getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:04 pm

Hi Wanda, well, I will be talking about what an Author Personality IS on the call. Can it or should it be changed? No. I developed an assessment tool to help a person figure out the best way to structure and organize their book based on their “Author Personality” or the way you most naturally relate to, exchange and share information. The idea of knowing your Author Personality is to help you structure your book in the way that will be easiest for you to write it.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:09 pm

Hi Yuri, these days there are many types of publishers and not all have a physical address. If you are concerned about a publisher trying to steal your work, this is very rare. Still, I prefer to have the authors I coach only deal with publishers through an agent if possible, because agents and publishers both have done thousands of book deals, and you have done none. Generally, if a legitimate publisher is serious about wanting your work and ready to make an offer, it is easy to find an agent to handle the deal for you.

[Reply]

Yury Kos Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 9:33 am

Well, I’m waiting for reply from more than 50 agents, but, maybe, I’ve done not right when I’ve sent my query and 3 chapters to an indipendent publisher. This publisher requested the full manuscript and don’t know what to do… Not to send my work to him and wait for agent’s replies, or to send the work to this publisher and to sign a contract if he’ll offer it. (the publisher asked for the full on Feb. 15)
How do you think, what I have to do? Give me an advice…

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 8:30 pm

Hi Wanda, It’s definitely one way to go and a quick solution to getting a book out and published. The downside is that you could be missing an opportunity to distinguish your own brand and make it stand out. It warrants a strategic conversation to make sure you are putting your resources where they will give you the most benefit.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 5:58 pm

Hi Yury, thanks for your question. One big difference, eBook publishing is cheaper and faster than publishing a hard copy. These days, with the growth in eBooks, it’s best to publish in both formats. There are two ways going with an eBook can hurt your career–1) Temptation to produce lower quality. Unfortunately, a lot of people make the mistake of believing that doing an eBook is an excuse to skimp on hiring a quality editor and having the book properly laid out with a professional cover design. This only hurts your image. It’s not just having a book that counts. Make sure it’s a good one. 2) You have a book out and it doesn’t sell. It’s fine to put a book out on your own, but if you aren’t able to generate sales, you have only shown a potential publisher that there’s not an audience for your book or you don’t have the marketing skills to move it, so, in effect, you’ve just saved them the trouble. Hope this helps.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 12th, 2012 at 5:18 pm

Terrestrial radio interview, meaning done with a radio station that has call letters and uses land-based radio towers and the airwaves, not just the Internet to broadcast. Often these stations have larger listening audiences and it’s more “cred” for you to appear as a guest than on Internet radio. I recommend both, and Internet radio is a great place to build your skills as an interviewee before you go on a show with a huge audience. Thanks for your question!

[Reply]

Wanda McCormick Reply:
February 12th, 2012 at 9:18 pm

ok thank you
i did the right interview then
Wanda McCormick recently posted..Taking your power back.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 8th, 2012 at 10:44 pm

Hi Wanda, First of all, congratulations on getting an interview. Great platform building! My advice is to keep it simple. Most important is can you come up with something you can offer? An initial consultation? A download? What do you want to do with them once they know about you? What is the best outcome you can get as a result of the interview? A new client or two? Adding people to your list? Make them an offer they can’t refuse (in an irresistible sense, of course) that positions the relationship so you can take it the direction you believe it needs to go. It doesn’t matter as much which domain you send them to as what you want them to do once they get there.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Robin

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 6th, 2012 at 6:40 pm

Hi Wanda, when you are writing a book, you can use any font you want. I recommend one that is easy to read, not the cutesy creative ones with curly ques. Do keep in mind that when you send the file to an editor or a layout person, it’s easier for them to read it in Times Roman or possibly Arial or Verdana. Agents usually want manuscripts in Times Roman and some will throw it away if it’s in any other font. When I get a book to edit, I always convert it to Times before I start work on it. It’s just easier to see the typos and corrections with that font, since my eye is trained to it. In summary, save your creativity for the content and leave the fonts alone.

[Reply]

Wanda McCormick Reply:
February 6th, 2012 at 6:46 pm

thanks robin
good to know, i will just stick with times roman
Wanda McCormick recently posted..I put the "personal" in my services.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
February 7th, 2012 at 11:09 pm

Thank you for your question!

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 6:47 pm

Hi Wanda, Great question. My coaching to you on this would be do NOT do a full 12 week workshop following another author’s program to the letter. Aside from the potential problems with copyright, which there potentially are, especially if you are charging for the workshop, the BIG problem with using someone else’s program is it builds the other author’s brand and not YOURS. We all start out copying what we know works, but at some point (as soon as possible) for you to build your brand as an expert, it’s important that you find your own way and develop something all your own. Think about what you have done that works. What have you added “on the fly” or thought about deeply and incorporated that has been refreshing, a surprise, a new perspective, or brought value? Build on that and make Wanda’s 12 Week Fitness Protocol. Make it yours.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 6:05 am

You bet. As far as I know you can. I am (having someone do it for me) setting all that up on mine now.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 6:06 am

Hi Wanda,
It depends on what you are working on and where you are in the process. If you are just getting started, even 15 minutes a day can be helpful to keep you moving. Once you’ve built your writing muscle, you can write 2 or more hours a day and have the time fly by.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 7:39 pm

Hi Elaine, great question. I have some people I can refer you to. Is the book fiction or non-fiction?

