How can you get the word out about your latest release without spending more than you earn? Many authors are forming groups for advertising and getting more ad space for their buck. A group of electronically published authors contributed $10.00 each for a full page ad in Romance Writers of America’s monthly magazine. Many of these authors would not be able to afford such a large ad on their own. Other authors are joining forces to insert flyers in Romantic Times and... » Read more
Unusual Promotions by Lori Soard Promotion can be time-consuming and confusing for authors. How much is too much? How much is enough? When it comes to promotion, too much is never too much. What does enhance or decrease from effectiveness is the TYPE of promotion. Here are a few tried and true tips I’ve learned along the way. 1) Hire a publicist as soon as you have the extra funds. This might mean using 10% to pay the publicist... » Read more
Building a readership. Increasing book sales. Two of the most important things an author can do to promote her career. Whether you’re published or unpublished, it’s never too early to start building a readership. COMMUNITY OUTREACH Volunteer to speak at local nonprofit groups and your library. If you have a book out, ask for a table at the back of the room. Write articles for your church newsletter or local businesses. This builds a relationship and when your next book... » Read more
LEARN HOW TO HAVE FREEDOM FROM THE 9 TO 5 DRUDGERY! Sick of the drudgery? Are you sick of working 9 to 5 (or longer) day in and day out? Do you wish you could take your vacation when you wanted, never miss another activity your kids are involved in and not have to sit in an office day after day? You can work from home and make a decent living. You can make the transition without risking your current income. Nearly fifteen years ago, I worked for Ford Motor Company. The money was good. I hated the... » Read more
I was thinking today about those airline peanuts they hand out when you’re flying in an airplane. The stewardess comes around and offers you the peanuts or other miniature snacks. She also gives you just enough to drink to keep you really thirsty. The peanuts are barely a snack. In fact, you have to work pretty hard for them. First, you have to cram yourself into coach, unless you are lucky enough to fly first class. Frugal me (see Crabby Housewife) has no idea what they serve in first class,... » Read more
Part of me loves to shop. There is nothing more satisfying than finding that perfect bargain on that perfect blouse that will go with anything. Part of me hates to shop, especially at peak times, like weekends and holidays. I have two big shopping events coming up in the next six months. Event # 1 is back to school shopping for children’s clothes (teens). The other event is Christmas shopping, which may seem like it is a long ways away, but actually isn’t all that far. Since working... » Read more
Can you make money working online? You may be wondering if it is at all possible to make any money online. Online income can be an important revenue stream for home workers. The problem is trying to find LEGITIMATE work at home opportunities amidst the numerous scams. WEEDING OUT THE SCAMS There are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind that may help you avoid scams. Never pay money to try to get a job. This is always a scam that is meant only to take your money. Never agree to work without pay... » Read more
One of the ways we can save more money and work from home is if we take advantage of little things like rewards programs. You should sign up for every store card you can and programs like MyPoints and SwagBucks. I actually just joined SwagBucks because a friend of mine joined and got a new microwave within about a week by getting Amazon gift cards and using them to purchase it. She was so excited that I thought I’d give it a try. I like it so far. I just use their little search tool instead... » Read more
We have several new courses and workshops starting in May. Sign up early or you may risk the class closing due to space limitations on some classes. Escape the Rat Race and Work From Home 6 week course. Details here. Writing Romances Workshop – Don’t have a lot of extra time? This one day workshop is on a Saturday June 5th from 9 p.m. to midnight with a couple of short breaks in the middle. Saturday, June 5th. This course will cover the elements of a romance, opening hooks, conflict,... » Read more
I’ve been teaching the very first Escape the Rat Race course on Monday nights this month. The conversation has been truly engaging and I’m enjoying learning more about my fellow rats out there who want to declare mutiny on traditional jobs and work for themselves and/or from home. One topic that we discussed this week was streams of income. Any business owner alive will tell you that relying on a single client or a single source of income is not smart business. If you lose that one source,... » Read more