Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
15 Day Hiatus
I will be away from my computer and unable to maintain this blog for the next two weeks due to vacation plans. In that time, I encourage you to take another look at some past favorite blogs:
-A Primer: Book Cover Design & Book Marketing
-Understanding & Selecting a Price Point
-Conversations with the Editor/Xavier Martin
-Africa as Muse...REVISED
-We Write, We Draw & the Journey to Becoming
-A Primer: Book Cover Design & Book Marketing
-Understanding & Selecting a Price Point
-Conversations with the Editor/Xavier Martin
-Africa as Muse...REVISED
-We Write, We Draw & the Journey to Becoming
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Fragments & Other Short Poems...
So I'll seek rest and listen
to the peaceful noise of gentle
rainfall and the threatening
tumble of thunder and be calmed
by the whistling whir of the radio,
the low thump and cradle of easy
blues music, while I lay fingertips over
closed eyelids, releasing the
day's unease.
----------
Now we see the slender scope of our
two-party system. Like a waddling toddler,
it risks its own demise on an unwieldy pair of legs,
two pillars, each one as unstable as the other.
---------------
The tree is a root perched upward
toward the heavens. It seeks nourishment
from a rich and fertile sky.
The sun's rays and the cloud's rain foster
new beginnings. And new ends bud
with life. Sturdy and rooted, it grows;
it presses forth, pressing forward, in step
with time, ever upward, ever deeper
into the sky.
-----------------
like the precocious bud she blossoms
blushing pinks and reds she blooms
tickled by warm fingertips and sunlight
she smiles, blistering with youth
-----------------
our love drowned in three rivers and
one ocean; the pools of water that
divided us
technological miracles could not
salvage the debris of a love gone
under
----------------
I am moved by his efforts, for he knows
me; I am not just a vague sketch lining the
outskirts of his consciousness, but rather
a course of being he knows by heart...
-----------------
This city's old bones have a life all their own....
-----------------
midnight's children
dance under moonlight
dreaming of dawn
-----------------
a Kumasi woman
head heavy with water-filled urn
stands statuesque at the foot of the river
to the peaceful noise of gentle
rainfall and the threatening
tumble of thunder and be calmed
by the whistling whir of the radio,
the low thump and cradle of easy
blues music, while I lay fingertips over
closed eyelids, releasing the
day's unease.
----------
Now we see the slender scope of our
two-party system. Like a waddling toddler,
it risks its own demise on an unwieldy pair of legs,
two pillars, each one as unstable as the other.
---------------
The tree is a root perched upward
toward the heavens. It seeks nourishment
from a rich and fertile sky.
The sun's rays and the cloud's rain foster
new beginnings. And new ends bud
with life. Sturdy and rooted, it grows;
it presses forth, pressing forward, in step
with time, ever upward, ever deeper
into the sky.
-----------------
like the precocious bud she blossoms
blushing pinks and reds she blooms
tickled by warm fingertips and sunlight
she smiles, blistering with youth
-----------------
our love drowned in three rivers and
one ocean; the pools of water that
divided us
technological miracles could not
salvage the debris of a love gone
under
----------------
I am moved by his efforts, for he knows
me; I am not just a vague sketch lining the
outskirts of his consciousness, but rather
a course of being he knows by heart...
-----------------
This city's old bones have a life all their own....
-----------------
midnight's children
dance under moonlight
dreaming of dawn
-----------------
a Kumasi woman
head heavy with water-filled urn
stands statuesque at the foot of the river
Saturday, June 11, 2011
We Write, We Draw & the Journey to Becoming (on Prezi)
What you will find below is a Prezi. Called the "zooming" presentation tool, is Prezi the artist's answer to PowerPoint? You be the judge. Join me as I tell the true but concise story about becoming an artist in my own words. Join me as I sample my best poetry & artwork. Check out my Prezi at the site below.
