Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘Love Made of Heart’

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan teaches for Author Learning Center  -  free webinars for writers – tell your friends too!

Please register with https://www.authorlearningcenter.com

3 Top Tools for Editing Your Manuscript After You’ve Written Your First Draft  with Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Wed.,  April 10, 2013  at 10:30am Pacific Time / 1:30pm Eastern Time

Thurs., April 25, 2013  at 4:30pm Pacific Time /  7:30pm Eastern Time

Learn from Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan, one of the top 1% most endorsed editors on LinkedIn and author of a novel that is used in college composition classes, how to edit the first draft of your fiction (including novels for adults and young adults, children’s picture books), narrative nonfiction (i.e. memoirs, biographies) or prescriptive nonfiction (aka “how to”) :

• even if you are in a critique group or preparing to hire a book doctor/editor

• whether you are planning to pitch to agents and acquisition editors or be your own publisher

• and save money, avoid headaches

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Please register with https://www.authorlearningcenter.com

3 Steps to Building Your Fanbase While Writing Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book with Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Thurs., May 9, 2013  at 10:30am Pacific Time / 1:30pm Eastern Time

Tues., May 28, 2013  at 4:30pm Pacific Time /  7:30pm Eastern Time

Is your fiction or nonfiction project being turned down by agents or acquisition editors because you do not have a platform? Or, are you published and you want more readers? Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan will show you how to thrive in the publishing arena and have fun too. Platform made simple! By making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers (your fans)—who are likely to buy what you have to sell. Learn how to help your fans find you, before and after publication! From the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW.

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan cares about helping fiction and nonfiction writers build their platforms and work on their craft simultaneously with ease. She is one of the top 1% most endorsed editors on LinkedIn.

As the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (the workbook),  Love Made of Heart (the mother-daughter novel used in college composition classes), Answer Me Now  (the award-winning short play), and speeches advocating mental health and end violence against women and children, Coach Teresa says: “Wear the dual hats of writer and promoter; identify your themes and archetypes to structure your manuscript and create your platform-statement. Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.” http://writingcoachTeresa.com for Coach Teresa’s blog; see how she helps her clients.

Lists of Books Referenced in Teresa LeYung-Ryan’s & Mary E. Knippel’s “Be Your Own Editor” session at SFWC

Tool #1   Grounding Reader with the four Ws (Who? When? Where? What?) “What does Protagonist want?” (in prescriptive nonfiction “What does Reader need?”)

Tool #2   Hooking Reader from first page to last with core themes. 

Tool #3     In Fiction & Narrative Nonfiction (both genres are forms of  “story-telling”) — Who are your protagonist, antagonist(s), and other archetypes?

Fiction:

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Lost In Yonkers – a play by Neil Simon

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! children’s picture book by Frances Kawugawa

Love Made of Heart – mother-daughter novel by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Charlotte’s Web – a children’s classic by E. B. White

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever by Judith Marshall

Narrative Nonfiction:

Woven of Water by Luisa Adams

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The Secret Artist – Give Yourself Permission to Let Your Creativity Shine! by Mary E. Knippel

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston

Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother – anthology edited by Kate Farrell

If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland

A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me by Lynn Scott

A Dreamer’s Guide to Cities and Streams (poetry) by Joan Gelfand

Prescriptive Nonfiction:

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life – photo/gift book by Margie Yee Webb

Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message by Elisa Sasa Southard

My Dreams: A Simple Guide to Dream Interpretation by Angie Choi

Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know by Lori Hope

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW  by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master by Martha Alderson

TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How To Tap Memory and Write Your Story Capturing Character & Spirit by Lynn Cook Henriksen

Correct Me If I’m Wrong: Getting Your Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage Right!  by Arlene Miller

Social Media Just for Writers: The Best Online Marketing Tips for Selling Your Books by Frances Caballo

The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages: A Book Promotion Reference Guide for Authors and Small Press Publishers  by Christine Pinheiro  e-book published by http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net

