Worldreader: Empowering Literacy Through Reading, Thinking and Growing

Hello readers and writers and those who are published authors!

So, I just got of the phone with my publisher and everything is going well. On our next session we’ll be discussing the book cover for Unleash Your Pearls. YAY! The book won’t be out until sometime in 2016, but I will keep everyone posted.

 

Speaking of books? I received this awesome email from Jennifer Jacobson, PR advocate for Worldreader and Jacobson communications. Jennifer wanted to share the story  about world famous author Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) and his recent donation of three of his titles to Worldreader’s digital library.

Here’s more about their collaboration and links for you to visit to get better acquainted with this awesome pursuit of literacy.

http://www.worldreader.org/blog/paulo-coehlo-now-our-supporter/

About Worldreader

Worldreader is a global nonprofit bringing digital books children and their families, empowering them to read, think, and grow in order to improve their lives and their world. In its first five years, Worldreader has reached 5.6 million readers in 69 countries with a digital library of 28,500 local and international e-books via e-readers and mobile phones, and plans to reach 15 million readers by 2018. To read free books on your mobile phone, visit read.worldreader.org. For more information on Worldreader, visit www.worldreader.org

About Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is considered one of the most influential authors of our times. His books have sold more than 195 million copies worldwide; have been released in 170 countries and translated into 80 languages. Born in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1947, Paulo Coelho is the author of some of the most read titles of our time, such as The Pilgrimage or The Alchemist, the book that made him internationally famous. Paulo Coelho has written many other books which have touched the hearts of people around the world, among them Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, Eleven Minutes, Aleph and Adultery.

He has received numerous prestigious international awards. He is member of the Academy of Letters of Brazil since 2002 and a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations since 2007. In 2009 he received the 2009 Guinness World Record for the most translated Author for The Alchemist. Also, he is the writer with the highest number of followers on social media. To learn more about Paulo Coelho, visit his blog: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/.

 

Wasn’t this great news to share in the fight against illiteracy?  And not to mention we have a  direct link to Paulo Coelho’s blog and awesome web videos. I’m a fan who should have purchased The Alchemist years ago:)

Thanks Jennifer.

Quote for today:

“When its positive she’s all for it”. Clara Freeman

Happy reading all!

You’ve Published Your Book~ Now What’s Your Next Step?

Happy Saturday, writers and authors! This thought occurred to me; now that I’m in with a traditional publisher and set to become a published author, how am I going to place my book in front of buyers?

How many times have we heard that writing the book is only half the battle and that the hard part is when Marketing and actually selling comes into play?  Once your book is written and finally published, the next and obvious step would be to find buyers to purchase your lil darlings and that can be a daunting experience.

Those seasoned authors among you are probably going; “Why don’t  newbie authors start spreading their book news sooner!?” Okay, we get it. But, better late than never, right?

While doing research on the how to of advertising our pearls to the world’s readers and buyers, I came across interesting places to advertise books, whether you are a newbie or seasoned author who went the way of traditional or Indie publishing.

Let’s not forgo the usual suspects in getting your book noticed~ Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Good-reads, blog tours and setting up your author’s page on Amazon.com.

My amazon author’s page for A Life Toward Authenticity, an eBook that I self published in 2012 is here: https://www.amazon.com/author/clarafreeman

I was blessed to receive a publishing scholarship in September toward the publication of Unleash Your Pearls, my new self-help guide for women on the path to living their best lives. I’m so excited to bring this resource to women-worldwide!

If you’re at that precarious stage of book completion or manuscript readiness and searching for places to advertise your darlings, here are a few sites to consider:

www.bookbub.com

I read that bookbub is one of the hardest sites to get on, but do give it a good try.

http://www.readersintheknow.com/home

This site seems to be a favorite from some author comments about their experience.

Blurb Direct Sell  states that it will allow authors to sell any book made with Blurb directly to fans and friends through their own personal storefront.

And they allow you to choose the markup over the base price of your book. The site also allows authors to keep 100% of the profit.

Booklikes is a site that allows you to create your free author’s page.

