Black Friday

I'm wondering how many people will be participating in Black Friday sales this year. I hope to get out to at least a few stores and take advantage of the bargains, but this year I'll be extra careful.

I'm not going to fall for as many rebate offers as I did last year. It takes forever to fill out the forms. Then you have to keep track to see if you get your money back again later. If I'm doing the rebate thing, I hope to find a store with online rebates, like Staples, where I don't have to get every little required item together and staple it and address the envelope and spend money on a stamp. At least, with an online rebate I've got half a chance of getting my money back because I can keep track of what's going on.

I also will be thinking twice about exactly what I purchase. If I don't need an item, I won't buy it just because it's at a good price.

Another thing - The time shoppers are asked to get up is turning way too ridiculous! Now doors open at many stores at 4:00 a.m. That means people will probably want to line up at last at 3:00. The way things are going, soon gun-ho shoppers won't be able to go to bed at all! In fact, I've already heard of someone who was in line as early as Tuesday for Best Buy. That is absurd or desperate.

I dislike stores that advertise special buys for Black Friday and don't have many of that item. It's way too disappointing to wait in line and not get what you really came for. Although I don't make it a habit to shop at Meier much, I do remember that that store did carry the sales items in a goodly amount. Unfortunately, I checked their ad and couldn't find anything I wanted to buy.

What does any of this have to do with writing? Well, when you create a character, little things like going to Black Friday sales, rummage sales, garage sales, or clipping coupons can be one way to describe that person's station in life. You can tell that person probably isn't loaded, that is, unless you're describing a scrooge. If you are, wait a little longer and mention the after-Christmas sales instead. (G)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving & a Frantic Black Friday!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com

Holiday Promotions Net Fans by Angela Wilson

Holidays are a great time for promotions. You have an opportunity to get your books in the hands of people in creative ways.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Several romance authors I know also sell Mary Kay or Avon. Put your bath salts, lotions and other non-cosmetic items into a nice basket or tin case, along with one or two of your titles, and send as gifts or use as Christmas giveaways at your site.
• Work with coffee shops to sell your books in baskets. Grab some java, flavored creamers and cups and put them into a nice arrangement. It is great promotion for both you and the coffee vendor.
• Don't forget Mom. Many organizations give toys to children of needy families and gifts for Mom as well. Put your books together with a few pamper items for the woman of the house to make her feel special this holiday season. It not only brings joy to that person, it helps agencies, who in turn remember your generosity. Non-profits are fabulous at word-of-mouth marketing.
• Arrange signings. Christmas signings are extremely popular. To make yours even more effective, create a stunning basket of goodies to giveaway to one of your buyers that day. Do NOT include your books in this giveaway. Some people will just put their names in the drawing and not buy, hoping they will get it free.
• Create a special gift or gift basket with your books for your library and ask them to give it away during a holiday event.
• Get auction fever by donating a creative, fun basket that includes your books for silent auctions. These are popular during the holidays and event organizers are always searching for free stuff to present to buyers who want to support a charity.

Check your local community calendar for events where you may be able to use a giveaway to your advantage. Don't be afraid to approach vendors about coordinating sales - like at coffeeshops or stores that carry unique items. Gift baskets are incredibly popular and can easily be created specifically for any event or family. If you are not basket-savvy, ask a friend for help.





Angela Wilson is a social media consultant. Her site, http://askangelawilson.com/offers marketing, PR and promotions advice to authors.



Find Angela Wilson at:http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilson
http://www.facebook.com/people/Angela_Wilson/775118823
http://www.myspace.com/angelawilson
http://twitter.com/angelawilson

Ministry of Silly Walks - I Saw A Candidate

Some of you are old enough to have watched the original Monty Python series on TV. Others may have caught reruns. Anyway, there was this one segment called the Ministry of Silly Walks, where they'd highlight people who walked differently. I admit some of it was in poor taste, but much of it was laughable.

