The New Book Review

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Diane Wolf Brings Her SpunkOnAStick Experience to How-To Book

How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now
Subtitle: Publishing and Promoting Made Simple
By L. Diane Wolfe
ISBN: 9780982713952
Publisher: Dancing lemur Press, LLC
Genre: Nonfiction: How-To/Writing/Marketing/Publishing

How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now by L. Diane Wolfe delivers exactly what the subtitle promises, Publishing and Promoting Made Simple. The language, the interior design, and the choices made by the author all contribute to this basic book aimed at anyone considering publishing a book. She gives an unbiased take on the advantages and disadvantages of traditional publishing and self-publishing and publishing paths that combine the two.

She covers both traditional- and self-publishing, print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution, finding your target audience, generating reviews and media interest, networking and developing an online presence, promotional materials and appearances. Most chapters are a bare (essential!) two to four pages. There is no clutter. It's the perfect book for those who want an overview to begin the decision-making process. And, it is important to note, Wolfe's advice comes from long experience as the author of Circle of Friends series and SpunkOnAStick entities, a speaker, and an inspirer.

Learn more about Wolfe and what she can do to help writing careers at http://spunkonastick.net.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Sunday, December 9, 2012

BookPleasures Reviewer Calls Book for Writers "Must-Have"

Title: The Frugal Book Promoter

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-146374329
USA Book News Best Book and Irwin Award

Reviewed by Conny Crisalli originally for BookPleasures.com

“Knowing the rules of promotion is like knowing the rules for writing. When you have mastered them, you have the confidence to break them when you need to,” Carolyn Howard-Johnson states in the introduction to her book, The Frugal Book Promoter – How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher.

This four hundred and sixteen page paperback book is authored by an award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction, former publicist and marketing instructor whose valuable years of experience and in-depth knowledge saves the new author time and money when promoting and publicizing his or her work. In addition to free or inexpensive ways to stimulate awareness and support of a book, she gives details of websites, email addresses and contacts related to marketing and promotion along with a twenty-seven page appendix of samples and a fourteen page comprehensive index to aid and assist in the process.

Howard-Johnson walks one through the complicated, sometimes confusing and daunting environment of publicity and promotion by first subduing the fears and fine lines of plagiarism, lawsuits and self-doubt writers feel. She concentrates on three “Ps” of marketing: platform, publicity and public relations, correlating them to a train with platform chugging along as the caboose. She provides eighteen helpful publicity commandments and explains the value of branding and pitching.

There are step-by step instructions how to put together a successful media kit, down to what font and point to use and proper formatting it on a page. The meat of the book is its many resources to publicize printed materials that include standard channels such as speaking engagements, contests, conferences, trade shows/booths, book signings, radio/television, websites, blogging and social networking along with the more unused avenues of reading groups, catalogs and corporate sales.

The author tries to touch each facet of not only publicizing but gives details assembling folders for the media kit, how to use an ARC (advance reading copy) advantageously, what to take to a trade show and warns of some of the pitfalls of online promotion. With the plentiful references of emails and websites for further study, this book contains a multitude of useful information for the first time writer as well as the seasoned one who wants to expand their public presence further.

With no promotion stone unturned, this is a must-have book for the shelf of any writer, experienced or not. Like the author states, once you know the rules to promotion real well, you can break a few while climbing the marketing ladder even further.

~Conny Crisalli loves to read and review the books she reads. Find her reviews on her blog http://connywithay.wordpress.com, BookPleasures.com, and Amazon.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Victoria Shockley Reviews Solomon’s Sky by Peter Aleff

Solomon’s Sky

By Peter Aleff
Author's Website: http://phaistosgame.com/ISBN 0-9724646-3-8 for e-book
ISBN 0-9724646-4-6 for paperback
GENRE: History
Review originally published on the homepage for the novel, http://phaistosgame.com/Phaistos00titlepage.htm and was given 5 stars
Publisher: Recovered Science Press

Review by Victoria Shockley (www.linkedin.com/in/victoriashockley)

A fascinating solution to the mystery surrounding an ancient artifact

An engaging solution to the mystery surrounding an ancient artifact, Solomon's Sky presents the key to the riddle of the famous Phaistos Disk, an artifact that has baffled archaeologists and many others for over a century. The Disk, which dates back to the Bronze Age, was found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Crete, and its markings have been interpreted in a number of different, sometimes comical ways. Most of its would-be decipherers believed that the symbols are a form of writing, typically in some rare form of Greek but also a long list of other languages such as Basque or Slavic. This led them to “read” the Disk variously as a calendar, a sacred hymn and kitchen recipe, a sex manual, or an astronomical document, and much more.

However, among all of the proposals for the meaning and purpose of this ancient object, historian and author Peter Aleff's idea makes the most sense: that its symbols are actually markings for an ancient game board. His interpretation is well-researched, as every source is cited with a link or page numbers to back up his claims, and there are numerous endnotes. The many photographs, maps, and other images provide visual aids that complement the information he's describing, which I found particularly helpful in understanding some of the more complex aspects of the story.

