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This Month
-MISSION: TEXAS IN AUGUST!
-BEST of BLAST
-Tech Tips From Skyla
-Questions & Answers
-eBooks
-Refresher Moment
-Mark Your Calendars
-Accomplishment Corner
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Summer Greetings From
Shannon Ethridge Ministries!
MISSION: TEXAS IN AUGUST!
Why in the world would anyone want to book a trip to Texas in August, the HOTTEST month of the year?
Here's 3 HOT reasons why:
- We're hosting a LIVE BLAST class, starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 9th through 3 p.m. Friday, August 12th.
- We're hosting a BLAST Reunion starting at 6 p.m. Friday, August 12th through 9 p.m. Saturday, August 13th.
- You'll enjoy face-to-face interaction with Shannon, other BLAST class members (past & present), and and enjoy special guest teachers and awesome musicians from within the BLAST Community!
 We've booked one of the newest & nicest hotels in Tyler for both the LIVE class and the Reunion. The Hilton Garden Inn amenities include:
* an onsite restaurant * indoor heated pool and spa * complimentary covered parking
* an adjacent jogging trail * state-of-the-art fitness center * complimentary 24-hour business center
Individual rooms include:
* refrigerator * microwave * coffee maker * complimentary wireless internet * Garden Sleep System beds
Located at 220 East Grande Blvd, Tyler, TX 75703, the Hilton Garden Inn has reserved a block of discounted rooms for us, offering a special rate of $89 per room (vs. their standard $139 per room, a savings of $50 per night). Click here to view more information about the Hilton Garden Inn.
Reservations can be made directly by calling 903-509-1166 and must be received by the hotel no later than JULY 21. Be sure to mention that you are with Shannon Ethridge's BLAST event to receive this special rate!
To make your visit as pleasant and affordable as possible, current BLAST participants Sharon Cox and Jennifer Hilton will serve as your event hostesses. They can help you with things like:
- Arranging a ride to/from Tyler Pounds Regional Airport if you prefer not to rent a car
(if you choose to fly into Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, you will need to rent a car for the 2-hour commute to Tyler)
- Stopping by a local grocery store on the way to the hotel to pick up food items which can be kept in your room to cut down on eating expenses for those who prefer not to eat out every meal.
- Connecting you with another same-sex BLAST participant to share a hotel room and cut down on lodging expenses.
- Addressing any other questions/concerns you may have!
 Although travel, lodging, and dining expenses are your responsibility, there is NO additional cost to attend the LIVE class above and beyond what you've already paid to participate in BLAST. In addition, spouses participate in the LIVE class for FREE! (No children please, as each of the sessions are being video recorded.)
The cost to attend the BLAST Reunion will be $89 per person, but will include dinner on both Friday & Saturday nights.
Please RSVP for either the LIVE class, the Reunion event, or BOTH as soon as possible (preferably by July 20) by emailing Sharon Cox at coxfam2@juno.com or Jennifer Hilton at jh3231@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing many of you in Texas! And we promise to try to keep you as cool and comfortable as possible! :o)
MISSION UPDATE:
So far we have folks coming from as far away as California, Illinois, Maryland, and Alberta, Canada! Woohoo! The airport shuttles will be ready!
Some of you have asked about an exact schedule for the event. That will be forthcoming once we see exactly how many people will be in attendance, so PLEASE RSVP on or before July 20th so we can nail down our schedule and get all of our ducks in a row for this exciting week!
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 BEST critiqued video Canadian Trish White from Spring Class #5 proves that you don't have to have a fancy background and a lot of video bells and whistles to totally captivate an audience! Her video received some of the highest marks from classmates that I've seen in quite a while! Congratulations, Trish!
Also, here's a great tip from Trish that may help your small groups:
Have any of you ever used www.meetingwizard.com? It's been a lifesaver for us in church work trying to arrange meeting times for busy people. Whoever sets up the meeting chooses several date/time options and sends them out. The attendees fill out what works for them. We've found it saves a lot of phone/email tag. |
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Blogging
 It seems lately that you can't turn around without finding a blog on the Web. But what exactly is a blog? Depending upon who you talk to, a blog is a personal Web diary, a collection of short, dated discussions with commentary, or a way of publishing news and information.
