Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts

Authors Need to be Realistic


By Terry Whalin 
@terrywhalin

Over the years, I’ve met many passionate writers. One brand new writer told me, “My book is going to be a bestseller.” This confident boast intrigued me and I wanted to know more details such as the focus of the book and the publisher. 

When the author said, “Balboa Press” I knew this author was headed for a rude awakening. Balboa Press is a self-publishing company and a part of Author Solutions. From my years in publishing, I knew this company was going to publish close to 50,000 titles this year. For this author to break out with a bestseller would be nearly impossible. To become a bestseller, the book needs broad distribution to online plus brick-and-mortar bookstores who report their sales to a bestseller list. Balboa Press is online, and their books are not sold in brick and mortar bookstores. Also with the large volume of titles each year, it is common publishing knowledge that the bulk of Author Solutions (and Balboa Press) employees are in the Philippines. I’ve seen a number of books from these publishers and their covers are poor (And good covers sell books) and the overall production is not good quality. I hoped this author didn’t spend a lot of money to produce her book. I’ve met authors who have a garage full of books from these companies and have spent $20,000 to produce them (no exaggeration). It is heart breaking to witness such scams and authors need to be careful. 

Here’s three steps to avoid the wrong publisher:

Use Google to see what is online. Type: Publisher name + complaint then read a page or two of the entries. Are the complaints new or old? Are there many entries or a few? 

1. A reality of the internet is every publisher has complaints and anyone can write anything about anyone with it online forever. 

2. Speak with some of the publishers’ authors and ask about their experiences.

3. Read and get professional help on the contract. Make sure you understand it.

These actions will help you avoid many publishing pitfalls. The publisher you select has a lot to do with getting your book into the right places online and in physical bookstores. Some authors believe they can make money if their book is on Amazon. While Amazon is a large part of the book selling market, there are many ways and places that people buy books: bookstores, airports, grocery stores and much more. You want your book to be in the broadest possible number of places to succeed, sell and make money. The publisher controls much of this distribution. 

Because many of these financial details are outside of your control as an author, what steps can you take? From my 30+ years in publishing, it does not happen without the author taking action. No matter whether a major publisher releases our book, or you self-publish, as the author you will bear the bulk of the responsibility to market your book. If they are honest, every author would like to delegate this book marketing responsibility to someone else. 

One of my favorite books is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. I’ve read this book several times and I’ve also listened to this entire book on audio. Canfield has spent a lifetime studying the principles that people follow to be successful, and I want you to be successful as an author. The first principle in the book says, “Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life.” 

This principle applies to the constant wish for every author to have someone else market your book. Are you reaching out to your target audience? Have you identified your target audience for your book? Where are they and how are you reaching out to touch them on a consistent basis? It does not have to be daily but it does have to be regular. Give them great content on your topic and in that process point them to more information inside your book.

One of the best ways for you to take responsibility is to create your own marketing plans. Whether you self-publish or have a traditional publisher to get your book into the bookstore, these plans are important. Whether your book is launching soon or has been out for a while, you need to be creating and executing your own marketing plans. Every author needs a dose of realism combined with consistent action to reach readers.

Tweetable: 

Authors need to be realistic and combine this realism with consistent action. Get insights from this prolific writer and editor. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)


W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on TwitterFacebook and LinkedIn.

Featured Productivity Tool: 5 Ways to Use a Timer for Success


It's a brand new year. And you are determined to start - or finish - one (or more) of your writing projects. Success is top-of-mind. But how do you set yourself up for success? 

To help you start your year off right, I am sharing one of my favorite productivity tools, as well as some of the best ways to use it: A Timer!

You can get a lot done in focused blocks of time. That's the beauty of setting a timer ... you don’t even need to keep an eye on the clock. Concentrate fully on your work. Then, when your timer goes off, finish what you’re doing, and move on to the next thing. 

