In the Editorial Cave....

Hello Lovely Readers,

August is a busy month of work, work, work on client manuscripts to submit to editors post-Labor Day, and to catch up on submissions. So. If we seem quiet here at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media, it is because we're in the Editorial Cave.

Just behind that rock with the lichens is the entrance to our editing space. Nancy's is off to the right.  The front of the cave is covered by dense foliage and bracken. You'll never find it. But don't worry, we have plenty of water, KOrtizzle and Skenall brought snacks enough for weeks, and there's decent wi fi.

The Editorial Cave is not to be confused with this cave:

Unfortunately.  Because it would be really cool to wander a cave with a wizard, thirteen dwarfs, and a hobbit.

In the mean time, if you aren't attending WriteOnCon, which is a brilliant and professional FREE online conference for writers, what else are you doing??  Because you should be there. Srsly.

Roaring Twenties

Kody Keplinger, author of THE DUFF and the soon to be released SHUT OUT, turns twenty today! To celebrate, we wanted to share some awesome moments from our twenties.

Kathleen:

So way back when I was an intern, I had the super awesome experience of being in the office when Joanna closed a deal. The deal was for a book called THE DUFF. I hadn't been around to read it, but I was still super excited for her and the Nancy Coffey team!

Some time later, I was given an ARC and read it overnight. Started following Kody on Twitter, chatting back and forth, getting all squee-er-ific over the fact she has a fantastic sense of humor and is just TOO CUTE for words. And a couple of years later, we still chill and when we do, I still have moments of shock at the fact she's a teen!

But not today.

Today she is no longer a teen. And she enters the realm of the 20s!

Amy Lukavics said it best: being in your 20s ROCKS! (*ahem* I'm still in them and holding on with a death grip that would put any Zombie to shame). But being specifically 20 is awesome, because:

- You're officially around for TWO decades. Just something cool about saying that. (ask me again when I'm at 3 decades)

- You're officially a YEAR from being 21.

- No one can call you a teen. You're an adult. Period. And while you may have some nostalgia, this will come in handy when dating.

- If you visit Japan, you can legally smoke (BOO), drink, and vote! You can also bet on horse racing.

- You officially make me feel not as ancient when I hang out with you.

When I was 20, I had my first official editorial job -- and I never looked back. For me it was a turning point, and it's only been better from there.

So Kody -- here's to you and your fabulousness, all two decades of it! <3

Joanna:

Well, this will have to be the moment other than my wedding :-)

It was when I first moved into my own apartment, without a roommate. It was a fair-sized 1-BR. Due to the fact that I didn't own much (and just enough OCD) I had finished unpacking by the day after the move. Then I made myself a bowl of noodles and sat on my futon to eat.

I was 23. Before this, I had only lived with roommates, and before that was the communal living of college, and before that I shared a room with my sister for 17 years. I wasn't used space that was only meant for me.

I didn't have a TV and couldn't even afford to get cable internet (no smart phones then either). But I had an old boom box that I had gotten when I was 10. So I turned on the radio. Relaxed into my futon. Ate my noodles. And I was grinning the whole time. I had never felt so independent! It was the first time I ever truly felt like an adult. And I *loved* it.

Sara:

I transferred my sophomore year of college. It was one of the first big decisions I had to make on my own, and I was still hoping it was going to be a good idea the day I moved in.

I was living in the dorms, in a triple that was connected by a bathroom to another triple. It was tight living.

And as I was walking past the bathroom, I saw a person moving around in the other room.

"Hello?" I called.

The girl popped back into view. "Hi!" she said.

"I'm Sara." We shook hands over the toilet. If you have not done this, and I hope you haven't: most awkward handshake ever.

And then we stared at each other for a few seconds.

"So. I walked past this frozen yogurt place called 21 Choices. I'm thinking it must be a bad rip-off of 31 Flavors, and I feel the need to test that," I said. Because awkward handshakes should ALWAYS lead to awkward friend-date invitations. Obviously.

"Oprah says froyo is the next big food trend," said my new suite-mate. And then, "Uh, you'll soon discover half the things I say starts with 'Oprah says...'"

Thus began a beautiful friendship.

And also the realization that I would meet people in this world whose experiences, lives, and sense of humor could (and would!) change my point of view and my outlook on life in more ways than I could imagine.

It seems like a silly thing to realize, almost like it's common-sense. But though I'd KNOWN such things could happen while I was a teenager--that I would go to college somewhere else besides the small town I'd spent my entire life in and meet people who would help me grow--the year I turned 20 was the year I actually felt it.

So! Here's to all the experiences YOU will have this year. I hope they're as awesome as you are.

You can read other fab twenties moments at Erica O'Rourke's, Loretta Nyhan's, Amy Lukavics's, and Lisa and Laura Roecker's, just for starters.

The Life of an English Major

This is EXACTLY what it's like.

MOMMIES, GOD & A REAL HOUSEWIFE OF NEW JERSEY

How a thirty minute social media marketing consultation with Joanna and Kathleen led me from ‘like’ to ‘love’.

I’ll admit it. I want to be liked.

‘Like’ in the facebook sense of the word, of course. But not just for validation. Because I’ve experienced the Power of Like.  

Actually, if it weren’t for social media, my project, Boy Sees Hearts wouldn’t exist.   My heart collecting mission started a year ago when I began photographing hearts in nature, food and garbage. When I shared them on facebook, I started seeing more, posting more and making art.

And then others started seeing hearts.

