BLOG: Writing & Editing Guidance for Aspiring Authors

17
Apr 18
0

A Good Walk May Be the Best Writing Exercise There Is

Tags : author book writing writing a book writing tips

SCOTT MCCORMICK

This article originally appeared on Bookbaby.com

Writing is not the best occupation for your health. For most of us, writing involves a lot of sitting, which is why a good walk may be the best writing exercise there is.

I was struggling writing an article for a blog (not this one, but one for Disc Makers, BookBaby’s sister company) about Brian Wilson’s album Smile, when I decided to take my advice from this article and go for a walk. I was literally around the corner from my house when I became inspired, and all was right with the world. During that same walk, I also figured out how to best approach this article, and even had ideas for two future articles.

Not bad for a 30-minute stroll.

Writing is not the best occupation for your health. For most of us, writing involves a lot of sitting, and there is a growing amount of research on how sitting for long periods is unhealthy. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Too much sitting … seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.” “Too much” sitting, according to the Mayo, is sitting for four or more hours a day. That’s basically every day for me.

Not only is sitting for long periods bad for your health, it’s also bad for your writing. Your brain works best when it’s stimulated. Sitting for long periods of time can make your brain sluggish.

So, in a way, writing is actually kind of bad for your writing. How’s that for a catch-22?

Luckily there is a quick fix to both problems: Walking.

Hemingway, Dickens, Thoreau, Kierkegaard, and J. K. Rowling have all extolled the virtues of walking. Orson Scott Card said, “It’s worth the time to take an hour’s walk before writing. You may write a bit less for the time spent, but you may find that you write better.”

So why walking as opposed to, say, cross-fit? Frankly, any (safe) exercise is better than no exercise. So if you’re into a specific type of exercise, by all means, do it. It will make you healthy, happy, and better able to write. But there are three kinds of exercise that are especially suited to writing: walking, running, and biking. What these three have in common is that they are solitary and monotonous. In short: they are perfect for letting your mind wander.

I love racquetball. It’s fun and it offers an excellent workout, but it’s not great for helping me write. It’s not a solitary activity, and I have to think about the activity at hand. Yes, it’s good for stimulating the heart and the brain, but it doesn’t give my mind time to wander.

In my interview with Josh Funk, he said, “I find that my best ideas come in those moments where my mind is free to wander.” He’s not alone. Henry Miller wrote: “Most writing is done away from the typewriter, away from the desk. I’d say it occurs in the quiet, silent moments, while you’re walking or shaving or playing a game or whatever.”

Stepping away from your house or office to go for a walk (or run, etc.) gets you away from distractions, and lets your mind do its thing. Albert Einstein apparently came up with his Theory of Relativity while riding his bike. (That anecdote came from a rather great article on this very subject from Psychology Today. It’s worth reading if you’re interested in the science of how walking can stimulate the brain.)

How to walk for maximum effect

Your mileage may vary, but I find that to get the most out of walking, I need to walk without listening to music, and I need to bring my cell phone, with a dictation app launched and ready. I use Dragon Dictation, which is free, and which works pretty well. I prefer to walk at a brisk pace to get the maximum health benefit, but maybe your mind works better at a casual stroll so you can appreciate your surroundings.

I have a dog. When I first got her, I was hoping that walking her would give me the same benefit as walking solo, but I have not found that to be the case. So I have to walk her, and then go and walk myself.

Because I like to have my phone ready to record ideas, I prefer walking to biking. If you don’t need to record your every thought, that may not be a concern. But if you come home from your walk to find, like I did today, that your dog has chewed up three pencils and half of your kids’ homework, you run the risk of forgetting all the wonderful ideas you had while you clean up the mess. (Also, I find I have to pay too much attention to things like traffic and maintenance with biking — but again, your mileage may vary.)

Health-wise, you don’t have to walk every day. Doctors say three 40-minute sessions a week is enough. But for your writing, I recommend walking any chance you can get, partially for practical reasons. The weather may not cooperate. Life may get in the way. I’ve learned to grab my walking opportunities whenever I can. Every walk or run or bike ride won’t necessarily produce immediate results. But that’s OK. If you make it a routine to go as often as you can, you’ll find your ideas will come more easily and your writing will be stronger. And there’s also this, from Charles Dickens: “The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.”

