Nora Firestone is a professional writer, reporter, acquisitions editor and website designer living in Virginia Beach, Va. She provides professional services, instruction and consultation in writing for business (marketing, websites, ads, press releases and more), publicity and media relations/outreach and do-it-yourself website design and management. She also accepts full book manuscripts and helps fellow writers on the road to authorship.

Good to see you!

In this section of my site I've begun compiling useful information pertaining to publicity and media outreach, publishing, author website design/management and more. Subscribe to "The Nutshell" to be kept in the loop!

Virginia Writers Club 2015 Symposium Handouts and Articles

• Publicity and Media Relations presentation handout (8 pages)
  

• Media Outreach and Pitch Development: It's All About Asking the Right Questions
  

• Why Your Website Needs a Virtual Press Room: I mentioned this article during the presentation.
  

• Koehler Books Manuscript Style Guide: Free editing and formatting tips for manuscript preparation.
  

• Insightful excerpts from "The $10,000 Apostrophe": Read the overview, then click to read excerpts.
  

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Check this out:

Radio interview with Doug Huggins of WRSP Radio

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Articles by Nora Firestone for authors

• Publishing Turns a Page: Today's publishing options, industry expectations and more
  

• How to Prepare for a Radio Interview
  

If you're writing articles, press releases and website content, get to know the style I recommend using. Get the latest version of the AP Stylebook at Amazon:

• Essential Tips for Every Website Owner: Click here to read the article on-site, or download it here:
  

sbsessential_tips_for_every_website_owner_2.docx
File Size:	30 kb
File Type:	docx

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• Staying mindful of SEO while writing:

article_mindful_writing_for_seo.docx
File Size:	143 kb
File Type:	docx

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• Search-Engine Optimization: How Metadata and Keywords Appear in Search-Engine Results Pages (this handout was included in the 9/19/2014 Hampton Roads Writers presentation):

sbsseoandserpspageforwritingandwebsitepresentations.docx
File Size:	796 kb
File Type:	docx

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• Building a Virtual Press Room (an abridged version of this was included in the HRW tote bag):
  

nfibwebsitepressroom.docx
File Size:	24 kb
File Type:	docx

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• Media relations tips and insights (more coming soon)
  
• Preparing for your website checklist (coming soon)

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More great resources:

• Professional media-relations tip for authors: Media Pitch Development: It’s All About Asking the Right Questions
  

• Follow this link for a great infographic about search-engine optimization!

• Check out book marketing tips and more from Koehler Books!
  

• Name.com is the domain registrar of my choice. Be sure to compare registrars yourself. Compare prices for both initial registration and annual renewal fees. Also compare whether or not they charge extra for things like 301 redirects (also called URL forwarding), and if they give you full DNS record control.

• Click here for the do-it-yourself website-building platform that I most highly recommend! (I am also an affiliate, but that's not why I recommend them. I've been recommending them for years because I love them, and when I eventually learned of their affiliate program I signed on to it.)

• My signature Step-by-Step "Design, Build and Manage Your Own Website" workshop for people who have decided to take the reins but need a great map. Since early 2012, I've been the "DIY website coach" through the maze to success. In spring 2015 I'll introduce one specifically for authors!
  

• Blogs I value:
  

1. Alan Rinzler
   
2. Sydney Scrogham (Koehler Books' new, and very impressive, young-adult fiction author)