Promotion: Book Trailer for Pony Strings & Critter Things

posted by Vivian Zabel  

      Pony Strings & Critter Things, the third in the Critter Series by Rena Jones, was released earlier this year. The first two books in the series (Lemur Troops & Critter Groups and Stork Musters & Critter Clusters) were illustrated by another artist, but her latest two were illustrated by Ginger Nielson.

     The following trailer, created by the author, gives us a teaser, awaking a desire to read the book for ourselves, as well as to youngsters in our lives.

     All of Rena's book can be found on the 4RV Bookstore. 

4RV website 

Seeing Green

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, are you seeing Irish green? How about spring green, avocado or jade? Kelly, chartreuse or lime? Acid, celery or pond? How many substitutes for the word “green” can you make? I've got a list of 72!

Readers like to second-guess what’s coming next. The best writers throw surprises,don't they? It is the secret to what keeps us turning pages. It is our job to learn how they accomplish this feat. The best way I’ve found is to push past the first, second and third idea that comes to mind. Instead of using the word "green" for example, is there another word that fit the setting more precisely? One that will more completely capture the tone of your scene? Pond green might convey a stillness, or gloominess, to a "green" scene, whereas jade implies mystery. Lime adds zest!

If a description, action, characteristic, or mystery-solving plot point shows up high on your mental list, chances are good it will occur to your readers in a heartbeat, too. As a writer, we don't want to be predictable. Push to see what creative idea lurks brilliantly further down your list. While I agree with writing "How-to" books that discourage using adjectives and adverbs, writers can evoke memorable descriptions with an occasional powerful choice, as in "After raining all day, the summer-sweet lawn beckoned to the golfer who jumped from his armchair without further argument."

Beyond the Thesaurus

Scour bookstores for unique "wordy" reference books. Beyond the common thesaurus, there are many books crammed-full with words and ideas perfect for expanding our creative diction. A book of police terms sets the scene for crime writers, while a cookbook of old country recipes offers authentic language to write a story set in a one-room cabin.

While munching Irish soda bread or hot cross buns this weekend, challenge yourself to create banquet-worthy words for your next language feast!

Knowing your long term goals as an artist and determining the steps to take to get there.

by Aidana WillowRaven

In many ways, this topic can relate to most career paths, but today, I want to focus on my own field: cover art, illustration, and design.

One of my Twitter followers suggested a blog topic recently that sort of made me step back and think. Here is how the brief chat went:

@heyprettydivine asks me: @WillowRaven Where you see yourself progressing with your art career? Will you be a cover artist forever or will you move on and up?

I responded: @heyprettydivine On and up? There is something better than this? lol. This is why I went to art school to begin with. To be on/in books.

@heyprettydivine tweets: @WillowRaven OH of course! It's amazing, an ultimate dream for so many, but I thought that at such a young age u must nw hve new goals, too.

And after a moment's thought, I replied: @heyprettydivine I do have new goals, but they don't change WHAT I do as much as WHOM I do them for. Make sense?

Then I got to thinking a bit more. Although I knew from day one of my college training that I wanted to be a cover artist, my career path wasn't quite straight. It took quite a while to get where I am now, which is finally doing work I wanted to do when I started fine art classes at Norfolk State (then later at ODU).

Originally, my entire focus was on taking the courses I'd need to be a SFF book cover artist. I had a plan (which my professors and adviser hated ... lol), don't worry about the degree as much as the portfolio. I didn't say it was a GOOD plan ... lol. But in a lot of ways, that approach made me a more diverse artist. It also made it harder for me to get my career rolling. But first things first ...

I had decided to go to college and study art. I stared at my favorite book covers and figured I'd need to learn a lot about the human form, so I took life drawing classes almost every term. I also could see I needed painting and possibly design, since I was too cheap to pay a designer to clean up my art for print ... lol. So painting was also an every term class and design classes, which were not part of a fine art degree, were chosen as electives.

During my first term, I realized that was not going to be nearly enough figure work to accomplish my goal, so I added anatomy, animation, and seemingly non-related courses like anthropology, world religions, psychology, and astronomy to my load. 

I also added pottery and sculpture. I hung out in the studios after classes and watched the grad students work and had one on one conversations with professors about this you just don't learn in class, like copyright infringement and prejudices among the different art fields (which helped me to understand why so many of my profs hated that my goal was to be a scifi/fantasy cover artist).

