NOLA story: It's Oprah's way or not at all....

I am a big supporter of New Orleans, before and after the Katrina carnage. Here's a chance for me to promote a journalist's book about the experiences, and for you to have some fun. Imagine if you, as a fresh author of a new book, were asked to speak about the topic on Oprah!! But - you couldn't mention your book! You'd be frustrated too.

Read the New Orleans Time-Pic story by Chris Rose here. Chris is the author of 1 Dead in Attic.
http://www.cclarity.com/ryw/NOLA/NOLA-oprah-not.html

I put the link on my site since news stories move off the top pages online very fast.

Helen

Writing: The last week of August

It's Monday morning, and the last week of August. For many, it starts the end of summer: hot nights, porch swing, luxury of time to read. Oh, and write ! If you're a writer, make the most of this week, and get back into the habit of daily writing. Take a bit inspiration from Isaac Asimov:

“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”

Don't give up on ebooks ...

Here's a brief comment from a New York Times article from August 9, 2007:

"WHEN Paul Biba, a lawyer in Bernardsville, N.J., finds himself stuck waiting, he likes to pull out his Nokia E61i cellphone and read one of the 20 or so books he usually stores on it.

The virtual bookshelf in his pocket currently has science fiction like “Falling Free” by Lois McMaster Bujold, all of the novels of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens, “Eminent Victorians” by Lytton Strachey and the September issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

“Once you get use to having books with you, you get use to reading in places where it never occurred to you. If I’m waiting in line at the supermarket counter, why not read one of my science fiction magazines?” he said. “Believe it or not, I’ll sit down in my chair at home, pull out my phone and read a book.”"

So, whether you read ebooks on your laptop screen, desktop, Palm, Life Drive, iPod or iPhone, they are a convenient, trouble-free way to read wherever you are.


The full story is posted on their site (free registration required).

Book Launch Events

For your convenience, you can now receive a weekly email of author events, including my own, in your area. Sign up free at booktour.com:

 http://booktour.com/signup?referrer=2371

Events for "Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way"

Oct. 14, 2007 Uptown Writer's Space, Chicago, IL
Fee-based workshop, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Contact Uptown Writer's Space at: 773-275-1000 or email susan@uptownwritersspace.com

Oct. 20, 2007 National Assn. of Science Writers, Spokane, WA
"Taming the Digital Office" panel
nasw.org

Jan. 28, 2008 Mt. Prospect Public Library
Free workshop & Q+A, 7 p.m.
mppl.org

May 3, 2008 Chicago Dramatist's Guild
details to follow


Click here for photos from the book launch party 9/29/07 at Mario's Mondo Cafe.

Prior author events:


Sept. 15, 2007 Prose In the Park, Taylorville, IL
Two workshops: New writers - a.m., Advanced writers - p.m.
More info: Prose In the Park

Sept. 19, 2007 Women's Exchange author night
Generational issues in technology
reservations: Womens-Exchange.org

Oct. 1-6, 2007 Speaker at global Momference teleconference
Don't know what a Momference is? Learn more here:www.momference.com

Writer's Digest blog

I've had the pleasure of writing a few articles for Writer's Digest, and am pleased to see some of their best people are moving into blogs. Maria Schneider handles technical and publishing concepts at hers: http://www.writersdigest.com/writersperspective/default.aspx

Make it a regular stop on your "paper route."

Cheers,
Helen

Advance praise for Release Your Writing

In workshops and appearances this Fall, I'll speak as much about marketing and promoting your work as I do about writing or technology. Endorsements are one of the best ways to show credibility and give readers a reason to look further into your book. I've received two stunning endorsements and am excerpting them here for your reference and inspiration:

• "...I took her blogging class, which is the only reason I have a blog today. The obscure was made clear, and fun. I would trust Helen’s expertise in any of the new technologies, and I would recommend her to anyone who needs to know how to take advantage of the digital world’s tools.”

Cynthia Clampitt, author of
Waltzing Australia

• “Helen Gallagher's new book Release Your Writing has just stripped you of your last excuse for not writing that book that's inside you and waiting to be released. She has an answer for every question you've ever had about birthing a book into the world and covers every step you need to take it from beginning to end."
  
  
  Jan Phillips, author of
  The Art of Original Thinking,
  Marry Your Muse
  
  
  

Could Jane Austen get published today?

One of the tenets of Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way is the need for writers to self-advocate.
No one believes in your work more than you do, and its unlikely the glint of your perfect prose will be shine in an agent's or editor's eye.

We hear that mainstream publishing is harder to achieve than ever. It rejection is a frustration for you, take heart in this recent news story:

I frustrated writer, David Lassman disguised Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and sent it off to 18 publishers. One well-read editor spotted the fraud, but the other 17 publishers all rejected or ignored it. Lassman submitted the manuscript under a female pseudonym, and changed only the title and character names. Odds are he's now a big fan of self-publishing.