#WriterWednesday with E. J. Copperman

I’d like to welcome E. J. Copperman to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: Raisinets. Diet Coke. My spouse. Not in that order.

Things you wish you’d never bought: A pressure cooker. A 1980 Mustang II. My last bicycle.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Promotion. Convincing people you tell a good story.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The commute is great.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My iMac. That’s about it.

Things that hamper your writing: Loudness from the street behind me. Running out of ideas.

A few of your favorite things: Sony noise-canceling headphones. My Takamine 12-string. Rubber Soul. A copy of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum signed by Larry Gelbart.

Things you need to throw out: My old desk chair. Half the stuff in the basement. 4-million cords to electronic devices I don’t use.

Words that describe you: Short, curly-haired, rarely serious.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Short, overweight, undisciplined.

Something you’re really good at: Listening

Something you’re really bad at: Playing the piano.

Things you always put in your books: Jokes

Things you never put in your books: Dogs in danger.

Things to say to an author: I have a question about a book of yours I read. This thing in your book made me laugh. I really enjoy your work. Or… anything you want to say. Except…

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: You know what you should write next?

Favorite places you’ve been: Rome. Paris. California.

Places you never want to go to again: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Mel Brooks. Michelle Obama. Ringo Starr.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Must we get political?

Best thing you’ve ever done: Josh and Eve

Biggest mistake: Spending 20 years on unsold screenplays.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “My husband escaped the Twin Towers on 9/11 and years later, yours was the first book he could read all the way through.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Are you a man or a woman?”

About E. J.:

E.J. Copperman is a figment of someone’s imagination. Writing the Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series and the Fran and Ken Stein (say the names fast) series, E.J. also has been responsible for the Haunted Guesthouse mysteries, the Agent to the Paws mysteries, the Asperger’s mysteries (with Jeff Cohen) and the Mysterious Detective mysteries, among others. The books are meant to be funny and engaging, and if they’re not for you, feel free to blame E.J., who lives and works in New Jersey because someone has to.

Designing Your Newsletter

Whether you’re creating your first newsletter template or polishing one you have, these are some ideas for designing and organizing your document.

I subscribe to a bunch of different author, publisher, and company newsletters. It’s good to peruse a sampling to get ideas of how others present information and what content they include. Make note of what catches your eye and how it appeared on the page.

It helps me to sketch out (storyboard) how I want my content to look and what sections I want to have. Most newsletter services have templates that you can use to make the design easier once you know what you want to include.

My newletters go out quarterly, so I usually have some sort of seasonal theme to go with each one.

Include a give-away if you can. You can put this in the subject line to build some buzz and hopefully, entice readers to open it to see what’s inside.

Your subject line needs to be short and interesting. People get hundreds of emails a day, and you are trying to make yours stand out.

I always have some kind of introduction that is a welcome to new followers.

If you write a blog, look through your posts to see if one or two can be repurposed in your newsletter. I do interviews of other authors on my blog, and in each newsletter, I feature 10 to 12 of them. My hope is to introduce my readers to some “new-to-them” authors.

Vary the content. Think of interesting things to share. People are looking for information and entertainment. All of your content shouldn’t be “buy my book.”

Make sure that the fonts and colors that you choose match your branding.

After you add all the content, photos, and graphics, send a test draft to yourself. Make sure everything looks the way you intended. Proofread all content. Check all forms and links to make sure they work.

My newsletter software has a scheduling feature, and it offers suggestions for the best time to send a newsletter. (Usually, you don’t want it to go out first thing on Monday morning when mailboxes are already full from the weekend.) I schedule based on the most optimum time. Since I’ve been doing this, I have had a better open rate.

Be prepared. You’ll get some unsubscribers each time you send a newsletter. Don’t take it personally. People sign up for all kinds of things, and then they clean up their email boxes later.

Look at the analytics page a week or so after you send a newsletter to see what you can glean from the data. It should show you things like how many went out, how many opened it and when, how many unsubscribed, etc. This can help you with planning your content and your schedule for your next one.

Your newsletter subscriber list, like your website, is yours and you manage the contacts. It’s valuable. Your social media sites are a key part of your marketing strategy, but if they shut down or ban you, you have no way of reaching your followers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday!

