tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67576530536835016712024-02-07T16:24:08.193-08:00Synchronicity...Writing, Marketing, E- Publishing and...Where Everything Comes Together...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-91802111227255002882014-08-11T16:03:00.000-07:002014-08-11T17:14:03.112-07:00Help Me Design My Next Book Cover!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi All,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay so I have something fun in store for everyone...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm been picking up some good momentum as I move through the draft of my next book NEVER LET ME GO. It's a steamy romance about cyber crime and takes place in Las Vegas and the Arizona desert. I've been looking over some photos for the next book cover and I can't quite decide. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's where you all come in...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are the main pictures I've narrowed it down to. All you need to do is select the image/option you like best - either 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 and hit submit at the bottom of the last photo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's that easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't wait to see which one you choose!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Til Next Time...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Maggie</i></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-26823718107934442122014-08-07T02:41:00.003-07:002014-08-07T02:41:59.277-07:00 My Thanks…My Apologies and…Boy Do I Need Some Help...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEion3GnXcz74_wChwNblqFR7AU4TiRzPyoQ-GMgbiHlzACjqJAgCtlJYk6NEUMco9LdGfk-qH9ytV4RtPhTn-TApgtChcai1Wb9nAX5hO8-ZypY8zF8QYBgYQFLi7pCjK1fEsKdsO7ebBs/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEion3GnXcz74_wChwNblqFR7AU4TiRzPyoQ-GMgbiHlzACjqJAgCtlJYk6NEUMco9LdGfk-qH9ytV4RtPhTn-TApgtChcai1Wb9nAX5hO8-ZypY8zF8QYBgYQFLi7pCjK1fEsKdsO7ebBs/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make
a difference in our lives.”</i> JFK</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 14pt;">"<i>In some families, </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 14pt;">please</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 14pt;"> is described as the magic word. In
our house, however, it was </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 14pt;"><b>sorry</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 14pt;">."</span></i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">~Margaret Laurence</span></span><span style="line-height: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Hi All,<br /><br />I have to say it…the past eighteen months have been nothing short of
amazing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I was
thrilled to release my three, romantic suspense novels <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-SHADOWS-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B009XYZS4M/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=08HW88GX1XDWZFDK7JH9">DEADLY SHADOWS</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ONE-STEP-CLOSER-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00AVKFG12/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VBGC24SQQXCM4NB4ET1">ONE STEP CLOSER</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/BE-STILL-BREATH-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00D7W5NO6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PFBZ0A8TH2Y7DCE25NJ">BE STILL MY BREATH</a>. And now
my new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Now-You-See-Maggie-Collins/dp/1495460614">NOW YOU SEE ME</a>, just came out and I’m excited for you to read
it!<br /><br />I’m so grateful to all the readers who embraced each of the books and
was wonderfully overwhelmed with the positive and encouraging reviews. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I’m
excited to keep sharing with you stories that are filled with page turning
suspense and sizzling romance. Be sure
to stay tuned because I’m already well into my next story…<b>NEVER LET ME
GO</b>.<br /><br />But now it’s time for me to mend some fences…<br /><br />The past year
and a half was a bit of a frenzy writing and finishing all three of my current
titles. Suffice to say, in the days and
weeks leading up to each release I was a bit of a wreck about
everything…<br /><br />The development of the characters…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
pacing of the intro…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Marketing…marketing…marketing…Goodreads giveaways,
Kindle count down deals...</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">Setting
up a Facebook page...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">Setting
up a website…a blog…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I’m sure
most self published authors would
agree…it’s all part of the amazing and absolutely chaotic process of
e-publishing</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
here’s the thing… in the rush and the chaos of it all I didn’t give enough time
and care to one critical element…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Editing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Don’t get
me wrong…I got a lot great reviews from readers about how fun and romantic the
stories were and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that
feedback.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But I
also got review bombed on the editing piece.
