Guest post by Rita Jean Moran

A chance to enjoy the perspective of another blogger with this guest post:

Hi, my name is Rita Jean Moran, and I am the author of The Library Kids book series (www.thelibrarykids.com).  I also have my own blog, ritajeanmoran.blogspot.com, where I post many articles on:  mysterious places I have visited, ancient history, and places to visit with your family.  My books are for children and adults and I want my blog to be family-friendly as well as interesting.

I would like to thank Helen Gallagher for teaching a wonderful seminar on Power Blogging for Authors and Writers.  She did a great job and had many fresh ideas regarding blogging.  I liked her tips on morguefile.com for finding free graphics that you can use as well as her tips for increasing traffic to your blog by guest blogging.  

             

My blog audience is growing.  What I’ve found out is how powerful a blog can be.  You are one person in a world of about 7 billion people and you can have a voice to the entire world with a great blog.  My statistics tell me that people from all over the world are viewing my blog.  I’ve had hits from America, Russia, Germany, Canada, India, England, France, South Korea, Italy, Latvia, Australia, Georgia, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Norway, South Africa, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Denmark, Romania, Dominican Republic, Israel, France and Moldova.  With a blog you don’t even have to know the languages of other countries because the viewer may even be able to convert their view on their web browser to their own language. 

            

I’ve found that mixing up great graphics with interesting articles attracts a lot of attention.  Using a good short title and readable font for your articles also helps.  I tend to use many of my own pictures but I can also get some really good ones from Wikipedia that are public domain.  You need to be very careful not to violate copyrights and you should site sources when necessary. 

Once again, thanks Helen and I hope some of your viewers come and visit my blog at ritajeanmoran.blogspot.com.

Could it be that we're writing too fast?

Could the computer be making us write too fast? And, with its inherent distractions, maybe that means we'd write better if we slow down. A 2012 conundrum for sure.

Here's a look at some writers who don't use the computer, at least for certain parts of their writing work.




Novelist Orhan Pamuk, a favorite of mine, is Turkey's best-selling writer, and with his Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Turkish citizen to be awarded a Nobel. His prize-winning works are not composed on a computer, but in a graph paper notebook. He likes to write one full page, and then leave the next one open for revisions. Using his notebooks, Pamuk relishes in the absence of a backspace button, and the opportunity to capture inspiration when it strikes.

For bestselling author Tess Gerritsen, her blogging is best done on the computer, but for novels, only pen and paper will do. She doesn't use a computer or even a typewriter, instead using a Bic pen and sheets of unlined paper. Gerritsen is quite comfortable composing articles and other pieces at the keyboard, but for her, fiction is a completely different matter. She struggles to make things work while writing novels on the computer, finding that she hardly finishes a thing at the end of the day because she's spent too much time "perfecting them." But beyond that, Gerritsen values pen and paper for its physical properties: "I like knowing that once the ink’s on the page, it can’t magically disappear when the power goes out.








Michael Ondaatje, the award-winning novelist behind The English Patient, prefers Muji brand notebooks over computers when it comes to writing his works. But interestingly enough, Muji notebooks actually come with a lot of the same functionalities as MS Word, allowing Ondaatje to cut and paste his novels as he goes along. Unlike other pen and paper authors who ultimately transfer their works into type, Ondaatje has been known to compose up to three drafts by hand on his notebooks.


Thanks to our online friends for this research.

Give Thanks for Brain Food for Writers

Thanks to Writer's Relief for these brain food suggestions for your holiday weekend. Thanksgiving is a perfect time for inspiration, with time away from the computer, family fun, comfort food and holiday memories. So eat well, tell stories, and listen ... the inspiration for your next essay or article might be passed around the table.

Brain Food For Writers:
What To Eat To Support A Creative Mind

By Writers Relief Staff On November 21, 2011 ·

We all know certain foods contribute positively to your physical health, and some foods contribute positively (in inches) to your waistline. But did you know that some foods can support brain function—and maybe even make you a better writer?
You might even see some of them on the table this Thanksgiving!

Antioxidants, like those found in fruits and vegetables, offer disease- and age-fighting power to keep your creative impulses firing at top speed. Blueberries are said to be especially powerful.

Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil and flax) are said to boost your brain’s gray matter. That’s like building muscle in your mind. Prepare to do some heavy mental lifting…or just impress people with your mental calisthenics.

Choline is a nutrient found in egg yolk or milk that can help ward off senility. Choline also keeps your memory going strong, so you can actually remember whether your character was wearing a red shirt twenty pages ago or a blue one!

