Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas – A Day at a Time
“But Jiminy Crickets, it is the 27th of December! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.
Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.
Some say that December 25th is the first day of Christmas, but we are going with the medieval date of the 26th because revelry could not take place on the 25th as it was a holy day. And the Twelve Days of Christmas is about revelry!
So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 11 days!
The second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
Two Turtle Doves are a representation of love and loyalty and friendship.
Which brings us to why in Japan, Christmas is considered the holiday for lovers (rather than family time). Couples plan romantic dates, special dinners out, and engagement promises.
Click on the link below to enjoy PENTONIX’s version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Pentatonix is a fabulous international a cappello singing group.
Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!
On the Second Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…
Two Essential Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Everyone knows about the Editorial Review. It’s best to start submitting for these once your book is at the Proofreading stage, and once you have a publication date in mind. These are powerful tools filled with blurbs that you can use to market your work.
Of course, the Editorial Review should go on your book’s Amazon page, and every blurb you can pull out can be put everywhere else your book should be marketed. Those different blurbs should appear here at a minimum:
Your website
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble
Beyond that, you can post to places like StoryGraph, and you can use each blurb as a new post on social media. The reason you rotate your blurbs is to make them always feel fresh and engaging to the audience who follows you. The Review can also be used in publishing packets, press releases, and any other way you can imagine!
Manuscript Overviews
Less well-known, the Manuscript Overview (MOV) provides a birds-eye view of your work. This service catches plotholes, character inconsistencies, and those big ideas that authors need feedback on once they feel confident in the story as a whole. The best part is the way a MOV can save authors time and money in the long run by helping them to create the most polished work they can before turning to the next round of editing services.
Stay Tuned for the Third Day of Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all!
If you haven’t heard the news, Kiffer was interviewed on DIY MFA where she and Gabriela Pereira discuss
Why now is the best time to be an author
The difference between a write-up and a review
The Four Types of Reviews
How advance reviews help to promote your book
When you should start sending your book out for reviews
Plus, Kiffer’s #1 Tip for Writers
You can listen to the full interview on Chanticleer’s under the hood technology that gets increases the digital footprint of each book review published on Chanticleer’s website here or wherever you get your podcasts. Kiffer also gives quick and easy tips about how to get more “Amazon Love” to your book’s Amazon selling page. Below is a quick synopsis of the interview, but tune in to get the full scoop!
So what does all this mean? We have the inside scoop!
The Best Time to be an Author
With millions of books being published every year, it’s harder for an author to be noticed than ever! So why is now the best time to be an author?
Simply put, the number of resources available to authors now are greater than ever before. Not only can Chanticleer help you navigate this vast ocean of publishing, but we provide many of the tools directly. A brief list of our formidable resources are:
Overwhelmed? You can always email us at info@ChantiReviews.com for assistance, or message us directly on Facebook. Of course, one of our primary services is the Editorial Review.
A Write-Up vs A Review
The proof is in the pudding for write-ups vs reviews. A write-up, as said on Merriam-Webster is a review that is intended to be “flattering.” While there’s nothing wrong with one of these, readers will wisely be wary of them as they have a biased tone. By contrast, Editorial Reviews are unbiased and objective, referring to what a text specifically does or does not do – it focuses on the quality of the work. Editorial Reviews are an excellent way for readers to gauge their actual interest in a book, instead of having to read between the lines to see if it’s actually something they’ll enjoy. Both happen and can help with book sales, but an Editorial Review will be more versatile. Let’s dig into that!
The Four Types of Review
Editorial Reviews
These reviews are unbiased and objective, the standard by which readers measure if they’ll want to read a book or not. Chanticleer Editorial Reviews are a professional avenue for your book to be fairly assessed and get people talking about it! We keep up with the latest in Search Engine Optimization technology to maximize the digital footprint of our clients, including cross-posting across social media.
Chanticleer’s Marketing Kits are given to authors whose books receive a 4 or 5-star CBR review.Our kits include personalized Shelf Talkers you can use wherever your print book is sold, as well as samples of our silver-foil Book Review stickers designed to catch readers’ attention.
Typically, the best time to begin submitting your work for an Editorial Review is when you reach the proofing stage. Your reviewer will understand that the book is approaching its final form, and that minor changes will still be made. Your book will be evaluated, not on minor typographical errors, but on how well you’ve realized your story.
Reader Reviews
Close kin of the write-up, these are the kinds of reviews you’ll find everyone on Amazon and Goodreads letting you know how someone who read the book liked it. While some are helpful and provide real insight on the book, many are just a rating from 1-5, and the information relating to your book varies. You can’t be sure this reader is in your audience, even if they read your book! There’s no denying that reader reviews help your book do well, and it’s more of a question of quantity over quality, but they’re tricky to maneuver and guarantee.
Peer Review
One of the most difficult reviews to obtain is that of the peer review, or, as it’s commonly known, the book blurb. This describes an author or someone else in your circle of influence who readers will listen to. J.D. Barker, a regular presenter at The Chanticleer Authors Conference, has networked to have Stephen King blurb his thriller novels, and you can believe that King’s readers sit up an pay attention to that!
Circle of Influence is how Kiffer describes those who surround you that can directly contribute to your success as an author. If you aren’t sure who your circle includes, try writing down ten people who you know you can turn to for advice or support. Each year, you’ll want to grow this circle by another ten people. Kiffer and Sharon Anderson wrote an excellent article about this that you can read here.
JD Barker presented at CAC19 and VCAC21!
While you will, of course, reach out to authors on your level, it’s always good to have a few authors who are doing better than you blurb your book. Obviously, writers at the top of their game will be inundated with blurb requests, so be gentle and patient when asking, even if you never hear back.
The Manuscript Overview
This one is always unexpected, because a review of your manuscript doesn’t come after your book is done (or close to it). However, Kiffer recommends that you do a Manuscript overview around the second of third draft of your book. It’s before you’ve paid someone to painstakingly line edit and proofread your book, but after you feel comfortable with knowing the core of the story, and you know the ideas you want to convey are on the paper. That’s when you’re ready for your overview.
A manuscript overview (MOV) is a broad overview of your manuscript – what’s working and what isn’t from all aspects of your story: structure, plot, pacing, character development, dialogue, etc. Chanticleer can offer guidance on what you need next. Using a manuscript overview before you begin the editorial process will not only save you money in terms of editorial services down the road, but it also will save you time by clarifying where you are in writing your story right now.
Now that we’ve covered the four types of reviews, let’s continue to dig deeper into how you can use your Editorial Reviews
How Advance Reviews Can Support Your Book
So often when authors receive their Editorial Review, instead of inspiration lighting up the night sky telling them what to do next, there’s a strange buzzing sound that surely isn’t dread and uncertainty.
It’s okay! Of course, you’ll want to test bits of your Editorial Review as blurb material for you book. Feel free to be selective and grab multiple sound bites that you like to describe your book. Workshop them with friends and fellow writers in your circle of influence. For the other potential blurbs, you can use those on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes Noble, and Kobo. Each one of those places has a special location for Editorial Reviews that the author can upload. The reason you use different quotes from you review for these is so that readers who come across your book on multiple platforms have something new to read in each spot. Editorial Reviews used in this way can really help drive presales.
