Florida WritersCon 2023 – Day Three

This continues my recap of the Florida Writers Association Conference with a report on Day Three. We started the morning with a continental breakfast followed by two workshop sessions. The first one I attended was on creating emotional impact in your writing.

We were told to think about characters in a book that we’d follow anywhere. What was their appeal? Now think about your own protagonist. What obstacles do they face? What are their weaknesses? What would help them or hurt them? And what do they need to complete their journey? Do the same for your villain. Also, what universal truths do you want to resonate in your story? These become the themes in your novel. Tap into the strong emotions you’ve experienced in your life when writing your book.

The second workshop was a panel on AI (Artificial Intelligence), a popular topic at this conference. Many issues were raised, such as putting clauses in our book contracts against having our work used in AI training. Generative AI can be useful for tasks as a collaborative assistant. AI detection tools are in the works. For cover artists, AI can be helpful for research but not for creativity. AI generated art cannot be copyrighted because there’s no human element involved. And yet … AI generated art is winning against traditional art in competitions that are judged objectively. Is it not a creative act between the machine and the prompt engineer? You can have both, and that’s how the creative world might survive. For a writer, AI can be another tool in our arsenal for book marketing and generating story ideas.

The potential threat to humanity posed by the rise of AI was discussed. One fear is humans using AI for their own profit more so than AI itself taking over humanity. Manufactured myths are a danger, i.e. false news and social media manipulation. Artificial evolution means AI is changing fast.

How to get around AI in the classroom where it might be used by students to write papers would be to ask for opinion pieces.

Another issue … How will AI keep learning once it consumes all the data it’s fed? It may spit back generated (i.e. made-up) data or inaccurate information.

This is all food for thought. Personally, I’ve found ChatGPT to be helpful for certain tasks in book marketing and in generating specific storylines. You have to design a detailed prompt to get the desired response.

Disclaimer: These summaries are my interpretation of what I heard. Any errors are mine alone.

Join me at my next appearance on Nov. 4, 2023, 10:30 am EDT, Indie Author Day, Ponte Vedra Beach Library, 101 Library Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. I’m proud to be a panelist and keynote speaker at this event. Free registration: https://sjcpls.org/event/indie-author-showcase/

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Florida WritersCon 2023 – Day Two

This continues my recap of the Florida Writers Association Conference with a report on Day Two. After a buffet breakfast on Saturday, bestselling author Lisa Black gave her keynote address. Then we dispersed to various workshops.

As a faculty member, I had a booksigning slot that morning. This meant I couldn’t attend the morning breakout session. I hung around until lunch, which was a buffet barbecue meal. Awards were presented to members of the youth group in attendance.

Since I’d had computer issues the day before, I sat in the workshop before mine that afternoon to get my program up and running. I’d updated Office 365 that morning at home and hooked into the hotel’s WiFi. Whatever I did had worked, because this time I was able to bring up my file. I spoke on Book Marketing on a Budget to a rapt audience.

That evening’s social mixer came next, followed by the Royal Palm Literary Awards banquet, which I’d won previously for Writing a Cozy Mystery. The dinner was very good and the service by the hotel was excellent. Congrats to all the award winners! This is a great contest for writers to enter because you get feedback on your work. First picture below shows me with my critique partners, Janice Hardy and Ann Meier.

And so ended a full day on a high note.

Florida WritersCon 2023 – Day One

I had a great time at the Florida Writers Association Conference this past weekend. Giving presentations, meeting new/old friends, attending workshops, and eating too much … it all made for a productive and meaningful event.

On Friday, I attended a talk on newsletters. I’ve already heard that drip campaigns can be effective, and I have been following what other authors do in this regard. This speaker gave some useful tips on content regarding these automated email sequences. Aside from a welcome letter, these included product launches, behind-the-scenes peeks, post-purchase follow up, bonus content, and sales discounts. Pop up newsletter signups are effective, too.

Segmented lists bring higher open rates and lower unsubs. And don’t forget to add at the end, Please Forward to a Friend. My takeaway? I need to work on a newsletter drip campaign and bolster my landing page. As for a popup sign-in form, I find these annoying and prefer where I have mine in the sidebar. What do you think?

I also gave a presentation on Self-Publishing Made Simple. This was a step-by-step guide on how to get started for original works or for reissued backlist titles. I posted some of this info in earlier blogs. The only snafu was that my computer wouldn’t open my PowerPoint file, and I had to borrow a laptop from the tech guy.

Disclaimer: These summaries are my interpretation of what I heard. Any errors are mine alone.

That night was a social mixer where I got to hang out with friends and meet new people. Networking is the best part of any writers conference.

Ponte Vedra Beach Library Indie Author Day

Star Tangled Murder

Book Event in DeLand

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at the “And the Women Gather” Annual Literary Event in Deland, FL sponsored by Desert Sage, a lifestyle wellness company. We left the house early to arrive in plenty of time for the book event, especially when I saw there was a Tuesday Morning store along the way. After shopping for autumn-themed goods, we headed into the historic downtown. Our first stop was The Muse Bookshop which is a wonderful bookstore to browse in for an afternoon.

