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Your Book Publishing Coach newsletter is
copyright © 2006-2009 by Diane Eble.
All
rights reserved. No part of this newsletter
may be reproduced without written
permission from the
author.
If you wish to use my articles in your
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Vol. 2,
Issue 7
In this issue:
·
ARTICLE:
What's a "Virtual
Book Tour," Anyway
·
MARKETING TIP
:
5 Advantages of an
Ask Virtual Book Tour
·
Jump Start Your Book
·
INSIDER'S TIP
:
THE Secret to
Making a Living from What
You
Know
·
Q&A:
"Promoting is a big
task; how do I stay motivated?"
·
Get your questions answered
·
RESOURCES:Book Proposal Secrets
;
Inexpensive Websites
·
Pass it On
·
Reprint/Copyright info
·
APPENDIX:
The Virtual Book
Tour Flow Chart
Also: On
the Blog
...
·
How
Many Ways Did Jay Conrad Levinson Repurpose His
Content?
·
Writing
for Children VBT Replay
To download and save (or read)
this issue in PDF format,
click
here. The
file should open and then you can save it onto your computer
and print it out as well.
Vol.
2, Issue 6
In this issue:
·
ARTICLE:
Story of the Successful (Broke)
Author
·
Jump Start Your
Book
·
INSIDER'S
TIP:
The Secret to Making a Living from Your
Book
·
WRITING
TIP:
Start Small—with an eBook
·
Get
your questions answered!
RECOMMENDED
RESOURCES:
Small Reports Fortune;
Editor Reveals Book Proposal Secrets
·
Pass it
On
·
Reprint/Copyright
info
Also: On the
Blog ...
·
How to Get Your Book
Proposal Audited by an Expert
·
Why I Write
·
Get the Search Engines
to Find You--in Seconds
·
What's a
Virtual Book Tour, Anyway?
To download and save (or read)
this issue in PDF format,
click
here. The
file should open and then you can save it onto your computer
and print it out as well.
Note: If
you have trouble reading this file when you click on the link,
it could be that you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader on
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Vol. 1,
Issue 5 (Note: Copy for this special Resources issue is left to
view. To download a PDF version,
click here.)
In
this special RESOURCES issue:
•
QUOTES OF THE MONTH: Three keys to achieving your
dream
•
ARTICLE: Mentors and Resources that Made All the
Difference
•
RESOURCES ON WRITING
•
RESOURCES ON COPYWRITING
• Jump
Start Your Book: SAVE YOURSELF TIME, EFFORT,
HEARTACHE
•
RESOURCES ON MARKETING
•
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE AUTHOR WEBSITE
• Pass
it On
•
Reprint/Copyright info
***************
QUOTES OF THE MONTH************
Three Essentials to
Achieving Anything
If you feel stuck in your goal to achieve your dream, whether
it's to write and publish your book or to achieve some other
personal goal, ponder these three quotes. Each one holds an
essential key to moving ahead toward what you want to
accomplish.
"Not
everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be
changed until it is faced." --James Baldwin
"There
is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful
for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the windows of
opportunity for ideas to flow your way."
--Jim
Rohn
"Until
one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw
back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of
initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the
ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of
events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all
manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material
assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come
his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."--
Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth e
*******************MAIN
ARTICLE*****************
Looking Back with
Gratitude:
Mentors and Resources
the Made All the Difference
This month it seems especially appropriate to look back on the
people and resources that have made a huge difference in my own
life as an author, and pass those on to you to that you too can
benefit.
Nobody achieves anything on his or her own. I am blessed to
have mentors who have pointed me toward the resources that have
enabled me to not only get published, but to find other outlets
for my writing skills.
Therefore, this issue will be dedicated to various resources
that you may want to explore as a person who longs to get your
message out to the world effectively. I hope to perhaps open
some new windows of opportunity for you, some avenues to
explore that you may not have considered before.
As always, if anything you read here raises more questions in
your mind, send me an email:
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.
******************RESOURCES
ON WRITING**********
Learning to
Write
Most of my mentors here were other authors whose books made a
huge impact on me. Here are some books that helped me become a
productive writer.
1. Becoming a
Writer, by Dorothea Brande. There's a reason
this book has been in print since 1934. It's a classic. It's
the book that turned me into a writer, actually. You will
have to overlook some of the language that does make it seem
dated, but if you follow her suggestions, you will learn how
to work with the creative process. This is the book that
spawned a whole genre of books on becoming a writer, perhaps
including Julia Cameron's The Artist's
Way, which I also love (see below). But
Brande's book is simpler, and a good place to start. Be
forewarned: You must actually do the exercises Brande
suggests to get anything out of this book. If you do, you
will see fruit.
