New Author Claudia Pruett Speaks Out

Ever wanted to write your own book?  If your answer is "Yes", then you're not alone.  In fact, I would say a large percencatage of people I speak to say that it's one of their dreams to write a book.

This is exactly why I like to interview new authors and share their experiences with you, as well as my experiences with Read Between the lines.

Claudia Pruett, co-author of Cooking Dinner: Simple Italian Family Recipes Everyone Can Make, will be speaking about her newly published cookbook (Published 9/2009) at the San Francisco’s Writers Conference I'll be attending this weekend.

A bit about her book: Nothing instills a sense of familial well-being better than a meal prepared and eaten together at home. But today’s busy lifestyles, coupled with more and better options from the take-out department, have made the family dinner nearly a thing of the past. Cooking Dinner is a rescue plan for this endangered tradition. Written by two mothers with a passion for Italian cooking, it features delicious recipes that don’t take all day to prepare.

How did you get your book, Cooking Dinner published?

We self published, then collaborated with Mega Productions in order to get a distributor. Our goal was to be available on Amazon, Barnes Noble and Borders on a national level.

Have you found it difficult to get your book into the major book stores?

Not difficult, but it takes a lot of calling and setting up appointments. Our distributor has a sales team who have helped us with this process but we also had to make sales calls. We've been able to get our book placed in both Barnes and Borders, on a national basis. We've also been successful with independent booksellers across the country.

In your opinion, what’s contributed to your books success?

The recipes in our book work, and they are familiar to people, which really helps. I would say:

• Man Hours - Book Signings Every Weekend

• The Cover - It's Approachable

• Easy to Read, and Easy to Follow

• Word of Mouth

• Timing - Due to the Economy, More People are Cooking

• Everyone Loves Italian!

Cooking Dinner is more than a collection of recipes... It's a method to improve family participation and well being.

What’s the most important thing you’ve done as an author to promote your book?

• Personal Presence and Book Signings (I also feed who attend)

• Contracted with a PR firm to get booked on "View From the Bay" and other miscellaneous press

• Because it's a cookbook, I partner with cooking stores to do demonstrations

• I try to diversify by offering focaccia bread mix packaged as a mix, as well as speaking events

What advice do you have for new authors like me? 

Having a platform or being an expert on something is very important. My co-author and I have a foundation through which we teach underserved kids how to cook. We are also well-known in the community for our cooking expertise and are sought after by local media which helps with publicity and exposure.

It is also important to look for ways to diversify. For instance, I partner with cooking stores to provide cooking demonstrations and they in turn sell my focaccia mix, as well as my book.

If you're interested in writing your own book, The SF Writers Conference is where you want to be.  For details about the conference, go to http://www.sfwriters.org.

Read Between the Lines Goes to Hollywood!

Love the necklace you saw Jennifer Anniston wearing last month?  How about those amazing heels Beyonce had on at the Golden Globes?  They could be wearing SWAG for all we know.

Lots of people want to wear what A-listers wear, travel where A-listers travel, and read what A-listers read.

Just in case you don't know what SWAG is, it's basically a bag of incredible goodies that companies give away to A-listers before big events like the Academy Awards and The Grammy's.  Having a Hollywood A-lister wear or be photographed with your product is something that can boost sales and create buzz.  Before the economy melt down, it wasn't uncommon for the contents of the SWAG bag to be valued over $100,000!

And, the super exciting news about the SWAG for the Academy Awards this year, is that thanks to one of my girlfriends, (THANK YOU EMMA!!) a copy of Read Between the Lines will be one of the items in the SWAG bag!  

What does this mean?  Because RBTL was selected as SWAG for the biggest Hollywood event of the year, I've been given the golden opportunity to showcase my book directly to 200 of the famously well heeled, media, and stars of all kinds who have received the "coveted invite" to load up on these incredible freebies!

