Virtual Book Tours (VBT) also known as Virtual Author Tours (VAT) are fast becoming the best way to market your book online. Here are 10 tips to help you create a successful virtual book tour:

1.   Create a Web page

Set up a Web page specifically for the Virtual Book Tour (VBT). This is where you will send potential tour stop hosts so they can sign up to join your VBT. This site should also capture contact information and put it in your shopping cart system for future email promotions.

2.   Create a book trailer

Create a dynamic book trailer. Don’t skimp on this step. This will be one of the main reasons people sign up for the book tour. A good book trailer acts along the lines of a movie trailer. It’s your hook to draw people in, get them curious and asking for more.

3. Do your research

Spend a lot of time carefully doing Internet research to find areas that fit your target market. (Are you writing about self-help, women’s issues, business, a fantasy novel?). Search more than just blogging sites. Search for web radio, newsletters, article submissions, and social networking sites.

4. Create a killer pitch letter geared to your target market

Create a pitch letter, stating who you are, what you are doing, and add links to the Web site and the book trailer. Personalize the letter and specifically gear it to your target audience, and make sure it doesn’t sound canned or come off as a mass email.

5.   Offer more than blogging

Again, offer more than just blogging as a means for your tour stop hosts. Podcasts, Q&A sessions, live interviews, phone interviews, articles for newsletters, Internet radio interviews, all work, as well as blogs. The easier you can make it for your tour stop host, the better response you’ll receive.

6.   Create a tracking spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet including all the sites you’ve found, the contact information, when you contacted them, what you can offer that particular contact (i.e., will you blog for them, do a Q&A session, live interview, podcast?) and make a column for responses. Then use an online calendar (Outlook, Google, Yahoo all have calendars that will work just fine) to see who’s doing what, when, and where.

7.   Follow up at least four (4) times

Once you have all these steps in place, you are ready to start contacting each person on our list along with their personal pitch letter. If you don’t get a response right away, follow up (at least four times) with a different pitch letter each time. (It’s not as necessary to personalize these follow up letters.) And, don’t waste time with those that don’t respond after the fourth try. Move on to a new group of contacts. If you’ve written a good pitch letter, most of your responses will come in after the first or second try.

8. Start your own blog

Post what’s happening with your VBT in your blog. Add each tour stop date and plug the tour stop host’s company, their Web site and their contact information.

9.   Send Goodies

Offer to send a copy of your book to your tour stop host along with other possible freebies, (i.e., a workbook, a report, an audio CD, etc.). And don’t forget a thank you note.

10. Ask for referrals

Ask your tour stop host for referrals of people they know that would benefit from your book. You’ll find that if you offer quality content and are passionate and enthusiastic about your book then others will be too.

In fiction, the writer’s job is to entertain, to draw an emotional response from the reader. The reader is often looking for suspense, action, and to go on a journey they have not been on before, one they will not easily forget.  Readers want to get drawn into and experience the story for themselves.  They want characters they can relate to and form a personal connection with.  But most importantly, they want a good book.  One that leaves them anxiously awaiting each turn of the page.  Here are three crucial elements of a good fiction book: 

Well-developed characters:  The characters in the book must be well developed and believable.  The characters should remind you of your teacher, your lawyer, your doctor, or maybe even your best friend.  Even though they are fictional, they come alive for us in the story. 
Action:   A good fiction book needs to be filled with action.  The good guys are after the bad guys, the doctor needs to find a cure.  From the beginning to the end, the reader can’t bear to stop reading because the action just keeps coming.   

Great Plot:  The writer keeps the reader guessing right to the end by using surprising, realistic plot twists.  Just when we think we know “who done it” – bam – a new twist creeps up and a story involves more.  As we near the end we wonder if there is time to solve it?  Will it have a happy ending?  Most readers long for a good ending to their story as they grow fond of the characters in the book and want to see the best happen to them.

For those looking for a good fiction book to read, one that stands out is the fiction thriller, Sledgehammer, by Paulo J. Reyes, M.D (http://www.pauloreyes.com).  This book has a well-developed story that takes place in an ER in Los Angeles.  The author, an ER Doctor himself, depicts the ER setting perfectly as patients appear and seek treatment and case after case of medical drama unfolds. The story takes you hour by hour through life in this ER until the unthinkable happens and one of the patients appears with smallpox symptoms.  What happens next is fiction at its finest and leaves you eagerly asking, “Could it happen today?” Writers write about what they know.  They can bring the sounds, colors, and images of their world to life in their story. 