The response blew me away: Features on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Aha Life, Beliefnet and others inspired Boy Sees Hearts to grow from something interesting to something that impacts lives: Charitable giving, meaningful elementary school visits and a children’s book project repped by the inimitable Joanna Stampfel-Volpe.

Recently--when my social media platform started to plateau--Joanna suggested we enlist the expertise of social media empress (and Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Sub-Rights Director and Agent), Kathleen Ortiz.

That brainstorming conference call thirty days ago jolted me from social media stagnation to new levels of Tweet Cred:

First a church.

Then a Real Housewife of New Jersey.

Then, the Mommies. 

(Hearts discovered by Boy Sees Hearts facebook fans)

My revamped social media outreach inspired a connection with Marie, a new facebook fan who informed me that her pastor recently led a Boy Sees Hearts-themed sermon at First Lutheran of Blooming Prairie in Minnesota.

Soon after that, a twitter shout-out from Real Housewife of New Jersey, Fabulicious Theresa Guidice:

Then, two prominent Mom-Blogs, Design Mom and Cool Mom Picks featured Boy Sees Hearts in a twenty four-hour period.

Oh, and my stats skyrocketed. Within thirty days of our brainstorming session my facebook ‘likes’ increased two thousand percent and my twitter followers more than doubled.

By no means am I a social media guru, but here are five tips I’d love to share from my thirty day Extreme Makeover: Social Media Edition:

1.     Talk to people.

Tell your friends what you want to do. Brainstorm with them.  Implement the best ideas.

2.     Do what you’re doing, better.

Are you truly connecting with your audience? Kathleen made a really insightful comment: ‘You’re replying with one-word answers.’ Start a dialogue.

3.     Do what you’re doing, elsewhere.

Joanna liked what I was doing on tumblr and urged me to do more. “Why not try flickr?”  Awesome tip. Kathleen suggested foursquare, where I could post hearts for others to discover. Another great idea.

4.     Step out of your comfort zone.

Find small ways to reach new audiences. I discovered that a slight expansion of my sphere of influence paid off big time.

Have you resisted contests and giveaways because they seemed tacky? Maybe there’s a way you can do them elegantly.

5.     Give your fans a reason to like you.

Create compelling content.…and give away free stuff.

The Boy Sees Hearts Sweepstakes generated a significant number of likes and followers. I found that Wildfire is a great contest app that can be incorporated into facebook and twitter.

Aside from escalating likes, steadily-increasing followers and housewives (Real and otherwise)--for me--the best thing about social media is how it encourages collaboration. If executed well, social media can not only create dialogue, but foster the creative process.

What are some social media practices that have worked well for your platform? I’d love to hear your ideas.

After all, I don’t just want to be liked.

…I want to be loved!

Boy Sees Hearts on facebook

Boy Sees Hearts on twitter

Boy Sees Hearts on tumblr

Boy Sees Hearts on flickr

www.BoySeesHearts.com

Enter the Boy Sees Hearts Sweepstakes

UPDATE NOTE: In the week since this was written, he is gained another 1000 followers!!! - JoSV

Boy Sees Hearts Contest!

We are super excited to share with you agency client Eric Telchin's Boy Sees Heart contest!

While hosting a party at his home in 2009, Eric spilled chocolate ice cream on his kitchen counter. He noticed that the puddle formed the shape of a heart and he grabbed his iPhone to snap a picture. Since then, Eric has seen thousands of hearts in the unlikeliest places, on everything from egg yolks to palm trees.

He photographs these hearts and transforms them into abstract and representational art. Within a year of launching his web site, BoySeesHearts.com, his artwork has been recognized on network prime time television and featured in magazines, newspapers, blogs and luxury retail web sites.

And Eric is offering up an original print of the heart that started it all!

How do you win?

Go to BoySeesHears.com and click on ENTER TO WIN
at the bottom of the page in the orange bar.

OR

Like Boy Sees Hearts on Facebook

To increase your odds of winning dramatically, invite your friends to enter the Boy Sees Hearts Sweepstakes. If the winner lists your name as the referrer, YOU will win a signed 16”x20” museum-quality giclee print of the Boy Sees Hearts design of your choice.

A randomly selected winner will receive the grand prize
(valued at $10,000) consisting of:
1. An EXCLUSIVE signed 20″×16″ museum-quality giclee print of the first heart captured on 7/31/09 by Boy Sees Hearts Creator and Founder, Eric Telchin: The heart-shaped puddle of New York Super Fudge Chunk formed on his kitchen counter during a party. The winner will receive the very first print of this image, as it has never been offered before.

2. An EXCLUSIVE, 2nd Anniversary Heart, which Eric will find and capture with his iPhone on 7/31/11. He will dedicate this heart to the winner, and retire it from the collection permanently. Eric will sign this ONE-OF-A-KIND 16”x20” museum-quality giclee print. It will never be printed again.


A second-place winner will also receive a 16”x20” museum-quality giclee Boy Sees Hearts print signed by Boy Sees Hearts Creator and Founder, Eric Telchin.

The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT on SUNDAY August 7, 2011.
The grand prize and second place winners will be announced on August 8, 2011.

This is an excellent opportunity to share Eric's message that beauty is everywhere and love is all around. Check us out on Thursday when Eric blogs here about his journey to reach others using social media!

Do YOU have a heart photo? Share it! Tweet at @KOrtizzle or @JoSVolpe and @BoySeesHearts. We'd love to see them!

~K