10
Apr 18
0

Make a Decision and Plan to Write a Nonfiction Book

Tags : book writing how to write a book nonfiction writing writing tips

Some people are lifelong learners and love the process of going from not knowing anything in a subject area to becoming proficient, like learning to write a nonfiction book. That makes sense. We all want to be the best we can be. But along the way, we have to learn a lot of little things that can either make us the best at what we do or, if we choose not to learn them, will keep us in the pack of average Joes.

But here’s the deal with me: I only want to know as much as I need to know to use a tool for my intended purpose. In fact, I detest the learning curve. I generally try to find every possible way around it, so I can get on to the using stage. Learning frustrates me; knowing satisfies me. But that’s, unfortunately, not the way the world works. So to know something, I must go through the pain of learning. And I have to follow a process, but I can’t even do that if I haven’t made the decision to do something new and follow through.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
—Lao-tzu

Make a Decision

You know what the hardest part about learning to write a nonfiction book is? It’s making the decision to do it. You’ve probably had the idea for your book for some time. I bet it’s been percolating in your head, begging to come out. At times, it probably drives you crazy. But books don’t write themselves, so the only way yours is going to get written is if you make the decision to do it. It’s your story. Only you can write it.

Whenever I travel, it seems I’m seated next to a chatty type, and it’s always fun to get acquainted. On one flight, I sat next to Don, and he and I discussed the usual getting-to-know-you topics. When he asked me what I do for work, I explained that I help people who aren’t writers become authors of high-impact nonfiction books.

“Really?” Don replied. “I’ve always wanted to write a book.”

“Then why don’t you?” I asked.

“I’ve never really looked into it,” he said.

Don’s answer spoke volumes. He’d flirted with the idea of writing a book but had never taken it further than just that—the idea of writing a book. People tend to glamorize the writer’s life; they don’t realize that it’s a lot of hard work, and it takes a lot of time. Don never made the decision to write his book, so it’s unlikely that he ever will.

Create a Plan

If you don’t know how to write a nonfiction book, how could you know how to get started?

Some people just sit down and start writing. But they soon discover that all the ideas that have been rattling around in their head have no form, no shape. What comes out is like a spaghetti mess—a bunch of unconnected threads. They have a message, but they don’t know how to get it down on paper. The problem with the “write-first” approach is that it’s like trying to build a house without any plans. You have no blueprint to follow, no foundation poured; and you don’t know what the house will look like when it’s finished.

I don’t know a lot about building, but I do know that you don’t put up the walls first. The walls have to be attached to something solid. So before you build anything, you pour the foundation. But even before that, you need a comprehensive plan—a blueprint that shows where each room will be and what features it will have. Before you pull out your hammer, you have to have a plan.

The same is true for your book. If you want to save time, energy, money, and frustration, you begin with the end in mind. You take the concept for your book and turn it into a concrete plan.

To do that, we start with the foundation. You may know the topic of your book, but do you know what you want your book to accomplish? If the book doesn’t have a purpose, why write it?

If you don’t know how to write a book, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. After making a decision—a commitment to share your story—you just need a plan and a process.

03
Apr 18
0

The Power of Writing a Nonfiction Book

Tags : book writing how to write a nonfiction book nonfiction writing

A few years after I began helping people to start writing a nonfiction book, I completely stopped watching the news on television. When I watched the news, it was always negative—filled with terrorist acts, racial violence, bullying politicians, natural disasters, global warming, AIDS, Ebola, Zika virus, mass shootings, heroin overdoses, abused animals, and mistreated children, elders, and women. I had to stop taking it in.

But my aversion to television news doesn’t mean I’m uninformed. I catch the news on the radio or find it online, where it doesn’t affect me as deeply as when I viewed it. Yet I often feel completely overwhelmed by the complex problems in our world. We have so many problems that we don’t even know how to name them anymore. But we do know what doesn’t work. Top-down solutions don’t work. Government can’t fix anything; organized religion hasn’t solved our problems; and heaven knows, we’ve tried to medicate our problems away. In many cases, these attempts have not only complicated the original problem but have spawned entirely new problems.

But there is a solution. I believe that our problems—all of them—can be solved and that the answers are trapped inside people like you. When you share what you know and what you’ve learned—when you start writing a nonfiction book—you become the solution. Someone needs to hear your message.

Hope and Help

There are two things I believe people can’t live without—apart from food, water, and air. Those two things are hope and help.

People need hope that things can and will get better; and they need help to get from where they are to where they want to be.