Folic acid: One study found that adults taking regular folic acid supplements demonstrated better cognitive function, especially in memory and critical thinking. So if you’re really having trouble getting past a problematic plot point, it may be time to supplement!

Chocolate lovers rejoice! According to WebMD: “A study by food scientists found that the antioxidant concentration in a cup of hot cocoa was higher than that found in either red wine or green tea.” Of course, getting your antioxidants from veggies (sans whipped cream, fat, and added sugar) may be a better bet. But next time your spouse gives you “that look” for drinking hot chocolate, you can say “I’m doing it for my brain!”

Green tea is good for your brain. People who drink green tea regularly fare better mentally when it comes to aging. This is happy news for writers—especially if you’re the type who stays up into the wee hours working on a manuscript; your green tea can multitask by keeping you both awake AND young! Plus, moderate amounts of caffeine are said to boost concentration as long as you don’t overdo it.

There's lots more. Read full article here:  Brain Foods for Creative Writer

Reinforcing the message about the need for a quality book cover.

Those of you who have seen my workshops and presentations on publishing know I always show this slide:

It is important to not only choose a good title for your book, but to make sure your cover has clarity at thumbnail size.

An online colleague, Stephanie Chandler of Authority Publishing, went much further in explaining how a homemade cover can kill your book.  Click here to read her full article: http://authoritypublishing.com/book-publishing/how-a-homemade-cover-design-can-kill-your-self-published-book/

Ten recommended books for writers... Eleven if you count mine...

Thanks to the researchers at Online College Courses for these suggestions, extracted from their post: 
"50 Books That Will Make You a Better Writer."

Notable Writers (41 thru 50 on their list)

41. On Writing by Stephen King: The wildly popular horror master writes his autobiography with heavy emphasis on how literature and his struggles with substance abuse came to shape his career and personhood — for good and for ill.
    
42. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury: Ray Bradbury’s excellent essay series hemorrhages joy over the writerly arts, and he sincerely hoped they would come to inspire later generations to pick up their pens and express themselves.
    
43. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: Although I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings involves former Poet Laureate Maya Angelou’s memoirs rather than a reflection of her illustrious literary career, it does serve as an intimate, first-person glimpse at one way a writer’s soul might form.
    
44. The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers edited by Vendela Vida: Everything readers want to know about this book can be found right there in the title. The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers comes packed with candid literary discussions by the illustrious likes of Haruki Murakami, Marjane Satrapi, Zadie Smith, Jonathan Lethem, Tom Stoppard, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers and plenty more.
    
45. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway: Writers in search of a little inspiration might want to follow some (but certainly not all) of Hemingway’s actions. Surrounding himself with a new environment, new experiences and some of the most creative people in the world at the time (Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and a whole host of others) opened himself to ideas that came to impact his legendary oeuvre.
    
46. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard: Anyone dismissing writing as an easy art would do well to pick up The Tinker at Pilgrim Creek author’s memoir. Here, she openly discusses the agony and the ecstasy of literary inspiration and perspiration.
    
47. Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster: Despite being published in 1972, this series of Cambridge University lectures by celebrated English author E.M. Forster drops some incredibly timeless, even fresh, advice bombs.
    
48. The Art of the Novel by Milan Kundera: The Art of the Novel serves as both a work of literary criticism and analysis and a self-reflective career memoir.
    
49. On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner: Writing and other creative pursuits offer up solace for anxieties big and small, an overwhelming, evocative and bittersweet sensation John Gardner relates with deep thought and emotion.
    
50. The King’s English by Kingsley Amis: Fans of rollicking semantics debates will enjoy this fun read by a British author who finds himself enchanted by American English.

_________________________________________________

Oh yes, and my book, which did not make this distinguished list:

Guest post: Penny Colman on organizing her new non-fiction release

Penny Colman is author of the new book released today, May 20, 2011, published by Henry Holt and Co.

 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship That Changed the World

AMAZON LINK

I asked Penny to share her thoughts with Release Your Writing blog readers on how she managed to structure this complex story. Penny's response...


I’ve had the feeling before upon signing a book contract, but with this book—Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship That Changed the World—it was particularly intense.  What feeling, you ask?  Panic in concert with the words echoing in my brain:  “And what have I gotten myself into this time!?” 

Sure, I had tackled big topics before, including a history of burial, the true story of Thanksgiving, a collective biography of eight historic women with widely varying amounts of source material, and the story of Rosie the Riveter. But this book was to be a joint biography that spanned more than ninety years through the lens of a legendary friendship between two very different women that lasted fifty-one years and was at the center of a momentous social movement that is typically trivialized.