2.
The
Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher
Creativity, by Julia Cameron with Mark
Bryant. This is one of the few books that has changed me in
the deepest way possible. It's not only about "becoming more
creative"--it's about reclaiming your soul's birthright to
creativity. It is life-changing only if you do the
exercises, but if you do ... you will never be the same. I
do not bestow "work of genius" lightly--there are only a
handful of books I would add to this category--but this is
one of them.
3.
Writing the Natural Way: Using
Right-Brain Techniques to Release Your Expressive
Powers by Gabriele Lusser Rico. This
book is the reason I've not experienced writer's block since
I read it, when it was published in 1983. I use her
techniques to plan books and articles and information
products I create. The clustering technique is especially
useful, not only in writing but in everything else I do:
project planning, working through problems--you name it. You
will be amazed and delighted at how these techniques free
your creativity.
Being Productive as a
Writer
I could name many other resources, but these two stand out as
being absolutely foundational in everything I do as a
writer.
1.
A Writer's Time: A
Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision through
Revision, by Kenneth Atchity. I absolutely love
this book. It has probably done more to help me be a productive
writer than anything else (besides the brainstorming technique
I learned from the book mentioned below). Whether you're
wirting nonfiction, fiction or screenplays, Atchity shows you
how to manage your own mind and the creative process so that
you can accomplish what you want in a most efficient--even
fun--way. He also covers some of the business end of
publishing. I have found all his techniques thoroughly sound
and workable in the real world of writing and publishing. You
won't regret it if you
buy and
use this book.
2
.
Writing for
Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by a
Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner, by Jon Franklin. Learning
how to write stories will help you with no matter what kind of
writing you do—fiction, nonfiction, even copywriting.
Franklin's techniques provide huge shortcuts for writing an
effective story.
****************RESOURCES
ON COPYWRITING***********
Why
Copywriting?
Before I go into these resources, I should first explain a
little about what copywriting is and why it's so
important.
Copywriting is persuasion in print. "Copy" refers to words that
sell, simply put.
Don't think you're interested in learning how to sell in
print?
What about when you want to get a publisher interested in
publishing your book? A book proposal is largely a sales letter
for your book. Learning how to write effective copy is the
secret to my selling all 11 of the books I ever
proposed.
Copywriting even helps you to write more effectively, even if
it's "literature" you hanker to write. You do, after all, want
to know how to snag people's interest and keep them reading,
don't you?
Perhaps you want or need to earn a good living from the words
you write. There's no better way than to do it with
copywriting.
Consider this sobering fact: You can, if you have a great book
proposal on a saleable topic, get a $10,000 advance for your
book from a major publisher. (This is an average book advance
for a beginning author.) It might take you 9-12 months to write
your book (I always averaged 9 months, oddly
enough).
If you become a good copywriter, you can get $10,000 for
one direct response
sales piece (a mailing or a web copy)—which might take
you 4-6 weeks to
write.
I'm not saying you'll start out at these figures. But only a
year or less of solid work, once you're properly trained, can
get you to that point.
Even if you don't become a working copywriter, knowing how to
write effective copy will help you write effective back cover
copy and sell your own books.
That said, here are some of the best resources for getting
started.
Copywriting
Basics
1.
The Copywriter's
Handbook by Robert W. Bly. Considered the
Bible of the industry, this will give you a good introduction
into the whole world of copywriting. If this interests you, you
might want to consider the next step, taking a course to learn
how to do it.
2.
The AWAI (American Writers and Artists Institute) Accelerated
Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. This course is
not cheap, but in my opinion it is worth the money. You can
order the course so that it comes to you in monthly lessons.
There are assignments, and you do get valuable feedback on them
from other copywriters. Comes with a "Copywriter's Hall of
Fame" collection of extremely successful sales letters from
which to glean nuggets of guidance. AWAI also offers a number
of supplementary things that will help you become a working
copywriter, such as Freelance Success Writing in a
Box, and a Master's course on Copywriting (which I
also have and recommend). They also offer a wonderful service
called Monthly Copywriting Genius, which analyzes a different
top-selling sales piece every month.
Web
Copywriting
1. AWAI's programs offer a wonderful foundation for
copywriting. If you want to get into the more specialized world
of web copywriting, AWAI offers and a course specifically on writing for
the Internet, edited by a copywriter I admire, John
Forde. I haven't taken the course myself, but I suspect it's
both thorough and instructive.
