Conference Season in Full Swing
Carla Willilams and Cec Murphey
The Florida Christian Writers’ Conference last week was the first of a long line of conferences WinePress will attend this year.
This conference is always a great one to start our season. The southern hospitality of Director Billie Wilson always makes us feel like family.
Cec Murphey was the keynoter and he challenged us all to be more transparent in our lives and writing. We met a lot of new authors with strong writing skills. We look foward to attending again next year.
Dalene Parker, Tyler Kirby, and Carla Williams
WinePress sponsored the Writer of the Year Award at the Florida Christian Writers Conference. This year the winner was a young man, with a lot of potential, Tyler Kirby, age seventeen.
His short story, “As the Rain Falls” is scheduled for publication by Lee Emory, of Treble Heart Books. Tyler has previously been published in ENCOUNTER–the Magazine.
As a senior at Broome High School in Spartanburg, SC, Tyler holds many leadership positions. He is student body president, plays trumpet in the high school band and participated in the prestigious Palmetto Boys’ State Event in the summer of 2009.
After graduation, Tyler plans to attend Wofford College and major in English. His teacher and mentor and long time attendee of the conference, Dalene Parker, sponsored and encouraged Tyler in attending the conference.
Upcoming Conferences
WinePress will be at the following events:
Northwest Christian Ministry Conference in Redmond, Washington March 18-20. This is one of the largest and most jam-packed ministry conferences in the nation. The director Gary Dixon works hard to provide a strong program filled with resources for all types of ministries.
Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference March 24-30 near Santa Cruz, CA has provided writers for 41 years the training and connections they need at all levels.
Bob Fruehling to Guest on The American View Radio Show
Friday March 19, 2010
11:00am EST
Robert “Bob” Fruehling, author of The Revelation of King Arthur, will guest on The American View Radio Show.
Here is information about the book:
The legend of King Arthur and Merlin the Seer will not die!
- Why is the story of these two historical figures so intriguing?
- Why has it so inspired world leaders?
- Why do writers continue to tell the story of a lineage that leads from Jesus to King Arthur?
- Is King Arthur the Anti-Christ?
After reading this book, you will never look at the Arthur and Merlin in the same way again. This book offers scriptural proof of the existence of a man known as “the once and future king” and shows an Arthurian tie to that king.
Jesus warned, “The very elect could be deceived.” Be prepared to recognize the greatest deception that will ever be unleashed upon the earth. May those with “eyes to see and ears to hear,” heed the warning! Join in the journey as we explore the legend of this timeless king.
Robert Fruehling learned about Jesus at a young age, but he drifted away from his faith. Later, he recommitted his life and totally surrendered it to Messiah Jesus. After 16 years in industry, he answered a call to ministry. He received his undergrad degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and his M.A. and M.Div. from Ashland Theological Seminary. Robert now ministers through “aviv Ministries. He and his wife Paula have two grown children.
Nancy Flowers to Appear on The Harvest Show
Thursday, March 18, 2010
9 a.m. ET
Nancy Flowers, author of Tell Somebody It Happened It Happened To Me, will guest on The Harvest Show, a Christian television talk show that broadcasts on stations worldwide.
Geared for readers aged 4-10, this book helps parents protect their children from sexual abuse. In just a few pages, children will learn even nice people shouldn’t be allowed to touch certain places (“your privates”). Most importantly, children will understand it is OK to tell someone—and no need to feel bad.
Bright, fun illustrations and a kid-friendly story make this crucial message easy for children to enjoy—but for parents, it’s a tale they hope never leaves these pages. Read it today with your child and have the assurance that his or her innocence will be protected for years to come.
Vancouver Family Magazine Features Author Kathleen Sawyer
Kathleen Sawyer, author of the children’s book, The Day Sad Arrived, is featured in Vancouver Family Magazine (Washington State).
Journalist Nikki Klock writes about Sawyer:
The Day Sad Arrived was inspired by a real 12-year-old client of [Sawyer's] whose mother sent him to Sawyer’s Vancouver Christian-based therapy practice in hopes of drawing him out of a deep depression.
“Through his depression and our journey, I was led to ask him, ‘What day did sad arrive?’” Sawyer recalls.
“This light went on for him and he said, ‘The day my uncle died.’”
