Griffin Poetry Prize Trustees Announced

Griffin Poetry Prize Trustees TORONTO – September 21, 2011 – The trustees of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry are pleased to announce that Heather McHugh (USA), David O'Meara (Canada), and Fiona Sampson (UK) are the judges for the 2012 Griffin Poetry Prize. Heather McHugh Heather McHugh was born in San Diego, California. She has published volumes of poetry, translation and essays, and for over 35 years has taught and lectured at universities. She is Pollock Professor of Poetry at the University of Washington, and one of the original visiting faculty at the fabled Warren Wilson MFA Program in Asheville, NC. In 2001, she and Nikolai Popov won the inaugural International Griffin Poetry Prize for their translation of Glottal Stop: 101 Poems by Paul Celan. In 2009 she was named a MacArthur Fellow. Her most recent volume of poetry, Upgraded to Serious, was published in the US and Canada. (Click here for additional bio details.) David O'Meara David O'Meara was born in Pembroke, Ontario. He is the author of three collections of poetry, and a play, Disaster. His most recent book is Noble Gas, Penny Black. His work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including The New Canon, and The Echoing Years, a co-Irish/Canadian anthology. He has been shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Award, the ReLit Prize, the Trillium Prize, a National Magazine Award, four Rideau Awards (theatre), and was twice winner of the Archibald Lampman Award. He is director of the renowned Plan 99 Reading Series, a founding director of VerseFest, Canada's International Poetry Festival, and will be poetry instructor at the Banff Centre in September 2012. He continues to tend bar at the Manx Pub in Ottawa. (Click here for additional bio details.) Fiona Sampson Fiona Sampson is a poet, essayist and critic whose most recent books include a new edition of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Music Lessons: The Newcastle Poetry Lectures. Published in more than thirty languages, she has eleven books in translation including Patuvachki Dnevnik, which was awarded the Zlaten Prsten. In 2009, she received a Cholmondeley Award and was elected an FRSL; she has since been elected to the Council of the Royal Society of Literature. She has received the Newdigate Prize, Writer's Awards from the Arts Councils of England and of Wales and from the Society of Authors and has been shortlisted twice for both the T.S. Eliot Prize and Forward Prizes. She is currently Distinguished Writer at the University of Kingston and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of London. Her critical survey of contemporary British poetry, Beyond the Lyric will appear in autumn 2012. (Click here for additional bio details.) Judges All three judges understand the importance of the Griffin Poetry Prize’s international reach and may consequently call in books of English language poetry from around the world. The shortlisted books (four International and three Canadian) will be announced on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at a press conference in Toronto, Canada. The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry is pleased to announce that the Shortlist Readings will take place in the magnificent Koerner Hall at The Royal Conservatory in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, on Friday, June 22, 2012. The winners of the Griffin Poetry Prize will be named at an awards ceremony to be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Note to Publishers: The submissions deadline for the 2012 Griffin Poetry Prize, for books published between January 1 and December 31, 2011, is Saturday, December 31, 2011. Submitted books must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2011. If you have any questions regarding the rules, or would like to download an entry form, please visit our Web site, at: www.griffinpoetryprize.com/how-to-enter/rules/ For further information, please contact: Ruth Smith Manager E-mail: info@griffinpoetryprize.com

Do You Know How to Be Your Own Publicist?

Dear Member,

The Writers’ Union is seeking two members who are subject matter experts and skilled presenters to create and deliver
professional development workshops on the topic of “How to be Your Own Publicist.”

Specifically we are seeking one member who can present on traditional but innovative book marketing and one who can
present on maximizing digital marketing platforms and new media. Both presenters should have a track record of success in
self-marketing and be engaging speakers.

Each presenter will be responsible for:

developing and delivering three-hour presentations in a series of full-day workshops in five Canadian cities,
developing and delivering a condensed presentation for two shorter webcast sessions, and
providing a 600-word article based on their presentation for publication in Write magazine.
All workshops are expected to be delivered in February or March in 2012 and again in 2013.

Fees, travel and accommodation are paid in accordance with the program budget.

The Professional Development program is made possible with assistance from the Department of Canadian Heritage. Its
purpose is to enhance the careers of book writers, whether unpublished, emerging, or established.

Interested members are invited to submit an expression of interest including:
an outline of their proposed presentation, and
a brief bio highlighting their self-marketing and presentation experience
to Kelly Duffin, Executive Director of the Writers’ Union of Canada. Submission deadline is September 16, 2011.