In May 1851 when they met, Elizabeth was thirty-five years old and Susan was thirty-one years old.  

Of course, I could have started the book at that point, but I was curious about the differences and similarities in how they grew up.  That curiosity certainly ratcheted up my writerly anxieties about how to structure the telling of these separate stories. I spent weeks working through this decision. 

1. I taped long sheets of paper on a wall and made parallel timelines from their births to their first meeting.  
2. I used Post-it Notes so that I could easily add or remove items, as I tried to discern a structure.  
3. Then, one day, I saw it--four time periods that encompassed significant events in both their lives: 1815-1832; 1833-1839; 1840-1847; 1848-1850.  Eureka! 

With that insight I was able to organize their early years into eight alternating chapters that focused on one and then the other. Here are the title and subtitle of the first two chapters in Part I: 

“Ah, You Should Have Been a Boy!”

 ELIZABETH CADY: 1815-1832
"An Affectionate Family” SUSAN B. ANTHONY: 1820-1832

Part II covers the years from their meeting through the Civil War. The story of what Elizabeth called the “dark hour of woman’s struggle” appears in Part III. Their final years, in which they go from ridicule to reverence, ostracism to embrace, are examined in Part IV. 

With my structure in place, I set off to write a book that brought Elizabeth and Susan to life for me, and, of course, I hope for everyone who reads Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship That Changed the World.

 

What came before the internet, ebooks, and tablet computers?

While ebooks have been around for a long time, it's only the launch of the iPhone and iPad plus ebook readers like Kindle, Nook and Sony that have created the market that now spends about $90 million per month on ebooks. (pw.org). "For the first two months of 2011, e-book sales were up 169.4%, to $164.1 million, equalling the sales of trade paperbacks for the two-month period; trade paperback sales were down 22.5% for the two months at the 19 reporting publishers." [source pw.org].

But what came before? Today's guest post from Online Colleges takes us back to the original 'technologies' used in the act of reading: From the stylus to moveable type - enjoy this compendium of literature's long history. Who could predict it would end up in a multi-billion dollar digitial industry?

Read full story here: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/05/02/10-technologies-that-changed-literature-forever/

Guest Post by Online Colleges

Writing with a non de plume: What's in a name?

The folks at Writer's Relief have put together a good article on the pros and cons of writing under an assumed name.
I generally advise against it today, because of the online marketing needed for visibility. It seems doubly complex with needing two email addresses, business cards, a different blog identity,and so on.  Read the full article here.

As the article states:

The minute you decide to take on a nom de plume, be prepared to stick to that name in your correspondence and at writers’ conferences and book signings. You want people to associate that name with you, not give them a slew of different names to remember.

Hint: If you do choose to go with a pen name, choose a name that’s not too generic or linked to someone else. Try an online search of your prospective name to see what comes up.

Thanks to Ronnie at Writer's Relief.

Guest post: Writing Rituals of Acclaimed Authors

As we enter cold and flu season, take to your bed if you feel ill, but don't stop writing.

Did you know T.S. Eliot practically welcomed a cold? He found that writing while so afflicted greatly helped him concoct unique, gruff voices either for different characters or in the creation of harsher scenes.



 
That's less harmful than Honore De Balzac's writing motivation: "To keep writing, he drank from 50 to 300 cups of coffee per day. Balzac infamously died of health problems related to caffeine poisoning... Turkish and Parisian blends particularly piqued his fancy, providing him with enough fuel to keep him writing throughout the evening and on into the night."



 Perhaps Philip Roth's methods [and I note he is still living] are a better model to follow:
"Philip Roth — much like Vladimir Nabokov — prefers this physical calibration when writing. In addition to this healthy habit, he also pushes himself to walk half a mile for every page he completes. Despite age starting to plague his body, Roth continues this ritual to benefit both body and mind. As with Haruki Murakami, he believes that clarity and creativity come when all facets of a person operate in peak condition.

Toni Morrison rose before dawn to write her way into the day, and Gertrude Stein used her car as her personal space to invoke creativity for writing poetry.




These whimsical author writing rituals, and over a dozen more come to us courtesy of a colleague, who wishes to remain unlinked.

Guest post: 15 Funniest Writers of All Time: Part 2 of 2

Here is Part 2 of ...