2. One of my personal mentors is Maria Veloso, so you've no
doubt heard me mention her. I like to learn from the best, and
Maria is one of the most
sought-after web copywriters in the world. No wonder:
Maria just
wrote copy for a promotion that made her client one million
dollars in four days! She's also a great teacher and now, a
novelist who is bringing her marketing savvy to her own
writing.
Maria
offers two ways you
can learn web copywriting: through her
book,
Web Copy that
Sells
: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every
Time (second
edition)
, and
her course at
Web
Copywriting University.
I have
found Maria's book to be extremely helpful. Maria's
techniques help me in ALL my writing (for example, I also
used her 5-step copywriting blueprint and some other methods
for writing book proposals as well as my web copy). This
book is essential for anyone who actually wants to make
money on line, whether as a copywriter or as someone seeking
to boost website responses. I keep it on my desk and refer
to it often.
I
suggest you get the book first, and then if this really
turns you on, Maria's
Web
Copywriting University
course
is well worth it. If you spend a little more, she will grade
your assignments and certify you. Then you have the opportunity
of having her recommend you to clients for whom she has no time
to write.
I also
recommend you download a copy of her free eBook, "Frame of
Mind Marketing," from my website at
http://www.wordstoprofit.com/Copywriting.html
. There
is more marketing wisdom in this free resource than you will
find in many books or even high-priced marketing
courses.
Someone asked me recently which of the above I would recommend
first. I said if you really want to learn copywriting, give the
AWAI course a go first. It covers all the basics. Maria's work
builds on that; it's more advanced.
**************JUMP
START YOUR BOOK **************
Start Your Book—the Right Way
Now
it's my turn to recommend a resource of my own that I
believe will make a tremendous difference in your getting
started with your book or information product.
I see
it again and again. Writers come to me with a book in hand,
asking me to help them get it published.
The
problem is, their book, as it stands, would not interest a
publisher. I know this because I've been on the other side
of the desk, accepting and rejecting manuscripts as an
editor for major publishing companies. I know that these
authors don't have a chance of getting published unless they
are willing to completely rethink and rework their book so
that it is something a publisher believes they can
sell.
All
that wasted time and effort! It breaks my heart.
That's
why I created
Jump Start Your
Book: 12 Steps to Writing a Book that
Sells. I
want to spare everyone the agony of being rejected by
publishers. Or of spending thousands of dollars to
self-publish their books, only to have their basements or
garages cluttered with boxes of unsold books.
Go to
http://www.jumpstartyourbook.com
and learn more about this resource and the special bonuses that
come with it. It will make a huge difference to you.
****************RESOURCES ON
MARKETING*************
Only Two Books Needed
There
are countless books on book marketing, but these two books
will provide more than you need, assuming you implement even
a fraction of the strategies:
1.
1001 Ways to Market
Your Books, Sixth Edition (1001 Ways to Market
Your Books: For Authors and Publishers)by John
Kremer. This book is "the bible" of book marketing.
Comprehensive it is—in fact, it can be overwhelming. However,
don't let that daunt you. Pick 3-5 strategies that fit you, and
really get good at them. Then, build on those things. This
edition includes a special section on the tools that Amazon.com
provides for authors as well.
2.
Guerrilla Marketing
for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your
Work,by Jay
Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Michael Larsen. Each of the
authors is one of the top experts in marketing, publicity, and
publishing respectively, and this book gives you marketing
tools that are both tested and up-to-date. Note that "guerrilla
marketing" refers to marketing that is largely free or
low-cost, not to aggressive tactics. Sixty-three of the
tactics are free, 20 are low-cost, only 7 are expensive, and 12
will help you earn a good living. These tactics work for
fiction, non-fiction, even children's books; there's an
appendix that lists them in order of effectiveness, and all
sorts of other useful information, such as a timeline for a
publicity campaign. Simply a must-have and must-use.
Courses
on Marketing/Publicity:
1. Arielle Ford's "
Everything You Should Know About Publishing, Publicity,
Promotion & Building a Platform" program is
pricey, but comprehensive and realistic. Just
go to her web page and read it for an education on
what it takes to become a successful author, and you'll get a
mini-course on what it takes to become a successful
author.
Arielle claims that the information in her course isn't
available anywhere else, and I believe it. I believe it because
I know publishing and media insiders are reluctant to "tell it
like it is." Also, Arielle Ford has quite a track record,
having mentored 15 authors who have gotten on the big
best-seller lists—people such as Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak
Chopra, Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer, and others.
Another thing I like about Arielle and her course is she
doesn't make wild promises. She gives you the blueprint, but
doesn't gloss over the fact that success depends on you—on your
effort, your book idea itself, all the resources you are
willing to put into it.
Check it out. She gives you 45 days to decide if
it's right for you, so you risk nothing.
