Vocal Expressions

Author’s Bio : National bestselling and award-winning author Earl Sewell has written over twenty novels and has had his work featured in several anthologies and magazines. He has won literary awards for the novels The Flip Side of Mone y, Keysha's Drama , and Maya's Choice . In addition, the American Library Association placed several of his teen titles on its widely distributed Reluctant Readers List.  Sewell is also a voice-over talent and has narrated several books written by other writers and has done voice-over work to promote products and inspirational videos. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College in Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in creative writing from Goddard College. Earl is also an endurance athlete who has finished a number of marathons and Ironman 70.3 triathlons. Additionally, he has completed a cross-country bicycle tour from Red Wing, MN, to Bar Harbor, ME. DL: What’s the inspiration for writing your book? ES:   Perhaps...

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 I participated in the Black Writers’ Guild “Women Writers Rock” panel discussion at the Enoch Pratt Library (Edmondson Avenue branch). The other panelists included: Janice Adams, Margaret Pagan and Minister Carenda Pittman and the discussion was moderated by BWG’s President Jim Wright. I had so much fun being on this panel and meeting my fellow panelists. We talked about what inspired us to write our books, the challenges we faced in bringing our books to life, what advice we would give to aspiring writers and so much more. The audience was engaged and had lots of questions for us. It was a such great afternoon! Check out the Baltimore Times article secured by Cherrie Woods, my publicist for this event: http://baltimoretimes - online.com/news/2018/mar/02 / deliah-lawrence-among-authors - women-writers-who-ro / H ere are some photos from the event: Here's a video clip of me reading an excerpt from Gotta Let It Go :   ...

Once you have written your book and decided which publishing route you want to take, it’s time to market your work. And one of the best ways is through social media marketing. It has a wide reach and it’s a great way to engage in building your brand and generating buzz for your book. My recommendation is that you select maybe 2 or 3 platforms that you are comfortable using and be consistent in your communication with your audience. If you decide to use more than 3 platforms, you can schedule your messages by using Buffer, Hootsuite, etc. As for me, I use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and my monthly e-newsletter to engage with my audience. However, you may find that other platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat may work better for you. In addition, if you want to maintain privacy in your life you can still use social media to your advantage. So, go ahead and get started on your social media marketing by reading this article - great stuff!   http://www.theindependentpu...

Author’s Bio: D iane Wilbon Parks published her second and most recent collection of poems, The Wisdom of Blue Apples , and is one of six PG County Poets whose poems have been highlighted in Bowie and Oxon Hill, Maryland Libraries, Metro Building 3, and College Park Community Center for Dr. Sues’ Book Festival. Diane is also a visual artist and is currently exhibiting her art in Metro Building 3 in Hyattsville, and will be exhibiting her art in Oxon Hill Library, March 2018.   Diane has been a featured poet in Washington DC, VA, and MD. Diane read at a Cultural Academy For Excellence event with gifted musicians and award-winning poets. Diane also celebrated reading and recording for Grace Cavalieri’s "The Poet and The Poem” at the Library of Congress; holds a degree in Information Systems Management and is an U. S. Air Force Veteran.    DL:     What’s the inspiration for writing your book? DWP: Everything inspires me to write. As a poet, I hear ...

One of the tips I posted a few weeks ago was to conduct your research on your subject matter, people and places but it also applies to researching how you would like to present your work to the world. With that being said, if you are looking to publish the traditional or the self-published way, there are things to consider before you take the leap. These include how much creative control you are willing to give up, how much you are willing to spend, how much marketing help you are looking for, the type of print distribution in bookstores you are looking for, etc. This article does a great job at diving into the pros and cons of the publishing world. So, please read carefully to determine which publishing route is right for you. Also, there’s nothing wrong with using a hybrid approach if that works best for you! https://www.thecreativepenn.com/self-publishing-vs-traditional/

Some people like to write and edit using a pen and paper while others enjoy the ease of using the computer. If you belong in the latter group, then this article comparing nine manuscripts editing software programs is right up your alley. Some of the versions are free and if you give a donation, you will get some added benefits.  Good Stuff! Check it out! http://bit.ly/2C08YV6