–Nancy Erickson

When you start writing a nonfiction book, when you share what you’ve been through, what you’ve learned, what you’ve overcome, what you’ve developed, or the path you took, you become the voice of hope and help.

You see, there are people like you who have the answers, who have certain solutions. And then there are other people who, in some cases, are literally dying as they wait for those answers. You have the answers they need, and you can offer the hope and help they crave simply by telling your story. You are the solution.

Think about what you’ve learned and how you can be a force that changes lives, saves lives, or transforms society. Don’t waste your pain and struggles. Share them with the world, put them to work, and let the mess become the messenger—the messenger of hope and help because someone needs to hear it.

Need help writing a nonfiction book?

30
Mar 18
0

First 100 Downloads of Nancy’s Book Are Free – Snag One!

Want to know more about writing a nonfiction book? Then download these sample chapters from Nancy’s new book Stop Stalling and Start Writing: Kick the Excuses and Jumpstart Your Nonfiction Book. Only 100 copies are available, so snag one quick!

28
Mar 18
0

You Don’t Need Anyone’s Permission to Tell Your Story

Tags : author become an author book writing how to write a book about my life

Family secrets. Truths not told. Sensitive feelings. Things swept under the rug. These can be big barriers to writing a book. Big risks.

Some of us have stories that we’ve had to bury out of respect—or fear—of others. All our lives, we’ve pretended that things are okay, and we’ve hidden truths that have hurt us in order to protect someone else. We’ve lived under the shadow of other people’s choices, and we want to finally be set free. Except we’re afraid. Really afraid.

Perhaps you’ve been a victim of sexual abuse, or you grew up in a violent family, or you suffered under the lash of a parent’s alcoholism or other addiction. Maybe your husband is a closet homosexual or your child is struggling desperately with his or her gender identity. You know your story can literally save or change someone else’s life, but you’re afraid to tell the truth because it could hurt other people. Some of our stories are built from shame. I understand because my story comes from that same place too. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell it. I promise, someone else is going through the same thing and your story could be the hope and help they desperately need to walk through the darkness.

Keep the End in Mind

It might be best to stop obsessing over the people you might hurt and focus on the people you can help. The problem with dirty little secrets is that they get stashed away, and when you find yourself in the middle of one of them, you’re convinced that you’re completely alone because people don’t talk about this stuff.

Woman staring at trees When you were smack in the middle of your pain, chances are you felt totally alone. There was no one to talk to and no one who understood. This type of isolation is deadly. You have to bury the pain, and you eventually have to split off from yourself to survive. You maintain a public façade that you protect with all your energy, and in doing so, you lose touch with yourself because you’re living a lie.

What if you’d had a book to be your friend? What if you’d connected with a fellow sufferer—the book’s author—and felt the compassion of someone who’d been through the same thing but was now on the other side of it? Would you want to know how things got better for that individual, to see a path out of darkness for yourself?

What if you could be that author?

Human beings are resilient, but there are two things we can’t live without: hope and help. When you tell your story—what you’ve been through, what you’ve endured, and what you’ve overcome—you can be the lifeline for someone who is sinking. You can be that voice of hope and help.

If you or someone you know is ready to tell their real story, reach out to us and we can help you take the next step!

22
Mar 18
0

Book Coach Advice: Drop the Mic

Tags : author become an author book coach book writing how to write a book

Have you ever heard the term “drop the mic” or “mic drop?” If you’re a professional coach or speaker or keep up with pop culture, chances are you have. If you haven’t, then maybe you remember seeing former President Barack Obama’s infamous “mic drop” at the end of his final correspondents dinner address. It caused quite the stir and cemented his place in history as the only President to purposely drop his mic after a speech.

Webster defines mic drop as the act of intentionally dropping one’s microphone at the end of a speech or performance; displaying a bold confidence that has been very impressive or cannot be topped. I love that definition and can relate. Remember the last time you gave a speech or presentation that took untold hours to write and prepare, and then after you presented, immediately knew you nailed it? You owned the stage, felt prepared, and exuded confidence because you knew you were an expert on your subject? Most importantly, your audience knew you were an expert. I love that feeling.

As a book coach, I’ve given countless presentations in my life, but it’s the ones where I could have dropped the mic at the end that give me the most satisfaction. But you can only drop the mic if you’re prepared, have established credibility so your audience will believe you, and are an expert in your field. If you’re not the perceived expert in your field and don’t have credibility, keep reading.