The 15 Funniest Writers of All Time:




9. Terry Pratchett: What Douglas Adams did to (and for) science-fiction, Terry Pratchett did for fantasy. The highly immersive, engaging and absolutely hysterical Discworld series turns all the familiar elements of the genre upside-down, inside-out and probably some directions that have yet to be invented. Running amongst the eponymous land (which rests upon the back of four elephants, who in turn balance themselves upon a giant tortoise) with some of literature’s most memorable and absurd characters.

10. Amy Sedaris: Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello, both of whom could have easily forged a spot for themselves on this list, teamed up with this amazingly funny lady for the after school special send-up Strangers with Candy. They also collaborated on a novel, Wigfield, about a small, fictional town cowering in fear over the announcement that a nearby dam is scheduled for demolition. But her deliciously twisted literary career extends beyond that particular team effort. Sedaris once penned the hilarious "Sedaritives" advice column for The Believer, continuing the subversive, politically correct spirit of her television show. For crafty types looking to add a lot of cheek (and more than a bit of naughtiness) to their projects, I Like You and Simple Times make for required reads.

11. David Sedaris: His charming essays about dysfunctional family life and periods of self-doubt and self-delusion charm audiences who see a little bit of themselves in his work. David Sedaris specializes in wonderfully self-deprecating essay collections, with Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day standing out as two of the more popular. NPR listeners catch him as a frequent This American Life guest, where he ruminates on many of the same subjects found in his books — expatriate life in Paris, homosexuality, drugs, odd jobs, family, mistakes and plenty more. Along with blisteringly brilliant sister Amy, they’ve written a few plays under the banner of "The Talent Family."

12. Jonathan Swift: When Ireland faced a nasty famine thanks to British meddling, Jonathan Swift’s suggestion poked the perpetrators by snidely suggesting his people nosh on babies for sustenance. "A Modest Proposal" stands as one of the finest examples of English-language satire ever published — a must-read for anyone searching for a few yuks that transcend time periods. The sprawling epic Gulliver’s Travels also continuously attracts fans in the modern age, painting English society in an escalating series of absurd, thoroughly delightful adventures. Though published in 1726 and altered in 1735, many of the classic’s themes and razor-sharp observations on human behaviors resonate loud and clear even today.

13. Mark Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens — better known by his pen name — possessed a legendary wit that served him quite well in his writing career. His short stories and novels especially exhibit his flair for equal parts whimsy and wryness. Most literary aficionados consider "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" his first notable publication and an essential example of Twain’s heavily celebrated humor. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, an undeniable classic of American literature, blends comedic elements with action, absurdity and a relatable depiction and celebration of youthful imagination. However, his talents extended far beyond his more playful prose. Many also forget that Twain could fire off acidic, sarcastic barbs of comedy gold just as well as he could more lighthearted fare.

14. Sarah Vowell: Like David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell’s appeal comes from her wry, intellectual recounting of life’s little weirdisms. Everything from visiting famous presidential assassination sites to her obsession with The Godfather yields plenty of amusing anecdotes. An unapologetic history buff, readers fascinated with learning about some of the stranger corners to be found in the country will certainly find Vowell’s short stories and essays both delightful and informative. But, as with Sedaris as well, her most poignant works revolve around her family, most especially the interesting relationship with her father. The pair stand diametrically opposed when it comes to religious and political topics, and tales culled from the Take the Cannoli collection wring humor and pathos from the strain. Some may nod their heads and chuckle accordingly as she comes to terms with her American identity in the funny, highly provocative The Partly Cloudy Patriot as well.

15. Kurt Vonnegut: Even the most ardent detractor of the science-fiction genre can likely appreciate this author’s famously sharp observations about pretty much everything. Considered one of the most influential English-language writers in existence, enduring classics such as Player Piano, Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat’s Cradle boil over with pitch-black satires of religion, politics, society and plenty more. He dissects preconceived notions, ideas and practices about the world and challenges readers’ assumptions about the nature of all that surrounds them. And all throughout his impressive oeuvre, Vonnegut infused the narrative with a humanistic spirit that undercuts some of the overarching darkness.

Part 1 is here. http://releaseyourwriting.blogspot.com/2010/12/guest-post-15-funniest-writers-of-all.html

Grateful for this guest post.courtesy from Jasmine Hall of onlineclasses.org for this two-part guest post.

Guest post: 15 Funniest Writers of All Time: Part 1 of 2

I get a break for holiday shopping and family visits, courtesy of guest post.courtesy from Jasmine Hall of onlineclasses.org
This list of 15 writers is so good I'll split it over two weeks.

