Breezers in the Neighborhood--January

Happy New Year, Breezers!

Are you a resolution maker? Because I have a great one to add to your list: meet someone new in your Southern Breeze region! And there's no better way to make a new Breezer friend than to attend events in your region.

Like a conference. Wik'18 is coming in March so register as soon as possible! Your favorite sessions, presentations, or intensives could fill up before the end of January.

Or how about attending one of our Breezer in the Neighborhood events?

Lisa Lewis Tyre will be launching her new middle grade novel, HOPE IN THE HOLLER!

When:   January 13th, 4:00 to 5:30 PM
Where:  Fox Tale Book Shoppe
              105 East Main Street
              Woodstock, GA  30188








Here's an opportunity for those of you in the northern area of Alabama:

Children's book author and illustrator, Susan Eaddy will share about her roller coaster ride to publication and the power of perseverance! Her presentation is aptly called "Mistakes and Detours--Try, Try Again!" and it's FREE!

When:    January 20th, 10 AM to Noon
Where:   Huntsville-Madison County Library
               Downtown auditorium
               Huntsville, AL




And now's the time to find your Southern Breeze tribe in Athens, GA!

What:  Meet 'n Greet sponsored by LL Martha Hynson (RSVP to mhynson1@gmail.com)

When:  January 20, 2 PM
Where: Oconee County Library


Finally, Sucheta Rawal will be reading and signing her "Beato Goes To" books at Sara Smith Elementary School in Atlanta on January 22nd.


Resolve to make your SCBWI membership pay off this year and come join us at an event near you!



(If you have an event for Breezers in your Neighborhood, please send the information to cathyhall55@hotmail.com so we can share it here. The monthly post is a regular feature; please send the information at least one week prior to the event to get it listed.)

Come Soar at #SpringMingle with a Book Launch - #SBreeze17

Come Soar At SpringMingle with a LIVE Book Launch!

So you have a new book that's come out since our last conference? First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! *throws confetti* That is an amazing thing that you've done! Really. Truly! Now what about getting it in front of people? Yikes! Does that sound intimidating? It doesn't have to be. At the Southern Breeze conferences we offer the opportunity to do a LIVE Book Launch. Yes, you read that right. A LIVE Book Launch!!!
So what does that mean? What do I do?
Well, let me tell you...
At our conferences we give new books (and their creators) center stage. You get three minutes to tell us about your book, why you wrote it, how SCBWI help you get to where you are, and anything else you can think of to help get the objective of your book across. We have had several people perform, talk, and teach at our book launches. Here are some of their tips to help you think of what to say, and even go outside of the box.

"Pick one fact or event in your book that will be the most interesting to OUR audience and start with that. With my book on snakes I started with the fact that kingsnakes eat other snakes. It hooked the audience enough that an editor in the crowd later asked me to submit to her even though she isn't into science at all."

- Heather Montgomery

www.HeatherLMontgomery.com

"Prepare a written script and practice, practice practice! Engage your audience with something fun from your book like singing or acting out a favorite scene."

 Delia Blackstone & Lucyann Wagner

The Groovy Grandmas

www.thegroovygrandmas.com

"Hours, months, years have passed and now it is time to . . . LAUNCH.
Cathy Hall says you only have three minutes. Seriously?! Yes. 1. Be yourself. You know your book. You are the only one who can pitch it. 2. Be creative~think, Lucyann Wagner and Delia Blackstone, co-authors of “Norah Bedorah and the Pink Doughnut with Sprinkles.” (Pink Tutu’s and big smiles!) Bring the book to life. 3. Science or non-fiction book; try doing an experiment from the book. (I love to see gooey-goo!) 4. If you choose to read an excerpt; be brief and be animated. 5. Relax. You are pitching to your friends. Writers love books; we will love you."

  - Amy McCoy Dees

www.amymccoydees.wordpress.com

"The biggest thing I can say to relax. The people you are telling your book to are your tribe. They are proud of you! They want you to succeed. So smile. Show off your book. Make a joke about where you live... You heard about my neighbors, right? And enjoy. This is your 15... errrrrr 3 minutes ;) in the spotlight!"

- Tracey M. Cox

www.traceymcox.com

"Follow the directions given for the book launches, especially that time allotment for your launch! And though it might make you crazy to get everything you want to say down to two or three minutes, it's actually a great exercise. It will help you figure out the most important thing you want to say about your book.  And that's something you'll appreciate for all those times outside a conference when you want to promote your book!"

- Cathy C. Hall

c-c-hall.com

"1.     Tell us WHAT the book is about and WHY we need to buy it.