Write a Book and Finally Drop the Mic!

As a coach or public speaker, you’re a different kind of entrepreneur. You have the expertise and solutions that can help others. You know how to tell a story, and you have testimonials. You’re talented and what you have to say matters. But do other people know how credible you are? Do they know you’re an expert in your field? If not, you can increase your credibility and attract a following by writing your book, but without a book, you’re just another self-proclaimed expert.

Man giving presentation If you want to know how to become an author, you’ll want to work with an Executive Book Coach. When you have a book, it establishes you as an expert, increases your credibility, and helps you attract a following. As a speaker or coach, you’ve already developed a lot of material that will be rich content for your book. The challenge is to organize that material to deliver it in book format, and wrap it in a sustainable story format that will keep your readers engaged.

You can learn how to become an author. The first step is to prioritize your material. You must also know your audience and your market. Identifying your audience will help shape your book throughout the writing process and ensure better sales when it comes time to market and promote your nonfiction book. If you think your book is for everyone, you are setting yourself up for failure. No matter how great your message, it simply cannot appeal to every person! It’s no different when you’re giving a speech. What you have to say matters-but everyone is not your audience.

Are you tired of giving lackluster presentations that seem to fall on deaf ears because your audience doesn’t believe you? If you’re ready to establish yourself as an expert, increase your credibility, attract a following, and finally deliver that mic dropping performance that your audience can believe, reach out to us and we can help you take the next step!

20
Mar 18
0

Voices Silenced: 12 Authors Who Died in 2017

Tags : author book baby book coaches bookbaby

This article originally appeared on Bookbaby.com

The list of notable authors, writers, publishers, and contributors to the written word who passed last year is far longer than anything we could include in one blog post, but let’s take a moment to recognize 12 authors who died in 2017. Please, populate the comments with tributes to those who meant the most to you.

Michael Bond, 91
Born: January 13, 1926, Newbury, UK
Died: June 27, 2017, London, UK

“If you really want something in this world, you’ll never get it by sitting down and waiting. But if you go out and do things there’s no knowing where you’ll end up.” —The Tales of Olga Da Polga

The creator of the Paddington Bear series of books, which were published from 1958-2018 (a new title is due on May 31st of the year), Thomas Michael Bond also created the Olga da Polga (guinea pig) and Monsieur Pamplemousse book series. Bond’s Reflection on the Passing of the Years, written after his 90th birthday, was read in 2016 at a service commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday.

Image via Shutterstock (editorial use).

Richard Adams, 96
Born: May 9, 1920 in Wash Common, Newbury, Berkshire, England
Died: December 24, 2016 in Oxford, England

“The thinker dies, but his thoughts are beyond the reach of destruction. Men are mortal; but ideas are immortal.”

Richard Adams‘ first and most enduring work is Watership Down, published in 1972, which earned him a Carnegie Medal in 1972 and a Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 1973. Other novels by Adams include Shardik, The Plague Dogs, The Girl in a Swing, Maia, and Traveller.

Image by AndrewRH (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Kate Millet, 82
Born: September 14, 1934, Saint Paul, MN
Died: September 6, 2017, Paris, France

“A sexual revolution begins with the emancipation of women, who are the chief victims of patriarchy, and also with the ending of homosexual oppression.”

A social activist, educator, and feminist author, Kate Millet is best known for her PhD dissertation-turned radical feminist text, Sexual Politics, published in 1970. Millet was also an artist and filmmaker, who authored 10 books between 1970 and 2001. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

Image by Linda Wolf (Contact us/Photo submission) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Robert M. Pirsig, 88
Born: September 6, 1928 in Minneapolis, MN
Died: April 24, 2017 in South Berwick, ME

“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”

A precocious student, Robert Pirsig suffered a nervous breakdown a decade before the 1974 publication of his literary touchstone, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. Upon its publication, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, which propelled him to write Lila: An Inquiry into Morals, which was published nearly two decades later.

Image by Ian Glendinning, [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY 2.5, CC BY 2.0 or CC BY 1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

William Peter Blatty, 89
Born: January 7, 1928 in New York City, NY
Died: January 12, 2017 in Bethesda, MD

“Would you like to hear a nice definition of jealousy? It’s the feeling that you get when someone you absolutely detest is having a wonderful time without you.”

