More...

4 Quick Summer Writing Tips

July 24, 2018 by Lisa Tener

writing coach Lisa Tener — Your writing coach

Looking for a few summer writing tips? If you’re anything like me, you’re spending time outdoors – reading a juicy novel in a hammock while the birds chirp around you, tching up with friends on a walk around the neighborhood, dancing under the stars. Summer is such a glorious time of year.

So, how do you make it work for you when it comes to your writing?

[bctt tweet=”4 Quick Summer Writing Tips ” username=”LisaTener”]

Schedule your summer writing time. It’s easy for summer to roll on by rather quickly. As I mentioned last week, when you schedule the writing time–and keep it sacred–you’ll be sure to capture some of that time for your writing.
Capitalize on the inspiration and harmony of nature. Write for 20 minutes before reading in your hammock. Or write after a work or berry picking, when your mind is in a relaxed, or even meditative, state. Time in nature is a huge creativity boost.
Capture experiences right away. You may not have time for hours of writing, but you can at least capture an anecdote, such as an inspiring example of a principle you teach in your book. Jot it down while it’s fresh in your mind.
Tap into community for summer writing. It’s easy to get caught up in summer activities and forget about writing. Make a commitment with a friend to keep focused and accountable. Set up a regular summer writing date (weekly or monthly), where you sit on the porch in the shade (or sun) and write in your journals or laptops.

Hey, it’s summer. I won’t belabor these writing productivity ideas. Go enjoy yourself. And write!

Feel free to share your wonderful summer writing tips as a comment below!

How Do I Finish My Book? 7 Writing Productivity Tips

July 18, 2018 by Lisa Tener

Susan MacDonald had already written and published one book when she emailed me for support to answer the question, “How do I finish my book?”

Susan needed to complete her second book by the December deadline set by her publisher, Gryphon House (an imprint of Kaplan), which had published her first book, Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership, which she had worked on in my Bring Your Book to Life(R) Program.

Beyond “How do I finish my book?” Susan wanted help with strategies, to “create a clear focused plan to get the writing done by December.” She knew that she tends to “dive into the research, which I could do for months and not get focused on the writing.” And Susan remembered that one of my fond suggestions is to write from what you know and bring the research in later. It saves time and saves you from procrastinating with the writing, so you can meet your deadlines.

[bctt tweet=”7 Writing Productivity Tips” username=”LisaTener”]

Write from what you already know. Of course, there are times you must do research first, but whenever possible, first write a chapter from what you know and leave blocks for where you will do more research later, once the bulk of the book is written.
Write first thing. On our call, Susan reminded me that she had written her book proposal in my class at the time her brother was dying. Somehow she managed to get up in the wee hours, before her hospital visit, and write. If she could do that, surely, she could write, despite a busy work schedule this fall. Still, how to create a plan that would carry her through with ease and on time?
Schedule the time and keep it sacred. I always suggest writers schedule specific days and times in their calendar and keep them sacred. If something comes up, ask yourself, “How will saying yes to this new thing and moving my writing time impact my book?” If you truly feel pulled for good reason to move your writing time, immediately reschedule a specific time rather than waiting.
Give yourself wiggle room. With a publishing deadline, it’s important to deliver on time because your publisher is committing resources according to schedule. I suggested Susan move her personal deadline up a few weeks to allow for any possible chinks in her schedule. She agreed.
Make a schedule. Susan and I figured out how many weeks she had to finish each chapter (approximately two) and she is creating her schedule from that. Of course, it’s crucial to check in each week and make sure you met your goals. If not, quickly reassess how you can meet your schedule.
Go to bed early. In one of my book writing courses, a participant tried this and got up an hour early to write. She completed the first draft of her book in eight weeks and went on to inspire many of my course participants to do the same!
Find ways to stay inspired. Susan’s story, which I share later in this post, served as inspiration and motivation for her. Perhaps you can find inspiration in her story or find your own.