And though it stung, I really do appreciate those readers who took the
time to share their thoughts and critiques. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So please
let me just say…I am sorry. Very
sorry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And rest
assured I heard you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">As I got
ready for the release of my new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Now-You-See-Maggie-Collins/dp/1495460614">NOW YOU SEE ME</a>, I worked much harder this
turn around on the editing…including making sure words </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.33333396911621px;">aren't</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;"> dropped or misspelled, having was a stronger
editing eye to catch missing commas and quotation marks…the works.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13pt;">Is it be perfect? Close to perfect? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13pt;">That’s my goal because because </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13pt;">here’s the bottomline...Quality matters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;">Everytime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;">So f</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px;">rom this point on they’ll be more effort…more time…and more resources devoted to editing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Which is
why I finally realized I need help.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And yes I'll still do a number of revision and edit reviews on my own, but now I’m also handing off those drafts to
some great outside professional folks to help with the
process.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">The crazy
thing about it all was that I actually did so many edits on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-SHADOWS-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B009XYZS4M">DEADLY SHADOWS</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ONE-STEP-CLOSER-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00AVKFG12/ref=pd_bxgy_kstore_img_y">ONE STEP CLOSER</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/BE-STILL-BREATH-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00D7W5NO6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WKBN3Q0201ANN4ES00G">BE STILL MY BREATH</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So here
are the big questions…how did it all go so wrong? How could I miss so
much?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">I knew I </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.33333396911621px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;"> want to continue down this path – my readers deserve better - so I did a
little research and apparently the problem in my whole editing equation started
</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">and</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;"> ended with me, myself and I.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What I
found out is that when it comes to editing, writers are their own worst
enemy.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It has to
do with the fact that since we know what we want to say, and if the sentence
seems clear enough, we actually can’t pick up the mistakes in the sentence or
paragraph.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That’s
because the brain skews what we perceive as wrong words inside sentences by
doing an auto-correct as we’re reading through the
lines.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Simply
put, the brain actually makes it hard for us to <i>see</i> the
mistake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here’s
how John McIntyre of the Baltimore Sun explains it…</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; mso-bidi-font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #292727; font-size: 11pt;">"...experienced
readers, the very people you would imagine to be effective at editing, are not
necessarily reliable. Experienced readers recognize patterns. They recognize
patterns of letters arranged in words. They recognize syntactical patterns. They
recognize stock phrases and standard figures of speech. And so the brain tells
them that they see the patterns they expect to find. The brain auto-corrects,
not worrying about, for example, transposed letters, because it recognizes the
shape of the whole word…</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This
whole auto correct issue? Well it got me
thinking…what else has my brain been auto correcting? Bad decorating choices? Bad outfits, bad haircuts? (We’ll leave all
that for another day and maybe another blog.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Suffice
to say the e-publishing world is a challenge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We’re
writers, editors, book cover designers, promoters – and it all gets a bit
crazy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But I
also believe think e-publishing is perfect for any of us busy folks who has a
great story to tell – folks who are used to lives filled with one big mash up of
multi-tasking events.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It’s like
everything else you do…you want to get better and keep moving
forward.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We all
want to grow into a better place and become a better
person…wife…mom…writer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sometimes we just need to ask
for help along the way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And stay tuned for my next blog. It's the first in my <i>How To</i> series. First up? You guessed it...<i>How to Edit Your Novel.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">‘Til next
time…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Maggie</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing...Marketing...E-Publishing...Ever thought of writing your own book? Interested in an inside look of a busy writer's life? Check out my other blog <a href="http://365daysofwritingmarketinge-publishing.blogspot.com/">365 Days of Writing, Marketing & E-Publishing</a>...today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;">Want to