What does it take to be a funny writer? Read here and learn

The 15 Funniest Writers of All Time:

Part 1
Everyone needs to laugh. It’s pretty much the only thing that separates most people from fully succumbing to the overwhelming tragedy of it all. From the lowliest college student to the stuffiest, wealthiest CEO to the spacey young clerk at the local record store with an ironic moustache and creepy preoccupation with female bassists, we all need a chuckle now and then. Fortunately, all media lends itself to the distribution of yuks. Since reading is fundamental, this list focuses on the funny as it is written rather than as it is told in song, dance and on television.

As with all things creative, comedy comes burdened with a hefty load of subjectivity. What one finds riotously knee-slapping, another will scoff or take offense. So read this list as such rather than something definitive and solid. Anyone who grows irritated over omissions or inclusions should probably just step away from the internet for a while and reassess a priority or two. Follow an adaptation of the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 mantra – "It’s just an article. I should really just relax."

1. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series remains a classic of both science-fiction and comedy, with the initial radio series spawning five novels by Adams (and one by Eoin Colfer), a miniseries, stage shows, a computer game, comic books and a feature-length film. Even beyond that, though, he wrote a plethora of other essays and novels, with the Dirk Gently series comprising one of his more famous humorous contributions following the Hitchhiker’s juggernaut. With considerable cheek, wit and irreverence, he relentlessly prodded politics, religion and society, creating some delightfully absurd and memorable characters, situations and descriptions along the way.
   
   
2. Woody Allen: Though known primarily as an influential, if not outright legendary, filmmaker, plenty of Allen’s short stories and essays stand up as some of his most essential works. "The Whore of Mensa" highlights many of his strengths as a writer and comedian. His familiarity with genre literature and films allows him to play with — if not outright subvert — the associated cliches and tropes. The descriptions and dialogue alike crackle with wry, dry delivery spiked with a tinge of neurotic tension, made especially apparent in the sample readings available on his website.
   
   
3. Jane Austen: Contemporary audiences thrill to Jane Austen’s Regency romances, proclaiming them ever so sigh-worthy and clamoring to find Mr. Darceys of their very own. This mindset, unfortunately, entirely precludes the author’s status as one of the sharpest satirists to ever write in English. Beloved classics Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility all humorously pick apart English society, particularly the upper classes, and romances in a way that appears perfectly straightforward on the surface. Understandably, when the books have been completely and progressively further removed from their initial context, it is difficult for most first-time readers to pick up on their abject hilarity.
   
   
4. Michael Ian Black: The State and Stella alum’s bizarre, surreal humor doesn’t appeal to every audience, but his blog and essay collection My Custom Van elicit liberal laughs from the people who find such things appealing. Best described as whip-smart dumb comedy, he gleefully parodies the raunchy observations of his "edgy" mainstream contemporaries — when he isn’t penning some of the silliest, most absurd prose this side of Monty Python, anyways. For fans who enjoy their Cracked splashed with few shots of McSweeney’s, Black is definitely a writer who needs to be read to be believed.
   
   
5. Margaret Cho: Even factoring her stand-up and performance art out of the equation, Margaret Cho is a formidable comedienne. At a time when women receive wrong-headed dismissal regarding their capacity for humor, she challenges popular assumptions with acidic takes on gender, sex and sexuality, race, politics, body image, substance abuse and more. All of Cho’s works — comedic or not — provoke viewers and readers into thinking about serious issues, most especially her memoir I’m the One that I Want and the politically-charged I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight. Neither book is intended to be read as comedy, but her blog certainly delivers a regular dose of both humor and insight.
   
   
6. Warren Ellis: Comic books comprise most of Warren Ellis’ literary output, with Transmetropolitan and Nextwave standing out as the most kinetic and gut-busting of the lot. Frenetic silliness characterizes his more hilarious offerings, with his only novel (as of now) toning it down slightly. Crooked Little Vein injects the writer’s fondness for bizarre, obscure sexual practices into a twisting, deconstructed noir narrative that easily equals his transhumanist and superheroic graphic fare. Even those who have yet to pick up any of Ellis’ printed works still pop over to his blog and Twitter feed for boozy, hyperactive good times.
   
   
7. Sandra Hill: She writes romance novels involving time-traveling Vikings.
   
   
8. Christopher Moore: Moore’s books overflow with humor, all of them his love of parody and deconstruction. As of this article’s publication, he has released eleven novels, most notably Lamb, You Suck, Fool and A Dirty Job. Like a hybrid of Terry Pratchett and his hero Kurt Vonnegut, he blends fantasy and humanism into such diverse narratives as a hitherto-unknown disciple dishing on Christ’s childhood and an everyman thrust into a career dealing in souls. At least three of his books have landed on bestseller lists, too — certainly a not-insignificant accomplishment.
   