Fiction is where writers get the opportunity to bring you into that world and keep you there until, “the end.” 

  **Diana Ennen is the Publisher of the fiction book, Sledgehammer, http://www.pauloreyes.com and http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com.  Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact.
 

Over the last few weeks, we’ve learned how to add energy, clarity, and succinctness to our sentences. I’d like to end this series with some tips on writing rhythm. What does that mean?

Writing with rhythm is how your words and sentences sound. It’s a subtle aspect of writing, that’s not normally talked about because it’s hard to teach, but that doesn’t lessen its importance.

It’s the difference between hearing an instrument play the same melody over and over again and listening to a symphony. Of course, everyone should have their own writing-rhythm style but use these four tips as a guide on how to improve your rhythm.

1. What’s the pace. Pay attention to the flow of your writing when you read it aloud. Does it roll along smoothly, without long, unbroken torrents of sound, awkward pauses, and tongue-twisting miscues? If not, tinker with the syntax to improve the pace.

2. Look for alliteration. If your first draft sounds clumsy, see if you can rewrite sentences that repeat a key sound. Can you turn “dewdrops sat on the flower’s petals” into “dewdrops danced on the day lily’s leaves”?

3. Vary the length. Like the speaker who never varies their pitch, sentence after sentence of the same length is a guaranteed snooze fest. Mix it up by following long sentences with short ones, or create paragraph patterns with progressively shorter, or longer, sentences. And do the same thing with your paragraphs. Sometimes your paragraphs may contain a dozen sentences, sometimes they can be condensed to only one.

4. End with a bang. Like the crescendo of a musical passage, build the final sentence or paragraph of your chapter with intensity or excitement and then crash the cymbals. In other words, end with words that pack power and punch.

Reference: Hart, J. A Writer’s Coach, 2006, New York: Pantheon Books

Last week I talked about easy ways to add energy to your writing. This week, I’ll give you five easy ways to tighten your writing.

Keep in mind, anything that doesn’t contribute to a piece of writing detracts from it. To create the strongest possible prose, eliminate everything that isn’t essential.

1. Question every word. Read slowly through your draft questioning every word, phrase, and clause. Will cutting a word sacrifice the sentence’s meaning? If not, cut it. If cutting a word sacrifices only a tad of meaning unessential to your main point, cut that, too. Pay attention to the words or phrases on either side of conjunctions such as and, or, and but. Do you really need “strong” and “sturdy”?

2. Make your modifiers specific. Instead of writing that the car was “old,” say it was “dilapidated.” Drop modifiers that are already conveyed by their nouns or verbs. Do you need to write that your character “slowly ambled” down the aisle, or does “ambled” do the job?

3. Don’t crowd. Limit your sentences to one or two main ideas. Overloading your writing intimidates readers and adds unnecessary length.

4. Keep it concise. Never use two nouns when one will do. It’s not a “sales event,” it’s a “sale.” And a “crisis” is much more urgent than a “crisis situation.”

5. Heave the verb anchors. Simple action verbs can drive most writing. Auxiliary verbs bog the action down. Why write “he was skiing down the hill” when “he skied down the hill” does the job?

Reference: Hart, J. A Writer’s Coach, 2006, New York: Pantheon Books.

What do physics and writing have in common? In physics, the bigger and faster a moving object, the harder it hits. Same thing with words. The more energy they carry, the more response they get.

Do you want the world to take notice of your writing? Here are five ways to add energy:

1. Find action verbs. Describe your surroundings. Verbs such as “to be,” “looked,” “appeared,” and “felt” merely define. There’s no action.

The grass is green.
The grass looked green.
The grass felt good.

Action verbs capture movement.

The lightning bolt splintered the elm, crashing it into the house.

2. Avoid unnecessary suffixes. Word endings such as “-able,” “-tion,” and “-ance” turn action words into anchors.

Flabby: He gained entrance into the residence.
Svelte: He broke into the house.

3. Use the active voice. The voice of the verb determines the way action flows in a sentence. The strongest sentences start with the action then flow from the subject through the verb to the object.