I loved this comment from LinkedIn member and prolific author, Carolyn Howard Johnson, so I’m re-posting it as the writer’s quote for today! (my LinkedIn tribe/ connections are spot on!)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

I hate to be a spoil sport, but I think that paid advertising (which is what advertising is!) is a waste of money, especially when authors can get publicity (read that free!) on many of the sites they might normally advertise on. I like Tania’s idea of an author’s page for FREE. How about writing articles or taking excerpts and offering them to the bloggers who reach your audience. This kind of thing is the reason I wrote The Frugal Book Promoter. New authors tend to think of “advertising” first, and it probably should be one of the last things they should consider–after they have already made considerable profit from a book that can be dedicated to marketing.

What stage are you at on your book  publishing? What do you think about these sites for advertising your books to potential buyers? Have you other book suggestions? Please share on with us on Clara’s writer’s blog.

 

Updates From The Writer’s Blog

Happy Saturday!

Did you know that “brainchild” as used in referencing a creative product shouldn’t refer to the person but the( product) that the person has created?   ” A fictional character may be someone’s brainchild, but a human being cannot be.”

Okay:)

Things are at a snail’s pace on the relocating front IE, monies negotiations, increased hidden fees, remodeling schedule conflicts, etc. But, I’m not stressing cause God’s got the wheel ; am ready whenever things fall into place. Also this time freeze, frees me up a bit  to concentrate on a bigger “creative at work” project of mine. Hope to share good news soon.

Evelyn Cogdell’s relationship guide, Essence of Romance  (yours truly co-authors) is now on Amazon.com. Great dating resource for singles and couples-truly. Thanking you in advance for your purchase:)

http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Romance-interested-improving-relationship/dp/0966489845/ref=sr_1_63?ie=UTF8&qid=1439657152&sr=8-63&keywords=essence+of+romance+book

Email Evelyn at evecogdell@sbcglobal.net

I was asked to write a  LinkedIn recommendation for a former mentee and although I’m swamped right now with ‘stuff’ to do, I was happy to oblige. Mind your time management and always choose your “nos” wisely.

I finally heard back from the authors about The Michele Obama Anthology, where my poem, Brown Girl Challenge was selected from hundreds of submissions, for inclusion. I thought the project had been scraped, but the edits are done and the book is ready for the publishers. YAY!

Your Writing quote:

“All writing problems are psychological problems. Blocks usually stem from the fear of being judged. If you imagine the world listening, you’ll never write a line. That’s why privacy is so important. You should write first drafts as if they will never be shown to anyone.” — Erica Jong

 

 

Books On My September Reading List

Good Morning, Creatives!

Don’t let the heading fool you,I’m mentally exhausted as I’m preparing for the move in my head:) Even though change is good, it can still be somewhat intimidating and a big time-suck !

Once I’m settled, I have to follow-up on a request for a blog-talk radio interview and look into a collaborative blog offer from a LinkedIn connection. I also need to have a few professional photos taken for a commissioned self-portrait that I’m currently in talks with a nationally known artist about.

If you find a lack of new blog posts this month and in early September, consider what I’m going through and check back every now and again for more writing updates and a bit of “personal” from Clara. 🙂

These are the books I have on my reading list for September. I cannot wait to kick my heels up and devour them!

And last, this book from her Mystery Series, one of my fan favorite authors Rodeo Carlson’s 

Here’s your writer quote for today:

“We should write because it is human nature to write. Writing claims our world. It makes it directly and specifically our own. We should write because humans are spiritual beings and writing is a powerful form of prayer and meditation, connecting us both to our own insights and to a higher and deeper level of inner guidance.” — Julia Cameron

Feel free to share with our tribe, what you’re writing and reading on !

How To Get Better At Your Craft

This week, I received rejection letters in my email for two short story submissions. I thought, Okay, back to the drawing board, people.

I could have used those competition winnings,for sure, but I learned early on in this business, you don’t cry over cryptic rejections. Trust and believe, those fiction pieces will be proofed and re-edited for submission in due time.

Get this: You can become better at your craft!

Those of us in the business of using our creative gifts, in hopes of making a sustainable living , understand this process. It takes time to create something great! Success will not be a walk in the park. But, every writer,  poet, author, entrepreneur business owner and artist, can become a winner if they keep practicing their craft.

The late comedian Bernie Mac learned the lesson of rejection and practice the hard way. He started doing standup in various venues and really won over the crowd . When he got an offer to appear on stage with Arsenio Hall, at a famous comedy club, Bernie knew he had finally made it.