Inspiration to Write

Susan mentioned being inspired by the movie, I Can Only Imagine, about country singer Bart Millard. As Susan recalls it, Christian music producer, Scott Brickell, tells Millard, “There’s something more in you,” after hearing his songs. “You didn’t write that song in ten minutes, you’ve been working on it your whole life.”

Susan realized the same goes for her book.

“I don’t have to write my book in 22 weeks. I’ve been working on it my whole career.

“I have stories, powerpoints, material I taught, all my workshop handouts, my research notes and I speak to this all the time. I just haven’t put it in writing. Today, I went through all my handout materials and content presentation notes. I have so much!”

In fact, Susan had just returned from teaching a leadership retreat in Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy based on the material for her second book: Inspiring Professional Growth, which will be published by Gryphon House, as was her first book. The new book focuses on creating deliberately developmental organizations. The audience is people leading early childhood programs. Her retreat included principals, the leader of international schools in Brazil, someone from the US Navy childcare organization and early childhood directors and owners.

Perhaps you too have been working on your book your whole life (or career). Think about it!

“You’re on the Right Path.”

Susan and I were both struck by the consistent confirmation she’s received internationally that this book is sorely needed.

Susan was recently contacted by an Early Childhood Commission in Canada. They felt she’d written her first book just for them. It addressed everything they are trying to do and the strategies they need to do it. “Can you train our people on the information in your book?”

In addition, an author in the UK, using another system, discovered Susan’s first book and added her research, confessing that it made her work dramatically different—and better.

It sounded as if the universe kept offering motivation and inspiration to keep working on book 2. “You’re on the right track.” “See how much difference your books can make?”

Your Turn

I encourage you to try the writing productivity tips I shared above. And as an update to this post, I was contacted by “Daily Writing Tips” a few months after writing this to share some of their list of 20 excellent productivity tips, including, “Keep a notebook” and “Don’t wait for inspiration.” You can read all their 20 tips here.

Feel free to share your writing productivity tips as a comment below. What do you do to cultivate a state of creative flow?

In addition, look for confirmation in your daily life that you are on the right path. Use this to motivate you and inspire you to move forward.

Lastly, think about material you’ve already gathered. You’re likely not starting at square one but finding ways to use all the strategies, material, stories, research and other information you have already put together.

Make a plan and enjoy the writing, resting easy in your plan.

“Struggling: Should I Work with an Agent? Pitch Publishers? Do I Write the Whole Book First?”

July 2, 2018 by Lisa Tener

Are you struggling with questions like, “Should I work with an agent or contact publishers directly?” and, “Do I write the whole book first?”

I recently received an email from Sue, who felt stuck, partly due to these looming questions. With these questions answered, she expected a breakthrough, and she’s likely correct.

Not knowing what steps to take can feel overwhelming. Clarifying direction and steps can be just the thing to open the door to the muse.

Since Sue’s questions are fairly common, I figured I’d share my answers with you, too. In addition, I unfortunately seem to have accidentally deleted Sue’s email, so I hope this post will provide your answers, Sue (name changed).

[bctt tweet=”When To Write the Whole Book vs. Write the Book Proposal First” username=”LisaTener”]

If you know you’ll self publish, just write the book. Sure, it’s important to understand your audience and have a clear idea of how your book fits into the marketplace compared to other published books on the subject. And, yes, you will need to create a marketing plan for your book, but you don’t need a full blown book proposal to self-publish. Just make sure you are clear on your vision, goals, audience, content (both what’s in the book and what to leave out), features, tone and structure.

Of course, no matter how clear your plan, sometimes a book will surprise you and change, particularly if it’s a narrative driven book, like a memoir. That’s just part of the process. It’s still helpful to start with a plan even though it may change.

Now, if you’re writing a self-help, how-to or business book—and you want to traditionally publish—it usually makes sense to write the book proposal rather than write the whole book first. Your book proposal will, of course, include chapter outlines and one or two sample chapters. My article on how to write a book proposal provides details on all the elements of a book proposal.

Why not write the whole book first? After querying agents or publishers and sending them your proposal, they may be interested in your book but have large or small changes based on a niche audience, a new way to organize the material or an emphasis on different aspects of the topic. You’ll save much time by not writing a book that changes a good deal.