A writer and filmmaker, William Peter Blatty is famous for writing the book and screenplay for The Exorcist, published in 1971. He also wrote Legion, a follow-up to The Exorcist, and The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane). Legion was adapted to film as the Exorcist III, which Blatty directed.

Image by jtblatty (Own work) [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

John Ashbery, 90
Born: July 28, 1927, Rochester, NY
Died: September 3, 2017, Hudson, NY

“I write with experiences in mind, but I don’t write about them, I write out of them.”

A surrealist poet who often stretched the bounds of the movement, John Ashbery was a prominent, controversial, and influential figure throughout his life. He earned 20 (or so) notable awards and fellowships, including a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1976 for Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. He published over 30 collections of poems between 1953-2016, including Some Trees, in 1956.

Image by David Shankbone [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Judith Jones, 93
Born: March 10, 1924, Vermont
Died: August 2, 2017, Walden, VT

“Cooking demands attention, patience, and, above all, a respect for the gifts of the earth. It is a form of worship, a way of giving thanks.”

While an author herself, Judith Jones is perhaps most widely recognized for pulling two pivotal (and wildly disparate) books from slush piles of previously rejected works: The Diary of Anne Frank and Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Jones’ later work was focused mostly on editing and writing cookbooks.

Image sourced from the cover of The Tenth Muse.

Janusz Glowacki, 78
Born: September 13, 1938, Poznań, Poland
Died: August 19, 2017, while vacationing in Egypt

A playwright and screenwriter, Polish-born Janusz Glowacki(pronounced YAH-noosh gwo-VATZ-key) turned a trip to London in 1981 into an eight-year exile, which found him relocating to New York City, where he maintained a residence until his death. His list of accolades and awards is lengthy, with Cinders, Hunting Cockroaches, The Fourth Sister, and Antigone in New York considered his most prominent works.

Image by Kontrola (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Brian Aldiss, 92
Born: August 18, 1925, Dereham, UK
Died: August 19, 2017, Oxford, UK

“It is comparatively easy to become a writer; staying a writer, resisting formulaic work, generating one’s own creativity – that’s a much tougher matter.”

Recognized mostly for his science-fiction writing, Brian Aldiss authored more than 80 books, 300 short stories, and many volumes of poetry in addition to being recognized as an accomplished visual artist. His short story, “Supertoys Last All Summer Long,” published in 1969, was the basis for 2001’s Kubrick/Spielberg film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

Image: Brian Aldiss at Worldcon 2005 in Glasgow, August 2005. Picture taken by Szymon Sokół.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, 51
Born: April 29, 1965, Chicago, IL
Died: March 13, 2017, Chicago, IL

“It often feels like I’m not so much living for the present as I am busy making memories for the future.” ― The Book of Eleven

The author of more than 30 children’s books, including several that were New York Times best sellers, Amy Krouse Rosenthal also authored Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, a memoir fashioned in the style of an encyclopedia. In addition to that, Rosenthal made short films, worked with WBEZ (NPR Chicago), and was a contributor to the TEDActive conference. She also published essays, including “You May Want to Marry My Husband” in the New York Times 10 days before her untimely death from ovarian cancer.

Image sourced from Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s YouTube page.

Richard Wilbur, 96
Born: March 1, 1921, New York City, NY
Died: October 14, 2017, Belmont, MA

“Writing poetry is talking to oneself; yet it is a mode of talking to oneself in which the self disappears; and the product’s something that, though it may not be for everybody, is about everybody.”

A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner (for poetry in 1957 and 1989), Richard Purdy Wilbur was appointed as the second United States Poet Laureate in 1987 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1994, among a long list of awards and achievements. 1947’s The Beautiful Changes, and Other Poems was his first published collection of his poetry, and he published 10 other books of poetry, the last being Anterooms in 2010.

Image sourced from the cover of Let Us Watch by Robert and Mary Bagg

Sue Grafton, 77
Born: April 24, 1940, Louisville, KY
Died: December 28, 2017, Santa Barbara, CA

“Thinking is hard work, which is why you don’t see many people doing it.”

Sue Grafton, best known for her “alphabet mysteries,” died one letter short of completing the book series. The first of the series, A Is For Alibiwas published in 1982; the latest, Y Is For Yesterday, was published August 2017, and continued the quest of the series’ female protagonist, private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton got her start in Hollywood, writing screenplays and television scripts. According to her husband, Grafton knew (for years) that the final book in the series would be titled Z Is For Zero, but her battle with cancer prevented her from beginning it.

