The goblins have been having a great time with our website, we apologize for any inconvenience during September. Our new site will be better than ever, you can check it out at:
www.allbooksreviewint.com but remember it is only in the infant stages right now.
Nominate us for a listing in Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Sites of The Year. Please send your nomination, along with our webname Allbooks Review and our URL www.allbookreviews.com
to: writersdig@fwpubs.com Subject “101 Sites”.
Thank you for all of your support.
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ALLBOOKS REVIEW IS NOW ON iFOGO. Be sure and join the Albooks Review Author’s Group where we can share our success and our mistakes. Also join iFogo and get www.booksonfilm.com. Great promo for a great price, post audio, book trailers, contact with agents and producers and much more. Be sure and let them know Allbooks Review sent you and join our group.
http://ifogo.com/buy/order_abr.html USE THIS LINK TO JOIN TODAY
Submissions Wanted:
Swyers Publishing Poetry Anthology Volume One: Making Waves
by Pamela Swyers on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 7:14pm
Just wanted to take a moment to explain a bit about our upcoming Poetry Anthology “Making Waves”. As a small, independent publisher, Bill and I wanted to find a way to help young up and coming artists (poets specifically) get their work into print. Having walked the long, and often arduous road of getting something published, we feel the pain of those who want to see something they have written in printed form. I have been blessed to cross tracks with several young and amazingly talented writers and poets, and thought by donating some man-hours (and woman hours) and fronting the cost to get the anthology up and out there, the young poet could finally have a way to send someone to a place where they could purchase a poetry anthology that contained their works.
What’s in it for us? We get the pleasure of helping out talented young poets and we make a small bit of money off each book sold on-line through Amazon or Smashwords, to help us recoup our costs.
What’s in it for the poet? They may purchase (at our cost to produce, plus shipping) as many copies as they like directly from us, then re-sell these and make money off of them and/or they can send others to our site, Amazon or Smashwords to purchase as many copies as they would like. They have a printed, professional collection of poetry works to share and sell.
How does it work? We are currently searching for the best of the best from young, aspiring poets.(Okay, they can be “young at heart” as well.) By going to SwyersPublishing.com, anyone can submit their poetry (up to 5 per person) for consideration in the anthology. Go to “authors and projects” tab. Then go to “poetry project” tab. You will be asked to view the rules and guidelines and then to electronically submit your poem. ALL entries will be viewed and serioulsy considered for inclusion, however, it is ultimately up to our discretion on which ones we feel are the right ones to be included. (It is possible that yours may not be chosen this time, but may be chosen for Volume Two at a later date.) The poets will be contacted and informed as to whether or not their poem(s) has been chosen for inclusion by February, 2011 (at the latest). Chosen poets will be posted on the website. The anthology is set to be printed in the Spring of 2011, and the deadline for submissions is December 31st, 2010. Poets retain the rights to their works, so they can print or sell them elsewhere at any time. (We have non-exclusive rights to publish this once.)
The website is www.swyerspublishing.com
MINOTAUR BOOKS FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST
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DEADLINE: November 13, 2010
GENRE: Books
OPEN TO: any writer, regardless of nationality, who has never been the author of a published novel. Self-published writers may
enter, as long as the entry has not itself been self-published.DETAILS: Submit previously unpublished works of book length (no
less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words).
PRIZE: $10,000 advance and a publishing contract from Minotaur Books.
Science Articles Wanted
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Cosmos, the Australian science magazine, is open to submissions. Cosmos is largely interested in ideas, particularly those that
involve, or are driven by, science and technology. Payment for features ranges from A$900 to a maximum of A$3,000. View PDF for full guidelines.
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/pdf/Cosmos_writers_guidelines.pdf
FEATURE
FEATURE: Virtual Book Tours: A Five Step Planning Process
=================================================================
By Mohamed Mughal
I participated in an international virtual book tour the third week of March 2010. The tour focused on my debut novel and on my
overall approach to writing. I had stops in Berlin, Germany; London, England; and Washington, D.C. This being my first virtual
book tour, I didn’t quite know how to plan the event. I took a deep breath, I planned what I thought made sense and then I took a
head-first dive into the deep end.
Guess what? It was great!
