Goodreads offers some excellent advice for authors
Showing posts with label how do write a book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how do write a book. Show all posts
Wednesday
OPPORTUNITIES
A quote from one of the world's most successful thought leaders:
"If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it - say yes, and learn how later."
Richard Branson
Something to think about in this new world we inhabit as writers.
"If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it - say yes, and learn how later."
Richard Branson
Something to think about in this new world we inhabit as writers.
Thursday
CREATE A BOOK PITCH
We all know that to be a successful author we need to sell our books. Many times we need to sell them "one copy at a time." Other times, we are presented with opportunities to bring our book to the attention of agents, publishers, retailers and the media. In other words, we need to create the "elevator pitch." A description of our book that can be told in the time it takes an elevator to rise 5 stories.
Before writing your book pitch, take a close look at your book, then answer the following questions:
Before writing your book pitch, take a close look at your book, then answer the following questions:
- What is most interesting or unusual about your book?
- What makes your book most memorable?
- What are the three most important benefits that readers will receive from your book? (yes, "entertained," is a legit answer)
- What differentiates your book from titles on the same or similar subjects?
- What are the first responses you receive when you tell people about your book?
- What causes people to stop, listen, or say, wow?
- What questions do people ask when you tell them about your book?
Tuesday
BOOK WRITING AND PUBLISHING TODAY
Write, Publish and Sell your book - here's how.
Yes, Kim and I are going to present an all new Webinar in January 2013. We are currently working on details but will soon announce that we have decided (just today) that we owe it to our followers, especially those who have been unable to attend in person, this info packed presentation. Here's our original video presentation, but disregard any details about where, when or how long - we will announce that soon.
We are taking the full day workshop and distilling all of the highlights down to two fun and fact-filled hours that will have you ready to move forward. This will be a very focused and fast paced session that is designed to give you all of the steps necessary for becoming the author that lurks inside. If you have been wanting to bring your own book to the world - this will give you the information and inspiration to make it a reality.
Looking forward to seeing you in January 2013. Many more details to follow.
Yes, Kim and I are going to present an all new Webinar in January 2013. We are currently working on details but will soon announce that we have decided (just today) that we owe it to our followers, especially those who have been unable to attend in person, this info packed presentation. Here's our original video presentation, but disregard any details about where, when or how long - we will announce that soon.
We are taking the full day workshop and distilling all of the highlights down to two fun and fact-filled hours that will have you ready to move forward. This will be a very focused and fast paced session that is designed to give you all of the steps necessary for becoming the author that lurks inside. If you have been wanting to bring your own book to the world - this will give you the information and inspiration to make it a reality.
Looking forward to seeing you in January 2013. Many more details to follow.
Monday
HOW TO WRITE A HOW TO
Writing a "How To" book has changed forever. Now, before you write and tell me that you prefer to have a hardcopy book to refer to and how you will never use any other source of information to learn how to do something new, or different, or better, or whatever, let's look at the facts.
The cost of information today is virtually zero. If you have "access," which means a connection to the internet, then you have more information than any one person could digest in 10 lifetimes, maybe that should be 100 or a 1000. How to change your life, learn Spanish, fix a leaky faucet, make cookies, make love, write a book, take a picture, build a bomb, paint a house, travel cheap, lose weight, cure illness, play Sudoku, improve a golf grip, plant a tree...you get it - anything is available...for free. It may be a bit unruly, trying to organize all of the information and sort through the accurate and inaccurate, but it's all there.
This is a bit self-defeating in my case, but writing a book to show people "how-to" is going the way of the dodo bird. For those tasks that require pictures, there is You Tube, the second biggest search engine in the world and besides clandestine videos of partiers gone wild, there is also an unbelievable number of factual and informative videos posted by professionals and amateurs alike who will show you exactly how to perform a task. Can your self-published, hard copy book that suffers from under-financed marketing and promotion compete - maybe..but yours will be the exception. BTW, thank God for exceptions but really, from a business point of view, there are thousands upon thousands of videos, blogs (like this one) and other online resources who are giving it away for nothing.