If your book hasn’t been published yet, but is a manuscript that you are sending to agents and publishers, then the Editorial Review can still be used in the same way to market it to those you query regarding your book.
The other big thing is link to your review! Adding links on blog posts and websites increase your SEO rating, and having your digital footprints over a wide path with help readers come across your book online.
When Should you Solicit Reviews?
At least six months in advance. In times where shipping is not being impacted by a global pandemic, it takes about two weeks to receive a shipment of books. And that’s in the best case scenario. Remember, even if all you have left to do is proofreading, your book will still have the following to go through before it can go to print:
Interior Formatting
Cover Design
Proof Copies
The interior formatting and cover design time varies greatly, and the time it takes to receive a galley or proof of your book will be another two weeks for shipping. Six moths will be the minimum amount of time you’ll want to make sure the blurb can appear somewhere on your book and then will be sent out in marketing packages. Bestselling books are often sent out a year or more in advance to receive reviews.
The book is a wonderful tool for someone interested in an MFA, but sitting on the fence. It walks you through the essentials of what an MFA program provides, and the dives into how to create a similar situation, while providing craft tips on par with the latest advice from top-tier editors. Highly Recommended!
Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887) has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.
Join us for our 10th annual conference and discover why!
CHANTICLEER 10 Question Author Interview Series with
Dr. Janice Ellis
Dr. Ellis has written columns for newspapers, magazines, radio commentary, presented internationally across the U.S., and now online. For the past 30 years she analyzes educational, political, social and economic issues across race, ethnicity, age and socio-economic status. She continues her important work in these challenging times.
Dr. Janice Ellis, columnist, author, journalist, radio commentator, and advocate of social justice and Women’s Rights.
Dr. Janice Ellis entered her book From Liberty to Magnolia In Search of the American Dreaminto the 2018 Journey Book Awards for Narrative Non-fiction, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs). Her stellar memoir was awarded the 2018 Journey Book Awards Grand Prize. The award winning memoir is a truly remarkable book telling what it is like to be Black in America.
We are honored that Dr. Ellis presented The Critical Role Authors Play in Fostering a Better Society at Chanticleer’s first virtual conference, VCAC20. Her presentation was inspirational and thought provoking. Janice S. Ellis has been an author for over 30 years and has written a column for newspapers and radio throughout her career about education, politics, race and socioeconomics. Janice Ellis holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts, and two Master of Arts degrees, one in Communications Arts and a second in Political Science, all from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
Dr. Ellis is one of our favorite authors—and truly a joy to get to know. She reminds us that the pen is mightier than the sword!
Now, let’s get better acquainted with Dr. Janice Ellis.
Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?
Dr. Ellis: A native daughter of Mississippi, I grew up and came of age during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement. Born and reared on a small cotton farm, I was influenced by two converging forces that would set the course of my life. The first was the fear and terror felt by blacks because of their seeking to exercise the right to vote along with other rights and privileges afforded whites. The second was my love of books, the power of words.
I began writing as a radio commentator for a large radio station right out of graduate school and continued to write commentary for newspapers and radio throughout my career. I also published articles professionally in trade journals. I began writing because I thought the need was great for a good political columnist to help the public better understand those issues that affected their daily lives. A good columnist can impact policy and help shape public opinion to support what Aristotle calls the “greater good.”
Chanticleer: When did you realize that you were an author?
Dr. Ellis: I gave it a fleeting thought when I was exempted from an English composition course as a freshman in College after writing some essays during a summer program. But the desire to become an author became more compelling in graduate school in my preparations to become a columnist/commentator. Personal and professional experiences inspired me to become an author of books. From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream is my first book.
Chanticleer: That book has won quite a few awards! In fact, it took home the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize in the Journey Awards for Memoir and Narrative Non-Fiction, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream. I hear it is collecting other awards, as well. Congratulations!
Dr. Ellis: I wrote my book because there are lessons from my life journey through poverty, racism, sexism, and sexual harassment that I believe can directly benefit girls and women, blacks, and other minorities. It addresses many of the issues around racial and gender inequality that America continues to grapple with.
Chanticleer: Thank you for being a graceful and astute voice of authenticity in our world today. We need you! Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?
Dr. Ellis: I basically follow the rules. I have a strong sense of wanting to do the right thing. When that becomes difficult, I still figure out, follow my own path to achieve goals and desired results.
Chanticleer: What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Dr. Ellis: I love reading the Bible and religious commentary, and political and historical nonfiction. When not reading I like to play scrabble and other word games. I also enjoy watching cable news, dramas, thrillers, espionage and action films, some romance and comedy shows. Walking, gardening and fishing are rejuvenating hobbies that I find very fulfilling and satisfying.
Helpful Sources from Dr. Ellis:
* Dr. Ellis writes about her life experiences and enjoys sharing about how she navigated common challenges.
* The writing craft books that have helped her the most are William Zinsser, On Writing Well and Writing About Yourself * The books about the business of writing that have been most beneficial are Writer’s Digest, Literary Agents, How to Write a Book Proposal, and How to Market Your Book
Chanticleer: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Dr. Ellis: I am working on two shorter books, Realizing Your Dream: A Handbook Based on Experience, and Overcoming Racism and Sexism During Your Lifetime. Hopefully, one of the above books to be released later this year.
Chanticleer Aside: Dr. Ellis won the Nellie Bly Grand Prize for her upcoming journalistic book, Shaping How Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism Should be Practiced.
Chanticleer: How structured are you in your writing work?
Dr. Ellis: I have always wanted to be able to write something every day but have yet to achieve that goal. The need to write fresh content on my website has helped the frequency of writing short pieces. In working on books, I usually write until I cannot write anymore, sometimes for 10-14 hours segments. What I have learned that if I stop in mid-sentence, it is easy for me to resume when I begin again.
Chanticleer: J.D. Barker does that, too. It’s good advice. How do you approach your writing day?
Dr. Ellis: For a long time, I would begin writing as soon as I awaken and get a cup of coffee. Happily, now, I write anytime during the day. I sit at my computer and open to a blank page, if I am beginning a new article or chapter, it motivates me to begin putting my thoughts down. If I am in the middle of a piece, I pick up where the incomplete sentence stops.
Chanticleer: Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Dr. Ellis: Former President, Jimmy Carter. The simplicity, yet elegant way he writes about his life, his work, and his values in making things better for humanity. Former President, Barack Obama. His vivid way of writing about his life and the American experience and his vision, hope, and optimism for a better America. Maya Angelou. Her cinematic description and compelling call of attention to the not-so-flattering aspects of humanity and highlighting the need for us to change and move toward our higher selves. Robert Ludlum. His command of the intrigue and complexity of characters and storyline. Kings Solomon and David. For the power, poetry, and wisdom in their books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Psalms.
Chanticleer: Great choices! What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?