Here's a link to a video from the Ministry of Silly Walks, for the uninitiated or those who'd like to reminisce.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqhlQfXUk7w

Anyway, an incident that happened twice last week reminded me of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. After exiting my commuter train at Ogilvie Transportation Centre and beginning to walk the platform toward the main portion of the station, I saw something very strange. This happened not once, but twice. There's the platform, then there are stairs leading downward to another area where you can connect to the underground portion to catch a cab, bus or other transportation.

I'm usually one of the last ones off the train, because I'm busy on my laptop computer during the train ride and then I wait for it to go through the Windows machinations to close out properly. That area of the platform is pretty well cleared of commuters when I step off the train, except for the engineer making his way to the other side of the train, a few stragglers, and the conductors.

Okay, here's what saw. I saw a man head down the stairs to the underground portion of the station. He only took a few steps, then he turned around and walked the remaining stairs backwards! Twice in the same week I saw the same guy do this. I'm not sure if it will happen again next week or not.

I have no idea why he does this. I know that in aerobics class we sometimes walk backwards with the purpose of strengthening the back of our knees. But to walk down stairs backwards, that seems absurd. In my way of thinking, any benefits from strengthening muscles would certainly be obliviated by the possibility of a nasty fall. It's easy enough to fall when you're walking straight. I've done it.

Maybe I'll figure out why someone would do this. Then I can create a character in one of my books who happens to walks backwards down stairs. At any rate, it did get me to thinking about including walking mannerisms and gait for the characters in my books. There are terrific possibilies along these lines. There's a person with a limp. How did it happen? Arthritis, a war wound? Or, there's the way a child skips, a confident guy lopes into a room, or a pregnant woman balances herself.

There are many other possibilites. I invite you to name any you think of. Also, if you've sited an unusual walker or just someone who did something out of the ordinary, please share.

Germs

Well, I've had my cold/flu germ now for over a week. I could have predicted it would happen, because fate is like that. Now my husband says he's caught my germ. That's right, the last person who has a germ is the one who owns it, that is until it's passed on. If he truly has the germ, which he probably does, and we'll find out soon, then it will be his germ to pass on to someone else.

You can have lots of fun with germs in books. Some ways are to be mean to your characters and give them germs, then let their significant others coddle them. Or, you can let your characters be alone with no one to care for them. Or, why not have a cad in the house who diregards an ill person.

Then, again, you can create characters who are germ-a-holics, kind of like me. They dislike shaking people's hands. They don't like touching faucets in public places without using a tissue as a barrier. They even hate touching bathroom doorknobs.

Some of these seemingly harmful germs can turn into deadly ones, like pneumonia. What an opportunity to create suspense! Will your character pull through?

Can you think of instances in either your book or someone else's where germs play a role? I invite you to leave a comment.

BOOK CLUBS

First photo - Left to right - Morgan Mandel, Lenore Stevens of Prospect Heights Book Review Club, Margot Justes

Second - Left to right - June Sproat, Morgan Mandel, Margot Justes

The AREA AUTHORS CREW took to the road at Rolling Green Country Club for a Nov. 19 presentation and book signing for Prospect Heights Book Review Club -

For many years, my husband and I have volunteered for the Festival Committee in Arlington Heights at Frontier Days in various capacities such as Disability Day preparations, the 4th of July parade, marshalling the gates and the fire lanes during the concerts, doing all sorts of things to help with the annual event.

This past Summer I got inspired to participate in a new way. Instead of merely buying items at Frontier Marketplace on Saturday and Sunday, I thought it would be a good idea to set up a booth. I invited my two friends, fellow authors and Chicago-North RWA members, Margot Justes and June Sproat to join me and they accepted. We called ourselves AREA AUTHORS, put up a great sign that one of June's children made up on the computer, which looked better than anything I could have done myself, pitched the tent supplied by another author/member of Chicago-North RWA, Debra St. John, and went about selling our books. We had a great time and made many sales.

In the photo above, I'm wearing my red volunteer gear because I was doing double duty that day, putting hot dogs in buns for Disability Day, then coming back to our tent to sell books. While I was gone, Lenore Stevens, Chairman of Prospect Heights Book Review Club, just happened to come along and just happened to ask Margot and June if our crew would like to do a presentation for their club on November 19 at Rolling Green Country Club in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Of course, they agreed for themselves and for me.

