Thanksgiving

Enjoy a Marvellous Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING

Today’s blog post is neither related to publishing nor to book marketing, it’s a salute to everyone who reads this article, combined with best wishes for a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING, hopefully with family and friends. Have a lovely holiday and an enjoyable long weekend. Please read on:
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History and Meaning of Thanksgiving – then and now:
It all started with REFUGEES (then called colonists), who – like many people getting off a boat – gave thanks for setting foot again on dry land.  Almost all Canadians and Americans are descendants of REFUGEES – their ancestors were coming from war-torn countries, they often were religious refugees or victims of famine.  Another refugee trek happened over land, when United Empire Loyalists were fleeing from the United States during the American Revolution, got refugee status and settled in Canada.
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According to AllAboutHistory:
“The first “Thanksgiving,” was neither a feast nor a holiday, but a simple gathering.  Following the Mayflower’s arrival at Plymouth Rock / MA, on December 11, 1620, the Pilgrims (a protestant sect) suffered the loss of 46 of their original 102 refugees / colonists – just the same as it happened too often during the last years in the mediterranean sea with people who ran from their war-torn countries.
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With the help of 91 Indians, the remaining Pilgrims survived the bitter winter and yielded a bountiful harvest in 1621.  Can you imagine these Native People would not have helped the Europeans and instead would have refused to let them land and settle?
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“In celebration, a traditional English harvest festival, lasting three days brought the Pilgrims and natives to unite in a “thanksgiving” observance. In gratitude, we humbly reflect upon all the gifts (family, friends, health, wealth) that saturate our lives.
By “giving-thanks” we choose to extend ourselves and give to others less fortunate.  Out of the abundance of our hearts, we are able to offer our resources to help others.”
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Think about what THANKSGIVING means:
After all, the NATIVES in North America took the European refugees in and helped the first settlers to survive – before these very settlers stole the Native’s land and dispelled them…
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While we are sitting down for a delicious Turkey meal, let’s remember that war refugees from Syria and their children are begging on the streets in Turkey or the Lebanon for a slice of bread and a bit water, and that the whole family often has to sleep within a 15 sq-ft tent either in one of these refugee camps or on the streets – since the war started, four years ago!

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More than 200,000 People have been Killed.
The Syrian civil war, a horrific conflict that has ravaged the country since 2011, it started with the largely nonviolent protest movement often called the “Arab Spring”.  Since then twelve million Syrians have fled their homes to escape the bloodshed, around four million of whom became refugees by leaving the country and hanging in limbo now in Turkey, Lebanon, Italy and Greece.  The exodus triggered a humanitarian crisis in Europe, where more than a million refugees are expected to flood into the continent by year’s end, 850,000 of those already arrived in tiny boats and via treks through the Balkan, often walking thousands of miles on foot.
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Read here About the Though US Screening Process
The United States could easily take in 3 Million war refugees = only roughly 0,1 % of the US population).  And Canadians: please remember that you took in 35,000 Hungarians who were fleeing their communist country in 1965, and later many boat refugees from Asia. What are 25,000war refugees (ca. 0,014% of the Canadian population), compared to these numbers?
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Why not HELP them?
A huge part of the North American population goes to Church on Sundays, calling themselves Christians.  Why not act like a Christian, and help those who are haunted by the war, have lost family members and their homes and now are begging for your help.
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THANKSGIVING should be a holiday of remembering where one comes from and being THANKFUL for a great life and thinking about how it is possible to help the less fortunate – in these days the war refugees.  Invite a family from abroad to your home for a lovely dinner and show them Western hospitality and friendliness. Imagine to walk in their shoes!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING again and thanks for reading.

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Giving THANKS on Thanksgiving

Gratitude

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Writers are blessed with wonderful talents that make them unique among average folks.  Giving thanks for such wonderful creative abilities on Thanksgiving is the spirit of celebrating – and also giving to the less fortune in your community!   This day (as every day should) is all about showing gratitude for every little gift one receives in life.

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Writers Gratitude
In the lives of writers there is this amazing gift of creating, of being (physically) able to write down the stories that comes from your wonderful imagination, and last but not least: to publish these stories however you want to have it published.
At no time since Johannes Gutenberg was it so easy for writers to find an audience for their craft, never before could they choose between selling their manuscript or becoming a self-publishing author.
A recent survey of writers found that 25 percent of authors had self-published a book and 86 percent of them said they would self-publish again.  So, keep writing: stay busy and produce more articles and books, use writing tools that increase your productivity – exercises that kickstart your novel.  Establish a writing routine: keep a regular time and place that is dedicated to your writing process.  Sit down and start writing!
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Lots of Choices
Despite the upfront costs, self-publishing has become an increasingly successful option for authors, with revenues up to 70 to 95 percent, using a variety of online retailers, brick-and-mortar stores and even sell their books from their own website.
If a writer is able to attract the business with a trade publisher, then most initial costs are paid for in return for a tiny slice of the profit from their books.  There is also the “possibility” of an advance, which will hold against royalty payments.
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Is this You?
There are lots of forums where writers complain about the hardship of writing, their constant procrastination and how difficult it is to write two or three thousand words per day.  However, a real writer wants to write day and night!  Think about it as a paid hobby and have fun exercising your god-given talent.  Appreciation will focus your mind on the positive things.  And it will for sure shift your thoughts away from what you don’t have to what you do have.
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Recipes for Happiness
Did you know – or tried this out already: One of the “recipes” for happiness is to be thankful every day, writing down what you are thankful for on this very day before going to bed.  Gratitude is an act which we ever so often forget – but need to keep as a part of our daily life.  Write down every time you have been published or praised. Napoleon Hill advised: “Cherish your vision and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”
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Reward yourself when you are able to keep on track – it will increase your writers motivation.  You cannot think about good things and feel miserable. And you cannot be deeply grateful and unhappy at the same time.
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I am very thankful for all our readers, followers and the subscribers of our blogs, and for the many clients of our marketing services and purchasers of our books.

