Category Archives: Journey to Publication

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I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 1…

“Yo, I’m strictly about skills and dope lyrical coastin’
Relying on talent, not marketing and promotion.” KRS -One from “Step Into A World” 

Hello World,

As hip-hop aficionados know, KRS-One is one the dopest emcees ever but anyone who wants to be successful particularly in a creative field knows marketing and promotion is a must…

Sooo it’s been a whirlwind of month of developing a marketing and promotion plan and getting started on what’s shaping up to be an exhausting but rewarding six to seven months before my book comes out in February 2012. (It still makes me smile inside when I say or even type those words.)

Although according to the Myers-Briggs personality test I am classified as introvert (meaning I get my energy from spending a lot of time alone) a lot of marketing and promotion begins by networking with other people and supporting the success of others in your chosen industry. I have been attending events like crazy this month and on “school nights” too which is typically against my policy.

I started off by attending a book release party at Justin’s Restaurant & Bar for author Curtis Bunn on July 5. His latest book is “A Cold Piece of Work.” Bunn is also the founder of the National Book Club Conference, the event for black “literati.” Dwan Abrams, president of Nevaeh Publishing LLC (the company that is publishing my book) and I hung out at the party together.

Dwan Abrams winning a prize at Curtis Bunn's book release party...

That Saturday, July 9, I attended a meeting of TalkBLACK Atlanta, a black discussion group that meets monthly to talk about issues in the black community. The topic for this month was the black woman which was right up my alley. Although I’m an introvert, I love to talk about controversial topics! Our conversation was heated, but I really enjoyed myself. The crowd was small enough for me not to feel overwhelmed and large enough to have diverse opinions. Also, the meeting was held at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, which might become one of my spots in the future…

On July 16, I attended a book signing at the Camp Creek Market Place location of Barnes & Noble for ReShonda Tate Billingsley. She discussed her latest work “Say Amen, Again” and signed copies of the book. I am so inspired by her career path as she started out as a journalist before venturing into the book publishing industry. To date, she is the author of 21 books, and she also is  a co-host for “From Cover to Cover” literary talk radio show. In addition, she is venturing into acting, and her book “Let the Church Say Amen” is being made into a movie of which she is executive producer and actress Regina King is the director. And I’m not even listing all of her accomplishments! She’s bad!

Me & ReShonda at her book signing...

On July 21,  a friend and I went to a diversity mixer with the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the local chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Asian American Journalists Association at 5 Season Brewery on Marietta Street. I liked this spot as well! People were exchanging their twitter addressess as much as they were handing out business cards…I felt so old although I do have a twitter account….Follow me at @jackiehwrites…

That Saturday, July 23, I went to my first meeting of the Faith-Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta which met at Sammiches ‘N Stuff Breakfast and Sandwiches in the Dec. (I also liked this place.) I was invited to another writers meeting earlier in the week, but I was unable to attend because I teach at the gym on that night.  And no, I don’t write fiction yet, but they welcomed me into the group anyway…

This past Thursday, I attended the Black Pearls Magazine Chocolate Social at the Westin Peachtree Plaza where I was able to meet various book authors and others in the black book publishing industry from around the country. I enjoyed meeting many of the new authors like Lakia Brandenburg who wrote “He’s Not Perfect. I’m Not Perfect. But Together We’re Picture Perfect.”  And I also reconnected with “ESSENCE” best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray and my soror.

And Friday, I went to TechUptownATL at the Hyatt Regency Hotel where I was able to meet social media superstars Yalanda Lattimore of DryerBuzz.com and Lamar Tyler of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. I feel like I already knew them from their online presence, but it was nice to finally meet them in person…

Deon Gordon, Lamar Tyler & Cortne Howard

Also on Friday, I was also featured on the Shades of Romance Magazine blog!!! Thanks LaShaunda Hoffman!!!

And behind the scenes, I was still grinding on marketing and promotion…more will be revealed…stay tuned…

Any thoughts?

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Join Stacy Hawkins Adams & Other Writers in Philly…

Hello World,

From August 10-13, I will be in Philly! Read the article below written by Becca Anderson with ASSIST News Service to see why…

Writers, Public Encouraged to Change the Culture

Author Stacy Hawkins Adams will serve on the conference faculty and teach about writing and marketing.

By Becca Anderson
Special to ASSIST News Service

LANSDALE/LANGHORNE PA (ANS) — From August 10-13, 2011, hundreds of writers will gather at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference at Philadelphia Biblical University, Langhorne, PA, and many of the most important sessions of the conference are open to the public free of charge.

We live in a time when we need to be both encouraged and challenged,” said conference director Marlene Bagnull. “The sessions open to the public address issues of transforming our culture for the better, reaching out to impact the world for the better, and sobering reports of Christian persecution worldwide.”

The conference theme is “Write His Answer,” taken from Habakkuk 2:2. Each day of the conference includes general sessions.

Thursday, August 11, Dr. Ted Baehr, publisher of MOVIEGUIDE® Magazine will deliver the keynote address at 8:30 a.m. entitled “You Can Help Transform the Culture.”

At 7:30 p.m. that evening, Liz Babbs from Great Britain will share how to “Write His Answer in an Age of Opposition.” Babbs has developed innovative and effective ways to impact her culture.

Bestselling author Cec Murphey speaks at 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 12, on “Write His Answer . . . Transparently.” Author of over 100 books, including 90 Minutes in Heaven, Murphey is known for his ability to write with vulnerability and truth. He will also give an encouraging message to struggling writers, “Write His Answer . . . and Don’t Give Up,” on Saturday at 4:00 pm.

