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SPAWNews Archives Available - from Jan. 1997 to this month

SPAWNews, April, 2008

Sandra Murphy, Editor

For contributions to the newsletter and Letters to the Editor, please email the editor of SPAWNews at editor@spawn.org

Those of you who are SPAWN members, be sure to go to the first page of the site, http://www.spawn.org and click on the "Visit Member Area" button. You will be asked to log in.

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Table of Contents

- Editor’s Note

- L.A. Times Festival of Books

- Market Update

- How to Successfully Promote Your Book At a Book Festival

- Book Review: Niche Publishing; Publish Profitably Every Time

- Member News

- Opportunities

- Contests

- Events and More

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Editor’s Note
By Sandra Murphy

Wendy is off in a flurry of poodle skirt, sparkly sweater and vintage purse—to write! I’ll try to be as witty and informative.

I’m Sandy, the brand new newsletter editor and keeper of the database. I live on the left coast of the Mississippi River, in St Louis, Missouri, where on a hot and humid summer day, you can almost get tipsy from the rich, earthy aroma of hops brewing at Anheuser-Busch.

I write a lot about dogs and cats. I live with Avery, a Cairn/Yorkie mix and Avery’s five cats. She collects them. I just get to feed them. Once I get past the anguish of seeing twelve copies of a carefully collated four page article flying through the air as cats run the Kitty500, I know I have material for another article.

Since meeting Patricia, I’ve learned ideas are everywhere you look, getting started is the most important part and writing is not just a calling, but also a job. When the blank page looks even whiter, ideas and language have left your brain, inspiration is just a word, you can still write. Some days writing will be magical, some days hideous, most days everydayness will intrude—but there’s always something to write about.

Thanks Virginia, Patricia and Wendy for the wonderful welcome.

Sandy Murphy

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Join SPAWN at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

SPAWN members: Display and sell your books from the SPAWN booth at the gigantic Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, April 26 and 27, 2008.

The Book Festival expects 133,000 visitors this year. SPAWN has purchased two booths for SPAWN members only. Act now, because space is limited.

We have only one space left:

Saturday at $200.

Here's what you get:

One-half table. That's four feet of table space facing one of the busiest walkways at the festival. You’ll have room to display and sell four titles, plus you’ll have space for one poster on the back wall. Every member will have front-of-the-booth access to visitors.

Don't miss this opportunity to sell lots of books, get that all-important exposure, make new contacts, network with other members, and have a really good time.

Sign up now for the SPAWN booth in a high-traffic section of the L.A. Times Festival of Books:
https://thor.he.net/~paige/form_latfb/.

Can't get to Los Angeles? Send us a book for display. SPAWN will display your book at LATFB and put your book in the SPAWN Catalog of Member Books for only $65.00 per book.
https://thor.he.net/~paige/catalog_LATFBdisplay_form.htm.

Or you can choose to only put your book in the catalog for $35.00 per book.
https://thor.he.net/~paige/catalog_form.htm.

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Market Update
By Patricia Fry

The April SPAWN Market Update includes access to over 2,000 opportunities, resources and news bites for authors, writers, screenwriters, freelance writers and artists. We provide links to 32 pertinent message boards and blog sites, we launch a plea for help on behalf of our friends at Preditors and Editors, we list 38 potential publishers for your works, we show you how to promote literacy, we give you some book promotion ideas and we offer links to two huge databases you'll probably use over and over again.

If you're a member of SPAWN, be sure to read each edition of the SPAWN Market Update from cover to cover. If you aren't yet a member, join NOW so you, too, will have access to this treasure trove of resources and information. You’ll have access to all of this valuable information AND our SPAWN Market Update archives which houses hundreds of thousands more resources, tips, links and news bites.

In this month's APRIL 2008 Market Update:

• The Big One hits L.A.! How you can promote your book with SPAWN at this major event!
• How you can support literacy and help get books to kids
• Got romance? Where to find markets for romance stories and publishers of romance
• A huge current market database for short fiction, poetry and story collections
• How to access and use online forums for promotion
• An online chat for authors related to your subject
• Informative sites for your book research projects
• A recommended list of writing/publishing blogs for information, resources and guidance

If you are not yet a member of SPAWN and would like to access Market Update and enjoy other benefits of membership, please join now online at http://www.spawn.org.

Note: If you are a free newsletter subscriber only, you will be unable to log onto SPAWN’s "Members Only" page.

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How to Successfully Promote Your Book At a Book Festival
By Patricia L. Fry

(Excerpted from Patricia Fry’s article, “How to Work a Book Festival So it Works For You.” www.matilijapress.com/articles/promo_bookFestival.htm)

The huge Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is this month. Are you signed up to sell or display books from the SPAWN booths? (Look for information and links in this newsletter.)

There are hundreds of book and author festivals held throughout the U.S. each year where you can rent a booth and sell books. Authors can also secure booths at trade fairs, flea markets and art and craft fairs.

