I only have a few panels this year at Ad Astra (which is in a new hotel this year--the former Polaris hotel), though I have many that I'd like to attend, and several launches and readings that are of interest. Clients Bundoran Press and the EDGE gang (Suzanne Church and Michael Martineck) are both having launch parties at the same time, so that allows for some sitcom-like fun of back-and-forth to parties! (Well. Maybe a bit.) I'll also be going to the Guest of Honour Brunch, and hopefully will sit with Patricia Briggs.
It's funny--I'd told someone recently that my Canadian business wasn't that robust, but given the number of clients I'll see this weekend, I've realized it's healthier than I thought. That pleases me. :)
Anyhow, I am bringing coupons for my April 13th Self-Planning for Self-Promotion Web Workshop, so if you're around ask me for a flyer. If I am out of flyers, I'll still give you the code, because I am a very nice person. ^_^
With no further delay, here's my official schedule. If I don't see you here, I'll see you around, I am sure. Looking forward to it!
Friday, April 4th, 2014
7 p.m.
Self-Promotion on the Social Media Soapbox. Along with me are Ellie Di Julio, K. V. Johansen, and Linda Poitevin. It's in Markham A.
9 p.m.
Marketing Tips and Tricks for Self-Publishing. Along with me are Candice Lepage, Sarah WaterRaven, and Thomas Gofton. It's in Newmarket.
Saturday, April 5th, 2014
3 p.m
Eyes on the (Literary) Prize. Along with me is Mike Rimar. Not sure if someone else will be added. It's in Oakridges.
Bonus Fun: The Cheapskate's Guide to SF/F Conventions
A book publicist specializing in science fiction, fantasy, crime, mystery weird, horror, comics and other creative pursuits.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Teacher, Teach Thyself? Lessons Learned in Marketing Myself
It's been interesting prepping for my upcoming self-promo webinar sessions. Over the last several years I've learned a lot about the different types of writing. Stuff I know both practically and from my education: sales writing, business writing, formal argumentation, Facebook posts, etc. So perhaps ironic would be a better way of describing my efforts instead of interesting; because I didn't do a very good job getting this out the door.
What happened was that I wasn't getting nearly the number of conversions into ticket sales that I would have expected based on the even'ts page views. A couple of days ago it hit me hard: I'd left the Eventbrite page the same text as my rambling blog post. I've fixed it up now, but for this first session it may be too little too late.
So that's my big lesson--more information isn't necessarily better when it comes to sales communication. I do like a nice, dense, informative blog post, (OK. I probably could use editing there, too,) but when you're trying to interest someone, you have to be short, punchy, and get the benefits out there first thing. I didn't do a good job at that.
In any case, learning from mistakes is a valuable part of getting better at anything, whether it's running a business, the craft of writing, relationships, cooking... anything. So embrace the suck, as they say, and figure out what to do better next time.
So what has been your big lesson lately? What are you doing differently these days? If you care to share, how did you realize your mistake?
What happened was that I wasn't getting nearly the number of conversions into ticket sales that I would have expected based on the even'ts page views. A couple of days ago it hit me hard: I'd left the Eventbrite page the same text as my rambling blog post. I've fixed it up now, but for this first session it may be too little too late.
So that's my big lesson--more information isn't necessarily better when it comes to sales communication. I do like a nice, dense, informative blog post, (OK. I probably could use editing there, too,) but when you're trying to interest someone, you have to be short, punchy, and get the benefits out there first thing. I didn't do a good job at that.
In any case, learning from mistakes is a valuable part of getting better at anything, whether it's running a business, the craft of writing, relationships, cooking... anything. So embrace the suck, as they say, and figure out what to do better next time.
So what has been your big lesson lately? What are you doing differently these days? If you care to share, how did you realize your mistake?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Press Release: Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with the Gods
This is the first time I've ever published a press release. Normally they don't have a big place in publicizing a book; but, in this case, Tesseracts, an annual anthology of the best in Canadian speculative fiction, holds a story by my husband, James Bambury. Keep an eye out for pre-orders which should be available soon.
Don't worry. I'll remind you. - Beverly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" edited by Liana K and Jerome Stueart
Faith in Science Fiction and Fantasy Anthology
ISBN: 978-1-77053-068-3 (Trade Paperback 5.5" X 8.5")
E-BOOK: e-ISBN: 978-1-77053-069-0 To be released April, 2015
http://www.edgewebsite.com/
Authors announced for the latest volume of the prestigious Canadian speculative fiction anthology series.
(Calgary, Alberta) EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is pleased to announce the names of the contributing authors for the forthcoming edition of the prestigious Tesseract series.
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" will include works by: Robert J. Sawyer, Matthew Hughes, Alyxandra Harvey, Halli Lilburn, Derwin Mak, J.M. Frey, Steve Stanton, Megan Fennell, Jen Laface and Andrew Czarnietzki, S. L. Nickerson, John Park, Janet K. Nicolson, Suzanne M. McNabb, Allan Weiss, Savithri Machiraju, Carla Richards, Mary-Jean Harris, James Bambury, Mary Pletsch, David Jón Fuller, and Jennifer Rahn, Erling Friis-Baastad, David Fraser, John Bell, David Clink and Tony Pi -27 of the biggest names and brightest rising stars in Canadian science-fiction and fantasy.
