Monday Mantra: Always recharge your batteries.

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Pet Hates!

I have a beautiful furbaby called Tilly. She is a four year Bichon Frises and most definitely my little baby. [ This, I am not ashamed to say :)] BUT... she does several things that absolutely drive me up the wall and back!

Imagine: A long morning.

You say to yourself... I deserve a nice lunch, bit of TV; a little relaxation on the couch. You prepare yourself something yummy, switch [your Sky + ed] Home and Away on, arrange the cushions 'just so' and settle in. You've just let out your 'awwww' and taken your first bite. And then, Tilly pops up her head, walks over to the back door and scratches. You try to ignore... but she continues... you think to  yourself; does she really need to go outside? Could she wait until the break? Can you take that chance?

Then you realise you really can't. If she did pee inside there would be no-one to blame but you and the reality of cleaning up pee while trying to have lunch is worse then getting up off the couch to open the door. So you pause H&A, you place your yummy food down beside and get up and walk over. You open the door, pause a moment thinking; will I just wait for her to finish and then sit back down or will I just leave it open. While you're thinking this, she looks up at you [and I'm sure she smirks] turns around and jumps up on the couch taking your spot... thinking to herself [ha ha ha I've got the power!]

[Convinced she was a human in a past life and this is how she reeks her revenge for that Halloween I dressed her up as a witch]

I bet you're all giggling to yourselves and dog owners are probably shaking their heads, feeling my pain.

Sweet as pie?

When you look at her, you think, OMG; she is just too cute... and she is... most of the time. Except when she wants to go for a walk and you want to eat your dinner. [Thankfully] this one doesn't happen too often... but my darling Tilly has an innate ability to fart on command... not my command now; hers! Especially at dinner time, when she wants to do something. You're sitting at the table, she comes in... looks up at you and then at the front door. Walks over to it, scratches it... looks up again. I say; 'We'll go out when I'm finished.' She comes back over, looks up sweetly [thinking to herself; we'll go now thanks.] and lets one off... tottering back to the front door. Well I swear to go, a gas mask wouldn't even save you; you need a shower, decontamination of the kitchen and possibly new paint job to get over it. Needless to say she gets her way, and we go out, because by god we all need the fresh air!

Wet dog anyone?

And my last 'Pet Hate' [for today]; Bath Time... its like 'Walkie' and 'Cheese' we have to spell it out cause she loves it so much. There was a time that we had to put the laundry basket in front of the bath because she would jump into the bath but was too small [at the time] to get out. So 'bath time' she loves, I reckon its the pampering and undivided attention. But she hates what comes after it... and its around about being lifted out of the bath that it dawns on her... 'shit, the blow dryer is coming next'... and she wriggles and scrappers! She literally leaps from your hands [for a small thing she is super strong] and runs around the house; making sure to hit every bed, pile of laundry, loose towel, cushion and throw, as we chase after her and soaks the lot!

Now we just have a Mobile Groomer come out and do it for us; cause I just don't have the energy/ patients/ large enough close dryer for it all!

How to write a book marketing plan.

As many of your will know [among other things] I am a writer. I write both fiction [women's] and non-fiction [weddings] books. I have one published book: Distinctive Weddings; Tying the Knot without the Rope Burns and one currently under consideration [after several requested rewrites] with a publisher.

I am currently embarking on a new writing project, a rather special one, still in the conception stages so I wont say too much just yet.

Needless to say with my continuous endeavours as a writer I am constantly looking at ways that I can promote me and my books and what [as an author] I should be doing. This morning I came across this great article on Dog Ear Publishing and with kind permission am reproducing here for you all to read and benefit from.

