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The Untold, Amazing, Shocking! Secret Formula for Becoming a Bestselling Author Finally Revealed

November 6, 2017 by John R

FWA Presentation at St. Pete Public Library (Main) – Becoming a Bestselling Author

I’ll be presenting this Thursday, 11/9, at the main St. Petersburg library location at 37th St. N and 9th Ave. at 6pm for the FWA St. Pete writers group.

The Topic: The Untold, Amazing, Shocking! Secret Formula for Becoming a Bestselling Author Finally Revealed

or, Scamming the Dream – How Others are Happy to Take Your Money in the Writing and Publishing Industry

I’ve spent countless hours listening to webinars, reading advice on how authors can make it to the big time. Fame! Fortune! All you have to do is [pay] for my [course] [webinar] [book] [manual] and you’ll be taking the steps to becoming rich!

There’s a hidden message they aren’t telling you. I’ll give you the straight scoop, and answer any questions on writing and publishing that I can.

I will be there before 6 if anyone wants to chat informally beforehand. I look forward to renewing acquaintances and making new ones.

I hope to see you there!

Tampa Bay Book Fair 2017

October 8, 2017 by John R

Tampa Bay Book Fair Appearance

Saturday, Oct 14, from 12-5 pm, I’ll be joining other local authors and publishers at the Tampa Bay Book Fair. It’s at the 49er Flea Market on 49th St N. in Pinellas Park, just north of Quaker Steak (on the other side).

Let’s talk about all things books – writing, publishing. Pick up a pen or a book – they will be discounted on that day. Get ideas for what you’d like to produce as well. Be inspired by others like you who live here.

I’ll be sharing a booth with local author Bria Burton, which adds variety to the types of books you’ll find at our booth.

I’ve been kind of quiet this year – busy helping others get their books into print, creating a photo book for the family, and finally getting back to finishing the next draft of my novel.

I hope to see you there!

John

Festival of Reading WrapUp

December 18, 2016November 13, 2016 by John R

Festival of Reading

I just want to thank everyone who came out and stopped by the FWA booth, where myself, Bria Burton, Laura Bell, Gino Bardi, and Chris Hamilton answered questions about FWA, publishing, our books, and more.

I enjoy these times because it’s great to meet people, to talk to those who have a book inside them that they have to get out.

You can check out a video taken during the event here. (I think – it’s on a Facebook group page, so I’m not sure what the restrictions might be.)

Here are some of us at the booth. (More came later – and Bria took this picture. Thanks, Bria!)

An Age Old Question

Discussions ranged from animals to zombies, and one interesting dynamic looked to be the proximity of two booths, one staffed by a religious group, the other by an atheist group.

Sadly, they didn’t engage each other. I thought that could have been very interesting!

The question, though, is this: How do I get someone to buy my book? As we sat and talked about politics and beer, book signings and businesses, one of our authors would ask people passing by to, “Just read a couple pages.”

It reminded me of another author I sat near at another book signing event. He said, “You picked up my book. Why did you put it down?”

I told him, “It’s hardback, I figure it’s going to run me at least $25, and I don’t buy books that are that expensive.” (And that’s no matter who the author is.)

I think that’s something many authors (who are not bestsellers or have huge followings) struggle with. I go back to the basics. Why did you write the book? If it was to make a lot of money, then you probably wrote it for the wrong reason.

I’d enjoy hearing what draws you to buy a book, especially from an author you don’t know.

Zombie Author FREE Download

October 18, 2016 by John R

FREE Zombie Short Story Download

Zombie author J Gerard Michaels is offering the first episode of his zombie series, The Undead Candidate, as a free download from Tuesday through Thursday this week, right during the last debate! (It’s available now!)

He holds a special spot in our group as our first Kindle author, and is working on finishing the 4th book in the series, The Cord Wheaton Saga. To date he has written 18 episodes, compiling 16 of them into 3 books.

