Cocktails and Conversations: Write Your Life Give A Way Winner

Cocktails and Conversations: Write Your Life Give A Way Winner: Tanisha Townsend is on her way to getting her book done.  She was the recipient of the Write Your Life in 90 Days or Less give a way last m...

Triple the Fun – When Will Your Book be Done?

Triple the Fun – When Will Your Book be Done?

11 Ways to Get Others to Promote Your Book - Writers and Readers Meet - Write and Publish Your Book :: Blogging Authors

11 Ways to Get Others to Promote Your Book - Writers and Readers Meet - Write and Publish Your Book :: Blogging Authors

Getting the Most From Your Book Production Team

Any successful published author knows that you can’t do it all yourself. It takes a team to create a top-notch book. You want a book that is well written, expertly edited, divinely designed, and professionally printed. Beyond that, you need professionals who will help you promote your book and repurpose it into an audio book, a speech, a presentation, or other information products to help you leverage your personal or professional brand. That’s a lot!


Now you see why it’s nearly impossible to produce a book that readers will rave about without the help of a few trusted experts. Finding the right people to help produce your book can be daunting. Building a book production team can be one of the most valuable time investments you can make with your book. There are thousands of choices for any of the above services and more. How do you find the team members you need?

• Get recommendations from friends or other successful authors
• Search online for experts in various areas of book publishing
• Consult a writers group
• Email me for my list of Preferred Providers in Publishing

Once you have a few people to consider in a particular category, how do you determine which professional is best for you? Here are a few questions to ask any provider:

• How long have you been in the business? 
• Do you work with authors in the same genre or literary form (fiction/nonfiction) in which I’m writing? 
• What is your process for completing a project? 
• What aspect of what you do, do you enjoy most/least?
• How many revisions are included?
• How long do you expect the process to take?
• Do you have a few references I can contact?

In addition to these questions, you should have some clear objectives for your book project. After all, you're driving this process, so be clear about the following:

• When you want the project to be complete;
• How much you have budgeted (Note: Your expenses will occur over time, not all at once, so at least have an idea of how much you’re willing to spend total);
• How you wish to communicate with your team (phone, email, Skype, text, in-person meetings);
• What you want the final product to look like, sound like, etc.; and
• How you will measure success.

Some authors run into the challenge of motivating their team; getting people to deliver on time and to their expectations. Part of getting what you want is knowing what you want. Just as important is knowing what motivates your team: is it money, deadlines, recognition, appreciation, or something else? Once you determine that, you can use those motivators as incentives to help your team "get the lead out" and produce to your expectations for an on-time delivery.

Getting the most from your book production team isn’t magic; it doesn’t take any special skills, other than clarity, focus, intention, and leadership. Your book is your “baby”; it’s your creation. Your team is here to help you produce a book that you’ll be pleased with, that readers will enjoy, and that everyone involved will be proud of.

____________________________________

Anita Paul, known as The Author's Midwife, coaches aspiring authors to write a phenomenal book and helps current authors use their existing books to leverage their business. She is the author of Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life and the Book You've Been Wanting to Write, and is the creator of the Write Your Life program, through which she has created a dynamic system to Write Your Book in 90 Days or Less. She has owned The Write Image for 15 years, and has had her freelance articles featured in over 25 publications in the U.S. and Canada. Anita is also the host of "Book Your Success".

20 Ways to End Your Book

Stephen Covey, author of the incredibly popular leadership and time management “bible”, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, made famous the saying, “Begin with the end in mind.” And that, my friend, is what you must do when writing your book: begin with the end in mind.

Whether yours is a book about how to start a daycare center, a memoir recounting your years living in Beijing, or a spiritual guide through the practice of yoga, taking the time at the start of your writing journey to consider how you might wrap up your fantastic story will become one of the biggest favors you’ve ever done for yourself. I coach my clients and students to develop three logical endings to their books; three possible ways to wrap up the content they’ve outlined in my super simple outlining system that I teach (it totally works for any kind of book and authors LOVE it!). As the content of the book unfolds, inevitably one of those three endings will become the obvious choice. Oh sure, most authors wind up making some adjustments to the initial description, but always, as the writing progresses, it leads to one of the endings, making wrapping up the book a much simpler and enjoyable experience.

So then, the obvious question is how to develop the three endings. Here are a few to consider depending on your book’s genre. Using your creativity, you might be able to apply endings across genres, so stay open to possibilities:

Memoir and Autobiography

1. list of lessons learned

2. how it all changed you

3. reunion with someone mentioned earlier in the book
4. twist of fate
5. birth (because after all, death can be a downer!

