Sell Your Fiction With Videos

50% of what people look at on the Internet is video, so a video campaign is a great way to get traffic to your writing website.

Likewise, a good way to get viewers desperate to read your book is to record a bit of it (a very interesting bit) that leaves the viewer wanting to know the end of the story and, therefore, wanting to buy your book to find out.

You can hire a professional videographer to do this and/or go to a studio, or you can do it yourself with your home video recorder or camcorder.

Just be sure to include a URL at the end of your video that shows viewers (and readers) where to go to purchase your book.

Let's say that your book is called Agatha's Exile and you choose to read a harrowing account of Agatha stumbling into a group of zombies. (My tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to Liz and her hilarious creation, Helga Bitter.)

So your call to action in that case could be something like:

Liz Bardawill Publishes Video On You Tube

LWS member Liz Bardawill is using video to showcase her writing and story skills. Here's her first video, featuring "Helga Bitter." It's a riot - very funny - I loved it (and I don't think it's just because it's Liz), and I bet you will too.



In terms of getting filmmakers to call her, however, there is one thing missing: a call to action.

After all, Liz wants a job as a writer or on a film crew, right?

So what she needs to add at the end is a call to action that says something about who she wants to call her, and for what work, something like:

Filmmakers: Darlings, need a talented concept creator and writer for comedy horror films?

You've seen just a teensy sample of my work.
 
Don't wait. Contact me at: (email)

If like Liz, you are thinking of using video to find a writing partner or filmmakers to work with or (gasp) pay you to write scripts, then be sure to include that call of action, otherwise people will think that you put up the video just for fun and with no particular goal in mind.

If you do not want to use your primary email address at the end of the film, then set up a gmail account and use that address.

I will tell you, however, that as long as your email address is in a film and cannot be mined by bots, spammers are unlikely to bother you.

Once you have your video ready, sign up for a free membership with TubeMogul. You can upload your video to about 25 sites through the free version of the service.

(By the way, I've shared these ideas with Liz and she agrees they are good and she'll use them for her next video. Now you have the benefit of them too.) ;-)

2010 New England Shakespeare Festival Sonnet Contest

Are you a Shakespeare lover? Want to try your hand at writing a sonnet?  If it sounds like fun, then the  2010 New England Shakespeare Festival Sonnet Contest is for you. DEADLINE: August 1, 2010


1. Sonnets must be Shakespearean:
    • fourteen lines
    • ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme
    • basically written in iambic pentameter, variations and substitutions are permitted.

2. Submissions must be original and unpublished.

3. Writers may enter as many sonnets as they wish.

4. The entry fee is $3 (U.S.) per sonnet. Checks should be payable to "The New England Shakespeare Festival."

5. Entries may be mailed (must be received by deadline) or submitted electronically using the Sonnet Contest Online Entry Form.  Note that the form also allows submissions in two additional categories, the Student Sonnet Contest  and a  Rubber Ducky Sonnet Contest for younger children.

Invitation to May 30 Launch of Possessions: The Eldon House Poems

I just received this email invitation to the book launch for Possessions: The Eldon House Poems.  Everyone is invited.

On behalf of Christine Walde and Poetry London, I want to inform you and the London Writers' Society of our exciting upcoming launch of Possessions: The Eldon House Poems. We would love to have you there. Would you please help us spread the word to the London Writers' Society? The details are down below. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Debra Franke

Poetry London Reading Series

www.poetrylondon.ca

Who: Poetry London in association with Museum London

What: Official launch of Poetry London's first anthology of poetry, Possessions: The Eldon House Poems, with readings by selected poets from the anthology

Where: The lawn of Eldon House, 481 Ridout Street North, London Ontario

When: Sunday May 30, 2-4 p.m.

Admission: FREE

Why: On the occasion of Eldon House's 175 anniversary

Possessions: The Eldon House Poems is an anthology of poetry published in partnership between Museum London and Poetry London on the occasion of Eldon House's 175 Anniversary. Featuring 27 local poets from London and the surrounding region, the anthology celebrates the history, lore and artifacts of the Harris homestead in the past, present and future.

Please join us on the lawn of Eldon House at 481 Ridout Street North London on Sunday May 30 from 2-4 p.m. to launch this collection of poetry, featuring reading by selected poets from the anthology. Cake and lemonade will be served. Books will be for sale. Rain or shine.

You may recall that another book launch took place last October, for Through a Land of Extremes: The Littledales of Central Asia which recounted the daring travels of Teresa Harris and her explorer husband St. George Littledale in the late 19th century. From the Eldon House website:

"Born at Eldon House in 1839, as the youngest child of John and Amelia Harris, Teresa went on to travel the world with St. George, including remote Tibet, earning the couple fame as Victorian England's greatest travellers in Central Asia. The Clinch's 313-page book describes in detail their many travels, and acknowledges London archivist John Lutman and Theresa Regnier of the University of Western Ontario for all their research assistance. In addition, the late Peter Smith, program coordinator at Museum London, was thanked for his wide knowledge of Eldon House, the Harris family and early Canada.

"This extraordinary presentation was previously delivered to the Royal Geographic Society in London, England and at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. for National Geographic."

Both Museum London and Poetry London host wonderful events, so attend this one if you can. 

The museum restaurant, by the way, is second to none and would be a great place to have brunch beforehand. On The Fork has the best view of any restaurant downtown, a relaxed yet refined ambiance, and superb food. Who knew blueberry pancakes could be so delectable?   

May 15, 2010 GenreCon Literary Convention in Sarnia

LWS member Pat Brown will be a presenter this month at 2010 GenreCon, a free literary convention in Sarnia. A wide range of discussion panels on writing, reading and publishing genre fiction—including mystery, horror, fantasy and science fiction—will take place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

There will also be panels on anime and manga, a free film program of anime movies on the big screen in the Library Theatre, book signings and books for sale. 


When: Saturday May 15, 2010 beginning at 10 a.m.


Where: Sarnia Branch of the Lambton County Library, 124 Christina Street South, Sarnia, Ontario, one hour northeast of Detroit, Michigan on I-94 and one hour west of London, Ontario on Highway 402.


For more information: contact Jeffrey Allen Beeler Reference Librarian at the Sarnia Branch of the Lambton County Library, 124 Christina Street South, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada N7T8E1. Phone: (519) 337-3291. Email: Jeffrey.beeler(at)county-lambton.on.ca