Speed Dating with an Author: A Round Robin of Writing and Marketing Tips

Join us for a Valentine's Day edu-dating experience! Authors Linda Johnston, Laura Browning, Donna Steele, and Sherri Hollister will offer their expertise in brief (15-20-minute) presentations. Small groups will go from station to station to share knowledge and edu-date with an author. You can go to all the authors or pick and choose.  

A. Using a Book Bible

Linda Johnston will be sharing her book bible. All the things she uses to keep her stories and series straight as she plans her stories, and for later reference when she does her next book in that series.

Bio: Linda Johnston was born in Massachusetts, but resided in Upstate New York for half her life before spending the last thirty years in North Carolina. As a member of HCRW, Linda has worked as our online education programmer, and has now taken on the role of secretary. Her love of entertaining and decorating, as well as her organization skills learned at her previous job, makes her the perfect teacher for this presentation.

B: Editing for Pantsers (and everyone else!)

Laura Browning will be discussing editing for pantsers. Don't worry, these techniques will also work for planners and plotters also, but she will be exploring the unique ways a pantser might need to edit.

Bio: Laura Browning graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Journalism. From television to education, and with dozens of books under several pennames, editing comes as natural as breathing. She unwinds amid the goats and bees at the small farm she and her husband own. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, gardening or with a camera in her hand. Laura is one of HCRW's former presidents and has returned to leadership as President Elect.

C: Formatting Tips and Techniques

Donna Steele will be sharing her formatting knowledge and techniques. Formatting, like a good cover, can make a book look polished and professional or amateurish. In this competitive market it is important to put our best book forward. A badly formatted book will turn off potential readers before they've had the chance to discover your story.

Bio: Donna Steele writes everything from Sci-Fi to small town romances. She is happily retired and has over 50 books written and 44 published works to her credit. Donna has been a leader in the Heart of Carolina community holding several offices of the years. She has an analytical mind that is perfect for detail which makes her a great asset for this presentation.

D: Adding A+ Content to Amazon's Product Pages

Sherri Hollister will share information on A+ Content to use on Amazon. How do we stand out in a competitive market like Amazon? Make your page engaging and eye-catching with this easy-to-use tool.

Bio: Sherri Hollister's ties to North Carolina go back generations. Though she was born in Louisiana, North Carolina is home. After dropping out of college to start her family, Sherri has taken classes online and at the local community colleges to help her learn the craft and business of writing and marketing. She is a firm believer in always learning and tries to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations in online marketing. Using her self-taught skills, Sherri will assist you on finding the information you need to make great A+ Content.