Win a free weekend

The tag line says it all. In a new twist, author gives away a first-class weekend in London to promote his book.

So you think a free weekend huh....who is this guy....This idea is the brain child of an author PR firm. I guess it helps that the author in question has written a Wall St crime thriller book and is supposed to be one of the hottest bachelors in London. No expense spared in the prize either....Take a look

I found this on a free PR site. Just a simple google search can bring up all sorts of things...and spark all sorts of ideas. So remember when I said 'write your own book reviews and post them... ' here is something else you can do while you are waiting for the book deal. Write your own press release and post it here. www.prlog.org

Or better yet sponsor someone to the Spinning Gold conference...(shameless plug for the conference in September. )

Thanks to Barbara who emailed me a message to say my Kiwi bites Book ‘Bones’ is Number 2 in the popularity stakes with Wheelers Books... My small moment of fame sandwiched between Margaret Mahy and David Hill (great for the ego sitting next to these two stellar writers) however fame is fleeting and I see today I’m number 14.

The pic is The Labyrinth. (big news in our house...most weekends spent on it...)

The largest outdoor mosaic-ed one in the Southern Hemisphere. I worked on the building of it ten years ago when it was situated in the grounds of a retreat house. It has been shifted...a mammoth job... to the grounds of Lower Hutt Hospital and I am on the team rebuilding it. It reopens March 1.

I could say a lot about it... but this blog is supposed to be about children's writing and marketing ideas...

maureen

Going Digital...3 links to contemplate...

Yes this post is all about the digital revolution...well actually it’s not a revolution any more. It’s life moving fast on the digital highway.

I too have finally succumbed...Life got too complicated last week and so I went and bought....a....mobile phone....Yup and my thumb is sore! Learning to text....OMG.
I am not giving out my number...because I can’t remember it...and if I get a text from the two family members who know it, I fumble and drop it and miss it and take 15 minutes to text Five words...

So I will get there...This from the geek who reads PopSci and PopMechanics...I know about it intellectually.....Anyway the model I have has the features I want which I’m still trying to make work.

But investigating this marvel of modern technology I discovered no games, but a cool music composer...You can sing into it, convert it to a score, change keys, rhythm, and instrument and save it.

Who needs games....

And so onto the digital bytes that relate to marketing and writing and conferences that I have for you this week.....(I’ll add this to the marketing links sidebar next week because there are some great links. )


100-internet-possibilities-to-investigate

’The future is now. Sometimes, we don’t look outside our little angle of it, and that means we miss some possibilities. Other times, we realize something’s out there and we have part of the puzzle, but we’ll catch a different view that gives us even more. I’ve compiled a list of 100 possibilities and things happening out there on the Internet that might be of interest to you. You may have even more to add.’

The amazing Chris Brogan (expert in social media) posted this post at the end of January.
I scrolled down the list and there were links everywhere for more effective web marketing, running your e-business, you name it and Chris did.

One of the points Chris made was that you should be looking at the opposite of what you do on the web so you can get ideas... sounds funny doesn’t it, but you have to read the post.
More important is the list of nearly 100 posts responding to it with people around the world adding to the list...Brilliant stuff...I’ve already sent links to peoples way from the responses.

Chris has broken down his list into these categories.

Streams of Information
Web based work
Video
Small and local
Mobile Applications
And Money


The seminar programme for the Digital Publishers Forum is up....and a varied programme is on offer.
Martin Taylor is talking on e-books fresh from a NY conference on them
Adrian Keane from Pearson Education... is talking about educational digital publishing
Neale Pitches from South Pacific Press is talking on his experiences e-publishing.
And a bloke with my brother’s name... but he’s not....tho he sounds just as interesting....
The Wellington seminar is on April 1 ....and a 50% discount for NZSA members looks well worth it...

For those of you waiting for news of the conference....It’s coming....it’s coming... We are finalising the programme as you read this....we have a cool logo nearly ready to go...and we are putting the call out for sponsors...So if you Book People know anyone who wants to partnership with us, Please get in touch! Don’t forget to get on our advance notice mailing list, if you want to come. See sidebar.

But to whet your appetite on Children’s Book Conferences...Here is the amazing Alice...She has just blogged The three day New York Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators Conference. There are some great observations on talks and panels and people and publishers. The photo’s are awesome especially the winners of the Illustrators award. And don’t worry about the recession...well that’s what they were saying in New York last week.
http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/

Maureen

The pic -the hottest tee shirt item on the web at the moment... couldn’t resist...sorry Twilight fans....I’m sure Stephen King will be wearing one given his comments on the series this week.