Because Read Between the Lines will be "in the bag" with high-end quality products like alligator bags and swiss watches, I've decided to add some "Hollywood Bling" to the cover, and create a “Special Edition Academy Awards 2010 Cover” which will include a special design of Swarovski Crystals on the outside jacket.

WOOO HOOO - Hollywood, here we come!

RBTL Interviews Peggy Kennedy, Author of Approaching Neverland

I’m very excited to hear Peggy Kennedy, the author of Approaching Neverland, speak  about becoming a newly published author at the upcoming San Francisco’s Writers Conference I'll be attending on February 13th.

In fact, I was so excited, I decided to interview her!


A bit about her book: With brutal honesty and surprising humor, Peggy shares the turbulence of growing up under the shadow of Barbara's illness, of being shuffled from one family member to the next, and of visiting her mother in the mental institution. As the years pass, the shadows of Barbara's challenges become a loving legacy in Peggy's quest to achieve happiness and fulfillment in her life.

A vivid, haunting portrayal of one woman's struggle to understand how the past fits in with her future, Approaching Neverland is as inspiring as it is beautifully written, and will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

Here's what Peggy had to say.

How did you get Approaching Neverland published?

Published in March 2009, Approaching Neverland got its start by winning first prize in the non-fiction category at the SF Writers Conference in 2008. From there, I went on to find a publisher, but to my surprise I still had a difficult time finding a “traditional” publisher, so I decided to use her 1st place prize from the conference and use iUniverse as my publisher.

What’s contributed to your books success?

Approaching Neverland has been both critically successful and publicly successful.  My sales are still going strong.  It’s vital to find a publicist that understands your book, your market, and how to get your message out.

What’s the most important thing you’ve done as an author to sell/promote your book?

Really, it’s been a combination of many things. Originally I started with personal contact with everyone I knew, which then went to word-of-mouth. I’ve also found it important to do as many speaking engagements as possible and I'm also sponsoring events that tie-in with the subject of my book, mental illness.

Is there anything you would do differently next time you write a book?

I would be more particular where I spend my money when it comes to Public Relations. It seems there a lot of people in the PR business, that tend to over promise and under deliver. Unfortunately, you usually don’t find out their value (or lack of) until it’s too late, and you’ve spent a lot of money. Some of the things I’ve done that I wouldn’t do next time are:

• Hire Public Relations individuals who don’t get results

• Pay to have my book at Book Fairs

• Putting an ad in RTIR – This is the Radio and Television Intel Report that I got zero results from

What advice do you have for new authors like me?

Stay focused and on track of your book sales. Social networking is a must, and look for natural tie-ins that work well with your product. For example, my books about mental health, so I target speaking opportunities that reveal my expertise, such as mental health conferences.

For more information about Approaching Neverland, please visit: http://www.approachingneverland.com/

Come listen to Peggy speak at the SF Writers Conference on February 13, 2010.
For details about the conference, go to http://www.sfwriters.org/.

Got Your Picture Yet?

Read Between the Lines needs your help!

Join RBTL Across America, and e-mail your picture(s) to campaign@rbtlguide.com.

By doing so, your helping:

• Witness the "Coming Out" of my book - which I can't possibly do without you
• Feel like I'm standing in your local store
• Document RBTL's placement in your favorite Barnes location
• Assure me I'm not dreaming, that RBTL really did make it into all the Barnes  Noble stores across the country

If you're not sure what "RBTL Across America" is, read my post from last week which explains everything you need to know.

Thanks again for all of your support - I really appreciate it!

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to Donate $10.00 Breaks Records

The Red Cross has raised more than $25 million in text message donations, and is still growing by $200,000 a day.  


By texting "Haiti" to 90999, Americans can donate $10.00 to the American Red Cross with ease, which is the main reason why this campaign has been the most successful mobile campaign to date!


According to the ARC, an individual donation of $10 will stock one first aid kit containing bandages,  ointment, and medicine, including antibiotics. 


