Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

Well, go ahead and download the free ebook if you like. (Or, better yet–buy the print book ;-D) You can also connect with me via the social media buttons, and I hope you do. You can even contact me for some short-term consulting about your writing, publishing or social media marketing. But, overall, this site just doesn’t represent who I am anymore.

You may have noticed a HUGE gap in time between this and the previous post. At first I was busy with the business that the last post brought in. But, then my reinvented self just didn’t mesh with this site anymore. The problem was I wasn’t sure exactly who I was becoming, so a web redesign to fit the new me had to wait.

You may be wondering about the food photo for this post. Believe me, I haven’t left writing for cooking. No, the photo represents my state of being for the last six months: I’ve been marinating. Yes, marinating. A marinating writer who set herself aside to soak up her creative juices, preparing herself for writing again.

Here’s the short version of a long story: After several of my clients began working on their second, third and fourth books, I realized I had yet to benefit as a writer from my own good advice. Yes, I did publish 4Ps to Publishing Success and created many info-products around it, but the novel that I had written right before I began my consultant journey was sitting in a box. Moving it into a file drawer didn’t advance the revision process; it just brought the manuscript closer–a constant reminder of my unfinished and unrealized dream.

Can I tell you how to move forward when you’re stuck? Yes. Can I advise you on how to make time for writing in an already overloaded schedule? Yes. Can I do it for myself? Apparently not. Truthfully, it wasn’t that I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. I just wasn’t ready. I needed to sit and marinate for a while. I had let my own creativity (for fiction, that is) dry up and I needed a good, long soak in creative juice to bring my novel (and the others dancing around in my head) back to life. I also needed to conjure up a business plan to help support my writing until it supports me.

I’m happy to announce that I’m finished marinating and ready to put myself on the grill. In fact, I’m ready to be smokin’ hot. I’m setting deadlines (a hold-over from my publishing and advertising biz days) and moving into my new space. Stay tuned for updates on the new blog, new biz, new work, new Wordy Woman.

Reinvention is NOT limited to rockstar musicians!

• Send an email with your phone number and top three (3) day and time requests for next week only (Monday through Friday, November 1-5, 10am ET to 6pm ET).
• Please limit your time requests to the hour or half hour (10:00, 10:30, etc) and remember to request your appointment in Eastern Time.
• I’ll respond and confirm, assigning you to the  first availability on your list that is not already booked.
• You MUST include your phone number.

• The first mistake first-time authors make is they don’t identify their market. They don’t ask before they get started, “Who will buy my book?” Or worse, they think, “Everyone will want to buy my book.” You must identify and write to a specific audience to have a marketable product. Probably the number one thing many new authors do incorrectly is start to write about something they’re very passionate about without first finding out if there are enough people with the same interest who would buy the book.
• The second mistake first-time authors frequently make is not being aware of the costs involved and then over- or underspending. You might ask, “How can I underspend?” Well, you can underspend by thinking you can do it all yourself and not having a budget for an editor, cover designer or marketing assistance. You can overspend by not knowing the typical fees for these services in the marketplace and paying too much. If you spend too much on production or marketing, you may not be able to recoup your money with the sale of the book. So, it’s important to know what you will need and how much you should be spending on those services before you begin the process.
• The third mistake first-time authors make is not knowing how to determine whether to traditional-publish or self-publish. Not knowing the pros and cons of both avenues and choosing the wrong method wastes your time and money. For example, nonfiction authors who want to establish their credibility in the marketplace and position themselves as experts want to get the book on the market as soon as possible. They can’t afford to spend the time it can take going the traditional route, which could be up to four years to find an agent, publisher and wait out the publishing process. However, if you are writing literary fiction and getting reviews and acclaim from literary reviewers or perhaps being on the New York Times bestseller list is your goal, you may be best served to try the traditional route.
• The fourth mistake first-time authors make is they don’t have a marketing plan. Most people know not having a marketing plan when self-publishing is just dooming the book to failure. However, even if you have a publisher, you are expected to market yourself. Not many aspiring authors know this is important and they think the publisher is going to take care of marketing, so they don’t include that information with their submission proposals. But you can show you do know the “ins and outs” of publishing and how important marketing is by including a marketing plan with your proposal or novel submission. If you do, you’re going to set yourself apart and get closer to the head of the class.
• The fifth mistake first-time authors make is giving up too early, or giving up at any stage of the process. What blocks success in publishing (or any field) more than anything else is having the “I can’t” attitude. The whining: “I can’t speak in front of people.” “I can’t travel to seminars and conferences.” “I can’t find the time.” “I can’t start learning about how to market on the Internet.” You’ve heard those excuses. Hopefully you haven’t said them. But I’m sure you’ve heard them if you’ve gone to a writers group or a conference. Replace that attitude of resistance with an attitude of persistence. Successful authors find ways to say, “I can” and “I will.”