I hope you get to enjoy some family traditions and create new memories.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is to watch the WKRP in Cincinnati’s great turkey drop. Here’s the link in case you’ve never seen it.

In our house, it’s food, family, fun, football, and board games. Happy Turkey Day!

#WriterWednesday with Russell Little

I’d like to welcome Russell Little to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: In Murder for Me, the story of Larry Lamb is real, as insane as that answer sounds. The character goes through a book long struggle trying to determine what is real, struggling to maintain a sense of reality. I cannot reveal any more, you’ll just have to read it yourself.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: O.C. Simms, the detective in Murder By Storm that is chasing Marilyn through the hurricane, readers assume that’s a character that I base on myself, but it’s not. This created character was inspired by a close friend that has all of the features that I write in the book, I just exaggerate to make the humorous point. By the way, he doesn’t understand what’s funny about the character I write about him.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Mountain climbing. I know that doesn’t sound ‘creative’, but for me it was. I am afraid of heights, so I forced myself to face my fears. And sitting on a ledge of a mountain, having a sandwich as you watch the sun rise, was one of the most beautiful things in my life.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Learning to weld. I’d planned on becoming a sculpture welder and when I started lessons, I quickly learned that I wasn’t tough enough to do what I’d planned. It’s incredibly difficult. But it is also magnificent to weld. Anyway, I’m not a sculpture welder.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Why’d you have to do that to the lawyer?” I was at a Bar function for lunch one day and an elderly attorney walked up to me upset. He’d read Murder For Me, and he wanted an answer to why I’d written what I had. I considered it an incredible compliment. I had made him think about what I had written. Feel it. Think about it long enough that when he saw me, he grabbed my arm and asked what he did. I’ll never forget that.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Why’d you make the street thug curse so much?” I was shocked. He’s a street thug. As characters develop multi-dimensionally, their language tracks who they are. He’s a street thug.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Travelers. I’ve traveled around the world, and I truly love having dinner with brave travelers. I get to hear tales of places I haven’t been and things I hadn’t thought to try. A conversation with one of these people years ago inspired me to start my traveling, and I’ll always be grateful.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Judgers. Can’t stand them. I’m not talking about the way we all are to some extent. I’m talking about those that put judging in overdrive. We all know those people. They’re not my people.

Favorite books: Proust. He wrote seven books, and they are all my favorite. Before I travel to a new country, I read the literature from there that won the Nobel Prize, or other awards. Like before I traveled through Japan, I read Snow Country.

Books I wouldn’t buy: Anything written according to a form, like much of the popular multi-series authors do now. They have a whole group of writers spitting out books according to a formula and they put their name on it. Not interested.

Favorite places you’ve been: The Amalfi Coast. It really is as beautiful as you could dream of. And the food, I had a pizza that made me sad because I had lived my life up to that point without knowing what a great piece of pizza really tasted like.

Places you never want to go to again: The Ganges River at Varanasi, India. Being there, floating on the river, seeing 500,000 people on the banks chanting, and fires cremating corpses, changed my life. I couldn’t believe that I got to see it and be a part of it before I died. I won’t do it a second time.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A great Old Fashioned. There’s not many bartenders that can actually make a great one, and I’ll go across town to one if I know about them.

Things that make you want to run screaming from a room: Hallmark movies. When Christmas gets near, my wife starts watching them. And, by the way, my running screaming from the room does not please her.

The last thing you ordered online: Ton Brady’s Vegan protein powder. I’m a vegetarian now at the orders of my cardiologist, so that’s how I get daily protein.

The last thing you regret buying. I just bought a leather backpack that looked great online. It’s not even here yet, and I already regret buying it. So, not so good.

Last thing you ate: At a great Atlanta restaurant I had a Thai salad that I dipped in Tabasco sauce. It was great, but I had to use sauce to kick the spice level up.

The last thing you regret eating: The same salad. That sauce gave me heart burn all night.

Something you’re really good at: Reading people. I spent my career reading people. I practiced trial law for 41 years, so you can imagine.

Something you’re really bad at: Assembling something that comes in pieces from the store. I also can’t seem to assemble or sit up tents. Ask my wife. She does it, and she’s good at it. I just hold the tools!