Example:If Tom has a baseball and he hammers it into deep left field, then the active way of describing that act is:

Tom hit the ball.

The passive voice, on the other hand, begins with the object of the action, follows with the verb, and tacks the subject onto the end of the sentence.

The ball was hit by Tom.

4. Watch your expletives. An expletive is not just a curse word, but any term that merely fills a hole in a sentence without carrying any meaning. Common expletives include “there are,” “there were,” and “it is.” Expletives waste space and drain energy; eliminate them when you can.

Weak: There were six geese on the pond.
Better: Six geese paddled across the pond.
Weak: It was dawn.
Better: The sun rose.

5. Be bold. Confident writers take charge of their writing. Don’t be vague by using little qualifiers such as “somewhat,” “rather,” and “a little bit.”

The sun was somewhat hot.
The sun was rather hot.

There is no somewhat or rather. Be confident; was the sun hot or not?

Reference: Hart, J. The Writer’s Coach, 2006, New York: Pantheon Books

During the writing of The Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition of Grammar Done Right!, I was asked to speak at the American Business Women’s Association on the topic of “Good Grammar = Good Business.” Great topic!

I was then forced to determine and make clear to my audience: Why is grammar so important to good business? Great question!

Well, for one, a misplaced comma or unclear sentence has been known to cost companies millions of dollars. Need another reason? A survey of hiring managers showed that applications with spelling or grammar errors were rarely considered for the job. And, you already know that first impressions are lasting impressions; good grammar shows a willingness to care about your written image. It’s not just about following a bunch of rules, it’s about being understood, showing respect, and getting respect.

That’s why I’m participating in National Grammar Day on March 4th, and you should too.

Founded by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG); the site loves those of us that aren’t afraid to wield our mighty red pen, and acknowledges those of us who crave and practice good grammar.

Join me in supporting National Grammar Day by visiting:

http://www.nationalgrammarday.com
http://www.spogg.org

Want to save money this year when it comes time to hire an editor?

Keep in mind that editors often charge by the hour. So the better you can write, the less time your editor will spend going through your manuscript. here are a few quick tips to help you save money when working with an editor.

Start your story with a bang.
Don’t make your editor rewrite your opening because you’ve launched into a wordy intro, prologue, or first chapter. Hook your reader from the get-go. Your editor (and reader) will love you for it.

Cut out unnecessary words.
Editors edit; that’s what they do. Be concise in your writing. A lengthy paragraph about the color of someone’s eyes or the time of day can be cut down to a few succinct words.

Go easy on passive verbs and adverbs..
Editors cringe when they see the passive voice or too many adverbs. The English language is full of exciting, creative action verbs. Use them.

Show, don’t tell.
You’ve probably heard this advice a thousand times. Listen to it. Your readers want you to show them what is happening in your story. Is it a sunny day? Don’t tell us it’s a sunny day; show us how the rays bounce off the hot asphalt.

Three must-have writing tools.
Every writer should invest in three invaluable books and study them: a book on writing well, a good grammar and style guide, a Thesaurus.

Take the time to learn these simple skills. Your editor will spend less time reworking and editing your manuscript, and you will save money.

Why Is Punctuation Important?

Have you ever been turned down for a job because of incorrect punctuation on your application form and the HR manager thought you were illiterate!

(See, you may think I’m yelling at you because I ended the last sentence with an exclamation point instead of a question mark. Now do you see the importance of proper punctuation?)

Without punctuation you would not be able to express your feelings in writing not to mention know when to pause or stop or ask a question or yell at someone (a run-on sentence). And without punctuation (a semi-colon) you would not be able to separate independent clauses; do you know what those are? (This is an example of two independent clauses.)

Punctuation (like the other components of good writing, including spelling, grammar, capitalization, etc.) has been devalued by a generation of computer wizards who ask, “What’s the point? Nobody writes in complete sentences anymore.”

Inaccurate Punctuation Can Be Costly.

People at Rogers Communications learned otherwise. Canada’s largest telecommunications company had an attorney who misplaced a comma in a contract with a company that agreed to string Rogers’s cables across the Maritimes. A Canadian court said ignorance of correct punctuation was no excuse and invalidated what was believed to be an ironclad five-year contract. That errant squiggle cost Rogers $2.13 million. (You can read about this case at http://www.NationalPunctuationDay.com )

The rules of proper punctuation haven’t changed just because of computers. Casual shortcuts bred by e-mailing and text messaging have no place in professional business writing, where words wield power and decision-makers form impressions immediately. Clarity and attention to detail remain imperative; careless punctuation mistakes cost time, money, and productivity.