know more about this </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.33333396911621px;">auto-correct</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 13pt;"> phenomenon?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Check out
these link...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11pt;">http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-08-09/news/bal-that-damn-autocorrect-20130809_1_brain-readers-james-thurber</span></span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-2480151589577731242014-08-02T02:31:00.000-07:002014-08-07T02:25:30.269-07:00May I Have Your Attention Please? We Have an Important Announcement...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi All,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So today's the day for an important announcement...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I decided to set up a separate blog for <a href="http://365daysofwritingmarketinge-publishing.blogspot.com/">365 Days of Writing, Marketing & E-Publishing</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You see I still want to blog about romance and suspense novels...the writer's life...and how writer's can get things done in the upcoming "How to" series. So I'll </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">keep doing that on <a href="http://maggiecollins-synchronicity.blogspot.com/">Synchronicity</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Giving </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://365daysofwritingmarketinge-publishing.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">365 Days</a> i<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">t's own home j</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ust made sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So if you'd like a peek inside the busy writer's life and if your interested in writing, marketing your book or self publishing...don't miss a single day of <a href="http://365daysofwritingmarketinge-publishing.blogspot.com/">365 Days of Writing, Marketing & E- Publishing</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Til next time...</span><br />
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<i>Maggie</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-39117328146232975922014-07-31T17:42:00.001-07:002014-08-01T12:04:41.329-07:00Day 4...You Wake Up When??<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_bjTiHcVR06kY-GxdPxAHh-wgRHWS_t5Ztevbu-ncBptRv056lGebxVAevyYUCP0f90RLsFmPsYp-0sNJpLX4GW4Mk2NuIIh2gARq4_zSwoBOxvEB1DbTt4Sn88hMGbe9J7KiGRiq1I/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a><br />
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Welcome to Day 4<br />
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4:30. A.M.<br />
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Yup that's my normal wake up time, just about every morning.<br />
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The house is quiet and it's the perfect time for me to write. I call it my power hours. In fact, between 4:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. I'm like Wonder Woman - I write, I edit, I brainstorm and execute marketing ideas, I workout, I get dinner prepped, I do laundry. My focus and execution is off the charts.<br />
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And when I get into that kind of zone, everything else in my day seems to work better.<br />
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This morning I worked on a couple of different scenes on my <a href="http://maggiecollins.blogspot.com/2014/07/day-3hail-to-chalkboard.html">Chalkboard</a> - I started with 5828 words ended with 6703. 875 words - not bad for 90 minutes.<br />
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I added a couple more ideas to my marketing spreadsheet and after finishing the edit review on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-SHADOWS-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B009XYZS4M">Deadly Shadows</a>, I did a new upload to Amazon.<br />
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I'm all in, a morning person so it's easy for me to show up and get things done. Maybe you do better at night. The key is finding the time that works best for you and then building in a steady routine of writing. A steady routine...<br />
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Speaking of routines, here's another one I do pretty much every morning....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKkQkOw83QIuotrY-9RSAhxjixxT_3OIswzgXIc5MUn62zWRuuoDTiE4riiP-sfCzUPQ2cbNKGkzg0Ov4DMVGpKE8pGuT9PWLzKWLdjVF-w1gDwzJw5xwvSOt0x6lvZQtzrqtQqc746U/s1600/Morning+Routine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKkQkOw83QIuotrY-9RSAhxjixxT_3OIswzgXIc5MUn62zWRuuoDTiE4riiP-sfCzUPQ2cbNKGkzg0Ov4DMVGpKE8pGuT9PWLzKWLdjVF-w1gDwzJw5xwvSOt0x6lvZQtzrqtQqc746U/s1600/Morning+Routine.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><br />
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2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water, followed by a kale, blueberry, banana smoothie.<br />
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The apple cider is a bit tough (I down it quick like a shot) but check out all these <a href="http://www.healthambition.com/apple-cider-vinegar-drink-daily-better-health/">benefits</a> and these other great <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/16/apple-cider-vinegar-beauty-benefits_n_3589264.html">uses</a>. (I haven't had a cold in years)<br />
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As for the kale smoothie...you can read about all those benefits <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/eat-your-kale/2012/09/24/95a4d756-018f-11e2-9367-4e1bafb958db_story.html">here</a><br />
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And let's not forget...Today's Take away Lesson...<br />
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Routine is good. Finding your power hours and building a writing routine around them is even better. That's what will get take from dreaming about writing a book to a finished manuscript.<br />
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(BTW...past 8 p.m. I'm a bit useless.)<br />
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Here's to Being All In,</div>