About Russell:

Russell G. Little is a writer and practicing divorce attorney. Murder for Me is a fictionalized compilation of the many people he’s encountered over his lifetime and thirty-two-year career.

He lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife of thirty-two years, Melinda.

Let’s Be Social:

http://russelllittleauthor.com

Building Your Newsletter Subscriber List

It takes some time (and work) to build your list of newsletter subscribers. I collected names for months before I sent out my first one. Here are some ideas for ways authors can increase their lists of subscribers.

• Create a sign-up sheet and take it to all of your events. Make sure to leave enough space for them to print their name and email address.

• When I do Facebook take-over parties, I always put a link in one or more of the posts for the participants to “keep in touch” via my newsletter.

• Make sure you have a form or a widget, so that visitors can sign up for your newsletter on your websites. A lot of website design software offer a pop-up when folks visit your site to sign up. You may want to delay that for a few seconds (or minutes), so that that’s not the first thing new folks see on your site.

• Newsletter swaps are a good way to build up your following. Look for another author who has a similar audience as you. You also want to have about the same size audience to make it worthwhile for both of you. You create content for her newsletter, and she’ll do the same for one of yours. Basically, you are featuring that author, and she will highlight you and your books in hers. Add a link in your article for readers to subscribe to your list.

• There are quite a few newsletter builders out there. These companies charge a fee for you to participate. Usually, every author also agrees to give away a book or two for the contest’s prize. The contest entrants agree to subscribe to the authors’ newsletters for additional chances to win prizes. At the end of the event, you get a spreadsheet of email addresses to import into your newsletter software. If you do participate, make sure you sign up for ones in your genre. You don’t want to collect names of readers who aren’t interested in what you write.

• If you participate in group author events, make sure to have your sign-up sheet available for folks.

• I do a lot of classes for different civic and social organizations, and these aren’t really opportunities to sell books, but I do take my newsletter sign-up sheet in case anyone is interested.

• Advertise your newsletter on social media sites. It’s good to post when you’re about to send one out, so that you can pick up any interested new subscribers.

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Chindia Ilonka

I’d like to welcome Chindia Ilonka to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of:

Joy, laughter, gratitude

Things you wish you’d never bought:

Music on cassette tapes, a fax machine, and floppy disks for data storage. Amazing how far technology has propelled us forward!

A few of your favorite things:

Time in nature, reading a book in bed, dancing as if no one is watching.

Things you need to throw out:

The ‘dust collectors’—knick-knacks and trinkets that take up space but add nothing meaningful. Clearing them out has created so much open space, making room for what truly matters.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Dedicated, blocked-out time on my calendar and a clear sign on my door that reads, “Silence! Writing in Progress.” It’s my signal to the world that creativity is in session.

Things that hamper your writing:

An overcrowded to-do list that tries to pull me in every direction but the one that leads to what matters most.

Words that describe you:

Visionary—always seeing potential where others might not. Compassionate—with an open heart for those around me. Warrior-Spirit—determined and resilient in the face of challenges. Joyful—carrying a lightness that brightens each moment. Patient—embracing life’s timing with grace.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t (at times):

Unwaveringly committed no matter what—even when it’s time to let go. Self-sacrificing—sometimes putting others’ needs above my own. Quiet and introspective—sometimes holding back when I should speak up.

Favorite music or song:

“Climb Every Mountain” (from The Sound of Music), “You Raise me Up” (Josh Groban’s rendition), “The Rose” (by Bette Midler).

Music that drives you crazy:

Hard rock, metal, screamo, and industrial—anything with relentless intensity and heavy distortion!

Something you’re really good at:

Deep listening and facilitating dialogue. I thrive in visioning, taking big ideas from inspiration to implementation with purpose.

Something you’re really bad at:

Speaking extemporaneously or off the cuff. I prefer to reflect deeply before I share my thoughts.

Favorite books (or genre):

Historical fiction, motivational reads, self-empowerment, and ancient wisdom. Each offers depth and insight that enriches my understanding.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Quick romances or purely escapist fiction, unless it connects to a compelling, life-inspiring theme.