National Punctuation Day September 24

National Punctuation Day on September 24 draws attention to the importance of proper punctuation. It’s a day for librarians, educators, and parents everyone interested in teaching and promoting good writing skills to students and children. It’s also a day to remind business people that others judge them based on how they present themselves in writing.

Yes, proper punctuation is important - especially when a misplaced comma, as Rogers Communications learned, can alter the meaning of a sentence and cost a lot of money!

How to Participate in National Punctuation Day

What can you do to participate in National Punctuation Day on September 24?

Go to http://www.NationalPunctuationDay.com and become familiar with rules and issues.

Forward this blog post as a way to spread the importance of proper punctuation.

Share examples with founder Jeff Rubin (call 877-588-1212 or e-mail him at Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com )

Reprinted with Permission
by Jeff Rubin, Founder, National Punctuation Day

Props go out to my editing colleague Barbara McNichol. I would never have seen this article if it wasn’t for her blog. Visit Barbara’s blog at: http://nonfictioneditor.wordpress.com

(Lexington, KY, USA) March 6, 2007 – Outsourcing organization,
RemoteProfessionals.com, Inc.,  (http://www.RemoteProfessionals.com) will
present an online mini-conference for independent workers on April 17th,
2008. The mini-conference will contain two tracks, one for new virtual
workers and one for long-term offsite providers, and will be held from 9:30
am to 1:45 pm (EST).

Speakers will cover topics including: How to secure clients, how to release
clients, managing and billing time, business blogging, creating and online
presence and website review. Speakers include:

Tiffanie Lyon of lyonsalesinstitute.com, is a published author, trainer and
speaker who inspires non-traditional sales people to accomplish effective
self-promotion and promote their small and home-based businesses for a larger
market share.

Marsha Kopan of execsecsrv.com, a 10-year veteran of the virtual assistance
industry who has served on numerous professional boards and committees and
runs a successful VA practice specializing in association management and
paralegal services.

Anna Baron of thevirtuallink.com, is an 11-year veteran of the VA industry who
specializes in web design and Internet marketing for the Real estate
industry. She has appeared in multiple industry publications and has mentored
and coached beginning virtual assistants for over five years. 

Karen Reddick, MVA of vandeservices.com and redpeneditor.com has been a
virtual assistant for six years and is a professional author’s assistant
helping authors, editors and publishing executives.  Her business has been
featured on NBC’s Today Show. Karen publishes a weekly newsletter,
podcasts “Red Hot Grammar Tips,” and is an author in her own right.

Mike Price of MLBroadcast.com is a veteran web technologist who helps his
clients use Web 2.0 platforms to improve visibility, enhance presentation and
deliver cutting edge information on the Internet. Mike specializes in
assisting real estate industry professionals to use podcasting, web video,
blogging and social networking to capture a wider market share.

Andrea Pixley of AndreaPixley.com has been in business for over eight years
and is one of the most recognized names in the Virtual Assistant Industry
(Just Google “virtual assistant”). Andrea specializes in website and customer
services and manages a resource website to assist military families like her
own.

Two of the mini-conference sessions will be hands-on workshops, limited to ten
participants. Non-workshop classes will host a larger audience. When session
space is limited, participants will be registered on a first-come, first
served basis. Classes may be taken individually or a full-day discounted pass
may be purchased. For more information, or to register for the event, visit
http://www.RemoteProfessionals.com/ or call 888-890-8226.

About RemoteProfessionals.com:
RemoteProfessionals.com is a professional networking organization for
outsourcing professionals. Our members are dedicated to providing exemplary
service, promoting outsourcing workstyles, supporting peer providers, and
supporting clients worldwide without geographic limitations.

The only Virtual Assistant to be featured on network television, listen to my interview with Melanie O’Kane talk about my new book, Grammar Done Right, as well as how using an editor and author’s assistant can help your business grow. Inquiring minds also wanted to know what it was like to be showcased on the Today Show.

Buy Grammar Done Right at www.grammardoneright.com
Buy A-Z Guide: The Best Ways to Work with a VA at www.vandeservices.com