Trust Your Intuition, Too

author victoria dunckley — Victoria Dunckley, MD wrote the first draft of her book before writing her proposal. While it’s no the path I tend to recommend, sometimes an author just knows they need to get clear on the book by writing a large chunk, or even the whole thing.

Sometimes, however, a writer has a strong sense that they need to write the whole book first. You can do that. I’m a big believer in intuition. Just be sure you understand that it’s possible your agent or publisher requests changes and you may end up having to make changes to an already written work. So, it can save time to write the proposal first, with just a couple of sample chapters. On the other hand, it can take some pressure off to have a few more chapters done before you sign a book deal.

Sue also felt that having a publisher would help create structure—and pressure—to complete her manuscript. This can be true, but be careful to give yourself enough time in your “specifications and delivery” section of your proposal—and in the final contract—to complete your book. Publishers take those deadlines seriously as they have to plan and manage the project according to the schedules of each member on the team. Messing up the deadlines can mess up everyone’s schedule—and affect whether your book makes it into the catalog.

I was once contacted by a writer who had received a significant advance, only to freeze when it came to writing the book. She missed her deadline and had to return her advance. Not a pretty situation. I felt for the woman.

[bctt tweet=”What You Need to Know About Writing and Publishing a Memoir” username=”LisaTener”]

In Sue’s case, she’s writing a memoir, and that’s a trickier question. Most publishers will want to see a completed—and highly polished—manuscript and exquisite writing. There’s a very high bar for memoir writing in traditional publishing. So you’ll definitely need a compelling angle, great writing and a significant author platform (or reach) to interest most publishers with your memoir.

For the quality of writing required, I suggest you hire a freelance book editor (get references!). And you will likely need more than one round of editing. Maybe many.

While most agents and publishers want to see a very developed and highly polished, complete manuscript, a small number of agents or publishers like to play a much more involved part from early on. They actually prefer to develop the manuscript with you. How do you know whether that’s the case? Research publishers and agents you may want to work with by finding out who is looking for books in your genre.

[bctt tweet=”How to Research Literary Agents and Publishers” username=”LisaTener”]

Learn as much as you can about the agent beforehand. Meet agents and publishers at writing conferences, research appropriate agents through read their websites and submissions guidelines and use check out the following websites which are excellent for researching agent requirements:

1. Publishers Marketplace publishes information about agents, including, for many, the book deals they get for their clients (including publisher, acquisitions editor and advance range). It has an excellent search function! You will also find a literary agent bio for agents that are members.

2. Querytracker can help you searc for appropriate agents, organize and track your queries and find agent data. There are free and paid versions. They list over 1,600 agents.

3. AgentQuery has excellent articles, links to agent blogs, lots of great resources here. It also helps you post your query, which would not be my first choice. It is my experience that a focused search is most successful. However, you can explore it and see what you think.

Will An Agent Help You Edit Your Proposal and/or Manuscript?

Yes, and no.

An agent will likely fine tune the proposal (and manuscript, if it’s a memoir). However, most agents do not have the time or interest to edit an incomplete or rough proposal or manuscript.

Sue also asked about getting an agent to help her prepare her book for pitching to a publisher and was concerned about potential costs of editing. Here are some important distinctions:

1. When you work with a literary agent, they should not be charging you for editing. The AAR (Association of Author Representatives) specifically does not allow literary agent members to charge their agency clients. If a literary agent wants to charge to edit your manuscript, run the other way, unless they have a separate business of editing and are very clear that they could not represent your work.

2. Some agents do a large amount of editing at no charge if they think the book is likely to get a large advance, but most of the time they can’t justify a big investment of their time at no charge, so do send them the best possible proposal you can to begin with. Ditto, the manuscript, if you are writing a memoir. You won’t send the full manuscript right away but it’s likely that if they are interested after seeing the proposal, they will want to see the full manuscript. And, yes, sometimes, a publisher or agent is okay with your not having the full manuscript but that’s more unusual.