Dr. Ellis: I think I am most confident in my ability to analyze and assess a situation and put forth a thoughtful perspective; and the ability to help the reader see, feel, and experience what I am writing about as if they are there with me.
“You must love the craft of writing. It is a craft. You must be dedicated and believe that what you have to say will make a difference. Be willing to write, re-write, and re-write again and again until your words convey the meaning that is intended.” – Dr. Ellis
Chanticleer: Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Dr. Ellis: Yes, usually a few days after I have completed a writing project. If I must begin a new article or chapter, I pull up a blank page. Sooner or later, I feel compelled to fill the page with words that make sense, that are impactful. Sometimes, I do some activity totally unrelated to writing and find that something occurs to make me begin writing.
Chanticleer: What excites you most about writing?
Dr. Ellis: Sharing thoughts, ideas, experiences, and hopefully solutions that will enlighten, inspire, enable, and encourage someone.
Chanticleer: I admire how your motives are outward – helping others understand their world and how to navigate it. Well done! What do you do in your community to improve/promote literacy?
Dr. Ellis: I donate copies of my book to libraries, and give signed copies to individuals. I speak about the power of reading and try to encourage children and young people within my sphere of influence to read, encouraging them to read to others at every opportunity.
Chanticleer: I love that answer. Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Dr. Ellis: I think each author should do a book tour, with TV and radio appearances, if possible. Even if you cannot physically travel from city to city, technology today can allow you to do a lot from our home our local studios.
Also, make use of social media. Posting frequently on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blog posts are a must. Speaking engagements are great to keep your book relevant.
Chanticleer: Especially true today in the face of a global pandemic. What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Dr. Ellis: I am working on two shorter books, Realizing Your Dream: A Handbook Based on Experience, and Overcoming Racism and Sexism During Your Lifetime. Hopefully, one of the above books to be released later this year.
Chanticleer: We will be looking for those! Who’s the perfect reader for your book?
Dr. Ellis: Teenage girls, women, minorities who are trying to navigate racism and sexism in reaching and fulfilling their purpose, goals, and dreams in life. And, for all who are concerned about America’s future and who want America’s children of all colors to realize their full potential. It will inform the racists and non-racists, the sexists and non-sexists. It will inspire and empower men and women who are in positions that can make a difference and have the will to do so—parents, teachers, policymakers, social and human rights activists, journalists, business leaders, faith leaders, and many others. Caring Americans, working together, can break the chains of racism and sexism that keep America bound.
Chanticleer: I believe it! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Dr. Ellis: Write a review and express what the book means to them. Recommend the book to family, friends, and colleagues.
Chanticleer: As always, it is a pleasure spending some time with you today. Be well and keep the good work coming!
If you would like to know more about Dr. Janice Ellis – make sure you pick up her memoir, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream and her soon to be published ground- breaking work Shaping Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism Should Be Practiced at your local book store – or other retailers
Also, be sure to like and follow Dr. Ellis on her social media sites:
Tis the SEASON for HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS – REDEMPTIONS for ONLINE and BRICK & MORTAR STORES
Perhaps you are thinking, “But Kiffer, it is December 27th! Isn’t it too late to do anything about this holiday season?”
And, I would have to reply,“No, it isn’t dear Chanticleerian. It is is just in the nick of time because of GIFT CARDS!”
And I think that is why this fellow is named Ol’ Saint Nick—not for Nicholas but for JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!
What is the Market Size of GIFT CARDS?
AMAZON has almost 60% of the market share. Walmart comes in next at 15%. *Of course, we hope that many people purchased gift cards from their local independent bookstores and local community stores.
And we know who the biggest bookseller on this planet is—digital or print! —Amazon.
The Global Gift Card market size was valued at 619.25 billion USD in 2019. It is much higher this year. See *
The USA Gift Card market size was estimated to be 160 billion USD in 2018. It is projected to be approximately 400 billion dollars in 2020.
COVID-19 will bring healthy holiday web sales for Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards.*
Software provider Salesforce.com Inc. says holiday sales in the U.S. will rise 34% year over year for the 2020 season. That’s a major jump from the estimated 13.6% growth in November and December 2019.
2020 News
Amazon announced plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers for its fulfillment center on top of the 75,000 it hired in April and the 100,000 it brought on in September. Meanwhile, FedEx is hiring 75,000 seasonal employees for this holiday season, an increase of 27% over 2019. And, Walmart Inc. (No. 3) hired 20,000 seasonal workers this holiday season after hiring more than 500,000 workers since the beginning of COVID-19. DigitalCommerce360.com
What are the Top Driving Factors of Sales Growth of Gift Cards?
The Pandemic Fuels Gift Card Sales – Gift Card Sales were up by 50% by September 2020.*
The High Adoption Rate of Smartphones
Gift cards have become more innovative with rapid evolution of smart phones. Use of modern technology and marketing strategies has created different ways for gift card lovers and smartphone users to integrate everything into one convenient package. Rise in adoption of smart phones is expected to boost the gift cards market by offering flexible & convenient ways of payment for customers. Allied Market Research
Gift cards topped all other potential presents, including jewelry, clothing, books, movies, music, electronics and sporting goods. National Retail Federation report.
Gift cards are the most popular items on wish lists — 14 years straight.
The majority of recipients of these GIFT CARDSdo not begin shopping with them until late December at the earliest!
Gift Cards have extended the Holiday Buying Season all the way through the month of January into the end of February.
INCREASING ONLINE BOOK SALES
When was the last time that you checked out your Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Bookchain, Smashwords, etc. page(s)?
Visit your Selling Platform Pages and Tidy Them and Add some SPARKLE!
Most importantly, do you have the latest cover of your title uploaded?
I see this all the time, the author sends me her latest cover (because as you know, I am all about the cover!) but then for some reason fails to upload the dazzling new cover to the title’s selling pages on the different platforms.
Update your selling pages with the latest tweaks to the title’s description. Is the description as compelling as it can possibly be? Amp it up!
Make sure that every word of your book’s introduction/marketing blurb (that first paragraph that comes after the title and to the right of the cover) is effective—especially the first ten introductory words.These first ten words are “crawled” by the online sales platform’s search engine whenever a reader does “a search.” If it is a series or you are planning to make the work a series, then be sure to conclude the book’s marketing blurb with this information.
Have you listed the title’s latest awards and kudos near the end of the description to seal the deal?
Have you updated the reviews in the Editorial Reviews section? Add new ones and author blurbs (recommendations) in the Editorial Reviews section.
Sixty-one percent of customers read Editorial Reviews before making an online purchase (Harvard Business Review)
Editorial/Trade Reviews set the tone for Customer Reviews – which is (from what I hear) quantity is more important that than quality (number of stars). 100 customer reviews tend to be the magical number.
The Editorial Reviews section is where blurbs of reviews from Chanticleer, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly should be posted along with VIP Author Blurbs.
Or to that matter, do you have anything in the Editorial Reviews section? If not, you are missing some SEO goodness. In fact, each of Chanticleer Reviews come with a turbo-charged SEO package and Meta-Data built in to help your book’s digital footprint populate the internet.