It seemed like a long way away, but we marked our calendars. Before we knew it, the day was upon us. The funny thing was we thought our audience would be perhaps 10-15 members. When I arrived, there were about 100 gathered, which was a pleasant surprise.

We were made to feel welcome and our program went on without a hitch. Many of the book club members asked great questions afterwards and also lined up to buy our books.

As a special treat, we were also invited to stay for lunch. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend a Wednesday morning.

Do any of you belong to book clubs? Have any of you done programs at book clubs? What were your experiences?

My New Nickname - Thank you, Marvin Wilson

I've always envied people whose names could easily be turned into nicknames.

The name, Morgan, does not lend itself easily to nicknames. The only one that comes to mind is Morgie, which no one calls me. Sounds kind of like a dog's name. In fact, I called my old dog that, but that's a story for a later date.

Anyway, when circumstances lent me to starting up another blogspot featuring mysteries and mystery authors, the name, Make Mine Mystery, came to my mind for the blogspot.

I invited gun-ho, dedicated bloggers, who know the mystery genre and also the ins and outs of blogging. One of them, whom I'm happy to say accepted my invitation, was Marvin Wilson, a spiritualist author who happens to also write mysteries.



Marvin Wilson of the quick mind nicknamed the Make Mine Mystery blogspot Triple M.
Not only that, he called me Double M.


I like that nickname, so, this blogspot has a new title with my Double M nickname added, thanks to Marvin.

Do any of you have nicknames you like or dislike? Do you nickname things? Or maybe use code words? I invite you to share.

Money

My husband and I are right now watching a village board meeting on the community channel where the residents got together to speak their minds about an increase in taxes. There's no doubt that money is short and many valid points are being made.

Real estate taxes are going up, despite the bad market. Utility bills still arrive. Health insurance bills are way too high. The stock market is swinging up and down, too much down and not enough up, actually.

We're constantly bombarded by reminders that everyone is after our money. Not only that, it seems that everyone else is running out of money, also. I don't understand how this could have happened suddenly. It would make a good book plot to blame it on a secret cartel out to gain supremacy over the US and the world by manipulating stocks and companies. Who knows, that might be true. We'll never really know. (Please don't make any comments disparaging either political party, please, or I'll delete them in the interest of fairness.)

Why I'm mentioning all of these downers is because we do an option. There is still a refuge left, a place where we can dwell for maybe a few hours or more, a place where we can forget the real world and inhabit another one.

There are so many books waiting for us to read either on the printed page or electronically, which can take us away from our worries. Or, if you prefer to be worried about someone other than yourself, there are many books to that effect also.

Most romances have happy endings, so if that's what you want, I recommend reading one.

Mysteries can be gripping and sometimes scary, but often, unlike the real world, they tie up all the loose ends when they're through.

Science fiction gives you a complete fabricated world to explore.

Humor books are great medicine to forget your troubles.

Tell me. Why do you read? What do you read?

ASK ANGELA About Driving Traffic to Your Blog & WHAT'S RSS?

HOW TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG

Q: Cool site....I am going to use this as my marketing inspiration page. Saw the reference on Murder Must Advertise.
I just started up (finally) on WordPress and wondering if you can suggest your top five ways to draw traffic there. I already do MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. but wondering what your thoughts are for making sure that your WordPress page stays clean and uncluttered but also builds a presence.
Here is my Wordpress site: http://markhstevens.wordpress.com/
Thanks!
Best,
Mark Stevens


Mark -
Congratulations on starting your blog! These online journals are key to netting fans, who enjoy reading tidbits about their favorite authors' lives.

On blog traffic:
My good friend, Wade Lowrey, is the King of Wordpress. I asked Wade for his own ultimate traffic tips for the site. Find out what he has to say in Top Five Ways To Drive Targeted Traffic To A Blog.