We lunched a De La Vega, a Latin restaurant with a pleasant interior and an interesting menu. Here is my avocado stuffed with shrimp for the entree and flan for dessert.

Next, we headed a few doors down to the Museum of Art where the event was taking place. Guests came from all over Florida for which I was grateful. Our host, Lorna Owens, started off the event with a general introduction.

James Ryan, a guitarist, followed with a medley of popular songs.

Following him was UCF Professor and Author Celilia Rodriguez Milanes, who discussed her works and read excerpts.

Next it was my turn to talk about my mystery series. I mentioned how I got started in the publishing business and what led to my going indie with my latest books.

On the drive home, we stopped at Stonewood Inn for dinner and to celebrate another successful book event.

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Deals and Steals from Nancy J. Cohen

This month offers a number of books and bargains for my booklover friends. Check out these deals and steals with contests, giveaways, book fairs and upcoming new releases.

May 1 – New Box Set Release

Guess what’s coming in 2 days? My first mystery series box set! That’s right, The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume One: Books 1-3 arrives on Saturday. Put it on your wish list or order now and start reading at the beginning of Marla the hairstylist’s crime-solving capers. Or… order it as a Mother’s Day gift for a loved one! https://books2read.com/BadHairDayBoxSetOne

April 26 – May 5 Mysteries with Humor

Enter Now to win 25+ exciting Mysteries with Humor from a great collection of authors… AND a brand new eReader! My book, EASTER HAIR HUNT, is one of the prizes. Don’t delay! bit.ly/HumorousMystery-Apr21

May 1 – May 10 Florida Writers Book Expo

Browse sixty booths across genres at this virtual event, all books by Florida authors. They even have freebies at every booth! Even better? There’s a Reader Rewards program, so the more you spend, the more ebooks you get for free! I’m one of the participating authors, and I hope you’ll join us. Prizes and free books for attendees all while shopping from home! Note that I am being interviewed at the event on Monday, May 3 at 2:00 pm. Hope to “see you” there! https://floridawritersbooks.com

May 1 – 18 Booklover’s Bench

Enter to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors in our monthly giveaway: https://bookloversbench.com/win-a-free-book-may-2021/

April – June Cozy Mystery New Releases

Are you a cozy mystery fan? Check out these April – June new releases. https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozyreleaseswide/n0aaf361pb

How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America

This all-new MWA handbook helps writers create compelling stories and navigate an ever-shifting publishing landscape. From pacing and dialogue to creating diverse characters and building reader outreach, How to Write a Mystery is a complete guide for mystery writers. I am proud to have a small contribution in this volume. https://mysterywriters.org/mwa-anthologies/how-to-write-a-mystery/

Scribner is giving away 10 copies. Go here to enter for a limited time: https://www.simonandschuster.com/p/how-to-write-a-mystery

Author Newsletter

My newsletter will be going out this weekend. Are you signed up? If not, go here: https://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter and add your name for even more exciting news delivered directly to your email inbox.

Deals and Steals from Nancy J. Cohen #giveaways #amreading Click To Tweet

*Bookmark this post so you can return often or go to https://nancyjcohen.com/contest for updates.

From Nurse to Author

Amelia Island Book Festival Writers Workshop

On Friday at the Amelia Island Book Festival, I headed out of town in early morning and pouring rain to present my “Developing a Mystery Series” workshop. This event was held on a college campus about thirty minutes inland in the town of Yulee. A brief introduction by the day’s organizers at 8:00 am led to two workshop tracks, one on craft and one on the business of writing. Coffee and muffins were available to attendees.

I set up my book table out in the hallway by the check-in desk. At the allotted time, I gave my presentation to the group. Then I manned my table until lunch, which was a lovely buffet.

Bestselling author Sandra Brown gave the luncheon speech, talking about her career and about how the industry has changed.

The event concluded by 1:30 pm. I drove back to our hotel for a rest. The weather had cleared somewhat but was windy and cool. We went for dinner a block away at the beach to Sliders Seaside Grill. I ordered grilled shrimp that came with hush puppies and other accompaniments. We retired early as another big day was ahead tomorrow.

Amelia Island Book Festival Authors Reception

We arrived on Thursday for the start of the Amelia Island Book Festival. There was an author reception sponsored by The Book Loft in the downtown historical district. We parked in a free public lot by the historic post office building and strolled along Centre Street to browse in the shops. Here you’ll find boutiques, souvenir shops, homemade fudge and olive oil specialty items, along with numerous restaurants and a tavern or two.

The independently-owned bookstore held the party upstairs and tempted us with appetizing hors d’oeuvres and glasses of wine. A crowd ensued and we made some new acquaintances. The event made me feel welcome as a guest author, and I looked forward to the next day of writing workshops.

GIVEAWAY

One More Day! Enter Now to win all 6 books in Booklover’s Bench anniversary giveaway: https://bookloversbench.com/win-six-free-books-february-2020/

Tag: Florida authors