If your books are available in other languages besides English, list the languages in this section.
Is it time to liven up your author bio? Does it reflect the latest YOU? Does it make the reader want to meet you (like at your next book event?) as someone who he/she would enjoy meeting at a cocktail party?
Make sure that your photo resonates with readers’ expectations. A great example of this isDiana Gabaldon’sAmazon photo; it is one of her standing in front of the Stonehenge monument with a timeless black shawl wrapped around her. The Stonehenge background hints at the historical/fantastical nature of her works and the opening of her series.
Take a close look at your Author Central photo. If it doesn’t move your author brand forward, take a look through your photographs for one that does. It doesn’t have to be a photo taken by a professional photographer. It does have to have a layering effect and convey your author branding/personality. If you have a photograph that does convey elements of your author branding and is taken by a professional photographer, then that is even better. Here is an example of a professionally taken author photograph that exudes the author’s branding as a post-apocalyptic fiction writer. Notice that the setting and outfit exude the dystopian aspects of hisDeserted Lands series:
In your Author Information section, list any other published works that are related to this particular selling page–especially if you have series or multiple titles in the related genre.
While you are on the title’s selling pages, double-check that all the different formats that your title is available on in any given platform are available and ready for sale!
Print? e-pub? combo — purchase a print book and receive the digital e-pub version for a discount or for free? (Amazon used to call this package “matchstick” )
Make sure that the links to purchase books from your websitework and do not go off into cyberspace.
Test your “Look Inside” feature on Amazon and make sure that it works and that it isn’t just opening to the Table of Contents or the front matter of the book.
Double-check your pricing on each selling platform that the title is available for sale on. Really.
OVERALL
Make sure that your information is up-to-date, fresh and relevant!
Like a well-written book plot, make sure that each piece of information on your title’s selling platform moves your book and author brandingforward and into the hands and minds of eager book buyers?
BUT WAIT, WE LOVE LOVE LOVE Independent Booksellers!
So make sure that you help them sell your books! Win-Win!
Make sure that YOUR BOOKS get some of that Gift Card LOVE!
Quick and Easy Tips to Get Your Books Ready for the Biggest Book Buying Season of the Year
Here is a Handy Checklist for Brick and Mortar Stores Where Your Books Are for Sale.
Help Your Booksellers Sell Your Books!
ThesePoint of Saleitems can make a huge difference in book sales!
Shelf talkers are proven to increase book sales!
It seems obvious, but make sure that wherever you have your books for sale or on consignment have themIN-STOCK.(yes, I am yelling here)
NEXT — make sure topromote in social mediawherever your books are for sale and TAG the store/shop/bookseller. Be sure to use a photo of the shop and its location.
Promote your book’s cover and genre and tag themerchant again on social media.
If you can, make sure that your books havebook stickerson them for any awards or kudos.
Don’t forget SHELF-TALKERS
Chanticleer Shelf talker
If you have a series or other books, does each one of your books have a “bookmark” inside with all of your books listed?
Does this bookmark have your website and social media handles printed on it? If not, get on it — you can print your own at your local copy shop.
You can even add an invite to visit your website/blog to win prizes
In your next printing, make sure that at the end of your book that you include an invitation to visit your website/blogpost/social media posts for:
more information
a chance to win free prizes
for advance notifications of your next book
to have a character named after the reader
Book Club Benefits (ZOOM – Virtual Visits and Discussions)
You can have these printed off and slip them into the books — they should not be bigger than the book. Remember, this is a surprise for the reader to find and must not add to “clutter” the book.
Your Books at Indie Booksellers
If you don’t live close to the booksellers selling your books, see if any of your street team members, family, friends, or other authors (you know, the ones that you are cross-promoting with) if they would stop by the shops in their neighborhoods and help implement the P-O-S plan. Of course, make sure that they utilize all safety and health pandemic protocols. Make sure that they have a letter from you (they can print it out if you email it to them). Have your “street team” introduce themselves to the shop’s staff and explain what is going on.
We all have to PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT in these unprecedented times.
AND now is a good time to schedule your VIRTUAL Author Events and Book Club Meetings for 2021!
And add the events to your website and social media platforms.
Good Manners for Point of Sale Tips
Use magic tape (and carry it with you) so that you will not gum up the store’s shelves with shelf-talkers — and you don’t have to ask the staff to take time to look for some for you.
If the staff is busy, consider coming back at a later time. The holidays are a “make or break” season for most small brick and mortar stores so you don’t want to impede the staff from making sales and helping customers during this crucial time. [This is a pet peeve with booksellers about authors #justsaying]
If your books are “shop-worn” ask about exchanging them out for fresh new books.
Offer to help out-of-the-area authors with the books that are for sale in your neighborhood. Connect and reach out!
REPEAT. RESTOCK. RE-POST. REMIND.
Remember the GIFT CARD buying season stretches into the end of February.
Take advantage of this busiest season of the year and help your bookseller sell more of your books.
Now make sure that some of those billion dollars on Holiday Gift Cards are used to purchase YOUR BOOKS!
That would be me, Kiffer Brown–Mother Hen and Head Hen at Chanticleer Reviews.
There is a beautiful Icelander holiday tradition that we are growing quite fond of here at Chanticleer.
Jolabokaflod or Yule Book Flood happens once a year on Christmas Eve in Iceland. The flood begins with the release of a catalog of new publications from the Icelandic Publishers Association. And it is distributed FREE to each and every Icelandic home. The majority of books sold in Iceland are sold from September to early November. Of course, these books are in print. E-pubs are not given.
The Icelanders even have a popular TV show, Kiljan, that is entirely devoted to books. Authors appear on prime TV shows. Book readings and author events are treated like rock star events.
“In Iceland book lives matter in every sense of that phrase: The shelf-life of the book, the lives in the book, the life of the writer and the life of the reader. God bless the Jolabokaflod.” ~Hallgrimur Helgason
To an Icelander, the very best Christmas present is a book! This tradition hails from WWII when many items and food were rationed. These sentiments may always have existed, in one way or another, since Icelanders have been saga-nerds for thousand of years.
Loved ones gather – perhaps virtually this year – and gift one another books. What happens next? They spend the night reading together. What a delightful holiday tradition!
Jolabokaflod – Christmas is the time where you snuggle up and read your presents.
We thought you might like to see some of our top holiday-themed books – just in case you would like to have your own Jolabokaflod…
So, snuggle in and preview some of our favorite books for the season. Let’s share some book love!
From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in 1905 in search of a better life. Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips is one of Kiffer Brown’s favorites for the holidays. She cites the novel’s heartwarming WWI Christmas Eve scene that takes place in the trenches in the heat of battle as unforgettable.
Since it’s Christmas time, clever Oscar decides to write a letter to Santa and ask for the spots he so desperately wants. Fearing his request won’t reach the North Pole in time, Oscar decides to take it there himself. He meets many a character en route and learns some new lessons. A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told children’s Christmas story of the importance of being yourself. Highly recommended.