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<i>Maggie</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-3347883196609836562014-07-30T17:42:00.001-07:002014-08-01T12:04:25.343-07:00Day 3...Hail to the Chalkboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWMmgx3Y-SCNSJqwp-JzK4c9iJtCvliRL8HWvBMvmIt7UOs25w-FBBRJ-DTiwD5iV4G1u2wVpp4gCa8gNVrVvgzq-Sb3qI4Kmwhq0op8dGOOrLvzBdiBaogWhOTsBArJefFavoBDNIA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWMmgx3Y-SCNSJqwp-JzK4c9iJtCvliRL8HWvBMvmIt7UOs25w-FBBRJ-DTiwD5iV4G1u2wVpp4gCa8gNVrVvgzq-Sb3qI4Kmwhq0op8dGOOrLvzBdiBaogWhOTsBArJefFavoBDNIA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Welcome to Day 3...<br />
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These days most schools have a smart board in the classroom. They're connected to computers and not only present teacher's notes and other documents, but can also play videos and live stream programs as well.<br />
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When I was growing up we used chalkboards and they were filled with lesson notes, homework for the week and important announcements about upcoming events like extra help.<br />
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Suffice to say it was the focal point of the room. The spot around where all the learning took place. Problems were worked out there, solutions were found there and new ideas were presented.<br />
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So what's the big deal about chalkboards? Well after publishing four books in two years, my version of a chalkboard, is a working doc on my computer saved as, you guessed it "Chalkboard" and it's been a huge part of my writing routine. <br />
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How huge? Let's just say right now on my chalkboard file I have notes for just about every scene I'm imagining for the rest of the story. At the moment none of it is perfect, but it's all workable and for me it virtual eliminates the possibility of writer's block.<br />
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It's the place where my stream of consciousness writing is captured, new scenes are documented, and dialogue is worked out. It's my learning place as I outline, shift ideas, polish scenes and slowly wait for some magic to emerge. When a chapter seems to be just right, then and only then do I format the paragraphs and text before cutting and pasting it into final draft.<br />
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My chalkboard is just one part of my routine...stay tuned for more ideas to get, and to keep you writing...<br />
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So things are moving along...<br />
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Today I did a final polish on my latest scene before cutting and pasting into Never Let You Go's final draft...btw here's my book stat so far...20,420 words and counting. I usually come in around 65,000-70,000 words so I'm close to 1/3 of the way through...note to self - keep moving...<br />
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Also...finished 6 more chapters of my edit review on Deadly Shadows...<br />
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And...added a bunch more ideas to my marketing idea list. I'll be setting it up on an excel spreadsheet tomorrow - that's the plan anyway.<br />
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Now I'm off to sleep, but not before sharing today's Take Away Lesson...<br />
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Writing is a novel is a huge undertaking. So what's the secret to going from a single word on the page to a 65,000 word novel? Besides great ideas, you have to have systems and routines that work for you. </div>
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Here's to Being All In,</div>
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<i>Maggie</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-82750449395169299332014-07-29T18:04:00.000-07:002014-08-01T12:03:55.640-07:00Day 2...Some Things Need Fixin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWMmgx3Y-SCNSJqwp-JzK4c9iJtCvliRL8HWvBMvmIt7UOs25w-FBBRJ-DTiwD5iV4G1u2wVpp4gCa8gNVrVvgzq-Sb3qI4Kmwhq0op8dGOOrLvzBdiBaogWhOTsBArJefFavoBDNIA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWMmgx3Y-SCNSJqwp-JzK4c9iJtCvliRL8HWvBMvmIt7UOs25w-FBBRJ-DTiwD5iV4G1u2wVpp4gCa8gNVrVvgzq-Sb3qI4Kmwhq0op8dGOOrLvzBdiBaogWhOTsBArJefFavoBDNIA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Welcome to Day 2...</div>
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Since 2012 I've written and e-published four books...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Shadows-Maggie-Collins/dp/1492836397/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406658345&sr=1-5&keywords=deadly+shadows">Deadly Shadows</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Step-Closer-Maggie-Collins/dp/1494227169/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DN7ZGWFNM3GXRHC7R4J">One Step Closer</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Still-Breath-Maggie-Collins/dp/1491204818/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DN7ZGWFNM3GXRHC7R4J">Be Still My Breath</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Now-You-See-Maggie-Collins/dp/1495460614/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406658482&sr=1-8&keywords=now+you+see+me">Now You See Me</a> and for the most part the response from readers has been great. What wasn't so great were the negative reviews...mostly about editing. </div>
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Lesson learned. Stay tuned you'll learn more about what happened in my next two blog posts on <a href="http://maggiecollins.blogspot.com/">Synchronicity</a> - including...How To Edit Your Novel. (The start up of the How To...series is happening very soon!)</div>
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But as part of the fix, I found some great freelance editors to do a review on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Now-You-See-Maggie-Collins/dp/1495460614/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406658482&sr=1-8&keywords=now+you+see+me">Now You See Me</a>. But that's not all...I also had them go back and do an edit on my other books. Call it a do-over.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/ONE-STEP-CLOSER-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00AVKFG12/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z7590QT2E6CCSAX0KTC">One Step Closer </a>is already finished and now I'm in the final stages of reviewing their edits on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-SHADOWS-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B009XYZS4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406658940&sr=8-1&keywords=deadly+shadows+maggie+collins">Deadly Shadows</a>. It's slow, painful, not fun, not glamorous, but an oh-so-necessary part of the process. </div>