Today, that client is a thriving 17-year-old.
Everything You Need to Know about TV Cameras and Microphones
This is Part 3 in a series written by Dr. Karen Hayter, one of my favorite TV interviewers (used with permission).
Part 1: Key lingo you need to know before guesting on a television talk show
Part 2: 18 Important Tips on How to Dress for a TV Appearance
TV Cameras
The program you are doing could have one camera, or two, or even three or more. When you are talking to the host, it is best to look at the host, unless you are told to do otherwise. If you have an important point to make, you can always look right into the camera. (Note: the camera with the red light “on”—the tally light”—is the camera that is “on”).
Hint on communicating with the camera—and therefore with the audience: always look through the camera—like you look through your car windshield—not at it. And look right through the middle of the camera. Focus in on not looking away from the camera while you are talking “through” it.
You may want to put an imaginary picture on it, and talk to that. Or you may want to pretend that you are talking to the person behind the camera, or someone sitting in your living room. When you are not talking “to” the camera, try to remember that this is a conversation you are having, and try to forget the cameras and everything else that is going on around you.
Microphones
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS assume that they are on, and be careful of what you say.
Try to wear something that will make it easy to attach a microphone to-something with a collar, or a jacket, or blouse, with a skirt or pants, etc. Or a short sweater, a jacket, etc. One piece pullover dresses with no collar and long sleeves make it very difficult to hide a mic wire, and to get one on you in a graceful manner.
Men: when you get the microphone on, and are seated, be sure to pull your jacket (if you are wearing one) down in the back so it does not bunch up around your neck and shoulders.
IFB
The IFB is the piece that goes in your ear so you can hear audio. If you are doing a “call in” show and you cannot hear the audio, tell someone. They will probably have “audio” speakers on the floor of the set, too. Many, many programs will not provide you with an IFB.
Stay tuned for our next installment: How to behave when you guest on a TV talk show.
Help for the Publicity Challenged: 6 Ways to Gain Exposure Without Leaving Home
You’ve written a book, and you really want to get it out to the people who need it most… but you’ve never been good at public speaking and aren’t the type that wants to chat on a TV show.
Not everyone has an outgoing personality, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful publicity campaign. There are lots of ways to reach your audience without bright lights and fanfare. Here are just a few examples:
1. Book Reviews
You or your publicist submits your book to online or print publications that review books. This can help when consumers are searching online or perusing magazines. You can also use reviews as endorsements in your publicity of the book.
2. Blog Tours
Partner with a publicity firm that offers blog tours. This is where your book is offered to a large list of bloggers and whoever decides they want to blog about it jump aboard and the tour begins. This creates great internet presence.
3. Charity/ Giveaways
Be willing to offer your book to charity drives, share-a-thons, giveaways, etc. to gain exposure. You can bless others and start word-of-mouth about your book.
4. Website Promotion
Start a Website. This is an integral part of publicity. Every author needs to have a place that consumers can find them on the Web. Be sure to have a professional create your Website and spend the money necessary to communicate professionalism to your audience. WinePress offers 5-page custom websites that will meet your needs.
5. Advertising
Advertising is an excellent way to reach many different markets. Print and online advertising present your book to the public and lets them know you are willing to invest in your book. Advertising is best used as building blocks to branding your message. Keep your ads frequent, consistent, and professional.
6. Direct Mail Campaigns
Send impressive marketing materials directly to your audience. Schools, churches, specific ministries or organizations can be the target in a direct mail campaign. Postcards, brochures, special invitations, and more can arrive in the hands of who need it most. WinePress can handle finding a list, creating the materials, and sending them out for you too.
As you can see, if you’re not comfortable promoting your book publicly, there are still many creative ways to gain exposure. While this list can be accomplished to some degree on your own, it’s always best to have a publicity department or publicist with experience in the market, relationships with media, and media resources on your side.
Abigail Davidson has worked with WinePress Publishing since February of 2005. She helps promote WinePress authors through radio, television, print and Internet.
She also works closely with other WinePress staff on advertising and marketing to help WinePress authors build a publicity campaign that makes sense for their unique needs.
18 Important Tips on How to Dress for a TV Appearance
Last Monday, we introduced you to key lingo you need to know before guesting on a television talk show. Today, we continue with our series from Dr. Karen Hayter, one of my favorite TV interviewers (used with permission).