How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen

The Power of Memoir by Linda Joy Myers

Marriage Meeting Starter Kit  by Marcia Naomi Berger

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach

The Secret Artist – Give Yourself Permission to Let Your Creativity Shine! by Mary E. Knippel

Also, please refer to the SFWC list of presenters

Mary E. Knippel & Teresa LeYung-Ryan teach 'Be Your Own Editor' at SFWC - photo by Margie Yee Webb

Free Webinars –   register with https://www.authorlearningcenter.com

3 Top Tools for Editing Your Manuscript After You’ve Written Your First Draft  with Coach Teresa

·         April 10, 2013  at 10:30am Pacific Time / 1:30pm Eastern Time

·         April 25, 2013  at 4:30pm Pacific Time /  7:30pm Eastern Time

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan cares about helping fiction and nonfiction writers build their platforms and work on their craft simultaneously with ease.  She says: “Wear the dual hats as promoter and writer and be happily published. Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

Coach Teresa’s Third Year Sponsoring “The Immigrant Experience” Writing Contest

I remember feeling hopeful when I entered the first five pages of my novel to the Jack London Writers Conference Writing Contest 1997 and the thrill when I heard my name announced as a winner. That recognition gave me confidence when I wrote query letters to literary agents. That manuscript became Love Made of Heart (published in October 2002).

So, when Bardi Rosman Koodrin (Literary Director of the Fine Arts Galleria at San Mateo County Fair) asked me to sponsor a writing contest, I had to say “Yes!”

Other sponsors said “Yes!” too.  For information about all the contests, please click on the headline below for my March 7, 2013 post:

Writing Contests – Novel, Memoir, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Story, Mystery, Essay, Poetry, Monologue, Children’s Novel, and More !

The deadline for all literary contests, including the NDNU scholarship opportunity as well as the two book cover art contests, is Monday April 1, 2013 at 5:00pm California time, no exceptions. $10 per entry.

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The Plot Whisperer aka The Plot Guru aka The Martha Alderson!

Book Launch PARTY

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Cheers to The Plot Whisperer aka The Plot Guru aka The Martha Alderson!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”   http://writingcoachteresa.com

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

As author of Love Made of Heart, creator of Love Made of Heart gift items and the Talking to My Dead Mom Monologues, Teresa encourages writers to speak out (in print) for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Give yourself a New Year gift.  Give a friend a New Year gift.

Even if you are employed, please take a look at the table of contents of What Color Is Your Parachute?  A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changers 2013 edition, published by Ten Speed Press.

This miraculous book is updated every year by Mr. Richard N. Bolles (I call him the Yoda for job seekers)

Coach Teresa says: “What Color Is Your Parachute? is for Writers and Artists”

Go to http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/  for resources and be inspired by Mr. Richard N. Bolles’s warm and engaging writing style.

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Mr. Richard Nelson Bolles loves to give us hope.

Other Books by Richard N. Bolles

The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When “There Are No Jobs” (2009)

How to Find Your Mission in Life (2005)

The Three Boxes of Life, and How to Get Out of Them: An Introduction to Life/Work Planning (1981)

Books by Richard Bolles with Co-authors

The Career Counselor’s Handbook (2007, Second edition)
(Howard Figler is co-author)

What Color Is Your Parachute? For Teens (2010)
(Carol Christen, with Jean M. Blomquist are co-authors)

What Color Is Your Parachute? For Retirement (2010)
(John E. Nelson is co-author)

Job-Hunting Online (2011)
(Mark Emery Bolles is co-author)

Job-Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped (2001, Second edition)
(Dale S. Brown is co-author)

Where Do I Go from Here with My Life? A systematic and practical workbook for counselors, instructors, and job club leaders. (1974; essentially out of print)
(The late John C. Crystal is co-author)

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Coach Teresa here . . .  Recently I found a treasure – a letter to me from Mr. Richard Nelson Bolles dated April 1, 1994!  That letter (along with current emails from the Yoda  for job seekers) has given me new inspiration in my own work.  Thank you, Mr. Bolles!