   Part 2 next week, and thanks again to guest post from Jasmine Hall of onlineclasses.org
   

Would CostCo want to carry your book?

Many of you know, I support groups that support writers. In one of my valued online groups, SPAWN.org, I learned of one person's experience with Costco. His story is so exciting, I commandeered it, with his permission, as a guest post here.

"A couple of months ago, while flipping through the Costco Connection magazine, I noticed a monthly column called Member Connection, where they profile Costco members who have interesting stories or events to tell about.

What caught my eye is that one of the three profiles on this page was of a woman who had written a book. They had a picture of her holding up her book (which was not available at Costco) along with a couple of paragraphs (one third of a page) about how she came to write it.

So, I sat down and emailed Costco Connection a brief version of my press kit, explaining that I had written a book and why it might interest Costco members. That was in August.

A couple of days ago, I got an email from a Costco Connection reporter who informed me that they liked my story and wanted to include me in the column in the February issue. We did a telephone interview yesterday, and I emailed some photos for them to choose from.

Good news all by itself, and I was thrilled. But, here's the exciting part... I decided, a few hours before the interview, to email the reporter a pdf copy of my book, "in case you might find it useful" for interview prep."

When he called to conduct the interview, he was effusive about how much he loved the book, and asked if I would mind if he passed it on to the Costco book buyer.  I, of course, said I would be most grateful for that, and mailed a couple of paperback copies for him to pass on and one to keep for himself.

Now, I realize that getting your book onto a Costco table is about as easy as getting it on Oprah, and I don't hold out much hope that it will actually happen. But, I do know that someone in the book buying office will read it, and it won't end up in that roomful of 100,000 books that never got opened.

And, at the very least, Costco members nationwide, and possibly in Canada and the UK, will be exposed to a couple of paragraphs about my book. I could not have purchased that kind of press.

If you have a note, photo or story to share about Costco or Costco members,  email it to connection@costco.com with "The Member Connection" in the subject line or send it to "The Member Connection," The Costco Connection, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124. Submissions cannot be acknowledged or returned."

Thanks to David Perkins for allowing me to share his success story with Release Your Writing blog fans.
Learn more about David and his book Dear Austin: A Letter To My Son, at http://www.davidmperkins.com and http://www.davidmperkins.com/amazon.

 And as for supporting groups who support writers, I think you'll agree my SPAWN membership was worth a full year's dues for this one tip alone.

Write on,
Helen Gallagher

Self-publishing increases 188 percent in 2009...

Something to celebrate in this guest post by Stephanie Chandler:

Bowker recently released a new publishing industry report revealing trends in traditional and self-publishing. The report shows that traditional publishers released an estimated 288,355 book titles in 2009, down by 1/2% from 2008. Yet, non-traditional book titles, including print-on-demand and other self-publishing methods, increased a whopping 188% over 2008 with 764,448 new titles released. Yowza!

It is also interesting to note that for the first time ever, over 1,000,000 new book titles were produced in 2009.

What does all of this mean for authors? There is no denying the trend toward self-publishing (or self-publishing assistance by custom publishers). Traditional publishing channels are flat and failed to grow in 2009, which is likely due to the challenged economy.

It is also clear that the competition is increasing. With more than 1 million titles per year vying for the attention (and wallets) of readers, it's more important than ever that authors make sure to produce titles that stand out against the competition. If you self-publish, avoid cutting corners! Make sure your book is edited along with a professional cover design and all the elements one would expect from a traditionally published book.

And keep in mind that author marketing is more important than ever. Keep the wheels in motion and remember that it is a marathon, not a race. Marketing should be a daily activity that authors engage in to stay competitive.

What do you think about all of this?
By Stephanie Chandler, Author, Speaker, CEO of Authority Publishing & BusinessInfoGuide.com, Focus: Internet Marketing, Publishing, Small Biz

Guest post guidelines

If you're interested in sharing a guest post at Release Your Writing, here are our easy guidelines:

1. entry should be between 200 and 400 words.
2. photo of guest author is permitted
3. topic should be relevant to writing: wanting to be a writer, how blogs make writing easier, the dream of writing a best-seller, etc.

The entry should be sent to me for approval and posting. If it all looks good, it will be posted immediately and kept on the site at least one-year.

Thanks for your interest in Release Your Writing.