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An Interview with Donna Galanti

11 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Book Marketing, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Tags

Book Marketing, MG Author, Networking, Social Media, Writing, Writing Fiction, Writing Tips

Article by Susan Golden

 

Donna Galanti 2

Donna Galanti writes thrillers for kids and grownups. She is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools and teaches at writing conferences. She lived in England as a child and was stationed in Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer.

GLVWG member, Susan Golden, asked Donna a few questions.

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If I were to meet you at a conference, what is something you would tell me about yourself that would be intriguing.

In high school in the 1980s I was obsessed with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and dressed up as Aragorn (what I envisioned he would look like at the time). Of course, no one knew who I was in my cloak and boots. I am a fantasy reader and writer at heart.

What have you learned from the mistakes made in marketing a product?

Not realizing that I am marketing myself first, in many instances. People often want to connect to you as a person first, so they can then be drawn in to your product. Also, it’s key to build a subscriber list and a cheerleading team before you market a product so that it already has momentum to sell when it’s available.

What is the difference between marketing and selling?

With marketing, it’s important to remember that this is about being focused on what the consumer needs. Find their need and fill it. With selling, this is really all about focusing on sales, and how to increase numbers and product.

Do you have a favorite or suggested reading regarding marketing?

The Social Media Examiner is a good blog to follow to keep up with social media marketing trends. I also follow Neil Patel who has great podcasts with marketing tips through his Marketing School program.

Based on your experience as a contest judge, what are the biggest mistakes made in submissions and what advice would you give authors when selecting and submitting works in contests.

I see many of the same mistakes made over and over in submissions. I see overuse of exclamation marks, situations that are not believable, too much dialogue and not enough action/reaction/setting, too many characters and names, all telling and no showing, and head hopping. With fantasy, I see a lot of made-up lingo, places, names that bog down the story and pull me out of it. I would suggest when submitting short works, to make it simple. Have 2-3 characters we can connect with and care about. Add in sensory details to enrich the story and add in action/reaction between characters to show us about them and their motivations.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned from your experience in moving from fledgling author to success?

I wish I’d learned about how to write a book before writing my first book. I took writing workshops after I finished that first book and it required going back and fixing a ton of things! However, I don’t regret the learning that took place afterwards because it taught me how to write a better book from the beginning. Keep learning your craft and keep filling your writer’s toolbox. And remember that this writing business is not GOING to be easy – it’s going to be worth it! Visit my Writers Corner for inspiration, advice, and resources on writing.

What one thing would you like to relate to the audience?

As authors we get out of our comfort zone when we write, but we must also publicly get out of our comfort zone and into a new community comfort zone – online and in person. Through doing this, I’ve networked with all kinds of professionals in the publishing industry that have helped me get an agent, get a publisher, get blurbs, get exposure and more.

How to start? 

  • Join a writer organization, general one or genre-based. Search online by your region. “writer’s organizations” + “region”.
  • Attend writer meetups. Search http://www.meetup.com and create one if none available.
  • Follow and connect with authors you admire.
  • Check out the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers and pick a few to follow and engage with.
  • Connect with other debut authors. Search online for “Debut Author” + “Year” your book releases. You can band together to do shared promotion.
  • Connect with readers before your book comes out. Book bloggers are your friend. Follow them online, comment on their blogs. Ask them to review your book, do a cover reveal, or a giveaway.
  • Position yourself as an expert and share what you know. Giving a talk in-person or being on someone else’s blog instantly positions you as an expert.
  • Build a subscriber list. A subscriber list is your direct line to your readers, whether a blog or newsletter list. It’s the only community list you own. What if Twitter or Facebook went away? How would you reach your community? Through email.
  • Start with who you know. Tip: run a Rafflecopter contest and have entrants follow your newsletter or blog for extra entries.

Donna will be available at the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ on Saturday, March 23, 2019 to provide marketing advice for conferees on a first come, first serve basis. To sign up for a consultation session, follow the instructions on the registration form. Your actual times for the consult will be assigned after registration is closed, and will be attached to conference materials upon signing in.

