...”

  1. Ah, Jenny ... here I am too darn early and already putzing around the house and surfing on your west coast waves. I love coming here even if you don't give me a plug. I read more than 20 blog sites a week ... some are on my side bar ... some I just wait for the mail and love what they do each week. Anne R. Allen, a talented writer who has done amazing blogs on ... what else "blogging." She's once a week on Sunday and worth the visit 🙂 I love It's Only a Novel and recommend a post that's dear to my heart this month ... A place of my own, by Darcy Crowder :http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/2012/09/13/a-place-to-call-my-own/... our own Laura Drake also contributes to that blog.

    Gloria is a must, along with her co-hort (snort, snort) Sherry Isaac. Brinda Berry keeps me up-to-the-minute on e-social media and writes great YA fiction. Scan my sidebar and visit my varied selection of talented writers and great friends.

    Again, thanks for the mention and thanks for the great collection here ... Laura, Jenny, Fae, Sharla and D. A. (Hey what's the D.A. for anyway?) Have a great day 🙂

  2. Happy Monday, everyone!

    On the 'pimp' scene (oh, now that doesn't sound right, does it?)
    I'm proud of myself -- Friday sucked, writing-wise. It took me 11 1/2 hrs to write 1k words. But I stayed plopped in my chair until I pulled that danged scene out of my guts. I know, you shouldn't be proud of being to stupid to quit, but you have to be proud of whatever you were given, right? 🙂

    On the promo scene, I want to tell you about a fun bunch of writers over at Everybody Needs A Little Romance (http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/) Cyndi D'Alba and the gang blog about whatever's happening in their lives, and it's usually hilarious!

  3. Great idea, Jenny! I'd like to promote Wed.=Women’s Wit and Wisdom on my blog site: http://texasdruids.blogspot.com. This series celebrates women past and present, featuring a quote from one special woman each week, followed by a brief bio about her.

    My PIMP is for Cowboy Kisses, a group blog hosted by author Ginger Simpson, where Western Romance authors talk history, cowboys, romance and just about anything having to do with the Old West. http://cowboykisses.blogspot.com (Yes, I belong to the group.)

    Thanks for this opportunity!

  4. Oooh. I love this idea. Thanks for the chance to pimp and promote!

    Pimp: I'm proud that my debut novel Blood Vine will be out in December from Omnific Publishing, and I was super jazzed to see it go up on Goodreads last week. What a great feeling!

    http://amberbelldene.com/blood-vine/
    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16038839-blood-vine

    Promote: I'm very excited for my friend Paula Millhouse, because she did a major rewrite on her novel Careful What You Wish For and gave away thousands of copies last weekend. Like all of us, Paula keeps learning as a writer, and from her lessons, she realized her first novel wasn't really finished. As an indie author, she could revise and re-publish it within a matter of weeks. What a fascinating process within the changing world of publishing.

    http://www.amazon.com/CAREFUL-WHAT-WISH-FOR-ebook/dp/B0063XNT6K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348498717&sr=1-1&keywords=Careful+What+you+wish+for

    1. Thanks for sharing the sites. I'm going to check out your book--Blood Vine is such an interesting title.
      And good luck to Paula. The Orange County Chapter of RWA just e-pubbed an anthology of short stories. The beauty of e-pub is that as we find little mistakes, they can be fixed immediately before the next sale. Paula's lucky to have you as a friend.
      -Fae

      1. I agree - what a great idea - thanks for letting us Pimp and Promote!
        Self-Pub is where ALL the control is at - not always the best thing, but a wonderful way to experience what it means to promote your work.

        I'll pimp Careful's sequel: ALL YOUR WISHES - Romantic Suspense novel available after it comes out of DEEP EDITS early this winter.
        http://www.amazon.com/CAREFUL-WHAT-WISH-FOR-ebook/dp/B0063XNT6K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1343599933&sr=1-1&keywords=paula+millhouse

        I'd like to promote my friend Leah Ridgewood - I'm excited about her racy titles available on amazon showing how romance on the page is priority number one -

        http://www.amazon.com/Threesome-Take-Too-Francisco-ebook/dp/B008G6J0NI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348505575&sr=1-1&keywords=leah+ridgewood

  5. Ooh, Pimp and Promote. How savvy! You snared me!

    Pimp
    Would love to introduce folks to The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. I took a sleuth, gave her kids, put her in rural South Carolina, and threw her into strange mysteries one can only find in the country. No city people here! http://www.chopeclark.com and http://www.amazon.com/Lowcountry-Bribe-C-Hope-Clark/dp/1611940907

    Promote
    I think Gotham Writers is the best when it comes to news and classes. Right now they have the most fun contest going on. 91-word memoir writing contest - no entry fee - $91 and a Gotham class as a prize - Deadline Oct 15. http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/91W.php

  6. As always, the post here at WITS is great. What I'm proud of is I completed Margie Lawson's Immersion Class (hello, fellow Stellar Scribes, the name for our group of 6) and am almost finished appllying all of Margie's gems to my 4th book. At which point, I'm shipping the baby out and moving on to writing the 6th book (# 5 needs same kind of Margie massaging)--a tad of alliteration for all you Margie grads out there.
    I am thrilled to pimp for my good friend and fellow NT chapter mate, Jerrie Alexander. Her first book, THE GREEN EYED DOLL, comes out from Wild Rose Press, Dec. 7. It's sexy, grab you by the throat intense, and has places that will make you laugh. Today you could pop over to her new blog at http://goo.gl/Mxdt5 and give her a little support.