Insider's Guide to Book Marketing

I’m sure you’re not too surprised to find out that your work as a self published author doesn’t stop when the presses finally start –actually, some of the most important work you’ll do to make your book sell STARTS now (if not a bit earlier…) How often have you heard other self published authors lament their lack of sales? All too often, I’m sure – and all too often, good planning and a smart strategy could have changed those stories A sound and sensible book marketing plan is just as important as the writing, design, and publication itself – no matter how wonderful your book might be, it won’t sell itself… and it’s highly unlikely for a new author (and even many well seasoned ones) that your book is going to jump off bookstore shelves without some help. Remember, in most bookstores, it has about 8,000 other competitors right next to it! Your book marketing plan should be built to identify the revenue streams you expect to attack. This document should be an outline on how you will achieve your income or sales goals, and it should identify in detail the market you see and how you will reach your sales goals. Building a book marketing plan. You all know a book won’t sell itself? Right? Surprisingly, many authors DON’T understand this fact until too late – and they are disappointed with their sales performance. Every book needs some sort of marketing plan – something that sets your expectations and creates achievable goals that you can attack in an orderly fashion. But – how do you create a marketing plan for your book? There is a ton of great freeware, even more that you can spend lots of money on, that all help you create a marketing plan for selling your book. But – before you go to the exciting effort of spending time and money on downloading software, open up your trusty word processor and follow me… Chapter One – Who will buy your book? The secret to sales success is to target your marketing as directly as possible to your potential reader – and have it be someone who is reachable. “Everyone will want to read my book!” Sorry, but that doesn’t work. Even the absolute best selling books – that sell 2 or 3 million copies in a year - only penetrate to about 3% of the reading population. Sales success for your book will be driven by defining a very clear picture of who is interested in your book. They must be identifiable: Make a list! Which groups would be interested in your book? Why? Who is next? Why should the need or want your book? (remember this – someone is more likely to buy something they NEED before something they WANT) Now – narrow it down even more. Find a unique angle about your book – and don’t try and be everything to everyone, because you can’t – insteand target 100% of a specific part! Chapter Two – What is your definition of success for your book? What is your GOAL? Some authors write for themselves and their faimilies only – they don’t dream of their books as bestsellers in the marketplace. Some authors write for a very specific personal need to tell their story. Some have unique insight into very specific topics. Many have dreams of seeing their book in the front of Borders or Barnes & Noble. Each author is different, but you MUST decide what your real definition of success happens to be. We don’t want to pursue a goal that may not be what you actually feel is important. Chapter Three – Objectives, Plans and Actions Everything needs to start with a GOAL – and that is what you outlined in Chapter Two. Everything you do for your book should be in support of this goal. Objectives- these are the steps you take to achieve your GOAL – for example, if you goal is to sell 5,000 books, then you need to identify some OBJECTIVES as the “steps” to achieving your goal. Just like your GOAL – make sure your Objectives are reasonable, and something that you can achieve. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to confuse WANTING to do something or achieve a goal with be ABLE to achieve a goal – make sure you possess the necessary skills to do the things on your list.  Perhaps my OBJECTIVES list would look like this: Set up personal events to promote my book – book signings, seminars, radio interviews, etc. Secure reviews from print resources. Identify online resources for promotion of my book Identify non-retail opportunities for book sales. Create outbound awareness campaign of me the author as an expert in my field Plans – your PLANS outline the needed steps to get your OBJECTIVES moving, and they begin to create “to do lists” and measurable actions. For example, one of my Objectives is to set up personal events to promote my book. So, my plan section might look like this: Objective: Personal Appearances: Plans: i. Set up one book signing per week at local outlets ii. Set up two seminars on book marketing in 1Q 2006 iii. Conduct one radio interview per month in 2006 Actions- these are the details of each PLAN- and, as the saying goes, “the devil is in the details…”. This is where most marketing plans fail – you must have a coherent and workable set of “actions” to achieve each plan, that then leads to each objective – and, eventually, achieves your ultimate goal. If you can’t produce a reasonable set of “actions” for achieving each plan, then scrap the plan and start over. Here is my “Action” list for the Objective / Plans above: Objective: Personal Appearances: Plan: Set up one book signing per week at local bookstores ACTIONS: • Call B&N at Keystone– get Events Coord, name – make appt to visit and present book signing idea. BRING BOOK!! Mary knows Mgr – get intro? • Borders Mgr – drop off book – and mention reading / seminar on mktg – • Contact library for presentations on self-pub. Monthly event? As you can see, it really is all about breaking your marketing efforts down in to small enough pieces to be A) understandable, B) achievable and C) measurable. Marketing & publicity is a long-term, consistent and concerted effort – it never ever happens overnight, even though it may seem to for some people. Chapter Four – Create a reasonable timeline and budget All of us have finite amounts of time, energy, and money. Marketing can eat up all three very quickly, leaving you alone, exhausted, and broke. The game is to pace yourself and resources so that you can keep the effort moving along. This is where your planning in Chapter Three works it magic - without looking at the “big picture,” most of us would never know how much of our precious resources should be devoted to each aspect of the game. Organization and prioritizing are the most important part of the process – and you may find yourself returning to “Chapter Three” and rewriting sections of your plan. Here are some monetary expenses you may expect to incur in your marketing plan: Sample Books – do you plan on sending them out or dropping them off? Marketing materials – posters, flyers, postcards, etc. Press release writing and distribution Advertising – sponsored search, links, banners, print Web site design and shopping cart creation Direct mail opportunities A quick note on samples – I don’t believe in sending out books blindly – it’s too expensive and not effective. If a potential resource is interested in your book, they’ll ask for it (as long as you’ve written a good press release…) Chapter Five – Creating a brand with your book marketing plan Think about this… in many cases, you – not your book – are really the “brand” you are selling. Books can occasionally be seen as a commodity… “experts” who can be interviewed on a topic are often far more valuable. Your book is your calling card – and ultimately the way you will profit from your “expertise” – but many times, it YOU that is the selling point! Use your marketing plan to push you as the primary product – building a brand around what you know and your “mystique” as an author. Also - don’t forget to let us know your plans! If you and your book are “tied” as a brand – let us help you use your book to increase your credibility and awareness. At least have us add your web site in several places in the book – even on the cover. Letting us you’re your marketing plans can allow us time to helpyou create the best possible product. *** That’s it – the building of a book marketing plan in a nutshell if you will. Let us know if we can answer any questions, and thanks for reading Some excellent points here I think you will all agree. If you do have any question on the above please do get in touch with the great people at Dog Ear Publishing on AuthorResources@dogearpublishing.net

Brides Against Breast Cancer; I am going to do this!