3. Because editing is usually a very involved process, when you work with an agent, he or she may suggest you hire an independent editor, in addition to working with them on bigger picture feedback and ideas. This is a legitimate requirement, but do your own due diligence. If your agent has strong ideas, check in partway through editing to make sure your editor understands your agent’s vision.

Should I Pitch Publishers or Work With an Agent?

Sue wrote that her idea had grown as she grew, that the idea for the book felt stronger than ever. Yet she felt stuck.

“Write the entire thing first? Pitch first? Or work with an agent?” She felt that if she could answer these questions, she would be able to focus.

It’s often ideal to work with an agent because they know acquisitions editors personally and may know specifically what certain editors are looking for. Agents can also time submissions to improve the likelihood of multiple offers (or “an auction” as it’s referred to in the publishing industry).

In addition, agents are experts at negotiating book contracts. You want a quality literary agent in your court if you can gain their representation. There are many, many reasons to work with a literary agent, among them a publishing contract that represents your best interests.

However, perhaps your platform is modest or your audience is modest. There may not be enough money in your advance and potential reventue to justify an agent’s time. Yet your book could appeal to a niche or mid-sized publisher. This is a case where it would make sense to query publishers directly.

What To Do About Writer’s Doubts?

Sue also asked about some of her doubts: “Who am I to write this? Who is going to publish a memoir from me? Why is my story any better or worse than someone else’s? Who cares?”

These are valid questions. Sue had some excellent strategies:

“I fight these by telling myself that my story is important and relevant because I know that it is. I tell myself that even if someone else had the exact same experience, only I can tell it in the way that I want to. I am the only one who has the perspective that I have, and if I don’t write it, then no one will ever know what it is that I want to say.”

Yes! This is true. And if you’re writing a memoir, feel free to shoot for a traditional publisher, but know that self-publishing can be a valid and successful path, as well. Martha Rhodes, author of 3,000 Pulses Later, is a wonderful example of an author who self-published, has sold over 11,000 books, and whose book is opening doors for all kinds of extraordinary experiences, speaking in the US and “across the pond.” Martha’s book has been featured in the New York Times online twice. You can read more about her remarkable publishing path in this article, After Publishing a Book, Now What?

What questions do you have about book writing, publishing or book proposals? As always, ask below as a comment and I will answer!

Ghostwriting Advice: What to charge?

June 13, 2018 by Lisa Tener

This is an updated version of a 2009 post, with updated pricing/fees and other advice. I’m happy to add to the post, so send your feedback and ask more questions!

In a comment responding to one of last week’s posts, Jeannie asked several questions that I thought might be of interest to many followers of this blog:

1. I’ve been asked to ghostwrite a memoir. How much can I reasonably ask to be paid?

2. Can I expect royalties if the book is made into a movie (the author is already in talks with a producer)

3. Would you advise me to engage an entertainment lawyer?

4. Do you have any suggestions for getting an agent?

Here are my answers (updated as of 2020 to reflect the current market):

Ghostwriting Fees

1. Ghostwriting fees vary widely. Let’ s assume you are a beginner at ghostwriting. Ghostwriting fees in the range of $12,000 – $15,000 are usually the low end for a book of 200-300 pages and may be a competitive place to start if you do not have other projects under your belt and want to get the experience.

For a much shorter book or e-book (let’s say 80-100 pages) you might charge $8,000 – $12,000. There are folks out there who charge even less, but they generally don’t have much experience, and their products are unlikely to be of traditional publishing quality. For a book of 250-300 pages, an experienced book author, book editor or ghostwriter would commonly charge $40,000 – $75,000 and up.

If you are writing a book of traditional publishing quality and it will be 200 pages or more, a starting place might be around $15,000 – $25,000 (assuming you are a beginner, there is little or no research involved and you will get most of the information through interviews with the author). However, if you have already written books, I would suggest something more like $25,000 – $30,000. And if you are very experienced as an author or editor, yet new to ghostwriting, you might consider something more like $40,000 – $60,000 for a book in the 200-300 page range.

