Writing, publishing, book marketing, all offered by experienced authors, writers, and marketers
Unique Holidays: Don't See Anything You Like? Create Your Own
Podcast Guesting: 10 Ways to Find Podcasts Where You Can Pitch Yourself
Here are 10 Ways to Find Podcasts to Pitch
Guesting 101: How to Be a Good Guest on a Blog, Podcast, or Video Show
Here are Tips for Being a Good Guest ... and Tips for Hosts too
Get Moving: 5 Fitness Goals for Writers
Here are 5 fitness goals for writers:
For more on Fitness, watch this week's GoalChatLive:
What's Your Summer Fun Goal? A Book, Novel, or Screenplay Passion Project
- What's that project you love but can never quite get to?
- Where is the book draft that has only one - very well-edited - ch
apter? - What is one publication you've always wanted to write for but never even pitch?
- Plant a garden
- Cook a feast ... or several
- Start a new workout routine
- Find a new job
- Launch a side hustle
What is your #summergoalchallenge goal? Please share in the comments.
7 Ways Authors Can Support Their Author Friends: Kindled Spirits
1. Create a Joint Blog. Writers on the Move is a great example of authors coming together to share their knowledge.
2. Trade Book Reviews. On Amazon, Goodreads, or write one on your blog.
3. Do Interview Swaps. This can take place on a blog, live show, video, or podcast.
4. Spread Social Media Love. Make a point to tweet or post about an author-friend at least once a week ... once a day is even better. Share their books, an article, or a photo. You can also take the time to comment on their posts.
5. Curate Panels and Events. Create events with author friends in mind, so you can ask them to participate.
6. Send Ideas. Do you receive a newsletter that shares podcast interview opportunities? Are you part of a cool networking group or meetup? Share the deets with author friends who would get the most out of it!
7. Refer and Recommend. When someone asks for a referral - whether it's a speaker for an event, a book for a book club, or an author interview - think of who you know who would be a good fit and make an intro. Keep a list of author friends, along with their specialties. Don't know what that is? Just ask.
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How do you support your author friends? What collaboration opportunities get the best results? Please share in the comments.
7 Ways to Be Healthier Right Now
1. Commit to Work Boundaries. When the topic of self-care comes up, this is always my first recommendation. Set a time to stop working every day ... and then set a cutoff for looking at your email ... come on, we all do it. While you're at it, schedule time for lunch, breaks throughout the day, and time off on the weekends. When you are fully present
2 Eat Healthier. This can mean different things for everyone. For some, eat healthier equates to adding a vegetable to your meal ... or eating healthier snacks ... or fewer snacks. Others may want to set a goal to do more cooking and get less prepared foods. Whatever your food-prep habits, there should be something you can do to up the "healthy" on your eating.
5. Find a Workout You Like. You are without a doubt more likely to exercise if you enjoy the exercise you are doing. Now that nearly everything is online these days, you can sample different types of workouts. You can try kickboxing one week, Zumba the next. Or just do some good old-fashioned walking, running, or biking. Set a reasonable workout schedule ... and follow it!
4. Drink More Water. This one always gets me. Hydration is super-important. And I always mean to drink more water, but sometimes get distracted from my water-drinking goals. Set water reminders on your smartwatch, or in your calendar. Or just drink a glass before each meal, and also mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and throughout the day. Figure out what a good water-drinking habit is for you ... and do it!
5. Start Meditating. Take up a Hobby. Or Both. Find a fun, healthy activity for your downtime.
6. Remember to Breathe. Are you stressing out? STOP. Feels better, right? When I get stressed out, I allow myself two minutes to feel it, then it's back to business as usual. That may not work for everyone, but you know how your body functions, so see what works for you.
7. Get Good Sleep. A good night's sleep sets any day up for success, so stop burning the midnight oil. Turn off the devices while you are winding down at night - the National Sleep Foundation says 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Maybe treat yourself to a new pillow, as a reward for shutting down early. And get some good zzzzs.
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What's your best healthy-living tip? What are your health goals? Please share in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and founder of the D*E*B METHOD, which is her system for goal-setting simplified. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, founder of Write On Online, Vice President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's National Book Association, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
How to Choose Yourself
Want to achieve your goals? The first step is to choose yourself. Give yourself the gift of time to do the things you love!
How often do you choose yourself? What does "choosing yourself" look like for you? Please share in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, Vice President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's National Book Association, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
5 Things that Stop Authors from Blogging ... And the Easy Fixes
So, what is your blog link? Why are - or aren't - you blogging? Please share your advice in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
#FebruaryReset: Ten Tips to Restart Your Year
So, what is your best #FebruaryRestart tip? Please share your advice in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
5 Items for #GoalTopia Inspiration
To get what you want, you need to know what you want. That's truly the first step in setting effective goals and, as a result, setting yourself up for success.
So, where do you keep your items of inspiration? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
Setting Self-Care Goals
When was the last time you set self-care goals?
10 Self-Care Goals
So, what do you think? How do you take care of yourself? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
Navigating Twitter: 10 Tips
Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Instagram. Pinterest. YouTube.
10 Twitter Tips
On November 18, I will be speaking at the Agorapulse #SocialPulseSummit: Twitter edition. Topic is Twitter chat goals. Learn more and get your free ticket.
So, what do you think? How are you enjoying your Twitter time? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
November Writing Challenges
I love writing challenges. These events, focusing on completing a writing project within a month, take place throughout the year, and usually focus on a specific genre or audience. When you have to complete something in a certain amount of time, there's no overthinking and no procrastinating. Just you and your words.... and forced productivity!
3. National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo). Are you more of an audio or video person? Than this November challenge is for you. Jennifer Navarrete created NaPodPoMo in 2007, NaPodPoMo as a month-long audio challenge. The goal is to release and/or record a podcast episode every day. Use any platform, format, or production level. It's an excellent way to kick-start your podcast. Get details.
So, are you taking part in a November challenge? Which one? Please share in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
Time Swapping
Does this sound familiar?
Time-Swapping
1. Driving Time. Even if you worked from home pre-COVID, you still had plenty of places to go each week from lunch meetings to the gym. Thanks to Zoom calls and video workouts, a lot of in-person events are now virtual. No more driving ... or even parking. With the time you save you can actually attend twice as many events each week.
2. Netflix Time. We all love our Netflix ... or Hulu ... or whatever our preferred platform for binge-watching after a long day. I'm not saying to get rid of binge-time, just shorten it. Binge one less episode a night, a few times a week, and see what you can accomplish during that found time.
3. Your Prime Time. When is your prime writing-time? In the morning? Late at night? With family at home, you may be struggling for personal time. By extending your day - getting up 15 to 30-minutes earlier or staying up a little later - you can sneak in some productivity. Not sure which is your prime time? Try them both, and see what works best for you.
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So, where do you find found time? And how do you use it? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments.
Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.
Using Personality Typologies to Build Your Characters
Contributed by Margot Conor People often have asked me how I build such varied and interesting character profiles. I’m fond of going into ...
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Contributed by Karen Cioffi You may be an author or writer who takes the time to comment on other websites. This is an effective online mark...
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Right-Brain - Left-Brain Which Controls Your Writing? In 1981, Roger Wolcott Sperry--a neuropsychologist and neurobiologist, toget...
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by Suzanne Lieurance Many new freelance writers are confused or intimated by sidebars. But that’s usually because they just don’t understa...