At last weekend’s Thin Air Summit, Amy Gahran spoke about her theory that the first 62-words of a post had better tell web surfers what the article will be about to catch their attention.
This theory, which I completely support though might not always be disciplined enough to follow, sparked a flurried and somewhat salty exchange on Twitter sparked by an observation from Doyle Albee:
“Good writing should be like a skirt: Long enough to cover subject, but short enough to stay interesting.”
Amy explains the math behind how she arrived at that number in a recent Contentious blog post. Lots of interesting comments there, too.
A great strategy to getting free publicity is to give testimonials about other people’s book, products, or services. You should solicit testimonials about your things, too, but always take the opportunity to leave a testimonial when possible. Wherever that testimonial gets used — marketing materials, website, blog, etc. — will reflect back to you and (hopefully) link back to you as well.
Here’s a testimonial I wrote for PRLeads, a valuable and affordable service for connecting with media people looking for stories or subjects. Dan Janal, the president of the company, posted it on his blog giving me exposure to all of his readers.
When writing testimonials, try to provide examples to back up your claims, and interweave your own information without blatently promoting yourself or your product.
The Thin Air Summit was born from the idea that getting Colorado’s New Media professionals and out-of-town guests in the same venue for two days of intensive learning and collaborating is a win-win for the area’s New Media community!
The conference is structured around three tracks: Blogging, Audio, and Video. Lots of new media superstars will be presenting seminars.
The limited seating of up to 100 is sure to provide a comfortable and intimate setting for attendees to ask questions and engage in discussions on any number of topics. The opportunities to interact with presenters and fellow attendees are endless.
Be sure to sign up as yours truly will join a panel discussion on SEO on Saturday afternoon around 3:30pm. Hope to see you there!
SMALL PRESSES * ACADEMIC PRESSES * MICRO PRESSES * SELF-PUBLISHERS — $1,500 GRAND PRIZE — LOW ENTRANCE FEE
Each year, independent publishers release extraordinary books to little or no recognition. The Eric Hoffer Book Award recognizes excellence in publishing. A SINGLE REGISTRATION gives you FOUR WAYS TO WIN by genre, press, the Montaigne Medal, and the Hoffer grand prize. There is a category for every book.
* $1,500 GRAND PRIZE * Low Entrance Fee of $45 * Many Categories *
AWARDS/BENEFITS:
* $1,500 GRAND PRIZE (the Eric Hoffer Award for Books)
* Winner of the Montaigne Medal for most thought-provoking book
* Winner and First Runner-Up awarded for every category
* Honorable Mentions for every category
* Individual Awards for Micro, Small, and Academic Presses, as well as Self-Published Books
* Coverage in the annual anthology Best New Writing and on www.HofferAward.com.
* Gold Seal Certificates
* Worldwide Exposure
CATEGORIES: Art, Poetry, General Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Children, Young Adult, Culture, Memoir, Business, Reference, Home, Health, Self-Help/Spiritual, Legacy.
In this tough economic time, your book is always a great value, and the Eric Hoffer Book Award may be an economical way to achieve publicity and recognition. You can’t win if you don’t enter!
It starts with Continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m., followed by a short meeting, Dan’s talk (2 hours), then networking. Here’s a tip: bring your own mug for coffee — the ones supplied hold about 5 sips and there will be a coffee urn available for the duration of the meeting.
If you have any interest in self-publishing or independent publishing, you should be there on the 18th. This is a supportive group of some 500 authors and publishers who will help you get the knowledge you will need to succeed in publishing.
RSVP by October 14th for the early bird rate of $5 off, or pay full price at the door! This meeting is open to the public at non-member rates.
Less than 18 months ago the Twitterverse did not exist but today it might just be a great tool for disseminating your message. I haven’t been tweeting very long but have already been amazed at how people find you to follow you on Twitter.
Remember that, as with all social media that you use for professional advancement, keep your presence professional. Be yourself, but don’t post things that should better be kept private.
The deadlines for the 2008 DIY, London and New England Book Festivals are approaching.
*** The 2008 DIY Book Festival will have a special focus on unpublished stories, poetry and comics at its seventh annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.
*** The 2008 London Book Festival honors books worthy of further attention from the international publishing community. )
Grand prizes for each competition include $1500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony.
The 2008 DIY, New England and London book festivals are part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books. The festivals are sponsored by the Larimar St. Croix Writer’s Retreat, The Hollywood Creative Directory; eDivvy, Shopanista, Westside Websites and The DIY Reporter.com.
This theory, which I completely support though might not always be disciplined enough to follow, sparked a flurried and somewhat salty exchange on Twitter sparked by an observation from Doyle Albee:
, which should be every aspiring independent publisher’s bible.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (11:30 am – 1:30 pm)
Four Points Sheraton
$20 members, $25 non-members (RSVP deadline: Sunday 10/19 midnight)