Image by Mark Coggins from San Francisco (Sue Grafton Uploaded by tripsspace) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Read “Musicians who died in 2017” on the Disc Makers Blog.

13
Mar 18
0

Use Your Pain: Writing to Heal

Tags : how to write a nonfiction book write a book writing writing tips

Life is hard. It’s also good, but it is hard at times. I know that you don’t leave this earth without some scars, but you can use writing to heal. While I’m blessed and thankful to be alive, my life hasn’t always been easy. As a nonfiction book coach, I’ve learned how to write an inspirational nonfiction book when it hurts. And I’ve worked with clients who have overcome unspeakable hardships and have chosen to write through their pain to heal themselves.

Writing to heal has a way of freeing the emotional knots of trauma and releasing pitted anxiety. Before I became a professional book coach and writer, I was an avid journaler and still am today. Learning to write through my own personal pain has freed my soul.

Writing Heals Wounds

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. I don’t mean that I’ve always been a professional writer, but I’ve always loved to write. In fact, I’m not sure if I would’ve survived my childhood without my journal. The minute I started writing to heal, I felt immediate release from anxiety and depression, which began to leave my body soon as my pen hit the paper. Years later, I discovered that there truly are some physical and emotional benefits of writing.

Researcher, author, and scientist Dr. James Pennebaker of the University of Texas, explains in his book, Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions, that excessive holding back of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can place people at risk for both major and minor diseases. More than simply a catharsis or venting, translating events into language can affect brain and immune functions. The subjects he tested had an increase in germ-fighting lymphocytes in their blood and lower stress levels. Writing was found to reduce anxiety and depression, improve grades in college, and aid people in finding jobs. He also reported that months after people had written about traumas over 70% reported that writing helped them to understand both the event and themselves better. (Source)

I don’t know about you, but I’m always fascinated when science backs something I’ve always believed. That sort of validation helps to reaffirm my God-given calling of helping others tell their stories.

What about you? Nobody really knows what you’ve been through. But they see how strong you are, what you’ve endured, and what you’ve lost. You’re a survivor, an overcomer—not by choice but by necessity. You know what it feels like to be thrust into a situation you neither asked for nor anticipated. Like a snap, everything changed, and you had to learn how to live life on a new plane. The worst part was that there didn’t seem to be any real help, no guide to get you through, and you felt all alone.

Through writing, you can overcome and heal. Who else can you help today? If you or someone you know wants to learn to how to write a nonfiction book, please contact us today!

06
Mar 18
0

Writing Tip: Be Authentic in Your Nonfiction Writing

Tags : how to write a nonfiction book nonfiction writing writing writing tips

Nonfiction writing requires that we be authentic. Webster’s dictionary defines authentic as “not false or imitation” and “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” Webster makes it sound so simple. But if you’re like me, it took a long time to become the person I was created to be, to truly embrace my authentic self.

As a child, did you feel pressure to become the person an authority figure thought you should be? Did you feel accepted when you behaved and acted in ways that they approved? As an adult, did you realize that the person you present to the world wasn’t really you at all, but because of an underlying need to be accepted by others, you kept up the facade anyway? For a long time, that’s what I did. Living an authentic life was something I had to learn.

Your Audience Deserves the Real You

As a nonfiction book coach, I have the opportunity to work with people from all over the world. Whether their nonfiction writing is about a new method of cooking or how they overcame a painful childhood trauma, I always tell them the same thing: your audience deserves to know the real you.

Your personal story is one of the most important parts of your book. Some writers, particularly if they’re writing a business book, want to leave out this part and simply share their knowledge or instruct the audience. That would be a mistake.

Before you can tell your readers anything, you must earn the right to be heard. Nobody likes to be told what to do, especially if they don’t know anything about you. What makes you an authority on this subject? Why should they listen to you? Those are the questions you answer when you share your own story.

And your readers don’t want the whitewashed version of you. Share your high points and the deep canyons, the wins and the demoralizing losses, the beautiful and the ugly. You must be real and transparent. When you’re open and honest, you give the reader permission to be open and honest, too.

I’m not saying it’s easy. It takes a lot of courage to be this vulnerable. We all want to put our best foot forward to make a good impression. We like to hide the messes we’ve made, but sometimes the mess has become your message.