Traditionally, blogs were used as something like an online diary. They included links that the author had found interesting that day as well as life stories. But as blogs became more and more popular, businesses started to use them. The first industry to really embrace blogs was the news media. Journalists post their stories to the blog and readers subscribe to the blog news feeds to receive up-to-the-minute information on a variety of topics. Now, blogs are used for many different purposes.
- Personal diaries
- New information on a topic
- Product updates: reviews, new versions, new products
- Almost anything you can think of
Where do you start in creating a blog? Here are a couple popular sites you can host with:
Check out the BLASTers who are already out there blogging:
If you have a blog please email Skyla and she will get it added to your BLAST class page |
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Questions & Answers
From Christy Kennard (BLAST Class #1):
 I know we discussed this in BLAST but I could not remember whether you said you had an agent or not for Every Woman's Battle.
My husband and I have been working on a book and submitted it to Group Publishing this week. My husband has written for their magazine before and has some solid contacts. We heard back from them and they seem pretty interested. (They specifically were Impressed with the proposal which I learned from YOU!! :)
Honestly, after already making contact and hearing back from them it seems crazy to have an agent and give up15%. I just wanted your recommendation on how to best protect ourselves. Group is a reputable company so I don't feel too concerned about getting screwed but wanted your thoughts.
Shannon's Response:
I had an agent with the first two books, but not on the other 16. I'd say the only reason you NEED an agent is to help find a home for your work, but if Group is already interested, I wouldn't give up 15% just to have someone oversee the contracts. Group IS a very reputable company and I've published articles with them myself, so I wouldn't have any concerns about signing on with them -- sounds like match made in Heaven! Congratulations!
 From Aubrey Sampson (BLAST Class #4):
Our small group has some general questions about the nature of the publishing world as it changes to a more digital/ e-book world. Are publishers these days mainly looking for writers with a strong following and/or presence in the Christian community/blogosphere? In other words, as writers, alongside a great book proposal and well-written sample chapters, do we need to have a bit of "status" in order to be picked up by publishers & literary agents?
Shannon's Response:
I don't know that a publisher would turn down a project completely if you didn't have an "online presence" (Anne Lamott comes to mind, who doesn't even have a website, but she's the exception, not the rule), but it sure the heck helps that you have already built an "audience" who "follows" you through blogs, tweets, email newsletter lists, etc. Of course with ebook publishing, you can self-publish an ebook as easily as you self-publish a print book (for the right price), but you have to ask yourself, "Who would know about it to buy it if I don't communicate through the internet?" Perhaps the 200-300 people you know in your church/family/friends circle, but I assume that if folks are doing BLAST, their hope is to have more ripple effects than just those in their circle of influence already. But if they feel called just to reach those they already know, and that's all, that's still honorable. But of course at that point, you don't really have a writing "career" (certainly not one that would sustain you financially), but more like a hobby which again is FINE for some folks! Only the writer can decide!
Speaking of e-books, check this out...
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The Booming Business of E-Books
In light of this article I spotted recently, I thought that you might appreciate a few links to some reputable companies who could assist you with E-book publishing if this is a direction you'd like to explore...
Amazon Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books
Amazon began selling hardcover and paperback books in July 1995. Twelve years later in November 2007, Amazon introduced the revolutionary Kindle and began selling Kindle books. By July 2010, Kindle book sales had surpassed hardcover book sales, and six months later, Kindle books overtook paperback books to become the most popular format on Amazon.com. Today, less than four years after introducing Kindle books, Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books - hardcover and paperback - combined.
To learn more about e-book publishing, check out the following links/companies/resources...
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/816983/6c085894f0/1497574065/16f31bf8b2/
http://www.accurance.com/index.php?go=services&goto=author&gotogo=ecompp
http://www.xulonpress.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Sold-Million-eBooks-Months-ebook/dp/B0056BMK6K/
My opinion? E-books are here to stay, folks! It's estimated that in the next several years, no one will have to find places to store books, CDs, or DVDs anymore, because everyone will store theirs in a "cyber cloud." (Think in terms of what the iPod has done for music, and apply that to the publishing world.) So make sure your published works are accessible in cyberspace in addition to printed copy! |
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| To Inspire You Abandon Procrastination and Embrace Productivity!
