BIOGRAPHY
Aggie’s how-to, The Rewritten Word, held multiple Amazon category bestseller status for over seventeen months (and still holding), and Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers hit multiple category bestseller three days after release at Kindle. Published at Thomas Nelson before age 30, award-winning author Aggie Villanueva is now a self-published fiction & nonfiction author at Amazon/Kindle with The Rewritten Word, Rightfully Mine and Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers, all of which reached bestseller in multiple categories shortly after release, and also ranking in multiple categories of Amazon’s Top Rated and Hot New Releases lists. The Rewritten Word won the 2011 Global eBooks award in Writing/Publishing. Aggie foundedPromotion á la Carte, author promotional services July 2010 and 6 months later was voted #2 at Preditors & Editors inPromotion, and #4 in 2011. My Book Marketing Systems is her sister company that save authors $100s - $1,000s, allowing them entry into the author app mobile market of billions. She teaches author promotion across the Web. Villanueva is also an award-winning critically acclaimed photographic artist represented by galleries nationwide, including Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. Contact Villanueva at aggie@promotionalacarte.com.
REVIEWS
"This
book is a little jewel. Aggie Villanueva’s how-to changes your perspective of
Amazon from that of an online book store to that of an author publicity
machine. Amazon.com like its namesake – is a large, unfathomable, murky river
with many secrets and many treasures. This book shines a light on one such
secret – using the categories function on Amazon to create best sellers. This
little book is essential reading for authors ... even those who hate
Amazon!"
Vikram Narayan, CEO BookBuzzr.com
"If
your book is listed on Amazon, but you don't know about these hidden features
that benefit writers, you're missing out big time. Best-selling author Aggie
Villanueva takes you step-by-step through the process of categorizing your book
and offers dozens of valuable tips that will help your book reach the top - or
at least gain greater visibility. This book is fantastic."
Author/Editor Sigrid Macdonald
“This is an
excellent/easy-to-read and easy-to-implement "how to" book. Thank
you, Aggie, for being willing to share your knowledge with others and for being
such an awesome author.
VicToria Freudiger, owner Digi-Tall Media & Entry Way Publishing
“If you're a
new author or simply wanting to get great, creative and FREE ideas for
marketing it on Amazon, you have to read Aggie Villanueva's book, Amazon
Categories Create Best Sellers. Her advice is spot on for me, a new author.”
Cinda Crawford Host Health
Matters Show. See video
review
“Her
portrayal of a humanity struggling between safety and destiny is touching,
palpable, and memorable. This is easily one of the best biblical novels I’ve
ever read.”
From a review of Rightfully Mine by K.M. Weiland.
“One of my
favorite movies of all time is The Ten Commandments. Rightfully Mine is now one
of my favorite books.”
From a review of Rightfully Mine by Cindy Bauer
“…with the
economy of words that is the hallmark of a masterful writer. Her characters are
full-bodied; her action scenes are tense and exciting; her love scenes are both
pure and seductive.”
From a review of Rightfully Mine by Linda Yezak
“This
reviewer liked the book so much that she is buying it as a Christmas gift for a
family member.”
**** 4 stars Carol Langstroth, Manager, Mind Fog Reviews
"The
Rewritten Word is a brilliant little book! Villanueva tackles the
"how-to" subject of writing with concise examples, lessons and
exercises designed to help both the novice and established author. The
information can be applied to fiction and nonfiction, as well as full length
books, articles and essays. This is not a dry read or boring guide. Villanueva
entertains while she goes about demonstrating her points. A must for anyone
looking to make his or her writing more dynamic."
Review of The Rewritten Word by Darcia
Helle
“If you're
looking for a book about writing, this isn't the thing for you. If, however,
you are looking for a book dedicated to the art of rewriting, then you need to
swipe this up right away. Bestselling novelist Aggie Villanueva takes you
through five separate lessons that will show you how to rewrite with clarity.
By numerous examples she'll teach you how to find the right words that will add
punch to your art, no matter the genre. A tiny book that is big on great
advice.”
Review of The Rewritten by Cheryl C.
Malandrinos
“Villanueva's
book does not disappoint....a great reference book to go back to, it will
remind writers as to why we do what we do. It's about the ideas, thoughts, and
our passion down on paper. It's about going back to the drawing board and to
work with what we have. Go pick up this book, my plot bunnies thank Aggie!”