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I’ll be blogging about Rebecca Martin, Founder/CEO of Dear Jane Inc. soon !

http://dearjane.info

Dear Jane Inc.’s mission statement:   dear jane… is a comprehensive career advisement company dedicated to helping individuals and corporations meet their personal and financial goals in order to improve the overall quality of the global workforce.

By training, coaching and educating individual workers, as well as companies, dear jane… is committed to improving human welfare, values and dignity.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”   http://writingcoachteresa.com

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

As author of Love Made of Heart, creator of Love Made of Heart gift items and the Talking to My Dead Mom Monologues, Teresa encourages writers to speak out (in print) for those who cannot speak for themselves.

 Coach Teresa says: “Fortify Your Platform with New Tags for Your Books and All Your Writings.”

How do you attract new fans?  When your friends and colleagues brag about you?  Yes!   What else?  How do you help your prospective fans find you?  By making your name synonymous with the issues / themes / subject matter you write about?  Yes!!  After all, when folks need something, don’t they go to search engines and type keywords and key phrases (aka “tags”) to find what they need?  Those folks will find you through the tags associated with your name!

Here’s an excellent example — let’s look at author Wendy D. Walter and her tags.  Wendy writes fantasy / adventure stories for young adults / teens.  Her protagonist is fourteen-year-old Ambril Derwyn.

I hosted Wendy D. Walter (author of Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith) in a live-blog event on January 5, 2013.  Nineteen fans (old and new) showed up to greet her and cheer for her and to ask questions.

Thank you, Anne M. Beggs, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Christopher Wachlin, Deborah Taylor-French, Diane LeBow, Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, Eugenia Budman, Eve Visconti, Janine, Jean Morrow, Kate Farrell, LakshmiLove, Linda C. McCabe, Margie Yee Webb, Maria, Tera, Thonie Hevron, Yolande Barial, for participating on January 5th, 2013!

To see complete questions and answers and  comments from please click on: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/please-help-me-welcome-author-wendy-d-walter-to-this-live-blog-appearance/

To read my interview with Wendy, please click on:

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/coach-teresas-interview-questions-for-author-wendy-d-walter-ambrils-tale-the-return-of-the-dullaith/

Here are some tags associated with Wendy D. Walter’s writings

• Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith
• father’s death
• half-truth
• ancient Celtic magic and nature-based magic
• introverts
• Global Warming, rising seas, raging storms
• Utah in the middle of winter
• taking on the bullies
• fictional California town Trelawnyd
• fantasy stories
• monsters
• young adult Y/A
• secret warriors
• human morality

Thank you,Wendy, for having written a compelling story. What a page-turner!

Look for more “tags” in Wendy D. Walter‘s answers to the questions asked by fans:

“My all time favorite writer is Jane Austen. It’s been over 200 years since she was first published and her stories still enthrall me. From her books, I learned that the most important thing a writer can do is to make your readers care about what happens to your character and to never underestimate your reader.”

“I’m also a great admirer of Diana Wynne Jones, my favorite fantasy writer. She also never underestimated her readers and gave us incredibly intricate and original stories. Her books are often funny as well!”

“And that is why Ambril’s Tail has a very robust plot, with lots of twists and turns and strives to be humorous as often as possible!”

“Some of my characters are right out of my imagination, but some of them have roots in mythology. The Aunties, for instance, are the seers of the story, who share one pair of glasses. Perseus runs into three crones who share one eye and a tooth in one of his adventures, but groupings of three witches/hags/seers appear in all sorts of ancient Nordic and Germanic stories as well!”

“The Cerberus, the guardians of the underworld, is one of my favorite Greek legends.”

