Unique 4RV Children's Book, SPEARFINGER, Receives Amazon Honor

     Charles Suddeth (@CharlesSuddeth on Twitter), with illustrations by Carrie Salazar, produced one of the first bilingual English - Cherokee children's book we've been able to find: Spearfinger. Charles Suddeth wrote the story based on a Cherokee legend. Tim Nuttle translated the story into Cherokee, which Lawrence Panther edited. Renee' La Viness worked hours to make sure both English and Cherokee worked together and nothing clashed or didn't agree. Carrie Salazar (@swampmonster) made the story live with her marvelous artwork. The unique book interests children and adults.

     Spearfinger, a witch, terrorizes the Cherokees of the Smoky Mountains. No one can stop her. A little boy named Chucha battles her. Can he discover her secrets? Can he put an end to her rampages? The answer is found between the covers of the book, which is available in both hardback and paperback versions.

     Of course, we hope people order copies of the book from the 4RV Bookstore or the 4RV Shop-lets in Oklahoma City/Edmond, but Amazon has given Spearfinger  an honor already:

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#1 New Releasein Children's American Folk Tales & Myths

#1 New Release in Children's American Folk Tales & Myths.

     Congratulations, Chuck, Carrie, Tim, Lawrence, and Renee', for the beautiful final book. 4RV is fortunate to have quality authors, artists/illustrators, and editors.

     Please visit the 4RV website and the 4RV Bookstore.

Vivian Zabel, President of 4RV Publishing

Traditional Publishing House based in Edmond Oklahoma

WEBSITE     BOOKSTORE     TWITTER     FACEBOOK

Twitter Refresher #marketing

by: Stephanie Burkhart

Twitter is a great resource for marketing in the social media domain. Back in October 2011, I wrote about Twitter and how to use it, so I thought I'd take another look at it – a "refresher" so to speak.

Twitter's changed its look this year. If anything, I find the new look "busy," and I'm a firm believer in the "keeping it simple" look. The good news about the changed look is that it's still easy enough to find the spaces to post a tweet, send a direct message, and find the follow button.

The pros and cons haven't changed. Pros: It's cheap and fun. Cons: It's confusing and intimidating.  In my opinion: if you're new to Twitter, the learning curve is in the middle, not too high, but you have to hunt for a couple of things.

Twitter is a great way to get the word out about a new book, or a new review if you're an author, but in order to be successful, you've got to do a couple of things. I recommend:

·      Dedicate 10-15 minutes a day to be on Twitter.

·      Friend 5 people a day, preferably those who share your interests. If you're an author you might want to target book bloggers and book reviewers. Friending people is a great way to build your Twitter base.

·      Do a half and half. Make half your daily tweets promotional, the other half, let your personality shine. Tweet the little things. I find I always get a good response when I tweet "getting 7-11 coffee."

Going Deeper - Twitter 102

When you tweet, try to use a keyword to describe you or your book. For example, the genre of the book, or the price point.

Use an icebreaker to bring in followers. Icebreakers like "How's the weather your way?" "Who saw Game of Thrones last night?" or "What's your favorite coffee?' attract people to answer and follow.

Use programs like Hoot suite to preschedule tweets so you don't have to be on Twitter frequently, especially if you have a busy day running errands.

If you have a blog, and blog fairly regularly, use Triberr to connect with others to Tweet about your blog posts. The basic Triberr account is free. There is a bit of a high learning curve with Triberr – you need to link up your blog and Twitter, but once you master it, you'll have a steady stream of tweets that will attract people to your blog.

The little things go a long way. It's important to talk about your interests – gardening, movies, music, books, traveling, coffee, wine, things that appeal to kids. Fellow Tweeters get to know you and tend to reciprocate. It's all about reaching out and finding an audience.

#hashtags: when you hashtag a tweet it allows fellow tweeters to find tweets in that topic.

@sign: lets people know you're talking about them, or they are talking about you. I love seeing an "@" sign and my name. I appreciate it and try to reciprocate.

Question: I'd love to hear your thoughts about Twitter. Do you use it? Why or why not? If you do, what do you do that makes it work for you?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She loves coffee, adores chocolate and is going to participate in the Alz.org Walk to Cure Alzheimer's on 20 SEP in Santa Clarita, CA.  Her children's book, "The Giving Meadow," is published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Do You Use Social Media

Do you use social media as part of your marketing and promotion?

First, what is social media?

Social Media is any online form of communicating which individuals employ; including blogs and microblogs like Twitter.  Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ are social networking sites, of which there are many, and are a demarcation to  "industrial media," referring to radio, television, and film produced by professionals in these areas of media.

Since we now have a basic definition of what social and network media, do you employ these on a regular basis to let readers know about you, your writing, available books, and your work in progress? If you don’t, why not?