How-To and Self-Help

6. recount the main points

7. application of the main points

8. success story of you, a client/customer or a celebrity

9. poll or survey results

10. case study or in-depth testimonial

Novel
11. reveal the hidden character (murderer, benefactor)

12. girl gets guy or vice versa (it’s overdone, but still wildly popular)

13. suspicion (leave readers hanging; allow them to decide what happens next or whodunnit; great way to make room for a sequel)

14. return of a character assumed lost, dead or otherwise removed

15. destruction, death, loss or termination

Spiritual and Motivational

16. how the insight or revelation can be applied

17. examples of popular/famous missed opportunities

18. results of others who have used the methods described in your book

19. potential outcomes of not doing what’s taught

20. why and how you continue to practice the principles mentioned in your book

Select three possible endings for your book. Describe them in as much detail as you can; this should take about a page or two each. Then, set them aside as you craft the content for your book. These endings will become a welcome support when you encounter writer’s block. Read through each ending and take the time to determine if your writing thus far is leading you in one specific direction or if what you’ve written has taken you completely off track. 

Trust the process and have fun with it!

How will you know when/how to wrap up your book?

____________________

Anita Paul, known as The Author's Midwife, coaches aspiring authors to write a phenomenal book and helps current authors use their existing books to leverage their business. She is the author of Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life and the Book You've Been Wanting to Write, and is the creator of the Write Your Life program, through which she has created a dynamic system to Write Your Book in 90 Days or Less. She has owned The Write Image for 15 years, and has had her freelance articles featured in over 25 publications in the U.S. and Canada. Anita is also the host of "Book Your Success".

Anatomy of a Book Press Release

Ah, the press release. It’s one way to tell the world about your book. But, for some reason, it seems to be one of the most difficult items for self-published authors to produce. Perhaps it’s because many haven’t yet perfected the art of self-promotion. Or for some, understanding what goes into a press release and how best to “spin” the content of their book is difficult. Okay, so maybe a little instruction is in order.

 
Back in my journalism school days, the press release was all about the who, what, when, where, why and how of the topic. Not much has changed in that regard; your press release should definitely cover those critical elements. However, you have to begin by knowing the purpose of your press release. 
Here are a few common reasons to write a press release:

Book launch. You’re announcing to the world – well, at least the world that includes your ideal readers – that your book is complete, published and ready to purchase.

Current event. The focus and content of your book relates to a current event; something that is hot in the news right now. Here's one recent example of a press release I wrote for my client, Pat Montgomery, author of The Patriot Parent: Still the Best Hope for America.

Local. You want to tie in your connection to your home town, your current city of residence, your alma mater, the city where you’re speaking or some other localized event. 

Okay, so now that you know some angles to use in creating a press release, you need to make certain that you include all of the pertinent items that a reporter, assignment editor or blogger needs to know. You might think it doesn’t matter one way or the other how your press release is organized and presented, but it does. If for no other reason than to communicate your message clearly and effectively, you will want to include all of the following elements in your press release:

 
For immediate release: This lets reporters know that they can upload or print the release immediately and not have to await some specific date.

Contact information: List the name, phone number and email address of the person reporters can contact for more information or to schedule an interview with you. It’s always nice if this is someone other than you, the author. Which is why it’s good to work with a professional in public relations, marketing or media relations.

Headline: Grab their attention and be descriptive. Keep it brief. Five to seven words is plenty.

Dateline: Use the date you actually send the release.

Newsworthy: Make it timely and relevant. Even if your press release is announcing the launch of your book, you want to tie it to something current and relevant. Why should people care about this, and why now? 

Remember the five Ws: Be sure to creatively mention these critical elements of your announcement. 

• Who are you and who is the book written for?
• What is the book about (in just a few sentences)? What can readers learn from the book?
• When did it come out (last week, last month, last year)? Even older books can get some play when you tie the theme of the book to a current event or observance.
• Where can people buy the book, learn more about you or get more information? Where will you be speaking or signing your book?
• Why did you write the book? Make it about the reader, not about you.
• How can people contact you? How can readers use the content in your book to improve their lives?

Quote: Include a quote by you or another authority about why your book is important or why others should be concerned about the issues in your book.

Statistics: If appropriate to your book’s theme and content, include a few stats to help 
drive home the importance of your book or issue.

Interactive: Include hyperlinks in the body of the press release (your website, book excerpts, videos, book trailer, previous interviews or articles).

Call to action: Much like an advertisement, your press release is an opportunity to tell people what action you want them to take. Don’t make it salesy. Keep it simple (i.e. visit the website for more information, sign up for the newsletter to receive the free report, call to reserve your space).