“I’m not sure why this is, but if you take a simple bullying exchange off the playground in our world and give the characters fangs and fairy wings, the issue becomes much clearer. In fantasy, we get a bit heavy handed at times and tend to make our bullies actual monsters (it’s more fun that way). Also, as bullying is an obvious abuse of power, it works well within worlds where it’s clear who the good and bad guys are, at least most of the time! Check out the Q & A Teresa posted on this blog for more on bullying: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/coach-teresas-interview-questions-for-author-wendy-d-walter-ambrils-tale-the-return-of-the-dullaith/  Bullying appears to be a behavior that some mistake for strength, particularly the immature (of all ages).”

“And there is a great male main character called Ygg. My beta readers all chose him as their favorite character!”

“Ambril’s Tale is for the 10-14 marketplace, just right for middle schoolers!”

Get your copy of Wendy D. Walter's book or ask your library to carry it!

Where to Find the book Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith:

http://www.amazon.com/Ambrils-Tale-Return-Dullaith-ebook/dp/B008EALE3A/

Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith at Barnes and Noble

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174750

“Book 2, Ambril’s Tale, Riding the Cursed Shoots, is coming out in March, 2013!”

Cheers to Wendy D. Walter, protagonist Ambril and everyone she cares about!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”
http://writingcoachteresa.com

As author of Love Made of Heart, creator of Love Made of Heart gift items and the “Talking to My Dead Mom Monologues,” Teresa encourages writers to speak out (in print) for those who cannot speak for themselves.

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

Thanksgiving Day for me (Coach Teresa) marks the beginning of “the season for wonderment.”  I especially like this time of year – rainy days; pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies; leaves turning yellow, orange, red; cards from friends; more rain.

It’s also bittersweet – the ending of a year; what projects didn’t get done?

It’s also extremely sad – people we care about getting sick, suffering, dying.

As I give thanks to every living being who has helped me come this far in life, I give thanks to every angel who has inspired me to find joy in work.

This year, I am extremely sad for these heroes who have suffered and died. These dear hearts are: Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Jacquelyn Amira Hayes, Dr. Pamela Rogers, Miriam May Meyer Pollock, and Lori Hope.  Thank you, Kathi, Amira, Pamela, Miriam, and Lori, for all that you did to help people and for the legacies you leave behind.

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Did you know that the City of San Francisco had declared Nov. 8, 2008 as "Kathi Kamen Goldmark Day"? That same day, Kathi received the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) Award.

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On her facebook profile, beautiful Amira Hayes's response to "Religious Views" was: "Love"

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Vibrant Dr. Pamela D. Rogers helped women understand and enjoy their own sexuality

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A smile from Miriam Pollock would make one's whole day bright.

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Author Lori Hope would ask: "What do you say to someone with cancer — how do you show how much you care?"

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Two other beautiful hearts have left for their next journeys – my husband’s cousin Sue and twenty-three year old Leah.

I miss you all so much; and, I am so sad for your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As author of Love Made of Heart, creator of Love Made of Heart gift items and the “Talking to My Dead Mom Monologues,” Teresa encourages writers to speak out (in print) for those who cannot speak for themselves.

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

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Do you know anyone ages 13-21 in Sacramento County, CA who likes to make movies?  Videographers called to create videos addressing mental illness stigma and discrimination–entries due December 21, 2012.

Press release:   Video Contest for Mental Health Stigma – Entries Due December 21, 2012

Love Made of Heart (mother-daughter love story) by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

(Clicking on underscored text in this post will open a new window to get to referenced site.)

Meet Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Book Marketing Coach!

1. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your background in the industry?
My name is Teresa LeYung-Ryan and my clients call me Writing-and-Platform-Building Coach Teresa. I wish to thank Christy Pinheiro-Silva of www.StepByStepSelfPublishing.net for this interview, and, I encourage everyone to look for the core messages in my responses—which are:  Reach out, not stress out, to material your dreams;  and, wear your two hats as a writer and be happy (whether you’re writing fiction, narrative nonfiction, or prescription nonfiction also known as “how to” books/articles).

