I respect your privacy and will not rent, share or sell your personal information.

An expert, and no book?

A marketing expert stopped by my booth at the California Women’s Conference. I recognized her name and was quite proud to meet her in person. She introduced herself and told me about her unique approach to helping her clients get visibility and move into 7-figure incomes.

I was immediately intrigued and wanted to learn more about her background and approach. Perhaps I would even sign up for her program.

As is my usual practice, when I returned to my office I checked out her website.

Well done.

Next, I dashed over to Amazon to get her book, but I couldn’t find one.

That’s right.

No book.

Zip.

Nada.

A marketing expert without a book in her area of expertise?

That diminished her credibility in my mind.

Sure, her work and results could be as amazing as she
described without her having written a book.

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Get stated on your book with the e-course,

Rockin’ My Book now.
=====================

With the changes in publishing it’s easier than ever
to create a full-length print book or an ebook. That’s why
it’s surprising to find a blogger, coach or entrepreneur who
has not made the time and commitment to write up her
approach, system, best tips, advice or success story.

If this sounds like you, be aware of another sobering fact:
meeting planners, bloggers and radio hosts are less likely
to invite you to interviews and speaking gigs if you don’t
have a published book.

There is good news.

Your book doesn’t have to be a full-length  print version to
earn respect. E-book authors are winning credibility
along with print authors even though ebooks are a lot shorter
and much quicker to create and publish.

Don’t let your credibility be diminished any longer because
you don’t have a book on the market. As a blogger, coach
or entrepreneur you already have content that you share
with your clients and subscribers. Turning what you know
into a print or ebook is the next logical step.

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Get stated on your book with the e-course,
Rockin’ My Book now.
=====================

More good news.

You don’t have to choose between a print book and an ebook.
Most authors create both.

If you are ready to step up your positioning, credibility and
visibility, let me be your partner in your journey to publishing
your print book or ebook.

Best news of all.

Grab the 4-week e-course and work on it at
your own pace. Get stated on your book with the e-course,
Rockin’ My Book now available now.  In it we will tackle the toughest
part of writing your book: getting started, targeting your reader and
making a workable plan to complete and market your book.

Get stated on your book with the e-course,
Rockin’ My Book now.

I look forward to being your partner to publishing success.

Blessings,
Flora

P.S. If your inner critic is telling you that it’s too late to start or finish your book this year, send her to the corner without her dinner. She’s wrong. Join me in Rockin’ My Book and we’ll set her straight together.

7 Lessons Writers Can Learn from the Olympics

Watching the Olympic athletes perform on the world stage is awe-inspiring. While your success in writing doesn’t usually rest on a single, laser-focused performance, you do face many challenges.

Here are seven lessons you can learn from the Olympics.

1. Surround yourself with great support

When you see a gymnast, swimmer or other athlete accomplish gold medal performances, they may appear to be alone, but we know they are not. We see their coaches, trainers,families and friends on the sidelines who have been with them through many years of training, expense and travel.

Likewise, when you set out to write your book, it begins as a lonely endeavor.  Getting your research and rough draft completed is usually done alone.

But behind the scenes, successful writers enjoy the support of a family that gives them space to work, an editor, graphics, a publisher and an agent or coach.

To neglect gathering your success team around you makes your writing harder and publishing your finished book near impossible.

2. Visualize yourself achieving your goal

In Golf My Way, Jack Nicklaus wrote: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without
having a very sharp, in focus picture of it in my head. It’s like a color movie.”

Research has proven that being able to visualize what you want to achieve increases
the likelihood that you will reach your goal.

Practice visualizing yourself holding your finished book in your hands,
autographing your book at a signing or  receiving applause from a satisfied audience.

3. Be willing to sacrifice for your goals.

Gabby Douglas, one of the women’s gymnastics Olympic team members, left her  home
in Virginia home when she was fourteen to train in Iowa. It was a major sacrifice for her and her family.

Some families of Olympians have gone into debt, and many athletes suffer injuries
brought on by extreme training.  For sure, their normal lives are put on hold.

Some writers give up watching television, forego family events and even pay for office
or hotel space where they can work undisturbed everyday. You will benefit from
cutting out non-writing activities that don’t advance your goals.

4. Take care of your body.

Winning athletes are vigilant about what they put in their bodies because
they know it’s the fuel that ensures peak performances.

As writers what we eat is also critical since it determines our alertness, creativity
and stamina. Because writing is such a sedentary experience we must pay close
attention to what we put in our mouths to avoid sabotaging our success.

One way to ensure that we work in cooperation with our bodies is to

  • only eat when we’re hungry
  • keep healthy snacks nearby
  • drink plenty water
  • get adequate sleep

5. Face your fear

Athletes and writers alike will face fear, uncertainty and bouts with self-doubt.
When both have practiced their skill, the fear is reduced.

Slumps in performance and writer’s block can bring on negative thinking that can diminish and ruin success.

Help yourself by recognizing that fear is normal. Preparing for the inevitable moments of fear is essential.

Preparing well before you begin your work helps reduce fear, as does building your skills.

Like athletes you can use techniques such as meditation, prayer, yoga, affirmations and afformations. Most important is to surround yourself with people, reading and groups who encourage and uplift you.

Actively practicing positive thinking doesn’t make fear completely disappear, but it holds it at bay and brings it under control.

6. When you fall down, get back up

Perhaps one of the most important lessons we can learn from the Olympics is the importance of rebounding when you miss the mark.

Every successful athlete has fallen down, started late, missed the net or otherwise flubbed a performance.