If you are writing for yourself, social and network media may not be as important to you; but if you want to get your writing into the hands of others, social and network media should be as important to you as writing the book itself.

As an author, you need to contact reviewers to write and post reviews on blogs,as well as mention the book rating on micro-blogs and networking sites. Give reviewers a picture of the book cover for their book review blog. 

These activities should be part of your promotion and marketing. You need to begin actively working on all forms of social and network media at the same time you begin writing your first draft.

Unless you have a secondary income other than your writing or are on a limited budget, it’s up to you to handle promotion on your own, rather than paying to have it done for you.

Social and network media is the new era of publishing for authors.

Robert Medak

Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Proofreader/Reviewer/Marketer

http://xeeme.com/RobertMedak

Does an illustrator need an illustrated logo?

by Aidana WillowRaven

Today's topic is inspired by a conversation I had on Twitter. A fellow illustrator asked, "My new website is almost done but I'm stuck for a logo. Does an illustrator need a logo/icon? If so should it be illustrated? Thoughts plz."

My response, "Yes, an illustrator should have an illustrated logo identity, just like a designer should have a cool design for theirs."

I further commented, thanks to XLT (eXtra Long Tweet), "Also note, when you do decide which way to go, make sure it suits our own personal style. Don't just go with the norm. For example, when I was working on mine, every artist I knew had a cutesy caricature of themselves bent over at a drawing table. I knew this would not work for me. One, I don't do caricature. Two, I'm not silly, funny, or goofy, like many of my art friends, so it simply would not portray me or any aspect of my personality or how I look at my work. I thought about it, stared at my wall, then saw what I needed. On my wall was my sun hat, hanging just above the shelf that holds recycled tin cans holding a multitude of colored pencils and brushes. Suddenly, my logo was created. I just had to sketch it. took me a whole five minutes to do, including clean-up in PS. I have gotten more jobs because of this logo than I can count. Good luck! :D"

According to Wikipedia, a logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the name of the organization (a logotype or wordmark).

In the days of hot metal typesetting, a logotype was a uniquely set and arranged typeface or colophon. At the level of mass communication and in common usage a company's logo is today often synonymous with its trademark or brand.

Your logo should define who you are and what you do, no matter what industry you are in. It is your first communication with clients and should be something you are comfortable with to continue using for a long, long time. After ll, you have a brand to build and plan to be in business a long, long time.

Don't rush it. Google/Bing "important logo tips," think about how you want to be seen, and have some fun. I mean, you ARE an artist. Stressing over a visual interpretation of yourself and your business is silly. :D

 Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operation

4RV Publishing

Social Networking by Katie Hines

I'm still adjusting to the idea that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are important to me and my book, and thus, worthy of my time. Why are they, and how many should you establish a presence on?

I think exposure is the key: the more our name is in the great "out there" the more people are going to be interested in what you're doing, in what I'm doing. I'm tweeting on Twitter, and it feels so strange, because I'm not engaged in personal conversations with people. I do, however, realize that the more people that I follow (within reason), the more people will see about me and my work. The concept of tweeting 3 times a day or so takes some getting used to.

Facebook is fun, but it takes time. I have to admit this is the most fun social networking site that I'm on. I've met people I thought long gone from my life, and I'm trying to follow conversations and comment on people's walls that I think fall within the demographics of those I am wanting to reach with both my name and the name of my book.

I also belong to JacketFlap, and haven't really gotten the hang of that, either. I guess I need to make a more concerted effort to get there and "do something." Not sure what that is, yet.

In case you've never heard of JacketFlap (I hadn't heard of it until a couple of weeks ago, either), it is simply one in a list of sites I haven't heard of before. If you're into social networking--and we as authors should be--then you may want to consider some further social networking sites: Nothing Binding, Shoutlife, Live Journal, Authors Den, LinkedIn, Scribd and Axis Avenue. I have only made brief visits to these sites, so be sure and follow up on your own. Ning groups are also a great way to garner some exposure. These sites are not all social networking sites in the way Facebook or Twitter is, but are sites to be aware of where you can gain exposure and network.

Why are these sites important? Because, the more social networking groups we are a part of, the more varied of an audience we will have for our name/book. Do what I'm doing. Take the time to learn and participate. I am, and I firmly believe you will be glad you did.

Marketing Tips: Have fun with Twitter by Stephanie Burkhart

Social networking can be a challenge for many who are just starting out in the writing world. Social networking is a necessary tool that the author can use to promote their book. I thought I'd take a look at how you can maximize your time on Twitter. Twitter is a forum that allows for a "tweet" of approx 120 characters so you have to keep your "tweet" short.