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Donna Galanti Books

 

You can find Donna at https://www.donnagalanti.com/ and learn more about her recent book series, available on Amazon.

Be sure to follow her Facebook Page, and Twitter Feed @DonnaGalanti.

 

________________________________________________________________________

Susan Golden Headshot  Article by Susan Golden

Meet DT “Dan” Krippene

20 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Write Stuff Conference Presenter, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Tags

Pinterest, Social Media, Writing, Writing Conference

Dan Central Park 3

A native of Wisconsin and Connecticut, DT ‘Dan’ Krippene is a former Peace Corps Volunteer who deserted aspirations of being a biologist to live the corporate dream and raise a family.  After six homes, a ten-year stint in Singapore and Taiwan, and an imagination that never slept, his muse refused to be hobbled as a mere dream. Now a full time writer, DT writes mostly science and dystopian fiction.

Dan was a featured author in the January 2017 Bethlehem Writer’s Roundtable with a dystopian short story, “Snow Belt Sanctuary“, and contributed to the GLVWG’s 2016 anthology, Write Here, Write Now, with a paranormal MG titled “Locker 33C“. He has just completed a science fiction novel of a near-future earth brought back from the edge of extinction by benevolent otherworldly beings who foster a gender separated society.

He’s been a GLVWG member since 2010, and was quickly shanghaied into revamping the group’s social media platform. He set up the GLVWG WordPress Blog, and coached members how not to embarrass themselves with Facebook posts. Dan will give a presentation at the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 23, on the basics of using Pinterest for Writers, just before the bar opens at our annual Meet & Greet.  Dan assures me he won’t go overtime, as he expects to be first in line for a drink.  If you miss the presentation, you’ll find him reliving his High School AV days, lugging projectors and recorders between sessions at the conference, probably spouting words you can’t say to your mother.

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Meet Vanessa Robins

12 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by dtkrippene in Agent Interviews

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Tags

Corvisiero Literary Agency, Genre Fiction, Social Media, Writing, Writing Conference

Vanessa Robins

Vanessa Robins of the Corvisiero Literary Agency is a writer, reader, and lover of food.   From Lancaster — no, she’s not Amish — she graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in May of 2015 with a degree in English literary studies and a minor in professional writing. Vanessa was Managing Editor of her college’s undergraduate literary magazine for two years, where her love of literature thrived, and her passion for the publishing world was created. When she isn’t reading or working, Vanessa can be found playing rec league softball (her team is called (Na)16 Batmen (and Women) in case you were wondering), experimenting in the kitchen, knitting, or screaming at her favorite sports teams (go Eagles!). Her submission preferences include sports-centric, accurate or alternative history, thought-out thrillers, heavily based science sci-fi, and reimagined fairytales. She gravitates towards a strong independent female POV with humorous, but socially relevant dialogue. Depending on her relationship status, she might also like romance novels.

*****

 Interview by Geoffrey Mehl

 

GLVWG: Thank you for sharing some time with us today, and we’re looking forward to having you as one of the agents at the Write Stuff Conference in April.

Vanessa Robins: You’re welcome. I’m looking forward visiting with everyone at the conference.

 GLVWG: Genre fads come and go, yet we hear that the process of producing a book is a lengthy one. This begs the question: what is the industry moving toward, say a year or two from now? What trends are fading? Which appear to have staying power?

Vanessa Robins: Working in a bookstore allows me to see what the customers are currently gobbling up. Aside from the normal fiction purchases I’m seeing a huge interest in humor based memoirs. For example, Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance, Mindy Kaling’s Why Not Me, Yes Please by Amy Poehler. Now all of these people are famous, yes, but there’s a trickle down method going on. We’re seeing it with the “sort-of-famous” online stars such as Miranda Sings who take their online fame and turn it into written fame. My projection is that in two to three years the shelves are going to be filled with memoirs all containing a hint or more of humor.

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Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG)

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