Clothing Tips
- The bright lights have a tendency to wash out colors sometimes, so choose what you wear carefully. If you are a blonde, and have on a beige outfit, you can fade into the background.
- You might want to apply your make-up a little heavier, if there is no one to do make-up. Always take a little make-up with you (males and females) to cover blemishes, powder any shiny spots, etc.
- Never wear all black or all white, or anything that “moves” like small plaids, houndstooth, etc. The camera does not see black or white as a color, so don’t wear them as a dominant or primary color-it confuses the camera.
- People always say not to wear red on camera, but the camera loves red, and you might want to add a little red somewhere, a scarf or tie with red in it, a shirt or shell with some red under a jacket, or even some demure red jewelry, or a red pin.
- Men, never wear a solid white shirt; a blue or pastel shirt is preferable. If you wear a tie, make it a power tie, one with some red in it.
- Always wear colors that look good on you.
- Never wear clothes that are too tight. When you get under pressure or nervous, they will appear and feel even tighter.
- Don’t wear clothes that are too short. You never know what kind of chair, bench, stool, or couch you will be sitting on.
- Check your teeth. Sometimes lipstick will fade off onto your teeth, or you may have something between your teeth.
- Closed heels or pumps are better than sandals.
- Men, keep your feet on the floor.
- Women, cross your ankles instead of crossing your legs at the knees.
- Never let the soles of your shoes show on camera.
- Sit up straight. Don’t slouch, but try to look comfortable. Try not to lean back into the seat. The camera is two-dimensional, not three-if you lean back in a chair, it can give the impression that you are almost lying down and that you are bored or uninterested. Push your bottom up against the chair and sit up straight, and then lean forward just a little.
- Try to breathe deeply, and relax. Try not to look stiff. Sometimes using appropriate hand and facial gestures will keep you from looking stiff. Be vibrant, be natural, be yourself.
- If you can wear something that fits your book, message, whatever, fine. Example: Richard Simmons always shows up in his exercise attire.
- Don’t wear flashy pins, noisy bracelets, large necklaces, “clangy” earrings, lots of gold/silver chains, etc. They distract the camera and the audience. The audience ends up watching your jewelry instead of you. Less jewelry is always better than more.
- “Class” is preferable to “fashion.”
A Blog, a Website, or Both?
By Kevin Cochran
Do you have a Website and a blog?
Great!
That’s a very good combination to reach a variety of people.
Do you have one or the other? Well, you should seriously consider having both.
Have neither? Then you should start with this article. A common mistake people make is that a Website and a blog are basically the same. A Website and a blog serve a unique purpose and should not be interchanged. Here’s why.
BLOG
A weblog (blog) is a good way to communicate with folks on a personal level. Think of it like having a conversation through your browser. For speakers, it’s like having an “always on” audience. For authors, it lets you provide current information or new happenings with your topic. For anyone else, it’s a way to keep in touch with many, many people.
Your articles just might become valuable resources to people. As a programmer, I find a lot of really good tips on blogs. They’re usually down to earth and straight-forward. The reader comments allow me to know just how useful the information is.
WEBSITE
A Website is your professional presence on the Internet. For people who don’t know you and want to know just how “real” you are, a Website will establish that credibility.
While you’re encouraged to keep fresh content on your home page, visitors will know that the information is somewhat established. It’s easy to navigate to various pages instead of having to sift through blog posts. If you’re trying to impress someone (like buyers, media, publishers, etc.), a Website is a must-have. Unless your job is strictly blogging, you’ll need a Website to catch the full range of readers.
At WinePress we understand the importance for every author to have an Internet presence. That’s why we offer blog consultation and a variety of Web design options. Every WinePress and Blue Ribbon Pleasant Word author receives a free blog to kickoff promoting his or her book.
Kevin Cochran is the IT Manager at WinePress Group, and spends much of his time developing applications for the Co-Captain publishing software. In addition, he oversees the network, servers and computer systems at WinePress to ensure availability and productivity for both employees and authors.
Author Taryn Hutchison to Guest on The Matter at Hand
Friday, March 5, 2010
11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)
Taryn Hutchison, author of We Wait You, will guest on “The Matter at Hand” with radio host Larry Weidman. The show airs on six stations in Greater PA.