The Pros of Twitter:
It's cheap (i.e. free)
It's fun (once you get the hang of it)

The Cons of Twitter:
It is intimidating
It is confusing

At some point, you have to get your feet wet and join. Whatever your role in the writing world – author, illustrator, marketing, etc., these tips can prove very helpful.

For me, the main goal of Twitter is to increase my followers. The more followers you have, the more people you reach out to.

Goal stated, let's get into the tips:

Tip #1 – You don't want to spend more than 10-15 mins on Twitter at any given time. Trust me. You have other things to do and social networking should not consume your day. Make it a point to check your Tweets 10-15 mins a day. The "optimum" goal should be once in the morning, and once at night, but if you can't do twice a day, strive to be on Twitter at least once a day.

#2 – Friend 5 people a day
I use the recommendations on the side, but I also follow my favorites which include Anne Rice, The New England Patriots, other 911 dispatchers, and even Chum Lee from Pawn Stars.

#3 – Retweet 5 posts a day
(this shows others you are supportive by retweeting their posts. In turn, fellow tweeters are generally inclined to retweet your posts)

#4 – Tweet 5 posts a day
These can be anything. For example:
Quotes from your favorite writers or authors. I like to quote HG Wells, Emily Dickinson and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Share YouTube links – this can be your book trailers or some of your favorite videos on you tube.
Amazon links to your books. If your book is on sale, mention it.
Places were you want fans to follow you like Good Reads, LinkedIn, Writing.com, etc.
Links to reviews for your books.
Links to book reviews you've done.
Announcements for what's on your blog.
Announcement if you're visiting someone else's blog.
Announcements on any contests or giveaway you're doing.
Gush and give shout outs to your favorites: movies, authors, books, music, etc. I usually give a shout out to coffee and chocolate during the week. It's okay to be a little cheeky and show off your personality. Readers like to see a little bit of your fun side.



You may not feel an immediate effect, but you'll see difference by the end of the week and even a bigger difference by the end of the month. Remember, it's all about growing your followers.

Tip #5 - #hashtags
These are "quick" tags that highlight popular posts. If you post "Check out my book on Kindle" (with the link) use #kindle at the end of the post. If other people are on twitter and check out the popular posts highlighted on the side, they should pull up a majority of post with the hashtags. If you have your post marked with a hashtag, it should, in theory, pull up.

Tip #6 - @ sign

If you talk about someone, let them know. They'll appreciate it and usually reciprocate. For example. Me: Just finished reading @StephBurkhart's book. Two thumbs up.

If anyone has any other tips, please feel free to share.
Go out there and tweet. And have fun with it.

PS: Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

Short Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Her children's book, "The Giving Meadow" was published with 4RV Publishing. She's a native of New Hampshire but now lives in California with her husband, 9 year old son, Andrew, and 5 year old son, Joe. Joe likes the following 4RV Books: Colors and Spider in Our Mailbox.

"If you love what you do you wouldn't charge money to do it."

by Aidana WillowRaven

I had planned on continuing the What does the Art Director mean by “I need you to clean-up your work for print”. But, I've decided to continue that next week while a pet peeve of mine is on my mind.

promotional illo for Aldric & Anneliese

Social networking has changed a multitude of things for the freelance illustrator/artist/designer (as well as any type of freelance career). It has broadened our exposure and our job prospects. This is a good thing. But as with every good, there is a bad. It also means you going to run into more of those types of "clients" that think you should work for them for free proclaiming that if you love what you did you'd do it for free. 

I encountered another such wanna-be-client this morning on Twitter. Check out the two day exchange (it started last night):

(anonymous): Bro Do You Use Illustration? Are You Proficient?. My Brother (anonymous) Need Some People For a Project

*Being very familiar with Twitter lingo, I immediately got the vibe it's most likely a CD cover or something of that nature*

WillowRaven: I'm an illustrator if they are looking at several people ... http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

(anonymous): @WillowRaven You Chargin?

WillowRaven: Lol. Of course. I am a pro and it's how I make a living. Don't you charge when you work?

(anonymous): @WillowRaven Not If You Love What You Do.. :-p lol.. Could You Just Work With Him And See Where It Takes You... It'd Be Helpful

(anonymous): @WillowRaven I Actually Don't Charge

WillowRaven: i'm willing 2 negotiate a fair rate w/ him, but I cnt volunteer my time, supplies & years of training & experience.

WillowRaven: Loving wht I do doesn't feed my kid ... lol. I luv wht I do enough 2 protect my industry & charge 4 illustration/design.

How many times do you see this kind of exchange on Twitter or Facebook? Somebody requesting free or almost free art work in exchange for nothing more than "credit".