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 24th, 2012 at 11:42 pm

Hi Wanda,
Great to have your question today. Another good one! When you have that featured quote at the beginning of a chapter, the standard practice is to just cite the author at the end of the quote. Example:
“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” ~ Benjamin Franklin.
Often, these quotes are by authors who have been dead more than 75 years, so they are most likely considered public domain and require no further permission. If the author of the quote is still living, you may need to get permission to use the quote. A good practice for any publisher, including self-publishers, is to run the entire book by an IP (intellectual property) attorney before you go to press and make sure you’re not exposed.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 7:50 pm

Hi Reina, This is a tough one to answer blind, not knowing any of the details, a Laser Coaching session may be the best way to handle this. That way I can take a closer look at your material, current situation and goals before answering. Having said that, the key here is to distinguish between subjects and topic. Specifically, I went to your website and saw your brand topic is empowering women, “helping women get what they need,” as you say clearly on your banner. Your first book, Strong from the Start, is on the subject of raising children, AND clearly under the topic of your brand. If your new subject covers another aspect of “helping women get what they need,” you should be able to move over with relative ease. If it’s taking you in a whole new direction, it will require some re-branding on your part to help the book succeed.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 24th, 2012 at 5:43 am

Hi Chris,
Thank you for your question. First of all, I am wondering about your comment about not wanting to hole yourself in as a certain type of writer through your blog. It can be a very smart move, marketing and platform-wise to have a clear, definitive voice in your writing that is recognizable to your audience. It’s good if people get a sense of your style and what they can count on from you. So, you may want to rethink that. Moving on…it is easier to establish a platform when you are a non-fiction expert vs. a fiction writer. However, I’ve worked with writers who did just that, and it helped them get a book deal. Most recent example, SusanDennard.com who has a wonderful blog that showcased her writing and helped people get to know her personality. She signed with HarperCollins Children’s division recently, and her young adult fiction novel is being published this spring. Best. Robin

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 24th, 2012 at 5:37 am

Hi Avalaura, I believe an eBook should be published in all available formats. There’s one for Kindle, one for iPad and Nook and, of course, there’s always the basic PDF. The reason is that people use all three formats, and you don’t want to lose sales just because you are limited to one format. I have a resource, Brian Schwartz, http://www.kindleexpert.com/ who does the conversions for a reasonable price. Tell him I sent you. Best, Robin

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 9:21 pm

Thank you, Angelique. I look forward to hearing from you again!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 18th, 2012 at 5:02 pm

Hi Wanda! I am so excited about tonight and seeing you! You can expect to learn a lot and meet some really cool people at a fun, laid back event, so don’t be nervous! Just speak from the heart and don’t worry about how it comes out. We all need to practice talking about our books before it sounds clean. See you soon!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 3:56 am

It can work for you quite well. You may want to look into Kindle Singles. A way to publish a short work, up to 30,000 words and do exactly what you say, test your ideas on the market, generate some income and get a buzz going.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 3:54 am

Hi Avalaura, terrific question. Titles are VERY important and a great title can carry a book to the top. The best way to title a book is to use the “Sell and Tell” formula. The Main Title should sell. It should be catchy, memorable, attention-getting and easy to pronounce and spell. A good sub-title then tells, or explains the benefits of reading the book, what the reader will get out of it. For example: Sell: Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Tell: What the rich teach their their kids about money that the poor and middle class do not!
Many best-selling titles piggy back on a well-known, best-selling title. Example: When Jason Oman and Mike Litman titled their book, they modified a book title Conversations with God to become Conversations with Millionaires. Their book went to #1 on Amazon.com. Or use a popular song, movie or TV show title or well-known pop
culture phrase. Either directly….Love the One You’re With, best-selling title by Emily Giffin. Or as a play on words, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
All of these are popular culture phrases and already embedded in the collective consciousness for easy recall and “stickiness.”

