De-cluttering the E-clutter Toward a Simpler, More Productive Way to Write Your Book!

Coming from someone who recently wrote my first book, I get it when it comes to distractions and excuses for doing ANYTHING other than sitting down and writing your book. For most, the getting started part is the hardest. Once you begin, you’ll be amazed at how steadily the words seem to pour out of your head and onto the keyboard. For me, the reward for getting each chapter complete was a key motivator. Sunning, shopping, walking the dog, exercising, a fresh cup of coffee, a Chai Crème frappuccino … whatever it is, make it worth it!

One of the biggest distractions we all suffer from is the daily onslaught of emails trying to grab our attention. Now it’s time to face your inbox and realize that the goal is to process instead of putting out fires. “How in the world do I do that?” you ask. It’s simple and elegant. For every single email you will now, and forever more:

Make 1 of 5 choices:

1.     Let It Go.  How do you Let Go of an email? Delete it.

2.     Let It Go To Someone Else. How do you Delegate an email? Forward it. A quick and easy way to track those that you delegate is to ‘blind copy’ yourself on these and when they come back to you, drag them either to your tasks on the dates they are due, or create a folder called PENDING RESPONSE and drag them there to track.

3.     Do It Now. How do you Do It Now? Use my “2 minutes or less” rule: As emails come into your inbox, if you can pop them out into someone else’s “court” in two minutes or less, just do it. During this de-clutter process you can choose to either do all of these now or drag them to an AWAITING MY RESPONSE folder to do when you have the time.

4.     Move to a Future Reference Folder. For all emails that you may need to refer to later but don’t need to take action on now, simply click on one email or group of emails and drag them to an appropriate Future Reference Folder in your inbox or save to your hard drive. You may need to create new folders in your inbox or hard drive to store these.

5.     Move to a Further Action Folder. For all of the remaining emails that require you to take further action on, you have some options for how to track these including using your email client calendar program or setting up weekly action folders under your inbox. There are too many options to go into here, but the simplest way to deal with these is to drag them into your new PENDING RESPONSE folder where you’ll be able to sort through them and delete them as you complete the task and no longer need them.

The big key here is processing as you go so you don’t end up with the backlog you started with EVER AGAIN. I can’t say this enough … “Process people, PROCESS!”

Don’t let your email inbox be the distraction it continues to be. Get a handle on what you have going by processing your emails, and then get back to writing your book.

Here’s to getting control of your e-clutter so that nothing (at least not this) stands in the way of your book writing!

____________________

Wendy Ellin, Founder of Atlanta-based Momentum, is a Workplace Productivity Life Changer & Author of the new book “Enough Is Enough, Get Control of Your Stuff!”

Wendy shares her insights into living a productive and organized life with humor, a twist of irreverence and a level of passion that motivates her audience to TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.  Her approach to training is engaging, interactive, and with a “let’s make a difference in your life” attitude.  She talks about real challenges that we all experience on a daily basis, such as excessive clutter, email overload, being on time (or not), reasonable expectations for getting things done, over-committing, and much more.

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No-Cost Marketing Strategies

Marketing is one of the most neglected aspects of book production. That's a fact. Whether you self-publish your book or go the traditional route, marketing is the do or die aspect of the entire process. If people don't know that your book exists, what it's about, and how they can benefit from its contents, they won't buy it. So your job as a published author is to get the word out about your book. That's marketing: everything you do to let people know that your book exists.

What stops most authors in their tracks is time and money. Yes, it takes time to get out there and talk about your book, to show up at events and share your message, to develop materials (an ad, a website, or a video) that tell of your book's value, and to prepare for media interviews. And yes, marketing your book can also require a substantial investment of dollars if you want to see results. But it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, there are dozens, dare I say hundreds, of free ways to market your book. Here are just a few:

Ezine Articles: Expert authors and writers post their articles to be featured in numerous ezines. The searchable database of hundreds of thousands of quality original articles allows email publishers hungry for fresh content to find articles they can use for inclusion in their next newsletter. This benefits you as an author by providing free advertising (your bio helps promote your book and your platform); viral marketing (RSS feeds help you gain website traffic); and sales leads (article readers are now interested in buying your book because you have positioned yourself as a knowledgeable resource).