Most of the people who read this offering are writers and I realize that my tone today is rather cynical but reality is hard to sugar coat and besides I read a blog saying that too much sugar isn't good for us - writing a book for simply "informative" purposes is rather risky. Assuming of course, that you are also writing to make a living or at least return your investment of time, perhaps we should consider some alternative projects to write about. Now, sometimes there is SO much information available that is contradictory, ill-informed or unreliable (think climate change) that it begs for a reasoned, objective and updated approach and perhaps you are the person to tackle it - go for it! But, to simply offer a plain "how-to," full of lists of instructions is unlikely to start any viral marketing fires.
So here is a thought, if we truly want to change the world, provide "access" to the third world so that they can learn to fish and feed themselves for a lifetime - of course, we might also create competition for those of us comfortably ensconced in our safe worlds of information at our fingertips. OK, I'm climbing down from my soapbox but their are still millions of opportunities to write non-fiction and make a difference - what are you writing?
I have also heard a rumor that there is information online about punctuation and grammar - a new search starts!!!
The cost of information today is virtually zero. If you have "access," which means a connection to the internet, then you have more information than any one person could digest in 10 lifetimes, maybe that should be 100 or a 1000. How to change your life, learn Spanish, fix a leaky faucet, make cookies, make love, write a book, take a picture, build a bomb, paint a house, travel cheap, lose weight, cure illness, play Sudoku, improve a golf grip, plant a tree...you get it - anything is available...for free. It may be a bit unruly, trying to organize all of the information and sort through the accurate and inaccurate, but it's all there.
This is a bit self-defeating in my case, but writing a book to show people "how-to" is going the way of the dodo bird. For those tasks that require pictures, there is You Tube, the second biggest search engine in the world and besides clandestine videos of partiers gone wild, there is also an unbelievable number of factual and informative videos posted by professionals and amateurs alike who will show you exactly how to perform a task. Can your self-published, hard copy book that suffers from under-financed marketing and promotion compete - maybe..but yours will be the exception. BTW, thank God for exceptions but really, from a business point of view, there are thousands upon thousands of videos, blogs (like this one) and other online resources who are giving it away for nothing.
Most of the people who read this offering are writers and I realize that my tone today is rather cynical but reality is hard to sugar coat and besides I read a blog saying that too much sugar isn't good for us - writing a book for simply "informative" purposes is rather risky. Assuming of course, that you are also writing to make a living or at least return your investment of time, perhaps we should consider some alternative projects to write about. Now, sometimes there is SO much information available that is contradictory, ill-informed or unreliable (think climate change) that it begs for a reasoned, objective and updated approach and perhaps you are the person to tackle it - go for it! But, to simply offer a plain "how-to," full of lists of instructions is unlikely to start any viral marketing fires.
So here is a thought, if we truly want to change the world, provide "access" to the third world so that they can learn to fish and feed themselves for a lifetime - of course, we might also create competition for those of us comfortably ensconced in our safe worlds of information at our fingertips. OK, I'm climbing down from my soapbox but their are still millions of opportunities to write non-fiction and make a difference - what are you writing?
I have also heard a rumor that there is information online about punctuation and grammar - a new search starts!!!
Wednesday
5 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER BEFORE YOU START WRITING
You have decided to create a book. You have decided that finally, you will write your own book. Good for you! You could not have picked a better time in history to write a book and offer it to the world. So, now what? Do you grab your laptop and head to Starbucks, buy a latte and find a corner and begin writing - after all, didn't J.K Rowling do something similar when she created the Harry Potter series. What will your opening sentence be? How will you create the perfect teaser to grab the attention of your reader? You have taken the creative writing courses and have tons of ideas so do you just take the plunge and start that attention-getting first paragraph?