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 2:16 am

Hi Carlos, great question. A few thoughts…first, I recommend having both a hard copy and a Kindle version of your book in a professionally laid out format. So far, most Kindle sales are in fiction genres, but the non-fiction market is growing. You can get a lot out of the Amazon experience by encouraging people to post reviews of your book. One idea I read from Tim Ferris is to reward them for reviewing the book with some gift, whether it’s a good review or not. The review activity will help your book pop up in searches. Of course, you can do an Amazon Bestseller campaign, because while it doesn’t hold the same clout as a New York Times bestseller, it’s still better to have Amazon bestseller status than no bestseller status. Hope this helps.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 2:21 am

Hi Marguerite, It’s very common for serious writers to seek a mentor. I think there are three ways to grow as a writer. One is to read a lot of well-written books and make a study of how the author used their style and accomplished their aims, next is to edit other people’s writing. I’ve noticed that I have a much easier time seeing other people’s writing weaknesses when I’m editing their work than when I read my own. I can then apply corrections I made in someone else’s work to improve my writing. Last, but not even close to least, is to have a writing mentor or mentors. No matter how open you are to other works or how good you are at spotting opportunities while editing, NOTHING can substitute a skillful writer’s critique in helping you develop to your full potential.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 2:31 am

Hi Jamila, great question. There are many ways to leverage your book to help you expand, assuming your book is well-targeted and focused in the direction you wish to take your business. You can use your book to help you get speaking engagements, media interviews, and participate in panel discussions. You can use it as a giveaway to attract high-paying clients. You can develop spin off products (such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad author’s Cash Flow game), seminars (Millionaire Mind Intensive), training products such as CD’s and DVDs, and coaching programs. As an author, you can reach out to other more well-known experts in your field to form strategic alliances or go speak at professional conferences and conventions. I hope this beginning list is a good start to get your juices flowing.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 14th, 2012 at 3:05 pm

Hi Jim, Thanks for the question. I think the main thing here is that you aren’t asking the right question. PR campaigns by firms are expensive, not guaranteed to produce any results, and don’t necessarily lead directly to book sales. Not a great business proposition for anyone with that kind of money to fund you. Publicity is about exposure and creating the “I’ve heard of him somewhere” phenomenon. Rather than putting a bunch of energy into finding someone to give you money, if you want publicity, I recommend you direct that energy into promoting the book yourself. I do know of a couple of great low-cost resources for media/publicity training and support. My friend Jill Lublin has a Publicity Crash Course as well as some low-cost do-it-yourself-with-training publicity campaign programs http://publicitycrashcourse.com/ . And my dear soul-sister Eli Davidson has an amazing media training course I offered to my list last year. http://elidavidson.com/ordinary-to-extraordinary/. If you go to either of these ladies, tell them I sent you.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 7:13 am

Hi Adwiti, Yes. I think in many cases, going through the process of writing a book proposal, or at least gathering all the information that would go in one, is a valuable step to help you clarify crucial aspects of your book including: who is your audience? how many people in that market? why will they read your book? how is your book unique? who else has written similar books? why are you the best person to write it? and so on.

[Reply]

adwiti Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 1:43 am

Do I send the proposal to any publisher?

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 2:05 am

No. Proposals are for literary agents. The only time you might send a proposal directly to a publisher is if it is a small, independent press. If you wish to approach a publisher directly, check their website and look up their submission guidelines. Also, be aware, many vanity presses pose as publishers. If you are paying to produce your book, it’s a vanity press.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:15 pm

Yes, Tracy, absolutely. Any speaker will have an easier time getting booked with a book. Also, any expert who wants media exposure will fare better with a book than without. Here are some specific examples from various industries and outcomes.
Consultants and Trainers: use the book as an introductory piece to establish your credibility and help you land a five to seven figure contract.
Coaches: Use the book to establish credibility, expand your reach, get media exposure and speaking engagements. Also can be a great initial purchase to open the door to up-sells such as seminars, private coaching and products. T. Harv Ecker, Robert Kiyosaki and Tony Robbins all examples of this.
Researchers: Use the book to gain credibility and clout and more funding for your work.
Speakers: we’ve covered.
As you can see, having a book can help boost your income and grow your business in many ways besides book sales. Thank you for the question. This can help a lot of people.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:08 pm

Hi Elaine, you have asked such a big question. Can you narrow it down, so I can focus my answer in a way to benefit you the most? Since you point to the query letter, I’ll direct you to a recent blog post I wrote outlining a path to by-pass the query and get an agent. Perhaps you will find it helpful. It’s called Plan to Pitch. http://getpublishedcoach.com/plan-to-pitch

[Reply]

Elaine Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 2:18 am

I actually went to a writer’s conference a few years back and met face to face with an agent. He liked my idea, but at the time my book needed work. Should I query the same agent, or go for a different one.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 7:40 pm

Sure, you absolutely can query him again as long as you have worked on the book and improved it. It has been awhile, but some prior connection is better than none.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 11th, 2012 at 11:24 pm

LOL. Well, there was some video shot, but I don’t know how to reach her. I did ask Ron, the guy with the hat and guitar, to track her down for me. You’ll be the first to know if I can get my hands on some footage.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 11th, 2012 at 10:38 pm

Thank you, Philly! I appreciate your comments. See you soon!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 11th, 2012 at 10:37 pm

