I’m so excited about the enthusiastic response to the formation of VIP Authors Asheville! Many of you have already confirmed your attendance at the group’s OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, July 5. But, if you haven’t done it yet, RSVP now to join the party!

The Open House is an opportunity to get to know each other better, discuss the format and objectives of the group, review topics of instruction and go over some guidelines for critique. ALL are welcome to attend the Open House, without obligation. Come and hear about VIP Authors Asheville!

We’ll also be gifting one copy of Publishing Made Easy & Profitable digital program ($177 value) at the meeting to a registered new member! Keep reading for details on how to be eligible to win.

Win a Free Publishing Program (digital copy)

Once registered, you are eligible to win a free copy of Publishing Made Easy & Profitable! One copy of of the program will be given away at the Open House to a registered new member. Publishing Made Easy & Profitable shows you how to turn your material into print books, ebooks, audio books and all new forms of media delivery. Read full program description here>>

Good News! Your chances of winning the program are 1 in 10 or better! (Actual odds are determined by number of paid registrations, which is capped at 10.)

VIP Authors Asheville!

Membership in this group is limited to 10 writers. The best way to ensure your position in VIP Authors Asheville! is to confirm your participation by registering for the group. ALL registered members receive a signed, print copy of 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print, the workbook we’ll use for the class.

You can register online. If you prefer to pay by phone, send an email with your phone number and we will call you to get your information. Either way, you can take advantage of the convenient payment plan or save by making one payment.

Registration is open until all 10 spaces are filled or by July 12, the first week of the group. Even if you cannot begin the first week, you can save your place with your registration and your 10 weeks begins from the meeting you attend. A waiting list will be created once the group fills at 10 members.

Your Next Steps

RSVP for the Open House (if you haven’t already).

Register for VIP Authors Asheville! to be eligible for the free copy of Publishing Made Easy & Profitable.

Be sure to email us if you have any questions at all or want to join by phone.

See you soon!

• Send an email with your phone number and top three (3) day and time requests for next week only (Monday through Friday, November 1-5, 10am ET to 6pm ET).
• Please limit your time requests to the hour or half hour (9:00, 9:30, etc) and remember to request your appointment in Eastern Time.
• I’ll respond and confirm, assigning you to the  first availability on your list that is not already booked.
• You must include your phone number.

August is VIP Author Membership Month! To celebrate, we’re offering you these three (3)  great reasons to join or renew:

1. The VIP Author Talks teleseries with industry experts and monthly Coaching Call recordings for the months of January  through July 2009 are available for immediate download on the Members-only page. These mp3 files will be removed on September 1.  Joining now gives you access to 7 months of Inncr Circle  exclusive educational material in addition to the 12 months of benefits you will receive as part of your membership for a total of 19 Months of Benefits. Review all the Author Talks teleclass programs here.
2. Beginning September 1, 2009, live VIP Author Talks sessions and audio recordings will be free for members only. Non-members will pay a fee to listen or participate in the calls or to access the recordings. Review all the benefits of membership here>>
3. VIP Authors Inner Circle will be upgrading to association status Fall 2009, with increased benefits and increased membership fee. Current members will be grandfathered in at the lower rate for the duration of their memberships. So, by joining or renewing right now, members will enjoy the increased benefits for the lower price. Check out all the membership benefits here>>

The sooner you join, the sooner you can start enjoying the benefits. And, this opportunity is good only during August. September brings the Fall and with it, higher prices. Plus, all the retro benefits and opportunity to join or renew now at the lower price will disappear. Don’t delay! Join now or review the membership benefits here>>

Amid the (seemingly) endless talk of declining book sales, book store closings and industry layoffs lies a glimmer of good news. The digital segment of the industry is experiencing growth–the fastest growth (percentage-wise) within the industry.

So what is a digital book? How do you create one? Can you take your print book and turn it into an ebook? Do you need a specially prepared file? Where do you sell ebooks? How can you get your book on Kindle, iPhone and Sony eReader?

