2009 Silent Auction for Florida Writers Foundation

One-Hour Publicity Consultation

with Pam Lontos

Gain Credibility and Fame by Having your Name in National Publications

Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR, a public relations firm for speakers, authors, and experts, will offer the following:

A one-hour consultation with Pam Lontos on how to position yourself in the media and use the publicity to sell more books.

This call includes how to:

promote your books by using the media
brainstorm press release topics
come up with article topics to get published in magazines
determine your hook
find out who to target in the media
decide what magazines and TV shows are best for you
determine which of your topics are best for the media

Pam Lontos is president of PR/PR, a public relations firm based in Orlando, Fla. She is author of "I See Your Name Everywhere" and is a former vice president of sales for Disney's Shamrock Broadcasting. PR/PR has placed clients in publications such as USA Today, Entrepreneur, Time, Reader's Digest and Cosmopolitan. PR/PR works with established businesses, as well as entrepreneurs who are just launching their company.

Romantic Amelia Island Basket

FWA's Amelia Island Writers Groups is putting together a "Romantic Amelia Island Basket" that is sure to please any winner! Contents include a $ 100 Gift Certificate toward a stay in the oldest operating hotel in the state of Florida, The Florida House Inn. Basket contents will include an Amelia Island B&B Cook Book donated by the Florida House Inn, 2-Amelia Island Book Festival T-Shirts and 3 Books by Author Dickie Anderson, Amelia Island Artist note cards as well as Maggie de Vries's books, Amelia's Secrets and Ghosts of Amelia & Other Tales, 3 books donated by author-Cara Curtin, book donated by Rone Miller-Horse Bones, books of poetry from author-Jim Weisner, Wine & accessories, ie 2 glasses, candles. Check out the basket at the conference for added last minute goodies! Donated by FWA's Amelia Island Writers Group.

Book Cover Design ($1000 value)

Online Bidding only! Click on the logo above to get to the bidding website. Book Cover Design – Certificate ($1000 value) Your book cover is one of the most critical elements in the success of your book! No matter what others say, a book is judged, and the buying decision often made, because of the book’s cover. Book Coach, Rik Feeney will work with you to design a book cover that effectively represents the topic of your book, gets it picked off the shelf, and opened for a serious buying consideration. Donated by Richardson Publishing

Publishiing Consulting-Certificate ($500 value)

Online Bidding Only! Click on the logo to get to FWF's eBay items for sale. New to publishing? Have a book ready to go to print? Do you need help with marketing ideas? Still trying to decide whether to publish traditionally, go Print-On-Demand, or become an Independent Publisher? Consult with Book Coach, Rik Feeney for unique ideas, solutions, and guidance on your path into the world of publishing. Let his experience as author, consultant, and publisher save you time and money. Donated by Richardson Publishing.

Self Publishing Manual

The Self-Publishing Manual, How to Write, Print & Sell Your Own Book by Dan Poynter is a complete course in writing, publishing, marketing, promoting and distributing books. It takes you step-by-step from idea, through manuscript, printing, promotion and sales. Along with an in-depth study of the book publishing industry, the book explains in detail numerous innovative book-marketing techniques. "Whether you sell out to a publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. This book is about promotion." Donated by Dan Paynter.

Self Publishing Manual-Vol. 2

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BOOKS Book publishing is changing: this book describes how to take advantage of those changes. This Volume II is the sequel to The Self-Publishing Manual (Volume I), the most successful book ever written on the subject. Learn how to use new techniques to write your book faster, new technology to publish it for less, new ways to distribute your book more economically, ways to have fun promoting it and how to profit from your investment by cutting out all of publishing’s’ gatekeepers in the middle. Donated by Dan Poynter.

Rabbit in the Moon

Rabbit in the Moon is the story of American-born-and-proud Lili Quan – a young medical doctor, passionately strong in her convictions and views on life. She’s also stubbornly avoiding a heritage she’d rather not identify with. Only when her mother dies and asks for her promise does she decide to visit China to discover her roots. The story is set against the most tumultuous 7 weeks in recent Chinese history from the rise of the democracy movement in April to its fall with the June 4th massacre in Tiananmen Square. Donated by Deborah and Joel Shlian.

STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in a small town in Pennsylvania. State Police Detective Thomas Sheski and his partner investigate to uncover the murder of a prominent citizen of the town, Mrs. Rose Stone, the wife of a well-known psychiatrist. When Sheski reopens an old case involving the town's famous psychopathic artist and the murder of several little girls, the state trooper finds that decades of lies and deceit have led him back to his victim. Donated by Holly Fox Vellekoop.

Silent Auction Rules

Updated for the 2009 Conference on October 15, 2009.

1. OPENING BIDS – The Silent Auction begins on Friday morning at 8:00 a.m., and ends on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m.

2. PROCEDURE – All items will have a bid number attached, and a corresponding bid sheet with the same identification number.

Bidders must legibly print or write their names and bid amounts in dollars under the last bid amount on the bid sheet. Each new bid must equal or exceed the minimum increase amount stated on the bid sheet to qualify as a valid bid. No bid sheet may be removed from the Silent Auction table. Until the close of the auction at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, you are welcome to bid as many times as you like on any item.

3. VALUE - Values set on goods and services are donor estimates and are not warranted by Florida Writers Foundation for tax purposes or general value.

4. EXPIRATION - All goods and services must be used within the time period restricted by donor on certificate. Any restrictions will be listed on the item description next to, or on the item.

5. WINNING BIDS - The closing bid circled by an auction official after the table closes constitutes the winning bid. In the event of a dispute, the auction official shall act as the final authority and shall determine the winning bidder, possibly in a voice bid. This decision is final. Auction officials solely retain the right to disqualify and/or nullify a bid.

6. PAYMENT - Payment by winning bidder will be accepted on Sunday morning at the Registration Desk, beginning at 7 a.m. Cash or checks made out to “Florida Writers Foundation” will be accepted for all purchases. Credit cards (Master Card, Visa, or Discover) will be accepted for purchases exceeding $20.00. All items must be paid IN FULL by 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, or the item will be offered to the next highest bidder.

7. EARLY BIRD - If you are not going to be at the conference on Sunday, you may pay a $10 premium at the Registration Desk and sign up on the Early Bird list. Then, if you are the high bidder on an item, you may pay for and retrieve your items at the Conference Office from 11:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night. This is only for people who will not be at the conference on Sunday.