Here’s some information about the book:
“We wait you. Why did you take so long?” –Taryn Hutchison was asked this poignant question after her lecture on democracy to a class in Bucharest, Romania. Communism had just fallen.
“We waited 45 years for the Americans to come and set us free. We used to say that even if you were coming in a wheelbarrow, you should be here by now.”
The Americans had come at last, but it was to offer a different kind of freedom—freedom that lasts forever.
Inspiring and with humorous moments, We Wait You: Waiting on God in Eastern Europe is an uplifting story of hearts transformed as political systems are rebuilt. Unlike any missionary story you’ve read before, it is told by a regular person attempting to manage real life—mud and all—in a foreign culture while struggling to wait on God.
History will come alive as you journey with Taryn through Romania, Hungary, Albania, and Russia during the decade after the Berlin wall came down. You will learn to trust God to provide everything you need in order to do whatever He calls you to do, wherever that may be.
Questions for reflection or discussion are included at the end of each chapter. As the twentieth anniversary of the 1989 revolutions approaches, relive the unforgettable drama of the historic events that changed Eastern Europe—against all hope.
Behind-the-Scenes Lingo for TV Talkshow Guests
The following is a wonderful quick start for authors who have rarely or never been on television. It’s written by Dr. Karen Hayter, one of my favorite TV interviewers (used with permission).
Congratulations! You are about to embark on an adventure that will stretch your boundaries, enlarge your view of the world, frustrate you, scare you, exhaust you, make you look at yourself, and increase your influence. It is easy to get sucked into the allure of media, so you will need to keep your perspective. Remember, this is television and not REAL life. Also, radio and television hosts make this look easy, but that is what they get paid for.
Selected Media Lingo:
Audio: the sound
IFB: Interruptible fold-back. The thing that goes in your ear so you can hear the audio portion of the program (if they give you one)
Mic: the microphone. Usually it is hooked onto a lapel, dress collar, tie, etc.
Sound check or mic check or check the mics: When your microphone is attached, someone will ask you to say a few words so audio can check the mics and get a voice level. You can say 1,2,3,4, or your name, or whatever you want to say. Someone will help you with your mic, or give you instructions about the microphone. If they don’t, ask for help, nicely. The idea is to have as little of the cord of the mike visible as possible. Also, don’t put the mike on a scarf or cover up the mike heads and clothes or you will get “clothing noise.”
Stand by: Be very quiet and get ready. Usually said by the floor director.
Floor director: The person in charge on the floor
Talent: You and the Host. You may hear the following at some point: “Get the talent on the set,” or “we are ready for the talent,” or “we need the talent on the set.” “Talent” is always said with a little condescension.
Set: The entire place where you do the program, the background, furniture, etc.
Director: The person in charge while you are on the air.
Producer: The person in charge up to that point. The Producer usually stays in the control room and interacts with the Director. The Producer or an assistant is usually the person who books guests for the program.
Time cues: How much time is left until a break. In a 30-minute program, there will probably be 2-3 breaks-breaks usually will last about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. You can always ask how many breaks there will be. The host is responsible for taking these breaks and if she/he doesn’t, the director will cut him/her off anyway. So, if you are interrupted because of a break, don’t take it personally.
Floor director: The person who gives the “time cues” and directs you and host to cameras, and is generally in charge while the program is in process. When the floor director says, “quiet,” that is exactly what he/she means. And when the floor director says, “clear,” that means that the mics are off and you can talk freely. However, NEVER, NEVER assume that the mics are off and so, watch what you say.
Green room: This is a “holding pen” for guests. It can be any color, and is very seldom green. There may be food, drinks, etc. Try not to eat anything prior to the program-just drink water. Drinking anything carbonated has a tendency to make you burp, so be careful! Also, if you are nervous, try some deep breathing. Take a deep breath, hold it about 10 seconds, and let it out to a count of 10. Do that about 5-7 times.
Control Room: This is where the television program is controlled and where the various crew members, director, producer, character generator, audio, technical director, etc., will be during the program.
Tally light: The red light on top of the camera. When the “tally light” is on, that camera is rolling.
Okay, now you know some of the lingo so when you arrive at the studio you won’t feel like you have landed on another planet!
