Mark David Gerson – The Myth of Writer’s Block!

Posted by on October 19, 2007 No comments
On October 18th, 2007 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with author, writing coach and mentor Mark David Gerson. He has taught writing as creative and spiritual pursuit for more than 15 years in colleges, universities and community centers, as well as for groups and individuals as a coach and mentor. His upcoming book, a book of inspiration, instruction and practice for writers and anyone who wants to write is The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write. Mark David shared with us his rationale of why Writer’s Block is a myth, how we create it and how we can un-create it, the role of distractions in blocking us, living with deadlines and commitments, and how we can be in the zone
writing.
Before moving to the U.S. in 1997, he worked for more than a decade as full-time as a freelance writer and editor in his native Canada. His latest book, a story about the power of story, is intriguingly titled The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy and is the first volume in a projected trilogy.
Mark David also produces a free inspirational e-newsletter every month that reaches more than 1200 subscribers in some two dozen countries. He spoke with us from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Patrick Snow – Book Covers That Sell Books

Posted by on October 12, 2007 No comments
On October 12th, 2007 Victor R. Volkman and Irene Watson spoke with Patrick Snow, bestselling author and book coach. Patrick is author of Creating Your Own Destiny: How to Get Exactly What You Want Out of Life which has sold over 125,000 copies since its first printing in July of 2001. He spoke with us about the crucial elements of cover design and what turns consumers on (or off) when looking at your book. We also talked about realistic amounts to spend on cover design and your role in promoting the book after its printed. Patrick also touched on effective generation of the title and subtitle and how important they are to your platform. He generously shared many real-life examples of books that he has helped shepherd into production.
For more than 20 years, he has studied the field of personal growth and development. Patrick’s “DESTINY” message has been recognized in major newspapers such as The New York Times, Denver Post, and the Chicago Sun Times. His book and photo were also featured on the cover story in the December 5, 2002, issue of USA Today. His message has also been featured on hundreds of radio stations throughout North America and Europe. Patrick has also been a TV guest on Seattle’s popular Northwest Afternoon.

Patrick has been in business-to-business and high-tech corporate sales for more than 15 years. During this time, he has been tracking layoffs and worker discontent. As a Business-Ownership Advocate, Patrick’s mission is to help others overcome their fears by turning their career distress into personal success, through business ownership.

Originally from Michigan, Patrick graduated from the University of Montana in 1991, and now lives in Seattle with his wife and children.

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Jacqueline Church Simonds – To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish

Posted by on October 5, 2007 No comments
On October 4th, 2007 Victor Volkman and Irene Watson spoke with author and publisher Jacqueline Church Simonds. She is the co-owner of Beagle Bay, Inc., publishers of women’s adventure fiction, travel guides and self-help books. Jacqueline helped us navigate the dangerous waters of self-publishing including such tough topics as:

  • Do you have the skills needed or drive to acquire them?
  • Do you have the money to do justice to the book?
  • Do you have the temperament given the long odds of breaking even?
  • Who can help me?
    		•
    Jacqueline’s company also offers small press distribution and book packaging services through their imprint of Creative Minds. She is the author of Captain Mary, Buccaneer, a pirate novel for adults, which was her first novel and the genesis of her company. She is also the creator of the New Self-Publisher’s FAQ and Jacqueline is one of the co-moderators of the SPAN Self-Publishing Discussion List otherwise known as Self-Publishing@Yahoo Groups.com Captain Mary, Buccaneer

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    Deltina Hay – Using Social Media to Promote Your Book

    Posted by on September 28, 2007 No comments
    On September 27th, 2007 Victor R. Volkman and Irene Watson spoke with social media developer and expert Deltina Hay. She is the owner of Dalton Publishing, an up-and-coming literary press out of Austin, Texas. Deltina shared with us the new elements that make up Web 2.0 and how to use them: RSS feeds, blog aggregators, Wikis, and social media press rooms just to name a few. We also talked about which technology is most appropriate to your target audience and the strengths and weaknesses of major social media sites, including book/author themed sites such as Shelfari and Book Movement
    Deltina Hay has also been programming and doing Web development in one form or another for over 25 years. Her love of publishing and media, coupled with her passion for open source programming led her naturally to Web 2.0 and social media consulting. She is the founder of SocialMediaPower.com, a social media and Web 2.0 consulting firm, specializing in helping authors and small publishers succeed in the new, “live” Web.

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    Anya Achtenberg – Writing for Social change

    Posted by on September 21, 2007 No comments
    On Thursday, Sept 20th, 2007 Tyler Tichelaar spoke with writer and advocate Anya Achtenberg about how to write with an eye for expressing the need for social change. Anya teaches Writing for Social Change: Re-Dream a Just World, a workshop for both new and experienced writers of poetry and prose, fiction and nonfiction to learn effective techniques for presenting social and political viewpoints. She shared with us her philosophy and practice of how to reframe our ideas about writing. Specifically how to write about what moves us from a standpoint that educates and argues for justice without becoming a screed or manifesto. Recognizing who you are and how what you have to say makes a difference in the world
    Anya Achtenberg, an award-winning fiction writer as well as poet, has seen her recently completed novel, More Than the Wind, excerpted in Harvard Review, and her novella The Stories of Devil-Girl released on CD. Her second book of poetry, The Stone of Language, was published in 2004 by West End Press (Albuquerque) after being finalist in 5 poetry competitions. Her stories have received awards from Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope: All-Story, New Letters, the Asheville Fiction Writers Workshop, the Raymond Carver Story Contest, and others. Her first book of poetry, I Know What the Small Girl Knew, was published by Holy Cow! Press (MN). She is at work on a novel centering in the experience of a Cambodian woman born of an African American father at the moment the bombing of Cambodia by U.S. forces began.

    She has taught creative writing widely, including at New York University, School of Visual Arts in NY, Springfield College Boston, Hamline University, the University of Minnesota’s Split Rock Arts Program, the University of New Mexico’s Honors Program, and their summer conference in Taos; for organizations such as The International Women’s Writing Guild—at their yearly conference at Skidmore, at Scandinavia House in Manhattan, at Eleanor Roosevelt’s Cottage in Hyde Park, NY, and at the Santa Fe Women’s Club; at the Center for Contemporary Arts and for Word Harvest in Santa Fe; The Leaven Center—for the bringing together of the political and the spiritual, in Michigan; The Loft in Minnesota; and with drop-out youth, working adults, and through residencies in Minnesota and New York City public schools. She spent years writing curriculum for young people in and out of the public schools.

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