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Today I completed ten chapters - and celebrated with a handful of chocolate covered cranberries (my guilty pleasure).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFVRlVCthNVe556sR1Ji1kBQ-VMbn41-dL_XUKX6HAXiHAPfeuikkDAB7Akxh3u0tJShCErqkSAU7jFeP3STFmq3asa2OnuDlUs6afwrYre7rq605KU2OylxrHlQj2GTKdyBpCv7Ed3o/s1600/choc+covered+cranberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFVRlVCthNVe556sR1Ji1kBQ-VMbn41-dL_XUKX6HAXiHAPfeuikkDAB7Akxh3u0tJShCErqkSAU7jFeP3STFmq3asa2OnuDlUs6afwrYre7rq605KU2OylxrHlQj2GTKdyBpCv7Ed3o/s1600/choc+covered+cranberries.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
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The good news? I'm almost done, just eight more chapter reviews to go! </div>
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What else?</div>
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Well I also started brainstorming marketing ideas. But not just any marketing ideas. Some of them take me completely out of my hide-behind-my-computer comfort zone. Stay posted, I'll be sharing my final list soon. My plan is to spend the next year checking off as many as possible on the list and reporting on what works and what doesn't.</div>
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Finally...I finished writing and polishing a chapter for my new book Never Let Me Go (I've been just a few paragraphs away from completing it for about a week now so I'm so happy to put it to bed). The story takes place in Sin City and a remote desert hideout in Arizona. It's all about hacking, cyber crimes and has a fun twist about what is and isn't legal. Add in a sexy secret service agent, along with a smart yet beautiful attorney and Never Let Me Go adds up to a whole bunch of sizzle and suspense. I can't wait to share it all with you.</div>
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That's all for now, but let's not forget today's Take Away Lesson...</div>
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Fix your mistakes...all of them. Clean up your messes...all of them. And make sure you always give your readers your very best. Even if it means a few do-overs.</div>
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Here's to Being All In,</div>
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<i>Maggie</i></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-51931312378181352982014-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:002014-08-01T12:02:48.148-07:00Day 1 And So It Begins...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVfT84aSl7Yx3rFY7Ixf4DEaKBvp0ZN3EvtVZ0B0tgXIH5vKsxxuRgEcMIm3UjSIdE9PWjTBRgPs6XJfUYxA3ib_8-DGQXVJO_WVKDRzSyzKsD5FndJE-KU673B2JewynatKdY4ZVYXA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVfT84aSl7Yx3rFY7Ixf4DEaKBvp0ZN3EvtVZ0B0tgXIH5vKsxxuRgEcMIm3UjSIdE9PWjTBRgPs6XJfUYxA3ib_8-DGQXVJO_WVKDRzSyzKsD5FndJE-KU673B2JewynatKdY4ZVYXA/s200/MC+Logo.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVfT84aSl7Yx3rFY7Ixf4DEaKBvp0ZN3EvtVZ0B0tgXIH5vKsxxuRgEcMIm3UjSIdE9PWjTBRgPs6XJfUYxA3ib_8-DGQXVJO_WVKDRzSyzKsD5FndJE-KU673B2JewynatKdY4ZVYXA/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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Welcome to Day 1 of the Journey. </div>
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And so it begins... 365 days of writing, marketing and e-publishing. You might be asking...what's the point? Believe me, I've asked myself the very same question. I've been toying around with the idea about doing this for weeks now. Truthfully I'm scared about the work, the daily commitment, and about keeping it real. </div>
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And yet here I am - ready to jump in.</div>
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And as for the reason why...well, I want to challenge myself in a BIG way. You see, while I've written and e-published four books over the past two years with some modest success, it's time to kick things up a notch in both my writing and marketing efforts. </div>
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Bottom line? </div>
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I want more. More books...more buzz...more reach...more sales. </div>
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So here's the plan - I write, edit, market, e-publish and execute. EVERY SINGLE DAY </div>
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And this part of my blog will become a record of it all. </div>
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I want to focus on what's working - what's generating more sales...what's helping me write better or faster -and get rid of what's not. Aside from my writing, I work full time and with a husband, three kids and a dog, life is crazy. Suffice to say there's not a lot of downtime in my days. So when it comes to my writing and marketing, what I do has to help me not only work smarter, but also execute great results.</div>
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No doubt they'll be some lessons learned (both good and bad) and I hope you'll share them with me.</div>
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I'm in. All in...Maybe you want to be too? I hope so. Let's get moving.... </div>
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Starting with five goals for the week.</div>
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Here are mine...</div>
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<li>Finish writing and polishing two scenes in my latest book Never Let Me Go.</li>
<li>Complete an edit review of one of my previous books - Deadly Shadows - more on that this week</li>
<li>Brainstorm marketing ideas</li>
<li>Set up a weekly marketing schedule </li>
<li>Write and polish a new blog post for Synchronicity</li>
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And finally...</div>