This is what happened to me, over ten years ago, and the choices I’ve made.

I had a dream—a dream of connecting with readers the way Maxine Hong Kingston touched me with her memoir The Woman Warrior.  My writer’s journey started with learning the components of a story in a ten-week course Writing Children’s Literature at the community center and forming a critique group with three classmates after the course ended.

Fast forward.  After seven years of writing and rewriting, showing up at critique meetings twice a month,  I received a gift from a friend—a brochure for the Jack London Writers’ Conference with an entry form for their writing contest.   Two months later, at the conference, I met members from California Writers’ Club and I received “Second Prize” in the Novel Category in the writing contest. I thought that by being a winner in a contest, surely I would attract mentors and be “discovered” by an agent the following week.  (Are you laughing?)

Fast forward.  After sending query letters and the first two chapters of my novel to dozens of agents over a year, and, receiving “rejection letters” and getting very depressed, I took a friend’s advice and registered for a workshop “How to Get Published.” Also, I got together with two other contest-winners (Luisa Adams and Martha Alderson) and we pledged to help each other on our writers’ journeys.

I took a six-week leave of absence from my job to perform the last big rewrite of my manuscript.  (Note: Surround yourself with people who really support your dreams. My husband and my friends were cheering for me.)

Fast forward.  My first novel Love Made of Heart (a mother-daughter love story) is used in college composition classes; available at public libraries; recommended by the CA School Library Association and the CA Reading Association; and archived at the San Francisco History Center.   October 2012 marks the tenth anniversary of Love Made of Heart.  The book is still in print, and, I continue to meet new fans.

For the past nine years, through my coaching  and my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days, I have been helping writers reach out, not stress out, to attract agents, editors, publishers, readers, and media attention.

2. What is your opinion on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and represented by an agent?

The advantage of identifying the right agent who will pitch your intellectual property to the right publishers— agents have their specialties and their relationships with acquisition editors at publishing houses; established publishers have relationships with book distributors.

Note: An agent gets 15% of what the author receives from the publisher (similar to a finder’s fee). Agents are not publicists, marketing managers or promoters.  The publisher, not the agent, offers you the contract (to buy the rights to publish your book).

Note: Hire a literary attorney to interpret and negotiate the contract for you if your agent doesn’t have access to legal counsel. Know what rights you are selling to the publisher.

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The advantage of being your own publisher—you have full control regarding:

• rights to publish and re-print
• how to promote your book, when, and to whom
• publication date and publication format
• book layout, cover design, jacket copy
• cover price; discounts to booksellers
• budget and profits

Consider Your and Other People’s Timetables:
It might take years to find your agent; it might take years before your agent finds the publisher.  By the way, my super-agent Stacey Glick tells me that only 2% of her clients would receive contracts from publishers.  When Stacey negotiated the deal with acquisition editor John Scognamiglio at Kensington Publishing Corp. New York (a publisher who releases 500+ new titles each year) for my  mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart, my book title got onto the “conveyor belt” (it would take 18 months from when I sign the contract to when the book would show up in bookstores).

Note: A publisher could “fast track” a new title,  releasing the book within months or even weeks.  An example of releasing a book within weeks would be when a super-famous person dies and big publishers would forego some of the stops in the conveyor belt process.

How much attention are you going to get and give?
The bigger the publisher, the more new titles they release each year, the less attention each author gets.  Their best-selling authors, celebrity-authors, and new authors to whom they have given huge advances would get the most attention of course.