His wife remembers asking him if he was going to write his monologue for the gig, but Bernie reportedly told her that he didn’t have to write any jokes because they were all in his head.

Needless to say, Bernie Mac bombed. He was mortified and it took him four months to regain his confidence and get back to what he loved doing most.

This time the comedian came prepared. He took notes on some of the biggest names in comedy. He studied their movements, mannerisms, timed their improve; took note of their deliverance and zingers. When The Kings of Comedy came knocking, Bernie Mac answered and became a rising star in comedy, film and television.

A participant in the creative arts have to develop a thick skin and persist. Rejection comes with the territory and are mere stepping-stones to seeing that return on your investment. You have to keep going; take classes in your area of expertise and study the experts.

(Study the experts,creative; don’t try to emulate them. Be yourself)

I can’t guarantee continued practice will make your work perfect, but I do know you will become better at your craft.

Today’s quote sort of put things in perspective for me. I hope it brings a smile.

Enjoy!

“Most of the writers I know work every day, in obscurity and close to poverty, trying to say one thing well and true. Day in, day out, they labor to find their voice, to learn their trade, to understand nuance and pace. And then, facing a sea of rejections, they hear about something like Barbara Bush’s dog getting a book deal.” — Timothy Egan

Interesting Writing Projects

Happy Friday, writers!  Today is a good day and I’m thankful. I’ve been working  on proofreading and editing a bunch of my formerly rejected fiction stories and fine tuning  selected poems for upcoming contest submissions.

Most of these  contests are non fee based and open to those of us who appreciate a financial boost from time to time, on this freelance writing road to acceptance. I hope you find something of interest:

http://writersrelief.com/peter-k-hixson-writing-award/

http://www.freelancewriting.com/writingcontests/072015-narrative-poetry-contest.php

http://writingcareer.com/post/121777231126/the-virginia-quarterly-review-reopens-for-prose

https://mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new-writers/

There’s something here for every writer and I know the writer in you can appreciate a good challenge as well as I do. So go at it. Flex your creative writing muscle and take a break from the mind suck that comes from writing your huge book projects.

“Or, is it just me?” 🙂

Here’s your writing inspiration for today:

“If you ever get stuck, ask yourself what happens next, then next, then next. Don’t get an idea for a situation; develop the arc for your story. Pretty much every story goes like this: Someone is complacent, they face a challenge, the challenge nearly beats them, they find a way to conquer the challenge, then emerge changed at the other end.” — Sean Platt

Do you pencil in small writings projects to take a brief hiatus from your huge projects or do you soldier on to completion?

 

 

 

What’s Your Blog Purpose?

Everyone have a happy & thankful 4th of July weekend!

“Thx a bunch. Ur blog helped me reach many poetry lovers and newbies! Couldn’t hv done that w/o ur site. Appreciate u”

This comment came from a well established artist and poet. It not only let me know that I’m providing an important service with Clara Writers Blog, it also made me appreciative of my followers and readers!

So, my question today is, What’s the purpose of your blog? If it’s solely to make money or to connect to “important” folks of influence? That’s perfectly fine, as long as you are transparent in your dealings with your readers/prospective clients.

By being transparent and authentic in your platform/brand approach and actually providing something of value to others, your blessings will flow from every cornerstone of living a life of integrity and authenticity.

And, get this, those influential people will seek you out:)

Here’s the writer’s quote for today:

“The most important trait of a writer is an authentic voice. Writers have to have faith in their own voice, and their own way of doing things. Originality is the gem that every writer possesses. Originality also brings on the most merciless attacks. The world resents originality in the beginning writer, and then rewards it abundantly once that writer has been successfully published. Cherish your own voice. Don’t try to sound like anybody else. Sound like yourself and take the slings and arrows and keep going.” — Anne Rice

Exposing Sonya’s Book Secret!

Hello Authors! I’m so thrilled and amazed to introduce the latest works from my friend and Marketing mentor, Sonya Carmichael Jones. You see, Sonya’s been keeping a secret, but now I have her permission to expose her book secret to the masses:)

After being off the grid for some time, Ms (newly Mrs) Sonya sent me all of the goings on via e-card. It so happens that Sonya has been busy writing a series of “murder & mayhem” books that have hit the market! This is such good news.