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Today's Take Away Lesson...</div>
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Writing, publishing and marketing your book can be a long journey, but you have to take the first step. The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is NOW.</div>
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Here's to Being All In,</div>
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Maggie</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-76833710197653885762014-04-20T01:28:00.000-07:002014-08-01T12:02:15.440-07:00Deals, Deals and More Deals!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTWD1BIwdJigVz-GRjETkQ2QXjrNbd8eTSNEkk11DRpBrHJ1a6O0yFPLW7H9x-8IY85gN3E3R2uD9voQsr7RbuQSzhlWwRtKZ77CdbV4lbfqHV2XuccUGOUE8WzHSEg4DqKYQ21DidHc/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTWD1BIwdJigVz-GRjETkQ2QXjrNbd8eTSNEkk11DRpBrHJ1a6O0yFPLW7H9x-8IY85gN3E3R2uD9voQsr7RbuQSzhlWwRtKZ77CdbV4lbfqHV2XuccUGOUE8WzHSEg4DqKYQ21DidHc/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a></div>
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Hi All!</div>
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Who doesn't love a Kindle Count Down Deal? So...To kick off the upcoming release of my newest book, <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU2LWu2TSUSE1RD028UodroZ9G-QER1BFn3dgTdwVxT57dnqxonBUXb9C4a9Et0PHTaEpOe4ZmwjFOwR_QH1eTGlOkq0kqT2BYwZFOnUh_FXfLzDweDBk2EC_-kV038MVPhJk8xeHpN0/s1600/NYSMtestfrontcover3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU2LWu2TSUSE1RD028UodroZ9G-QER1BFn3dgTdwVxT57dnqxonBUXb9C4a9Et0PHTaEpOe4ZmwjFOwR_QH1eTGlOkq0kqT2BYwZFOnUh_FXfLzDweDBk2EC_-kV038MVPhJk8xeHpN0/s1600/NYSMtestfrontcover3.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>
NOW YOU
SEE ME, I’m offering special pricing on my prior books:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr1n02AGJDaJpBg4-4XVMiSnFlfVoDpe-EyJvM0ZVe20hGQqGiJyGPEyvSkqIiXmxBIspSxB_4sn3m2_1ID20P7y_nziXHHgfryypxmWNrIy_OVzHzagdT9Q4Fr94jvMSNLV1rJwuS2k/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr1n02AGJDaJpBg4-4XVMiSnFlfVoDpe-EyJvM0ZVe20hGQqGiJyGPEyvSkqIiXmxBIspSxB_4sn3m2_1ID20P7y_nziXHHgfryypxmWNrIy_OVzHzagdT9Q4Fr94jvMSNLV1rJwuS2k/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">From 4/21 -4/26, just $0.99 on </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/DEADLY-SHADOWS-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B009XYZS4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397935951&sr=8-1&keywords=deadly+shadows+maggie+collins"><span style="font-size: large;">DEADLY SHADOWS</span></a>
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<span style="font-size: large;">From 4/23-4/28, just $0.99 on </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/ONE-STEP-CLOSER-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00AVKFG12/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ATARGRZPWK8K34FYQTK"><span style="font-size: large;">ONE STEP CLOSER</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And…</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrDt-nG2Wtz-GnCHmuOCtPYNVxb7vCWsktybDH1rKya-Bup0gUVB-F0Aky-akRNAVwahEu3-k4xP95G8t7iyPE9rb6pTbYgf3oQWLIQUNGDY7pSSQ0AUtf7ltvOv6MKgi7LbkR_cVTFA/s1600/smbestillmybreathfinal+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrDt-nG2Wtz-GnCHmuOCtPYNVxb7vCWsktybDH1rKya-Bup0gUVB-F0Aky-akRNAVwahEu3-k4xP95G8t7iyPE9rb6pTbYgf3oQWLIQUNGDY7pSSQ0AUtf7ltvOv6MKgi7LbkR_cVTFA/s1600/smbestillmybreathfinal+copy.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">From 4/25-4/30, just $0.99 on <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/BE-STILL-BREATH-Maggie-Collins-ebook/dp/B00D7W5NO6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WDZ6MBHBGX6BR52GCFF"><span style="font-size: large;">BE STILL MY BREATH</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Mark your calendars and Happy Reading!</div>
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'Til next time...Maggie</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-40653986578024654032014-03-14T13:56:00.006-07:002014-08-01T12:01:44.539-07:00You Don't Want to Miss All This...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDjC-en3ozvAeQCU91kkGQR5Z7G41SqwppoBM6W72nX-OdzkXyzftLK2sOs9JGk7StGKWetAcd1Z3c9CKl0v09fowLAcoX2e2qhs3B5wzfejuQwIWmmv-aqI_nbZ8q31p-ZxatFhU52w/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDjC-en3ozvAeQCU91kkGQR5Z7G41SqwppoBM6W72nX-OdzkXyzftLK2sOs9JGk7StGKWetAcd1Z3c9CKl0v09fowLAcoX2e2qhs3B5wzfejuQwIWmmv-aqI_nbZ8q31p-ZxatFhU52w/s1600/MC+Logo.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New";">Hi All,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First
off...please accept my apologies, because it's been a while...a very long while
since my last blog entry. 5 months to be
exact. I'm like the bear who's been hibernating all winter (if you live
in the Northeast like I do, you know what I mean.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rest assured, it hasn't all been
downtime. In fact, I’ve been very busy
writing my next novel <b>NOW YOU SEE ME</b>,
which is due out soon, as well as working behind the scenes on a lot of terrific
ideas and events you won't want to miss!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So now that spring is around
the corner, it's time to get back into the swing of reaching out, because I
have LOTS of great news and big ideas to share...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So let’s get started…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Exciting News for Readers...<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Right now I’m writing the
concluding scenes, editing and getting the cover, <i>just right</i> on my new book <b>NOW
YOU SEE ME</b>. I’m not ready to release
a final kick off date just yet, but rest assured, it’s very close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So in the meantime, to start
the celebration (Because I’m so excited to share my newest book with you!), I’ve
not only planned some great giveaways on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a>,
but I’ll also be offering some special pricing on my previous releases…<b>DEADLY SHADOWS, ONE STEP CLOSER, and BE
STILL MY BREATH.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a> giveaways kicked off yesterday
at midnight and they run until April 14<sup>th</sup>. So you still have plenty of time to be