Sometimes that will work. Occasionally, a J.K. Rowling or a Stephen King will break out of the pack and hit the big time - is that your hope, prayer, intention? Regardless of whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, writing is a business and you will invest a lot of time, energy, emotion, sweat and tears into creating your own book. It will be torn apart by editors, critics, interviewers and the reading public - if you're lucky. If you accept the fact (and it is a fact) that writing is a business - your business, then shouldn't we take a slightly more business-like approach before we invest ourselves?
Before you order the latte, take a look at the five questions that follow and when you can answer them, you will be ready to begin the writing process. What is the point of writing a great book if you don't sell any and no one gets to read it? There is no point - great literature be damned. There have been thousands of great writers tossed on the scrap heap of publisher's refusals, but those days are over. You have complete and total control of your writing and so it is time to start treating what you do as a professional rather than a hope and a prayer. Start with these five questions and your book will be better written and just as importantly better received, purchased, shared and enjoyed.
Who are you writing to?
How will you find them?
Why will readers buy your book?
What is the main message, theme or storyline?
Can you define your book in terms of genre and purpose?
If you want some help in answering these questions and many more, my book The One Hour Author: non-fiction book writing for busy people will definitely help you. If you have read this far and see some benefit in buying my book, let me help you with that, too. Use this code and buy a copy to download as a PDF or load on to your e-reader or computer and pay only $4.99, a $5.00 saving. Here's the code and the link:
THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR: non-fiction book writing for busy people
at the checkout use this code to get your discount CV54N
This is available only on the Smashwords version of the book, it won't work anywhere else.
Sometimes that will work. Occasionally, a J.K. Rowling or a Stephen King will break out of the pack and hit the big time - is that your hope, prayer, intention? Regardless of whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, writing is a business and you will invest a lot of time, energy, emotion, sweat and tears into creating your own book. It will be torn apart by editors, critics, interviewers and the reading public - if you're lucky. If you accept the fact (and it is a fact) that writing is a business - your business, then shouldn't we take a slightly more business-like approach before we invest ourselves?
Before you order the latte, take a look at the five questions that follow and when you can answer them, you will be ready to begin the writing process. What is the point of writing a great book if you don't sell any and no one gets to read it? There is no point - great literature be damned. There have been thousands of great writers tossed on the scrap heap of publisher's refusals, but those days are over. You have complete and total control of your writing and so it is time to start treating what you do as a professional rather than a hope and a prayer. Start with these five questions and your book will be better written and just as importantly better received, purchased, shared and enjoyed.
Who are you writing to?
How will you find them?
Why will readers buy your book?
What is the main message, theme or storyline?
Can you define your book in terms of genre and purpose?
If you want some help in answering these questions and many more, my book The One Hour Author: non-fiction book writing for busy people will definitely help you. If you have read this far and see some benefit in buying my book, let me help you with that, too. Use this code and buy a copy to download as a PDF or load on to your e-reader or computer and pay only $4.99, a $5.00 saving. Here's the code and the link:
THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR: non-fiction book writing for busy people
at the checkout use this code to get your discount CV54N
This is available only on the Smashwords version of the book, it won't work anywhere else.
Monday
CREATING A BOOK - WHEN?
"Creating a book sounds like an onerous task and I just don't have the time to do it."
Sound familiar? Most people when asked will say that they would like to write a book, have an idea, want to make a difference in the world, have stories to tell, want to help others and on and on. Most people, when asked will tell you that they just don't have any spare time - too much work, too much to learn, kids to soccer, dance, grocery shopping, lawn mowing, house repairs - it just never stops.
Here's the thing - it never stops! There is always something else to do. The time does not magically appear to write a book, especially for someone trying to make a living today - it has to be found. Most people who have come to the realization that writing a book would be important in their life then have to deal with the whole aspect of time. They start to bargain and make deals with themselves. Much of this is misspent energy. Many try to work in the time during their day by promising to spend a few minutes here and a few minutes there, maybe they promise to spend Saturday mornings in 4 solid hours of writing, ditto for Sunday.
