Carolyn Howard-Johnson

First, this book has clever and informative chapter titles, which I like. Chapter 1, chapter 2, and so on does nothing for me, so to speak. Second, it is motivational as well as instructional beginning with, "Just get over it." I apply that to everything about self-publishing and the online publishing world, especially marketing. Yes, we have to market our own books and on a shoestring, there is no better resource than this one book. If you can only purchase one self-marketing book, this is show more the one to buy.

I like Chapter One's title, "Excuse me! I have to do what!" That comment is exactly what the senior writers I volunteer to help self-publish say. Or they say they won't market! I have heard even if you get a "real publisher" they do help market for a few months only, and then you are on your own. Every author could benefit from the helpful tips in this book.

Big worries are addressed by number, and yes, people have a number of these worries. Plagiarism worries? Copyright worries? "I'm not enough" worries? Worries, worries? The answers are here to both reassure and also to inform. Knowing what's what is so important. It is the not knowing that creates anxiety.

What is branding? Platforms? Public Relations? Publicity? Budget? All of these topics are explained and addressed. Resources in the form of online links are provided. Warnings and advice are given to let the reader make his or her own decisions. If you wonder about what a publicist does, for instance, this book tells you in plain English without techno-shop-talk.

There are commandments in this book such as, "Thou Should Not be Snooty." The author takes her own advice and speaks to you, not down to you, while you are reading. "Thou Shalt Evaluate" is another piece of advice to take to heart. One book will start a career for you if you listen to readers and consider any revisions that might need to be made.

Although publicity isn't really free, Howard-Johnson considers advertising to be a week partner. This is such an important topic it has its own chapter. And you will need pitches, so there are guidelines on the two types you need -- and how to craft them -- included.

"Pitching your readers is like sending them a love letter." Isn't that a nice way to think about this instead of being hesitant and unsure of what to do? The Media Kit is also an essential component of any author's arsenal, so how to write one and what to say are discussed, as well as pieces of the puzzle. Specific, practical help is given for that and blogging, query letters, and other aspects of the author kit. A sample media release and phone script are included with many other helpful tools.

Yes, you may have a publisher, but you are still going to be publicizing your own book in many ways. This book has the golden information you need. 5 Stars! show less

Carolyn Howard-Johnson has the ability to transform intensely personal experiences and emotions into poetry that belongs to all of us. She draws us in, embracing us with her words.

I love the theme of this collection. Carolyn looks at the broad scope of war, humanizing events, inviting us to see beyond political soundbites. We're not given a stream of violent words to spark graphic images. Her intent here is not to shock with trails of blood. Instead, we're shown what war looks like from a show more smaller standpoint; a child, a grandmother, a friend. We also see what compassion looks like, what real justice might feel like if we could learn to embrace our differences.

This is a beautiful collection of poems that can be read and reread many times over. show less

When I was approached to review this book on my blog, I warned the author that I have a strong resistance to Twitter. At various times, I’ve decided I would start tweeting, only to change my mind before I actually followed through. She was brave enough to want to know my reaction to the book, anyway.First, although the book is part of a series of books for retailers as indicated by the title, you don’t have to be a retailer to benefit from the information. Anyone who wants to promote a show more business, service, or product (such as a book) can learn to do it following this guide.Carolyn Howard-Johnson has written a number of how-to-do-it-frugally books for both retailers and authors, and she’s a pro at it. Her writing voice is friendly and conversational, and she explains each step of the process simply but thoroughly. I really appreciate that she not only tells the reader how to do something, but she also explains why it’s important.For example, in describing how to write a Twitter biography, she says:

YOUR TINY TWITTER BIOGRAPHY is the most important of your Tweeting tools because it is what you say in your biography that will have the greatest influence on Tweeters who are deciding whether to follow you. A bio should establish your credentials and make you and/or your store come alive for your homepage visitor.

The book is only 130 pages, but those pages are crammed full of step-by-step instructions and details. She suggests you go to twitter.com and actually take the actions rather than just reading her advice. I’m confident that if you did that as a beginner, you would be up and running on Twitter in no time. If you are experienced on Twitter, you’re bound to learn some new tips and tricks that you didn’t know before.The appendixes include samples of tweets, blog posts, and media releases as well as information about applications that can enhance your Twitter experience. A table of contents and an index make it easy to find specific information.If you want to get started on Twitter or use it more effectively, you will find Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers invaluable.Did this book convince me to get on Twitter? Well … no, it didn’t. However, if I ever decide to start tweeting, I will certainly use this guide to do it right! show less

For busy authors, this is a quick read that allows users to access the information they need in an organized manner. While some of the tips are fairly straight forward and common sense, there are others which are more innovative. I found several helpful tips that resulted in action items for me.