Click here to view my Prezi or copy & paste: http://prezi.com/i1zmd0gxu9qw/we-write-we-draw/
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Author Branding & Marketing ...It all boils down to this
**********************************************************************
The winner of the Book Give-Away Challenge is Manuel Palomas from Madrid, Spain! Congratulations to him. For a limited time only take advantage of the discount associated with the Challenge. Click here to go to the website to apply the 60% discount. (The book is just $3.99!) Follow the prompts for purchase. Enter discount code: W8H8QYK8. Please note that this discount code only applies to purchases on Createspace NOT on Amazon.
*********************************************************************
Years ago, a close friend of mine gave me the gift of a book of poetry by Pablo Neruda. Veinte poemas de amor would become one of my favorite books and I would go on to read Cien sonetos de amor and other works by Neruda, a Chilean poet. He is best known for his love poems and, in them, he plays with language; he incorporates humor; and he takes up themes of human sexuality.
What compels me to continue reading Pablo Neruda and what I find particularly unique are his voice and his ease & comfort with language. He earned my loyalty not only because of his skill and because he is known as a famed romantic poet, but because his voice is so very distinctive. I would cite a favorite verse, but his voice gets lost in translation.
How important is an author's voice? It defines his or her brand. It's that thing that gets me up in the middle of the night to open that book just to read what the author has to say next. It keeps me coming back. As a reader, I think that I crave consistency of voice and style. I look for those elements which are emblematic of an author's ability and which leave an impression. These elements create an author's brand.
This brings us to brand awareness raising & marketing which put the brand in front of the reader. They also refer to the packaging and the tools that promote a product's finest attributes. Online, I use tools including email, websites, blogs and social media to endorse my book and myself as an author. Brand building is closely associated with the look, feel and overall experience a potential customer has on online platforms. Is it a customer experience that people want to talk about? If so, that's brand building.
As I build my brand, it is critical that I know my audience in order to effectively market my book. Some say that I should have one person in mind that typifies my ideal reader and for whom I am writing. Furthermore, they say that I should keep in mind what s/he reads, where s/he hangs out, who s/he is. If I've done my job as a writer and as a marketer, my book will find its place.
An important feature of lifting a brand is distinguishing oneself as capable of producing high-quality work. Pablo Neruda has won countless literary prizes. These have helped to establish his name. On the heels of earning a place as a semi-finalist in the New Millennium Writings 2010 poetry competition for my work, I plan to enter new work into poetry competitions in an effort to further demonstrate my marrow.
The most tangible evidence that my brand, though in its infancy, is emerging is the percentage of repeat buyers I have. Roughly 50% of customers who bought A Dawn Run Hot with Morning are returning customers. My "super fans" have returned! And there are a great number of new fans on board too!
In the spirit of my "super fans," I am posting some of their comments & reviews:
"Outstanding poetry! I couldn't put the book down." - Ruby (Retiree)
"Loved the book! Kudos. Keep writing. You have a gift!" - Shirley (Teacher)
"I love your scarcity of words. It’s provocative. It allows the reader to enter into the experience to make it his/her own...I had no idea about the art! It is wonderful. Your art may be as popular as your poetry...I am so pleased." -Toni (Administrator)
"I loved the combination of words and images." - Geraldine (Artist)
"Your book is great. Quite inspiring." - Laura (Retiree)
"I am fascinated by your book. I love the poetry, especially the sections on Grace & Spain...You're really talented! Keep it up!" - Kathy (Retiree)
"...You write with such simplicity and such power. Maybe that will be your thing. You'll be the next Maya Angelou!" - Georgia (Bookstore Owner)
"I think that I will read some of your poetry for my class." - Elva (Speech & Oral Presentation Teacher)
"Your poetry is off the chain!" - Lea (Entrepreneur)
The winner of the Book Give-Away Challenge is Manuel Palomas from Madrid, Spain! Congratulations to him. For a limited time only take advantage of the discount associated with the Challenge. Click here to go to the website to apply the 60% discount. (The book is just $3.99!) Follow the prompts for purchase. Enter discount code: W8H8QYK8. Please note that this discount code only applies to purchases on Createspace NOT on Amazon.