It’s unlikely to find a writer who has not been rejected too. A few of the celebrated ones

  • Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul, reportedly were rejected 140 times with the comments that “anthologies don’t sell” and “too positive”
  • J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before a small British publisher accepted her on the insistence of his daughter
  • Stephen King’s Carrie was rejected 30 times before it was finally accepted by a publisher.

The Japanese proverb says it best: “Fall down seven times, get up eight.”

7. Celebrate when you reach your goal.

When a medalist accepts the gold, silver or bronze, it’s an important time. Acknowledging your accomplishments as a writer is important too.   Celebrating is part of the achievement. How you celebrate is up to you.

Going for the gold in writing your book does not require crushing the competition, but reaching your goal is helped by following these seven lessons.

 


Writing a book is key to establishing credibility and increasing visibility for entrepreneurs today.  While entrepreneurs typically have ample material for creating a book, they don’t always have adequate knowledge and skills to navigate through publishing and thus often seek the help of a book coach.

[audio:https://coloryourlifepublished.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/What-Entrepreneurs-Need-to-Know-Before-Hiring-a-Book-Coach-Deborah-A.-Bailey.mp3|titles=What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Hiring a Book Coach with Deborah A Bailey]

Join me and my guest, Deborah Bailey, author, book coach and radio host, when she discusses what you should know before hiring a book coach, how entrepreneurs can use books to promote their businesses and how to decide whether you should self publish or have your book published by a traditional publisher.

Want to Be a Published Writer? Five Things You Can Do

I am a writer. It started when I discovered books, paper, pencils and school. The word writer is friendly and easy, not pompous and full of expectations like author or blogger.

I believe everyone is a writer because we spend our days telling stories to ourselves (although many of them are not true) about ourselves and the world around us.  Sadly, many of us never write our stories down where others can be informed, inspired, and empowered by them.

I believe so much in the power of writing that I now encourage others to write and even publish their work, not to necessarily become best sellers, but to become “tellers” before they die.

Having said all that, I confess that my inner critic, Susie, still tries to discourage my writing. When she shows up I send her to the corner.

Which is why we need like-minded encouragers, supporters and sounding boards. That has been the great gift of social media. Where else and when else in history can you share your thoughts and ideas or post your inquiries with people from the around the world 24/7? For all our complaining about the pervasiveness of social media, it is a miraculous opportunity. And when combined with local networks and events, we arm ourselves with the resources and  tools we need for success.

Five things to do to become a (better) writer.

1. Create a community.

You can do this on LinkedIn, Meetup or Facebook.  On all these sites, decide your goal for joining the group. Then find groups that have active and robust memberships. Once you join, participate by offering valuable information, not making a pitch for your products.

2. Join a tribe.

I joined Triberr.com and GutsieIndiePublishers online, and a Southern California group called Publishers and Writers of San Diego. Not only have I met many fine writers, editors and publishers, but have discovered many new resources and techniques as well.

Perhaps you will benefit from a tribe that writes in your genre, such as the National Association of Memoir Writers, where you can have access to loads of resources, as well as learn from active memoir writers who share their experiences and tips on the member teleconferences.

3. Participate in a challenge.

I’ve been in blogging challenges and article challenges.  I’ve participated in a writing challenge created by Jeff Goins and a blog challenge by Michelle Shaeffer, to name a few. Though most writing challenges offer prizes, that is not the point. My motivation is to sharpen my skills and get to know other writers.  Some of the writers I’ve met in these challenges have become friends, colleagues and even joint venture partners.

4. Read.

Reading broadens you, gives you another perspective and sparks new ideas.

In his article,  “Stephen King’s 20 Tips for Becoming a Frighteningly Good Writer,” Jon Morrow captures King’s key wisdom and then adds commentary of his own regarding becoming a successful blogger.

  Stephen King said

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

Jon said

Of course, most bloggers do neither. We start a blog, squeeze in the occasional post between going to the gym and picking up take-out, and then expect it to somehow lead to fame and fortune.

Sorry, but that’s not how it works. Every popular blogger I know reads at least one book every week and writes at least 1,000 words every day.

Yes, it’s a lot, but success comes at a price, folks. Are you willing to pay it?

5. Respect the revision process.

I urge you to hire or convince someone else to edit your work before you publish it. Then use their notes to make revisions. That’s why I urge my clients to get their first drafts done as fast as possible so they can get to the real work of writing: revision.

Revision is not optional. It is actually the most important part of the writing process. It’s when you shape, tone up and hone your thoughts.

 “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.”James Michener

You may have submitted your first and only drafts in high school English, and maybe even in college. But publishing your article and book for the public is a different story. They won’t be as forgiving as Miss Lewis (my  10th grade English teacher–Wait! she wasn’t that forgiving either.)

Your job as a writer is to make your ideas flow smoothly to eliminate (or at least minimize) jerks and jumps in the story you tell.

And for those of you who insist on doing your own proofreading, (gasp!) at least heed this advice.

“If you’re going to proofread your own work, do it from back to front,” says Neal Wooten

Some of the advice I’ve shared is best suited for people who want to make a living from writing or blogging.  That may not be you.

Perhaps you want to be an occasional writer for whom just getting your work into print is the reward. Or maybe you want to use your writing to springboard your speaking career or leave a legacy for your grandkids or  make just enough euros to pay for your lattes when you travel.

Whatever your goal, by doing these five things you will not only be a writer, but a better one for sure.

Does the idea of writing appeal to you, but you need help with getting started or back in gear? An easy way to get into the swing is to get my 4-week e-course, “Rockin’ My Book.” Once enrolled you will receive a lesson in your email each week with loads of content and suggested activitives. Get the e-course details here. You’ll get a gentle push, but no pressure. Email me with your questions throughout the course. Get the e-course now.