Do keep in mind that ghostwriting does require skills that are different from writing a book in your own voice, such as interview skills, capturing an author’s voice and communication skills. This last skill is vital as I have seen what happens when a ghostwriter does not set expectations with an author up front, or communicates poorly. The result can be disastrous and therefore I address this issue later in this post. For now, know that you may want to charge a bit less than top prices as you develop these skills.

If you will be doing extensive research, you can increase your fees to reflect research time. If you already have publishing credits to your name, you should also charge more.

Can I Expect (or Negotiate) Royalties as a Ghostwriter?

ghostwritten memoir — Rumors suggest Andre Agassi’s memoir to be one of the highest paid ghostwriting fees ever, not surprising since ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.

2. You may want to negotiate a modest royalty and see where it goes. I wouldn’t make it a deal breaker, but it’s worth pursuing as a possibility. Another negotiating point is whether your name is on the cover as a co-author or “as told to.” Depending on your goals, this may be worthwhile for you. In addition, you want to ask the author whether they are comfortable giving you credit as either writer or, if they don’t want to admit they hired a ghostwriter, would they credit you as editor. If not, will they allow you to mention the project at all to prospective clients? If not, this can be a negative for you when you are trying to land the next project.]

Should I Hire an Attorney to Write My Ghostwriting Contract?

3. Yes, I recommend hiring an intellectual property attorney. Do be careful. Try to find a person through personal referrals—someone who’s used this lawyer specifically for a ghostwriting contract. If you can’t find that, ask the lawyer for references who’ve used him or her for ghostwriting contracts.

I once hired a lawyer for a ghostwriting contract and the client ran out of money. The lawyer had not even written in anything about late fees, let alone anticipated the situation. Instead he told me, “If you need a lawyer to collect, just let me know.” I think he should have said, “I’m sorry I did a terrible job for you and didn’t deliver what you paid me for!”

The lawyer was my friend’s husband and I learned my lesson—don’t hire a friend unless you know they have experience in the exact area you are looking for and you know they are excellent at what they do.

An attorney who has written ghostwriting contracts can also help you in setting expectations. As promised, more about this crucial aspect of ghostwriting shortly!

Suggestions for Helping an Author Secure an Agent or Publisher

resource for ghostwriting book proposals — An important resource for ghostwriting a book proposal

4. If the client is asking you to help find an agent and publisher, you will need to write a book proposal. In addition to the free articles and blog posts you’ll find on the link I just provided, I highly recommend Jody Rein and Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal, 5th Edition (note: this edition is significantly different and updated; don’t purchase the older edition). Both agents and publishers love proposals written in Michael’s format—it’s thorough and marketing-oriented. A typical ghostwriting fee for a book proposal is $10,000 – $18,000, which includes sample chapters and chapter outlines or summaries, in addition to all the marketing-oriented information specific to a book proposal. However, if you are new to this, I would recommend a lower fee or hire an experienced book proposal coach or editor to help you fine tune the proposal.

It’s always great if you can meet agents in person and pitch a book, though a good query letter can do the job as well. Two of my favorite places to meet agents are Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course (currently on hold due to COVID-19) and the International Women Writers Guild’s (IWWG) Meet the Agents during their Big Apple Conference, usually every April and October. IWWG also has regional workshops that may have agents present. The San Francisco Writers Conference, generally held in February, is another great place to meet agents, pitch and network. You may want to attend yourself and/or suggest it to your ghostwriting client.

CRUCIAL TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL GHOSTWRITING

Work with an Editor

Most of the best writers have editors review their work and provide feedback. It’s wise to get input from other writers or editors, particularly if you are new to ghostwriting. I suggest you hire an editor for a round of feedback and a copyeditor to polish the manuscript and correct any punctuation errors, etc.

While this can make a project less lucrative, it will help you create a high quality manuscript and you will learn a great deal in the process. Consider is an investment in your education in your new career. You may be able to raise the price a bit and sell yourself as a team, sharing the editor’s credentials as well, and explaining the value of the second set of experienced eyes (and being clear that most writers hire editors; this does not reflect poorly on you).

