Stuck with writer’s block?
Spinning your wheels with your plot?
Struggling with the right title?
Bogged down with marketing?
At the end of your rope with finding a publisher?
Imagine how different it must have been when Wordsworth, Dickens and Hardy were turning out books. In many ways it was likely easier – the competition was certainly less, plus they simply walked into a publishing company to have their books produced and distributed. On the other hand they had to painstakingly make copy after copy, by hand, not having the convenience of a computer program to revise, edit and delete. Technology has made our lives easier – while also increasing the competition – and making it harder to get known. Writing a book is challenge enough. There is no easy way to get one’s head above the crowd.
“After months and years
of research an trial and error,
I’ve compiled what I’ve learned
into this self help book:
Writer to Author – 10 easy steps, plus mastering marketing
as well as in these short videos.
I hope they’re helpful.”
TRICKS TO TITLING YOUR BOOK:
Begin with the essence of your book, add a twist, and that equals your title. It simply takes a bit of creativity. The trick is finding a happy balance between the all-too-forgettable and the truly over-the-top.
GAINING EXPOSURE:
Being an author goes far beyond knowing the A-Zs in writing skills. The modern day author not only has to write a good book but also learn the ropes on marketing.
PROCRASTINATION IS THE THIEF OF TIME:
That phrase could be associated with what the Greeks called akrasia – doing something against one’s own better judgment – the thief of time.
Be wise to-day; ’t is madness to defer… Edward Young.
WHY I WRITE – WHAT I WRITE:
I write because I get great satisfaction when compiling a collection of words into sentences, paragraphs and chapters before officially calling it a book. I write to share my thoughts. I write because I love it.
THE ANATOMY OF BLOGGING:
In this fast-paced society people do not want long posts full of droning advice – useful as it might be. They want to get in and out in under 2 minutes, after learning something useful. Learn the tricks on writing a fail-proof viral blog posting.
BOOK SIGNINGS ARE SOCIAL EVENTS:
You will discover the how and why of this in the video. Book signings are a great marketing tool where most authors sell very few books at the event, unless your name is Rowling or Grisham. But it is great exposure. So keep having your book signings and enjoy the social event.
SOCIAL MEDIA 101:
Everything about the way people become known and connected has drastically changed since the digital world took over. And with the rise of social media it’s the place to be.
TRICKS TO MARKETING WITH COLOUR:
The psychology of colours in conjunction with persuasion is most interesting. It is also the most controversial aspect of marketing. What is your colour?
MARKETING THROUGH PUBLIC SPEAKING:
Take this as a great opportunity to engage, educate and inspire.
Take front stage – as it is the best place to be.
COMPETITION:
Successful writers think of competition as an opportunity to learn something new, offering you the chance to pioneer a new creative path. Competition also forces you to become more creative.
DIGITAL BOOKS:
Audio books has become a billion-dollar industry with huge annual sales and anyone with a smart-phone can pocket an audio book. Get in your reader’s pocket!
BLOTCHED DIALOGUE:
Great dialogue is one of the most vital components of fiction. It conveys the plot and allows the reader to understand the characters; to get to know them AND to love them or hate them.
BLURBS AND SNIPPETS:
When a reader picks up your book and the description grabs them, it is then that you know you have made them feel ‘the need to read what’s inside the book’. Congratulations, you’ve just gained a customer.
BRANDING:
Your brand is not your product, your logo, your website, or your name. It is everything all wrapped up in one catchy opening line. Make it short, snappy and memorable.
CREATIVITY:
This imaginativeness is the intellectual ability to create, invent or discover, whereby something of value is formed. Paint a picture, build something new, write a book.
DRAW-BACKS OF EASING INTO A STORY:
The key is to get your reader’s attention. They need to be immediately immersed into the story – to feel the emotion, envision the crash, and see the blood and gore. Even well-written authors often have to remind themselves to rethink the beginning to make that powerful opening.
FORMULA NOVELS & SERIES
VS ECLECTIC STAND-ALONE WRITING:
Formula writing makes good sense if the author is simply looking for ease of marketing. Stand-alone novels allow the author to write about subjects that they are interested in. Life is about choices. Write for the right reasons.
GOOD WRITING:
Good writing starts with good ideas, followed by a logical progression of even more good ideas.
INSPIRATION:
Is the boost that makes someone want to do something, giving that someone an idea about what to do or create.
MENTORS & MENTORING:
The act of mentoring can be traced back to ancient Greece as a technique used to convey important social, spiritual and personal values. Mentoring shapes us into who we are.
PADDING VS FLESHING A STORY:
When you read through the first draft, you will likely realize with a sinking feeling that the story seems a bit…well, skimpy and a tad short. It is only the first draft! Learn how to flesh your story without unnecessary padding.
PRODUCTIVITY:
Are you feeling stressed, tired, fatigued, rushed, drained and zapped? Because of it, productivity has quite likely evaded you. There are ways to revitalize – to refresh that creative side.
SUCCESS & BELIEVING in ONE’S SELF:
All too many people fail to live the life they had hoped – never realizing their ambitions and giving up on their dreams.
SELF PUBLISHING VS TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING:
With technology moving faster than we can keep pace, a growing number of authors are turning out manuscripts.
WRITING A-Z:
Every author has a style of their own, but the end result is always the same; a title, a book cover with a blurb, and a completed manuscript pressed between the covers.
TAGLINES:
Humans are always bogged down trying to create these short, catchy, enticing phrases, that are so valuable in advertising your business.
THE ART OF WRITING:
The sentence is one of civilization’s greatest single inventions – whereby a series of words are strung together. And good writing contains three critical ingredients: content, organization, and style.
WRITER’S BLOCK:
This is the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.
AUTHORS FACING REJECTION:
There are probably more than a gazillion reasons for an author to experience rejection so don’t waste your time analyzing it. Wear your rejections like a badge of honour. It is proof that you are in the game.
THE WAY I SEE THINGS
“My point of view is mine and mine alone,
though changeable,
and I’m open to hearing other people’s views.”
ROLLER COASTER OF TIME:
Where goes the time? Time has a was of slipping past in its hurried way, robbing us of the opportunity to do what we love. Hitch aboard and slow the roll.
AGING – GETTING OLD:
Regardless of what your view is on aging, never regret getting old, for it’s a privilege denied to many. I live every day to its fullest, knowing it could be my last.
COOL PEOPLE:
Everybody has their own idea of what cool is and who is cool – so to speak. I believe that Cool people do cool things. They are thinkers, dreamers, creators and entrepreneurs. I ride a wave of my own so in one sense I too am cool.
SCENT FREE:
Human allergies are on the rise and we’ve done it to ourselves. It stems from the foods we eat, the insecticides and fertilizers that affect our foods, as well as our approach to exposing our bodies to cosmetics and creams.
LET IT RAIN:
I love the rain. That very passion makes me a pluviophile.
GARDEN DWELLER:
I love gardening and I suppose it’s because I was born into it. As a young girl I grew the very vegetable that were served at meal time. That feeling of having my hands in the soil is very therapeutic.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE:
Pursue your dreams, your passions. If you don’t do it no one else can or will.