Endorsements

Above and

Beyond the

Call of Duty

Even Before SOS! for Authors

People were getting help. Here's what a few of them have to say.

Janet,

Thanks for the instructions on the banner. I will get that put up this weekend. By the way, HUGE thanks for the search engine stuff. I had NO CLUE about what I was doing, but I filled them out. Now, if you do a search for violin lessons in Virginia or Virginia Beach, you get my site, first on the list. Honestly, I did not pay a dime, and I have no understanding about the search engines. I really do not know how this happened! So thank you; my violin business is really taking off, leaving me with less financial worries and more time to write!

Abigail Steidley

Freelance Writer

Dear Janet,

What luck to have a genealogical expert with fluency in Spanish give Lineages
and Lies a thorough vetting! I'm still going through the novel one last time,
but I can tell you that your comments and suggestions will save me that horrible embarrassment of thumbing through my printed novel and discovering a glaring
error. Or worse, having someone else call it to my attention in a bookstore at a
signing.

Jimmy Fox
Author of Lineages and Lies

Our thanks goes out to Janet Elaine Smith for all her help, support and encouragement during the writing process of this novel. A special thanks for her title suggestion of 'No Lady and Her Tramp'.

Kristie Leigh Maguire and Mark Haeuser

No Lady and Her Tramp: edited by Margie K. Tovrea and Janet Elaine Smith

Hello Janet,

Just wanted to take a minute to thank you for helping me get started making a new Website at Tripod. It haven't gotten too much further because I learned enough HTML that I have been adding to my old site but you jumped started me well enough that I feel confident I can build a completely new one there, if that becomes necessary. This is really what I wanted to accomplish.

You were also very kind to take me under your wing and show me many of the ropes as a green horn at NUW. You are a very amiable and kind person and seem to enjoy helping others. Just wanted you to know I do appreciated it.

Jack Prather

"After years of work and enough rejection letters to wallpaper my bathroom, I'd gotten to the point where I'd all but given up on ever having my stories fit in the big publishing houses' pigeonholes. Then Janet Elaine Smith turned me on to the independent publishing world of Print On Demand. My first book, released through PageFree Publishing, with none of the hassles I'd experienced with other publishers, is doing well and I expect to have a couple more for 2003. Thank you, Janet."

B.R. Montgomery

Why should you have to pay for the advice that Janet Elaine Smith provides in her Promo Paks? After all there is nothing in them that is not common sense - promotional ideas that are so obvious after you read them that you know you should have thought of them yourself. But you didn't, did you? However, Janet did think of them - and she has put these promotional ideas all together in common sense language that anyone from the novice author to the most experienced one can understand and benefit from. I may not be the most experienced author in the world but I have paid my dues - and I can most certainly benefit from using the Promo Pak by Janet Elaine Smith. If you don't want to fork out the money for this little book, then that is your perogative - and your loss, if you want to sell books.

Kristie Leigh Maguire - Published Author/Columnist/Reviewer; and Founder of NUW (Not the Usual Way) Independent Authors Community

Janet, I finally went to your site. It is such a lovely site. I love the America's Most Unwanted list. Kudos to you! Best, Marie

Janet Elaine Smith is not only an author, she is a teacher, friend, and caretaker. Somehow she finds the time to take care of all the new kids on the block while making us think we already knew the answer. Thanks, Janet.

Joan Lewis, Author

Not too many authors have the ability to write about non-fiction historical events and fictional mysteries, plus everything in between, like author Janet Elaine Smith. All of her 13 novels have great story lines and wonderful, warm characters that bring her books to life. I highly recommend any and all of her books for everyone's reading pleasure.

Bobby Ruble, Author of "Have No Mercy"

Janet, you are the reason I keep on writing. I think without you, I would have quit months ago. It's just so damn frustrating! Avis Townsend, freelance writer

In December my book, "The Quilt Maker" will be released. Though I've been published in many venues including several anthologies, this is the first book with my name only on the cover. Now comes the scary part - I, me alone, have to "hawk," push and shove this book out into the public in order to sell all those copies.
I thought I had accumulated an entire list of all the people I could notify, approaches I could make for booksignings, gimmicky ways to promote my creation. At the same time, I also was feeling a little depressed because I realized that I needed to do much more in order to get my stories out to people I was sure would love to read them. But how?
Janet Elaine Smith came to my rescue and she can definitely do the same for you. She offered to sell me her knowledge about promoting, not only my book, but also myself. Her "Promo Pak" has offered me so many new ways to get the word out, I am amazed. For example, did you remember to notify everyone on your Christmas card list (the old one with all the names on it!) about your wonderful masterpiece? Janet even shows you how to create a promotional newsletter for everyone you think remotely interested in reading.
Everything is covered in this Pak - from how to get, setup for and do booksignings to various areas of online promotional ideas. The collection of articles seems like a well-done workshop as it moves into such things as writing a press release and how to get the best people to review your book.
This Pak opened up so many methods of introducing my work I can't wait to get started. Since I was born talking, I will certainly tackle booksignings, lectures and readings. Too nervous to speak up? Janet can show you how to promote without the butterflies caused by those face-to-face encounters.
What will I do next? I don't think it's fair to give away all of Janet's creativity. Get online, purchase "The Promo Pak" by Janet Elaine Smith. Take my word for it, this Pak will set you up for success.

Barbara Deming
Contributing author to: "Forget Me Knots from the Front Porch" published by Obadiah Press. Upcoming book: "The Quilt Maker" by Barbara Deming, published by Southern Star Publishing.

For more information or questions contact us at

sosforauthors@yahoo.com