Set Clear Expectations Up Front

Your client is likely to be new to ghostwriting as well. Be sure they understand the process, what’s involved and what is and isn’t covered in the fees. Set very clear parameters. For example:

How many iterations / rounds of editing by the client are included?
How many hours of research are included? What is the hourly cost for additional research?
Are you on the same page as to what kinds of research the client wants and, if so, do you have the background to do such research? If not, can you hire someone to your team who does?
What are the costs for travel? Will the client pay travel expenses? If so, what are the limits or ranges per day for food, lodging, etc.?
Be clear that voice is something you collaborate on. Give the client a sample early on so they can give you feedback on whether the voice fits for them or what would make it sound more like them. You can also ask them for examples of books that capture a voice they are after. But beware that sometimes they may give an example and that’s not really their voice or the voice for the book–continue to discuss and explore.
Will the client provide written information for you? If so, how much material will they provide and in what shape (slide deck? course materials? draft of sections?)?
What happens if the client changes major aspects of the project? For example, mid-way through the project, the client decides on a different target market? Or wants to add 3 chapters? Spell this out beforehand.
How many words (approximately) will the book be? If longer, what are the costs to lengthen the book and add more material?
What is the schedule for completion? Factor in extra time for unforeseen circumstances. Perhaps also make sure they understand that changes to the book can delay the completion.

Communication is Key

Get clear about your client’s goals ahead of time. If they want a traditional publishing deal and the book is a prescriptive book (business book, how-to book, self-help book), then they may just need a book proposal and query letter for now (rather than starting with the entire book), unless they want to have the entire book completed before querying agents and publishers. A book proposal includes marketing information, chapter outlines or summaries and sample chapters.

If the book is narrative in nature, they will likely need the entire book to be complete, in addition to a book proposal. Make sure they understand the process. You wouldn’t want to surprise a client after ghostwriting the book for them to suddenly spring it on them that they now need a book proposal!

The bottom line: no surprises! Spell everything out in your ghostwriting agreement or contract so that you’ve set clear expectations and anticipated issues that can arise. An intellectual property attorney or experienced ghostwriter can help you with this. While you may not be able to anticipate everything, you can do much to avoid misunderstandings.

Make sure you check in with your client regularly and get feedback to know that you are on the right track, the same page, and that they are happy with progress. If you anticipate a delay, let the client know immediately. Ideally, you’ll factor in extra time when you make your original schedule.

Join a Mastermind

My friend and colleague Dan Janal holds a twice monthly mastermind group for ghostwriters. This is a great opportunity to:

Get expert advice from your peers.
Learn how to avoid the biggest mistakes and problems.
Discover how to market your services effectively.

Find out more here.

Have more questions? Ask away!

Advice from Literary Agents and Publishers

June 12, 2018 by Lisa Tener

It’s become a tradition that I publish a post about the advice from literary agents and acquisitions editors, shared at Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course each year.

I could apologize for how long it languished in my drafts folder, but instead I’ll turn it into a teaching moment. By giving the post some time to stew, I realized I could add some examples to make it even more useful. You may find that with your writing as well. If it’s not jelling, let it go and return to it later.

And, without further ado, here’s the post inspired by advice from literary agents, with my own take on their advice, including examples that I hope bring their pithy pearls of wisdom to life.

Course director and founder, Julie Silver, MD, invited each literary agent or acquisitions editor to end the discussion with a pearl of wisdom. Here’s the necklace of pearls:

This Year’s Advice from Literary Agents and Acquisitions Editors

Debbie Carvalko, Acquisitions Editor with Praeger (ABC-CLIO): “Check competing books. What about the books strike you and inspire you?”

My Take: It’s important to know how your book fits into the market and is both similar to and different from other books in its category. Where can you make your mark and add to what’s already out there? How can you meet needs that other books don’t yet meet? Read the book reviews on Amazon and see what readers like about the books and what they think is missing. Consider addressing their complaints in your book!