Best thing you’ve ever done:

Finding my authentic voice and sharing it with others. It’s been a journey of courage and growth.

Biggest mistake:

Trying to fit in, instead of embracing my unique path.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Zip-lining over the forest canopy—a thrilling blend of adventure and nature!

Something you chickened out from doing:

Bungee jumping—just the thought gives me chills! I prefer feeling anchored to the earth, where my feet stay firmly planted.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done:

Watercolor Painting. After I “heard” words inside of me that turned into poems, I expressed them into watercolor paintings as well.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it:

My ‘coming out’ with the wisdom I’d received took far longer than I ever expected. It began with my first poetry collection, Whisperings of the Wind: Soul to Soul, Heart to Heart in Unison with All, but rather than resolutely stepping into the world as my elevated, authentic self, it took over 13 years before I was truly ready to carry the wisdom and write Quantum Rebel, along with its accompanying movement to inspire others to find their visionary voice within. In letting go of artificial timelines and surrendering to the journey, I realized that I was the project. Through my own inner transformation, the outer expression naturally unfolded, aligning with the deeper purpose I was meant to share.

About Chindia:

Chindia Ilonka is an internationally recognized visionary leader, transformational coach, and bestselling author of Quantum Rebel. With over 20 years of global experience in human transformation and organizational effectiveness, her early work as a Franklin Covey organizational consultant profoundly shaped her career, honing her ability to inspire lasting change within individuals, leaders, and teams.

Guided by a vision that transcends conventional boundaries and redefines traditional success, Chindia Ilonka’s non-linear journey of growth and transformation led her to develop pioneering, Source-inspired methodologies and frameworks. This quantum toolset fosters innovation, resilience, and soul-aligned success, driving powerful, purpose-driven results in life, leadership, and business. In Quantum Rebel, she encapsulates the holistic essence of this transformative vision, offering a blueprint to unlock the power of inspiration by embracing one’s unique quantum blueprint and harnessing intuition, synchronicity, and strategy to amplify impact.

Quantum Rebel invites visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers—seasoned and emerging—to adopt the expansive “and” mindset, moving beyond outdated “either/or” choices between profit or impact, success or purpose, achievement or balance. It champions a holistic approach, guiding changemakers to lead from their soul’s deepest calling and create extraordinary, purpose-driven impact. Chindia Ilonka’s mission is to inspire you to build legacies that uplift yourself and the world, fostering a more compassionate, abundant future where everyone thrives.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.thequantumrebel.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheQuantumRebel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thequantumrebel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantumrebels

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@QuantumRebels

#WriterWednesday with Machiel Hoek

I’d like to welcome Machiel Hoek to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of:

Love, gratefulness, positivity, empathy, kindness, humor, clean air, clean water and good food

Things you wish you’d never bought:

A brand new big sailing yacht, rewarding myself for the hard work and based upon the anticipated financial income that would come my way, which it didn’t, due to a profound choice I made (to follow my heart and write my book). I liked the yacht a lot, but had to sell it after 2 years for almost half the price I paid…

A few of your favorite things:

I just love to celebrate life every day through my five senses. And, especially through eating, drinking and listening. So I really love my Italian espresso machine and my audio gear, not for what they are, but for what they bring me: utmost pleasure!

Things you need to throw out:

All papers and things spread-out on the desk, floor and everywhere around my study, which thus is the exact opposite of a Zen-room…

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Time, rest and an open, empty mind. Not-thinking, not-wanting, not-trying.

Things that hamper your writing:

To-do-lists, obligations, thoughts, frustrations….

Favorite music or song:

The 2nd piano concerto of Rachmaninov

Music that drives you crazy:

Dutch schlagers.

Favorite smell:

The smell of freshly-mown grass on a Spring morning… what could beat that?

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Cheap, synthetic perfumes that never seem to fade…

People you’d like to invite to dinner:

Cleopatra. Ronald Reagan. A “witch” from medieval times. My deceased father. My wife. Miika, my little boy at how he is in 20 years from now (I’m so curious!). And, finally, Lisa, the daughter that I will never know in my life.

People you’d cancel dinner on:

Any dictator, any big ego, any energy-drain.