Although I enjoy mysteries and riddles, I wouldn't consider myself a history buff. However, the way Mr. Aleff explains the background behind the ancient Disk and the various translation efforts over the years immediately grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading. His style is easy to follow, and his writing is clean and precise. I was able to easily recognize many of the historical references to places and ancient civilizations, and the ones I was unfamiliar with were readily accessible through Google searches. For this reason, I think Solomon's Sky can appeal not only to people enthusiastic about history and/or archaeology, but also to those like me who have only lightly delved into those fields. Mr. Aleff's slightly sarcastic humor is a pleasant surprise, given that the historical basis of the story may make one expect something much dryer.

Solomon's Sky is definitely an enjoyable book, and also very informative. Before reading it, I had been completely unaware of the existence of the Phaistos Disk or the mystery that has surrounded it ever since its discovery. I had never heard of the ancient game of Senet or the Snake Game, or even its modern descendant the Game of the Goose, (and of course, I had no idea of their parallels with the Disk). Learning about these ancient connections and mysteries in Solomon's Sky has opened a window to the past for me and reminded me how fascinating history can be.

About the author: Peter Aleff is an engineer, a researcher, a designer, a historian, and an author. He was born and raised in Germany and studied economics at the University of Basel in Switzerland. History had always been one of his hobbies, and he began to research the history and role of board games in antiquity. Several scholars had drawn attention to the rosette with eight leaves which appears on many ancient gameboards, and on boards of the same type usually in the same fields. He noticed the same rosette on the Phaistos Disk, and it occurred to him that this Disk might also be a gameboard. From this new perspective, he noticed parallels between the Disk and other board games and soon found the key to this interpretation, which is the story of Solomon’s Sky.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Book Tour Includes Life with Mr. America

What's it like behind closed doors with Mr. America?

Step into the world of Lindy Tefft. Being raised by controlling parents that demanded perfection, she thought she was getting “Mr. Perfect” when she married body building superstar Greg Tefft. She soon found herself immersed in a world of duplicity, all-consuming competitiveness, violence, and greed. Her life was a roller-coaster of physical abuse and financial ruin. She crawled through a tunnel of terror she thought would never end and was forced to reach into the depths of her soul and finally break free. Lindy finds peace beyond the illusion of fame and riches. and offers an insightful hand-up to others facing the aftermath of abuse and despair.

Don’t miss this riveting, inspirational true story of personal redemption beyond trauma.

"This is an extraordinary story of personal courage and ultimate triumph over some of humanity's obstacles and betrayals. To take this journey with Lindy - who withholds nothing - is sometimes harrowing, sometimes absurd, sometimes incomprehensibly mean...but ultimately wonderful as we walk with her through too many years of living in the darkness of fear and abuse...to finally emerging into the sunshine of enlightenment, joy, and freedom. It is a truly remarkable story of our times and our culture." Jeff Rense, Host of the Nationally Syndicated Jeff Rense Radio Program

"Lindy Tefft's book is simply a literary jewel. It brings an electrifying charge of spirituality that empowers women to break out of the enclaves of silence. The author's revealing life, marked almost since birth by the hand of abuse, shows us how fragile we all can be when faced with fear. Her decisive struggled against domestic violence represents a shining light at the end of the tunnel and hope for all of humans." Salomon Gill, Move Producer

Submitted by:

Denise Cassino

"Make your book an Amazon #1 Bestseller"

Publicist & Book Marketing Specialist

303 838 3399

skype: denise.cassino

www.BestsellerServices.com

www.mybestsellerlaunch.com

Friday, November 23, 2012

Playwright Reviews Book About Henry Darrow

Title: Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle

Authors: Jan Pippins, Henry Darrow Delgado

Website: http://www.henrydarrowbook.com
Genre: Biography & Memoir
Subcategories: Entertainment, Hispanic & Latino
Publisher: Bear Manor Media
ISBN: 978-1593936884
Reviewer rating 5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by H. Harry Cason

Okay, let's face it: Henry Darrow is still one of the most fascinating actors to ever hit the TV screens of America. His charm and magnetism transcend any racial or cultural divide, as evidenced by his long and illustrious career. And now there's a delightful roadmap that Ms. Pippins and Mr. Delgado have provided in this page-turner of a book. Henry, the sexy, vibrant Latino-American star travelling Sweden in the '60's to sold-out one-man shows? There's a movie right there. For Henry's fans, and there are lots of 'em, this book will be a giddy delight, brimming with photos and insider stories. For those new to Mr. Darrow, it's an amusing and captivating introduction. And not just to Henry -- but to the time when barriers were being dashed aside, and the power of a brilliant, telegenic performer could be felt in one's own living room...A true portent of the impact popular culture would continue to play on our ever-evolving and beautifully diverse country. Like Henry, this book is electric.

~Reviewed by producer/writer/director H. (Harry) Cason originally on Amazon.com. Cason’s work includes television, films, stage, and his original play “That Certain Cervantes,” the only play ever produced in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

About the Author

Jan Pippins lives in Louisiana with her husband Mike, four horses, many cats and two dogs. She is from a family of readers, writers and storytellers. Her Uncle Red was one of many early literary influences. “Uncle Red was an alcoholic newspaper reporter who scandalized the good Methodists in the family by marrying a cigar smoking Cherokee dance hall girl. He was crippled during World War I and if my grandmother had known what kind of tales he told me, she would have finished him off.”

