Writing Prompt: Identify Negatives, Shortcomings, and Address Them.

Writing Prompt 112

Identify negatives, shortcomings, and address them in writing.

We can all stand to improve upon something in our writing, but how do we do it in a way that is professional and worthwhile? One good way is by addressing our shortcomings in writing by blogging about them. Some people write about pet peeves that they have about the writing styles of others, but there isn’t a whole lot of reflective writing in which people write about their own flaws.

Think carefully about your writing style. While it may be easy to pinpoint your strengths, is it as easy to identify your flaws? Is it realistic to believe that your writing is of the same caliber as that found in magazines, journals, or scholarly publications?

Today’s writing prompt encourages you to reflect sincerely upon your own writing style, truthfully identify things you need to correct, and record those findings in writing. It is part introspection and part writing, but wholly creative and engaging.

Education – Quick Tips

In this new education section, I’d like to provide a quick tip to motivate nonfiction writers.

Offer your Kindle e-books for free.

Now that the month of September is almost done, I’d like to turn your attention to marketing tips that are most useful for nonfiction writers who have written and published books. If you have not yet written a book, don’t worry. I’ll be providing plenty of inspirational advice to motivate you to write a book!

One of the most controversial and interesting things that runs rampant in book publishing is the advice to offer or not offer books for free. Some advice encourages writers to publish e-books, as opposed to print books, so that readers who are hooked to their Nooks and Kindles can always have something to read. Not everyone agrees on the advice given, but it is certainly thought-provoking.

If you are a published book author, at some point, you may wish to earn money from your blood, sweat, and tears. Offering books for free on Kindle or other electronic devices is not the way to earn money, but it is a great way to get your work out there (marketing, ding ding!) and an even better way to get reviews. These days, the holy grail of Amazon book listings is their reviews, so it definitely gives you something to aspire to!

Marketing success in writing

Today’s feature is on blogger Betsy Graziani Fasbinder.

Betsy Fasbinder is a published book author and blogger who posts consistently thoughtful comments. Her unique brand attracted me fairly recently when I found out about her smashing success in offering her book, Fire and Water, on Kindle for free for three days. This promotion (read: marketing strategy) garnered her thousands of downloads, which means thousands of people read Betsy’s book.

No small feat and no small results, either. What happened as a result of Betsy’s experimental giveaway surprised her, as she thought one thing, although something entirely different happened. Her experiment disappointed her, but she learned a lot from the process and the struggles that published book authors go through in promoting their boo

ks. Read more about this interesting giveaway here.

In the meantime, you may wish to visit her main blog, in which Betsy declares that “Art Finds a Way.” True creatives think that, too. No matter what the struggles or opposition, the heart speaks louder. In other words, get cracking and go write!

Marketing success, non-writing

Here is our tenth feature on Artistic Toy Manufacturing Co. and the wild success of its custom plush and toys.

Cancer is a disease that affects so many people. When cancer hits children, it seems to tug our heartstrings a bit more. As a result of cancer affecting children, many organizations have cropped up, inventing interesting ways to help children during their difficult moments.

One of those organizations is Gabe’s My Heart, a Tennessee-based nonprofit that invented the “Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program.”  The duck program seeks to provide friendly, cuddly, furry plush toy friends to children receiving chemotherapy treatments. The nonprofit gives plush ducks along with educational videos to help comfort and educate children.

Guess who makes the chemo ducks? You guessed it – – Artistic Toy.