Best thing you’ve ever done:

Listening to my inner voice and heart by changing my life 180 degrees, which brought me a new life, the rebirth of my true self, a sparkling relationship, and fatherhood…

Biggest mistake:

I would like to say: “not listening to my inner voice and heart all those times before”, but then I wouldn’t have my current life. I believe in divine timing.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Choosing for myself, giving up my company, my financial security and telling my wife after 24 years of relationship that I wanted to go my own way, without her.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Having a large spider walk on my arm. Some of my readers told me my book has finally helped them from their fear of spiders, but I’m not there yet…

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

Actually, that has got to be Stedman Graham, Oprah’s partner. He’s so cool as he totally, 100%, is walking his talk. He is genuine, true and stays true to his message and mission on identity leadership. I admire him for that.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video:

Sir Richard Branson. I went to an expensive seminar, just to see him talk. He was the last speaker on the agenda, and all speakers before him just filled the room, made a huge impression. When Richard stepped on stage, he didn’t. I felt underwhelmed. He was doing his talk, improvising, being nice and funny. And only then I got it: he didn’t have to make an impression. He was just a true human being, no ego, not at all (indeed, like Stedman Graham). That insight changed my day, and changed my perception of this wonderful fellow.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

“Thank you for writing your book; I now understand my childhood, I now understand my parents, I now finally understand my life!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

“Your book saved my marriage”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books:

Once in San Francisco, getting into a local coffee shop, a homeless, somewhat handicapped man drew my attention. I went into the shop, got a cappuccino for him and me, approached him and asked him how I could help him. He gracefully accepted the cappuccino and started talking about how he got here. Long story short: he was hit by lightning twice! He showed my newspaper articles backing up his story. In my book, he appears as homeless Rick, a former teacher who got hit by lightning twice as well.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not:

Lisa’s father has made a huge mistake in his life, causing severe damage. As it appears as an ominous undertone throughout the story, some people think this is about me. Luckily, it isn’t.

About Machiel:

As a young boy, Machiel Hoek didn't understand the world at all. Why was there so much suffering, why was he bullied at school for being himself? At the age of 7, he decided he wanted to discover the secret of life.

But then the so-called real world stepped in, meaning school and study. After university, he worked as CPA, entrepreneur and international CEO for over 20 years. At some point, a large sum of money was waiting for him if he would stay on for just two more years. "Ah, then I can finally go on the quest to discover this secret of life", he thought. But at that moment, his heart kicked in and told him: "No, you have to do it NOW, or you will never do it".

By listening to his heart, the bag of money would disappear. But what is worth more? So Machiel complied with his heart, changed his entire life, and went on the quest to discover the secret of life. He found his, and through his bestselling book "The Girl Who Changed The World" he now helps others to find theirs.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/machiel.hoek

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/machielhoek/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/machielhoek/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/machielhoek

Website: http://www.machielhoek.com/

Social Media Ideas for Authors

Here are some ideas for posts that you can create to spark conversation on your site. Make sure you include a catchy graphic.

Use a “holiday” calendar like Brownielocks to find interesting “holidays.” Make a post with a fun graphics. I create lists of holidays related to books and reading, and I combine them with promos for my books.

1. Ask your audience what they are reading.

2. Ask for movie recommendations.

3. Ask your followers to post a picture of their pet.

4. Ask your audience to tell you what their theme song is (or their favorite song).

5. I will ask folks for recommendations for shows to binge watch. Readers provide great ideas.

6. Ask who their favorite book character is.

7. Ask your audience to tell you what their favorite children’s book is.

8. Find out what your readers wanted to be when they grew up.

9. During Halloween, ask what their favorite costume was.

10. Ask readers what the best gift they ever received (or gave) was.

11. Ask your followers to tell you what actor would play them in a movie.

12. Find out three people your readers would like to have lunch with.

13. Ask what the best or worst thing someone ordered online.

14. Ask what your readers need to throw out or get rid of.

15. Find out what the most daring thing your audience has done. (Or ask what they chickened out of doing.)

16. Ask who the coolest person is that they have ever met.

17. Ask what the most creative thing people have done.

What are some other ideas you’d add to my list?