Great question, Nancy! I’ve actually spent a lot of time looking into this and I have found certain predictors. For non-fiction, number one is author platform. The size and strength of the author’s platform directly correlates to non-fiction book sales. All other things being equal, if an author has a large following and high visibility, they will sell more books than the unknown expert. Other factors: a book that is well-written (yes, it still matters) has a better shot. Also, books that look and feel professional have an easier time getting picked up by distributors and access to markets. One interesting quality I’ve noticed among New York Times bestsellers, the content is always dominated by story. This proves to be true across genres, including business books. The bestsellers tend to be books that use story as the primary information delivery method, either as the central focus or as anecdotes and case studies. For example, Malcom Gladwell’s pop culture/business books are a string of stories sewn together with the thread of his latest theory. As far as fiction, it’s hard to say. A well-written compelling story is a good start, but as you know, not a predictor. You can usually bank on an author who has already written a bestselling novel to produce another. Audiences do seem to prefer the novelists who already have shown they can deliver.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 10th, 2012 at 5:26 pm

Great question, Mike. So good, in fact, I wrote an entire blog post on it recently. http://getpublishedcoach.com/self-publish-or-be-published
Check that out and let me know if you have additional questions or if that did it.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 5:53 pm

Hi Maria, great question and it brings up a point that I cannot over-stress…for most (and I mean 99.9% of) authors, book sales alone will NOT support you as in paying the bills and financing vacations and large art purchases. I just was listening to an NPR interview with Amanda Hawking last night. She’s a self-published author who writes paranormal romance and just joined the very elite and tiny group of authors who crossed the 1 million mark in book sales. SHE bought the life-sized statue of Han Solo that now resides in basement living room with money from book sales. For the rest of us, we’re better off thinking about other ways to generate income and use the book as a tool to help attract that income. Think about what else you can create, perhaps a class or coaching program, that you can market in addition to your book. This will not only help you make more money, it also will help you sell more books. Hope this helps.

[Reply]

Maria Papadopoulou Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 11:25 pm

Thanks Robin! It did help indeed. Thing is that even when it comes to coaching and tutoring….the competition is still way too fierce too online.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 11:40 pm

Yes, Maria, then the task becomes finding your niche market and the unique offerings and value propositions that only YOU can provide. In that space there is no competition. Check out the book World Famous on my top 10 list. It addresses this very issue. Maybe if you win this week’s drawing…

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 6:02 pm

Hi Sally, thanks so much for writing. I’ve been to your website and I have many thoughts for you. The main point I’ll share with you here is to be sure you frame your book concept in a way that gets straight to the heart of an obvious and compelling benefit to your reader. The problem with titles like “positive inner change” and “conscious performing” is they are broad, sweeping ideas that don’t pinpoint a clear benefit, such as “Free Up Your Speaking: A Guide to Authentic, Inspired Performance.” We could discuss this further in a Laser Coaching session, http://getpublishedcoach.com/laser-coaching, and/or I notice you are in my area, so I want to be sure you know about my live event Jan. 18. I’d love it if you would come (it’s free) and we can meet in person. Here’s a link. http://thisistheyear.eventbrite.com/

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 7th, 2012 at 6:24 pm

Hi Drew,
Thanks for the question. I’d say overall, yes an eBook is a good way to get your name out because anything you put out and distribute can help you. My yes is a qualified yes because it’s not the same level of prestige as having a hard-copy book that is professionally laid out and edited. People still don’t recognize an eBook with the same level of respect. Some of the reasons are eBooks usually have an amateurish appearance, are poorly edited (if at all) and then there’s the factor that you don’t have a “book in hand” which still seems to make a difference for people. I may put out an eBook or a PDF excerpt of a book I’m working on as a way to float some ideas, get feedback and get some of my book written, but I don’t try to sell it on its own. I package it with some other coaching or training or give it away free as a means, as you said, of getting my name out. Hope this is useful to you, and keep the questions coming to increase your odds of winning a book!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 9:20 pm

Will do, Susan. I’ll let you know as soon as we get it fixed. Thanks for letting us know. Looking forward to speaking with you.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 7th, 2012 at 12:24 am

I have word from my assistant that it’s fixed.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 3:13 pm

Hi Byron, I took the liberty of visiting your website, and I noticed that your book is a novel. While a solid platform is helpful for a novelist, it is not nearly as much of an issue as it is for a non-fiction expert. For a novelist seeking a publisher, it’s mainly about content. Publishers will be attracted to solid writing and great story, preferably one that is fresh, compelling and original. When you say you were unable to secure a publisher, it might have something to do with the methods you used (for a big house publisher, you should get an agent first) or if you did enough queries (even 100 might not be enough), and it’s also possible that the novel itself needs work. The great thing about doing a lot of queries is getting feedback. If you notice you get a lot of the same feedback from different agents, pay attention to that and take heed as to what they are saying. If you query over 50 agents who represent work in your genre and get back only form letters, that may be its own feedback to go back to the drawing board, maybe take some more writing classes and improve the work itself. I don’t know how many novels you’ve written, but most first novels suck. (Ask Stephen King, he’ll concur), so don’t let any of this frustrate you. I’m glad you reached out. I hope this helps you see where to focus your efforts next to get a better result.