A decade ago when John Scognamiglio told me “You have six weeks to get on the radar”  I thought I knew what that meant.  You see, I was one of the lucky authors.  Kensington had bought “front of the store” shelf space at chain-stores for Love Made of Heart.  Chain-stores would rotate inventory every six weeks.  If a book sells during those six weeks, then the store would order more copies through their distributor.  Independent sales representatives (especially Nancy Suib and Anne Shulenberger) introduced Love Made of Heart to their accounts (independent booksellers).  “Indies” also had to rotate their inventory every few weeks.  What does this mean?  Unsold books are returned to the distributors (warehouses).  Publishers have to pay taxes on inventory—it is a costly business—selling printed books.

To stay on that “radar” meant making one’s name and the subject matter/issues/themes in one’s book visible in media attention over those precious six weeks. Which also meant having lined up interviews—in print, radio, television.  You’re probably saying . . . Wouldn’t the publisher handle all that?  Yes, if you are one of their best-selling authors, a celebrity, or a new author who has been given a huge advance.

Note:  Cyberspace magic provides opportunities galore for authors to broadcast ourselves (build our platforms and fanbases). What is a platform?  The definition is on page 1 from my workbook  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.”

3. What do you feel is the most important thing that authors can do to promote their books?
The simple yet powerful tool is:  Making your name synonymous with the  themes/subject matter/issues in your literary works.

In my interview on CBS Channel 5, I talked about:  “What I care about … leads to my writing about those themes/subject matters/issues.  What I write about …   attracts my fans because they also care about what I care about.  Help your fans find you.”

Introduce yourself with your full name.  Then use these three words:  “I care about . . . ”

Example: (as a writer of fiction, narrative nonfiction, including memoirs )
I am Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart (a mother-daughter love story).   I care about helping adult-children (of mentally-ill parents) speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their loved ones.
Example: (as a writer of prescriptive nonfiction  a.k.a. “how to” )
I am Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW.   I care about helping writers thrive in today’s publishing arena.

I call these self-introductions my platform-statement.
Where to “show” your platform-statement? 

• Your email signature-block! 
• Your letterhead! 
• Your website and blog slogan/tagline/description! 
• Your bio! 
• Your business cards! 
• The caption for your photographs! 
• Headline for press releases!
• Social media pages! 
• And, let’s hear it on your voicemail!

Even when I’m emailing my loved ones (my biggest fans), I show them my platform-statement in my signature block.  Help your fans brag about you with ease.

4. What are your feelings on Social Media? (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc)
I thank creators and users of social media.  How else could our fans from faraway places find us?  Be consistent.  Update your bio in all these forums to reflect your current platform-statement. A picture speaks a thousand words; be sure to rename photo-files (show your full name and book title, and even keywords from your platform-statement)

5. Do you feel that book marketing for fiction is different than book marketing for non-fiction?
No difference in today’s markets.
How do I choose books as a consumer?
As Teresa-the-consumer, I pay attention when:

• friends recommend a book
• I read about or hear or meet the author and I appreciate what the author has to say
• I need information on a particular subject, so  I use a search engine (like Google.com) to find those books or I ask my favorite booksellers and librarians.

How would I help these consumers find me if I am an author?
Please see the answers to Question # 3—“What do you feel is the most important thing that authors can do to promote their books?”

6. What are some of the biggest mistakes that authors make when trying to promote their books?

• One big mistake is misdirecting your energy pitching to book reviewers or radio or television producers who are not interested in the subject matter /issues/ themes that you are promoting.  Do your homework; seek advice from mentors, colleagues, and yours truly Coach Teresa; use The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages; listen and watch shows you’d like to be invited to, and, please study their format
• Another common mistake is what my colleague Elisa Sasa Southard calls “killing a marketing moment.”   Her book Break Through the Noise shows you the 9 tools to propel your marketing message.
• The third common mistake is tiring yourself out when promoting at events where there is traveling, schlepping, and setting up involved. I have lots of fun with colleagues/co-presenters at writers’ conferences, book festivals, and community events. Recently I shared a booth with Margie Yee Webb and Rita Lakin at the Sonoma County Book Festival.  Every year I join forces with co-presenters Sasa Southard and Mary E. Knippel at the San Francisco Writers Conference.  On December 15, 2012 I’ll be sharing a table with Margie Yee Webb (she’s the author of the gift-book Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings) at a Local Authors event.  Please check my events page.