The reality is that this is very rarely successful - it's as rare as creating a NY Times bestseller first time out of the gate, by someone with no name recognition.
Most people don't want to hear this. Most people give up their dream when they hear this. Most people will never write the book they talk and dream about because they do not want to accept this.
See, I told you that you didn't want to hear this - but it's true. For the first time author, regardless of the occasional exception, this is the rule. For the average working person with responsibilities to a company and a family, this is the only solution that actually works. You really can create a book by committing an hour a day to its writing but pick your hour, your total, uninterrupted, written-in-stone, no exceptions, no excuses, no email, no kids, no phones, no pool, no pets, kitty-bar-the-door, everyday hour. It works, period! The only thing is that you need to do this for 21 straight days to create a habit. That includes weekends, holidays and sick days. It works! There is a money back guarantee for this tip.
Sound familiar? Most people when asked will say that they would like to write a book, have an idea, want to make a difference in the world, have stories to tell, want to help others and on and on. Most people, when asked will tell you that they just don't have any spare time - too much work, too much to learn, kids to soccer, dance, grocery shopping, lawn mowing, house repairs - it just never stops.
Here's the thing - it never stops! There is always something else to do. The time does not magically appear to write a book, especially for someone trying to make a living today - it has to be found. Most people who have come to the realization that writing a book would be important in their life then have to deal with the whole aspect of time. They start to bargain and make deals with themselves. Much of this is misspent energy. Many try to work in the time during their day by promising to spend a few minutes here and a few minutes there, maybe they promise to spend Saturday mornings in 4 solid hours of writing, ditto for Sunday.
The reality is that this is very rarely successful - it's as rare as creating a NY Times bestseller first time out of the gate, by someone with no name recognition.
Most people don't want to hear this. Most people give up their dream when they hear this. Most people will never write the book they talk and dream about because they do not want to accept this.
GET UP AN HOUR EARLIER OR STAY UP AN HOUR LATER
Take your choice.
See, I told you that you didn't want to hear this - but it's true. For the first time author, regardless of the occasional exception, this is the rule. For the average working person with responsibilities to a company and a family, this is the only solution that actually works. You really can create a book by committing an hour a day to its writing but pick your hour, your total, uninterrupted, written-in-stone, no exceptions, no excuses, no email, no kids, no phones, no pool, no pets, kitty-bar-the-door, everyday hour. It works, period! The only thing is that you need to do this for 21 straight days to create a habit. That includes weekends, holidays and sick days. It works! There is a money back guarantee for this tip.
Sunday
WRITING BOOKS should I or shouldn't I?
There is always some guilt
around knowing you should write a book and then not taking any action in that
direction - “I know I should, I know I should...” This feeling of guilt,
combined with the fear of not being able to accomplish the goal, has a
tendency to freeze most of us - freeze us in inactivity. It is a vicious circle
as we know in our head that we need to do something but we hold ourselves back
and then the pressure to move ahead creates even more fear and guilt. Yuck!
Let’s go past that today and leave it all behind. We cannot fix the past but we
can make a new choice. That is what you are doing right now - making a
choice. Choose to write the book that resides within you and know that you will
write it well and that you will express that creative side of yourself to help
make a difference in the world. In other words, “start at start.”
You may be full of ideas but do not know how to arrange and organize them so that they become a clear and powerful manuscript but until you get started, why should you know how to do it? Let’s look at it this way, you would not still be reading this if you did not feel, at a deep level, that you have something important to share with the world and you are now ready to take the risk of sharing yourself with that world, so let’s get at it.
“The purpose of life is to . . . matter; to feel it has made some difference that we have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten
excerpted from, THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR: non-fiction book writing for busy people
You may be full of ideas but do not know how to arrange and organize them so that they become a clear and powerful manuscript but until you get started, why should you know how to do it? Let’s look at it this way, you would not still be reading this if you did not feel, at a deep level, that you have something important to share with the world and you are now ready to take the risk of sharing yourself with that world, so let’s get at it.
