Talking Fiction with Carolyn Howard-Johnson

On the Air - Just the FAQs Podcast - featuring a variety of guests working in the business of writing

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an amazing woman. I could sit at her feet all day and listen to her talk about books, marketing, and her life. She's been there and done that and has the books and awards to show for it.

I'm delighted to present another wonderful two-part interview with Carolyn. This time she discusses writing fiction with insights into her own writing process. Carolyn candidly shares how she based her novel, This is the Place, and her collection of short stories, Harkening, on her own life experience.

In the second part of the interview we discuss more ways to market a fiction book including the role of online marketing as well as the emergence of e-books, virtual tours, and how giving "freebies" create buzz. We also chat more about poetry and unique and fun ways Carolyn has marketed her own writings.

Join us for this fun, insightful, and engaging chat on Just the FAQs Podcast.

New WordPress Series Now Available

I’m pleased to announce the launch of the new WordPress series of e-books from Just the FAQs. The first set of three e-books details everything you need to know about creating, optimizing, and running a site on WordPress.com.

The 90 page Reference Manual covers every aspect of WordPress with screenshots and detailed descriptions of each element and link available.

The 30 page RSS Feeds book guides you step-by-step through setting up, fully customizing, and optimizing the feeds supplied on some WordPress.com templates or setting up feeds with FeedBurner and installing them on your site.

The 14 page Quick Start Guide takes you through the essential steps of customizing the look of your new WordPress site, making your first post and creating more pages on your site.

The books are available individually or as a full set with special savings.

Another full set of books on WordPress.org sites is already in the works and will be available later this fall.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified when new books and updates become available.

Dana Lynn Smith on Just the FAQs Podcast

On the Air - Just the FAQs Podcast - featuring a variety of guests working in the business of writing
Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and author of The Savvy Book Marketer series. She has a degree in marketing and 15 years of publishing experience.

Dana joins us again to talk about why Twitter and Facebook are such valuable promotional tools for authors and how to really take advantage of these powerful networking tools. If you’ve ever wondered what the heck you should be tweeting about or whether you should be promoting through a Facebook profile, page, or group, you’ll find the answers here.

The show airs September 17th. Visit Just the FAQs Podcast page for more details and links to Dana's new books.

Hear the Podcast on iTunes

On the Air - Just the FAQs Podcast - featuring a variety of guests working in the business of writing
Just the FAQs Podcast shows are now available on iTunes where you can download them for free. You can find them in the Podcast section under Literature, or simply search Just the FAQs.

You can also subscribe directly to the podcast RSS feed to receive instant notification of when a new podcast becomes available for download. Click the link below to sign up.

Subscribe to the Podcast feed

New shows are being lined up for September. Be sure to visit the JTF Podcast page often to see who's lined up and hear some great archived shows.

Upcoming Interview on Just the FAQs Podcast

On the Air - Just the FAQs Podcast - featuring a variety of guests working in the business of writing
I am so impressed with what one talented and passionate person can do to make a real difference in the world through writing, and you will be too when you hear this podcast with Dallas Woodburn and the path she has been on since fifth grade. She also shares tips and insights on connecting with young readers, connecting with the joy of the process of writing, self-publishing, and promoting through speaking engagements.

We'll be recording the interview on Monday and the show will air on Thursday, August 27th.

Visit Just the FAQs Podcast page for more info on Dallas and check out the archived podcasts while you're there, including the special two-part interview with Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

New WordPress books on the Way

The drafts for a new set of WordPress books is finished and on their way to the illustrator. The new series is a three book set on WordPress.com including:

• Quick Start Guide - taking you step-by-step from setting up your site to making your first post
• Reference Manual - nearly 90 pages detailing every aspect of WordPress.com plus tutorials
• RSS Feeds for WordPress.com - including step-by-step guidance for using the built-in feeds from WordPress or installing feeds with FeedBurner for better tracking.

The series is scheduled to release in September. A WordPress.org series will soon follow.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed to be immediately notified when the books become available.

Just the FAQs Class Winners

The virtual blog tour for Just the FAQs wrapped up this week. I’d like to extend a warm thank you to each host for helping create such a wonderful tour. The drawing for the two free classes was held. Winners are Deb and Barbara. After the class we’ll be showing off their blogs.

Just the FAQs classes will be offered monthly with the next class starting on August 14th, 2009. Class size is limited, so be sure to register early. Visit Just the FAQs Classes for details on all the books and bonuses you’ll receive.

You can also subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed via email or in a reader to ensure you get the latest announcements and news from Just the FAQs.