 
As you write this phenomenal press release, try to think like a reporter. Write what 
readers/listeners/viewers need to know, not only what you want to say. Write the release as if the editor or reporter will drop your press release into the publication as is. Don’t assume they will change anything, which means you want the release to be as accurate and effective as possible. 
 
Here are a few common questions I'm often asked about press releases:

How long should my press release be? Keep it between 400-500 words; not much, but that should cause you to write lean and get to the point.

Should I attach or include a photo? Photos fill up a person’s email in box. At the end of your press release, add a note: Photo available upon request. Mentioning this is a great way to get a reply from interested journalists.

Who do I send the press release to? Much of this depends on the focus on your release and your book. Here are a few common titles to look for: 

• Print: Book Reviewer, Community Affairs Reporter, Business Reporter/Editor, Lifestyle Reporter, Parenting/Family Reporter. 
• Broadcast: Assignment Editor, Community Affairs Reporter. 

Whomever you send your release to, be certain you have the correct email address and name spelling.

How do I know if my press release was featured? Reporters will not advise you that your press release was picked up. So sign up for Google Alerts to make sure you know that your release appeard online. Or search “news clipping service” to find free and fee-based services to monitor and track your news online and offline.

Have a question about your press release? Submit your question below.

_____________________

Anita Paul, known as The Author's Midwife, coaches aspiring authors to write a phenomenal book and helps current authors use their existing books to leverage their business. She is the author of Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life and the Book You've Been Wanting to Write, and is the creator of the Write Your Life program, through which she has created a dynamic system to Write Your Book in 90 Days or Less. She has owned The Write Image for 15 years, and has had her freelance articles featured in over 25 publications in the U.S. and Canada. Anita is also the host of "Book Your Success."

Just the Facts

History (to me) is dry, tedious, and complicated. Who can remember all those names, dates, and places? And who cares? But historical research for a book I’m writing—now that’s different. Suddenly those names, dates, and places have meaning. They involve my characters. 

The Sacred Flame is a story of love and betrayal set in ancient Rome in 216 BC. The main characters include a Vestal Virgin and an Equestrian commander. Who were the Vestal Virgins and Equestrians? What were the levels of government? What did the average house look like? What kind of food did they eat? What clothes did they wear? How did they get around the city? In short, I needed to find out anything and everything that dealt with daily life in Rome.  

The common language for that time was Latin. Many of the words of that era have stayed intact: atrium, centurion, praetor. Citizens walked down the Via Sacra and along the Via Appia (the Appian Way). They shopped in the Forum Romanum and Forum Holitorium (vegetable market). They rode in carpentums (a two-horse open carriage). And they ate a special pastry called placenta (made from cheese, egg, and flour, topped with honey; similar to baklava).

These are just a few of the facts I discovered through research. Sometimes the work was fun. Sometimes it was frustrating. Looking for “food in ancient Rome” brought up more information than I could ever wade through. Narrowing that search to “cherries” produced several hours of reading conflicting reports.  

One source of information is usually not enough. History reports details tinged with the reporter’s bias, prejudice, and/or emotions. How much is actual fact is difficult to tell. Often there is a common consensus around battles, presidents, even the myths and legends. But if you’re researching a lesser known subject, the details may be more muddied. Determining the Vestal’s hairstyle led me to a fascinating debate. Some scholars purport that the Vestals cut their hair and kept it short throughout their service (according to statues of Vestals in the Uffizi). Other scholars maintain that the Vestals wore their hair in the sex crines or bridal style: divided into six parts and wound on top of the head. I preferred my character with long hair and adopted the bridal style for my story. You may make similar choices with your own book.

The web is a warehouse of wonder at your fingerprints. If you can’t find what you need on Google (or elsewhere), try looking in Google Books. I found a marvelous book on Vestal Virgins which turned out to be a doctoral thesis. Then I ordered a used copy through Amazon for a very reasonable price. The Online Etymology Dictionary is a great source for word history and easy to use. And don’t forget your library system. If your library doesn’t have what you want in stock, perhaps another branch does. Or use an interlibrary loan to bring a volume from a university library right to you.

One last note. Beware of Wikipedia. I use it often, it’s easy to read, but the information is not 100% trustworthy. Anyone can upload text and people don’t always check their facts.

History is fascinating. Research can be too. Readers love gleaning new ideas and bits of other cultures, other times, other places. The facts you find will make your story come alive.

___________________

Nanette Livingstone

Freelance Editor

Words of Passion

http://www.wordsofpassion.com

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