Wednesday, August 13, 2008

In pursuit of creative writing

Thoughtful book marketing presents opportunities to shine

Promoting books, fiction and nonfiction, is a labor-intensive task. Just ask any serious writer who has had an active role in the marketing process. Writing an effective news release to market the book means doing your homework and articulating how your book differs from the thousands of others looking for publicity.

Nikki Woods (pictured right), a popular radio personality in Chicago, has penned a novel that's now hitting book stores. Take a look at a news release I crafted for her. Nikki did a great job of providing me with plenty of background material to work with, including her manuscript.

This particular version of the release is regionalized to Nikki's home town. However, with a little creativity, we could target this same release to virtually any market.



St. Louis native debuts gripping novel

Lies, betrayal and greed threaten essence of friendship and sisterhood


(Chicago – September 14, 2005) Kingston just closed the deal of the century. Her colleagues and friends are buzzing about her success. But in the blink of an eye, tragedy turns Kingston’s world upside down. Forget the spotlight. The queen, now knocked from her throne, must come face to face with family drama, a past love and jealousy - one heartache after another.

Novelist Nikki Woods debuts Easier Said Than Done with a cast of characters so full of life that they breathe, dream and shout right off the page. This compelling story starts in Chicago but quickly transitions to sexy Jamaica. It tells the story of a got-it-goin’-on entertainment executive – how she is suddenly forced to navigate through the murky waters of corporate success, demands of family and romance.

But that’s not all. This fiction puts a fresh spin on the story of sisterhood – deep relationships between women – messy relationships between women. Many readers will find someone they know in Kingston’s best friends – Keela and Essence. Romance smashes through this sassy page turner, brimming with vivid imagery and emotion.

The novel already is garnering great reviews. It has even captured the attention of New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby, who penned The Best- Kept Secret.

Roby writes, “Easier Said Than Done is a story of overwhelming tragedy, slow realization, injury, and recovery - and the way love conquers all.”

Using emotion-packed prose like the following, Woods transfixes even a reader like Roby:

“This was not the end, and it certainly wasn’t a love story.
I was trapped in a horror movie that was careening out of control.”

Woods weaves a compelling story about the power of love, even as events surface that threaten to shatter her dreams. The novelist fashions the plot with precision and intrigue. The characters quickly come alive.

“Kingston, Keela and Essence are totally different people,” the author states, “but there is some sort of bond that keeps them together as friends.” The reader joins Kingston on a journey where she soon discovers that life may be Easier Said Than Done.

Nikki Woods was born in the St. Louis suburb of Rock Hill. She graduated from Webster Groves High School, and then studied education at Howard University. She earned her B. A. in journalism from the University of St. Francis. Woods currently co-hosts a popular radio show in Chicago. She is working on two other novels. Easier Said Than Done is published by Ebony Energy Publishing, Inc.