I slaved myself out to those professors that did gallery showings and those that did what I considered practical things, like created brochures for the Norfolk International Airport.

My point is, I tried to learn it all. Everything I could remotely relate to becoming a fantasy and science fiction artist. I was in college six years and never earned my degree because in my mind, the portfolio was what got me a job, not sticking to a set curriculum. Youth!

Ten years go by ... I win a few awards in art shows. I sell a few computer print outs of my work for a couple bucks here and there. I even sell some work at scifi/fantasy conventions. Nothing big. And no book covers.The majority of jobs out there required my having a degree. I found out the hard way that most Art Directors are not artists themselves. More often than not, there isn't even an Art  Director doing the hiring, but an Editor who typically knows even less about art. They don't bother even looking at a portfolio without that degree.

What I also failed to learn in college was how to land a cover artist gig without a degree or any kind of business skills to start my own freelance business. So, I decided to finally take control of my ability to start my own art career and learn business. A few online courses, and before I knew it, I was being asked to illustrate a children's book.

Well, it's not scifi or fantasy, but it's a foot in the door. Suddenly, I realized I'd been cheated out of thousands of dollars and that my work, which I'd not been paid for, was profiting others. Not me. So more study had to go into fair and ethical guidelines for my industry. I had to find the right people to work with and continue building my portfolio, even though nothing I was doing had anything to do with my initial goal.

Don't get me wrong. I learned a lot on the journey. For example, I learned I like other genres. I LIKE doing book covers in general, not just scifi or fantasy. I LIKE illustrating for kids. That was never part of my college plans. 

I also learned that it takes time to build a name and reputation. You just can't be good. You have to be better and find someone who gives you a chance to show your worth. You have to build a professional portfolio, vs a personal one, because you're simply not legitimate until you have 50 or more published works. You need to learn your rights as an artist. You need to be willing to compromise. You need to do freebies on occasion (keep those to a minimum, or you earn enemies in the art community) and work cheap for a while. And most importantly: You have to figure out what your goals are and what you need to do to reach those goals.

Fifteen years after art school, and I am FINALLY doing what I SET OUT TO DO. So where do I plan to go from here? As I told @heyprettydivine, I have no intentions of changing what I do. I do hope to one day do at least one cover for a best seller. But if I never do, I am still doing precisely what I want to do.

What are your goals as an artist, and how do you hope to reach them?

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations

4RV Publishing

Promotion: Book Trailer for First Flag of New Hampshire

posted by Vivian Zabel 

     Another new book from 4RV Publishing, coming out in March, is First Flag of New Hampshire, written by Stephanie Burkhart and illustrated by Ginger Nielson.  Aidana WillowRaven created a book trailer to go with the book. After release, the book will be available through any bookstore and online as well as in the 4RV Bookstore.





4RV Publishing

Writer’s Block is a Myth

by Robert Medak


Writers talk about Writer’s Block, it is just a term and nothing more.

Some writers may disagree with me. Writer's block occurs because the writer hasn’t paid enough attention to their research, or has a clear conception of their writing project. Before tackling any writing task, it is necessary to have a clear concept of what they are writing, albeit a story, and article, a synopsis, or pitch.

My favorite quote, which I use as part of my e-mail signature, is by Mark Twain that speaks volumes to me is, "The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say."

Before beginning any writing project, the writer should take the time to gather their thoughts about what it is they wish to accomplish with their writing project. This may be a difficult concept for some writers to comprehend, especially the beginning or unpublished writer.

There are different types of writers. I for one am a seat of the pants writer. Writing for me is to have a clear concept of what I want to say, than say it the best way possible for the reader to have a clear idea of what I am saying. I want to engage the reader and offer information that may help them in articles I write.

The bottom line is to have a clear idea of what you are writing, get it written down, then edit it or have someone you trust edit the work for you.

Related articles

• Wishing for Writer's Block (valerieraynerants.wordpress.com)
• Getting Past Your Writer's Block (boldstate.com)
• Writer's Block? No Problem! (coolcatnebula.com)

Book Marketing Strategy: Joint Ventures

By Karen Cioffi

There is a song, The Power of One, which conveys what one individual can accomplish and/or change. But, how much more effective is the power of two, or five, or ten, or 100, or more?

In a technical light, a joint venture (JV) is a partnership between two or more entities for a specific project and for a specified amount of time.

