tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39655193568989212072024-03-13T10:44:09.911-05:00Blog AwesomeFormerly "Adventures in Writing" which I found boring. So I changed it. It's better now.Emily Kiesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493184744935365572noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965519356898921207.post-36719350417781107142011-12-22T20:12:00.000-06:002011-12-22T20:12:46.161-06:00Apple Pie<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For years I have been making the world’s best apple pie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok, maybe it didn’t win international awards, but it did win a baking contest about thirty years ago and has been a part of my family for many many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was my aunt’s Dutch apple pie recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then my mom’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finally mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was our secret, one we made for holidays and random special occasions when the moment permitted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a treasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A special something only my family had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then my mom gave it away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yup, she posted it for the world on <a href="http://www.rhondakiesondesigns.blogspot.com/">her blog</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now everyone, from here to Australia, can make our super secret special apple pie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next party I attend, the one for which I would have made our little treasured recipe, will already have an apple pie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone will say they found this amazing recipe online and tell me that I just have to taste it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ll tell me how awesome it is and how much their family loves it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they’ll look down at the apple pie in my hands and say, with a great big smile, that I must have found the same recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a coincidence!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t it great!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">… um.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No, it’s not great that my little gift to the world is no longer unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one thing I could actually bake has been abducted by thousands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one thing I had to give, the one tangible talent I possessed, is no longer mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead, people everywhere can make it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re peeling apples and discussing varieties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re making it for their friends and family and telling them how wonderful it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re even sending people to my mother’s blog and showing off the recipe</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…and her designs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re taking one bite of that amazing sweet melt-in-your-mouth pie and smiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re sharing that with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re laughing and sneaking just one more taste right from the pie tin before mom covers it up and puts it in the fridge…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe, just maybe, that wonderful piece of hot deliciousness is the last bite of someone’s holiday and the last taste they remember before they go to sleep… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know that feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like tasting dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s like taking a bite of the universe and feeding your soul just when you thought nothing else could fill that void…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…it’s family.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here it is again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Share away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong>Priscilla's Prize-Winning Apple Pie</strong><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />
<br />
Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees.<br />
Remove a stick of butter from refrigerator for use later. (Please use real butter here.)<br />
<br />
Prepare pastry pie crust for 9"pie. (Use what you like for this.)<br />
<br />
Apples: Use a combination of apples (approx. 14 apples per pie)<br />
Baking Apples: Cortland (8), McIntosh (4), Granny Smith (2) [I personally prefer Empire to Cortland and McIntosh and toss in a Pink Lady, Honeysweet, or Winesap for good measure…but that’s me]<br />
Some "eating apples" will work, but use them sparingly along with the baking apples.<br />
Peel, core and slice apples into a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Combine:<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
Sprinkle over apples, coating evenly.<br />
<br />
Turn apples into pastry-lined pie plate. Mound them high, as they will bake down.<br />
<br />
Now for the Dutch topping:<br />
Combine:<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
3/4 cup flour<br />
5 Tbls. butter (semi-hard)<br />
<br />
Using a table knife, cut in the butter until mixture is "crumbly." Spread this mixture over the mounded apples. Pat mixture down gently.<br />
<br />
Sprinkle with cinnamon.<br />
<br />
Lightly sprinkle sugar on pie crust edges and cover the edge with foil or pie-crust shield.<br />
<br />
Place pie on the middle rack in 360 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Remove the pie crust shield after 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
Check to see that the apples are done.<br />
<br />
Remove from oven.<br />
<br />
ENJOY!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Emily Kiesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493184744935365572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965519356898921207.post-7238749312391179832011-10-06T18:16:00.000-05:002011-10-06T18:16:40.369-05:00Confessions of a 12 yr-old Trekker<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">...although at the time I thought I was a Trekkie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, I was twelve and it was long before Comic Conventions were mainstream...LONG before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wasn't very good at fitting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried, really I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no matter how many times I watched the popular shows, I never really cared about Brenda or Donna or whatever other busty blond pined over her boyfriend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I pretended to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I did it because, in addition to teaching me how to roll my jean cuffs correctly, my older sister tried her hardest to turn me into a sibling that wasn’t so prone to embarrassment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention I was subject to certain mental anguish should I refuse to accept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 35.45pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alright…I also did it because I couldn’t imagine how the world would treat me if they knew what I was really doing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was waiting for my sister to retire to her room and for my parents to close themselves off from the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was waiting because, at precisely 7pm, I would feed my addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I needed privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn't let them see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They couldn't know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As 6:55 approached, I fixated on the clock and glued my finger to the remote control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn't change it early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the off chance that one of them would walk in and find me, I had to look like I was watching something cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">They couldn't know I watched Star Trek TNG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the era before the internet, in an age where geeks and nerds were plankton on the social feeding pyramid, I was addicted to science fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There, I said it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a Trekker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, it's cool NOW, but I would have committed social suicide had I admitted it then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I wasn't all that cool to begin with so I had to hang on to everything I had. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And I watched it religiously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every. Single. Episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was an addict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sucked in every minute, relished every line and empathized with the characters in ways I seldom did with my friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was better than anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at time in my life where nothing fit and no one understood me, Star Trek TNG was sometimes the only thing keeping me sane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I still hid my obsession through high school and when a senior girl decided to dress up as a Borg for Halloween, I may have been the only person who recognized her outfit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never told her, but she did an amazing job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I admired her courage to admit her obsession, to display her passion, and brave the consequences of being a Trekker long before the rest of the world thought it was acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long before it was trendy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And I will always admire her courage for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Live Long and Prosper, oh brave one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Perhaps next time I’ll have the courage to step forth, dress up in wires and metal caps, and declare myself leader of an inferior race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Resistance is Futile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the meantime I can watch Star Trek on Netflix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Demand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Single.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yum. </div>Emily Kiesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493184744935365572noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965519356898921207.post-92232960116676768702011-07-21T14:15:00.002-05:002011-07-21T14:15:47.147-05:00Authenticity and the “IT” Factor<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I was hungry and my mom had to pee. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We had already spent at least three hours in the car and were in the middle of Amish country, rock cliffs, and absolutely no cell phone reception. But we needed food. And a bathroom. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Per our road trip rules, all food stops had to be “authentic”. Thankfully it's easy to find authentic restaurants in rural Wisconsin – there's one in every town. Usually it's the <i>only</i> one in town where the owner is often the waitress and cook. And no one, not even the owner/waitress/cook, is in any hurry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So, in the middle of western Wisconsin, we found our authentic restaurant, slid into the old wooden chairs and waited. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And waited. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Finally a quiet lady took our order and delivered water. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Then we waited some more. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">All that sitting gave us a chance to absorb the scenery and admire our surroundings. A snow shovel leaned against the wall and the wallpaper dated back to the mid-70s. A nearby group of seniors shared gossip about grandchildren and pending marriages. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Feeling guilty for eavesdropping, I turned my attention to the back to the walls. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A pair of paintings from a local artist hung above our table. They were nice, systematic paintings meant to replicate portraits from the late 19<sup>th</sup> century. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">They were...nice. Not great. Not inspiring. Just nice. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What was wrong with them you ask? They were missing the “it” factor. They were trying to be something they weren't. They were replicating <i>someone else's </i><span style="font-style: normal;">idea of a good painting. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">They needed to be ART. Wonderful, original, gorgeous art unlike anything ever created. Sure, few things are completely original, but the best artists, writers, and musicians learn the skill, practice their crafts, then find a way to make it their own. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Turns out the food had an amazing “it” factor. Homemade sausage, fresh bacon, bread, and a waffle I loved so much I wanted to wear it as a hat. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The cook/waitress/owner had mastered her craft and presented us with the best breakfast I've ever had. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So what did I learn from my two hour Midwest restaurant experience? Authenticity is essential...especially when it's edible.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Emily Kiesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493184744935365572noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965519356898921207.post-33784350929166309902011-06-27T17:29:00.001-05:002011-06-27T17:51:03.683-05:00Big Thanks to Author John Locke<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In case you haven't heard, independent and self-published author <a href="http://donovancreed.com/">John Locke</a> succeeded in selling over a million ebooks on Kindle. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While this may not sound like a big deal. It is. For many many reasons. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First, not many authors have sold a million ebooks. In fact I believe that as of the date of this post, only five or so authors have achieved such success. And although ebook sales have risen exponentially over recent years, many authors still find success in paperback. Especially authors with major publishers. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Which brings me to reason number Two. It is very hard to market books as a self-published author. Very Hard. I should know, I published the middle-grade novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Hickory-ebook/dp/B001PGXCFS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1309213712&sr=1-1">Alexander Hickory</a>, in early 2008 and have been beating down the doors of libraries, schools, local bookstores and the virtual marketplaces just to get a handful of sales. Like Locke, I paid a lot of money for online ads, press releases, and professional marketing to help generate sales. But, regardless of how much money I threw at the book, sales, even ebook sales, remained low. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are certainly exceptions to stories like mine and Locke's, stories where self-published authors find amazing success through traditional marketing means. But, it turns out, most independently published authors fight enormous (and often expensive) obstacles when it comes to selling books and finding our audience. Obstacles that, until now, have been controlled by traditional publication. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The truth? Traditional book marketing doesn't work for self-published authors. Well, it <i><span style="text-decoration: none;">usually</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> doesn't work. Like I said, there are always exceptions, but for the majority of us, we have to find other means of finding our audience. This is especially true for fiction writers.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Which brings me to reason number Three. It's easy to find the target market for non-fiction. For fiction writers this is much, much more difficult. While there are certainly forums and websites for different genres of books, there are literally thousands and thousands of books on these sites and any book can get lost in the sea of fiction. And for those that write quirky stories or plots that are on the edge of genre fiction, it's even more difficult. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">John Locke writes fiction, quirky, off-the-beaten-path kind of fiction that doesn't always fit into standard categories. Like the rest of us, he followed standard rules for marketing and pitching his stories. They didn't work. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">So he broke the rules, followed his gut and, by using his background in sales, discovered new ways to find a target audience and attract loyal readers. As a result, John Locke, a self-published author of quirky fiction, found an enormous audience, a dedicated following, and impressive sales. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">His advice goes against everything I've been told. And it's brilliant. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Authors told me “Follow the rules.” </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Editors told me “Write what you know.” </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">My opinion? Write what you <i>Love</i>. And Break the rules. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Both self-published and traditionally published authors can benefit from his advice. It's not just about marketing, it's about connecting with readers and giving them something you know they'll love. </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Here's a link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sold-Million-eBooks-Months-ebook/dp/B0056BMK6K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1308600888&sr=1-1">his book</a> and <a href="http://donovancreed.com/">his blog</a>. I hope you find it as helpful as I did. </span></span> </div>Emily Kiesonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01493184744935365572noreply@blogger.com2