When it comes to tragedy, the United States is always one of the first to arrive at the scene, ready to contribute everything we have to offer, and more.  I'm constantly reminded how proud I am to be an American.  

RBTL Across America

Please Join the National "RBTL Across America" Campaign!

Get your photo published & win an autographed copy of Read Between the Lines.


Here's How to Join:

• Visit any Barnes and Noble store in the United States between January 26th and February 23rd
• Go to the "New Arrivals Table" and locate the hippest new book called "Read Between the Lines".
• Snap your picture (or someone else) holding up the book.
• E-Mail the picture to campaign@rbtlguide.com along with your name, city and state for the Barnes & Noble store you visited.

If you happen to visit more than one Barnes and Noble - that's great... you could be a winner! Take another picture with the book, and e-mail it in with the above info.

The top 3 people with the most represented B & N stores will be sent a personalized & autographed copy of RBTL!

Along with the national press for "RBTL Across America" campaign, all submitted photo(s) will be published, and your cities and states represented on all of RBTL's links.

Good luck, and thanks for joining!

Diary of RBTL's iPhone Application - How Much?

The votes are in!

It's been decided that the iPhone App (and the Droid App) for Read Between the Lines should cost .99 cents each, and should be "Ad Free".

The overwhelming reason is simply "to attract more downloads".

The Applications continue to be in development, with a projected release date of January 29th.

I'll be posting screen shots soon!

Thanks for everyone's input!

Diary of RBTL's iPhone Application How Much?

I've asked several iPhone users the following question: "How much should the RBTL Text Lingo Dictionary cost?" The answers are split between .99 and 1.99.

Here's what the App will include:

1. Over 1500 Text Lingo Abbreviations and definitions
2. Ability to look-up an abbreviation
3. Ability to search the dictionary
4. Ability to select the term you want to use, which you can then pop it into your text

If my goal is to get as many users as possible to download the application, how much do you think it should cost?

• .99
• 1.99

In case you were wondering, Apple retains 30% of retail.

Thanks for your input - I really need it!!

Diary of RBTL's iPhone Application

Soon iPhone will offer a Read Between The Lines application available in the App Store, planned for release early next month.

We're in the design stages now, but here's the bottom line.

Soon, iPhone, Droid and Google phone users will have the ability to download a free RBTL Application, which will provide the "Top 50 Text Lingo" inside the App. If you like what you see, you'll be able to download the entire RBTL Text Lingo Dictionary for a nominal charge.

Here's some of the Application features we have planned so far:

1. Simple look-up, search and get the definition for text lingo/abbreviations
2. Select the text lingo you want to use and have the ability to "pop" it into your text
3. Over 1500 terms available within the paid version
4. Color scheme will be in the same flavor as the book - bright and fun
5. Ability to easily share your favorite lingo across e-mail and social networking platforms
6. Ability to preview and purchase RBTL right off your phone

My goal is to make the Text Lingo Dictionary readily available to millions of App users, in a fun and easy to use format. After all, don't you think you should have easy access to text lingo abbreviations where you use them most - on your cell phone?

Because this is another new experience for me (and maybe for you too) I've decided to document my iPhone Application journey, in hopes of providing you with some useful information.

Who knows... maybe you'll have your very own iPhone Application in the future?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Send them over!!

MTF! :)

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to Donate $10.00 to the American Red Cross

Here's a perfect example as to why you need to text.

We've all heard about the devastation that Haiti has suffered, and they need our help!

The American Red Cross Haiti outreach is underway, and they've pledged to donate $1,000,000.00. Here's a way to easily send your donation.

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10.00 to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Haiti. You can text to that number as many times as you choose, depending on the amount you want to donate. Your donation will appear on your next cell phone bill.

100% of your donation is passed straight to the ARC's Haiti relief fund... your wireless provider keeps nothing.

Texting your donation happens quickly and efficiently - which are two of the key reasons texting is a must!