What are YOU thankful for?

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If you would like to get a mentor and our support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer for three months all this and more for only $179 – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting / Book Marketing for your success: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

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Special Thanksgiving Book Offer: BREATHLESS

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Take advantage of a special Thanksgiving offer:
3 day Kindle Countdown starting, on Thursday 28th November
– Act quickly for a good deal – and a good cause.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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xBreathless
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A novel about a family struggle.
Mike the father has become obsessed with his silver collection and is ignoring important family issues.
Clare the mother is exhausted from coping without his support. She knows she must let her teenage daughter Hannah who has Cystic Fibrosis, take control of her own health, but is finding it hard to let go.
Edward their son is becoming withdrawn, guilt that he is healthier than his sister and the inability to be help her is overwhelming him.
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The reappearance of Clare’s childhood sweetheart brings the marriage to a breaking point.  The big question is, will the family ever be able to restore communication and support each other?
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xCaroAyreAuthor Caro Ayre: “A donation or £1 / $1 is being made to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust for every copy sold. Please help me reach my target of £1,500 to help with research into this genetic disease.”

For more information check out:

Visit Caro Ayre and see our interview with her:

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P.S. Actually it is not a countdown, what Amazon offers with its latest book sales campaigns, but rather a count-up, as the book price starts very low and then goes up to its original price.  See an example of a Kindle Countdown Deal with the clock running on Breathless’ Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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Tagged: Black Friday, BREATHLESS, Caro Ayre, Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Society, deal, Greenham Hall B&B, Kindle Countdown Deal, Somerset UK, Thanksgiving

Use Upcoming Holidays to Promote Your Book

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Pumpkin-Halloween
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Pitching your book to newspaper editors – in the hope to get an invitation for an interview or a book review – benefits greatly when you add a hook in your query letter, such as a holiday that has a reference to your work. The same is true for mentioning your work on Social Media.

Which holidays, other than Christmas – or Christmas in July – can be used to promote your book?

  • New Years
  • Valentines
  • Spring Break
  • Easter
  • Mothers Day
  • Father’s Day
  • Christmas in July
  • Summer Reads
  • Back to School / Labourday
  • Columbus Day
  • Fall Colors
  • Halloween
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas

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Romance and Family
All writers of romantic (and even less romantic) love stories could contact newspapers or magazines well in advance due to a presentation of their book around Valentine’s Day. For a magazine exposure plan at least 3-4 months in advance.  Mothers Day or Fathers Day are great hooks for family stories, memoirs or books describing relationships with a parent.
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Christmas in July
And then there is July. A great time for summer specials or book sales, combined with donations for good causes.
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Politics and Social
Is the story in your book one that could only happen in Canada or during Confederation time? Or a story telling the life of immigrants to Canada. To pitch for coverage around Canada Day is your turn then.  Let it be the reason to mention Labor (Labor) Day in your query, should you write about labor relations or social aspects of workers or a story that happens on Labor Day.
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History and Wars
Is your latest book about history, or is it about a famous person in history (and everything related to it), such as President Washington, Martin Luther King, Columbus, or Queen Victoria and her time in history? There are holidays, both in the USA and Canada, and also in Great Britain or Australia were your work fits well for an article or interview. Even war dates could be a great hook for your historical writing.
Does your novel or non-fiction book capture the last wars, including Independence War, or soldiers of this or the last century? Memorial / Remembrance Day / Veterans Day and Independence Day are great reasons to pitch to a journalist or editor and suggest an article about your book or an interview.

Have you something written that covers early settlers or the Irish, the famine there and a difficult new beginning in North America? Or does part or the whole story happens around Thanksgiving or St. Patrick’s Day? Mention it in your query and use it as a hook!

Halloween
Does your novel contain keywords such as spooky, haunted, ghosts, paranormal, super natural, Gothic or even pumpkins – then fall would be perfect to promote your book extensively.
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The Holiday Season
Same opportunity would be Christmas Day or New Year’s Day to cover your books story that is related or happens in the holiday season, including Black Friday or Boxing Day. Writers will easily find a hook to pitch interviews or book reviews during the holiday circle, just from using the connection between their story and the upcoming holiday.
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Prepare well Ahead!
Open with a statement that makes the editor want to keep reading. Is it really timely and in time? Send your query letter at least 6 – 8 weeks before the holiday (magazines 3-4 months!) and follow up. Make the news paper editors work easy: Be sure to close with your contact information highly visible. Do you have any clips, or a website / blog? Put it right out in plain sight.
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Every Novel has dozens, if not hundreds of keywords, just comb through them and for sure you will find something related to a holiday!  Make a list and schedule your pitches / social media or blog posts in your calendar. This way you will not miss any opportunities.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-Book-PR.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 900 of them : ) – if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Hyper Smash

Pingate


Tagged: Back to School, Christmas in July, Columbus Day, Easter, Fall Colors, Father's Day, Halloween, Holidays, Irish famine, Labourday, Mothers Day, New Years, Pumpkin, Spring Break, summer reads, Thanksgiving, Valentines