[Reply]

Byron Suggs Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 11:13 pm

Thanks, Robin. 99% of the feedback I received only said it ‘didn’t fit their needs at this time’, so effectively, it wasn’t constructive for me at all (especially considering the small percentage of books accepted vs. those pitched.) The gist of my question concerned the fact that inspiring fiction authors are under the impression that a solid platform is needed in conjunction with a good book. The problem I was pointing out was that if you attempt to build a platform and cannot get a book deal after, say, a year, eventually that platform has little meaning to the author or the public, because the author, as the content provider / platform subject, has failed to deliver to his or her base.

I think this has a lot to do with the emergence of so many self-published authors. By controlling the process, they can accomplish the above and successfully grow their platform exponentially. Most importantly, they can deliver what their base is expecting.

Bottom line: if you promote yourself as an author/novelist in your platform, you eventually need to ‘author’ something.

Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to address my question.
PS…sorry for the double post.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 7th, 2012 at 12:29 am

Yes, I look at platform mostly from a non-fiction author perspective in which case you can develop your platform up to and through your publication date and it’s worth it, because you also are offering other things, coaching, training, products, speaking that are income generating AND help cultivate your audience. I suppose this is also possible for a fiction writer, but would require a bit more imagination. And I agree with you that at some point, you just might be better off self-publishing and earning that author status rather than waiting for acceptance by a publishing house. Thanks so much for your question and comments.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 3rd, 2012 at 10:00 pm

Hi Tony,
Great question! Yes, I believe that is a good way to assess a potential editor. When I am bidding a project, I do a short sample edit of 1-4 pages, so the author can see exactly my style and approach.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 7:34 pm

Hi Adwiti,

Most aspiring writers are in love with the idea of writing and spend a great deal more time fantasizing about writing than writing. Much like spiritual practice, the only solution that seems to work consistently is to set aside time each day to write, no matter what. So many successful writers have come to surrender to this conclusion that I can only believe that there is no other way, for if there were, someone would have found it by now.

If you haven’t yet found that discipline, there’s nothing like a deadline to push you into writing! Actually, deadlines can be quite handy. If you had a deal with a publishing house, they would expect you to meet their deadlines, so it’s not a bad idea to set deadlines with yourself, your coach, or a writing partner.

Bottom line, whether it’s developing a discipline, or pushing through to meet a deadline, the main thing is to write. As long as you’re writing, you’ll keep growing and moving ahead.

[Reply]

Adwiti Reply:
January 7th, 2012 at 2:31 pm

Thank you!
Adwiti recently posted..GOOD EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 30th, 2011 at 9:46 pm

I do agree, Dave to a point. I think both the eReaders and the traditional pulp books both have a role. My mother, well into her 60′s, has a Kindle and travels a lot. She’s downloaded and read over 145 books in just a few years. I doubt she would have carried that many books overseas in her suitcase. Still, I must say, I was heartened this holiday shopping season to note the longest lines I saw at any checkout were at Barnes & Noble. Not Bed, Bath and Beyond, not Target, Not DSW, but Barnes & Noble was the only one that had a line snaking through the store, patrons’ arms loaded with stacks of books. Bodes well for the future, I think.

[Reply]

Adwiti Reply:
December 31st, 2011 at 8:21 pm

I bought the kindle for traveling purposes and since then have downloaded many books in the e version, yet it compares not to that feel of the pages, the convenience of turning the page to exactly where you bookmarked to re-read a certain section. I agree yet we have to move with the times and embrace both worlds.
Adwiti recently posted..GOOD EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 30th, 2011 at 9:49 pm

Hi Antony,
Well, I have an entire course dedicated to this one question (Build Your Author Platform under the Products tab on this site), but if I had to pick one, I’d say your Blog. Post to it, promote it, build traffic to it, engage your audience on it,. Done right, your Blog can be the keystone of your bridge to bestseller stardom.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 30th, 2011 at 12:40 am

Hi Lisa,

Great question. Without having the specific information about your situation, I’d say in most cases, the best scenario is to have at least some traction in the business before you write the book. For many reasons: 1) You will have concrete examples to include in the book. 2) Working with your clients will add clarity to your message. 3) The people you serve create a built-in demand for you book. 4) You can test your ideas on your clients and your audience. 5) You will have greater confidence in your ideas and your message when you see that it has already helped people. 6) You will have money from the business, so you can write your book from a place of abundance. 7) People will trust you as an author more if you are already established at least with a toe hold.

Bottom line: A book CAN help you grow your business, but it’s not there to do all the heavy lifting. More accurately, the work you do to promote your business can be a POWERFUL way to help build a demand for your book before it comes out.