Here are Five Ways to Use a Timer to Increase your Productivity 


1. Block Time. Look at your calendar and block time to creative or project-time in the form of appointments. This is especially helpful when you have a book or article deadline. But it's also great for prioritizing ongoing commitments. During time blocks, close out your social media, silence your email, put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Then, set a timer so you can give the project at hand your full attention. 

2. Avoid Social Media Tangents. Let’s face it, although important for marketing your business, social media tends to be a time-suck. You log on in the morning to do a couple of things, you get distracted, and the next thing you know, it’s almost noon. Set a timer for your 15-minute social media appointments, so you receive a reminder to not fall into the social media abyss. 

3. Force Inspiration. Every so often you encounter a project that you can’t quite get into. So instead of spending a bit of time to get it started, you avoid it. This results in stress, not to mention a potential failed project. Set a timer for 15 minutes and force yourself to concentrate on what is perplexing you. Then, when the timer goes off, if you’ve figured it out, start your project. If not, take a breath, move on to something else, and try again the following day. At least the project will be in your head, which will make it easier to tackle when you try again. 

4. Take a Break. It’s important to take breaks throughout the day, whether it’s for a walk, a bite to eat, or an online conversation. However, if you are spending your downtime checking your watch or the clock on your smartphone, you are not actually disengaging from work. 

5. Limit Time-Consuming Tasks. This trick works well for emails and phone calls. Set a specific amount of time for something where time can spiral out of control. When the timer goes off, it’s time to wrap it up and move on. 

Final Thoughts 


In the age of technology, everyone has a timer at their fingertips, because their mobile phone is usually no further than an arm’s length away. 

Ready to get things done? Put your phone on silent, turn off your notifications, hit the start button, and you are ready to go. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you accomplish in short bursts of time. 

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For more inspiration and motivation, follow @TheDEBMethod on Twitter and Linkedin for your #Start2022Now Goal of the day! 

* * *

How do you use a timer? What's your favorite productivity tool? Please share in the comments.

* * *

Debra Eckerling is the award-winning 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 entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives 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 and Purple Pencil Adventures; 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, #GoalChatLive on Facebook and LinkedIn, and The DEB Show podcast. She speaks on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Happy New Year


We wish you all a healthy, happy, 
and prosperous New Year!


To start the year off right, here is a gift to help you create your own success in 2018:

7 Steps to Writing Success Through Positive Thinking

Stop on back and let me know what you think in the comments!

A Gift From Writers on the Move to You


Another year is coming to a close and at this time we at Writers on the Move would like to THANK YOU for being a part of our online lives, for following our authors and writers, for commenting and sharing our work, and for subscribing to our site.

To show our appreciation, below are two ebooks to help guide you and motivate you toward writing and marketing success in the New Year. These are two regulars for our year end gifts. They're so helpful, they're worth re-giving!

And, as a bonus, you can share these ebooks. You can offer it as a gift in your newsletter, on your website, as a bonus to a gift or product you’re offering, or for some other incentive. Please though, be sure to them intact.

Click the links to download:

Achieve Your Goals with 3 Must-Have Psychological Assets

A Simple System to Achieve Your Goals

Next week, we'll have a very useful brand new gift - be sure to stop by!

Have a Happy, Healthy, and Safe
Holiday Season and New Year!

Stake Your Claim

From time to time, we all need encouragement and recognition of our accomplishments. It gives us that extra boost to believe we are good writers and we have something to offer.

But, not all writers necessarily have that kind of support. We want people to be happy for us; our family or friends. You might not get the reactions you were hoping for.

Christina Katz, author of the best seller Writer Mama, says in her recently published e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications: 

"There is really one key person who should be happy about your writing career success and that person is you.”

There comes a time in your writing career when you have to come to terms with this truth so you don't slow down or give up. Decide to be happy with your successes even if no one else is.

Over the years, I have found times when I had to set a stake in the ground of something I knew to be true - never to waver again. And being personally happy about my success has been one of those stakes. 



This is going to look differently for each of us. But the one place where we all start, is believing you have something to offer. It means your passion should not be tampered with. Tweaked, yes. But if we find that fire being quenched because no one seems to encourage you or appreciate your successes, you will become discouraged and perhaps give up.