You can find out more by visiting his website, jgerardmichaels.com.

The Importance of Structure

December 18, 2016September 25, 2016 by John R

Form follows Structure

Or “form follows function”, as paraphrased from the American architect Louis Sullivan, shows the importance of understanding the structure of your story (in the writer’s world). Just as you can’t build a house without the framing structure, so you can’t build a good story without following a strong structure.

How many writers/educators have stressed this? From McKee, to Field, to Brooks and Weiland and numerous others, the consensus is that a story must have structure.

Whether you write without planning, or outline before you start writing, once your story is complete, there will be a structure to it.

Unique FWA Workshop

On Thursday, October 20, 2016 in Altamonte Springs, FL, a unique workshop will take place that you can be a part of: From Nursery Rhyme to Novel – Singing Your Story Structure.

What’s so special about this all day workshop?

Do you struggle with your elevator pitch? Do you stammer when an agent asks you, “So tell me what your story is about”? Do you dread writing a synopsis or the back cover blurb?

If you answered YES to any of these, then this is the workshop for you! (If you didn’t, but like to sing, it’s still for you!)

You’ll get your story structure analyzed and work on creating a song out of the major points of your story. Why a song? How easy is it to remember the words to your favorite song? If you commit your story to a song, how much easier will that make it to answer the question in an elevator, an agent interview, or a casual conversation at dinner or in a bar?

So, I invite you to come to a great writers conference and sign up for this workshop, to really nail down the structure of your story. Registration will be closing soon, so don’t delay!

Best of all, the workshop fee benefits the Florida Writers Foundation, a non-profit designed to improve literacy in the state.

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We’re Baaack!

December 18, 2016March 25, 2016 by John R

Site Transfer 99% Complete!

We’re back, and apologize for the downtime while our site moved from one hosting provider to another. It was a lot more difficult than I had imagined, and a couple things were dropped that we’ll review and choose whether to re-implement or not (mostly background stuff, not anything you’d see). However, support is greatly improved and our site speed should be faster as well. With a few more changes over the next week or so, we should be fully up and running.

More Changes Planned

And we’re not stopping here. We’ve got more things coming that we’ll be developing this year, to expand our services to aspiring, new, and established authors. We think some of these are quite unique, but then, as our zombie author found out, that may not be the case! If not, we still hope we’re providing them in a way that is appealing. We’ll be at several conferences this year presenting workshops. More details as they become available (and links for you to sign up, of course). Thanks, again, for your support. John

Self Publish for FREE on Amazon

November 28, 2015 by John R

Self Publish for FREE on Amazon

I hadn’t mentioned when the new book became available on Amazon, but it is now, and you can find it here. With the deals going on now, you might be able to get a healthy discount!

(the cover, once again!)

The purpose of this book is to give the reader the ability to use software they have never seen before, without the daunting prospect of having to learn it on their own. Self Publish for FREE walks you through both Scribus and GIMP, step by step, to produce the files necessary to build a book on CreateSpace. Short on hype and long on learning, this book has a singular focus: to help you get your files ready to upload.

There are many websites that can help, many tools that others offer. But if you’re the true do-it-yourselfer who wants full control, then this is the book for you.

Upcoming Signing Event

Maybe you know someone who wants to create a printed book. Or maybe you can wait, because you want an autographed copy of Self Publish for FREE along with some face time. If so, you can pick up a signed copy for 25% off list price at the Gulfport Art Walk on Saturday, December 19th, 2015. (And we’ll pay the tax for you!)

John Rehg will be there signing Self Publish for FREE and others he’ll have for sale in time for Christmas, including ones for children, for zombie fans, for those who like humor, and for prayer and reflection. There’s something for everyone in the family!

Thanks

At this time of year we give thanks for all the authors who have trusted us with their work, for all the readers who have supported them, and for being able to share our knowledge with those we’ve come in contact with, one way or another.

Thank you all!