Hope this helps and thanks for a great question!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 26th, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Thanks, Veronique, for your question. I believe a lot of aspiring author struggle with this one. What you are facing isn’t writer’s block in its primary form of not knowing what to say. What you are experiencing is a crisis of faith. You know what to say, you’re just afraid it’s a waste of your time to say it. The answer to all of it is to get laser focused on growing an audience, a tribe, a demand for your book. Whether you self-publish or seek a publisher (and NO self-publishing is NOT always the best), you will be faced with that little matter called promoting your book and generating sales. The best time to start promoting your book is NOW. Before you finish writing it, and well before it’s published. We in the business call this developing an Author Platform. Whether or not you have a strong one is the single most accurate predictor of how well your non-fiction book will sell. Develop your platform as you write your book, and you will create three powerful advantages–1) you have your hand on the pulse of your audience, 2) a built-in demand for your book and 3) if you DO choose to seek a publisher, you have more leverage and bargaining power.

One additional thought, as to the unfinished projects. These are a real energy drain and need to be handled, so you can move forward. What I have seen in my experience is that this is often tied to perfectionism, fear of criticism and/or fear of “failure”–all fears shared by everyone. The difference is what you do with it. My coaching on this is to look over all your unfinished projects, decide which you are going to ax and completely drop (not all projects need to be finished), out of the one or two that you intend to complete, decide which one you will complete first and finish it, and get it out to the world. You are better off putting it out and having only your mother read it than you are keeping a backlog of productivity stored on your hard drive.

If you’d like some coaching to accelerate this, you can go here to set a Laser Coaching appointment http:getpublishedcoach.com/vip. Also, go to the products tab and check out my course Build Your Author Platform.

[Reply]

Diana Morgan Reply:
January 8th, 2012 at 10:59 pm

Hi Roger,
There are definitely benefits to making changes in your blog post to improve your SEO traffic. There are also disadvantages.

Changing the Title of your Blog Post can improve your SEO, especially if you do the proper keyword research and find and use keywords that are more popular and relevant to your post. The down side to changing the title of your blog is with regard to the permalink.
Every blog post on the internet becomes its own website with its own URL called a permalink.

If your blog was just posted, and then you decide to change the title, you can change the title and permalink with very little negative impact and the positive impact will outweigh the negative. However, since every blog post is like a website with its own URL, (permalink), if you have had your blog posted for awhile and then you decide to change the title and the permalink, you might lose the Google ranking of the prior permalink. You might also lose your backlinks and any tracking to that blog post. Backlinks are created in many ways, including when people repost your blog post or refer to it and create a hyperlink back to your post.

An alternative solution is to change the title but leave the permalink unchanged. This will be fine if the new title is not that much different from the old title, maybe just a couple of new keywords. Then the permalink will hopefully be only slightly different.

You can optimize your post by changing the keywords in the first sentence, the first paragraph and the last paragraph. The first sentence of your blog post is what will appear in Google searches. It should be 160 characters and keyword rich. If it does end up being longer than 160 characters, make sure your point is made with keywords in the first 160 characters because everything after that 160 characters will be summed up with “…” Changing your keywords and content in the direction of becoming more for relevant for searches is always a good thing!
Diana Morgan recently posted..My Path from Corporate Employee to Successful Entrepreneur

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
January 9th, 2012 at 5:43 pm

Hi Roger, Sorry for the delay. I put this question to a friend who is an expert at blogging. Her response follows in comments.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:19 pm

Hi Lynette,
The best thing to do is to look for group meetings, meet-ups, networking events, etc., people looking for speakers to fill their meeting calendar. Start out offering to speak for free. You can ask about the typical size of the audience when you call to pitch your talk. Work out in advance if you intend to make an offer at the end of the talk. Make sure you clear it with the organizer first. The best resource I know for this is Joe Sebah. http://www.joesabah.com/speak.html. Unfortunately, he is located in Denver, and his list of organizations that need speakers is Colorado focused, but maybe he would have some suggestions for you if you contact him.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Hi Racheal,
Ah, the family memoir. Usually, unless your husband’s grandmother was famous or did something extraordinary, this type book falls into the “family heirloom” category, and the expectation should be to self-publish and print a few hundred copies to be distributed to extended family and close friends. This should have no impact on your professional writing career, as it is a personal matter.

[Reply]

Racheal McGillivary Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:17 pm

Well, she was born in a Nazi Camp since her mother was Polish, and has had a VERY interesting life to say the least. Thank you!
Racheal McGillivary recently posted..Cover Images Suck

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:21 pm

That does sound interesting. I am sure it will be a wonderful keepsake and historical as well. What a gift you are giving her by writing it. Blessings.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 7:27 pm

Hi Adwiti,

I believe that the best way to pick a structure for your book is first to look at your Author Personality, how you most naturally like to gather, process and share information. If you naturally tend toward organized, methodical thought, an instructional book style will feel natural to you. If you tend to be more symbolic, you may prefer to teach through story. The important thing is to pick a clear structure that will invite you to keep writing. If you are writing in the wrong structure for you, you will have a harder time moving through the natural resistance that comes up for every writer.