It took me awhile to grasp believing in myself. It seemed like arrogance, but it's not. It's simply knowing what you can do well and doing it. Once that is established, you are tied to this truth and will be firmly established.

Stake your claim to you. There are no disqualifications! If you are writing, it's because you love to write. Inside of you there is something people want to read.  
   
~~~
Repost from March 27, 2013 
Photo credit:  cobaltfish / Foter / CC BY-SA

Kathy is a K - 12 substitute teacher and enjoys writing for magazines. Recently, her story, "One of a Kind", was published in The Kids' ArkYou can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts http://kathleenmoulton.com

Take Action: Move Towards Success

                                                          
Copyright 2014 Joan Y. Edwards
"Take Action: Move Toward Success" by Joan Y. Edwards


Here we are in the second month of the year. How is it going? Are you moving towards your goals? 2014 is a year marked as one for your publication success. Don't sit on your dreams. Do your part. Move toward your goals now.

Here are 7 ways to help you keep moving to your goals.
  1. Be Thankful
  2. Accept Yourself As You Are
  3. Relinquish Control
  4. Have Faith in Yourself
  5. Exercise
  6. See with Different Eyes
  7. Celebrate

1. Be Thankful

  • Albert Schweitzer quote: “In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
  • Buddha quote: "Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
  • Thornton Wilder quote: "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
  • Yogi Bhajan quote: "Gratitude is the open door to abundance."
If you want something other than what you have, be grateful for what you have. If you are unhappy with the situation you are in, be grateful that it's not worse, and believe that it will get better. Focus on what you want. Be thankful for what you have.

2. Accept Yourself As You Are

For the last four years I studied Hale Dwoskin's Sedona Method about letting go. Letting go of expectations allows you to enjoy the moment as it is. Letting go of wanting and trying to get control of the people in your life, frees you to enjoy the gifts another person offers to you. They might not have the gift you demand and expect from them. When you put a block out and don't accept others as they are, you may never recognize the gift they reach out to hand you. Because your Mother or Father was a certain way, you may think a prospective mate might be that way. Look for the good in people. Let go of your unreasonable expectations in yourself and others.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't set goals for yourself. It means to stop spending all of your energy resisting the way things are. When you take back your energy, then you make a better pathway for your new and improved life to enter.

I think a lot of unhappiness comes from not enjoying things as they are and wanting something else.
The saying is very powerful and healing: "It is what it is." Accept it. Make plans to improve the situation in which you live. Love. Reach out in kindness. Look for the good in others. Look for the good inside yourself.

3. Have Faith in Yourself

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen...Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Don't feed your mind with negative thoughts. If you do, you will come to believe them...Catherine Pulsifer
  • If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning...Gandhi
  • It is not so much what you believe in that matters, as the way in which you believe it and proceed to translate that belief into action...Lin Yutang
  • Believe in yourself and try not to take anything personally...Chris Kattan.
  • Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string...Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Believe in yourself. Your belief will take you to your goal. When you stop believing in your ability to get there, something happens. You crumble. In order to meet your goal, you have to stabilize your belief system so that it gets you where you want to go.

4. Relinquish Control

It's amazing how much human beings want control of things. When you don't know how it's going to turn out, you are afraid to venture into the "unknown." If you know it's going to turn out okay, then you are willing to take a chance. When you get your belief system straight, you realize that all events lead you to your goals. They may be interesting detours, but if you reset your beliefs and restate your goals, you will get there. Why do I say that? Because inside your mind, you have an automatic success mechanism. Maxwell Maltz explains this in the Psycho-Cybernetics book. Like airplanes with automatic piloting systems, when you set your goals and believe you can do it, your automatic success mechanism goes to work and takes you to your goal.  If you stop believing, it takes you in the direction of failure. Believe in you and your goals. Believe in you.

5. Exercise - Move your body

When you move your body, you also help your mind. This keeps your emotions from going haywire. It keeps your body in shape. It keeps your mind's gears moving smoothly. Do what you can. Move to your own rhythm. Dance, jog, walk, sit and move whatever you can. Just move it. You'll get ideas to solve problems. Your stress levels will decrease. You'll be healthier. Try it. You'll like it.

6. See with Different Eyes

It's possible to get to your goals, you might need new skills. If you've lost your zest for your goals, perhaps you need to find a path that's fun for you.  Look at things differently.  You need to look at the situation with a different eye. Talking with a good friend sometimes opens up possibilities of ways to get there that you have never heard of. New roads can be built to your goal. Build them in your mind. They will take you where you want to go.

7. Celebrate

It is great to celebrate any time and every possible moment in your life.Oprah Winfrey said, "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
