Baltimore's Child Buzz:
Baltimore's Child presents...
2010 Children's Gi...: "Baltimore's Child presents... 2010 Children's Gift Guide Compiled by Janice Hands We know your youngsters have provided you with a list o..."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Poll: 2010-10 Most Intriguing Trailer
Poll: 2010-10 Most Intriguing Trailer
Please place your vote in support of Postcards from Mr. Pish.
Thank you!
Please place your vote in support of Postcards from Mr. Pish.
Thank you!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Another Giveaway!
The Funky Monkey: Postcards from Mr. Pish: Children's Book Giveaway...: "My daughter loves the book, Postcards from Mr. Pish. The adorable jack russell terrier travels through the country in this fun journey. I ..."
Free Publicity through Bloggers and Contests
Any publicity is always good. But FREE publicity - well, that's the stuff that dreams are made of for authors.
I have two contests running right now for my latest educational children's book titled "Postcards from Mr. Pish." I've recently discovered, which may not be news to some of you, that there is an ARMY of bloggers out there willing to review and host giveaways for books and/or products in return for a free sample. Some websites have not gotten me as much exposure as others, but every good review is a help!
These giveaways are simple. You send the blogger a book, and they review it. If you are willing to do a give-away, they will host it on their web-site. If not, they'll post their review. The give-away will give you the most exposure, because in order to enter, contestants need to do a number of things; they need to visit your web site, follow you on twitter, tweet the contest to their followers, subscribe to your newsletter, etc. Basically, you're gaining exposure with each entry. At the end of the give-away, the blogger provides you with the name and address of the winner, and it's your responsibility to send them their prize.
So, not only do you get a review, you get exposure, and you get your book into the hands of someone who wouldn't have otherwise known about it. Not too shabby.
Here is a give-away I'm currently participating in:
Name of Contest: Postcards From Mr. Pish Giveaway on NetworkingWitches
Website of Contest Host: http://networkingwitches.com/2010/10/101810-postcards-from-mr-pish-giveaway-usa-\canada/
Prizes: "Mr. Pish Prize Pack" including a book, the learning worksheet, some bookmarks and a letter from Mr Pish
Date contest begins: 10-2-10
Date contest ends: 10-18-10
Contest details: Visit KS Brooks' & Mr Pish's website and have a look around. Post a note on the blog stating what you love about this story and the educational information that is with it. Additional entry information is available on the site. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY
If you don't mind doing the work yourself, you can always host your own contest, but getting word out is a lot more difficult without the power of the bloggers' social networking base. I have one of those going on now as well:
Name of Contest: Mr. Pish's Back to School Contest
Website of Contest Host: http://www.mrpish.com/contests.htm
Prizes: An educator's pack including one copy Postcards from Mr. Pish, one teacher-designed companion learning worksheet, a map of the United States, bookmarks for all the students, and a letter from Mr. Pish himself!
Date contest begins: 10-1-10
Date contest ends: 10-31-10
Contest details: Post your review of Postcards from Mr. Pish on Amazon.com, and let us know by sending an email to postcards(@)MrPish.com. Provide us with your name, email address and the date of your review. Once your review is verified, your email will be acknowledged and you will be entered to win a free Postcards from Mr. Pish educator's package for the school of your choice.
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY!
Getting word out is a lot of work, but in the end, every bit of exposure is a help.
copyright K.S. Brooks 2010
I have two contests running right now for my latest educational children's book titled "Postcards from Mr. Pish." I've recently discovered, which may not be news to some of you, that there is an ARMY of bloggers out there willing to review and host giveaways for books and/or products in return for a free sample. Some websites have not gotten me as much exposure as others, but every good review is a help!
These giveaways are simple. You send the blogger a book, and they review it. If you are willing to do a give-away, they will host it on their web-site. If not, they'll post their review. The give-away will give you the most exposure, because in order to enter, contestants need to do a number of things; they need to visit your web site, follow you on twitter, tweet the contest to their followers, subscribe to your newsletter, etc. Basically, you're gaining exposure with each entry. At the end of the give-away, the blogger provides you with the name and address of the winner, and it's your responsibility to send them their prize.
So, not only do you get a review, you get exposure, and you get your book into the hands of someone who wouldn't have otherwise known about it. Not too shabby.
Here is a give-away I'm currently participating in:
Name of Contest: Postcards From Mr. Pish Giveaway on NetworkingWitches
Website of Contest Host: http://networkingwitches.com/2010/10/101810-postcards-from-mr-pish-giveaway-usa-\canada/
Prizes: "Mr. Pish Prize Pack" including a book, the learning worksheet, some bookmarks and a letter from Mr Pish
Date contest begins: 10-2-10
Date contest ends: 10-18-10
Contest details: Visit KS Brooks' & Mr Pish's website and have a look around. Post a note on the blog stating what you love about this story and the educational information that is with it. Additional entry information is available on the site. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY
If you don't mind doing the work yourself, you can always host your own contest, but getting word out is a lot more difficult without the power of the bloggers' social networking base. I have one of those going on now as well:
Name of Contest: Mr. Pish's Back to School Contest
Website of Contest Host: http://www.mrpish.com/contests.htm
Prizes: An educator's pack including one copy Postcards from Mr. Pish, one teacher-designed companion learning worksheet, a map of the United States, bookmarks for all the students, and a letter from Mr. Pish himself!