Summer Event – Publish Yourself

August 1, 2015 by John R

Summer event: Writers Group Meeting – AUG 13 – 6pm

I will be speaking at the FWA August meeting on Self-Publishing on a Budget. This is my second summer event, the first one passing quietly on July 3 at the Gulfport Art Walk.

More details of the talk are on the FWA St. Pete website. I began working on a do-it-yourself guide early this year, but with some distractions that have occurred, it is not finished. (Family visits, gardening – enjoyable distractions, but ones that kept me from writing as much as I wanted.)

I will also be asking those in attendance to share what they are looking for. I’d like to provide as much meaningful information as possible. Being able to meet with writers working toward their finished book is a real joy. Pointing them in the right direction to get the most satisfaction from their efforts means the most to me.

I hope you can join me for a lively discussion on getting into print.

So long, Dear Friend

It was with great sadness that I learned of my friend Sunny Fader’s passing from this life. She was a great friend and mentor, one who I didn’t get to talk to enough, but who was a great help in my starting this business, and in encouraging me during the early years when I led the local FWA group. I still have a link to her blog, It’s great reading, if you have the time. She was a world traveler and screen writer, a teacher, and a wonderful spirit.

Another writer friend has posted a short tribute Jackie’s tribute to Sunny. If you don’t see it, it’s in her May archives.

Give those you love a hug today.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Summer Event Questions (technoargia on openclipart.org) — by technoargia on openclipart.org

When I think of my own journey to publication and recall the long hours of work I put in, learning new software or struggling with old, I think of those things that would have helped me the most during that time. That’s why I’m writing a guide to help someone reduce the learning curve if they want to do it themselves. (It reminds me of my ‘I can do that!’ attitude even in the face of almost insurmountable odds.)

What one thing would help you get over the hump? Let me know, and I’ll share some ideas on how to conquer your mountains at this summer event with the FWA.

Florida Indie Bookstore Day

November 13, 2014 by John R

Florida Indie Bookstore Day – November 15!

What is it?

A celebration of independent bookstores. Authors will be reading and entertaining and offering their books for sale. Come out and enjoy the fun. We have several authors appearing at Wilson’s Book World at 2394 MLK in St. Pete (just south of 24th Avenue).

Why should you be there?

Several of our authors will be reading! Bria Burton, author of Lance and Ringo Tails; John Rehg, author of several books on spirituality and prayer; j gerard michaels, author of the zombie series: The Cord Wheaton Saga, and possibly a special appearance by Grandpa Tic Rawghers, author of Grandpa’s Guides, an ebook only series.

Bria reads at 1:30, and the others around 3:30. Come out and join the fun.

Free Downloads!

To celebrate, some authors will be offering free downloads of some of their ebooks. Stay tuned for these special offers tomorrow.

COMING SOON- HELPING YOU GET PUBLISHED

Are you overwhelmed by the plethora of options in the publishing world? Do you get inundated with emails touting the latest and greatest publishing offer? Are you tired of all these and just want a simple way to put together your own book?

If you answered YES! to any of these questions, we’re here to help. We don’t do everything, but we can help you get published, and we’ll soon be offering some tips and advice on how to publish yourself, easily and at virtually NO COST!

That’s right – it’s something you can do very easily and cheaply. What a wonderful gift to give. Now, I know you are thinking, “It’s too late! Christmas is less than two months away!” (Actually, for those counting it’s 42 days, and I don’t expect you to put something together that quickly.)

Now’s the time to think about next year! And get started on putting your book, your story, your poetry (or whatever) together. We’ll start our series in December. Stay tuned for more details. (Or check back, or get on our mailing list!)

You can ask the publisher Saturday at Wilson’s Book World – we’ll be there celebrating Florida Indie Bookstore Day!

Thanks

John

The Untold, Amazing, Shocking! Secret Formula for Becoming a Bestselling Author Finally Revealed

FWA Presentation at St. Pete Public Library (Main) – Becoming a Bestselling Author