On blog design:
KISS. The cleaner the design, the easier the navigation and greater appeal. Use pages for blogrolls, bios, photographs, novel information and more. It is much easier to navigate a few page links than to scroll through hundreds of links in the navigation bar. Always remember to Keep It Simple. (And remind me to do the same!) YouTube now offers a video widget, but it is distracting and doesn't always provide the right content. Avoid busy widgets when you can. Be sure to add a ShareThis button and Feedburner RSS to the site.

Don't mix business with pleasure. Keep your links and posts professional. Don't share your political or religious views, unless they are the focus of your work. Steer clear of super personal information, unless you are comfortable with the world knowing about surgeries, births, or diseases. A good rule of thumb: If you don't discuss it over the dinner table, don't share it on your blog. Create a personal connection without TMI. Remember, publishers will look at your blogs, too. Drunken wedding photographs might not net you that major deal.

Search it well. Lijit offers a search widget that allows your readers to search all of your sites. Simply create an account and list all of the RSS fees from Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and other sites. This broadens your search appeal and sends fans to your other networks.

One of my favorite sites is Web Pages That Suck... and the accompanying books. You can use the information there to help create a clean blog. Google Worst Blog Design and see what people don't like in this Web 2.0 environment. It varies based on personal preference, so follow what your gut tells you to, and disregard the rest. Here is a link to some blog designs: http://elliottback.com/wp/top-ten-best-designed-blogs/
~ Angela

What is RSS and How Do I Use It?
Q: I really don't know what that means, or how one goes about using it. Could you explain?
Marilyn Meredith

A: Visit http://www.askangelawilson.com/ for the answer!

PLEASE WELCOME MY GUEST,CYNDIA DEPRE

Eccentric Olivia Chatham has found her life's calling. Crime buster.


Tucker Monroe, the small Wisconsin town's mysterious new resident, discovers he, too, has a mission...Keeping up with her.

http://www.cyndiadepre.com/

Cyndia Depre was born in Iowa, and has lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, with a second major in Finance, from Northern Illinois University. After running her own business for ten years, she closed the doors and began writing full-time. She now lives in a suburb of the Twin Cities with her husband and their miniature Schnauzer. They keep an old, but much loved, boat at a marina on Lake Minnetonka, and use it as often as possible. Cyndia is currently working on her third novel.

Here's her post on some of her pet peeves. Do you share any of them?

I’m pretty sure we all have a book peeve or two. Here are some of mine. I’d love to hear yours!

Coincidence-Coincidence happens in life. But to paraphrase what someone, I think Mark Twain, said, “The difference between life and fiction is that fiction has to make sense.” How true. If something happens in a book, there better be a reason for it. Two egregious examples of far too much leap to mind. In one a medical examiner was consulting in a distant city. Not the next county, but thousands of miles from her home. While there a body turned up, which just happened to be someone from her town. Someone she knew. That was a bit much, but I kept reading. The coincidences kept piling up. Instead of taking the novel seriously, I finished it wondering when the next unbelievable event would occur, and laughing when it did. That was the last book I read by that author.

Another had a medical examiner (they do seem to pop up often, don’t they?) happen to drive by a river where police and rescue people happened to have discovered a body. It was December, in a cold climate, but the ME happened to have scuba gear in the trunk and naturally was able to save the day and help with the body. Then she went home and made lasagna, clear down to preparing her own mozzarella. I couldn’t finish that book, and never bought another by the author. Both these writers are wildly popular, so I’m sure it’s a ‘me’ thing. But I gave up on them.

Editing-Once an author is popular, they sometimes get more free rein from editors. This can badly. One recent novel read more as a travelogue than fiction. The writer had been to Italy, and clearly loved it. Readers were going to get the detailed tour whether they wanted it or not. I didn’t. Just because your books sell doesn’t mean everything you write is a pearl. Listen to editors. Please.

Loose Ends-Several recent novels just ended. Like the authors were in a contest and the buzzer went off. What about Aunt Sue? Did they ever find Jim’s missing money? Did Lulu get her operation? If you throw something out there, something to add to the tension, resolve it. Loose ends make me nuts.

