Southern Writers Magazine Offers All TREATS

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

All treats and no tricks for everyone. Our editor, Susan Reichert, has pulled out her happy pumpkin costume and is shouting throughout the Internet,"treats for all!"

TREAT~Every Monday morning there will be a new signed book drawing from Authors. To participate go to www.southernwritersmagazine.com then click on the banner for the signed book drawing. A new one started Monday, October 26. The winner will be announced the following Monday.

The newest TREAT~ "Authors Visits" is the brainchild of our editor, too. Have you ever wanted just a little bit more information on the authors featured in each issue? Or have you not yet subscribed and want to get a sense of the magazine's quality? This free addition will make you crave the sweetness found in the pages of each issue of Southern Writers Magazine.

It will let you know some of the magazine's featured authors a bit better and the website is called "Authors Visits." A "behind the article" kind of information with some of your favorite authors. It has launched and can be found at www.authorsvisits.com. It is interactive and allows you to ask questions to our editor and the featured authors.

TREAT~Hear authors reading from their books at SWM's Take Five.

TREAT~Must Read TV, check out the video trailers and the book trailers on the authors and their books.

TREAT~Southern Writers Magazine's Online Bookstore with links to authors books feature,d in the magazine.

TREAT~links to Writers Conferences remaining for 2014.

TREAT~Southern Writers Magazine's Radio show. 

TREAT~Mic Nite...you'll love it.

TREAT~Suite T the official blog of Southern Writers Magazine(hint) that is what your reading.

And the last~TREAT~Suite T guest poster's books at the SWM's SuiteT online bookstore.

Enjoy all the~TREATS~offered by Southern Writers Magazine as you wait for the trick or treaters to arrive at your door on Halloween. Like the frosty little princesses, ghosts and gobblins, Southern Writers Magazine can arrive at your door via mail or digitally. You can subscribe to Southern Writers Magazine by using this click link to order.

May you have a Happy Halloween, y'all!

Three Years and 655 Authors

by Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Yes, Southern Writers is celebrating the start of our fourth year. Thank you to all the wonderful writers and readers for supporting the magazine that promotes authors and their books. It has been our pleasure to help authors bring attention to their books through our magazine, through our writer’s platform Suite T, and through our promotional venues Mic Nite, Take Five and Must Read TV.

We are committed to continue promoting authors and their books in the coming year. So far, we have promoted over 600 authors. The old saying “It takes a village” is right on so many levels. It is just as true for authors. It takes all of us, not just Southern Writers, helping to get the word out about authors and the books they are releasing.

Today, more than ever, authors need all of us in their corner, helping to spread the word about their books. Anyone who writes knows it takes a lot of work to bring about the finished product for publication.

Yet, it doesn’t stop there. Getting it published is only the second leg of the road authors have to walk. Then comes the pivotal path of selling the book. That takes promotion, in many different forms. The competition is strong. This is why we designed our promotional packages for authors. These venues are a way for authors to boost attention to their books. We give you a promotional package free when you join Southern Writers as a subscriber.

We’re not just a magazine bringing you interviews from successful authors who share their secrets of writing, instructional articles on writing techniques, and inspirational nuggets. We’re also an author’s right arm, working with you to promote you and your books. Let us help you promote your books.

Join our family now. Let us walk with you on this road. Make this your best year yet.

Happy Anniversary and Happy Writing!

Authors Take Five With Southern Writers Magazine

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Writers Magazine

Authors are knocking themselves out to get their books noticed. While it is true, a source of traffic comes from Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., still that is not enough to get your book to the top of the sales register. The reason––you are competing with more authors than you can imagine. According to stats over a million books are published a year.

It is certainly important for you to have a location on the Social Media highway. But if you really want your book to sell more––then you need to have the title of your book and your name in as many places as possible. Why? Think of it like stores. The more stores you have your book in the more books you have a chance of selling. There are also sites you can put your book on and it is sent to people by email. Getting your name and book title out there is the key. However, don’t spend too much time just what is required to do the listing. Although authors need to put their names out you also want to know that some of the places you are putting them are not going to be deleted. Make sure some of those places you post your name and book title is going to be shown indefinitely…which means they are archived.

Sometimes it is difficult for authors to toot their own horns. They are not comfortable proclaiming to the world their book was just published. But if not you, then who?

Take pen in hand, not to write a story, but to make a list of the entire Social media available, list which ones are good for you. Obviously anything, that has to do with readers, books, eBooks is a definite place you want your name and the title of your newest book.