“The purpose of life is to . . . matter; to feel it has made some difference that we have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten
excerpted from, THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR: non-fiction book writing for busy people
Friday
WRITING YOUR OWN BOOK - what's holding you back?
What holds us back from completing our books? I suppose I might ask, "What holds you back from starting your book?" but that's for another day. Yes, I can feel your sense of relief...
Earlier this week, I had a message from Smashwords that My Secret Mother had been accepted into their premium catalog thus making it available in many more formats and places including the Apple store, the Sony store and Barnes and Noble, etc. This was great and gratifying news but there was another piece of news that I knew was coming but had hoped that somehow the book fairy would not notice or would magically fix it. The One Hour Author had not been accepted because it did not have an interactive Table of Contents. Now, if I'm telling the truth, I knew that would happen but hoped for something different.
I had glanced at the technical details of creating a Table of Contents in which the reader could switch from one chapter to any other with ease and move back and forth from text to TOC easily. This is one of the biggest selling features of a digital book or an e-reader but I anticipated a wrestling match with the technology.
This is not a new place for me as I have a love/hate relationship with the tech world and I live in dread of having to learn something new and make mistakes and redo it and on and on - it really tries my patience, something in short supply at the best of times.
Remember the ketchup commercial and the song "Anticipation" by Carly Simon. I feel a bit like the ketchup as I slowly make my way to the opening between me and technology. Anyway, the anticipation is far worse than the actual work itself. I set aside some time to get it started, followed the instructions that are detailed in the Smashwords publishing manual (it's free at their website) and started the dreaded process of formatting the book properly. It took about an hour, which includes the mistakes I made along the way.
Now, why didn't I just do that in the first place, you ask? I don't know - maybe I just anticipate this monumental struggle and want to avoid it. That doesn't work because eventually I have to deal with it anyway and the funny thing is, it's usually a much easier solution that I thought it would be.
My question to you is, where in your book writing process are you "anticipating" problems and avoiding solving them as you hope the book fairy will save you, too?
Go ahead and take a stab at it today - it may be easier than you "anticipated."
Please forward my blog to friends who might benefit - see you soon.
Earlier this week, I had a message from Smashwords that My Secret Mother had been accepted into their premium catalog thus making it available in many more formats and places including the Apple store, the Sony store and Barnes and Noble, etc. This was great and gratifying news but there was another piece of news that I knew was coming but had hoped that somehow the book fairy would not notice or would magically fix it. The One Hour Author had not been accepted because it did not have an interactive Table of Contents. Now, if I'm telling the truth, I knew that would happen but hoped for something different.
I had glanced at the technical details of creating a Table of Contents in which the reader could switch from one chapter to any other with ease and move back and forth from text to TOC easily. This is one of the biggest selling features of a digital book or an e-reader but I anticipated a wrestling match with the technology.
This is not a new place for me as I have a love/hate relationship with the tech world and I live in dread of having to learn something new and make mistakes and redo it and on and on - it really tries my patience, something in short supply at the best of times.
Remember the ketchup commercial and the song "Anticipation" by Carly Simon. I feel a bit like the ketchup as I slowly make my way to the opening between me and technology. Anyway, the anticipation is far worse than the actual work itself. I set aside some time to get it started, followed the instructions that are detailed in the Smashwords publishing manual (it's free at their website) and started the dreaded process of formatting the book properly. It took about an hour, which includes the mistakes I made along the way.
Now, why didn't I just do that in the first place, you ask? I don't know - maybe I just anticipate this monumental struggle and want to avoid it. That doesn't work because eventually I have to deal with it anyway and the funny thing is, it's usually a much easier solution that I thought it would be.
My question to you is, where in your book writing process are you "anticipating" problems and avoiding solving them as you hope the book fairy will save you, too?