To best answer your question about your book’s best structure, I’ll need more information. I’d love to have you take my Author Personality Assessment and do a Laser Coaching session to figure out the best route to suit your personality as well as your material. If you’re interested, sign up for the Laser Coaching on http://getpublishedcoach.com/vip and I’ll hook you up with the Assessment.

As far as making a routine to write, I posted some great tips in answer to a question last week. Scroll down to the bottom of the Comments, and look for my answer to a question from Caly.

[Reply]

Adwiti Reply:
December 14th, 2011 at 2:51 am

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Thank you so much. I will check into the laser coaching program. With appreciation and gratitude. Jai Bholeynath!
Adwiti recently posted..GOOD EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Wonderful. I look forward to speaking with you!

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 6:01 pm

Dear Lisa,

Yes, it is possible. In fact, it was done very effectively by Michael Gerber in The E-Myth Revisited where he wove the story of fictional Sarah, the pie maker, into his “how to” on turning the job you own into a business.

The tricky part is to build a narrative (Story Arc) that entertains and works and weave it in to just the right parts of the how to. Takes some coordinating, but certainly “do-able.”

I recommend in these cases to keep the story interesting, yet simple, or it easily can get out of hand.

[Reply]

Lisa Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 1:06 am

Hi Robin

That is really helpful! I don’t feel so embarrassed asking that question now. Would it then actually be considered a non-fiction because it’s a self-help book?

Additionally, would it be out of the question to create, say a 7-step process, that the character goes through to show how the process would pertain to the reader?

This would make the book writing process more fun for me, also considering what I learned initially after I took your course to determine the best book for me to write, i.e. a “fable”.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 5:00 am

Yes, that can work. Read Gerber’s book. I think you will find it an excellent model.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 5:57 pm

Hi Lisa,

I am not a trademark attorney, so I don’t think I’m the best person to answer what qualifies for a trademark legally. Try LegalZoom.com for answers to those questions. What I would say, though is, for most book titles, the copyright is enough. If it is a process or a series, a trademark would make more sense, but still may not be necessary. The big question is: are you so sure this is the name and so committed to seeing it through that it warrants the expense of the trademark right now? Sometimes, it’s better to wait and let the idea mature before taking that step, but if you would feel more comfortable protecting the name now, the added security may be worth the expense.

[Reply]

Lisa Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 1:15 am

Thank you very much Robin! I will try the link above. When you say even if the book is a series or a process that it may not even be necessary to trademark the title, I am curious about the reason if you want to elaborate even though I am aware this is not your specialty and understand if my question in this regard is not applicable.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 5:10 am

Hi Lisa,
I think the trademark makes the most sense if you are planning to license the work. For example, if you are training and certifying others in your methods, and you need it to be protected, so that the certification is exclusive to your methods. Or creating an entire brand around the name, with spin off products, but lots of highly successful books (and methods) are protected under copyright, but not trademarked. Again, just my opinion.
If you want the best advice, consult an intellectual property attorney.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 8th, 2011 at 11:46 pm

Hi Millie,
Thank you for posting your question. I think you have waited long enough. Send them a letter reminding them of their last communication to you and tell them that they have until ___ (you set the date) to accept or decline, and if you do not hear back by that date, you will assume they have decided against and proceed to submit to other publications for consideration.
In the future, it is completely appropriate for you to say that you are offering first-dibs to them and indicate a deadline to respond before you offer it elsewhere. It may help light a fire. Give them a reasonable amount of time, but I don’t see a reason to sit on it more than 3 months. Hope this helps.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 8th, 2011 at 11:47 pm

Hi Jim,
I do know a woman who is great with info about non-profits. Sherita Herring. http://www.linkedin.com/in/sheritaherring
She is the best resource I know to find out about grants and what’s available.
Best of luck!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 5:47 pm

Hi Angela,

Sorry for the delay in responding to you. I have never used Create Space, so I have no direct experience. I did, however, do some checking, and I recommend you speak with my friend, Brian Schwartz, http://www.kindleexpert.com/. He has a lot of experience with Lightening Source and has checked out Create Space far more thoroughly than I, and I believe he is a better person to help you get the specific answers you need. Tell him I sent you.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 4:54 am

Hi Ruth,
I may need a little more clarification to answer your question, but I’ll take a shot based on what you’ve written here.
First, distributors don’t print books, and you don’t need a distributor to be on Amazon, so I think we can let that one go.
When you say the book is being published, do you mean by a publisher? Did you sign a publishing contract? Because if so, they have the publishing rights, and you’ll have to convince them to re-design and reprint or to let you out so you can go do it on your own (unlikely they’ll agree to that) or wait it out until your contract expires and then go do it on your own or with another publisher. If you mean you are the publisher and it’s being printed, then you have more options. The first thing you would need to do is have the layout redone. Unfortunately, you can’t change the format and expect the present layout to still work. It’s no problem to find a printer who will print in a calendar or landscape format if they have the right file to work with. Heck, they’ll print a book shaped like a cheeseburger if you’ve got the file and are willing to pay for it. Does this answer your question? Let me know.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:32 am

http://attractlovecoach.com/let-love-in-book#

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:47 am

Hi Violaine,
Yes, this is a common dilemma among aspiring authors. I say, make your choice about your end game goals, not just about where you are now. The first question is–what do you want your book to do for your career and your business? Some goals point to a self-publishing model, others clearly call for being published by a major house. I am going to post a couple of articles on my blog that go into this in more detail. Be sure to check them out.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 3:16 am