For any questions, contact Kelly at kduffin@writersunion.ca or 416-703-8982 ext 221.

Good Luck.

Tracy Repchuk
President of the CFP

Michelle Obama - Poetry Helps Us Connect

When I was young, I was a passionate creative writer and sort of a poet. That's how I would release myself. Whenever I was struggling in school, or didn't want to go outside and deal with the nonsense of the neighborhood, I would write and write and write and write. I think it was my writing that sort of prepared me for so much of what I've had to do in my life as an adult.

Robert Frost once wrote, "A poem begins as a lump in the throat." In writing poetry, you all put words into that kind of emotion. You give voice to your hopes, your dreams, your worries and your fears. And when you do that, when you share yourself that way, and make yourself vulnerable like that, you're taking a risk. And that's brave.

And when you write poetry, you're not just expressing yourself. You're also connecting to people. And that's the key to everything we want to be and do as human beings - is our ability to connect to one another.

Think about how you feel when you read a poem that really speaks to you, one that perfectly expresses what you're thinking and feeling. When you read that, you feel understood, right? I know I do. You feel less alone. I know I do. You realize despite all our differences, there are so many human experiences and emotions that we share.

And poetry doesn't just show us how much we share. It also exposes us to wonderful new ideas and experiences. It helps us see the world in an entirely different way. As Rita Dove once wrote, "What writing does is to reveal. A good poem can awaken our senses and help us notice things that we've never noticed before. It can take us to places we've never gone - to a mountaintop or a battlefield or a city halfway around the world."

And I know that writing poetry is not easy. I know that sometimes you really got to work hard to make it happen. I know that it can be discouraging when you're struggling with writer's block and you can't find that word that is just right, or get that line exactly the way you want it to be.

So I want you all to keep at it. Keep taking those risks. Keep having the courage to share your work, which is so important. That was the best part of writing - it was reading it back to my mother, making them sit and listen to my work. And I also had to read it and perform it. So keep sharing, keep reading poetry, and learning from other poets.

And even if you don't grow up to be a professional poet, I promise that what you learn through reading and writing poetry will stay with you throughout your life.

Edited from remarks made May 11 in the State Dining Room at the White House.

Copyright: The St. Louis American, June 2011

Social Media You Pay For - Really?

Social Media You Pay For?

Yep, that's what it has come to.

So why would someone pay?

- to be able to be heard
- to join a community that is exactly what you are looking for
- to get real advice from successful people in your field
- to leverage skills of 'friends'

That is what I am doing, and why I joined



It's a real community of people who have thriving businesses, and know what it takes to create an online business, or build a business.

I'm eager to connect you with someone, who I think will really be able to kick things up for you.

He's the best-selling author of Impact: How to Get Noticed, Motivate Millions and Make a Difference in a Noisy World, and the popular host of a series of live events that bring together top-level marketers, entrepreneurs, business owners, corporations and non-profit organizations to create multi-million dollar joint venture relationships.

He creates incredible, intense impact for product launches and multi-million dollar profits in
surprisingly short timeframes.

In fact, he has managed product launches ranked in the top 400 sites on the Internet, but he also works with select individuals to help them create a decent living utilizing the power of the Internet.

It's the world's only PROVEN comprehensive partnering building system focused entirely on
making sure that your ideas, products and services spread like wildfire to millions of people each day through the amazing leverage of science, technology, collaboration, marketing and partnering -- to build solid profits for your business or organization.

There's a "Members Only" Impact Social Network and Partnering System, a Perpetual Learning Series of Webcasts, a resource center with 100's of hours of audios, videos and other resources.

And ... there are opportunities for facilitated masterminds, joint Impact projects and even
mentoring if you are interested.

This group is by invitation only, but I want you in and I've got an invitation for you.

This group is intimate, so that REAL relationships get made and solid value is exchanged.

Social Media You Pay For

Check it out.

See you on the other side.
Tracy Repchuk
Your Recurring Riches for Life Coach

PS -

Selling Your Books Online for Poets by Tracy Repchuk

SELLING YOUR BOOKS ONLINE


    WARNING: The Opportunity Missed


With so many poets getting their works published, I wanted to assist you in how to sell your books online.