With the loveliest prose and sharp humor, Slade offers the best Christmas gift for her readers with this gem of a book. Whether it’s 1390, 1543, 1825, or the present day, there’s a mystical sisterhood at Ladywell that bridges time, a linking of strong women who tend home and hearth and pass on the secrets of the land. The past re-emerges into the blissful bustle of Freya’s current life as she learns of a family connection with King Richard III. Is this connection tied to a future event? Will the secrets of the past travel to the future?
An exquisitely written English tale set for Yuletide cheer. A book to curl up with during the holidays. Highly recommended.
For anyone who’s ever fought a battle and held onto the promise of hope, here is a heartfelt story of a boy whose endless desire for Christmas changes not only him but his entire world. This story has the makings to be a seasonal classic! Plausible fantasy with a clear connection to our national past composed by a practiced wordsmith, My Christmas Attic can be appreciated as a classic seasonal saga with a cinematic quality that speaks of broader possibilities.
Cleopatra’s lustful affair with young Jake Regan becomes more complex as she discovers his presence in Hawaii is due to a Christmas holiday vacation with his (Norman Rockwellesque) family. Mother and his two brothers have arrived. Jake’s dad is expected to arrive at any moment from yet another far-flung business trip. But the coup d’état is that Jake’s longtime girlfriend, who also is en route, is expecting wedding bells to be announced at the gathering. It becomes obvious that Cleo and Jake’s unrelenting passion will have an impact on the Regan family.
A steamy, fast-paced suspense novel that will take you on a get-away armchair vacation to Hawai’i!
Combining a romance novel with a thriller is not easy, butChasing Cleopatradelivers the goods with plotting as intricate as a silver spider’s web.
Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Chris Oelerich is highly recommended for those who suffer from PTSD, for the family members and friends of those who suffer, and for those who are simply interested in having a greater understanding beyond what is reported in the popular press about this debilitating disorder. Oelerich’s methods to overcome PTSD are plain-spoken and practical, with an overall message of optimism for those with PTSD.
This is a very personal, no-holds-barred, yet ultimately, empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it. The author hopes that Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD will be used as a tool to reduce PTSD symptoms in others who suffer from it so that they, too, can live healthier and happier lives.
We wish you a very merry and warm Holiday Season!
If you would like to read more book reviews to discern the perfect selections for your own Jolabokaflod click here to read more Chanticleer Book Reviews!
If you think we should include your book (must have been reviewed by Chanticleer Reviews) in this article, please email us with the title, your pen name, and the pages that have the holiday scenes.
We’ve long said that we are leaders in digital and technology. This is who we are! Now, because of our new living situation, i.e. COVID19, digital platforms and marketing tips are even more important to creating and sustaining our author platforms and building our readership.
What we need is strategy – and a bit of know-how to make our efforts pay off. We all want to sell books. We all want to be writing and connecting with our audiences. While thinking about this today, Kiffer and I thought we would revisit one of our most helpful posts about Book Marketing. Michelle Cox’s, Hot Marketing Tips are Shared in the 10 Question Author Interview with MICHELLE COX – Author Interviews, Marketing, Craft of Writing. Here’s an author who knows what she’s talking about.
Michelle Cox is one of the panelists on A Multi-prong Approach to Book Marketing with Paul Hanson of Village Books, Michelle Cox – Historical Fiction, J.I. Rogers – Science Fiction, and Tina Sloan, contemporary thriller author and actress that is scheduled for Sunday, Sept 13, 2020 at VCAC.
After reading this post, you feel you would like some new information, I would like to invite you to our VCAC starting next week, September 8 – 13, 2020, where experts, like bestselling authors Robert Dugoni, J.D. Barker, top film producer Scott Steindorff, author /actor Chris Humphreys, Amy Stapleton and Wayne Richard from CHATABLES, and Paul Cutsinger from ALEXA, Anita Michalski and Jonathan Hurley from Hindenburg Systems – and so many, many more experts (click here to see a complete list of our Headliners, Presenters, and Faculty) who will go into depth about book marketing in today’s new world. We even have Tana Hope to show us how to take care of yourself. We all need that, right?
Here’s your official invitation to VCAC20: click here.
And now, back to Michelle Cox…
Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards Grand Prize winner Michelle Cox graciously shares her writing life and knowledge with us along with some hot marketing tips and tools! Read on!
“When I finally decided to try writing, the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.” – Michelle Cox
Michelle Cox, award-winning author, at work in her writing lair
Chanticleer: Thanks for coming by, Michelle. Tell us what genre best describes your work? And, what led you to write in this genre?
Cox: Well, that’s a great question! I usually at least place as a semi-finalist in three different categories at the Chanticleer awards, for example, so that should be a pretty good indication.
My series is set during the 1930s in Chicago, so that qualifies it to be historical fiction, but it’s also mystery and romance. I guess “romantic-suspense” would be the best way to describe the series, but without the bare-chested guys on the cover.
They always say to write what you would want to read, and this is it! I set the series set in my favorite era; added a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance; flavored it with the haves- and the have-nots of the era, as well as a touch of the English aristocracy; and then stocked it with lots of characters and subplots weaving in and out . . . sheer heaven!
Chanticleer: And that’s why we love you and your books! What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Cox: I no longer have any! I used to have hobbies before writing took over my life. If I do have a few minutes here and there, I still love to garden and bake, but my real love, however, is board games. I’m a fanatic and have become a sort of a collector now.
Playing games with Michelle Cox! Did the butler do it?
Chanti: That sounds like a lot of fun! So, how do you approach your writing day?
Cox: As soon as my kids get on the bus at 6:50 am, I make my second cup of coffee and sit down at my desk. I’m not allowed to do any social media, though I do always do a quick email check to see, you know, if I won the Pulitzer or something (it’s always no), and then I start working on whatever manuscript I’m currently on. My brain is its crispest early in the morning, so I have to use that time for the work that takes the most concentration. There’s something to be said about productivity when you know you only have a limited time to write. There’s no room for writer’s block or procrastination. When you know you only have so much time, you have a way of just sitting down and doing it.
When I reach whatever my writing goal is for that day, I spend the next five to seven hours (until the kids come home) doing marketing and PR—anything from writing the blog or the newsletter or articles or interviews, taping podcasts, setting up events, answering email, attending to social media, etc. It’s really a full-time job, though, sadly, the actual writing, the part I love, is the part I get to spend the least on.
Chanti: Marketing pays off, right? Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Cox: My series is known for the plethora of rich characters scattered throughout and the big saga-like plots. I was definitely influenced in this by my early favorites: Louisa May Alcott, Catherine Cookson, and Charles Dickens. My other two favorites would be Anthony Trollope and Jane Austin for their subtlety in character and their overall ability to use language so beautifully.
Chanti: I cannot argue with your choices. These are delicious authors – and novels!
I know you gave us a snapshot of your work-day earlier, but could you give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Cox: Wow! That’s a great question, but so hard to answer. All marketing is pretty elusive, isn’t it? It’s a constant process of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s also important to remember that what works for one person, might not work for everyone. It’s not an exact science. If it were, we’d all be rich!
