Teacher and Workshop Leader Rosemary Aubert Shares Her Industry Secrets

-
We are so lucky to have those who are experienced writers circulating in our community and holding workshops. Nothing could be more helpful than direct person-to-person exchange with someone who has gone down the path you hope to go down.
Rosemary Aubert is one such person.
I was fortunate enough to attend her workshop on the topic of publicity and promotion at Quattro Headquarters.
She has a wealth of information that you are not going to find anywhere else. She was a criminologist – so she is good at gathering clues and following up on leads.
Aubert talked about how promotion and sales should be fun. She told us it’s an opportunity you’re offering someone – it’s not about forcing anyone into anything. If you’re offering something, you’re already in a better position than asking something from someone. It’s a shift in attitude that makes all the difference.
Every time you come in contact with potential readers, you’re also giving them a chance to get to know you (and you them). Don’t just barrel through in an impersonal, businesslike manner.
Genuine enthusiasm for your book can be infectious. Enjoy what you’re doing and if you’re not – don’t do it. If you’re not having fun – you’re probably not going to be portraying your book positively.
Aubert also talked about selling the benefits, not the features of your book. Features are interesting points about your book – whereas benefits are specifically about how those features will benefit the customer. Hammer home what makes your book different from all the rest.
We also received a crash course on the query letter (a good reminder) and a host of other industry secrets that she generously shared with us.
If you’d like to find out more about Rosemary Aubert’s workshops visit rosemaryaubert.com.
Aubert is an internationally-acclaimed author of the Ellis Portal mystery series: Free Reign, The Feast of Stephen, The Ferryman Will Be There, Leave Me by Dying, and The Red Mass. She has written five romance novels which have been published around the world. She is also an accomplished poet.
Recently, she launched her second poetry book, Rough Wilderness, the imaginary love poems of the French Abbess Heloise whose love affair with the medieval philosopher, Peter Abelard, is one of history's most famous tales of passion and denial (published by Quattro Books).

Popular posts from this blog

The Ins and Outs of Submitting to Literary Magazines

-
Image
Ten questions to keep in mind Choosing which Magazines to Submit to There are so many journals that it can be hard to choose. Here are some key questions to ask yourself to narrow them down: 1. What literary magazines do you like that match your writing style? It’s important to get a sense of the publications you’re going to submit to. Read a recent issue. You’ll have a better idea of what pieces you have that match the editorial aesthetic of the magazine and vice versa, not to mention that it’s worthwhile to read as much as you can in your genre.  2. Are you looking for a print magazine? An online magazine? Both? These days, writers are seeing the value of online magazines, which are readily accessible to readers. However, print magazines are still coveted by many writers, especially if they’re available in bookstores and newsstands. Some publications have their issues both online and in print—a decided advantage. Where would you ideally like to see you...
Read more

Q&A with poet Robin Richardson

-
Image
“ The truth, and the vulnerability of sharing it, is liberation. ” Robin Richardson is the author of two full-length collections of poetry, and is Editor-in-Chief at   Minola Review, a Journal of Women’s Arts & Letters .    Her work has been shortlisted for the Walrus Poetry Prize, CBC Poetry Award, Lemon Hound Poetry Prize, and ReLit Award and has won the John B. Santorini Award and the Joan T. Baldwin Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in many journals including POETRY , Tin House , Arc , The North American Review , and Hazlitt of Random House. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and BA in Design from OCAD University. Richardson’s latest collection, Sit How You Want , is forthcoming with V é hicule Press. She is represented by Samantha Haywood at Transatlantic Agency, who is working with her debut memoir this year.  A couple of weeks ago, Robin Ric...
Read more

Constraint: The Creative Gift by Guest Blogger Heather J. Wood

-
Image
Novelist   Heather J. Wood shares the benefits of limitations... Heather J. Wood One often thinks of creativity in terms of the blank canvas or the blank page—i.e. the freedom to be able to write about anything one's imagination can conjure up. Some writers chafe at the thought of restrictions. Yet, having set limitations can also be an immense source of creativity. For myself, at least, boundaries have allowed me to go in unexpected directions. I would not have imagined myself writing a teen-oriented novel involving roller derby. In fact, I would have thought the idea was ludicrous a few years ago. Yet when I was offered the opportunity to write "something about roller derby", which eventually turned into my recent book, Roll With It , I was given a wonderful creative gift. The project turned out to a liberating rather than a restricting experience. For one thing, I wasn’t worried about being "literary", so I felt free to write more naturally a...
Read more