  7. Hi, Jenny!

    On the promote side, I'm really proud of my next book, The Shamanic Detective, due out this Halloween as book three in the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mysteries. I've been growing a lot as a writer, and each book feels better than the last.

    And I'd like to pimp Shannon Esposito, author of the Pet Psychic series! Her books are paranormal cozies set in Florida, and are written with a light touch.

    Kirsten Weiss

    1. What a perfect release day for a book with a fantastic title. And Shannon's series sounds like a lot of fun. My cat uses "kitty mind control" on me, so maybe I could get her a job as a Pet Psychic!
      -Fae

  8. What a terrific opportunity!

    I'd like to promote my legal thriller Terminal Ambition, A Maggie Mahoney Novel. I was a partner at a major international law firm and then became the general counsel of a Fortune 500 company. In both roles, I saw women sexually harassed. Some were able to shrug it off. Some were driven to the brink of suicide. I wrote Terminal Ambition to educate women about their workplace rights.

    Here's the book in a nutshell: Maggie Mahoney, a partner at a mega law firm, wants justice for the women in her firm. The firm chairman wants to be named US Attorney General. Only one can win. http://terminal-ambition.com/

    I'd like to pimp Sandy Nathan. She's a brilliant author who writes visionary fiction - that's a difficult category to define. I think of it as fantasy with a message. Her trilogy Tales from the Earth's End is available now. You can start with the first book The Angel and the Brown-Eyed Boy. Also, Sandy is very generous in sharing her advice about writing at her blog Your Shelf Life. http://www.yourshelflife.com/

    BTW, both Sandy and I are on blog tours organized by Pump Up Your Book. Follow either tour for a chance to win a Kindle Fire. Follow both to double your chances!

    Kate McGuinness
    http://womensrightswriter.com/index.html

    http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/06/26/pump-up-your-book-presents-terminal-ambition-virtual-book-publicity-tour-kindle-fire-giveaway/

  9. I'd like to promote my upcoming novella SUN STORM that will be included in an anthology being published by Harlequin Luna in January 2013. The bestselling authors I'm fortunate to be featured with are Julie Kagawa and Ann Agguire. A major squeeee moment! The anthology is comprised of 3 dystopian themed novellas and is titled 'TIL THE WORLD ENDS. The book's cover was revealed on Harlequin's blog last week:

    http://harlequinblog.com/2012/09/cover-reveal-julie-kagawas-til-the-world-ends/?utm_campaign=general&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter_HQ&utm_content=blog&utm_term=

    The book I'm reading that I'm extremely excited about right now is an anthology of short stories called WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME. This is an amazing collection with a theme unlike anything I've ever encountered. We read stories about characters becoming heroes, but what happens to them afterward? How does heroism affect them, their friends and family, their community? This is an amazing book that should be on everyone's shelf. I have it on my Kindle. It's published by Dragon Moon Press.

    http://www.amazon.com/When-Hero-Comes-Home-ebook/dp/B0054S3J2Y/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1348520485&sr=8-1

  10. Hi Jenny (and everyone!)

    On the pimping side, I'd like to give a shout out to my friend, critique partner and freelance editor Heather Webb: http://www.heatherwebb.net/blog/ (That's her blog URL, but her editing information is accessible through that website.) She is a fantastic, top-notch editor with amazing skills. Anyone in need of an editor should definitely look her up.

    On the promotion side: I actually joined facebook! You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/SusanSpannAuthor - Yep, I came over to the dark side. And yes, there are photos of me with guns. And seahorses. And all kinds of other strange things that live in my world - including information about my upcoming ninja mystery series from Thomas Dunne Books!

    Great idea Jenny, thank you for starting this!

  11. SKA-WEEEE! and thank you from the bottom of my socks for the recognition and ping-back love.

    I am contracting with someone to get my banner and site updated so Snark Park becomes a reality. You would ping back to a post that involves Butt Dimples. Geesh! Is nothing sacred with me? My personal fave is the one before that so promo-hog that I am, I'm also adding a ping-back to How Old Would You Be if You Didn't Know Your Age?: http://gloriarichard.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/how-old-would-you-be-if-you-didnt-know-your-age/

    Pimp? Well. I recently met a rocking loyal commentator and blog follower over on More Cowbell, Zack Zullis. You'll find him at http://zkullis.wordpress.com/about/. Make sure your check out his recent blogs on Four Things Law Enforcement has Taught me about Writing and The Devil is in the Details. Zack's new to the blogging community, so he's a gem you may not have yet found.

