Mitch Albom and Frankie Presto come to Rochester Hills Bookstore

Book signings with Mitch While a force of movie-goers were gearing up for a line waiting experience at local theaters, December 17 had many others already in line to get their purchase of The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto signed by its author. Mitch Albom was a busy man at the end of 2015 – The Community Edge caught up with him at the Rochester Hills Barnes & Noble Bookstore – signing copies of his latest book. Store policy does not allow the release of how many books were … [Read more...]

A New Year for The Freelance Marketplace Writers Group

The Freelance Marketplace Writers' Group Meets this Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at the Rochester Hills Barnes & Noble Bookstore at 2800 S. Rochester Road (west side) just North of Auburn Road at 7:30 p.m. We meet on third Tuesday of the month to discuss the business of writing. New, working, and published writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome. Free and open to the public. This month our guest will be Robert Conroy, a local Michigan author. In February we will be joined by Jim … [Read more...]

Edit Yourself

One of the most stressful aspects for any writer can be the editing process. How can you possibly be expected to take the pages and pages of material you have poured your heart into and trim it down to the average 20,000-word manuscript? It’s like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Thankfully, the answer is surprisingly simply: Hire a good editor. Now you might be worried that an editor is going to completely change your creation and leave you with barely a resemblance of what you … [Read more...]

Take a Number

You’ve written your book, made sure you haven’t stepped on any trademarked toes, and have decided to copyright your masterpiece. Now, there’s just one more piece of the publishing puzzle to consider: Should you get an ISBN? What is an ISBN anyway? An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number that uniquely indentifies your book or eBook. Similar to how a barcode works in a retail store. This allows for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, … [Read more...]

Trademark: What’s Your Sign?

Last week we discussed the advantages of copyrighting your work. Today, in our second of a three-part series, we look at trademarks.  A trademark (™) is, "A word, phrase, logo, or other graphic symbol (i.e., the shape of a Coca Cola® bottle) used by a manufacturer or seller to distinguish its product(s) from those of others.” The main purpose of a trademark is to designate the source of goods or services, allowing it to essentially serve as the commercial substitute for one's signature. But, … [Read more...]

Get Your Rights in Writing

Thanks to the rise of self publishing, everyday folks can become the next John Grisham. But unlike the literary legends that line our bookshelves, most novice writers don’t have big publishing houses backing their endevors, which means it’s up to the author to take care of all the fine print. A big part of that is making sure your work is protected so that you retain creative control and don’t lose out on any potential profits made from your hard work. In our three-part series, we’ll take a … [Read more...]

Holiday Gift Guide for Writers, New Group in Auburn Hills, and more

Holiday Gift Guide for Writers The Freelance Marketplace Writers' Group will put together their annual list of gifts for writers. Please email me your ideas and we'll compile the list at the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester Hills Barnes & Noble Bookstore. We will also welcome new members and discuss the business of writing. Open to new, published and working writers, photographers and illustrators. Free to attend. This will be our last meeting … [Read more...]

Kindle Books Now Free at the Rochester Hills Public Library

Digital books have taken off and the library has become a great place to find eBooks at no charge.  Amazon’s Kindle has now joined the Nook, Sony Readers, Kobo and Pandigital readers, and many mobile such as Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, iPod of portable devices that allow for borrowing library books.   Amazon and OverDrive, the Rochester Hill’s Public Library’s supplier of eBooks, are now offering Kindle Books as part of the library’s downloadable book service.  “This is very exciting news,” … [Read more...]

Freelance Writers Group at Borders

The Freelance Marketplace Writers' Group meets Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester Hills Borders Bookstore in the Cafe area. We discuss the Business of Writing. Open to new and published writers, photographers and illustrators. Free to attend. Michael Dwyer Travel Columnist, Freelance Writer & Broadcast Journalist (248) 651-6869 Annual Rochester Writers' Conference: www.RochesterWriters.com Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/talktravel Join my Facebook … [Read more...]

Freelance Marketplace Writers’ Group

Meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Rochester Hills Borders Bookstore on Rochester Road just south of Avon Road. Next meeting is Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the cafe. Open to new and published writers, photographers, and illustrators. Free to attend. We discuss the business of writing. THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF WRITING (and how to avoid them) Royal Oak Public Library Auditorium Wednesday, May 18, 7-9 p.m. Led by Cindy La Ferle Free to the public. Advance … [Read more...]