Not only did I have the privilege of direct interactions with readers world-wide, but the depth, complexity, relevance and humor
of the questions contributed to a number of compelling personal and literary revelations.
Want to try it yourself? It’s not difficult. You can start by taking a look at the simple, five-step process that I used.
The Five Step Process
———————
Steps 1 through 4 happen before the tour. These steps don’t necessarily follow a strict sequence of one-after-another. Expect some overlap in the execution of them. Step 5 happens after the tour.
Step 1
——
Do web searches for literature blogs, particularly those who focus on your genre. Contact as many as possible and briefly explain who you are, what you wrote and why they should be open to hosting you for a virtual book tour.
Being a Maryland-based writer, I’m a member of our state’s writers’ association. I went to that organization’s website and contacted fellow members who maintain literary blogs. One of my blog hosts came from these contacts. I found another of my hosts through a web search on the terms “literary blogs” and “book blogs.” I found my third host by searching for writers with similar demographics as mine. Be persistent. I contacted three dozen blogs before finding three willing to host my virtual book tour.
Step 2
——
Once you’ve gotten commitments from the number and the type of blogs that you want on your tour (I wanted three literary blogs),confirm tour dates with each host.
In addition to setting dates for the tour, this message tells hosts to expect a prewritten tour announcement by a specific date;it reinforces the mechanics of the tour; and it informs the hosts of upcoming press releases.
Step 3
——
Pre-plan the mechanics of the tour and share this plan with each of your hosts. Have your hosts share this information with their blog’s readers prior to the tour.
For my event, readers from each blog could ask up to three questions about my writing and/or book. I developed and posted my answers in about a day. To increase participation and interest, I gave a free signed copy of the novel to the first person to post a question at each blog. I made sure that I included information on the giveaway in all my press releases and in all announcements that I posted to my web-site and to other social media sites.
I also wanted to make sure that the information that my hosts distributed to their readership was consistent and cross-linked.
Providing this information and text to your hosts makes it easier on them. All they need to do is cut and paste the content into a post on their blogs. Doing this also allows you to maintain control over the mechanics of the tour while shaping its overall message. Insert links to useful background information such as book reviews and author interviews. Create an integrated set of tour segments from one blog to another by having each host post clickable links from their blog to each of the other participating blogs.
Step 4
——
Issue a series of press releases to publicize the tour.
You can issue these releases through a press release service, your website, local newspapers and through any other social media that you participate in such as Facebook and Twitter. The idea is to drive as much traffic as possible to the host blogs and to make for a better attended virtual event.
I planned a series of four press releases. I issued the first a month before the tour, the second about three weeks before, the third about a week before and the last one on the day before the tour. Here’s sample text from one of the press releases:
Virtual Book Tour Puts God on Trial
American literary cubist Mohamed Mughal will participate in an international virtual book tour for his novel, Resolution 786,in March 2010. The novel’s plot includes a trial of God for crimes against humanity.
The tour has stops in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The following blogs are hosting the tour:
21-23 March 2010, ………………………………….etc.
You get the idea. In snappy, easy language, tell them who, what, where, when and why. Make sure you throw in personal interest material, background information that you think and feel will resonate with the types of people who might read your books. If at all possible, include clickable links in the press release. Make it as easy as possible for potential participants to get to where you want them, posting questions and comments at your host blogs during the dates of the tour. Finally, think hard about the titles of your press releases. You want titles that are accurate, relevant and as compelling as possible.
Step 5
——
Once the tour is done, post clickable links to each host’s Q&A segments on your website and on all social media sites in which you participate.
In addition to my web-site’s blog, I posted my virtual book tour’s links on Facebook, hubpages and squidoo.
Conclusion
———-
There’s an admitted simplicity and logic to the five-step process and to the implementing details associated with each step. The art and inspiration come with the personal nuances that you imbue into the mechanical process. Make it special. Make it you.
Would I do another virtual book tour? Absolutely! Done right, the process yields increased visibility to an author while increasing traffic for the host blogs. It’s an ideal venue through which to create and leave behind a long-lasting cyber-trail of information about your book, about your writing and about yourself. Most of all, a virtual book tour is a perfect vehicle through which to enjoy the benefits and revelations of a real-time, deep conversation with readers and literature enthusiasts the world over.
