Melanie Dugan spent some time on CFRC, our very good local college radio station, talking about Dead Beautiful and the upcoming Kingston WriterFest (which is going to be awesome).
Listen to the interview here.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Tai Shan and the Big Dipper by Peter Lem
After a long and courageous battle with cancer, my friend and co-worker Peter Lem passed away at home on Friday, August 31st, one day before his 37th birthday. He will be sadly missed by his beloved wife and best friend, Sonya, and his faithful dog, Lucky.
Peter spent the final eight months of his life writing his memoirs. His own words explain how important this project was and what it meant to him:
Writing this memoir took me on a path of self-discovery, and every word was a step into the unknown. There were moments of great excitement, my heart pumping as I knew I was on the verge of a great discovery. There were also moments of great despair and sadness, knowing I had to revisit painful moments from the past that at times brought me to tears. This memoir will be a keepsake for my family that will last through the generations. These stories are the ones a parent tells a child before bedtime, or over the table during Sunday dinner with family; they are passed from eldest to youngest through gentle conversations between grandparent and grandchild.
Peter’s memoir is hard-bound, with full-colour photographs, and is illustrated throughout by Darryl Joel Berger. It will be available by November 2012, and can be ordered either here or by cheque. (Please write to upstartpress@kingston.net for orders paying by cheque or for shipping to outside of Canada).
All proceeds will be donated to the Peter Lem Memorial Fund, which will support St Lawrence College students directly affected by cancer.
Donations to the fund can also be made online at www.givetoslc.ca/PeterLem.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
adventures in epublishing
It was a wee bit shocking how easy it was to convert this to an ebook, especially after reading so much from the big houses about how difficult this all is.
It isn't.
Click here to learn how you can own Dead Beautiful for only $5.99. Kindle not included.
It isn't.
Click here to learn how you can own Dead Beautiful for only $5.99. Kindle not included.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
the reluctant marketer
I have been described as weekend marketer. An amateur marketer. An armchair marketer. The Age of Persuasion is my favourite show on CBC radio. (And don't tell my husband, but meeting Terry O'Reilly was a fantasy come true.) I have was the Marketing Coordinator for the Kingston WritersFest last year. Many of my business communications students go on to great careers in marketing and advertising and I love hearing about all their adventures.
But sometimes I think I am a reluctant marketer.
Because actually doing this marketing thing is a LOT of work. Do not believe the line "If you build it, they will come." If you build it, and develop a massive online and in-person network of relationships, shared interests, and mutual support, and feed and support those relationships with energy, humour, and helpful information 24/7, you might get some buzz. (Buzz, by the way, is a term I almost never hear anymore.)
You can't just slap together a poster and put it on some telephone poles. You can't announce the launch of your book and expect everyone to rush to the store to buy it. You can't just build it and expect anyone to come.
It takes time. Energy. Brain space. Attention. Passion. Connections. Discipline. Repetition.
And a lot of generous help from writers and publishers who are paving the way. Thank you, Beverly Akerman! Her article will serve as the template for UpStart Press's foray into ebook publishing.
Which starts now...
But sometimes I think I am a reluctant marketer.
Because actually doing this marketing thing is a LOT of work. Do not believe the line "If you build it, they will come." If you build it, and develop a massive online and in-person network of relationships, shared interests, and mutual support, and feed and support those relationships with energy, humour, and helpful information 24/7, you might get some buzz. (Buzz, by the way, is a term I almost never hear anymore.)
You can't just slap together a poster and put it on some telephone poles. You can't announce the launch of your book and expect everyone to rush to the store to buy it. You can't just build it and expect anyone to come.
It takes time. Energy. Brain space. Attention. Passion. Connections. Discipline. Repetition.
And a lot of generous help from writers and publishers who are paving the way. Thank you, Beverly Akerman! Her article will serve as the template for UpStart Press's foray into ebook publishing.
Which starts now...
Friday, March 2, 2012
Coming soon...
Pre-order today!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94630872/dead-beautiful-a-novel-by-melanie-dugan
Genre: literary fiction/general fiction/fantasy /young adult
ISBN: 978-0-9783774-7-2
Publishing Date: May 2012
Price: CAD 19.95 (ebook CAD 5.99)
Trim: 5.5” x 8.5”
Page Count: 169 pages
Format: Paperback, perfect bound
Contact and Ordering Information:
Christina Decarie
upstartpress@kingston.net
http://www.etsy.com/listing/94630872/dead-beautiful-a-novel-by-melanie-dugan
About the Author: Melanie Dugan is the author of Sometime Daughter (“Stunning debut,” Kingston Whig-Standard) and Revising Romance (“heartwarming, amusing and … downright sexy,” Midwest Book Review). Her short stories have been shortlisted for several awards, including the CBC Literary Award.
Marketing Plans:
- Readings, panels and workshops about publishing in the digital age, publisher/author relationships, writing and publishing in an age of “disappearing” publishing houses, marketing yourself as an author, how to balance a job and the writing life.
- Literary festivals across Ontario
- Reviews in local and national newspapers, magazines, and websites
- Local (Kingston) book launch
- Readings and interviews on local and national radio
- Blog tour
For book clubs:
- Author readings/discussions
- Discounts (ten or more copies)
- “Questions for book clubs”
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