Help others celebrate, too. Fill yourself with as much joy as you possibly can. There's one thing about joy, it is contagious. It spreads from you to another person.

Have you ever noticed what happens when one person starts laughing uncontrollably. Oh my goodness! That is such fun. Others who are close to them will also start laughing. Pretty soon, endorphins (good feeling healing chemicals are dancing inside your body and mind. Try it. Here's a recording of me laughing. I hope you start laughing with me: recording of my laughter.

Record a spontaneous laughing session with your whole family.  Record you and two of your friends laughing. Play it back on days when things are tough. It'll help you remember that good things are coming your way.
  • Have a picnic on your living room floor.
  • Read your favorite book.
  • Call a friend.
  • Sit at the edge of your yard and watch for wildlife.
  • Sit at a window and rejoice that you are comfortable.

Right now. List 10 things you can do to move closer to your goal. Go ahead. Send a letter to yourself.  Text yourself. Each time you take action say to yourself, "This is getting me closer to publication of my book."



**********

Thanks for reading this post. I'd love for you to share your goals and the steps you've taken or plan to take to succeed.

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

My Books:
Flip Flap Floodle, even mean ole Mr. Fox can't stop this little duck
Paperback, Kindle and Nook
Joan’s Elder Care Guide, Release date June 2014 by 4RV Publishing

Copyright © 2014 Joan Y. Edwards
.

 

Launching Into Success

  How to Become a Successful Freelance Writer

In a nutshell: write, submit, write, submit. 

Okay, there's more to it than that. But if you don't actually have a plan you will not be successful.

After 18 months of learning, thinking, and taking some baby steps with freelance writing, I carved out this week of July 15 – 20 to get serious. The goal is to launch a working schedule to stick with regularly. 

Sometimes, the conditions have to be just right for success. After 30 years of raising a family, homeschooling, and helping with our dairy and maple syrup business, I am now in a season of transition. And the conditions are right.

So, with my 11 year old off to camp, the always-available wife, mother, and friend had to make sure this was my week. It’s day 2 and I am thrilled at what I am accomplishing.


As I have been implementing all of the wonderful lessons which I have learned here at WOTM, and from other seasoned authors, I had to take a step back to not lose myself in the logistics. I believe in hard work. But I also believe one can get buried in crossing all the “T”s and dotting all the “I”s (pun intended) - to the point of not dreaming big and following your instincts.


One bit of advice I had printed off last January helped me find balance this week. On the topic of marketing strategies, Holly Weiss writes in Scaling the Marketing Ladder in One Fell Swoop:

“Are you trying to get your opinions, writing skills, or articles noticed? Do you spend hours a day reading advice from well-meaning experts on how to drive traffic to you blog?”

Yup! That’s me. Trying to get it all figured out before I moved off of square one. Thing is, I wasn't going anywhere. I was getting buried under a heap of "getting it right" and all I was getting was overwhelmed. 


Holly's advice was like a welcoming breeze. It filled out my sail and I started moving.


She continues to say, “Down deep, you know your own best marketing tactics. Find your talent and put it out in front of the public – consistently.” 

"Down deep, you know..."

This, coupled with the technical advice from seasoned authors, helped me find the right combination to set sail.

Only you know when the conditions are right. Learn, learn, learn. But don't be afraid to make a move when down deep you know yourself. Don't let too many opinions overwhelm you and hold you back.

Fair winds!


*Edit: week 2 and I'm sticking to my writing schedule!

Photo Credit: Jared and Corin

You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts -http://kathleenmoulton.com/

Stake Your Claim

From time to time, we all need encouragement and recognition of our accomplishments. It gives us that extra boost to believe we are good writers and we have something to offer.

But, not all writers necessarily have that kind of support. We want people to be happy for us; our family or friends. You might not get the reactions you were hoping for.

Christina Katz, author of the best seller Writer Mama, says in her recently published e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications, "There is really one key person who should be happy about your writing career success and that person is you.”

There comes a time in your writing career when you have to come to terms with this truth so you don't slow down or give up. Decide to be happy with your successes even if no one else is.

Over the years, I have found times when I had to set a stake in the ground of something I knew to be true - never to waver again. And being personally happy about my successes has been one of those stakes.


This is going to look differently for each of us. But the one place where we all start, is believing you have something to offer. It means your passion should not be tampered with. Tweaked, yes. But if we find that fire being quenched because no one seems to encourage you or appreciate your successes, you will become discouraged and perhaps give up.

It took me awhile to grasp believing in myself. It seemed like arrogance, but it's not. It's simply knowing what you can do well and doing it. Once that is established, you are tied to this truth and will be firmly established.

Stake your claim to you. There are no disqualifications! If you are writing, it's because you love to write. Inside of you there is something people want to read. 
  