Repetition-I read a book with a hero and heroine falling in love. However, their families had been feuding for years. That was repeated over and over and over and over….Readers aren’t dumb. Don’t talk down to us by repeating something we know. It irritates us.

Dialect-Another recent book had young people in London speaking in dialect to the point it was hard to understand. I’d rather the author establish their way of talking, then go back to ‘normal’ dialog. I hear the accent once I know it’s part of the character. And I don’t waste time and get pulled out of the story by strange phrases. The same is true with a Southern accent. It’s lovely to hear. I adore Paula Deen’s ‘Y’all’. But I just can’t read it in every line. I hear it anyway, so leave it out. Again, this is all just my taste.

Ignored Pets-If you have a character with a pet, don’t forget the poor animal. Feed it. Hug it. Exercise it. Don’t stick it in the kitchen with a bowl of water and another of kibble. Once I see an animal in a story, I worry about it. Same with kids. If they’re in the novel, make sure they’re taken care of.

That’s my list. How about you?

Buzz Words and Phrases

When people I know or even strangers use the same words or phrases, I know something's up.

The other day I noticed one of the other women in the office closing her phone conversation with, "Thank you so much." Here I'd thought I was the only one coining that phrase, but apparently not. I must have picked it up myself from somewhere and started using it.

Here are some words and/or phrases popular now and before:

Thank you so much - This year's phrase

Perfect - This one has lasted about 3 years, but is starting to die down.

Whatever - Using this word drives a person crazy. It's also dying out, but great for emphasis on occasion.

Dude

Icky - This one I remember from when I was a child.

Give it up for - Great concert cliche

Went missing - newscasters love this one

Speaking in Diagrams - I hate this one - People say, "Number one..." and then forget to give the rest of the numbers.

Cool

Neat


Do you use these buzzwords? Do you know of others to add to the collection? Please leave a comment.

NaNoWriMo or NoNoWriMo

If I'm going to get my NaNoWriMo book done, I better stop fooling around and get to it. I'm so far behind it almost seems hopeless to catch up. I have half a month left to go. Can I do it?
I have so few words I'm ashamed to even post how many I've gotten done. I would have to go and change the plot, which made me delete some of my precious word count.

I just went over to the NaNoWriMo website and I'm getting inspired again. They're like cheerleaders over there. I'm going to apply myself today and see how much I can get done. Now it's becoming even more of a challenge!

Is anyone else in the same boat as I am?

Virtual Book Tours - Is it Better to Host Or Be Hosted?

I enjoy hosting guests here at this blogspot, also at my group blogspots, Acme Authors Link and Make Mine Mystery. Some visitors are on virtual book tours, others do single appearances.

I get everything emailed to me and set it up. Then on the day of the appearance, I welcome my guest with a comment, tweet at Twitter, and spread the word on my listservs and MySpace. I also feature them on my network, Book Place, on the main page. My guest has already been instructed to also spread the word.

I check back frequently to make sure comments are coming in. If not, I do more tweets and more e-mails to generate attention.

By this teamwork method, I generate traffic to my blog and interest in my guests. That still leaves me to wonder. How effective are my efforts in establishing my own brand and identity? I've done so in the past, but maybe I should start guesting again at various blogspots. How many of people that visit for my guests actually stick around long enough to read other posts and learn more about me?

What's your opininion? Which is better? Hosting or Guesting? Or a Combination? I'd appreciate your spin. Please leave a comment below.

Meet Author & Book Reviewer, Mayra Calvani

Mayra Calvani

I'm happy to welcome Mayra Calvani to my blogspot today. Multi-genre author Mayra Calvani has been a reviewer for ten years. She's the author of the supernatural thrillers, Embraced by the Shadows and Dark Lullaby.

A regular contributor to Blogcritics Magazine, she's also a member of Broad Universe, Authors Coalition, and The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators.

You can visit her website at: http://www.mayracalvani.com/.
For her children's books, see: http://www.mayrassecretbookcase.com/.