I don't know if I ever mentioned this before, but I am a Wedding Planner, or at least I was. I suppose having since closed down my company and being laid of from my job I technically have no weddings to plan.

As a Wedding Planner you can appreciate that I love all things wedding... [bet you're surprised and grateful there isn't more wedding related content here! - I have a wedding blog just for that!] and so I read alot of wedding articles, blogs and tweets. Today I read a very special newspaper article: Brides Against Breast Cancer; bringing wedding-gown sale here.  For those you who don't have the time to read the article, in brief, its about about collecting and selling new and once worn wedding dresses around the States in aid of Making Memories - who make wishes come true for Stage 4 Cancer Patients.

It got me thinking. I have the time now, I have the resources [my skills], I have the inclination and drive, I have the contacts - why not?!

So pending some research and exact direction, tentatively I am saying - I am going to hold the first [hopefully annual] Brides Against Breast Cancer Wedding Gown Sale this coming September [TBC] at a time and venue yet to be decided.

If you are a former bride [or you know of one] interested in donating her gown please do get in touch with me.

If you are a venue, dress shop, caterer, website developer, graphic designer or anyone with a skill, product, interest, need or want to take part in this fund-raising venture in aid of Breast Cancer please do get in touch with me; either through the comment box below, or you can mail me direct on whatbladidnext [at] gmail [com].

Wish me luck and I'll keep you all posted on my progress!

P.s My Brides Against Breast Cancer Gown Sale will be taking place in Ireland, most likely in Dublin.

Have you ever lost a camera?

This I love, simple, effective; brilliant!

Must do ASAP!

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Monday Mantra: Home is where the heart is.

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I've just realised I am a robot.

Its sad to say this is true.

I over slept this morning, ironic really when I no longer have a job to get up for. But still I slept past my 'getting up time'; that time that gives me some 'extra time' to faff about so that I can still sit down at the laptop at 9am.

You see, even though there is no work to fill my day and I've yet to really start the next book I'm writing I still sit from 9am to 5pm 'working'... on what, I'm not entirely sure... but I feel compelled to sit. In fact I get ansy if I don't. 

The only logically explanation I can think of is that the school milk is tampered with. They lace it with some weird pre-programmable robot introducing hormones or chips or something because obviously I am totally normal!

I knew I shouldn't have drunk it as a child. [*reaching for the tin foil so the aliens can't read my thoughts* ]

Today's task: Screw the working hours... am going to do what the hell I want, when the hell I want to!

Monday Mantra: Embrace Life!

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Monday Mantra: It's not over til you're dead - don't waste it!

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Loosing your job isn't the hard part!

I know I'm not alone.

I know I am not the only person out there who has [at this time, or any] lost their job and somehow, strangely, there is some comfort in that. And I know that I am not the only person to face huge difficulties and obstacles when trying to establish what my entitlements are [if any] for social welfare.

[This isn't a 'woe is me' post, ok maybe it is... just a little but] I am totally flummoxed as to way this process is so down right painful and humiliating!

Having lost my business to the recession I am now loosing my job to it to [and most of my sanity].

That sucks, it does. BUT because I was self employed, and I don't have the right credits in the right years, or the right order or whatever cock and bull story I happen to get on the phone from all the Government Agencies I've phoned and because I was born on a Thursday, under a full moon I probably wont get a cent in benefits or allowances - but nobody actually seems to be able to give me a credible answer on this.

You hear stories of my 'uncle's, brother's, hairdressers, cousin' got the sun, moon and stars; is still working part-time and at college and on full benefits [ok I have no evidence to back that scenario up, but you get the type of 'stories I am referring to] and I wonder... why? Why is it that after 7 years employment, followed by almost 4 years of being self employed to I qualify for nothing... nada... [or so it seems... cause nobody can actually seem to give me a straight answer and every where I turn there is contradictory information...]

Loosing your job is heart breaking, emotional and scary... applying for [or at least trying to] social welfare benefits or allowances is worse... way worse... the system will chew me up and spit me out... and at the end of it? Ill be battered and emotionally bruised, with nothing. - Thanks social welfare! I feel my welfare has been really catered to!