~~~

Photo credit:  cobaltfish / Foter / CC BY-SA


While homeschooling the last of her 8 children, Kathleen Moulton rediscovered her love of writing. She enjoys writing magazine articles and is recently published in NextStepU. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com/



Small Fish in a Big Pond

Leaving Discouragement Behind

The year 2012 was significant for me. It was the first time in the last 7 years I didn't give up on a freelance writing career. I had a couple of reasons to be discouraged. Here are few examples of why a writer would slow down and eventually give up:
  • lack of support
  • distractions
  • pessimism
  • illness
  • impatience
  • rejection letters
  • sensitivity
At some point, there came a change in my thinking. It was the realization and acceptance: this thing is going to take some time. Last year, I learned so much here at Writers on the Move and through interacting with other writers. If there is a bottom line, I've discovered mental attitude is everything.

If you're new at freelance writing or you're in a slump, here are two questions to ask yourself: What do you think of yourself? Do you believe you have something to offer people? The answers bring us back to the basics and help us focus.

A writers' group is valuable for many reasons. Giving and receiving encouragement is almost a given. If there isn't a group in your locality, you can join an online group. No one needs to be a loner.  

Yet, sometimes you are alone. And it's during those times when I've discovered encouragement comes in interesting ways.

Recently, I went snowshoeing on our property. The snow was dazzling! I was just plodding along, enjoying the fresh air until I came upon a small pine tree. I stared at it for several seconds and lifted my eyes beyond it to see all of the other pine trees which were larger and fuller.




The message couldn't have been clearer.

Reality: I am a small fish in a big pond amidst thousands of freelance writers who are published, successful, and earning a living. But that doesn't mean I won't be someday. Look how straight and tall that little tree is. A bit distanced from the other mature trees, definitely an up-and-comer, but nevertheless, thriving. Despite the wind, snow, and ice which buried that tree deeper a few days later, it reaches for the sky with resolute. It was a reminder to stay strong and keep growing. I made a decision not to let discouragement influence me.


Because I didn't give up last year, I am pleased to say, I had my very first published article in a national high school magazine. And I received a check in the mail! 

What hindrances are making you discouraged? 


Can you maneuver around those obstacles with a different outlook? 

Please share your thoughts with us!

                                                                          ~~~






Kathleen Moulton is a wife, mother of 8 children, and a freelance writer. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com/


Getting Ready to Celebrate the Release of My New Book--and Your Next New Book

Carolyn Series Page for her multi award-winning  HowToGetItFrugally Series o Books for Writers Getting Ready to Celebrate the  Release of My...