Home Grown Books: February 2014

Friday, February 7, 2014

Go Digital

To effectively promote your book, make sure that you have a website and a blog, plus some social networking profiles (Facebook and Twitter are most popular, but for some books LinkedIn or Pinterest may be a better fit). Make sure you schedule some time every day to engage with people.

Join the Websites Below- They are free websites that will list your book, author bio, and book events. Just join and follow the directions for posting information. Very easy!

A. goodreads.com

B. authorcentral.com

C. authorsden.com

D. shelfari.com

Top 10 Book Promotion Strategies

1. Social networking and social media: 94 percent

2. Blogging: 84 percent

3. Seeking book reviews: 75 percent

4. Seeking testimonials and endorsements: 73 percent

5. Press releases: 68 percent

6. Email marketing: 62 percent

7. Radio and television talk shows: 62 percent

8. Speaking events: 60 percent

9. Article marketing: 57 percent

10. Book signings: 56 percent

About Us

Proprietors
Authors Schyrlet Cameron, Carolyn Craig, and Kathy Brown are pleased to announce the opening of HOME GROWN BOOKS. Partnering with Keen Bean Coffee Roasters of Mt. Vernon, Home Grown Books will display and sell books and musical CDs produced by local authors on shelves located inside the 60’s style coffee house.

The authors came up with the idea of a bookstore dedicated to promoting local talent after they experienced difficulty getting national bookstore chains interested in stocking their self-published book. Authors participating in the Not So Square Arts Festival held in Mt. Vernon in September complained they were faced with the same obstacle. The three authors decided it was time to take matters in their own hands and Home Grown Books was born. “We realize how difficult it is to get a traditional bookstore to place self-published books on their shelves. We saw a need to address this issue,” stated Schyrlet.

If you are an author, tired of your self-published books lying around collecting dust, here is your chance to have your talent recognized. The new business venture, Home Grown Books became operational on October 1st. The bookstore offers a wide variety of merchandise including, fiction and nonfiction books, musical CDs, and teacher resource materials appropriate for home, public, and private schools. If you are an author and wish to participate in this exciting new business venture, please contact us at homegrownbookstore@yahoo.com

New Release

Authors-CC Brown is the pseudonym adopted by the three authors: Schyrlet Cameron, Carolyn Craig, and Kathy Brown. The women live in the Ozarks with their families.

Genre: Fantasy Romance the Dark Side series delves into the wildly popular world of the paranormal, taking readers on a suspense-charged ride filled with bloodthirsty vampires, howling werewolves, and extraordinary women.

Book Descriptions

Book 1-Black Widow Society: The sacred relic of the undead... the Vampire Bible has fallen into the hands of a paranormal-artifact dealer, Koleen O’Brien. An eBay bid and an annual vacation lead Koleen and her five friends to San Antonio to deliver the book to a wealthy Texan. They are clueless to the fact that a pack of blood-thirsty vampires are stalking them to reclaim the Bible. Immortals meet their match as they discover that these women aren't typical mortals; they're members of the Black Widow Society!

Book 2-Wolf Stone: Just when Dmitri thought nothing could stop him from executing his plan to become king of the shapeshifters enters sexy Mona Dix. The sacred relic of the werewolf nation, the Wolf Stone, has fallen into her hands. With the possession of the stone comes the power to dominate and rule the thirteen werewolf tribes. Vacationing on the Oregon coast in the rugged terrain of the redwood forest, Mona and her friends are unaware of Dmitri and his pack of ancient wolves in hot pursuit to retrieve the precious stone. For the first time, Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his supernatural powers and strong will. She is a Black Widow and a member of the Society.

Both books are available at amazon.com. Visit their website at www.ccbrownbooks.com.

Author's Corner

Featured Author Of the Month
Growing up on a farm just outside of Safford, Arizona, May White had more animals than friends. When she would get picked on or teased by other children, her mother would draw pictures and tell her stories of brave animals and how they dealt with similar situations. She carried on this tradition with her children and grandchildren. She still has lots of pets on a small parcel of land near Ash Grove, Missouri, where she watches the squirrels and rabbits play, and she imagines all the wonderful things they talk about.

Book of the Month
Title: Jack the Rat and His Funny Little Hat
Genre: Fiction/Children
Book Description: Jack the Rat does it all in his hat! He plays, eats, and even sleeps in that
cap. But one day a strong wind comes along and Jack’s favorite hat is quickly gone. The book is available at amazon.com.

Teacher Resource Center

Home Grown Books features Mark Twain Media products. Save 50% on all supplemental books and decorative resources created by leading educators when you shop at Home Grown Books inside KeenBean Coffee Roasters at Mt. Vernon, Missouri. We invite teachers and home schooling parents to come in and take a look.

Pick of the of the Month
Designed to help students more easily navigate the world of nonfiction reading, Understanding Informational Text Features is a helpful resource for all middle-school learners. It is aligned to Common Core State Standards and
focuses on common text features such as type, index, glossary, table of contents, captions, charts, and more! Available at Amazon.com.

About the Authors
Carolyn Craig has twenty-six years of experience as an elementary and middle school teacher. She has co-authored thirteen teacher resource books. Carolyn is currently working as a free lance writer and educational consultant. She holds a Master of Education Degree in Curriculum. Carolyn has presented workshops on a variety of topics and has received recognition by the Missouri Middle School Association for her collaborative teamwork.

Schyrlet Cameron has thirty-four years of experience as an elementary and middle school teacher. She has authored or co-authored over twenty teacher resource books. Schyrlet is currently working as a free lance writer and educational consultant. She has presented workshops at the national, state, and local levels on a variety of topics. Schyrlet holds a Master of Education Degree in Elementary Education and has received recognition for her professionalism in teaching including Missouri Science Teacher of the Year Award and the national Excellence in Teaching Elementary Science Presidential Award.

A Different Kind of Bookstore

Friday, February 7, 2014

Go Digital

Top 10 Book Promotion Strategies