Mohamed Mughal writes in the schools of literary cubism and absurdism. Learn more at http://www.mohamedmughal.com.
Copyright (c) 2010 by Mohamed Mughal
Allbooks Review is happy to be a stop on your virtual tour, just contact us.
We love to hear of your success stories, submit them to us at: allbookreviews@aol.com
Remember to post your book signing, guest speaker events on our Bookstore page. Simply send us an email with details of your events and we will be happy to post them. Just part of the Allbooks service to our authors.
Congratulations to:
Congrats to our Managing Editor, Shirley A. Roe on the release of Snow Eagle
Available on Amazon.com in print and kindle, ebooks at: www.theebooksale.com
Conversations with Jerry and Other People I Thought Were Dead won the silver medal in the 2010 IP Death and Dying Category, and was a Finalist in the 2010 Indie Excellence Awards.
Irene
Allbooks Reviews INTERVIEW:
Please state your name and location.
N. E. (Ed) Walker, Tampa, Florida, US
Tell us the title and publisher of your book:
Nexus, self-published ebook
Tell us about yourself:
I’m president of Design/Analysis Consultants, Inc., a small firm specializing in the creation of highly reliable electronic products. Because of my affinity for science and engineering, I’ve always loved good science fiction, but for some unknown reason I enjoy speculative fiction (science fiction without the rocket ships and futuristic gizmos) even more, particularly stories with offbeat psychological themes.
I’ve been writing non-fiction for over twenty years, primarily newsletters and one published technical book that has done well. I became serious about fiction approximately ten years ago, but on a part-time basis because of the demands of my career. Nexus is the first completed novel.
When was the book released?
July, 2010
Give us an overview of your book.
I don’t think I can beat the Allbooks review by Cindy Taylor
What inspired you to write this book?
I enjoy writing, plus had a desire to write the type of book that I like to read that seems to be harder to find these days; i.e., one without the boring and predictable car chases, fist fights, and gratuitous vulgarities.
How is your book different from other books in this genre?
Other than being somewhat retro as mentioned above, it’s a character-focused mixed-genre blend of mainstream and speculative fiction.
Where can people buy your book?
Nexus is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-ebook/dp/B003S3S0CQ
Are you working on another book? If so when do you expect it to be published?
Yes, Purgatory, which is also a mix of mainstream/SF, scheduled for mid-late 2011. Purgatory examines a self-centered protagonist who, as a result of the terrifying side-effects of a serious injury, is forced to review the effects of his past actions from his family’s perspective. A brief excerpt from Chapter 1 of the draft:
Bathed in a suffocating warmth, I eventually became aware of the faintest glow, eking its way through my translucent covering. The outline of a large ragged hole floated before me, ink black centered in the darkest gray. Its top was flattened against a charcoal ceiling; its rounded bottom connected to a coarse and dusky wall that dropped down into the depths.
Where was I?
This idle curiosity suddenly exploded, blowing away my calm detachment, as the horror of my situation plugged itself into my brain. My erupting screams were throttled into a dreadful moaning by my constricted throat, muffled further by the pungent fabric that smothered my face, and I writhed fiercely, trying to break myself free. Swaying as if on a tether, I realized that I was head down, wrapped and hung like a specimen in an insane collection.
If you self published, what advice can you give to fellow writers?
Before you do, be sure to spend the time and effort to be very sure that your work is very polished and marketable. If you think you’re at that point, an Allbooks review would be a good way to obtain professional and unbiased feedback. If the feedback indicates that you’re not quite there, then obtaining their professional editing services would be a good next step.
If published traditionally, tell us how you benefited:
Can you share one of your marketing successes with us?
How did you find Allbooks Reviews and what are you hoping for in your relationship with us?
I was seeking a professional editor’s opinion, and found Allbooks on the web. From reading several of their reviews, I could tell that they would provide the sort of straight talk that I was looking for, and that criticisms would be balanced and constructive.
Was the low cost a surprise? What other things would you like Allbooks Reviews to offer writers?
Thank you for this interview and best of luck with your book.
www.allbookreviews.com
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