Go ahead and take a stab at it today - it may be easier than you "anticipated."
Please forward my blog to friends who might benefit - see you soon.
Tuesday
ORGANIZE YOUR BOOK
A few months ago I was having lunch with a friend and he was telling me about his struggles with writing a new book. Their business is based on personal coaching and a workshop series for people who are going through transitions in their lives. He knew that writing this book was important for his own business and also for the people who would read it and wanted to make sure that he created great value for them. But, he just couldn't get a handle on a format and an outline. His message wasn't clear and he struggled with one of my most often asked questions, "What's your book about?"
I asked him another question, "What are the five most commonly asked questions by your workshop attendees and coaching clients?" It took him no more than two minutes to list the five questions and bingo, he had his book outline! Sometimes it is that simple but often, as writers, we are just too close to our subject to see what to write and how to organize it.
The same may be true for you. If you are writing a book to enhance your business or your brand and expand your borders, it may be as easy as putting yourself in your customers shoes and asking the five most common questions about your subject. Whether you are a chiropractor, business analyst, life coach, swimming instructor, interior designer or chief candlestick maker, I would hazard a guess that you answer several questions constantly and this will be the start of your book. Organize it around what you already know and what the people you help always ask.
I asked him another question, "What are the five most commonly asked questions by your workshop attendees and coaching clients?" It took him no more than two minutes to list the five questions and bingo, he had his book outline! Sometimes it is that simple but often, as writers, we are just too close to our subject to see what to write and how to organize it.
The same may be true for you. If you are writing a book to enhance your business or your brand and expand your borders, it may be as easy as putting yourself in your customers shoes and asking the five most common questions about your subject. Whether you are a chiropractor, business analyst, life coach, swimming instructor, interior designer or chief candlestick maker, I would hazard a guess that you answer several questions constantly and this will be the start of your book. Organize it around what you already know and what the people you help always ask.
NEW RELEASE NOW AVAILABLE
THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR
non-fiction book writing for busy people
CREATING A BOOK , especially your first one is an experience full of joy, humility, excitement and no small amount of fear. I remember all of that and have based this new guide for aspiring authors on these facts. When I work with coaching clients, some of the same questions and challenges come up over and over again and I've been making notes. In my writing workshops, the audience members express many emotions, doubts and anxieties and look to the front of the room for answers and support...and I've been making notes.
TIPS ON WRITING A BOOK are my stock in trade and I have been doing that in workshops, coaching and blogging but there are many people who are not within reach of my voice. It only made sense to compile what I have learned from clients and workshop attendees and then toss in what I have gleaned from taking college courses, online seminars, reading dozens of books, hundreds of blogs and my own writing career and offer it in a compact format to more people.
MY PROGRAM FOR WRITING A BOOK is easy to understand, logical and uses a step-by-step approach that anyone, regardless of training, can utilize to create your own book. THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR is designed to give you the information needed, when you need it, including a few very revealing and instructional field trips, ideas on how to enhance your expert status, create a bestselling title and answer questions like, "What's your book about?"
IF YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN AUTHOR but are not sure how and where to start, not sure if you are a good enough writer, not sure if you have something unique to say, not sure if you really are an expert in your field, then THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR has been created especially for you.
THE BOOK MENTOR BLOG repeats excerpts from the book from time to time and if you check through the archives, you will find many posts in that category. However, if you want all the information in one place, categorized, organized and detailed then you may want to check out the link on the left hand side of this page and see more information.
THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR is available on Amazon's Kindle format but you don't need a Kindle to read it. Whatever device you are reading this blog on will work if you download the free app from Kindle. You can utilize an I-Pad, Blackberry, PC, Mac or just about anything else and enjoy the convenience and cost savings of reading books on Kindle.
I CHARGE AS MUCH AS $1,000.00 per month for coaching and $300.00 for a half day workshop but you can access much of the same information with THE ONE HOUR AUTHOR for only pennies. 999 of them.
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