Here I’ve added an article with more detail to help you. http://getpublishedcoach.com/self-publish-or-be-published

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 11:40 pm

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for writing. Yes, it’s vital that you know who you see reading your book. A shift in target audience can change the whole tone and thrust of your book.

My advice is to try two things to help you clarify your market.
1) Imagine who will benefit most from this book. Think out of all the people you know, if you could give it to only one, who would it be? Who would most appreciate it? Then identify their traits. Are they female? Male? How old? Education? Background? Attitudes? Values? Etc…
2) Find ways to start sharing some of the messages in your book. Blog, twitter, go out and speak to a local group for free, notice who responds. Notice how you feel when you share. Notice the kind of feedback you get.
It is good for you to embark on this journey of discovery before you get too far into the writing. Your book will have added dimension and relevancy to your reader once it’s finished.
Namaste.

[Reply]

Lisa Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:47 am

Wow, you are so kind to respond like this Robin.
I feel so grateful for your response because you helped me clarify two things:
a) how vitally important it is to know exactly who would be the reader before writing the book, and,
b) how to figure it out, if I do not have a business yet.
I feel like I won the lottery!
Thanks again!
Lisa

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 4:56 am

My pleasure, Lisa. I’m so glad you found it helpful.

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 11:32 pm

Hi Marika,

FANTASTIC question. First, let me acknowledge the work you do. Such a service! I, myself had two miscarriages before I had my two beautiful children, so I get it. Next about the book–I think that you just need to stand behind it 100% and promote, promote, promote it. Your subject matter isn’t going to be “cheery” or “light,” but it can be moving, touching and inspiring, and people will buy that. It doesn’t need to be “popular” in the sense of “for everyone.” Your core audience is women who have recently lost a pregnancy or a baby. Your book promotion is a part of the on-going community outreach you can do to build awareness, so people are informed and know about you as a resource should the need arise. I’d say that you look for every opportunity in the media to get in on the conversation, numbers come out on infant mortality, you pitch a story, the government cuts medicaid funding for prenatal care, you pitch a story, a celebrity miscarries, you pitch a story and bring it back to, “this is a common problem that people don’t talk about and women suffer alone.”

I like the main title. One suggestion I have is to take a closer look at the sub-title. A sub-title for a book like this should communicate the KEY BENEFIT of reading the book. What is the big take-away for your reader? What are they going to get out of the book? We can’t tell from the subtitle if it is just a collection of sad stories or a resource, how-to cope, how-to heal. Your ability to sell the book will be significantly enhanced when your sub-title lets them know “What’s in it for me?”.

Hope this helps and thanks for your question!

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 9:21 pm

Hi Caly,
Thanks for your question. It’s a common challenge for writers, even I struggle during busy spells to set aside time to write. I’m going to share with you some secrets that help me stay committed to my writing, no matter what else is going on.
1) Write first: The best time to write in my world is first thing in the morning, preferably early, before the phone starts ringing, before the dogs want a walk, and before children need help with stuff.
2) Write first: Ha, ha, no, I am not being facetious, this Write First means, write BEFORE you check your email, log on to Facebook, Twitter or any other online distraction. THIS is the tricky one, because it’s oh, so easy to say, “I’m just gonna check my email real quick…” and look up two hours later only to see you’ve burned all your writing time.
3) Consistency: If you can, write every day, if you can’t do that, at least write at the same time when you do. Regardless, create a writing schedule and stick to it, because…
4) Train your mechanism: If you get into the habit of writing at the same time each day, you can train your muse, or your creative mechanism to show up when you do. This will reduce writer’s block and make your writing time more productive.
5) Get out of the way: Writing time is NOT a time to judge, massage or edit. It’s time to WRITE. Most of the novice writers I work with come in with the expectation that every word out of their brain is supposed to be brilliant and ready to publish. Well, were that the case, you would be Extra-extraordinary. ALL writers, even the great ones, write more shit than gems. A typical ratio is about 2/3 shit, 1/3 gems. The key is keep writing until you get down to the good stuff and have a great editor to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
Hope this helps and thanks for the question!

[Reply]

Caly Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 2:48 am

These are GREAT tips Robin. I look forward to CONSISTENTLY integrating them into my routine. Thank you SO MUCH! This “book” has been inside of me for years now.

[Reply]

getpublishedcoach Reply:
December 7th, 2011 at 4:57 am

Happy to hear it, Caly. Happy writing…