2. Suzanne Falter-Barnes's
Get Known Now This 268-page "book" (you get it
digitally instantly, then she ships you the binder) shows you
step-by-step course how to build your platform—so important if
you want to get published by a traditional publisher, and also
important if you self-publish. Suzanne gives you everything,
from deciding on your purpose, to setting yourself apart from
the pack, to creating a unique brand and then communicating
that online, offline, through the media, and by becoming a
speaker. Along the way she shares a multitude of tools that
will help you do everything from build a website and blog to
creating an ezine to getting booked as a speaker. She is
realistic, too—doesn't gloss over the fact that you need to do
it step by step, it takes effort, you can't do it alone (she
tells you how to get good help, and when), and it may not be as
glamorous as it might appear.
******CREATING AN EFFECTIVE AUTHOR WEB
SITE********
Step-by-step Help in Creating Your Author Web Site from
Scratch
Having
a web site presence is essential these days for any author.
Yet many people don't know where to start. Or they end up
paying way too much for things they will never use. Or they
hire someone at a premium price to do things that they can
easily learn and do themselves. Or, conversely, they try to
do things themselves that are way over their
heads.
Does
this describe you?
I am
considering creating a special course on "How to Create an
Effective Author Web Site." I'd give you step-by-step
instructions and cost-effective tools/resources you can use
to start your site from scratch. You will also learn exactly
what you will need to set up an effective marketing system
through your web site, as well as how to create a media page
for your publicity/promotion efforts.
If
this would interest you, please sign up to receive
notification of when this course will be available. Signing
up doesn't obligate you in any way, it will just give me an
indication of your interest so I know whether this is
something I should invest my time in. Just go
to
http://www.wordstoprofit.com/website-minicourse-signup.html to
sign up.
****************************************************************
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Always.
************************************************************
Vol.
1, Issue 4
In this issue:
•
QUOTES OF THE MONTH: On Purpose
•
ARTICLE: Scam or
Valuable Resource?
•
RESEARCH TIP: Find Free Information Fast
Online
• Jump
Start Your Book: What an Editor
Says
•
INSIDER'S TIP: Know Your Author Rights
…
• Your
questions answered! New audio
available
•
MARKETING TIP/RESOURCE: Book Marketing Expert
Newsletter
• On
the blog … A
Cautionary Tale
• Pass
it On
•
Reprint/Copyright info
Read
the October issuein PDF
format. (Left click to read, right click and "Save as" to
download.)
(If you
do not have a pdf reader, you can download FREE adobe acrobat
pdf reader at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html)
Vol. 1,
Issue 3
In this issue:
·
QUOTES OF
THE MONTH:
On Perseverance
·
ARTICLE:
Should You Talk about Your Book Idea?
·
Jump
Start Your Book:
Testimonial
·
INSIDER'S
TIP:
Research Your Market—from Your Computer
·
Get your
questions answered!
(Especially on Book Proposals)
·
RESOURCES:
Book Proposals that
$ell
·
On the
blog … What’s Been
Covered, What’s Coming Up
·
CASE
STUDY:
Update on Maria Veloso
·
Pass it
On
·
Reprint/Copyright
info
Read
the September issuein PDF
format. (Left click to read, right click and "Save as" to
download.)
(If you
do not have a pdf reader, you can download FREE adobe acrobat
pdf reader at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html
)
Vol. 1, Issue
2
In this issue:
·
QUOTES OF
THE MONTH: More on Creativity
·
ARTICLE:How
to Find Time to Write a Book
·
CASE
STUDY: Success Story in Process
·
INSIDER'S
TIP: More on Publicity
·
PUBLISHING
TRENDS: Special Report Preview
·
On the
blog …
·
Get your
questions answered!
·
Jump
Start Your Book
·
Pass it
On
·
Reprint/Copyright
info
Read the August
issue in PDF format. (Left click to read, right
click and "Save as" to download.)
(If you
do not have a pdf reader, you can download FREE adobe acrobat
pdf reader at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html
)
Vol.
1, Issue 1
In this issue:
·
QUOTES OF
THE MONTH: On Creaitivity
·
ARTICLE:
How to "Write While You Sleep"
·
RESEARCH
TIP: Google Alerts
·
Jump
Start Your Book
·
INSIDER'S
TIP: #1 Mistake on Book Covers
·
MARKETING
TIP: AmazonConnect
·
Get your
questions answered!
·
RESOURCES:
Books on Creative Process
·
Pass it
On
·
Reprint/Copyright
info
Read the July 2006
issue in PDF format. (Left click to read, right
click and "Save as" to download.)
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