Review of The Rewritten Word by Denise
Alicea
“...not
everyone reading The Rewritten Word will understand that tightening, coming to
concise expressions of your meaning IS poetry, even when used in prose. Aggie
Villanueva has made it easier for writers to get where they are going and to be
read.”
Review of The Rewritten Word by
Georgia Jones
“...she has
done a better job than most of the manuals used and I suggested that she begin
to market it to public and private schools for any grade level. An author you
will want to follow.”
Reader's Favorite review of The Rewritten Word
“Aggie delivers a power-packed small booklet for authors, literary
professionals, and even editors to review for their writing or works they are
editing. “
Review of The Rewritten Word by Adrienna Turner
PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
“…Villanueva is one of those rare individuals
who uses new technology…to take a digital image to a new and exciting
level….With some photographers this digitizing and manipulation are evident and
stumbling...not so with Villanueva's work, which is sophisticated and well
thought out….She has a knack for transferring her impression of a scene to the
viewer that is remarkable and almost magical.
Critically
acclaimed in the June 19, 2008 issue of the Rio Grande Sun:Critically acclaimed
in the June 19, 2008 issue of the Rio Grande Sun
“She is
known as the "Grandma Moses of the American Southwest," and the
nickname fits as comfortably as a well-worn pair of jeans. Aggie Villanueva is
a self-taught artist, a grandmother and something of a folk hero to anyone who
opts to pursue a new vocation later in life. A photographer and writer, she
lives in a modest cabin in the New Mexico Mountains and draws inspiration from
the dazzling beauty of the Southwest. Her photographs are fantastic, even
surreal.”
Thomas B. Harrison,
Mobile
Register
As Aggie states; The Fairy Trail is real, folks. Welcome To My Path.”
Discover Aggie’s photographic art blog, Aggie Logic
Aggie’s online studio at Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
The complete Collection at the Fairy Trails Online Gallery
Could you tell us a little bit about
yourself?
I’m an author, fiction and non, an author publicist and photographic
artist, living in the remote northern New Mexico mountains at almost 8,000
feet. My first two self-published books, The Rewritten Word, http://www.amazon.com/Rewritten-Word-Sculpt-Literary-ebook/dp/B0045JK48A/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1306955104&sr=1-1 and
the novel Rightfully Mine: God’s Equal Rights Amendment, http://www.amazon.com/Rightfully-Equal-Rights-Amendment-ebook/dp/B002NGO4B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1307029989&sr=1-1 are
still multiple category best sellers at Kindle.
I founded Promotion a la Carte, http://www.promotionalacarte.com the
author’s promotional menu of choice, last July, 2010, and 6 months later
writers voted it #2 in the Preditors & Editors Poll. http://critters.org/predpoll/final_tally_promotions.ht Nanci
Arvizu is my Vice President and we love our work helping authors build a
following and teaching them more about promoting their books through our blog
and radio show.
Describe your book ‘The Rewritten
Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art No Matter The Genre’ in 30 words or
less.
It's the only How-to-Write book that has nothing to
do with writing. It's all about rewriting. Whittle away what buries the art of
your words beneath pulp, no matter the topic, no matter the genre.
What was the hardest part of writing
your book?
I’d have to say defining my rewriting process. I’m no editor or grammar
professor, just an everyman writer struggling to improve my
own work as best I can.
When I got serious about studying the craft of writing I was shocked by
what I didn’t know about polishing my words. Reading books on editing I found
them way too lofty, using grammar terms that college level English students
would have a hard time following.
So way back then I did exactly what I did with the examples used in this
short handbook. I took the sentences and paragraphs that were unclear to me and
clarified, simplified, and shortened—I REWROTE them until they made sense to me
and eliminated what didn’t relate and, in fact, distracted. A lot of times this
meant translating it into words I could understand.
What I didn’t realize way back then was I was teaching myself to rewrite.
It was years before I understood my own process, but this is what I did to my
own work from that point on. For the book I just had identify my process
clearly and break it down into bite size steps.
What books have had the greatest
influence on you?
The Beauty and The Beast. Not only did it open my young eyes to looking
past the surface in others, but to dive deeper into every area, such as writing
and marketing, and as evident in my book, rewriting. That fairy tale is the
foundation for probably every phase of my life that pertains to understanding.
Briefly share with us what you do to
market your book?
Step by step marketing, each building on and complimenting the last like
the gourmet courses in a Roman feast. Then repeat and rinse as needed.