Commenting on other people’s blogs is a must. Every time you find a blog that has to do with writing, authors and such, be sure and make comments on the blog. The exposure you gain from doing this is priceless. This is one of the major areas authors are falling short…they are not commenting on blogs. Be sure and sign your name, your website, blog address and the title of your book. Again, we are going after exposure.

Promotion and marketing is sometimes difficult for authors but it has to be done to get your book noticed and taken to the sales register. Many authors tell me I can’t spend time promoting my time needs to be spent writing books. I agree with that, but unfortunately, unless you as an author can afford to hire someone to handle your promotion and marketing of you and your book then the job is left to you. Otherwise those books you are writing won’t get read.

We have created a way to help authors promote their books; it doesn’t take but a few minutes, five to be exact. It’s called TAKE FIVE. It is a great tool for an author to sell books because the author connects with their reader. The author chooses a part of their newest book––an intriguing part, a cliffhanger, a warm and fuzzy part or an action scene that will make the reader want to know what happened and will make them want to get the book to find out what happened. It gives the reader a taste of the flavor waiting for them when they buy the authors book. Readers connect better and bond with an author if they hear them read from their book. Take a few minutes, check out TAKE FIVE, and hear some of the authors. Your reading stays on the site, it is archived so you can link it to your sites to send your readers and fans back to hear you read your book. A great sales tool for authors to use.

Southern Writers Magazine helps authors promote their books.

Reflect, Rekindle and Relight

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Reflection gives writers a chance to be happy about endeavors of years past, while moving daily closer towards the dawn of a brand new year. This is the perfect time to prep your mind for your writing goals in the new year. What are your goals? Maybe 2013 will be the year you try writing in a new genre. 

A favorite treat of the holiday season, for me is checking out my neighborhood coffee shop for their seasonal theme. They are always upbeat and envelope you in the glow of the season. This year's theme is "rekindle". While sipping a steamed holiday latte, it occurs to me, rekindle aptly applies to writers both near and far. Do you remember why you began writing?

Consider a relight for your writing career. Send in that guest post to Suite T. Update all your social media links. Create a website and or blog. Participate in all the free opportunities for subscribers of Southern Writers Magazine. Do a reading from your book for "Take Five". Develop a book trailer for "Must Read TV". Participate in "Mic Night" and "Southern Writer's Radio Show". 

As 2012 washes away to past tense. let 2013 be your year to reflect, rekindle and relight your writing career. This will be your year to shine.

Look Who's Talking

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director

What started out as a gift to the blind has become an enduring way to enjoy books.  When the Library of Congress first began distributing books for the blind in the 1930s, it wasn't long before the sighted also came to appreciate the appeal of the recorded word on vinyl. 

The Bible and other classics were the early leaders in sales.  By the 1980s, the cassette made motivational tapes especially popular.  Today more than ever, book lovers on the go are finding that audiobooks are a great traveling companion.  On a long drive, a compelling book is just the cure for highway hypnosis. 

Even as we see eBooks leap forward in the marketplace, audiobooks continue to claim a growing piece of the pie that used to be dominated by the printed medium. In both 2011 and 2012, sales of audiobooks have increased more than 30% over the previous year.

Some of Southern Writers' favorite authors know the value of the audiobook, and are making their novels available to an eager new audience.  Sandra Balzo, our current cover story, is about to release her second audiobook.  Tamera Alexander, Robert Whitlow, and Andy Andrews are other front pagers whose works are readily available.  These days, you can find virtually any bestseller on CD.

Clearly, books and audio will remain close friends for some time.  Which is why we want you to know about Take Five, one of our new online venues for authors.  At Take Five, simply click a button to listen to a five-minute excerpt from a variety of new Southern books, often read by the author.  As I write this, Pamela King Cable, Kimberly Rae, and Philip Levin's latest can be previewed in Take Five.

Not every sample you'll hear in Take Five is available as an audiobook, at least not yet.  But an aural appetizer is a quick and fun way to get a taste of these great Southern writers. If you like what you hear, the book itself is just another click away.

Give a listen to Take Five now, and be sure to come back again periodically to see who's waiting to talk to you. And if you're a subscriber with a book to promote, you're invited to be on Take Five.  Details on how to get a good recording, along with an easy means to upload your audio to us, are right there on the website.

Whether you're an author who likes to read, or a reader who likes to listen, we hope you'll take part in Take Five.  A few minutes there will be a sound investment.