How Do You Want to Be Known?
We live in a world overflowing with opportunity and choice. With so many options, sometimes it’s difficult to choose. Rather than settling on one thing, be it a career, brand of coffee, hobby or target market, we either decide not to choose or we dabble in lots of different things.
Navigating the Changing Publishing Landscape
Not since the invention of movable type has the publishing industry experienced a revolution as dramatic as the one brought about by modern technology and the internet.
When my first book came out at the tail end of the 20th century, it was through a traditional publisher, with a contract secured by a traditional literary agent. Promotion was done through traditional media outlets. Fast forward to current times where tradition has been turned completely on its head. If you are just starting out on the road to publication, here are a few tips to help you navigate the changing landscape. Continue reading
How Ants Can Help You Win at Writing
How does an ant move a mountain?
When I read Dan Miller’s workbook, Write to the Bank, I thought he was grossly exaggerating when he said writing was 5% of the job. The first draft of my first book was almost finished. It had been no quick feat. Surely the bulk of the work would be done when it was complete.
While Dan was emphasizing the importance of promotion, I discovered writing and publishing a book involve many steps. For me, that included a lot of learning.
Learning by Doing Continue reading
Do You Know Your Audience?
You may have a powerful message to share, but your book isn’t for everyone.
The first question you should ask when writing anything is Who is the audience? Defining your audience before you write the first word will help you craft a message that hits the mark.
A Journey to Publication
Thanks to Molly Blaisdell for this guest post and candid story about writing, rejection and publication. After a many queries, reviews, revisions and a persistent belief in a good idea, her new YA book, Plumb Crazy, released June 4.
It’s not belief in an idea that leads to publication. A solid idea is necessary first step, but you will need to take many more steps to see a book published. It took me years to see my book Plumb Crazy come to publication. I hope that my journey will help you on yours.
I absolutely love reading, and I know that readers want heartfelt books. I’m always haunting bookstores, blogs and websites in search of my next great read. I wanted to write a book that would be picked up again and again. I hoped to create an old friend to journey with readers through their lives. I know that a good book has an irresistible core idea. I put much effort into this core idea. Continue reading
9 Ways to Make More Money as a Writer, Coach and Speaker
Writers, coaches and speakers want to add more moola to their businesses. If not, they don’t have a business. They have a hobby. Here are 9 ideas for how to make more money as a writer, coach and speaker.
1. Book more live events and/or speaking engagements. Duh! But do you know what the fastest way is to book more live opportunities for yourself? It’s to give more and serve more. The better you become at serving people who plan meetings with no strings attached before they decide to book you, the more opportunities will open up for you. Continue reading
Don’t Overlook the Obvious (Book Launch Update)
Just YESTERDAY I realized that my new book, Get Personal, wasn’t featured on my website. Hmmm, does that make sense?
I’d created a website for the book itself, but then while reading an email from Tim Grahl about author websites being the author’s name, it hit me: I have a personal site, and I’m not maximizing it. Talk about a “DOH!” moment.
So, two lessons here:
1) Don’t forget about the most obvious places to promote your book…. Like your own site.
2) Make sure your book is connected to your name. I’m happy for my book to have its own site; it’s the beginning of a series that I want to grow. But Get Personal, though complementary to, is separate from my personal brand. That said, it should have been on my personal site from the day the book launched (or before)!
With a blinding flash of mental clarity, I made sure to post an article about my book on my personal website. I’ve tied it into my brand and my focus for the site: helping people tell their stories. (To be fair, I’d created a partial draft post about the book at some point but then got distracted or busy and completely forgot about it.)
BTW – If you don’t know Tim Grahl and you have a book to promote, check him out. Yes, he offers products with a hefty-ish price tag, but he’s also super-generous with his free content. I purchased his book, Your First 1000 Copies, and am reading it now. (Watch for a review.) Continue reading
Ready, Set, Book Launch!
My new book is available now on Kindle and the hard copy is with the printer. (YAY!!)
Now the real work begins! Marketing. Ugh. I mean, yay!!
I thought it might be helpful on this site to document what I’m doing… what’s working and what isn’t.
Let me be honest, the marketing part of indie-publishing can be bit overwhelming to me. With so many experts and so much advice it’s hard to know where to start. Continue reading
Are You Networking?
Earning a living as a writer is about two things: writing well and connecting with the right people–your readers, editors, publishers, etc. (Some people would question whether you really need to be able to write well, but that’s another matter.)
I’ve met most of the freelancers on my go-to list through networking. Someone knew so-and-so was a writer and introduced us. Sometimes those relationships last years and add up to thousands of dollars.
Many of the writing and editing jobs I’ve taken on have also been the 
Self-Publishing is a Marathon
Self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.
A former editing client recently sent me an email that I want to share with you. I worked on his book last summer, and it went to press in September 2012. Since that time, Dave Burgess, the author of Teach Like a Pirate, has experienced some impressive success as a self-published author. He offers some nice kudos for my work (Thanks, Dave!), but the truth is, writing and producing a top-quality book is only the first step in the self-publishing marathon. He has continued strong and steady in the race and is now enjoying the rewards. Continue reading