If you’re thinking about turning your manuscript or book into digital form (and you should be), don’t miss the next VIP Author Talks with guest Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.com, a site for creating and selling digital books.

Topic: How to Publish Digital Books

Date: Wednesday, June 24

Time: 8pm – 9pm Eastern ( 7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific)

During this tele-class you will learn:

• What an ebook is and what it is not
• Why ebooks are cool
• How ebooks “fit” into the publishing landscape
• Why you should care
• Why multi-formats are best for ebook delivery
• And much more

Have a question on a topic not listed here? There will be an open Q&A at the end of the call. You really don’t want to miss this event, so register right now, because “seating” is limited to 99 for this class.

*The presentation will last one hour and is free to attend, but long distance charges may apply. Please note that anyone may call in and listen, but the audio recording will only be available to VIP Author Inner Circle members. If you are not yet a member and would like a recording of this call, find out more about all the benefits of VIP Author Inner Circle membership here>>>

2009 IS “The Year of The Author.” Every day new opportunities are lighting up for authors.

What? You only see doom and gloom? If you’re interested in results, not excuses, plan to attend a free* tele-seminar that will explain what’s going on in publishing today. More importantly, you’ll learn 5 steps you can take right now to move ahead in this new environment! It doesn’t matter how you plan to publish, either. This seminar is for anyone who has a message to deliver to an audience. If you’re writing anything, or intend to, you need to be on this call

Free Call: Books are NOT Dead! 5 Steps You Can Take Right Now to Publish.

When: Wednesday, April 1, 2pm Eastern (1pm Central, 12pm Mountain, 11am Pacific)

Details: Call (641) 715-3300, Enter Access Code 171279#

*The tele-seminar is free to attend, but long distance charges may apply.

Always plan to revise your first draft. Don’t send out your fiction manuscript until you make the following four separate reviews.

1. Review your story arc:

a. Who are your characters and what are they like at the beginning?
b. What is the situation that provides the conflict/tension?
c. What are your characters like at the end?
d. How has the protagonist/situation changed?
e. Your plot should provide a cohesive journey from the beginning to the
end. This is your story arc. Is it interesting and compelling enough to
justify reading the story all the way through? If not, analyze what is
missing and start your revision at that point.

2. Review your story scene by scene (yes, every one!) and decide:

a. Do you need this scene? (If it does not move your story or character
forward, the answer is no.)
b. Are you missing any scenes? Does the action jump ahead without
explanation or transition?
c. Is each scene clear as to who is present, when it takes place and how long
since the previous scene?
d. Can any long expository descriptions be converted to action or woven into
the action?
e. Does each scene come to life with vivid detail, dialogue or description?
f. Does each scene come to a satisfactory end—a rise in emotion, tension, a
new insight or story element revealed?
g. Does each scene have something to compel the reader to turn the page?
h. Are there proper and plausible transitions from scene to scene?
i. Rewrite each scene as necessary.

3. Review your manuscript paragraph by paragraph, looking for the following:

a. Is dialogue natural and consistent with the character?
b. Does each character have her own voice? Your characters’ voices must
match their personalities—distinct from each other (and from you).
c. Is there a flow and evenness of description and action? Are the paragraph
transitions smooth?

4. Review your manuscript sentence by sentence. Check spelling, grammar and
facts. Be nit-picky and don’t skip this step! Question everything and check twice.

a. Review for spelling and grammar errors, including sentence construction,
agreement of noun/verb and noun/pronoun usage.
b. Double check your facts—everything should be accurate. (For example, if
your heroine drives a ‘55 Mustang, you’ve created a vehicle that didn’t
exist yet.)

• Decide if you should traditional publish or self-publish
• Find legitimate agents and publishers and avoid scams
• Choose the right POD (print on demand) publisher
• Find markets for your work
• Build a waiting audience before your book comes out
• Use the Internet to market and sell your work
• Use social networking sites effectively (and not waste your time)
• Get free publicity