Many of these five mistakes are made as a result of misconceptions or myths that are typically held about the publishing business.

But, the truth is that EVERY mistake first-time authors make is a result of ONE big error. That error is attempting to write and publish a book without first learning about the process.   Writing is a passion. But publishing is a business. Successful authors learn the difference. Once educated, it’s easy to skip past the mistakes and misconceptions and start to cash in on the miracles. Miracles happen every day in the current publishing market, and the next one could be yours, if you decide to invest in your publishing success.

This article was excerpted from the 4Ps University curriculum,  Lesson 1, “The Mistakes, Myths and Miracles of Book Publishing.” If you’re ready to jump over the mistakes and myths and experience the miracles of publishing, get the education you need. 4Ps University is a 10-week home study course that can catapult you to the head of the class. Hurry, though. Registration closes on September 30, 2010. Review the entire curriculum here>>

Yesterday I made a big “Oops!” I got up early, wrote an reminder email about yesterday’s deadlines, put it in the queue to send and promptly hit “delete” instead of “send.” Oops.There is no retrieving emails deleted from the queue, and I didn’t have a back-up copy. Sigh.

Actually I did quite a bit more than sigh, but I’m not proud of my initial reaction, so let’s move on to where I am proud of my next steps. After I calmed down, I looked at the clock. I had about a half hour before I had to leave for a full day of much-needed fun and recreation.

I had two choices: skip the first activity and catch up with the others later, or skip sending out the reminder email. I chose the latter. I AM proud of that choice because too often I choose work over play, and I’ve made a conscious decision to balance all areas of my life.

Now, here’s the deal: We can all benefit from my mistake.

This photo is from the Festival...see what I mean about enjoying a day out? What fun!

I had a fabulous day out enjoying friends and a visit to LAAFF (Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival) in downtown Asheville, I bought crystals, enjoyed the sites and discovered Kava (more on that in a future post).

And…

You get two extra days on the deadlines! I realize that notifying you today will eliminate those of you who won’t even open your computer until tomorrow, because YOU are out having fun! So, here’s the scoop:

Tuesday, September 7 is  the NEW deadline to:

Register for 4Ps University and save $100 >>

Sign up for a “Get Acquainted” consult at half price >>

Now we can all LAAFF at my oops!

Sometimes two heads are better than one!

Do you have 1 to 3 questions that need immediate attention?

This 30-minute live phone  session gives you the opportunity to resolve a writing, publishing or social media problem or just sample working with me without a long-term commitment. Audio recording and 30 days email follow up are included.

Purchase a consult by September 5 to be scheduled on the date of your choosing in September (subject to availability–these will book fast!)

Cost: Reg Price: $175

Only $87 (through 9/5/2010)

Instructions on how to submit your questions and schedule the call will be sent to you upon receipt of payment.

Other consulting packages here>>

Sending your work out for review by agents and editors is a big and important step in the publishing process. Many times, what you send is the only basis for the big decision that has to be made. In most cases, the person on the other end doesn’t know you and can only judge your work by the contents of the package.  So, how do you make a good first impression? Review this handy checklist before you send out your work.