But, in general, here are some good marketing tips that I have found to work:
Try to figure out where your readers are. Most of my readers, for example, are on Facebook, so that’s where I spend most of my social media time.
Think of yourself as a brand and try to match your posts accordingly. I post things about myself or the book or writing, but mostly old recipes, period drama news, or old stories from the past (which constitute my blog). Also, I’m very careful never to post anything religious or political. This is a business, and the more you see yourself that way and follow basic business protocols, the more successful you’ll be.
Try to build your newsletter list by offering a freebie (such as free story, writing tips, a webinar, a prequel). Personally, I do it by running contests with really big prize packages. I make sure to state that the contest winner will be picked only from my newsletter subscribers. I pay a designer to create a beautiful graphic of the prizes, post it on FB, and then boost the post. Not only does this get me a lot of new subscribers (sometimes thousands), but it exposes the series to new readers as well!
Build your network. Join online author groups (I am part of a fabulous private FB group organized by my publisher, She Writes Press. We all share ideas, marketing tips, and offer support and advice, especially to the newer authors just coming on board. It’s a collective wealth of information.) or real-world groups in your area. Don’t be jealous of the success of others, but help each other as much as possible. As my publisher, Brooke Warner has said, “There’s room for everyone at the table.”
Show up at other authors events, write reviews, help promote whenever possible. Go to conferences to meet not just readers, but other authors who can potentially help you. Remember that you are a business, and you need to do work within your community to begin standing out.
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
Also in this category would be to try to get a Bookbub deal, which, as we all know is really tough. Again, for Book 2 of the series, we submitted four times, trying to get a deal with the book being priced at .99 cents. I finally decided to offer it for free, and we cleverly put a buy link to book 3 at the end of Book 2. Bookbub then offered me a deal, and I had over 55,000 downloads in one day! Hopefully, a lot of those people will go on to buy Book 3 at full price.
Lastly, if the first book of your series is free, either permanently or occasionally, you can join Book Funnel, in which you “bundle” your book with others of a similar genre with each author promoting the bundle to their social network, which exposes your series to a whole new crop of readers. Readers are able to download your free book in exchange for their email address. So not only are you getting readers hooked on your series (hopefully!), but you’re building your subscriber/newsletter list.
Chanti: You could teach a Master Class on this at CAC20! Let’s chat about this later.
Chanti: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Cox: Book 5 of the series is currently in production and scheduled to be released in Spring 2020. I said I was going to take a break from the series after that, but I admit, I’ve already started sketching out Book 6 – I can’t help it!
But what’s really exciting is a new stand-alone novel, The Love You Take, that I wrote, also based partially on a true story and set in Chicago in the 1930s. It’s a really fabulous book if I do say so, about a “backward” girl who has to go and live at a home for “bad girls” after she unwittingly becomes pregnant. I’m currently querying agents for it.
Chanti: Sounds intriguing. Please keep us updated. Who’s the perfect reader for your book?
Cox: Though some men enjoy my books, the primary audience is women. Anyone who loves Downton Abbey;Upstairs, Downstairs;Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the old black and white films, like The Thin Man . . . basically any period drama or old movie . . . will love my series. I can’t tell you how many people have written to me to tell me that the series is so visual, that reading it was like watching a movie. It’s delightful escapism; people tell me all the time they feel like they’ve been transported back in time after reading them.
Chanti: I know that’s why we read your books #delightful! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Cox: Tell a friend! Research shows that the number one thing that influences people to buy books is word-of-mouth. If you like a book, recommend it to friends or your book club. The second best thing is to write a review! People seem wary of doing this, telling me that they’re nervous about what to write.
“Nonsense!” I say.
A review can be one sentence: “This was a great book; I enjoyed it!”
There. Done.
You don’t have to go into a lengthy reworking of the synopsis (why do people do this?) or delve into symbolism or themes or whatever. Just give your one-sentence opinion!
Chanti: I’ve been telling my non-writing friends this for years… Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Cox: Not really! I have a lot of story ideas in my head, and thus I usually have the opposite problem. This is where outlining can really help. If you have a pretty weighty outline sketched out, then when you sit down to write each day, you pretty much already know what you’re supposed to write that day. Likewise, I enjoy taking an evening walk (or I try to, anyway!), during which I think about tomorrow’s chapter and what needs to go into it. Sometimes I even voice record if I have a really good idea or some strands of dialog. There’s something about walking—moving the legs back and forth, back and forth—that seems to stimulate something in the brain. They say that Dickens used to walk the streets of London for hours in the wee hours of the night. Now I know why!
Chanti: Time to reflect and let your mind wander. Movement really does help with this. What excites you most about writing?
Cox: Creating something out of nothing. I’ve always been a really creative person. Looking back, I see now that I’ve always been striving to create, and for a long time it took on many different forms. As a kid, I was always trying to illustrate Louisa May Alcott’s books or write little fan fiction stories based on Jo March. As I got older, it took the form of gardening and decorating the house, and then baking and then creating elaborate kids’ birthday party invitations! When I finally decided to try writing (long story), the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.
Chanti: We hope you do, too, Michelle. What a fabulous interview! Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Speaking of sharing, if you like what you’ve read, please “like, comment, and share!” Sharing is caring, baby!
The CIBA Grand Prize Winners
Michelle Cox is a multi-award-winning author who recently spent some time with us at CAC19. This year was particularly special because Michelle won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize for Mystery & Mayhem Awards!
and took 1st Place in the Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction – both awards are in honor of her book, A Promise Given. We will probably never stop celebrating this – it’s just too much fun!
To find out what Michelle’s up to next, Find and Follow her here:
Sessions will be recorded and available later viewing through VIMEO exclusively to all registered participants.
Only one session will be presented at a time so YOU select which ones you want to see LIVE and which ones you will want to view later via VIMEO or revisit the session. Master Classes and Workshops will be held the following week starting on Wednesday, Sept 16, 2020.
Virtual Author Events: How To Pivot from LIVE to VIRTUAL for Book Launches, Book Clubs, and Book Eventswith Janet Oakley, Sean Dwyer, & Gail Noble Sanderson
Book to Film Panel Discussionwith Scott Steindorff, Robert Dugoni, and J.D. Barker. Moderator is Chris Leibig
It Takes a Village to Make a Film – Authors, Actors, Screenwriters, Producers, & Directorsa Discussion with Tina Sloan, Scott Steindorff, & Kaylin McFarren, and Talk to Crows Production Company
The Critical Role Authors Play in Fostering a Better Society –Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D.
Exploration of New and Revolutionary Ways of Storytelling including Delving into Immersive, Mixed Reality, and Digital Art –Scott Steindorff
How to Have 1,048 Readers Requesting Your Book in the 1st Day of a 100 Book Giveaway –Kaylin McFarren shares her Goodreads and Amazon Secrets to increasing book sales.