Jan is an avid reader of everything from warning labels to existential philosophy. “Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle” is her first book.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Prolific Author Loves The Frugal Book Promoter

Title: The Frugal Book Promoter

Subtitle: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher

Second Edition

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre Nonfiction: How-to for writers
Publisher HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
ISBN 9781463743291

Available as paperback and on Kindle

Reviewed by Dave Menefee, originally for BookPleasures.com

Would you spend a nickel for the best advice you could ever receive?

If you are a writer, spending 5¢ a page for a 395-page book packed to the seams with the most comprehensive collection of established, helpful advice ever compiled would be well worth the investment. In The Frugal Book Promoter, author Carolyn Howard-Johnson details how to get nearly free publicity on your own by partnering with your publisher. Spend the $17.95 for the huge book and get your career on track for success. Carolyn not only shows you the way, she lights the trail to triumph with a blazing torch.

The book’s title may seem misleading, once you dig deeply into the thirty-two chapters and find that Carolyn’s suggestions often hinge on either the author or the publisher spending money on touting a tome. Don’t let this throw you. The Frugal Book Promoter does not pretend to be a book for an author wishing to succeed on a shoestring. Instead, Carolyn shows you how to wring the most out of your advertising, marketing, and promotional budget. For example, staging a book signing event usually entails purchasing books to sell, travel expenses, signage charges, giveaway costs, buying business cards and brochures, and laying out money on a long list of other sundry expenditures that add up to a tidy investment gamble. Here’s where Carolyn’s expertise gleaned during years of trial and error pays off: she reveals all the little tricks of the trade that can spell the difference between failure and loss or an ample return on your investment. As your mother might say, “Listen to her! She knows what she’s talking about!”

Carolyn’s massive set of revelations are divided into seven sections:

Getting Started and Getting On With It: dealing with typical author angst.
Plunging In: Publicity Basics Now: all about the business of promotions
Do-It-Yourself and Partner Publicity: media releases, book reviews, media kits
Promote Your Book by Doing What You Love: extra writing opps that can fan your flame
You and the Media: how to handle interviews, and using the Internet
Well Traveled, Oft Forgotten: wading into the world of retailing
Onward and Upward: stoking the stove for even more success

In addition, the back matter contains a set of Appendices containing sample query letters, media releases, blog entries, trade show invitations, a phone pitch script, an autosignature for e-mails, and a tip sheet example.

For an experienced author who may be battle weary from years of tooting their own horn, Carolyn’s sage recommendations will enlighten him or her to hundreds of steps they may have missed that will prove more encouraging during their next tour through the trenches. For the beginning author who may feel baffled and intimidated by the mere thought of selling during a dreadful economy, Carolyn’s clever counsel should seem like a Godsend. “This book is for authors who want their books to soar and do not want their careers to languish,” she writes. “It is structured so authors can select chapters that address aspects of their marketing plan most needed at any given time.” Indeed, the book features an extensive Index that will make looking up topics a second time a snap. This is not a mere book to read; this is a guide to refer back to time and again—a battle plan for victory.

If you are an author, or if you know an author struggling over how to build buzz for their book, The Frugal Book Promoter outlays literally thousands of nitty-gritty how-tos for obtaining a foothold in a niche. As the old saying goes, “When you find your niche, scratch it!” With The Frugal Book Promoter, you can light a fire under your ambitions, pick and choose from ideas extensively developed and refined through endless campaigns, and match up your pocketbook and personality with hundreds of Carolyn’s angles for accomplishment.

~Reviewer David W. Menefee is the author of
Can't Help Falling in Love

Secret Soldier Master of Disguise
Sweet Memories
Sarah Bernhardt, Her Films, Her Recordings (Foreword by Kevin Brownlow)
Wally: The True Wallace Reid Story (Foreword by Robert Osborne)
The Rise and Fall of Lou-Tellegen
Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures
The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era
The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era
Brothers of the Storm
"Otay!" The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story (with William Thomas, Jr.)
Charlie O’Doone’s Second Chance
Margot Cranston The Voice in the Shadows
Margot Cranston The Secret of St. Laurent Lighthouse
Margot Cranston The Mystery at Loon Lake
Margot Cranston The Quest for the Jade Dragons
Falling Stars 10 Who Tried to be a Movie Star
George O'Brien: A Man's Man in Hollywood
A Craving for Travel II (with Jim Strong)
How to Write, Format, and Market a Kindlebook on a Shoestring Budget
His newly released book, Master of Disguise, is about secret soldier Isador Messing who lives up to the title of the book. Terror strikes when Hitler's SS troops arrest Messing's fiancé on the day they plan to escape Nazi occupied Berlin. Alone and stoic in the face of utter malevolence, he launches a bold, daring, and desperate plan to liberate her. Can the remarkable Mr. Messing's one-man army triumph against all odds and win in a war-torn world gone mad?

This book is also available on Kindle.

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