Conferences

I am getting ready to attend a major Tarot conference called the(Readers Studio. For those who know me as a wanna be writer of mysteries, I also read the Tarot professionally, as well as writing reviews and doing interviews in this field. This particular conference has truly been a boon to me. The expense of any conference is a major consideration - because of this, I have only attended three conferences (this years conference included).

Conferences are much more than social events. While it is good to remain open to the flow once you get there, it doesn't hurt to ask yourself the following questions prior to actually deciding to go:

* Where does the subject matter of this conference fit into my life? How important is it to me?
* What do I bring to the conference as an individual?
* What do I expect from the conference?
* Is the conference important enough that I need to push finances to attend?
* Is it possible to share accommodations with someone else who is attending?
* What is the conference agenda? What seminars do I want to attend?
* As a writer, is there going to be an opportunity to do a meet and greet with editors? Would I be able to do a short presentation to an editor?
* If I have work out there (or about to be out there) is there a place to leave flyers, brochures or bookmarks?

Add to the list as you see fit. Each individual will have their own list of things that are important to them.

Have fun while you are networking. Networking? That is a huge part of conferences! Carry your business cards in your purse or pocket, so they are easily accessible. Then remember to hand them out! You will make friends, possible writing partners, and great contacts in the writing world!

The more conferences you attend, you will be able to note the ones that you want to attend from year to year, and the ones that you might want to pass on. This is a part of our writing life, and one that truly can be enjoyable!

(c) April 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Book Promotion Page

There are different types of book promotion pages - the two that come to mind immediately for me are the page that I intend to put up on my professional site this week for the release this fall of my book "Tarot and Birth Cards", and a professional page on Face Book dedicated to my book. For the purposes of this article, I am going to stick to my professional site page. I will be attending a Tarot conference the end of this month, and I want to set the page up, then use it as a flyer to distribute at the conference.

Some of the content I already have in mind:

1. Basic book information - title, ISBN number, publisher, publication date.

2. The use of scans from a few of the Tarot cards that are included in my book (to add color and interest).

3. Explanations of what Birth Cards are.

4. Why I included the personal empowerment tools of Journeying and Visualisation.

5. Information about the Tarot deck that I used for my book.

6. Ordering information.

7. Personal information.

8. A section for future reviews.

Off to close down my second Twitter account - I set it up as an author's page, to separate it from my Tarot and music interests, but it isn't working out. So ... anyone who follows me on Twitter will now have to go with the flow!

(c) April 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Character Morphing!

My current WIP is also my first fiction project. Well, my first full length fiction project. It is a mystery with a strong female lead, and three supporting female characters. So far, all of the males in this story, while strong in their own right, are basically supporting characters. I started a Bible early on, so that my characters (and the story they are weaving) didn't waffle around too much. At this point I am doing a combination of editing and finishing what I hope will be the first in a series of mystery novels.Think updated, urban versions of Miss Marple, or Tuppence Beresford (both Agatha Christie characters).

My characters are taking over my laptop, indeed they are! I wrote the first version while they sat there and sipped coffee. The edited version is one in which they are gently (and sometimes not so gently!) shoving me over and taking the reigns! They are not just evolving like nice little people, they are morphing into ... well, hopefully into solid characters. They all are refusing to be stereotyped (not that I ever intended that they would be, but really!), and the secondary characters are ... well, they are refusing to remain secondary!

I gave my characters their physical selves, the environment they live in, belief systems and, evolving from this, motivations for doing whatever it is they are going to be doing. So in a manner of speaking, I am responsible for this morphing. I am also comfortable with it, as they are becoming solid people, and developing solid relationships with each other.

As the intermediary, so to speak, I need to make sure that the issues the face, the life situations that they involve themselves in, are consistent with who they are as individuals, with their character and belief systems. In other words, I need to keep them authentic.

Check in next week, and see what they have been up to!

(c) April 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

OMG! Galleys are here!

The galleys for my upcoming book "Tarot Birth Cards and You" (yup - there was a name change, for the better) have arrived. I am quite pleased with the work that my editor did - it looks to be in great shape, with minimal corrections necessary. I should be able to have the editing back to her some time tomorrow, which will be a relief! I can send it by e-mail, rather than hoofing it down to the post office and answering inane questions about the contents. (Yes, it is loose paper. Yes, it is a manuscript. Yes, I have added a bit of virus to it in powdered form. That should be okay, yes? How nuts do they think we are!)

Now I can take the time (while editing my NaNoWriMo 2010 mystery) to revise my book promotion strategy. Two major avenues for promotion are no longer open to me. Well, they are open, but at this time they require more from me than I am willing to give. In one case, it would mean working with an individual that I am fast losing respect for, and I won't do that. In the other case, the individual that I refuse to work with is one off, but still ever present. My task, should I choose to accept it (key scary music) is to decide where my major focus for promotion will be, and what will be ancillary.

I was going to do laminated book marks for a seminar that I will be attending, but that isn't working out too well. If I choose to do that when my book comes out, I will have someone else do it for me. I am going to do a flyer for the seminar. There is a table where I can leave them, so that will be fine.

Then I need to look at the social media sites, how to set up Tweets in a timely manner, how to do a fan page for my book, and things like that. These are things that I can figure out, as well as blogging. I have several blogs up right now, so that won't be a problem. I need to go join appropriate forums in preparation for my mystery book coming out, as well as following mystery writer's blogs. That will take time, but is doable.

I love the planning, and I love the work. Life is good!

(c) April 2011 Bonnie Cehovet