    Need more incentive to visit Zack? He works for the FBI and is often called to be on their S.W.A.T. team. I have yet asked (because he might say "no"), but he'd be a great resource -- Subject Matter Expert for fiction involving Federal crimes. It beats cold-calling the F.B.I. -- which I did for my first novel involving a penny stock scam.

      1. Could I have any more typos in a single comment? ARGH! My excuse is that my oh-so-be-prompt hubster was waiting at the restaurant for my arrival. I typed like the dingbat wild woman I am before closing up shop. Sorry about the misspell on your name, Zack.

  12. Hi, everyone! What a great idea! Let's see. Well, Susan Spann, I friended you on FB only to realize you don't know who I am. I hope you get an idea below.

    I'm confused on the pimp/promote order, but one thing I'm proud of is that I'm finally making progress on rewriting the draft of Mogollon, the sequel to my 2008 (or '09) novel about a great Native American shaman meeting the richest man in the world. Here's my Amazon page. Scroll down for Numenon. http://www.amazon.com/Sandy-Nathan/e/B001JS6VMI/

    What's noteworthy about that? I have been working on the rewrite of Mogollon since 1995! Now THAT'S writer's block. I'm finally making headway on what promises to be a phone-booked sized tome. Probably out in 2013.

    I'd like to promote Kate McGuinness' book Terminal Ambition. THAT IS ONE GOOD BOOK! I know that Kate was a top attorney. Well, she's a top author, too. The realism of her book could only come from knowing the legal world from the inside. My husband said Terminal Ambition was like stepping into LA Law mixed with Mad Men. It is. The book has a first chapter you won't believe and roars from then. I read it in one sitting and am panting for the sequel.

    Here's my blog for writers: http://yourshelflife.com A quirky little thing/

    Jenny, I'm subscribing to WITS. This is my first visit. I like it!

    All the best,
    Sandy Nathan
    http://sandynathan.com

    Kate mentioned that we were both doing blog tours with Pump Up Your Book. Here's my page:
    http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/08/28/pump-up-your-book-presents-tales-from-earths-end-virtual-book-publicity-tour-kindle-fire-giveaway/
    Hop on over there and sign up for the Kindle giveaway! The signup box is about halfway down the page. It says "Leave a blog post comment to enter." Click there and leave a comment. You might as well enter––someone's going to win that Kindle Fire. It won't be you unless you enter. (Enter Kate's, too. Double your chances.)

  13. What a great idea - one that has sucked me right in and made me a follower of the blog! I will probably reblog it on my own too. Ok, so my contribution:

    Promote:
    My blog! You can get a taste of the variety of things I do in Bangladesh as a British writer and teacher and how I think here: http://kenthinksaloud.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/on-winning-the-shotput/
    and here: http://kenthinksaloud.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/return-to-darjeeling-the-mystery-and-magic-of-time/

    I hope you enjoy them! If you become a follower you will also go on the waiting list for a preview copy of my first book which is due out VERY soon (just waiting for my cover designer to give me a final design!). I also wrote a YA novel about a British girl deserted in Bangladesh and if you're a publisher and might be interested let me know! Otherwise, my followers will be the first to see previews of chapters when the final draft is ready.

    Now for Pimp:

    An old, old friend of mine called Elizabeth Haynes has written a couple of crime-based drama/mystery novels that have been really successful. I urge you to read her first book 'Into the Darkest Corner' if you have not already and like that kind of writing. I don't normally! But because she is a friend, I bought her book and read it from cover to cover - now I'm hooked! She has just completed a third book which should be published in the near future. A link to her Amazon page is here:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Haynes/e/B004U4F4DK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1348582402&sr=8-2-ent

    You can order books from there. She's great! And if you like the books, let me know on my own blog - I'd love to hear from you 🙂

  14. Ken, I read Elizabeth's book! It was wonderful! Anyone looking for an emotional, cliffhanger that uses amazing technique - I highly recommend it! Note her name - she's an 'up and comer!'

    So glad you found us - hope you find some blogs here that help you!

  15. I'm promoting my survival from a ruptured brain aneurysm last April 20th. I didn't need another story idea, much less one occuring in the same month as the name of my WIP's protagonist!!! It's one way to get shoved into the non-fiction genre.

    I'm pushing "My Stroke of Insight" by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. It came out a few years ago and offers a stunning saga of one woman's fierce recovery from similar brain woes. We all need inspiration and Jill offers it.

  16. Wow, what an exciting idea! I love it 🙂
    I'd like to promote my blog at http://storybookster.wordpress.com/What-IF/ It's all about how the "what if's" are the basis for great ideas in writing. Anyone who has a great "what if" moment is encouraged to talk about it in the comments!

    I would like to Promote a really great read, a book called The Steward (Weald Fae Journals) by Christopher Shields. Here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Steward-Weald-Journals-ebook/dp/B008U4QGXS
    Chris has created a great Fantasy set in the present time in the Ozarks of Arkansas, a hidden world of the fae, fairies that are about as far from tinkerbell that you can get! And about a young teen whose world has been turned upside down.

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