Being an artist of any tradition, whether it be illustration, design, animation, fine art, or crafts (whether it's digital or traditional) has rather high expenses high time consumption. It takes years of training &/or practice to gain proficiency. Requesting someone to work for free, though, is highly unprofessional and should be unacceptable. Especially when the requester actually has the audacity to condemn or insult the pro for expecting compensation.

Working pro bono is fine if the return is just as beneficial, or more so, than what a fee would have given you (I've done so on several occasions for various reasons). But we need to be aware and careful about what spec projects we accept.

Another way people will profit from you working for free will be to announce a "contest". Oh, there are legitimate and prestigious contests that the winning artists get a great deal of exposure and acclaim, and most of them you have to not only submit free work, but also pay an entry fee. Those are fine too, if you can afford them. But the ones you need to look out for, however, are the ones where the contest host will benefit personally (like a book cover or T-Shirt design). Those are just ploys for someone to benefit from your skills and abilities without having to pay for them.

If you are a newbie or trying to expand into a new style or genre, it is understandable that you may have to "pay some dues" and do a few projects purely for portfolio and publicity building. Just make sure those dues don't hurt you or your industry. Try to remember that every time you take on a spec project, that it lessens the value of the industry as a whole and people begin to expect that low rate more and more, making it tougher to raise your rates and expectancy later. 

Always make sure the "client" understands the value of what he/she is getting and that your willingness to work for less than standard rate "this time" is because it benefits you in whatever way, but it at least educates them as to what is standard and expected in the future.

Of course, there are always those who will chastise you for "pushing your opinion on them" (another Twitter exchange response when I pointed out how shamefully the free work was being requested), but those are the ones you want to avoid anyway if you ever hope to make a livelihood out of doing what you love, rather than only enjoying it as a hobby. After all, shouldn't we love our work?

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operation

4RV Publishing

The Power of the Tweet ...

by Aidana WillowRaven

Have you ever had one of those 'Crissy Snow' moments? If you don't know who Crissy Snow is, then I'm about to REALLY age myself ... lol. Crissy Snow was the dingy blond on a late seventies, early eighties TV show called Three's Company. Crissy was infamous for not being the brightest crayon in the box, but once in a while, she floored us with a profoundly insightful statement. 

I had one such moment the other day on Twitter. I have no idea how I ran a business without Twitter or Facebook, because I know for a fact that 90% of my clients come from the social networking that I do. I had TweetDeck up, like I try to do every day, with my standard columns feeding me the latest Tweets on key topics:

Suddenly, a newbie artist pops up with a somewhat disheartening Tweet: 

@???: looking at the stunning work from all the illustrators I've added recently and thinking I should quit right now #inferior

Isn't that sad? The #inferior broke my heart. I responded immediately. I had to tell her "Noooo. It should inspire you to work harder." Then the conversation starts going back and forth a bit. I can tell she knows I'm right, but she is still a bit daunted as she gazes at works that she feels she'll never be able to achieve. Then I tell her why it's good to look at artists that are more practiced and skilled than ourselves, and why I do it all the time:

@WillowRaven: I look at my favorite artists not to feel bad, but to remind myself of where I want to go.

She thanked me for my '#wisewords', and promised she'd try to see it differently from now on, as a challenge rather than a barrier. I felt I had done a good deed and was pleasantly surprised when she decided to follow me on Twitter, and I followed her back.

At that time of the day, I had 3952 followers, which I rarely notice or pay attention to since I don't actively seek out new followers, only now I started getting these RT's (re-Tweets) of my Tweet. Authors and artists and just everyday people, who were not following me, felt something when they read what I 'said,' and felt the need to spread and share that one innocent statement.

I had to laugh. I even told the first person who RT'd it, "Thanks for the RT. Although seeing it spit back at me sounds like I was being all 'deep' or something ... lol ... but I was just trying to pick her spirits up, a bit." Then the 'new followers' stared rolling in. Now, two days later, I have 4049 followers. 

That's just a hint of the effectiveness of Twitter. But notice, I didn't get those new followers just repeatedly posting the link to my site or my work or repeatedly broadcasting my services (which I do both a bit, too--there is a time for that as well). My interaction with another person, on a personal level in a situation where I was trying to help someone rather than sell to them, is what I must give credit. It wasn't intentional, but you see the result. Now, 100 or so more people will see my Tweets about my work, or promos, or about books I've most recently worked on, and even this blog post. Their followers will eventually see me, too, and possibly follow.

What must be remembered, however, is that the internet, especially Twitter, is forever. Mind your manners and try not to Tweet anything that may go viral and haunt you or your book/art later ('I got drunk Friday and don't know the man I'm now married to,' type thing). Most importantly, get to know your fans and readers/art lovers. Your craft depends on their support.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operation

4RV Publishing