This is just one title in the series. Sonya’s (RODEO CARLSON) books are in full display at her online book club blog. The book-club, for all mystery lovers and writers is here: and introduces Rodeo Carlson author of murder and mayhem stories.

Sonya’s blog is here:http://rodeocarlson.com/blog/ Please visit and support..

My friend, the Marketingbuddha was off social media for a chunk of time, while she quietly went about her business to produce and introduce murder & mayhem to the world. I’m considering taking cues from her on this’silence but golden’ method writing.

What’s your writing method?  Curious to know.

This is my last post for the next two weeks. It’s no secret that my family’s/family reunion is held during the month of June. I’m not taking the laptop:)

5 Benefits of Writer Collaborations

Happy Friday, writers and all creatives! I hope you all have a relaxing and stress free weekend. I’m looking forward to a bit of ‘me’ time to reflect upon personal and professional challenges of the last months. I’m also giving thanks for having achieved success in completion of Essence Of Romance, a relationship guide that I signed on to write as co-author with my friend and colleague, Evelyn Cogdell last summer.

I am so excited about the outcome of our book collaboration, that I decided to share five great benefits of doing this project with Evelyn, that will benefit, not only me, but some of you on your solo writing venture.

1. Deciding to accept the offer to work on Essence, actually freed me from the perils of procrastination that I was experiencing with my works in progress.  It’s oftentimes difficult to put those great scenarios in your head onto a blank page. My work was starting to feel forced, but working on the book with Evelyn helped to free my creative juices from captivity.

2. It was good working with another writer with a common goal. In this instance, we shared our personal experiences and expert wisdom’s from 4 decades of dating  and relationship issues that comes from ‘having been there and done that’. There’s discussion on how to recognize red flags…how to going from being bitter from lost relationship, to forming better, lasting, loving and equally yoked relationships.

3. Being a co-writer strengthened my writing technique through positive feedback and helpful critique. Writing with Evelyn also allowed us to recognize our individual strengths and weaknesses and allowed us to mesh our strong points to deliver a better client product.

4. Collaborating on the project was actually fun and I wasn’t intimidated by research and tedious fact checking. The articles in the book are based on fact and statistical data, along with personal stories and experiences that aids women and men by providing food for thought and pro-active steps to  a better relationship outcome.

5. Since Essence of Romance  became available for purchase in January, the author has been making book appearances at local libraries, churches and other offline outlets.  Recently we appeared to talk about the book as guests on the Judah Stallworth’s  blog-talk radio station.

This is what the host said about our book:  “eye had a blast with your book’s energy!  thankh you!” He invited us back on the show.

Here’s the link to our ESSENCE interview.  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dub-wyze-talk/2015/03/03/dub-wyze-talk-with-eve-cogdell-and-clara-freeman

Collaborating with another writer frees you up to regains your writing mojo and also allows you to examine your weaknesses and strengths. It’s also introduces you to a whole new audience.

These are authors who recently co wrote and completed their books.

Evette Collins and Yvonne Randle , The Secret  To Creating Loving Relationships.

Michelle Duster and Trina Sotera, Shifts; An anthology of Women Growth through change.

Have you collaborated on a book? Feel free to share your experiences.

“Always treat yourself special.”

 

 

5 Ingredients To Spice Up Your Fiction

Happy Valentines Day, my Valentines! Have you been rejected by major fiction publications because your story just didn’t have the spice? I cannot tell a lie:) I have, many times. But, you know what, even though writers tend to follow the golden rule when it comes to writing fiction- adding sex, religion and money to the mix,it’s not always about that sizzle. Sometimes it’s the butter that makes a great batter. (famous for analogies I’m not)

Here are five ingredients that will add spice to your fiction and bring it up a notch!
1. Conflict
2. Action
3. Dialogue
4. Feedback
5 Editing

Whoever said, “Easy reading is damn hard work”, made a believer out of this writer. It’s no secret that in order to become one of the greats (writers) you have to read and write. It’s how creatives learn how the writing process is done. Now go out and write your greatest fiction to date!

Feel free to add your saucy ingredients to writing a great piece of fiction with my readers and always treat yourself special, not only on Valentine’s Day, but, every single day of your life.