BlogTalkRadio: This provider of thousands of Internet talk radio shows is an excellent way to reach thousands of potential book buyers. You can either host a show or pitch yourself as a guest on an existing show. Both ways allow you greater visibility. (http://www.blogtalkradio.com)

Networking: This is simply the concept of interacting with people. You meet people at business, personal, and civic gatherings, collect their contact information, share about your book, and in the process build interested buyers and advocates for your book. So get from behind your desk and away from your laptop and experience the valuable face time of networking.

Trade Associations: Connecting with trade associations can help build visibility for your book and awareness of your brand and your platform. You could present yourself as a speaker for annual conventions, professional development sessions, webinars, and other meetings and events. You could also offer you book as a training manual or industry guide to further establish yourself as an expert.

Help A Reporter Out (HARO): Having firsthand knowledge of the types of stories, guests, and experts that television, radio, and print reporters seek is of tremendous value to you as an author, and HARO provides just that. Sign up for the free emails and promptly respond to inquiries related to your expertise and the content of your book.

Be creative with your book marketing, develop a clear message around your book, and consistently communicate that message in a variety of ways. Remember, marketing your book doesn't have to cost a fortune. You'll find 101 free ways to market your book in my new book, How to Market Your Book Free. ________________________

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 the-book 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".
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Credibility Counts

We’re all experts in something. My husband might say I’m an expert in shoe shopping. I’d say I’m more an expert in the fine art of amassing a collection of colorful shoes obtained at a bargain price for maximum enjoyment! I have a lot of shoes (is 150+ pairs really a lot?), I shop at many shoe stores, but does that really make me an expert? That’s up for debate.

When you are writing a book, your credibility on the topic you’re writing about counts because it will come into question. You could become the subject of scrutiny by many, including literary agents, publishers, potential readers, other authors, or journalists. But if you’ve written about a topic that is truly in your area of expertise, then there is no need to worry, right? Well, that does not mean you shouldn’t still be prepared. Here’s how you can prepare yourself for the inevitable scrutiny that comes with being an expert:

• Get your facts straight: Go through your resume or bio and be certain that everything is accurate, up to date, and most importantly, truthful. Polishing your resume and bio is one thing, but adding things that are not true is another. Avoid falsehoods at all costs.
• Be prepared for the tough questions: You might be asked by the media, an agent, or someone else, “What makes you an expert?” or “What makes you qualified to tell others what they should do?” Do you have an effective answer ready for this question?
• They may research you: Fact-checking does happen. Past employers, colleagues, friends, and others who have a past or current connection to you could be contacted about you at any point. That doesn’t mean you need to worry about every traffic ticket you’ve received coming to light, but if you have dirty laundry, it could be aired.
• Consider the legal ramifications: It’s cliché, but remember, “Anything you say can and will be used against you.” The same is true for what you write in your book. If you give advice that you’re not qualified to give, and maybe that you cannot defend later, you may risk being sued, or held liable for that advice if someone believes it has caused them harm or damage in some way.

The editing process is a great time to fine-tune your manuscript and remove material that may put you at risk. Keep these suggestions in mind when you work with your copy editor. Ultimately, you want to produce a book that you are proud of, that will enhance your credibility, and that is the best reflection of you both personally and professionally.

_____________________

Angela DeCaires is the Marketing & Communications Manager for BookLogix Publishing Services. She oversees Corporate Communications for BookLogix, and also assists BookLogix’s authors in the publishing process. Angela’s background includes experience in public relations, writing, broadcasting and journalism, having held positions in public relations and working for a number of years as a news writer/TV news producer.

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Three of My Favorite Words

I am truly a wordsmith. I love the way words come together to form sentences, paragraphs, and of course books. A young man recently told me that I'm not a wordSMITH, I'm a wordLOCK! That got me laughing and thinking about some of the words I love … or at least the words I love that work well together for authors.

Here, I'll share three of my favorite words. You hear this phrase all the time when you watch interviews with authors, or when you hear authors share their concepts and ideas in a presentation. Three words that they almost always use are: "In my book … "

Watch this video to learn the three words Anita says are critical to success
for published authors.