*********************************************************************
Years ago, a close friend of mine gave me the gift of a book of poetry by Pablo Neruda. Veinte poemas de amor would become one of my favorite books and I would go on to read Cien sonetos de amor and other works by Neruda, a Chilean poet. He is best known for his love poems and, in them, he plays with language; he incorporates humor; and he takes up themes of human sexuality.
What compels me to continue reading Pablo Neruda and what I find particularly unique are his voice and his ease & comfort with language. He earned my loyalty not only because of his skill and because he is known as a famed romantic poet, but because his voice is so very distinctive. I would cite a favorite verse, but his voice gets lost in translation.
How important is an author's voice? It defines his or her brand. It's that thing that gets me up in the middle of the night to open that book just to read what the author has to say next. It keeps me coming back. As a reader, I think that I crave consistency of voice and style. I look for those elements which are emblematic of an author's ability and which leave an impression. These elements create an author's brand.
This brings us to brand awareness raising & marketing which put the brand in front of the reader. They also refer to the packaging and the tools that promote a product's finest attributes. Online, I use tools including email, websites, blogs and social media to endorse my book and myself as an author. Brand building is closely associated with the look, feel and overall experience a potential customer has on online platforms. Is it a customer experience that people want to talk about? If so, that's brand building.
As I build my brand, it is critical that I know my audience in order to effectively market my book. Some say that I should have one person in mind that typifies my ideal reader and for whom I am writing. Furthermore, they say that I should keep in mind what s/he reads, where s/he hangs out, who s/he is. If I've done my job as a writer and as a marketer, my book will find its place.
An important feature of lifting a brand is distinguishing oneself as capable of producing high-quality work. Pablo Neruda has won countless literary prizes. These have helped to establish his name. On the heels of earning a place as a semi-finalist in the New Millennium Writings 2010 poetry competition for my work, I plan to enter new work into poetry competitions in an effort to further demonstrate my marrow.
The most tangible evidence that my brand, though in its infancy, is emerging is the percentage of repeat buyers I have. Roughly 50% of customers who bought A Dawn Run Hot with Morning are returning customers. My "super fans" have returned! And there are a great number of new fans on board too!
In the spirit of my "super fans," I am posting some of their comments & reviews:
"Outstanding poetry! I couldn't put the book down." - Ruby (Retiree)
"Loved the book! Kudos. Keep writing. You have a gift!" - Shirley (Teacher)
"I love your scarcity of words. It’s provocative. It allows the reader to enter into the experience to make it his/her own...I had no idea about the art! It is wonderful. Your art may be as popular as your poetry...I am so pleased." -Toni (Administrator)
"I loved the combination of words and images." - Geraldine (Artist)
"Your book is great. Quite inspiring." - Laura (Retiree)
"I am fascinated by your book. I love the poetry, especially the sections on Grace & Spain...You're really talented! Keep it up!" - Kathy (Retiree)
"...You write with such simplicity and such power. Maybe that will be your thing. You'll be the next Maya Angelou!" - Georgia (Bookstore Owner)
"I think that I will read some of your poetry for my class." - Elva (Speech & Oral Presentation Teacher)
"Your poetry is off the chain!" - Lea (Entrepreneur)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The E-book Debate Continued...
In an earlier blog post, I took you step by step through my reasoning as I considered whether or not to turn my latest book, A Dawn Run Hot with Morning, into an e-book. (Click here to see the previous post.) The findings of a recent Bain & Company report add fuel to the debate and seem to point me in one distinct direction.
According to the October 2010 report, 15 - 20 % of the world's population in the US, Europe and Japan will own e-readers (e.g. a Kindle or a Nook) by 2015. Given that these projections are not huge, I might be content to continue to simply publish paper versions of my book. The idea that I publish paper only is made somewhat more attractive by the fact that the first wave of e-reader owners are men ages 20 - 35. I hope to reach this audience; my first book, Contemplating Eve, sold 75% of books to women ages 40 and up. I did not reach a younger audience likely due to the pricing of the book. (Click here to read the blog post on this topic.) An e-book, given its low pricing, might provide just the right opportunity to reach a wider audience.