• Believe in your work. Be able to sum it up succinctly and passionately. If you’re not enthusiastic and confident about your project, you’re not ready to submit.
• Prepare your manuscript professionally. That includes using good paper, printer and standard formatting. Then package it per submission guidelines. Send only what is requested.
• Perfect your pitch/query letter.
  • Don’t try to sum up whole book in the letter. For fiction, describe your character, setting and obstacle. For nonfiction, present the problem and how your book offers a solution or new information.
  • Why you are uniquely qualified to write this book? What is your training, education and related experience?
  • Who is your audience? (Tip: Anyone who can fog a mirror is not the right answer.) Be as specific as possible.
  • Why have you selected this agent or editor? Do not send out submissions en masse with the same letter to everyone.
• Understand what an agent does and does not do. Understand publishing is a business, and the agent makes a business, not a personal, decision.
• Know the industry lingo: platform, competing books, audience/climate.

Demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the publishing process. Contacting agents is more than writing a letter. You are expected to know how to format your letter and all the parts of the submission package.

Remember, the agent is not responsible for coaching you in the basics of the industry. The job of the agent is to sell your manuscript to a publisher and then negotiate the best possible rights and deal for you. If you can make the agent’s job easier by sending the material he or she needs to get that job done, you will increase your chances of acceptance.

You’ll find detailed instructions on how to write a query letter and prepare a submission package in 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print. Available as a workbook or ebook, 4Ps to Publishing Success is a complete step-by-step guide to getting published. Or, you can purchase only the information you need in Chapter 7 of 4Ps Buy the Chapter.  Get a full description of all the 4Ps Products here>>>

Before you write even one word of your novel or nonfiction book, your first step should be to identify your target audience. Ask yourself, “Who will read my book?” (BTW, the answer is NOT “Anyone who can fog a mirror.”)

Marketing experts, literary agents and book editors all agree that the more specific you can be about your audience, the more likely that your work will be saleable. Guidelines for defining your readership include the answers to these basic questions:

What is their gender?
What is their age range?
What is their economic bracket?
What is their level of education?
Where do they live?
What do they want and need?
What do magazines/newspapers do they read?
What are their favorite TV shows and/or radio programs?
What Internet sites do they visit?
What social networking sites do they use?

Armed with this knowledge, you can target your writing by “talking” directly to your audience. For example, you would use different tone and words when writing to a senior audience than to teens; women rather than men; techno-savvy vs. computer newbies, etc. Highly targeted writing with idioms and phrases the audience wll recognize is far more effective than bland, “this has to appeal to everyone” writing.

In addition, knowing the habits and haunts of your readers enables you to find them and market your work! A previous post highlighted how one author googled three words that described his target audience, found and joined the discussion groups where his would-be readers chatted, and drove enough traffic to his website to secure a publishing contract for his novel. Other steps you might take include writing articles for the publications your audience reads, commenting on popular blogs about your topic or subject, speaking at professional associations or memberships groups where your readers are found, and so on.

A last, but not final, reason to know your readers is so you can position yourself and your work to provide new/different information, solution to a problem or entertaining material for their enjoyment. Writing that caters to the readers’ interests and needs is an almost sure winner in any market.

The publishing world is being turned upside down by innovative and empowered authors whose messages are just too timely and important to wait for those old traditional avenues to give them the nod of approval. Are you ready to join the ranks of the “I’m in charge” authors? If so, then you can learn something from authors who are taking their futures into their own hands.

Here are just two success stories.Faced with burgeoning businesses and a desire to position themselves as experts, these two women took charge of connecting with their audiences.