To Learn about Mayra's book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, go to: http://www.slipperybookreview.wordpress.com/.

Mayra also keeps a blog, The Dark Phantom Review, where she regularly posts reviews and author interviews. Today, she touches on what is a hot topic among Reviewers and Bloggers.

Here's what Mayra Has to Say:




Reviewers vs. Bloggers: The Controversy

Reviewing was a hot subject among kidlit bloggers last year, ever since the magazine n+1 came up with an article which criticized—though not in such direct terms—bloggers of not being objective, honest enough with their reviews, of not posting enough negative reviews and of lacing their positive reviews with facile praise.

The main question seems to be: is it possible to be impartial in a snug environment where the people who post friendly comments under the bloggers’ posts are often the same people who request reviews from these bloggers?

In other words, is it possible to be objective in the blogosphere, where authors, publishers, publicists, reviewers and librarians are in sociable terms with each other in such blog communities as Live Journal, Blogger and Wordpress?

In a perfect world a reviewer should never review a book by a person he/she knows. But, as usual, more often than not, what is ideal in theory is not realistic in the real world, and this ‘sin’ is not only committed by bloggers, but also by legitimate reviewers who write for online and print review publications.

Another issue seems to be the lack of format which many (maybe most?) bloggers have when writing reviews. Unlike the ‘legitimate’ reviewers who seem to have a preference for a ‘standard’ structure—an interesting lead/opening sentence, a short summary of the plot without ever giving away spoilers or the ending, and an intelligent, fair, tactful evaluation—the bloggers write about books anyway they want. They have the freedom to write in any length or style without a thought to format—even to the point of giving away spoilers or relating the ending of a book.

This freedom comes with the territory of being a blogger. But then, the questions arise… Are bloggers ‘real’ reviewers? What defines a review? After all, there are many types of reviews—academic and long, light and short, and snippets like those in such publications as Library Journal. Different review sites and publications have different guidelines. Are blogger reviews a new, different type of review? Should we draw a distinction between bloggers who are simply readers and post ‘reader reviews’ and ‘legitimate’ reviewers who post ‘real’ ones on their blogs? After all, just like on Amazon, there are reader reviews and reviewer reviews. Are bloggers the lowly counterparts of legitimate reviewers? Is this an elitist attitude?

I find these questions fascinating because I think there are no easy answers. As usual, opening a discussion about what is right and wrong is like opening a can of worms.

A couple of years ago, this dilemma started with the emerging online review sites... I remember how librarians and bookstores often dismissed them as ‘not legitimate’. Online review sites have come a long way. Now it's the bloggers who are being attacked.

Ultimately, I think we're not giving enough credit to the discerning reader of reviews. It's so easy to tell a good review from a cheesy one guilty of facile praise! There are good and bad reviewers everywhere. Serious blogger reviewers aren't going to be stupid enough to post overly positive reviews because if the reader buys a book based on that review and then finds that book to be poorly written, that blogger will lose all credibility and that reader won't come back to this blogger for more reviews. Honesty and fairness go with our job as reviewers, without it, we're nothing but weak, cheap publicity. That is not to say we should be nasty or mean... which brings me to the writing of negative reviews...

I personally think there are too many good books out there to be spending time writing about the bad ones (even negative reviews are a type of publicity!). Unless it's a book that has been written by a famous author and/or heavily hyped, I won't bother posting negative reviews on my blog and newsletters (this wouldn't be the case, however, if the book was assigned by a review site/publication, in which case I wouldn’t have a choice but to write the negative review).

One thing the blogging technology has done is bring books and literature closer to the public and, let’s face it, the average person is so busy and/or has such a short attention span that long, insightful reviews are not the most practical thing in the world. Blogger reviews are like quick tasty treats of information for people on the run who enjoy reading about books. In the end, and in spite of the ‘slippery’ questions mentioned above, I’m all for anything that brings literature closer to the public.

Mayra


Don't Go Away, Now Mayra will share what her book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, is all about.