That said, according to the report, people who read voraciously do maintain their attachment to paper books. So, am I smart or am I complacent not to publish an e-book? According to Bain & Company, much is at stake for publishers and authors with the "migration to digital publishing". With the rise of virtual distributors like Amazon, profits are being redistributed, roles are reversing and there is an “evolution” in the way content is being created.
The reality is that the winds of change are blowing swiftly through the publishing world. Although the changes will not cause an industry-wide shock the way the introduction of digital formats did to the music industry, publishing has little time to prepare for the demand. The migration is important to the publishing industry because e-books will represent 20 - 28% of profits in the medium-to long-term.
While best-selling authors gain bargaining power and can earn an increased share of the profits, Bain & Company notes that emerging writers should find a publisher to handle marketing until the author's brand is established. At that point, the author could become a free agent, much like Paulo Cuelho, who recently gave exclusive distribution rights for international online sales of 17 of his last books to Amazon.
As for me, I'm moving in the direction of an e-book. And while it would be nice to have an expert to manage the many facets of marketing necessary for stellar book sales, that prospect is not on the radar at the moment. Publishing an e-book continues to be something that I research. I continue to grow my fan base through this blog, through Twitter and with my Facebook page. Next is a migration to an e-book.
Tell me your thoughts. Do you own an e-reader? Which would you prefer to purchase, the $2.99 e-book version of A Dawn Run Hot with Morning or the $9.99 paper version?
According to the October 2010 report, 15 - 20 % of the world's population in the US, Europe and Japan will own e-readers (e.g. a Kindle or a Nook) by 2015. Given that these projections are not huge, I might be content to continue to simply publish paper versions of my book. The idea that I publish paper only is made somewhat more attractive by the fact that the first wave of e-reader owners are men ages 20 - 35. I hope to reach this audience; my first book, Contemplating Eve, sold 75% of books to women ages 40 and up. I did not reach a younger audience likely due to the pricing of the book. (Click here to read the blog post on this topic.) An e-book, given its low pricing, might provide just the right opportunity to reach a wider audience.
That said, according to the report, people who read voraciously do maintain their attachment to paper books. So, am I smart or am I complacent not to publish an e-book? According to Bain & Company, much is at stake for publishers and authors with the "migration to digital publishing". With the rise of virtual distributors like Amazon, profits are being redistributed, roles are reversing and there is an “evolution” in the way content is being created.
The reality is that the winds of change are blowing swiftly through the publishing world. Although the changes will not cause an industry-wide shock the way the introduction of digital formats did to the music industry, publishing has little time to prepare for the demand. The migration is important to the publishing industry because e-books will represent 20 - 28% of profits in the medium-to long-term.
While best-selling authors gain bargaining power and can earn an increased share of the profits, Bain & Company notes that emerging writers should find a publisher to handle marketing until the author's brand is established. At that point, the author could become a free agent, much like Paulo Cuelho, who recently gave exclusive distribution rights for international online sales of 17 of his last books to Amazon.
As for me, I'm moving in the direction of an e-book. And while it would be nice to have an expert to manage the many facets of marketing necessary for stellar book sales, that prospect is not on the radar at the moment. Publishing an e-book continues to be something that I research. I continue to grow my fan base through this blog, through Twitter and with my Facebook page. Next is a migration to an e-book.
Tell me your thoughts. Do you own an e-reader? Which would you prefer to purchase, the $2.99 e-book version of A Dawn Run Hot with Morning or the $9.99 paper version?
Friday, May 20, 2011
Book Trailer
Now available on Amazon!
Buy it now!
"This is a great piece of work. The very talented January Nicole Wilson's poetry captivated me from the first verse. She has assembled a profound and inspirational collection -- even better than her previous book, Contemplating Eve. And don't miss the artwork, which includes some very evocative pieces. I highly recommend it." -Xavier Martin, Editor & Consultant
"After reading Contemplating Eve, I had to have A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. I loved it! Collectively the poems encapsulate life. They paint pictures of irrepressible joy and hope, the shock of unexpected but inevitable darkness, and acknowledges those who help us embrace an imperfect world." -Lolethia Kibble, Educational Administrator
"What an extraordinary writer!" -LaVerne Holmes, Entrepreneur
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