Example: This is a hilarious adventure book about a young Marco Polo, and is a great choice for boys and girls, 9 – 14 years old.  The chapters are short and easy to read – perfect for reluctant readers.Or, “Looking for a YA romance that you’re not embarrassed for your teen to read? Then read this!”

Keep it simple and give us a reason to purchase. Don’t forget to bring a copy with you to share from the stage!

2.     Toot your own horn. I know it seems unseemly, but you owe it to yourself and your publisher to give your book it’s due.  Did you get a good review? Win an award? Sell it at auction? Share the accolades!

3.     Use your (and your books) strengths. Is your book about science? Tell us an interesting fact that makes us want to know more. Is it funny? Then make us laugh. If you’re funny, we’ll assume the book is too.

4.     Think creatively. Some authors in the past have dressed as their characters, passed out brownies made from bugs, and brought props to the stage.  If you have a fun marketing idea for your book, go for it!

5.     Practice. Three minutes will go by fast and you want to make sure you’ve used it wisely. Practice with a timer in front of the mirror. Say it to your family and friends. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be when it is time to take the podium.

6.     Have fun! You did it - you published a book. Now go up there and enjoy!"

- Lisa Lewis Tyre

www.lisalewistyre.com

What I did to prepare?   Wrote a few lines of a short blurb about my book. Tried to make it fun, interesting, and yes a bit quirky. Going for humor is always good when presenting something.
Did I use props?   Nope. But I did ask questions. My books lend themselves to the sort of "Did you know" type of thing. I love to give people a tiny bit of trivia. Everyone loves that. That's why Jeopardy is so popular.
Most of all, HAVE FUN with it!! 

- Jen Swanson

www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click  :::HERE::: to log in and register.

~See you in March~

Light Your Imagination at #SBreeze16 WIK with Lisa Lewis Tyre

Light Your Imagination at #SBreeze16 WIK
with Lisa Lewis Tyre 

Lisa Lewis Tyre is the middle grade author of Last In A Long Line of Rebels, (Nancy Paulsen Books) a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, a founder of the multi-author blog, Middle Grade Mafia, and a social media evangelist! She is currently working on her second novel, Eight Day Daughter, releasing 2017.

WORKSHOP

• It’s a Tweet Life! Twitter 101 When it comes to getting published, writers should use every tool available. It’s now possible to get noticed, find an agent, even get published because of Twitter! This class is designed to teach you the basics - how to use Twitter, how hashtags work and which ones to use, participating in twitter contests, building your platform, connecting with influencers, etc. Audience: Writers and illustrators, beginner.

 

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

 CLICK HERE to be directed to our registration page! 

~See you in October~

Blog Party & You're Invited!

It's a Blog Party & You're Invited!

Southern Breeze's own, Lisa Lewis Tyre wanted to help promote herself along with others. She has come up with a great idea and has invited others to join her BLOG PARTY!

To participate read more... H E R E!

"Something for Everyone!" 30 Days of WIK15 - Lisa Lewis Tyre

"Something for Everyone!"
30 Days of WIK15 - Lisa Lewis Tyre

Lisa Lews Tyre will host a workshop during WIK15:

• Rocking Your Social Media
  No matter where I am, or what I’m doing, someone wants to talk about social media. I guess with over one BILLION Facebook users, 540 million active users on GooglePlus, 225 million Twitter accounts, and 200 million users of Instagram, it’s on a lot of people’s minds.
  
  
  Or it could be that I’m a Social Media Evangelist and I’m the one always bringing it up. Whichever. I can’t help it. I LOVE social media, and despite the large numbers of people using it, you can still make great, authentic connections without spending every waking minute in front of the computer.
  
  
  This year I’ll be presenting Rocking Your Social Media at Wik15 and if I do it well, it’s going to be fun, useful and interactive – just like good social media! Together we’ll discuss good/bad social media practices, time management tools, the most popular platforms, connecting with influencers, etc. There may even be prizes.
  
  
  In between marketing my debut book and writing my next one, I spend my time blogging, posting, and tweeting for a variety of clients, and consulting with those who want to do it themselves. Trust me when I tell you, this CAN be fun.
  
  
  Hanging out at the SCBWI Southern Breeze conference will be great, but we don’t have to wait until then to connect. Follow me on twitter @lisalewistyre and let’s get social!
  
  
  Of course, we can always go old-school and talk face-to-face at the conference. Find me! I’ll be the one with the selfie stick.  

ABOUT LISA LEWIS TYRE:

Lisa Lewis Tyre is a middle grade author (Last In A Long Line of Rebels, Nancy Paulsen Books) a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, a founder of the multi-author blog, Middle Grade Mafia and a social media evangelist! Follow her on twitter!

LINKS:

Website

Twitter

Click here to REGISTER FOR WIK'15 now!