 My publisher, WaterBrook Press, sends a daily inspirational email, and this one was too cute not to share with other writers who are probably VERY familiar with procrastination too...
Coincidence?
Was going to read a C. S. Lewis book to expand my mind and strengthen my faith. But decided to play Pac-Man instead. I was doing quite well at it, navigating the maze, gulping dots, tossing back little blue creatures, confident about reaching my highest score ever, perhaps scaling the seventeenth level.
Then the stupid power went off, and there wasn't a storm in sight. We've paid our utility power bill. Surely God wouldn't plunge the whole town into darkness just to teach me a time-management lesson, would he?
I groped my way into our dark bedroom and sat down on a hardback book. As I picked it up, the lights flickered and power was restored. I was holding a copy of Mere Christianity. I briefly considered hurrying back to my study and trying to reach level thirteen, but wondered if God might employ lightning this time.
-Excerpted from To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Callaway |
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Need a BLAST refresher moment?
All your class pages and files are still active. Click the link below to view your class page:
Fall 2009
~ Spring 2010
~ Fall 2010
~ Spring 2011 |
Don’t Keep It To Yourself!
Do you know someone who has an amazing life story? Or a burning passion to speak a message that God has laid on their hearts? Or such a clever way with words that it would be a shame for them NOT to write a book?
Tell them about BLAST! Our Fall 2011 class information packet is now online.
For every registered participant that you send our way, you’ll receive a $50 referral fee. |
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Mark Your Calendars - Shannon Is Coming To...
PLEASE NOTE:
If you see a city on our speaking calendar that’s anywhere near you, and you’re
interested in having Shannon speak at your venue while she’s in town, please
contact us at
speaking@shannonethridge.com. We’d also be honored if you’d like to attend the event and help operate the book table - a valuable learning experience!
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - September 30 - October 1, 2011
Join both Shannon Ethridge and Fred Stoeker for the Harness the River Conference, for men & women of all ages! . Go to www.harnesstheriver.com to register or for more information.
Dallas, TX - October 15, 2011
pureHOPE is hosting a 1-day conference with Shannon as the keynote speaker. Go to www.purehope.net/Dallas to learn about this amazing organization and to register for the Women of Virtue conference. For more information call 972-941-4415.
Winona Lake, IN - October 19 - 20, 2011
Join Shannon Ethridge & Fred Stoeker for chapel services at Grace College. For more info please contact Valerie Crumbley at chapel@grace.edu.
Paris, Texas - March 2 - 3, 2012
Shannon will be the keynote speaker for East Paris Baptist Church's Women's Conference with the theme of "Completely His." Go to www.eastparis.org or email kathy.r.floyd@sbcglobal.net for more information.
Colorado Springs, CO - April 25 - 29, 2012
Join Shannon and a whole host of other female speakers at the Women Inspired Conference! womeninspired.org (website going live Oct 1) More info to come.
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Accomplishment Corner
 From Susanne Moore (BLAST Class #1) "The Director at Dallas Baptist University Mansfield Campus, came into my office and gave me a 100% scholarship for me to pursue my Masters Degree." How COOL is that! Congratulations, Susanne!!! |
 From Tyler Rowan (BLAST Class #2) "A tidbit of exciting news to share
my first published article!" http://titus2345.blogspot.com/2011/06/tiny-glimpses-of-big-dreams.html (article published in Proverbs31.org's Magazine) We knew you had it in you, Tyler! Way to go!!! |
 From Bethany Garth (BLAST Class #1) "My husband and I are excited to be living out a dream of riding our bicycles around the world for the next two and a half years! So much of what I learned in BLAST has already been helpful in publicizing our trip and updating our web site. Check it out at garthsontour.com!" Happy biking, Bethany! |
 From Sheralyn Bucknell (BLAST Class #2) "I've completed my manuscript and found a publisher here in Australia who is interested in publishing it for me!" Hallelujah, Sheralyn! We rejoice with you! |
 From Ashley Womack (BLAST Class #1) "my article is up on eparistexas.com. Check it out and tell me what you think..." Congratulations, Ashley! How cool to be "published," huh? |
Let us know about your accomplishments by emailing us at blast@shannonethridge.com! |
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