Quoting from Entrepreneurs.about.com, “According to the Commonwealth Alliance Program (CAP), businesses anticipate strategic alliances accounted for 25% of all revenues in 2005, a total of 40 trillion dollars.” So, it’s easy to see this strategy packs a wallop.

This is the concept behind joint ventures for book promotion, and they are very effective.

The idea is to hook up with other authors/writers and participate in JVs. What this means is an author has a new book coming out and wants to reach more than her individual mailing list and social networks, she joins forces with writer friends or acquaintances to promote the book for a ONE DAY Promotional Power-packed Special.

Suppose it’s your new book; you contact one to several authors who might be willing to put your prewritten promo on their sites and social networks, and (THIS IS THE VERY IMPORTANT PART) are willing to provide a freebie or a significant discount on a product or service to any one who purchases your book on that day.

According to book marketing specialists, Brain Judd and Daniel Hall, this has the potential to put your book on Amazon’s TOP HUNDRED list in one or more categories – just for one day’s promo.

Even participating in JVs has promotional benefits. I recently participated in a JV initiated by an author for her new book. For my participation I offered a FREE bonus gift, How to Create an Ebook.

I posted her promo content, along with my own, because I like to show my readers the marketing value in particular posts such as these. I then promoted the post to my social networks.

For a little effort and time, you can increase your visibility and possibly your subscriber list.

To have your participation be more effective, be sure to provide your links and offer your own products within your free offering. And, to create added value, you can allow the freebie to be shared, or portions of it reprinted with your tag/bio.

Another scenario for book promotion JVs, in fact a more popular one, is to be approached by publicists. This has happened to me several times and I usually participate for the visibility factor. The publicist will put out a wide reaching call for participants for his client. Obviously, the more on board the greater the promotional reach and punch. But, even on a small scale, this marketing strategy is a gem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learn about writing and marketing with Karen Cioffi at http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. Sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World, and get TWO free site-related e-books for subscribing, and ONE more just for stopping by. For professional and affordable writing services check out http://dkvwriting4u.com

What I've learned from television

by Vivian Zabel

     I watch many police, detective, and crime shows on television, often hoping to learn something I can use in my writing. Of course much of what I learn is what not to use, but all is part of learning.

     From CIS (all versions), NCIS, Law and Order, The Mentalist, Castle, and other various show, I've learned that most law enforcement people and criminologists are manipulative, lying, promiscuous, immoral, corrupt, and over-all dysfunctional. I wonder how any crimes can be solved when the people supposedly solving the crimes use their time to commit their own crimes or to try unwind their own twisted lives.

     Ahh, you ask for examples. In at least three shows (CSI Miami, NCIS, and NCIS LA), the protagonists take the law into their own hands and murder some bad guys, in other countries of course. They might have some twinges of trouble as results, but nothing drastic happens to them because of their actions.

     I'll admit NCIS is one of my favorite shows, but really. In real life, Tony would be up on charges of harassment and dismissed faster than I could spell harassment. He has become a caricature rather than a crime fighter. Enough is enough and really too much. If I had a protagonist in one of my novels like Tony, I would definitely not sell any copies. I'm a fan of Jethro Gibbs, usually, but, much as I would understand a character wanting to kill the murderer of my family, the writers really must be careful not to write when under the influence of whatever.

     From CSI Miami, I've learned to use appropriate body actions. People do not normally look off somewhere else when talking to a person, as the main character does on this show. As a result, I try to make the actions of my characters believable and appropriate.

     On all these shows, characters must play musical beds, apparently. What such behavior has to do with solving crimes, I have no idea. In this world of dissolving marriages, split families, people having trouble bonding with others, why do we need to see the lack of personal control extolled constantly on television? I could see an occasional incidence popping up, especially on the part of antagonists or red-herring characters, but according to television, all the protagonists, the heroes, are flawed to such a great extent that I don't know how they find the time or energy to do their jobs.

     No, characters shouldn't be "perfect," because no one is perfect, but few successful, productive people are so imperfect, so flawed, so unappetizing. Therefore, I've learned from television shows to work extra hard to make my characters believable.

     The same idea applies to plots: Plots should be believable enough that a reader can suspend belief enough to accept them. Television plots often are so unbelievable that anyone of a sound mind can't stretch his imagination that far.

      Yes, I have learned much from TV shows. Mainly I've learned what to avoid, but I still enjoy, for the most part, the shows and do pick up some helpful ideas.

4RV Bookstore
4RV Publishing