Many people are making the mistake of only having the books they have listed on one page with a buy now button - however this is a way NOT to sell them. Promote every book separately. Having them on one page is fine - just don't promote that page. Think commercials - one product sells at a time - that is how you promote effectively.
Not only is this good for buyer attention span - it is good for your title with Google.

Every book you have should have it's own domain name which is the title of your book. Even if the site is one page it should completely focus their attention on just ONE thing - falling in love with, and buying your book! That is why commercials work - focus on one thing only.

ie. ThePoetryofBusiness.com

It should talk about the book from the perspective of what's in it for the reader. Not about you and why you wrote it.

ie. This book will transform the way you look at the simple pleasures of life so that all things are renewed for you. And should continue on for quite a while about this. You have to think about the benefits to the reader.

Then you talk about you, your story, your accolades, your credibility if it applies.

Then you have a BUY NOW button.
If you REALLY want to make it an easy decision, build in value by offering 'free gifts' if they buy today. This won't be something you ship, it is something you provide by a download page and link.


For example:  Free Bonus Gifts valued at $29
 - Free bookmark (if you ship yourself)  
 - ebook version of Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass
 - find an inspiration quote or picture
 - Link to an inspiration video


For my poetry book I gave away reports that linked to my topic. Some people buy because the perceived value of the bonus gifts is more than the cost of the book. Sounds dumb - but that is why infomercials work so well.


Where do you get free stuff to give them - www.Gutenberg.org - EVERYTHING up there is up for grabs. It is expired copyright materials. Search poems, poetry, writing poetry, anything that fits your topic. Search google for poetry resell rights. Sometimes you have to pay a small fee but you can give it away over and over again.


Tracy Repchuk
Bestselling Author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles


PS - Get a copy of the internet marketing bible of today at http://tinyurl.com/31amazon

April Poetry News Makers - World Records, Tracy Repchuk, Books Published

CFP  MEMBER NEWS

Tracy Repchuk -

* Spoke in Fort Lauderdale at Women's Event luncheon and my own Power of 3 event

* Spoke in Boston at my own event

* Spoke in Scottsdale, Arizona at own event

* Spoke in Denver at own event

* Spoke in Clearwater Florida at own event and Connections Convention as a keynote speaker

* Keynote speaker for United Shoe Retailers Association

* Appeared on Fox TV for 30 minute interview

* Appeared in Mode Lifestyle magazine

* Just booked speaking engagement for UK and France

* Nominated for Entrepreneur Leader of the World Award

           www.ThePowerof3WorldTour.com

Cheryl Xaveir
* Just launched her new book "Bruised but unbroken"

Dimitris P Kraniotis
* Participating in the 22nd World Congress of Poets in Greece

Suzanne Hunter:
* Received 3rd prize for her poem "Turning Tide" from the Dr William Henry Drummond poetry contest

Stephen Gill:
* On a literary tour to India visiting campuses of colleges and universities for his book Coexistence.

Flavia Cosma:
* Released her book "Moonlight Fairy Tales"

Beth Skala:
* Awarded an Honourable Mention in the William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest for her poem "Raven Has My Number"

Nikhil Parekh:

* Has added 2 more Limca World Records for his works

http://worldrecordsandrewrads.blogspot.com

Perparim Kapllani: 

* Just released the book "Beyond The Edge Stories"

Maria Marchelletta:

* Just released her book "Sentieri dell'Anima - Journey of the Soul"

Congratulations to these members of the Canadian Federation of Poets 

Tracy Repchuk - Why You Should Be Using BlogTalk Radio

BLOG TALK RADIO - USE IT!

For poets, there is a fantastic promotional tool you can take advantage of - and even better - it's free.

I have appeared on radio stations now all over the world, but unless it is a show like Howard Stern - radio doesn't make a lasting impression - unless it is www.BlogTalkRadio.com

Here's why
- the radio show is kept on the internet forever
- you can access the show via mp3 and send it to your fans, post it on your blog, your facebook page, tweet about it
- you can take that audio, add it to a powerpoint, and make a YouTube vidoe out of it, and blast to all your social media contacts

It is making a huge impact out there.

Plus - there is tons of radio shows devoted to poetry where you can get interviewed, interview others, or just read your poetry on your own channel and build a network of listeners.

So next time you need publicity, or want to share your poetry with more users - open up a free account on www.BlogTalkRadio.com and
start sharing.

Check out a free audio replay of an interview that was done by Dolores Seright for an upcoming book she is doing on successful women. Here is the interview:
Tracy Repchuk Interview Preview