I love it when authors are able to relate and correlate the content that they're discussing -- either in a live presentation or in an interview -- with the content in their book. That is a practice you have to work at. It's not something that comes naturally, but it is a very important aspect of marketing your book. When you are on the radio or on television doing an interview, or even when you're talking about your book with a print reporter, and especially when you're doing a live presentation, you always want to say several times, "In my book … "

"In my book I cover this concept … "

"In my book I mention this … "

"In my book this is what happens … "

This is how you bring audiences back to the fact that you are a published author and that you do have a published book on a particular subject.

So keep these three words in mind: "In my book … " They're so simple. It almost seems like a no-brainer and that it will come naturally to say these words. But it is something that you will have to practice as you do interviews and live presentations.

What are your thoughts about saying, "In my book … " when you give interviews or presentations?

________________________

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 the-book 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".
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What's Stopping You?

Do you put off doing things that you want to do? Do you find reasons why you don’t have the time, can’t find the money, won’t expend the effort? If the answer is yes, you have a clear case of procrastination.

It’s easy to procrastinate when you don’t have a plan of action. And there are many activities that can easily be disguised as reasons for not writing, but are really procrastination tactics. If you’re juggling kids, work, after-school activities, and your spouse’s needs, how can you possibly write a book? Impossible, right? Many authors have these very same commitments, yet every year thousands of new books are published.

What do these authors know that you don’t?

Procrastination is self-sabotage

Millions of would-be authors dream of achieving big goals such as landing on The New York Times bestsellers list, being the center of attention at book signings with the line out the door and around the block, or having their book turned into a movie. These are worthy dreams. So what’s stopping you from achieving them?

Not following your dreams is an act of self-sabotage. You may have a fear of failure. You may even have a fear of success. Or you’re afraid to rock the boat. Any of these fears could lead you to procrastinate.

Rather than procrastinate, you could create an outline for your book. You could sit in front of your computer and write 500 words. You could take a walk and plan your story at the same time. Instead, you read your email, shop online, chat with your friends on Facebook, or buy yet another book on how to write a bestseller. There’s nothing wrong with those activities. But if you don’t start writing today, when will you begin?

What to do about it

Breaking a bad habit such as procrastination requires commitment. Change doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen if you’re determined.

1. Be aware of your thoughts. Start paying attention to how many times you experience negative thoughts around writing. Write down those negative thoughts in a journal, on your computer, or in a note pad by your bed. 
2. Develop a method that allows you to change your emotions. Choose one that resonates with you. Meditation, EFT (tapping), the Sedona Method, and The Work by Byron Katie are examples of ways to reprogram your thinking.
3. Be patient. Unraveling those strangleholds may take time. Beating yourself up or getting mad at your weakness only reinforces the issue. So be kind to yourself.
4. Persist. Every day that you work to release your fears about writing will result in a brighter, more optimistic you.
5. Commit to yourself, and to the universe, that you’re serious and you will follow through. Then take action—WRITE!—and be open to opportunity. When you do the work, the universe takes notice and begins to reward you.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Don't try to do too much.
• Don’t over schedule. Start with writing for 30 minutes or an hour. Give yourself a task you can accomplish. Then celebrate your success. You want to feel good when you finish.
• Don’t wait until you’re tired. Creativity requires a calm but active brain. Choose a time to write when you’re alert and excited. Then start writing. Let those thoughts pour out. No censoring allowed.
• Don’t give up. As one of my favorite coaches says, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you write 300 words a day, at the end of the year you’ll have 109,500 words, which is more than enough for a book. You can do that!

What are some procrastination activities that have held you back and how did you overcome them?

_______________________

Nanette Littlestone is a freelance editor, writing coach, and author who has worked with both fiction and nonfiction for 20 years. She specializes in helping authors to use their passion to achieve their own unique voice and message. For more information, please visit www.wordsofpassion.com

Creativity Beats Innovation When Writing

You know, you're not as innovative as you think you are. You certainly aren't as innovative as you'd like to be, especially when it comes to your book idea. How do I know? Because I know that, after years of trying to come up with an innovative focus or title for your book—some cool and unique way to explain what you do and how you help others and what you've learned in your umpteen years in business or in life—you still haven't thought of the big, million-dollar idea. You want to know why? It's because you're trying to be innovative instead of creative. 