Feng Shui expert and artist Pat Heydlauff has been writing a weekly article for a Palm Beach newspaper for years and sending it out to her email list via her personal email program as well. When we began working together, I suggested she use an Internet-based email delivery program to manage her list as well as put the information in a more attractive and easier-to-read format. Pat was driving traffic to her site in a number of ways: speaking engagements, her column, articles in national publications and art classes, but wasn’t getting many new subscribers as a result. I also suggested she include a highly visible sign-up box on her home page and include a bonus report as incentive for subscribing. Her subscriptions skyrocketed. Just a week ago, Pat mailed out the premiere issue of Chaos Busters(TM), her biweekly ezine, in an attractive new html format with expanded content. In addition to an article, she now answers readers’ questions and also has an opportunity to showcase her artwork and upcoming new book, Feng Shui, So Easy Even a Child Can Do It (The Lotus Circle). You can learn a lot about Feng Shui and see how to package yourself effectively by visiting her website, Energy By Design.

Life coach and cancer survivor Paula Holland De Long took a folder full of notes about article and book ideas and decided to put them to work for her. When we started working together, Paula was long on great ideas and short on organization. After separating, categorizing and prioritizing her list of ideas for writing projects, giving seminars and leading support groups, Paula went to work on her list. In just eight short months, Paula has generated some amazing results. She has started a very successful program to help cancer survivors adjust when treatment ends, given at two major medical venues in South Florida as well as a teleconference action group for women. She recently had an article published in a national magazine and her monthly ezine newsletter, Thrive! debuted two months ago. Paula also uses a prominent subscription box on her home page with a bonus incentive for joining her mailing list. You can find great information for cancer patients and their families and observe how to present professional services and products at her website, Coach for Living Online.

Neither Pat nor Paula are graphic designers or technology experts, and they prefer to apply their time and skills to the best use in their professional work. They both use Constant Contact to manage their lists and deliver their newsletters. I use Aweber to deliver this newsletter. Aweber offers additional features that I wanted such as autoresponders and a “hover” subscription box. There are many other services available as well. The ones mentioned here are the ones I have used, so I feel comfortable recommending them.

One more tip about starting an ezine. If you have not published a regular newsletter before, start with a monthly issue. You may love it and want to increase frequency later on. However, a weekly issue is a big commitment. It’s always better to increase your frequency than to decrease from weekly to monthly distribution.

Most services offer a free trial period, so get started today!

Do you have a publishing dream? Have you written it down? Articulated and visualized what publishing success means to you? Good! (I’m envisioning you all nodding your heads, “yes.”)

So, how’s it going? Are you closer than you were a year ago, or do you feel you’re spinning your wheels? (My guess is that my reading audience just split into two groups: one group is smiling, the other group is frowning.)

My “guess” is not a random supposition. After 30+ years of working with writers as an editor, consultant and publisher, I’ve seen many writers succeed while others fail. The difference between the groups is rarely due to talent alone. Successful authors share five traits that separate them from the wannabes. And, here they are:

The 5 Traits of All Successful Authors
1. Successful authors have a personal mission. Their writing stems from a deep need to share their personal passion with the world.

2. Successful authors are persistent. They do not let setbacks or rejection stop them. They develop an attitude of persistence rather than resistance.

3. Successful authors make educating themselves about their craft and the publishing industry part of their plan for success. They subscribe to trade magazines and ezines, attend writers’ conferences and workshops, and take writing classes or join writers’ critique groups.

4. Successful authors invest in coaching and other programs to get professional feedback on their work. They understand that critique is not criticism and are open to the feedback they receive.

5. Successful authors have an upbeat attitude. They don’t have a laundry list of excuses (circumstances) to explain why they are not successful. They understand they have to figure out a way around the obstacles and turn them into opportunities.

No one is born with these traits, but anyone can develop the characteristics of a successful author. It’s up to you to decide if you want to do the work. Choosing to put your efforts into other endeavors and enjoy your writing just for the pleasure of it is a perfectly acceptable decision. But, if you are driven to see your name in print or on a book cover, then start developing these traits and you will see your dreams come true.