Date contest begins: 10-1-10
Date contest ends: 10-31-10
Contest details: Post your review of Postcards from Mr. Pish on Amazon.com, and let us know by sending an email to postcards(@)MrPish.com. Provide us with your name, email address and the date of your review. Once your review is verified, your email will be acknowledged and you will be entered to win a free Postcards from Mr. Pish educator's package for the school of your choice.
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY!
Getting word out is a lot of work, but in the end, every bit of exposure is a help.
copyright K.S. Brooks 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Writer's Block
I get asked about writer's block a lot. I'm not sure why. Do I look like I have it? Frankly, I have the opposite problem. I fall asleep writing in my head, wake up in the middle of the night writing in my head, and woke up this morning and said "Solidarity!" That is the word I've been trying to think of for two weeks.
When I used to get writer's block, it was because something besides writing was stopping me from doing what I needed to do. And being ADHD didn't help either. But that's another story entirely.
If you are suffering from writer's block, I have one question for you:
Are you blocked from writing entirely, the project you're working on or just the specific scene?
If it's writing entirely or the project, do something completely distracting to get your mind off of it. Once your mind is clear, if you want to try diving back in, I recommend reading what you've already written. I almost always get sucked back in by tweaking things or editing or adding to what's already there.
If it's just a specific scene, you can skip it and write a different scene, which I do a lot. I never write in order. But then if it's the ONLY scene left to write, obviously, you need to get it done. I recommend using music. Many years ago, my agent wanted me to rewrite a scene in Lust for Danger. I couldn't make myself do it. I stared at the screen for ages. It was a sexy scene in the back of a limousine, and I just wasn't in to it. (I was also annoyed with the agent for other reasons.) It was the only scene in the book that wasn't complete, and I had a deadline. So I put on "We'll be Together" by Sting, with its sexy beat (and, of course, Sting) and played it over and over maybe even thirty times, really loud, so I couldn't possibly escape the sound of it. I continued playing it while I was writing until the scene was done. I let the music transport me. So, if you can, pick a song that reflects the mood of your scene and beat yourself with it until you get what you want. :)
I hope that helps! And, as my high school English teacher Mr. Becker wrote in my yearbook, Write Write Write.
When I used to get writer's block, it was because something besides writing was stopping me from doing what I needed to do. And being ADHD didn't help either. But that's another story entirely.
If you are suffering from writer's block, I have one question for you:
Are you blocked from writing entirely, the project you're working on or just the specific scene?
If it's writing entirely or the project, do something completely distracting to get your mind off of it. Once your mind is clear, if you want to try diving back in, I recommend reading what you've already written. I almost always get sucked back in by tweaking things or editing or adding to what's already there.
If it's just a specific scene, you can skip it and write a different scene, which I do a lot. I never write in order. But then if it's the ONLY scene left to write, obviously, you need to get it done. I recommend using music. Many years ago, my agent wanted me to rewrite a scene in Lust for Danger. I couldn't make myself do it. I stared at the screen for ages. It was a sexy scene in the back of a limousine, and I just wasn't in to it. (I was also annoyed with the agent for other reasons.) It was the only scene in the book that wasn't complete, and I had a deadline. So I put on "We'll be Together" by Sting, with its sexy beat (and, of course, Sting) and played it over and over maybe even thirty times, really loud, so I couldn't possibly escape the sound of it. I continued playing it while I was writing until the scene was done. I let the music transport me. So, if you can, pick a song that reflects the mood of your scene and beat yourself with it until you get what you want. :)
I hope that helps! And, as my high school English teacher Mr. Becker wrote in my yearbook, Write Write Write.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Postcards from Mr. Pish Book Trailer
I'm proud to release my first book trailer! This is the trailer for Postcards from Mr. Pish. I made it myself... according to industry experts, EVERY book should have a video trailer. The original music, "Pish's Promenade," is by musical artist Chris Abbott. I hope you enjoy it!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
AHS grad writes children's book told through postcards from travelling dog
AHS grad writes children's book told through postcards from travelling dog
A good reporter is hard to find and Sara Brown did a great job on this article. It's always nerve-wracking waiting to see what's going to end up in print after an interview. It's a really nice feeling when the result is a well-written piece, free of misquotes, that gets the actual point(s) across.
Again, thanks and kudos to Sara Brown and The Andover Townsman.
p.s. - even if you have moved away, if you grew up in a town for an extended time, that town's paper can still serve as a source for press. "Local girl done good" is always a feel-good story, so don't sell yourself short by skipping them when you send out press releases. And it doesn't hurt to have a determined Mom going to bat for you either, no matter what your age. :) Keep writing!
A good reporter is hard to find and Sara Brown did a great job on this article. It's always nerve-wracking waiting to see what's going to end up in print after an interview. It's a really nice feeling when the result is a well-written piece, free of misquotes, that gets the actual point(s) across.
Again, thanks and kudos to Sara Brown and The Andover Townsman.
p.s. - even if you have moved away, if you grew up in a town for an extended time, that town's paper can still serve as a source for press. "Local girl done good" is always a feel-good story, so don't sell yourself short by skipping them when you send out press releases. And it doesn't hurt to have a determined Mom going to bat for you either, no matter what your age. :) Keep writing!
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