Friday evening at 7:30, Dan Wooding, founder of the ASSIST News Service, will speak about the persecution of Christians. There are an estimated 100 million Christians worldwide who suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ. Wooding will share stories and insights into how writers can make a difference for the persecuted church.

Saturday, August 13 at 8:30 a.m., various faculty members and conferees will bring brief but important messages on “Write His Answer to Issues that Concern You.”

In addition to the general sessions, seminars that are unique to this conference will focus on the issues of our day. They are open to conferees as well as the community.

On Thursday from 1:00 – 4:30 pm those who are concerned about human trafficking, orphans, abortion, the poor, racism, the learning impaired, the handicapped, the hungry and so much more that is close to the heart and call of Jesus are encouraged to register for the “Who Is My Neighbor?” seminar led by Steven Lawson, Senior Editor of Regal Publishing Group.

From 1:00 – 4:30 pm on Friday, Rick Marschall, author or editor of more than 60 books and a columnist for the ASSIST News Service, will talk about how we are living during a time of unprecedented moral decay and decline in the biblical standards our nation was founded upon. Participants in his “Help Save Our Nation!” seminar will be challenged and equipped to defend our cultural and spiritual heritage.

Saturday, from 10:30 am to noon, Dan Wooding will bring up-to-date news from the world’s hot spots of Christian persecution and encourage attendees to become “a voice for the voiceless.”

For 28 years, the GPCWC has offered an intensive education packed into a few days for writers throughout the tri-state area and beyond. In addition to general sessions and the eight continuing sessions, attendees will select from among 60 workshops on topics ranging from marketing to technique, getting published, issues inherent in the writer’s life, and writing fiction and nonfiction books and articles for adults and children.

Earlybird Workshops on Wednesday, August 10, include a two-part clinic with web designer Jerry Thompson on creating a website. Attendees will leave the sessions with a website ready to use. (Additional cost and advance preparation needed for this clinic.) Other Earlybird workshops include sessions on making money by blogging, E-publishing, ethics in non-fiction writing, and how writers can make the most of meetings at the conference with editors and publishers.

Face-to-face meetings between writers and those who are in the market for what they produce are invaluable in opening publication doors. GPCWC emphasizes such meetings, with each full-conference attendee having four 15-minute appointments to pitch their work to editors, agents and publisher representatives. Many published writers trace their first big sale back to a meeting at a conference. A roster of 65 faculty members will share their hard-won wisdom.

Full details regarding the conference are available on the website, www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia, including information on costs, housing, biographies of all faculty members and their current editorial needs, and descriptions of all sessions. A brochure can be printed from the website, or writers can call 484-991-8581.

There is still time to register and go…

Any thoughts?

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The Vision I Had in My Head aka Debuting My New Book Cover Woo Hoo!!!

Hello World!

It’s official. I have gingerly stepped my big toe in the rapids that are the marketing and promotion of a book, and I’m hoping that I have enough stamina and skill to swim to the other side. There are so many ways that you can market and promote a book it’s easy to get overwhelmed with it all. But I believe I’m off to a very good start!  I have an awesome book cover that totally captures what I had in my head…

This is what I had in my head….This photo was taken circa 2000 on a trip with friends to the Bahamas. When I encountered this lovely one-room stone church, I knew I had to take a picture in front of it….I never knew that years later this would be the image that conveys why I wrote After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God. It’s amazing how God works because He is truly working all things together for our good —  even before we know it! When you become a Christian, it seems that the scariest part of the task is walking down that long, sometimes lonely aisle to the front of the church to meet the pastor at the altar (where you publicly confess your faith in Jesus Christ.) But once you’ve done that, you realize that it’s much more scary to try to live as a Christian in a world that is hell-bent on squelching all faith in our Creator…That’s why I love that I’m sitting at the doorway of the church, away from the altar although it is still in sight…

I submitted this photo to my publishing company, Nevaeh Publishing, when I was asked for cover art ideas, and I hoped that this image could translate into an appropriate book cover…Months later, I am elated at the result! Kudos to the graphic artist 🙂

What do you think? And if this is your first time encountering my blog, let me tell you about my book in case you want to buy it when it becomes available in February 2012!!! (I have my marketing and promotion hat on now…)

After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God is a fresh, real and relevant how-to manual for black women who desire to move past the “church speak” and into an intimate relationship with their Creator. What makes this book unique from other “relationship with God” books is that this book is written from a black perspective and spans a variety of issues typically not included in one book – from being thrice-married to leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

 As a seasoned journalist, I have interviewed black women from diverse backgrounds to discover what having a personal relationship with God is truly about – beyond the initial “come to Jesus” moment typically associated with the altar call experience. I give readers a rare, personal look into the lives of these women, identify the precepts these women used to develop a personal relationship with God given their life experiences, and create a plan for readers to craft their own relationship with the Father.

 The book includes interviews with 24 remarkable women with compelling stories such the “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd,  Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the first woman elected to Episcopal office in over 200 years of A.M.E. history; and Valorie Burton, life coach, author and co-host on the Emmy award- winning show “Aspiring Women” and the former co-host of the national daily television program “The Potter’s Touch” with Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Any thoughts?

P.S. Again, if you have any creative marketing and promotion ideas, let me know in your comments. I’m pretty much open to anything short of skywriting the name of my book on the actual release date…but then again…lol…

P.P.S. If you happen to know the name of this little church in the Bahamas, let me know. I would love to send a letter or something to the people of this church…