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$uccess

Your Path to a Successful Book

Our $uccess blog will feature writing, marketing, and publishing tips we continue to learn since writing our 2009 INDIE Finalist workbook $uccess, Your Path to a Successful Book keeping our readers abreast of the everchanging skills required to write, publish and sell a successful book. We will also have guest commentators. Achieving your goals as a writer is what matters. Anything we can do to help you get there is our goal. We welcome your comments and hope you will sign up for our bi-monthly (or whenever we have enough material) newsletter.

Archive for September, 2008

Think Outside the Box 10 – Foodscape

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

Can you guess the composition of this photo? All of you know how much I love creativity, it’s right up there with food, travel and writing. I’ve discovered a photographer’s website that features fantastic photography, Carl Warner. A part that I particular like are Carl’s “Foodscapes.” These miniatures that appear life-size show a creative mind at work. The best part is you can order these prints online in several different sizes. Ok, now comes the answer, this is titled Bread & Cheese by Carl Warner. All of the mountains, hills, roads, and rocks are bread and cheese.

This is the second “Foodscape” we’ve featured and will try to feature one of Carl’s “Foodscapes,” on a monthly basis. Let me know what you think.

Maralyn D. Hill
Books By Hills
$uccess Blog
Where & What in the World Blog
NoraLyn Ltd.

Tips-12 Mistakes in Mystery Writing

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

The Hill Team has not written mysteries – we avidly read them. There are certain attributes of the authors that consistently draw us in and certain ones that turn us off.

In the Oct. 2008 issue of The Writer Magazine, on page 26, there is an article called, “The Deadly Dozen.” This article covers the 12 mistakes in mystery writing and it certainly hit our turn offs including:coincidence or act of God; concealed clues; plot-hearding characters; false starts; false finish; superfluity of viewpoints; stereotypical sidekicks;zigzag timeline; fa la la, gathering clues; overstaying your welcome; and the small stuff.

We highly recommend you check out this issue if you are into the mystery genre.

The Hill Team
Books By Hills
$uccess Blog
Where & What in the World Blog

Writing Tips and Promotion

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

Many of us enjoy writing because it provides quiet time, time to think, and solitude. Many writers and authors are introverts. But, you always need to get out of your shell and promote–that is, if you want your books or articles to sell.

Our book $uccess, Your Path to a Successful Book, is getting great reviews.

We are using that success to continue to promote our first two books on food and travel, “Our Love Affairs with Food & Travel,” and “Cooking Secrets The Why and How,” with French Master Chef Herve Laurent.

We are regular guests on BlogTalk Radio and have a regular column with Southwest Blend and The Big Blend Magazine. You may not realize how widespread online magazines and BlogTalk Radio are. But, this is life in the 21st century. We know that Southwest Blend has over 1.2 million visitors a month. They have marketing down pat. We’ve still room to do more.

The success of one book can lead to more sales on previously published books. The Hill Team considers that a bonus.

So, keep promoting yourself and your book or articles. Most people learn to enjoy some aspects of marketing–especially selling your books and having more editors pay you to write.

So, here is our current promotion.

Big Blend Magazine is featuring authors Maralyn D. Hill and Brenda C. Hill Friday, September 26, at 11:15 a.m. PT, on the Eat, Drink and Be Merry show. The topic is Salsa.

Join in as the Hill Team talks about Salsa, its history, what makes it hot, and a lot more. The program that day is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., PT on Blog Talk Radio. You can see the other guests who will be featured on the salsa program.

Click for our monthly article and several salsa recipes.

If you miss it, we’ll post the link after it airs.

Maralyn D. Hill & Brenda C. Hill

Books By Hills
$uccess Blog
Where & What in the World Blog
NoraLyn Ltd.