eligible to win one autographed copy of each book. And it’s easy to enter. Just click on the link below and click on the
button that’s labeled <b>Enter to Win</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/84603-deadly-shadows">DEADLY SHADOWS</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/85062-one-step-closer">ONE STEP CLOSER</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6V3Cl8orso_A5q5DmhJzPOxAmEy1IYQ_4LJaa3_UqZxGIzjG43egrmljWm7iVXFZImI8feCFtsCiPRwVc8Q2WZkCia1IMS18gzZpMus7XuFVJUCqJjoQqK85f79mJNFV4V_gngosEg/s1600/smfinal_one_step.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitv6V3Cl8orso_A5q5DmhJzPOxAmEy1IYQ_4LJaa3_UqZxGIzjG43egrmljWm7iVXFZImI8feCFtsCiPRwVc8Q2WZkCia1IMS18gzZpMus7XuFVJUCqJjoQqK85f79mJNFV4V_gngosEg/s1600/smfinal_one_step.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/85255-be-still-my-breath">BE STILLMY BREATH</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN5AO-V5UKzNR-irsy7HDnZrtT6o1X2XgVZxErCtubSegZ_0RvgcsFjZ_DPiWcCCiEcoFkLryj-6VzVXuSPAH9uM6bvh-FwtbJ_2cHeiSAs0Njxy-V1r6XZ-rNXmtlrLgsVcaEGPfNFY/s1600/smbestillmybreathfinal+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN5AO-V5UKzNR-irsy7HDnZrtT6o1X2XgVZxErCtubSegZ_0RvgcsFjZ_DPiWcCCiEcoFkLryj-6VzVXuSPAH9uM6bvh-FwtbJ_2cHeiSAs0Njxy-V1r6XZ-rNXmtlrLgsVcaEGPfNFY/s1600/smbestillmybreathfinal+copy.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLpCVceQkcspOrXgng8dmqyMYu_tt4w-WTHuWHiUhfOVc0LgU2xTZyYlI1P7Pp52wpGXWCZKnnwZDMQIeter3gaXUEnonJCLfCVAHq3cb_fvOIuodnghMM8re14VngCgn6eIEZNFzD4/s1600/smDeadlyShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And don’t be shy. You can enter to win one, or all three books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not a member of Goodreads? Well, signing up is easy and free! Click <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">here</a>
to get started! Simply put, if you love
reading, Goodreads is the place to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And
here’s something else you won’t want to miss on Goodreads…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you love romantic suspense, then be sure to check out my recently created Listopia
list, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/72045.The_Place_for_Romantic_Suspense">The Place for Romantic Suspense</a>. In case
you didn’t know, Listopia is categories of book lists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love
paranormal romance? Well, there’s a list
for that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love
Southern Quirky Fiction? Yup, there’s a
list for that too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How
about Best Time Travel Fiction? You
guessed it. There’s a list. Anyway, Listopia is a great way to get
started on Goodreads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And
remember…if you love romantic suspense, then don’t miss <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/72045.The_Place_for_Romantic_Suspense">The
Place for Romantic Suspense</a>. You can
vote for my books, other books in the lineup and even add your own favorite
romantic suspense novels to the list. Don’t
forget to sign up for a free <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a>
account if you don’t already have one.<span style="color: #333333; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Next up…keep your eyes posted
on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Collins/517011365008546">Facebook
page</a> because I’m planning some special pricing on <b>DEADLY SHADOWS, ONE STEP CLOSER, and BE STILL MY BREATH</b> in April. (And while you’re there, please don’t forget
to like my page.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And finally…look for an
upcoming, special post on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Collins/517011365008546">Facebook page</a>
when I reveal the cover of NOW YOU SEE ME!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So now on to… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Exciting News for Writers...<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">They say it takes a village to
raise a child. Well the sentiment also rings
true for authors and those of us who self-publish and e-publish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The writing…the editing…developing
eye catching book covers…marketing…maintaining Facebook pages, websites, blogs…you
get the picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So how am I synchronizing the
journey with the reality?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By developing a special <b>“How To…”</b> feature as part of my regular
blog posts on <a href="http://maggiecollins.blogspot.com/">Synchronicity</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The internet is an amazing
place, and as I’ve embarked on my writing and publishing venture, I’ve been overwhelmed
and overjoyed about the generosity of some incredibly bright folks who figured
out how to assemble the puzzle pieces of some of the biggest e-publishing, social
media and formatting problems around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bottom line?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">These are the instructions and links
that save my a** when I was up at midnight trying to format my e-book for Create
Space or rushing to get a store set up on my Facebook page. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This special feature on <a href="http://maggiecollins.blogspot.com/">Synchronicity</a> is still under
construction, so please be patient, but I know when it all comes together, it
will be an incredibly valuable tool for everyone. Stay posted for more details.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Whew…that’s all for now. There’s lot’s going on and I’m excited to
share it all with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a great weekend!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maggie <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S. I owe you a blog post on
some great goal setting tips...the post is on my laptop ready to be
edited. Stay tuned.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
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The other week was all
about Miley Cyrus.<br />
<br />
I mean we couldn’t not talk, not text, not tweet, not
repost what we had seen.<br />
<br />
The stun value was through the
roof.<br />
<br />
At this year’s VMA, Hannah Montana didn’t just get killed