Writing and Selling Children’s Books – Children’s Book Authors Share Their Tips & Tools – Denise Ditto Satterfield, Barbara Jean Hicks, M.J. Evans,
Voice Driven Technology and the Future of Publishing – Paul Cutsinger
Why Amazon Alexa Should Be Telling Your Story – 3 Sessions– Amy Stapleton and Wayne Richard
How to Create a Sustainable and Compelling Series – Panel : Diane Garland, Wendy Delaney, Pamela Beason, J.D. Barker
5 Reasons Why You Should Publish Your Epubs on Bookchain –Simon-Pierre Marion
Your Story World: Beyond Eye Color and the Weather – Diane Garland
Don’t be Left OUT and OFF the Airwaves – Intro to Podcasting with Hindenburg Systems’ expert Anita Michalski
Historical Fiction–Chris Humphreys will examine how to both fictionalize real characters and realize fictional ones.
Just Call Out My Name – Collaborating with Other Authors –Janet Shawgo & Sean Dwyer
Writers: Improve Your Productivity and Your Health by Correcting Posture with Tana Hope
5 Reasons Why You Should Publish Your Epubs on Bookchain –Simon-Pierre Marion
Sessions Start in just 7 Days! Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020!
The 2019 CIBA Awards First Place Awards Winners will be announced every day (Tuesday – Saturday, Sept 8 -12, 2020) starting at 5 p.m. PST at the CIBA Virtual Ceremonies. All 2019 CIBA Finalists will be recognized during VCAC!
The 2019 CIBA Grand Prize Division Winners and the Overall Grand Prize for Best Book will be announced and recognized on Sunday, Sept 13, 2020 starting at 5: 30 p.m. PST ceremony.
All announcements are LIVE and we will have a Virtual Celebration Party after each day!
Have your favorite bubbly ready to cheer on your favorite authors! LIVE and INTERACTIVE!
Chanticleer Book Reviews is seeking today’s best books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
Find out more about the stunning beauty that Dante Rossetti painted, Jane Morris, at the end of this blog post.
Do you have a romance novel or manuscript ready for readers?
Do you want to see how it stands up to others in its category?
Then don’t delay! The CHATELAINE Book Awards division is accepting submissions from both recently published and complete manuscripts in romance and romantic fiction. But this year we’ve moved our deadline – to keep you on your toes!
The new deadline for the Chatelaine Awards is AUGUST31, 2020!
That’s right, the last day for submissions into the 2020 Chatelaine Book Awards is August 31, 2020. So, if you love Piña Coladas – and getting caught in the rain… I mean, if you like writing about those things, and other things having to do with matters of the heart, including these:
Insiders’ Tip: Other genre divisions of the Chanticleer International Book Awards have romance categories as well. Multiple submissions of the same work to a variety of CIBA writing competitions divisions are accepted. Check out our divisions here.
Please join us in congratulating and reading these top works in this diverse range of all reads Chatelaine: Romance, Chick-Lit, Women’s Fiction, Inspirational, Suspenseful, and, of course, Steamy and Sensual in the
CHATELAINE HALL of FAME!
Jane Austen Inspired:Pulse and Prejudice by Colette Saucier
Paranormal:Crimson Flamesby Ashley Robertson
Christian Inspirational Romance: Chasing Charlieby C. M. Newman
Restorative: A Path through the Gardenby Nancy LaPonzina
Classic Bodice Ripper:To Dare the Duke of Dangerfieldby Bronwen Evans
Who will win the CHATELAINE Book Awards Blue Ribbons for 2020?
The judging rounds will commence in August! Submit your works today!
The last day for submissions into the 2020 Chatelaine Book Awards is August 31, 2020. Winners will be announced at our CAC21 conference – scheduled for April
And remember our Insiders’ Tip: Other genre divisions of the Chanticleer International Book Awards have romance categories as well. Multiple submissions of the same work to a variety of CIBA writing competitions divisions are accepted. Check it out here!
A little information about the Chatelaine Book Awards icon:
We feel that Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Pre-Raphaelite painting of Jane Morris (muse and wife of William Morris) in aBlue Silk Dress captures the many moods of the Chatelaine division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Jane Morris (nee Jane Burden—little is known about her childhood but that it was poor and deprived) was known for her keen intelligence. William Morris fell in love with her when she sat for him as a model. She was privately tutored to become a gentleman’s wife upon their engagement. It is said that she was the inspiration for George Bernard Shaw’s character Eliza Dolittle of My Fair Lady fame. The Blue Silk Dress was painted in 1868 by Rossetti and it currently resides in the Society for Antiquaries of London. She was 29 when Rossetti painted it. Rossetti and Jane Morris became closely attached until his death in 1882. To read more about the fascinating Jane Morris, click on this Wikipedia page.
Welcome to our SPOTLIGHT on LARAMIE Book Awards, the stories that stick!
The Laramie Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the Americana / Western, Pioneer, Civil War, Frontier, and First Nations Novels. The Laramie Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.
Charles M. Russell painted the cowboy scene on Chanticleer’s very own Laramie Book Awards badge. It is one of many such paintings he did that encompassed the Old American Wild West. He was an advocate for the Northern Plains Indians. Charles M. Russell also helped establish a reservation in Montana for the Chippewa people.
*More interesting facts about Laramie, Wyoming, and its historical icons are immediately after the Laramie Hall of Fame listing below. A fun read!
The Laramie Book Awards for American Western Fiction Hall of Fame First Place and Grand Prize winners!
Want to be a winner next year? The deadline to submit your book for the 2020 Laramie awards is July 31, 2020. Enter here!
Grand Prize and First Place Winners for 2019 will be announced during our Virtual Conference in early September 2020.
Any entries received on or after July 31, 2020, will be entered into the 2021 Laramie Book Awards. The Grand Prize and First Place for 2020 CIBA winners will be held on April 17, 2021.
As our deadline draws near, don’t miss this opportunity to earn the distinction your American Western readers deserve! Enter today!
The LARAMIE Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards – the CIBAs.
The 2020 winners will be announced at the CIBA Awards Ceremony, which will take place during the 2020 Live/Online Chanticleer Authors Conference. All Semi-Finalists and First Place category winners will be recognized, the first place winners will be virtually whisked up on “stage” to receive their custom ribbon and wait to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. Covid19 has made our celebrations a bit different this year, but we still will celebrate!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, or suggestions at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com
[20] McDougall, Walt, “Pictures in the Papers,” American Mercury, 6:21 (September 1925), 72.
What’s a Laramie?
We thought you’d never ask!
We titled the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) division for Western American Fiction and all things that gather around the campfire singing a lonesome tune, the Laramie Awards, after the county and city in Wyoming. You know the one, tucked into the lower right-hand corner of the state between the Snowy Mountain Range and the Laramie Mountain Range.
Yes, but why Laramie?
The small outpost was changed almost overnight when the Union Pacific Railroad moved their “Hell on Wheels” tent town from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Laramie after building the rails over the Sherman Summit at an elevation of 8,200 feet all the way to Laramie on May 4, 1868. Lawlessness and the Wild West ruled in Laramie. Luckily, “Hell on Wheels” moved on West as more track was laid down.
