My News

OPPORTUNITY

As a member of the Board of the Daytona Writers Guild and the president of the Florida Writers Foundation, it was my pleasure to celebrate culture at BAMfest last weekend. In both my board member roles, I celebrate literacy. On January 12, 2020, the Daytona Writers Guild earned enough from sponsors and attendees to give over a thousand dollars to sponsor literacy programs in Volusia County.

Honor to meet Gold Sponsor and Hero Patrick Patrick Ziegler at BAMfest on January 12, 2020. Patrick Ziegler is writing the story of the attack at Fort Hood and his long road to recovery.

My husband, Barry Dimick and I, were fortunate to sit with Dan and Jeanette Pels at the Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyna Beach, January 12, 2020. Great making friends with the Director of Dan Pels Poetry. Congratulations, Dan Pels, on your Community Achievement Award.

Gold Star Sponsor Joseph Cavanaugh introducing award to be given to Founder Sponsor, Dr. Mary Custureri at BAMfest, at the Sugar Mill Country Club on January 12, 2020. Congratulations to my publisher, Dr. Mary Custureri, on her well-deserved Community Leadership Award.

Designing a Cover

Thank you for visiting My News.

Have you written your book? Are you ready to e-publish? Do you want to take control of all aspects of publishing the manuscript you poured your heart, blood, sweat, tears, and editing budget into for the last few years? 

We do judge a book by its cover. After you decide on your cover art, it’s time to know the basics of meeting the requirements of smashwords and other e-publishers.

This morning, I came across a great article. Hope it helps you. It’s helping me to be sure my cover meets the requirement of e-publishers. Follow this link: https://blog.smashwords.com/2012/06/new-ebook-cover-image-requirements.html 

Did you know?

Thank you for visiting My News. Like most of you, I’ve been busy with holiday preparations. I’ve completed and have two manuscripts in the hands of my editors. Before I send a manuscript to a publisher, I hire a content and a copy editor to look it over. While I wait for the manuscripts to be returned, I’m preparing my query letters and synopses. I caution beginning writers. Hire an editor before submitting your work to a publisher. 

I’m also preparing presentations for conferences and my sales tax forms. In the down time before the manuscripts are returned to me, I work on the business and charitable aspects of writing. Did you know writers must pay sales tax on the books they sell at private events?

Did you know I’m the President of the Florida Writers Foundation (FWF)? The goal of the FWF is to promote literacy. I try to attend as many events as I can to support literacy. This weekend, I shall attend BAMfest 2020. BAMfest is a Books, Art, and Music Festival with a delicious buffet. It helps to support the Volusia County Literacy Council. Please join me on January 12, 2020 at Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach. For tickets, contact Jill Clark, Daytona Writers Guild Secretary at 386-624-1125.

Did you know January is Human Trafficking Month? The Human Trafficking theme runs throughout my books. Since one of my goals is to eliminate this scourge on our society, I’d like to take a moment to provide the number for the National Hotline to report Human Trafficking: 1-888-373-7888. You may also text 233733, or go to https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ and click live chat.

Thank you for visiting my website and my news. Write daily. Write about what’s important to you. To what cause do you want to draw people’s attention? Go to my website www.melodydeandimick.com and click on Contact Melody. 

Please consider joining the Daytona Writers Guild

Villa Writers to Host Speaker

Good Morning,

Thank you for visiting My News. This morning is all about Florida Writers Association (FWA) writing groups. Writing groups follow a number of formats. Some are critique groups. Lake Helen Villa Writers is usually a critique group. Other writing groups invite guest speakers to inform members about a variety of writing topics and skills. Rik Feeney’s Orlando Group meets the first Wednesday of every month in Winter Park at the University Club. Rik Feeney’s Group invites speakers.

This month as a special Christmas gift to the members of Villa Writers in Lake Helen, Barry Dimick and I are paying for a guest speaker to join us on the morning of Friday, December 13 at 10:30. Gutsy to have a guest on a Friday the 13th, right? A description of Gene Luke Vlahovic’s presentation follows:

PUBLISHING WITH KDP

This comprehensive step-by-step instruction in a visual slide presentation allows attendees to understand and follow the self-publishing guidelines and procedures using Kindle Direct Publishing for paperback, e-book, and audiobook.

Gene Luke incorporates the Kindle Direct Publishing formatting requirements, specifications, and recommendations before entering into the KDP book publishing configurations.

The slide presentation enables attendees to apply these relatively clear-cut KDP steps on their own. It teaches how to upload a manuscript and book cover, and it shows the recommended distribution and pricing methods.

This self-acquired do-it-yourself KDP procedure is geared toward any one author who is willing to learn and benefit from it. 

Gene Luke Vlahovic, our presenter, is a published author with five of his books published in his native country of Yugoslavia, and translated into three other languages. His two novels published in English by KDP/ACX are available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook on Amazon.

Thank you for visiting my site. What type of writers’ group do you attend? What type would you like to attend? Visit my website at www.melodydeandimick.com and click on Melody’s News to connect. 

Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful to my family, my sister (Mary Ellen) who is making dinner for my mom, my mom for teaching me to read, my readers, the members of Lake Helen Villa Writers, my followers, my publisher, the members of the Board of the Florida Writers Foundation, those who provided items to bid on at our FWF Silent Auction, those who purchased items, my editors, the book store owners who have allowed me to put books in their stores and/or have hosted a book-signing event, my students who inspired me, my neighbors who challenge me on the pickleball court, my college roommate and her husband (Marie and Addie Ginter) for making Thanksgiving dinner, and my husband (Barry Dimick) who makes my coffee, allows me to be myself, took the photo of our anniversary destination and lights up every room he enters.  I am thankful Barry and I will travel to Longboat Key to celebrate our anniversary and take a break to read, play pinochle with college friends (John and Sharon Champine), and visit museums, aquariums, and restaurants.  What are you thankful for?