Are you passionate about books? Do you have the desire to share your thoughts about a book with readers, yet are unsure about what makes a good review? Are you curious about the influence reviews have on readers, booksellers, and librarians?

If you're an experienced reviewer, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing will serve as an excellent reference tool and amalgam of resources. If you're a beginner, this book will show you how to write a well-written, honest, objective and professional book review.

It will also teach you:

• How to read critically
• How to differentiate the various types of reviews
• How to rate books
• How to prevent amateurish mistakes
• How to deal with the ethics and legalities of reviewin
• How to tell the difference between a review, a book report, and a critique
• How to start your own review site
• How to publish your reviews on dozens of sites and even make money while you're at it, and much more

If you're an author, publisher, publicist, bookseller, librarian, or reader, this book will also bring to light the importance and influence of book reviews within a wider spectrum.


To read an excerpt and reviews, visit: http://slipperybookreview.wordpress.com/

Thanks, Mayra, for this great information. I invite the readers to comment below about any of the topics Mayra discussed, or if you want, just say hello to Mayra.

Ask Angela - About Contests

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONDUCT A VIRTUAL CONTEST?

MORGAN MANDEL: I'm holding a contest to win a book at my blog. Anyone who comments is automatically entered that day. What's the best way to do this? Should I ask visitors to leave their e-mail addresses with their comments, or perhaps e-mail me separately with their addresses?

Morgan Mandel
Two Wrongs
Girl of My Dreams, A Cinderella Story
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
www.morganmandel.com

Morgan - Contests are a great way to drive traffic to your site and expand your brand - especially during a virtual tour. Many authors ask their fans to leave comments at sites. If they register properly, most sites will give accurate emails, from which a winner is chosen. Others ask fans to email them directly, or sign their Web site guest book for the duration of their tours.

Some use microblogs for contests. One company, Hooray Quick & Easy Photo Sharing, Tweeted that it would give Twitter follower No. 500 a free product from its site. The Tweeter says that contest alone equaled several direct messages from prospective buyers.

The best way to conduct an online contest is to use a free form, similar to the one here at Ask Angela. Simply visit EmailMeForm.com, or Google "Free Web Forms" to find a service that suits your needs.

Ask them to submit their full name, snail mail and email addresses, and give them an opportunity to leave a comment. Pick a winner, but keep all of the entrants at the end. Add them to your promotional mailing list, both email and USPS. This will help you develop a fan base you can keep in touch with. Send an email to everyone, listing the winner's name, then invite everyone to your social networks.

Submission forms are clean, easy to create, use and manage, and will keep the headaches to a minimum.

Find Angela Wilson at:http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilson
http://www.facebook.com/people/Angela_Wilson/775118823
http://www.myspace.com/angelawilson
http://twitter.com/angelawilson

How Do You Handle Your Contests? What do you like or dislike about some contests?
We invite you to leave a comment.

42nd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS

One of my fave shows of the year is the CMA Awards. I guess that's not a big newsflash, since I'm such a country music fan. I'm sitting here rooting for my favorite singers and songwriters.

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban started the night singing Start a Band.

Brad and Carrie Underwood are the official hosts, with other guests hosts popping up, the likes of none other than Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. She didn't look like she had a kid recently, that's for sure.

They announced that George Strait won Single of the Year for I Saw God Today. When I first heard him sing it, I figured he'd win, and sure enough he did. I'd been hoping Trace Adkins would win, since I love his song, You're Gonna Miss This, but both songs are great.

Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus announced Song of the Year, which went to its singer and songwriter, Jennifer Nettles, for Stay. She wore a lovely white Roman kind of long gown with silver trim.

One of my faves, Rodney Atkins, sang It's America.

Vocal Group of the Year - Rascal Flatts again - My dog, Rascal, was hoping they'd win. (Her full name is Our Little Rascal Flatts)

More later

CMA Awards Continued

Taylor Swift did a great job singing Love Story, wearing a long blue gown, with a surprise quick change to a long white one while she was surrounded by the dancers, after which the hunk from the video showed up.

Kid Rock came on, making my husband ask, "Since when did he have a country song?" I told him it's been months.