But where did that name Laramie come from?
Laramie was named after Jacque LaRamie, a French or French-Canadian trapper who disappeared in the mountain range that was later named for him in the early 1810s. LaRamie was one of the first Europeans to visit the area. Laramie is a French name much like DuBois, Wyoming. And, yes, it is pronounced Doo – Boys (and NOT Du Bwai).
There are several reasons we chose Laramie for our iconic Americana Book Awards. For us, and those in the know, Laramie, Wyoming immediately calls to mind the image of a Wild West town filled with rough-and-tumble cowboys. At one point, the only law in Laramie was “lawlessness. Wild Bill Hickok was even known to visit from time to time.
Here’s a picture of the man, himself, on the left with his friends, Texas Jack Omohundro (center), and Buffalo Bill Cody on the right.
Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch robbed trains and passengers with the first recorded train robbery taking place on June 2, 1899 in Wyoming. Butch was known to be very polite and dislike violence.
But that’s not the only reason we chose Laramie.
And, yes, there is yet one more reason we love Laramie!
The WOMEN!
Calamity Jane hails from Laramie, Wyoming – a skilled sharpshooter who was born to a gambler and a prostitute. She cared for her five younger siblings in Utah before traveling on to Wyoming in search of a better life. There she found work as a dance hall girl and then as a prostitute at Fort Laramie. It was there that she reinvented herself by wearing buckskins and dressing like a man. She was also known for her swearing and hard-drinking ways, but Calamity Jane was also known even more for her kind heart and helping folks out of calamities–thus her nickname.
Calamity Jane — She was the inspiration for Michelle Rene’s HOURGLASS novel.
While the men were wrestling in the streets and shooting up the place, it was really the women who brought civilization to Laramie and Wyoming Territory. They established the first school in 1869, served on a formal jury in the Spring of 1870, and were the first to gain the vote; which is exactly what Louisa Swain and 92 of her friends did on September 6, 1870 –150 years ago!
Louisa Swain, the first woman to cast a ballot and she did it in Laramie, Wyoming!
Louisa Swain – she was made of stern stuff!
Early in the morning on September 6, 1870 in Laramie, Wyoming Louisa Swain became the first woman in the world to cast a ballot under democratically enacted laws granting women equal political rights with men. In the fall of 2008, 138 years later, the U.S. Congress passes a resolution proclaiming September 6th as “Louisa Swain Day” in recognition of this historic event.The Louisa Swain Foundation
In 1870, Esther Hobart Morris (59 years old) became the first female Justice of the Peace. She served in South Pass City, Wyoming, which is to the northwest of Laramie.
Esther Morris, first female Justice of the Peace — Wyoming
Esther Morris “to pettifoggers she showed no mercy.” Wyoming Tribune
The Union’s first all-female jury was assembled in Wyoming in 1870.
Later, in 1894, Estelle Reel Meyer became Superintendent of Public Instruction, the country’s first female statewide elected official.
And the grand coup d’etat was when in 1889 when Wyoming vied for statehood—and refused to join the Union if the laws giving equality to women were not upheld, telling Congress (which wanted the suffrage law rescinded) via telegram,
“We will remain out of the Union 100 years rather than come in without the women.”
Wyoming is also the first state in the USA to allow women to own property and sign legal documents.
In 1910, Mary Godat Bellamy became the first woman to be elected to the Wyoming Legislature. Two other western states, Colorado and Idaho, elected women legislators in 1895 and 1899, respectively. Wyoming was third in the nation.
Quotes are from the Smithsonian Magazine
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/women-voting-wyoming-150-years-here-how-state-celebrating-180971263/#6UKzMfMeCQsmbIIQ.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter
Do you have a Y/A Fiction manuscript or recently published novel?
Enter it today in the CIBA 2020 DANTE ROSSETTI Awards! Let us decipher the best of the best.
If you know anything about Chanticleer International Book Awards, you know that we never stop sharing the good news and accomplishments of our authors! Never!
What that means is we believe in book promotion, highlighting our winners, standing on our platforms, and telling the known world all about YOUR BOOK!
The Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction are named for the British painter and poet,
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Chanticleer has chosen Dante Rossetti as the namesake of our young adult fiction awards, because of Rossetti’s strong connection to works of beauty and emotions as swift as the changing seasons. Both aspects embody what it means to be young. We feel that the sentiment expressed by the Pre-Raphaelite movement exemplifies what inspires many authors to pick up their proverbial pens to express their emotions and their observations of the visceral dynamics of living.
Besides, he was a rock star. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an exclusive group in the mid-nineteenth century which garnered as much fame and attention as equatable to the Game of Thrones cast today.
The Love Song by Sir Burne-Jones who was mentored and influenced by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
You won’t regret it – Just ask the following authors who did enter, and won!
The 2018 DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards GRAND PRIZE:
Whispers by Yvonne Moon
WHISPERSbyLynn Yvonne Moon
2018 Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction First in Category Winners
Here’s a little more about our Dante Rossetti … (can we claim him as our own?)
Rossetti’s paintings, in particular, were characterized by the long and wavy hair of young women. It is this youthful beauty that has been immortalized in his work and captures the immovable spirit of adolescence which is so fraught with changing emotions. These women he painted are often quite romantic. His wife would often model for the paintings or the wives of his friends in the Brotherhood. It was rumored that Rossetti had several lovers…
Visitors today can view Rossetti’s work at the Louvre or the Met. In addition to painting, he was also a writer. Several of his poems address emotions and feelings in all of their complexity, similar to his painted works.
La Viuda Romana, 1874 by our fav guy, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Leon Martin and the Fantasy Girl by Andre Swartley
Want to be a winner next year? The deadline to submit your book for the Dante Rossetti Awards is June 30, 2020. Enter here!
Do your works have what it takes to make it through the CIBA judging rounds? Submit manuscripts and published works into the Chanticleer International Book Awards – Click here for more information about The CIBAs!
The last day to submit your work is June 30, 2020. We invite you to join us, to tell us your stories, and to find out who will take home the 2019 CIBA prizes at CAC20 in September.
The deadline for 2020 YA submissions is June 30, 2020.Grand Prize and First Place Winners for 2020 will be announced on April 18, 2021.
Any entries received after June 30, 2020, will be entered into the 2021 Dante Rossetti Book Awards Young Adult Fiction. The Grand Prize and First Place for 2021 CIBA winners will be held on April 2022.
As our deadline draws near, don’t miss this opportunity to earn the distinction your work deserves! Enter today!
The DANTE ROSSETTI Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards – the CIBAs.
The winners will be announced at the 2019 CIBA Awards Ceremony in September 2020, which will take place during the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference. All Semi-Finalists and First Place category winners will be recognized, the first-place winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and wait to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting evening of celebrations!
Dr. Ellis: I donate copies of my book to libraries, and give signed copies to individuals. I speak about the power of reading and try to encourage children and young people within my sphere of influence to read, encouraging them to read to others at every opportunity.
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
Chanticleer Book Reviews is seeking today’s best books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
What’s a Laramie?