One of the most important marketing strategies I've learned is that you
must offer the reader/customer something of value to them. I used
to hate marketing because it involves sales, which seemed sleazy to me. But
when I realized I could help others find what they need, marketing took on a
whole new meaning to me. Now I see marketing as serving others. If my product
won’t serve them, I don’t offer it.
I have learned over the last few years it’s vital to establish an Internet
presence. I've done that through my blog teaching author promotion, Promotion
a la Carte Blog. http://www.promotionalacarteblog.com/ I have health
challenges that prevent me from leaving home often, so I learned the ropes of
online publicity.
Social media is my main marketing platform, though I use my blog, guest blogging,
teaching gigs at webinars, my BTR radio show Promotion a la Carte Radio,
and just anywhere I can land an interview or otherwise get my name/voice out
there. It takes a lot of work, but you must establish your web presence.
I use social media constantly, working to expand my presence and credibility.
Most of the posts are helpful tips and information for writers, but I slip in
info about my products and offerings too, and of course talk personally with my
closest 17,000 + friends! chuckling.
Readers like to see and/or hear you too. Include them in who you are, even if
you’re doing a tutorial, no matter your genre. I recommend you create audio
podcasts http://www.cinchcast.com/promotionalacarte/233171,
screencasts http://www.youtube.com/user/PromotionalaCarte?feature=mhee#p/u/4/HKiPgl70IU0,
digital home videos http://www.aggiev.org/rightfullymine/book-reading-and-other-videos.html,
and even audio such as this audio clip introducing Rightfully Mine on
its blog:http://www.aggiev.org/rightfullymine/.
You can even create your own trailers when appropriate. http://www.youtube.com/user/PromotionalaCarte?feature=mhee#p/u/5/PMLCe-om0es Welcome
videos are also great tools. http://www.promotionalacarte.com. And definitely create
every tutorial you can devise, such as this one for The Rewritten Word. http://www.youtube.com/user/PromotionalaCarte?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/-cGOvkRJ5Do
Bookbuzzr.com, lets you offer a free sample of your book (http://www.freado.com/book/4277/Rightfully-Mine-Gods-Equal-Rights-Amendment).
They also offer great widgets of this book sample you can place everywhere; and
I do. And it's free.
Get interviewed and reviewed. When Rightfully Mine hit 10,000
views in two months at freado.com the
BookBuzzr Blog interviewed me http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/author-interviews/bookbuzzr-interviews-author-aggie-villanueva/,
which led to my regular writing for their marketing blog http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/mid-week-book-marketing-tips-how-faithful-are-your-social-media-followers/ and
participating in their marketing webinars.
Opportunities are everywhere, and when they’re not, go knocking. Only a few of
my online interviews or contributing writer’s jobs approached me. Mostly I
contact them and just ask.
How do you spend your time when you
are not writing?
Loading up my camera equipment and
dogs, a few days’ worth of food and water and heading for my beloved mountains
for some blessed alone time. The beauty and remoteness are priceless. It’s
where I recharge.
What are you working on next?
My interactive eBook, Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers,
will be out within a few months. It teaches writers that Amazon.com is not just
the world’s largest bookstore, but that their sales page is shrewdly
structured to promote itself continually and on multiple levels, if you
work it.
I cover how to utilize the million dollar publicity you get when people
purchase your book(s) from Amazon, concentrating on what “Categories” can do
for you. Don’t assume categories are just search engine assistants.
I’m excited about this project because the everyman writer
like me can now afford this interactive technology. I’m using a great
electronic conversion company, Entry Way Publishing. http://www.entrywaypublishing.com I’ve
created tutorials and introduction videos to be viewed from the pages of the
book, there are online interactive pages and bonuses, ongoing contests
available only to readers, and much more.
The book will be available as an app for all android devices and the
iPad/iPhone, etc,. and of course as a Kindle eBook, and print book too.
Thank you so much for having me today. I’ve so enjoyed talking with you
and your readers.
Follow Aggie at:
Website: http://www.promotionalacarte.com
Blog: http://www.promotionalacarteblog.com
Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/promotionalacarte
Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/aggiev
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/visualartsjunction
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PACAuthorPromo
BIO: A published author at Thomas Nelson before 30,
Aggie Villanueva is now a self-published multiple fiction & nonfiction
Amazon/Kindle category bestseller, for The Rewritten Word and Rightfully Mine. Aggie founded Promotion á la
Carte, author promotional services and 6 months later was voted #2
at Predators & Editors in the Promotion category.
She teaches author promotion and rewriting across the Web, and is also a critically acclaimed
photographic artist represented by galleries nationwide,
including Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ.
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