That’s what’s so effective about my Executive Group Coaching classes. You get to share your failures and foibles in a safe place, test out your message with others in the class, and gain strength from doing so—before you bare your skin to the world.

What about you? Are you ready to show people who you really are? If you or someone you know wants to learn to how to write a nonfiction book, please contact us today!

27
Feb 18
0

NEW Book Coaching Seminars from The Book Professor!

Are you thinking about writing a book but not quite ready to sign up for our Get My Book Out course for writers? Do you want just a taste of the Book Professor’s book coaching or want to learn about a specific topic? Take advantage of these Small Bite Seminars that can get you started!

Choose one or select them all — they’re easily affordable at only $39 each!

Small Bite Seminar Options

In this seminar, you will learn all the required steps for writing and publishing your book, including the writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. Learn the associated costs so you can plan your budget and produce a top-notch product! Learn the tricks of the trade so that you’re not caught off-guard while navigating the publishing world! Click here to sign up today!

In this seminar, you will learn the common mistakes that new authors make the prevent them from writing and publishing a top-notch nonfiction book. Learn these tips so that you don’t make these mistakes yourself. Put the odds in your favor by embracing the techniques you will learn here. Click here to sign up today!

You’ve probably heard that books have three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. But that’s not very helpful when you’re trying to write a book!Learn this simple, three-part formula for telling your story that works for all types of nonfiction books. Click here to sign up today!

In this seminar, you will learn how to start marketing your book while you are still writing it. You will be guided to produce TargMarketWorksheets that will pinpoint the right audience for your book.

Learn how to get connected with your audience so that when your book is finished, you will have a go-to marketing list. Click here to sign up today!

In this seminar, you will learn how to build a foundation for your book, define its purpose, and plan out its entire contents before you start writing. Approaching your book this way is a shortcut and will help you jump-start the writing process.

Learn how to give your nonfiction book a smashing title that reflects its contents and invites the reader to purchase it. Click here to sign up today!

In this seminar, you will learn:

How to block your time so you can finish the first draft of your book in 15 weeks
How to turn time blocking into a practical plan for your very own book
How to prepare yourself to write so that you never face writer’s block. Learn how to turn time blocking into a step-by-step practical plan that defeats writer’s block. Using this method, you can get your book finished! Click here to sign up today!

BEST VALUE!

Purchase all six Small Bite Seminars for the price of five. Get one free! Normally $234 when purchased individually, your price is only $195 when you purchase the complete package. Click here to sign up today!

If you or someone you know wants to learn how to write a nonfiction book, please contact us today!

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Feb 18
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Online Book Coach Writing Tip: Lose Your Pride and Release Your Story!

Have you ever met someone who was egotistical, arrogant, self-absorbed, or a know-it-all? I bet you have. As an online book coach, such people seem to find me. And they’re no fun to be around. They’re so full of pride they make you want to run. Pride is the ultimate relationship killer, and most people can see right through it.

But that’s not you. Maybe you have many friendships but struggle to feel a true connection with any of them, perhaps because you’re afraid to show the real you. We can be so concerned with our reputation that we’re willing to present a false, phony self to hide the real person behind the “put together” image.

I’m not here to judge because I’ve done that very thing myself. I struggled to lose my own pride and presenting the real me to people. It wasn’t until I started writing and became a non-fiction book coach that I was able to confront my pride issues and help my writers let go of their own. Writing a book requires that you shuck off your pride and forget about what others think to release the story within.

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way, and not starting.

—Buddha

You Don’t Need Permission

Maybe you don’t want to step on any toes, or you’re concerned about what others will think of you. Guess what? You can forget about other people right now and do what you know is right. Now is not the time to be concerned about what people will think about you. That’s just your pride holding you back from presenting the real you.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to write your book. You don’t need to worry about pleasing or displeasing anyone because your focus will be on your audience and offering them hope and help. You’ll be radar-locked on helping those who need you, and everyone else can fall by the wayside. What they think about what you’re doing isn’t your concern. What you know as truth is what matters.

The good news is that time is on your side. It’s going to take you a year to write your book manuscript, which means you have a year to get comfortable with your material.

While you’re working on your book, your book is working on you, and it will take time for your book to reveal itself.