off.<br />
<br />
With every thrust, twerk and sexually graphic move, Miley Cyrus did
more <br />
than just put a stake in the heart of her sweet Disney persona. She shot it, burned it and then scattered the ashes over all her teen fans,
so Hannah would never be resurrected again.<br />
<br />
Ever.<br />
<br />
But
remember…<br />
<br />
<u>Sex Isn’t Always Sexy</u><br />
<br />
Okay, we all get it. Miley wants
the whole world to know she’s not an innocent, teen star. She’s grown up,
she’s sexy, and she’s doing things your way.<br />
<br />
And yes, her performance
posted a record number of tweets. And yes everyone was talking about
her.<br />
<br />
But we have to ask…is it for the right reasons?<br />
<br />
I mean, does
she want to be known for how many sexual thrusts she can do, or how far out
she could stick her tongue, or how adept she was with using a foam
finger?<br />
<br />
All that press and no one seemed to be talking about her voice,
her song, about Miley as an artist.<br />
<br />
She has said she wants to be
taken seriously as a grown up singer.<br />
<br />
But her performance was more about
seven minutes of crazy.<br />
<br />
Well one thing is clear – she became one of the
most talked about people on the planet last week.<br />
<br />
The artist
part?<br />
<br />
I’m not so sure.<br />
<br />
<u>What We Can Learn From Miley</u><br />
<br />
So how am I
synchronizing the whole Miley story?<br />
<br />
Well here’s the thing…<br />
<br />
Part
of the reason I was so interested in all the buzz (both good and bad) about
Miley, is the marketing lessons we can’t ignore.<br />
<br />
I’m a writer, but you
could be a designer, a journalist, an accountant or a dentist. It doesn’t
matter what field you’re in, somehow marketing – getting your name, your
product, your reputation out there, factors into the game.<br />
<br />
This past
year I spent a lot of time writing and e-publishing my romantic suspense
books. And with very little marketing I have been thrilled with the sales
and the response so far. But now I’m looking to expand the reach of my
books even further – out to an even a bigger audience.<br />
<br />
Which means,
not only do I want to keep turning out fun, romantic and thrilling stories,
I also want to find smart ways to connect with my current readers, woo new
readers with the end game of creating and growing a solid fan
base.<br />
<br />
So aside from working on my new novel NOW YOU SEE ME, I’m jumping
into the marketing waters. Doing research and setting up goals (as I move
forward, I’ll be sharing those ideas and the results with you so stay
tuned.)<br />
<br />
The truth is, there’s a lot out and I need to figure out what
works, what doesn’t and what I’m comfortable with.<br />
<br />
How exactly do you
stand out? Do you let the product speak for itself or do something so crazy
that people can’t help but notice you?<br />
<br />
Well, let’s break it down
because…<br />
<br />
<u>Maybe It Wasn’t All Bad</u><br />
<br />
Maybe Miley with her hip
thrusting, twerking performance was on to something. After her performance,
Reuters reported that her album "Bangerz" jumped to No. 5 on the iTunes
chart.<br />
<br />
Which is why some say any publicity is good publicity.<br />
<br />
But
what about going forward? Is this her new image? Will she just be known as the singer with the
sexually graphic moves.<br />
<br />
Was shocking the world into noticing her, the way
to go?<br />
<br />
I guess only time will tell.<br />
<br />
But all this talk, about why
exactly we’re all talking about Miley, made me ask some big
questions…<br />
<br />
Like what can my readers expect from me?<br />
<br />
What do I want
to deliver?<br />
<br />
How do I want to be known?<br />
<br />
You might want to ask the
same questions too…<br />
<br />
Like how do your customers/ your co-workers your
bosses view you? What do they expect? What can they count on from
you?<br />
<br />
It’s important to know your message and be in full charge of
it.<br />
<br />
Here’s my bottom line…<br />
<br />
Each and every time a reader picks up
my book, I want it to be fun and romantic. I want them to be excited about
my next release and the one after that…and after that.<br />
<br />
<u>Why I Want To Be Like Justin Timberlake...</u><br />
<br />
If you tuned in long enough after Miley’s set, you got to see
another VMA performance. One by Justin Timberlake.<br />
<br />
The music was
great, he oozed confidence and the dance moves, along with his reunion with
N’Sync were amazing.<br />
<br />
JT had it all. Energy, confidence, star
power. His performance was almost twenty minutes and I didn’t want it to
end.<br />
<br />
And isn’t that the answer?<br />
<br />
Forget leaving them confused,
uncomfortable or bewildered. Simply always leave them wanting
more.<br />
<br />
As for more…<br />
<br />
Don’t miss my next blog…you’ll hear all about
my New Year’s Resolutions. I know it’s September…I promise it will all make
sense when you read it. And…it just might help you achieve some of your big
goals. <br />
<br />
'Til then…Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757653053683501671.post-74521806407928708662013-09-15T15:05:00.002-07:002014-08-01T12:00:34.805-07:00Welcome to Synchronicity!<div>
Welcome to the Maggie Collins Blog and thanks for stopping by...</div>
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"Not all who wander are lost." J.R.R Tolkien</div>
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In fact, you just might have stumbled upon what you were looking for.</div>
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A place where it all comes together...updates on my books, the crazy and exciting world of e-publishing and smart ideas that make life great. </div>
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<div>
As an author of 4 romantic suspense novels, who just so happens to be a wife, busy mom of three, and who has a full time job, I'm always looking for Synchronicity - when all the seemingly unrelated things in my life mesh together in a perfectly, meaningful way. </div>
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Feel free to wander back often and please visit my website at <a href="http://www.maggiecollins.net/">www.maggiecollins.net</a> and like me on Facebook. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315335417505989546noreply@blogger.com0