This latest volume of the Tesseracts series contains tales of creative and religious diversity - a trending topic in books and movies. The stories and poems draw from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism and the beliefs of Indigenous Canadians, (as well as actually creating faiths and religions of other worlds).
“Any anthology that starts with a story called 'Mecha-Jesus' is clearly not a traditional look at religion” says EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publisher, Brian Hades. “This robotic savior is joined by the Hindu god Ganesh trying to break into Bollywood, the Sun God Ra discovering Coronation Street, a priest on Mars, a vampire in residential schools, and a woman with a secret under her hijab. 'Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods' definitely contains many surprises!”
As in past versions of the Tesseract series, the editors are handpicked by the publisher. “Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods” is edited by widely-published sci-fi/fantasy author and writing teacher Jerome Stueart -- who is a gay Baptist from the Yukon Territory -- and “perfect heathen” media personality Liana Kerzner -- who is best known as Liana K.
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" is a lively, thoughtful interfaith/interpath anthology of creative and religious diversity - with a speculative fiction and fantasy twist!
Media Contact:
Janice Shoults, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
www.edgewebsite.com
403.254.0160
ABOUT THE TESSERACTS SERIES:
The first Tesseracts anthology was edited by Judith Merril. Since its publication in 1985, 299 authors/editors/translators and guests have contributed 502 pieces of Canadian speculative fiction, fantasy and horror for this series. Some of Canada's best known speculative fiction writers have been published within the pages of these volumes - including Margaret Atwood, William Gibson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Spider Robinson (to name a few). Tesseracts Eighteen is the forthcoming volume in the series. The entire series includes Tesseracts One through Eighteen, plus Tesseracts Q, which features translations of works by some of Canada's top francophone writers of science fiction and fantasy.
Don't worry. I'll remind you. - Beverly
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" edited by Liana K and Jerome Stueart
Faith in Science Fiction and Fantasy Anthology
ISBN: 978-1-77053-068-3 (Trade Paperback 5.5" X 8.5")
E-BOOK: e-ISBN: 978-1-77053-069-0 To be released April, 2015
http://www.edgewebsite.com/
Authors announced for the latest volume of the prestigious Canadian speculative fiction anthology series.
(Calgary, Alberta) EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is pleased to announce the names of the contributing authors for the forthcoming edition of the prestigious Tesseract series.
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" will include works by: Robert J. Sawyer, Matthew Hughes, Alyxandra Harvey, Halli Lilburn, Derwin Mak, J.M. Frey, Steve Stanton, Megan Fennell, Jen Laface and Andrew Czarnietzki, S. L. Nickerson, John Park, Janet K. Nicolson, Suzanne M. McNabb, Allan Weiss, Savithri Machiraju, Carla Richards, Mary-Jean Harris, James Bambury, Mary Pletsch, David Jón Fuller, and Jennifer Rahn, Erling Friis-Baastad, David Fraser, John Bell, David Clink and Tony Pi -27 of the biggest names and brightest rising stars in Canadian science-fiction and fantasy.
This latest volume of the Tesseracts series contains tales of creative and religious diversity - a trending topic in books and movies. The stories and poems draw from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism and the beliefs of Indigenous Canadians, (as well as actually creating faiths and religions of other worlds).
“Any anthology that starts with a story called 'Mecha-Jesus' is clearly not a traditional look at religion” says EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publisher, Brian Hades. “This robotic savior is joined by the Hindu god Ganesh trying to break into Bollywood, the Sun God Ra discovering Coronation Street, a priest on Mars, a vampire in residential schools, and a woman with a secret under her hijab. 'Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods' definitely contains many surprises!”
As in past versions of the Tesseract series, the editors are handpicked by the publisher. “Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods” is edited by widely-published sci-fi/fantasy author and writing teacher Jerome Stueart -- who is a gay Baptist from the Yukon Territory -- and “perfect heathen” media personality Liana Kerzner -- who is best known as Liana K.
"Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods" is a lively, thoughtful interfaith/interpath anthology of creative and religious diversity - with a speculative fiction and fantasy twist!
Media Contact:
Janice Shoults, EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
www.edgewebsite.com
403.254.0160
ABOUT THE TESSERACTS SERIES:
The first Tesseracts anthology was edited by Judith Merril. Since its publication in 1985, 299 authors/editors/translators and guests have contributed 502 pieces of Canadian speculative fiction, fantasy and horror for this series. Some of Canada's best known speculative fiction writers have been published within the pages of these volumes - including Margaret Atwood, William Gibson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Spider Robinson (to name a few). Tesseracts Eighteen is the forthcoming volume in the series. The entire series includes Tesseracts One through Eighteen, plus Tesseracts Q, which features translations of works by some of Canada's top francophone writers of science fiction and fantasy.
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