If your material is sensitive, it’s a strong advantage to be in one of my Executive Group Coaching classes because you get a big boost from the other group members. The group operates like a Mastermind, and it’s a safe place to share your story. The other members will help you get comfortable telling your story and sharing your message. You’ll probably need regular validation and support to be this vulnerable; it’s hard to go from never talking about something to opening your heart wide. Not to worry. The group will give you the practice you need and will nurture you through the process.

What about you? If you or someone you know is ready to lose their pride and release their story by learning how to write a nonfiction book, reach out to us, and we can help you take the next step!

20
Feb 18
0

Six Social Media Marketing Tips For First-Time Authors

Tags : book baby book coach social media for authors social media marketing

This article originally appeared on BookBaby.com

If you’re looking for readership and engagement, finishing your book is the first step. These social media marketing tips can help you frame your approach to the process of promoting yourself and your work online.

Rick Snyder is a contributor to the Money Crashers personal finance blog, writing about online publishing, social media, and small business.

If you’ve recently put the finishing touches on your first book, congratulations – it’s a rare accomplishment that not many people can claim. If you thought writing your book was hard, though, brace yourself for the next phase: marketing.

The tremendous changes to the publishing industry have been a double-edged sword: they offer greater opportunities for self-publishing and distribution, but they bring a lot more competition. No book ever sells itself, so you’re going to have to get creative if you want to boost your sales. One way to do it is through effective use of social media. So how do I use social media to promote my book?

Here are six quick social media marketing tips for first-time authors.

1. Create great content

You put in a lot of time and effort to ensure your book is of the highest possible quality, and you’ve got to match that quality and make your social media content stellar. Your audience wants distilled information presented clearly and directly. Since you are now an author, you can claim a degree of expertise in your chosen subject. Use that expertise to make every Facebook post, LinkedIn article, and tweet a high-quality and engaging experience. Provide tips and information your readers won’t find anywhere else, and do it in a concise fashion.

2. Investigate new media

Facebook and Twitter are among the top social media platforms, but that’s not to say you should focus on them to the exclusion of all else. Pinterest, Instagram, and Vine are all good options if you’ve got images or video related to your topic, and Tumblr and Google Plus are excellent content-based social media outlets to consider, as well. Don’t take them all on at once, though. Engage one at a time, with a clear strategy for each, and you can effectively increase your reach.

3. Respond to every comment

Always remember the “social” element of social media. Respond to each and every comment, whether positive or negative. Your goal is to develop a conversation and an ongoing relationship with your followers. Even if you’re simply expressing gratitude for someone taking the time to comment, you’re doing yourself, and your book, a big favor.

4. Connect with other authors

Be sure to connect with authors in the realm of your book’s topic or genre. Respond to some of their posts and start to develop a relationship. You can gain exposure this way, and you never know what a fellow author might be able to assist you with.

5. Track your results

You won’t know whether or not your efforts are successful if you don’t track your progress. Use Google Analytics, a free service, to analyze where your web traffic is coming from on at least a monthly basis. Based on those results, adjust your strategy. If Twitter simply isn’t working for you but StumbleUpon is, put more effort into the latter.

6. Offer an inside look to your book

Social media is an interactive format, meaning you should be trying to get your readers involved. Consider providing a link to your website from your social media accounts where a follower can download an inside look at your actual book – the first chapter, for example. It’s a great move that can ultimately improve your sales.

Social media marketing for writers is serious business, and there’s a good bit of work involved if you’re going to get it right. If you start to develop a solid audience and then make a misstep, you’ve just wasted valuable time and energy. Manage your schedule as best you can, giving you more time to devote to your social media marketing and improve your book sales today.

About BookBaby

Based in the Philadelphia-area, BookBaby is a team of authors, poets, bloggers, and artists — so they know the thrills and challenges of bringing a book into this world.

Since 2011, BookBaby has helped thousands realize their publishing goals by offering the largest eBook distribution network, including Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and many other popular retailers in over 170 countries around the globe.

Learn more at www.BookBaby.com

A Good Walk May Be the Best Writing Exercise There Is

Apr 18

Writing is not the best occupation for your health. For most of us, writing involves a lot of sitting, which is why a good walk may be the best writing exercise there is.

How to walk for maximum effect

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This article originally appeared on Bookbaby.com

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Here are six quick social media marketing tips for first-time authors.

1. Create great content

2. Investigate new media

3. Respond to every comment

4. Connect with other authors

5. Track your results

6. Offer an inside look to your book

About BookBaby

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