Innovation is the art of developing something totally new, never tried or done, unseen by anyone ... ever. Think about it. How often, even in today's technologically driven world that seems to move at warp speed, do you find ideas that have NEVER existed? Not very often. What you find instead are creative reinventions of what's been around for generations. Amazon didn't invent reading, they just created a different way to read. Adobe didn't invent documents, they just created a different way to view and share them. Apple didn't invent the telephone, they just created a different presentation, platform, and purpose for a phone. And you, my friend, are not trying to invent a book or even a concept. What you are doing—or should be doing—is creating a different way for your target market to view, experience, access, utilize, or benefit from your perspective or concept. Remember, everything old is new again. 

You want readers to find some familiarity in your book. What’s it like? How can readers associate with your book if it’s so unfamiliar that they have no reference point. Audiences often look at me sideways when I suggest that if they search online or visit a bookstore and find not one book that’s like the one they’re writing, they might need to reconsider their topic. Perhaps there’s no market for it. Ouch! So what's your slant, twist, version, take, perspective, or insight on a topic? How have you uniquely taken a time-honored concept and recreated it? How can you teach others to see the familiar in a different way; your way?

Are you writing a romance novel? Love and romance are not new concepts, so avoid trying to invent something new. Instead, create a twist that will surprise readers. Are you writing a tips or how-to book about parenting? Families have existed since the beginning of time, and most parents will tell you that they've received more advice than they know what to do with. Instead, create a funny or insightful angle on a particular aspect of parenting. 

There are no new ideas. Refashion what's already out there. I’m just saying.

______________________________

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 the-book 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".

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Why Tell Your Stories

How do you sum up a personal life experience into words? As a publisher, I review manuscripts daily. With every book I publish I personally perform a quality check. Recently, we finished the layout of a book about a cancer patient who lost his life. His wife wrote a book from her perspective as the caregiver. The pages of her book, filled with photographs, documented his journey from health, cancer, to treatment, and then to death. Tears immediately rolled down my face as I thought about her journey. I say “her” journey and not “his”  journey because the wife chose to honor her husband by telling his story through her eyes to help others through the process of caring for a loved one with cancer.

Unfortunately, there are people who are living with cancer right now. This woman's journey began when she answered, “yes, I do” to the statement, “Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him, so long as you both shall live?” Now, she is on a different journey to tell cancer patients how they can live longer and productive lives. In addition, she tells her story about caring for her husband through all the treatments, doctors’ visits, and life changes. She details in her book how to manage the journey as a caregiver with personal regimens and ways to prolong and improve the quality of a loved one’s life through alternative methods.

To write such a personal journey requires a purpose beyond the pain suffered. When something tragic has happened in your life, reliving that moment and retelling the story is difficult. The purpose of writing your stories is not necessarily to see your name on a list of bestsellers. Your stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—are a part of you. Telling a story through a book enables you to become accessible to others and touch them when you do not have the opportunity to do so face to face.

Telling a story through a book is a way for author and reader to connect over a message. If a book's message is strong enough and is shared by many, it can create change. For business people, a book is a way to share expertise. It is a format for potential clients to take home with them, study, read, and learn from an expert. It can even be a way to prime clients before they embark on hiring for a specialty.

As an author and publisher, I believe writers have an opportunity to preserve their thoughts, experiences, creativity, and most importantly, their faith in print, as well as in other forms of media. We all have a story to tell to impart encouragement, inspiration, education, entertainment, and more. What is your story? Are you ready to tell it?

__________________

Nicole Antoinette owns and manages Faith Books & MORE Publishing in Gwinnett County, GA. She believes writers have an obligation to preserve their thoughts, experiences, creativity, and most importantly, their faith in print, as well as through other forms of media. To learn more about publishing your book or republishing this article, contact Nicole Antoinette at publishing@faithbooksandmore.com or 678.232.6156.

Copyright © 2012 by Nicole Antoinette Smith.