To read about how you can successfully promote your book at a book festival, go to: http://www.spawn.org/marketing/promoteatbookfestival.htm.

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Book Review
by Patricia Fry, President of SPAWN

Niche Publishing: Publish Profitably Every Time
By Gordon Burgett
Communication Unlimited (2008)
ISBN: 978-0-979629525
208 pages, $19.95
http://www.nichepublishing.org

Gordon Burgett is not new to the publishing scene. He is the author of 34 books, many of them related to writing, publishing and public speaking. You may be familiar with his book “Publishing to Niche Markets,” published thirteen years ago. Burgett believed in the concept then and he still believes in the concept of writing for niche markets.

Throughout this book, Burgett uses what he calls the “TCE process.” He says that these initials represent the three key elements to niche publishing: targeting, customizing and expanding. He recommends self-publishing for most authors of niche books and he means the old-fashioned way of self-publishing—you establish your own publishing company.

To read the full review of Niche Publishing: Publish Profitably Every Time, go to: http://www.spawn.org/books/books_pub_nichepublishing.htm.

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Member News

Who's There? is a finalist in Foreword's Book of the Year Awards!

Sandra Jones Cropsey
Author Tinker's Christmas and Who's There?
Email: sjcworks@aol.com
www.tinkerschristmas.com
www.outskirtspress.com/whosthere

New website info for SPAWN member Rosemary E. Whitelaw author of DAYS OF ELIJAH: www.elizaearsman.com.

Patricia Fry is now blogging daily. Check out her informative publishing blog at http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog. In addition, those of you who have received The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (first edition) as your free book from SPAWN AND those who have purchased either the first or second edition of this book, can purchase the companion Author's Workbook for just $10.00. Go to http://www.matilijapress.com/workbook.html and click on the last ordering option.

Note: To have your announcements included in this section, you must be a paid member of SPAWN. Please email your news to editor@spawn.org.

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Opportunities

The Authors Show is broadcast on www.ArizonaWebTV.com, and is accessible through our various out of state stations. Selected webisodes will be made available for broadcast through RSS video feed. Authors interested in participating must register at www.WnbNetworkWest.com, and email a request for guest appearance. This request must include complete contact information, book title and a short paragraph introducing the book topic.

Jenkins Group and Combined Book Exhibit have teamed up to bring authors 21 incredible book display opportunities from around the world. Click the link to learn about all 21 shows including London Book Fair, Book Expo America, Book Expo Canada and fifteen library specific shows: http://www.independentpublisher.com/includes/jgicbe_21shows_1_7_08.pdf.

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Contests

Read about the latest contests at http://www.spawn.org/contests.htm.

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Events and More

Read about the coming events at http://www.spawn.org/events.htm.

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SPAWN is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

Donations are tax deductible.

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Join SPAWN now and receive one FREE book! See the selection from which you can choose your book at the Member Benefits page. As a member, you can enjoy the benefits of the Members Only Area. There you will find:

• Member Forum. In the SPAWN Forum, you can discuss publishing with knowledgeable published writers and publishers.
• Market Update. This valuable Market Update will appear every month, letting us know exactly what is going on with magazine and book publishers.
• Event Calendar where you can submit your events. After approval, your events will be available for all members to see.
• Member Webpages where you can upload your HTML pages to build your own web site. Your Web pages will be viewable by everyone on the Internet.
• Member Catalog where you can list your books and services
• Member Discussion list where you can discuss your triumphs and questions with your publishing peers.

SPAWNews

SPAWN is a nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible.

Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network
PMB 123
323 E. Matilija St., Suite 110
Ojai, CA 93023

Website: http://www.spawn.org
Telephone: 818-886-4281
Fax: 818-886-3320

Wendy Dager
SPAWNews Editor, Membership and Database Coordinator
email: editor@spawn.org

Virginia Lawrence, Ph.D.
SPAWN Webmaster
email: virginia@spawn.org

Virginia Lawrence, Ph.D.
SPAWN Executive Director
email: execdir@spawn.org

Patricia Fry
SPAWN President
email: patty@spawn.org

MISSION STATEMENT

To promote the literary arts and provide education, information, resources and a supportive networking environment for artists, writers, and other creative people interested in the publishing process.

Submission Guidelines

Members and Nonmembers: Please send your press releases, seminar information, and books for review to Wendy Dager, Editor, SPAWNews
PMB 123
323 E. Matilija St., Suite 110
Ojai, CA 93023
or email Editor@spawn.org.

SPAWN membership dues are $45 per year; spouses, half-price. Make your check payable to SPAWN and mail to P.O. Box 2653, Ventura, CA 93002-2653. Or click on Member Application to fill out the secure online form and pay your dues by credit card.

SPAWNews, Member Directory and web site listings, and discounts for SPAWN events are included in membership.

SPAWN is a nonprofit corporation. Donations are tax deductible.

Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network
PMB 123
323 E. Matilija St., Suite 110
Ojai, CA 93023

execdir@spawn.org