George Strait sang a song about Rollin on the River of Love - okay song, but not as good as some of his other ones.

Then everybody got down with Jason Aldean, as he sang She's Country.

New Artist of the Year Award presented by Taylor Swift, wearing a short black gown, that makes three different outfits unless I missed one - went to Lady AnteBellum.

More Happening after the commercials

More CMA Awards

Carrie Underwood changed outfits again. I can't keep track any more. I don't like this one. It's short and white and looks silly on her.

Cowgirls Don't Cry - Brooks and Dunn and Reba - Great rendition - One sang better than the other, couldn't tell which voice I liked best.

Vocal Duo of the Year - Sugarland - Jennifer was very happy and wearing a different outfit than before.

Don't Think I Don't Think About it - Darius Rucker sang this tongue twister

Brad Paisley sang Waitin on a Woman - loved it. He's such a great singer.

George Strait won Album of the Year - Does this guy ever stop winning?

Music Video for the Year went to Waitin' on a Woman with Brad Paisley

Keith Urban sang a new great song, Sweet Thing, and he got a standing ovation!

Carrie Underwood sang the sad song, Just a Dream, after being introduced by Leslie Ponder, widow of a soldier killed in the line of duty.

Carrie Underwood then went on to win Female Vocalist of the Year

Sugarland - Jennifer as usual sounded great - It's Love - I think that was the name of the song. The graphics on the stage matched her top kind of, but the top looked pretty on the top, but strange on the bottom.

James Otto sang his Just Got Started Lovin You, the most played song of the year
They announced the Radio Station winners, but US 99.5 didn't win, which bums me out.

More To come

LAST OF THE CMA AWARDS

Kenny Chesney - Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven - Calypso kind of song - Great job, not a surprise. He goes for these type of songs. It's kind of his brand.

All right - Trace Adkins - You're Gonna Miss This - My all time favorite - he got a standing ovation

Male vocalist of the year - Brad Paisley - Such a nice guy and great singer - but that white hat's got to go!

The Eagles - They sure cleaned up good - suits and everything - You were just too busy being fabulous - I can't help singing along


Entertainer of the Year goes to - "the lucky and the deserving, Kenny Chesney," to quote Shania Twain.

He told her, "You look really good."

(Did she get a boob job?)

Carrie's got another dress on, some gold layered thing - How many was it? Maybe someone can tell me.

Great show. Great singers. Great stage and technics. Loved it.

6000 members of the Country Music Association chose the winners.

Wanted to watch Jay Leno last night, but fell asleep before he came on. Hope it doesn't happen again tonight, but I have a feeling it will. I still can't get used to this new Standard Time.

My Love Story

Once upon a time, many years ago, a boy and a girl went to kindergarden together, and grade school in Chicago. The boy's and girl's Mom were good friends. Since the boy was born on the Guardian Angel Feast Day, his Mom bought a picture from the girl's Mom at her shop. It was that of a Guardian Angel watching over a small boy and girl as they cross a rickety bridge over rushing water.

When he was in fifth grade, the boy's family moved to the suburbs, while the girl's remained in the City. The boy and girl grew into a young man and woman, entered high school and lived separate lives.

The young man went to college and dated throughout freshman year, as did the young woman. Then one day in sophomore year, the young woman's roommate introduced her to a friend in the school cafeteria. It turned out to be the same boy she'd known years before.

They went steady. Then, over four years later, on Veterans Day in 1972 they got married.

All these years later, 36 to be exact, that same picture, a little faded by now, hangs in the hallway of my home. I was that young woman and my husband was that young man.

Now we're a bit faded also, but still living our love story.

Rascal's New Winter Wear

Rascal's style'n these days with her new fleece jacket with the velcro tabs and the handy little pocket for Mom or Dad to stuff a wallet or keys in on the top, not to mention the two reflective safety strips. Right after we slipped the jacket onto her at Bentley's Corner Barkery in Arlington Heights, she had no problems adjusting to it. She became so nonchalant she even lay down!