Is there anyone out there with experience in putting together a book tour. Now that my novel, Threads, is published I need to get the word out. I have done a lot of local media but want to branch out now. I have tried mass mailings to little success. The book seems to sell best when I personally promote it. I am getting good reviews - I even have a bookstore in NC that listed it as a "staff recommendation", but now need to parlay that into sales. I started a small press called Red Canyon Ink in order to publish my novels. I am working on a new one that I hope to have done by years end. You can check out my website at www.redcanyonink.com or go to amazon.com.

If you are a writer looking to self-publish I have some experience I would be glad to share.

Need help with blogging

I need help - okay in more than just this item I am going to discuss but that's another blog. How do you blog? I am fairly computer literate but can't seem to understand how you get other people to read your blogs or how to find blogs of others who are discussing topics you are interested in - like writing. Do you have to pay to blog? How do I search for blogs if I don't know anyone in particular? If someone could explain the intricacies of blogging, I would be most grateful.

Feeding your muse

So hears what I'm thinking today ... long pause... that's exactly it - how do you get the words to flow when you sit down at the keyboard or with pen in hand. It's like you just announced that you are serving liver and onions for dinner and all your guests disappear. So how do you call them back to the table? First of all free yourself from a self-imposed menu and give yourself permission to try new foods. That is, write a short piece on something totally new to you - as Natalie Goldberg would say and I'm paraphrasing - have a conversation with a broccoli. Write something farsiful, ludicras, outlandish, silly and you may find in the middle of all the nonsense something that makes so much sense that it startles you. Now take that piece and open your mind to the universe and run with it. Don't edit, don't worry about spelling, just let the pen or your fingers fly.

Do you have a character who you have written into a rut? Take a walk and observe regular people going about their regular day - now add a twist - pretend they are all members of a Broadway cast and see where your mind goes. Now go back to your character and see if a new image hasn't popped into your psyche.

The thing is, is that you have to get out of your left mind and into the right where creative ideas abound. In the past I have used crayons and play dough to move my brain from left to right. Play is good, imaginary activities even better. Go find a three year old to converse with and see life through their eyes. A three year old asked me the other day if I was a "princess", I replied, "No, at my age, I am queen." Just saying it made me think and feel different.

Change your menu, add a twist, play and be the queen/king if you want.

TTFN

New Directions

Almost three years ago, I took a huge step and stepped off the corporate ladder to pursue a dream. Since then I have published a novel entitled Threads and have been learning about the publishing world throughout the process. It's very intimidating. The writing part was incredible. Not that every day the words came but overall I enjoyed putting pen to paper and creating characters. The marketing part has me stumped. I have read all the books and tried most of their suggestions but its slow going. The good part is that it seems to be being well received by readers. I continue to get excellent reviews and reorders from amongst friends, family and strangers. The tough part is reaching more people. If anyone out there has some proven methods for reaching novel readers, please let me know. I have sold over 500 books so far but would like to ratchet that up.

That's the reality of making a 360 degree change in life. I love the freedom my career change has brought; the insecurity is harder to manage. For twenty years a paycheck either landed on my desk or eventually beamed its way to my bank account, now I wait anxiously for the mail person, watch the fax machine and check email for orders. I have tried hard to just trust in the universe as we are told by those promoting books on positive thinking. I have watched The Secret and repeat the laws of attraction but am running out of patience. The only thing I am attracting is flies as I sit at the computer and burn brain sells (deliberate spelling); my decomposition apparent to the insect world.

If you have taken a huge leap into the abyss, I would love to hear from you.