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Vol. 2, Issue 8 In this issue:
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Vol. 2, Issue 7 In this issue:
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Also: On the Blog ...
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Vol. 2, Issue 5 In this issue: "How to Write a Press Release" theme
Also: On the Blog ...
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Vol. 2. Issue 4
In this issue:
Special Inclusion: Summary of RESOURCES One thing that hasn't been already included in one place on this site in the above articles is this summary of resources, so I thought I'd post it here for your convenience. For writing and submitting articles:
To help you make a living from your writing:
To help you get published:
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Vol. 2. Issue 3
In this issue:
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Vol. 2, Issue 2
In this issue:
• QUOTES OF THE MONTH: All about Goals • ARTICLE: Get Someone Else to Pay for Publishing Your Book • RESEARCH TIP: How to Test if There's a Market for Your Book • Jump Start Your Book • INSIDER'S TIP: How to Find a Literary Agent • MARKETING TIP: Submitting Articles Online • Get your questions answered! • RESOURCES: Class on Winning Queries and Book Proposals
Vol. 2, Issue 1
In this issue:
• QUOTES OF THE MONTH: All about Goals • ARTICLE: Get Someone Else to Pay for Publishing Your Book • RESEARCH TIP: How to Test if There's a Market for Your Book • Jump Start Your Book • INSIDER'S TIP: How to Find a Literary Agent • MARKETING TIP: Submitting Articles Online • Get your questions answered! • RESOURCES: Class on Winning Queries and Book Proposals • Pass it On • Reprint/Copyright info
To download the PDF file of this issue, click here.
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: .
******************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,
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 ScratchHaving 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.
**************************************************************** Like This Newsletter? Pass it on! If someone sent this to you, feel free to get your own free subscription. Note that I never rent or sell subscriber lists to any third party. Your privacy is very important to me. 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 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 3 In this issue:
Read the September 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 2 In this issue:
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:
Read the July 2006 issue in PDF format. (Left click to read, right click and "Save as" to download.)
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