7. Do you have any other useful advice for beginning authors?

• Get yourself a calendar (month at a glance) with big squares to write in, and, schedule time to work on your craft and your platform.
• Get to know members in writers’ organizations (my favorite ones are California Writers Club and Women’s National Book Association)
• Please read my blog post:  Wear Two Hats as a Writer and Be Happy

8. How can authors contact you if they have any questions?
I encourage you to ask me question by posting a comment on any of my blog posts. That way, my fans will see your name and questions (so, promote yourself).  To submit a comment: click on the headline/blue title bar of the post, scroll down to the end of the post, fill in the boxes, and press the [submit comment] button.

Here’s a blog post you might like to submit a comment/question:  Who Really Is the Most Qualified Person to Build the Author’s Platform and Fanbase?

My email address:   WritingCoachTeresag   at    gmail.com

You will find links to the organizations referenced in this interview on my “Writers’ Resources” page at  http://writingcoachteresa.com

In closing, I wish to reiterate my thanks to Christy Pinheiro and to say “I cheer for all writers!”

Reach out, not stress out!
Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

Christy Pinheiro-Silva of www.StepByStepSelfPublishing.net  says:

“Thanks, Teresa, for a great interview!!!”

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan wishes she could accept all fun invitations

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Nov. 2 – 18, 2012  Fringe of Marin Festival of New Bay Area One-Act Plays and Solos

http://www.fringeofmarin.com/index.html

http://www.fringeofmarin.com/performanceschedule.html

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan and author Lynn Scott will catch a show in Program 2 to cheer for playwrights Carol Sheldon (On With the Wind) and Ollie Mae Trost Welch (Shaw)

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Dear Mary E. Knippel,

I have invited a dozen of my friends to your wonderful event on Nov. 12th!

Cheers to you-the-Secret-Artist and the-Unleashed-Homemaker!

from Teresa LeYung Ryan, author and writers’ platform-building coach

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http://www.facebook.com/events/408527415886844/

Dear Angela Pang of Asian Week Foundation!

Thank you so much for the invitation! I may be able to attend! Grew up in San Francisco but cannot remember ever being inside Great Star Theater.

Sincerely, Teresa LeYung Ryan, author and writers’ platform-building coach

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Author Carla Danziger (Hidden Falls) emailed me about her helping her colleague for this big event:

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (EST)

The George Washington University – Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st St NW
Washington, DC 20037

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The award-winning guidebook TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How to Tap Memory and Write Your Story Capturing Character & Spirit

If you could tell just one  small story that would reveal the essence of your mother’s character and keep her spirit alive, what would it be?

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Author/Photographer Margie Yee Webb had fun in October 2012 exhibiting her book in Clarksburg, CA at a winery.  So, when she called two weeks ago to say that author Laurie Hoirup wants to orchestrate another event in December and invited me to exhibit my books . . .  I said “Yes!”  The event will be held over the weekend of Dec. 15 & 16, 2012, but, I will be there on Dec. 15 only.

“Gifts of Words & Wine”
Saturday & Sunday, December 15 & 16, 2012
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. both days

Winery at Old Sugar Mill
35265 Willow Avenue
Clarksburg, CA 95612

no admission fee – shop for great books and fine wines; just in time for Christmas!

Laurie Hoirup,  I Can Dance: My Life with a Disability  www.laurieslegacy.com

Margie Yee Webb, Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life    www.catmulan.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Love Made of Heart;  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days  http://writingcoachteresa.com  Teresa will be exhibiting Saturday only

Amy Gorman,  Aging Artfully  http://agingartfully.com

and 30 other authors

more information soon on Coach Teresa’s Event Page

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Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW,  Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”