Leslie Shapiro, MSW, an expert in treating OCD (and a past course participant!), noted that patients tended to relapse if a specific symptom was not addressed. Yet other books seemed scant on advice about this symptom. Thus, she demonstrated a strong need for Understanding OCD, which was published by Praeger.

Jeanne Fredericks, Jeanne Fredericks Literary Agency: “This is a very accomplished group. Change your viewpoint while you’re here. Think of yourself as a student. Open up and ask questions; make connections.”

My Take: I’ve seen many course participants do a great job of asking questions, being open and networking. One favorite example is Jonathan Lief, MD, who signed a book contract last year with BenBella Books (Jeanne Fredericks is his literary agent). Years ago, Jon attended a blogging and social media advanced workshop with Rusty Shelton and myself and asked more questions than anyone I’d met at the course. Inspired, he decided to blog, worked with Rusty and continued asking questions. In 2016 his blog, Searching for the Mind, was awarded “Best World Wide Online Universities in “Neuronal Plasticity”: The Science of Learning – Resources on How Our Brains Work Best.” Other blogs included MIT’s and Stanford’s! Jon had never thought of his blog as an online university!

More about Jon’s blogging experience can be found in our interview about building an award winning blog.

Jean Black, acquisitions editor at Yale University Press: “Really work on the craft of writing. Consider a writing workshop. And, once a year, read a classic like Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.”

Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course

My take: Although I teach writing workshops, I also become a student and take other people’s workshops at least one a year. Writers conferences, with multiple workshops, help you hone your skills, get creative, network and reinspire you. My favorites? Harvard Medical School’s course: Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals and the San Francisco Writers Conference. The International Women’s Writing Guild (IWWG) offers many terrific weekend workshops as well as a summer conference. For a literary conference, consider the Ocean State Writers Conference at the University of Rhode Island.

The past two years I stretched myself and attended the Contemporary Theater Company’s Ocean State Improv Festival. Improv helps you let go of expectations, judgments and “monkey mind” and truly get present. And that’s a crucial skill for any writer to develop.

As to Strunk and White, I agree wholeheartedly. I especially enjoyed an anniversary edition sent to me by Teri Scheinzeit, award winning author of Success Without Stress: Simple steps to Finding Calm for Women Business Owners.

Linda Konner, Literary Agent at Linda Konner Literary Agency: “Write a magazine article or get an essay published on the topic of your book. You can get paid for it and you just may get the attention of an agent or publisher.”

My take: I love this advice and I’ve seen it happen. I would add, consider blogging for a national platform, like Psychology Today. Although you won’t likely get paid for blogging, it can increase your visibility dramatically. After Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course, many years ago, Dr. Craig Malkin approached me for help with his book proposal. We took a step back and I shared some strategies for developing his author platform. He began a column for Psychology Today called Romance Redux, now one of PT’s most popular columns. After a post of his on narcissism went viral, HarperWave (a division of HarperCollins) approached him about writing a book on the subject. The result was the popular book Rethinking Narcissism.

John Mass, Literary Agent with Sterling Lord Literistic: Know the category you want to be writing in and read all the bestsellers.

My Take: Great advice. In the comps section of your proposal, you’ll want to compare your book to bestsellers. And, in terms of reading, it makes sense to learn from the most successful books. Find out what works. See what others have to say. Don’t write in a vacuum if you’re writing a prescriptive book.

Don Fehr, Literary Agent with Trident Media Group: “Just as we say, ‘Listen to your doctor,’ listen to your agent.”

My Take: This one speaks for itself. Agents know the field. They understand what specific publishers are looking for. They can help you make your book and proposal even more compelling.

Joe Rusko, Acquisitions Editor with Johns Hopkins University Press: “Be sure to involve your audience in your content creation process in some way—have a local book club or library group review a few chapters; ask for feedback on a chat group. Involving your ‘end users’ into manuscript development helps ensure your work will resonate with your prospective audience.’

My Take: I love Joe’s advice. Not only will it help you write a better book, but you’ll have fans who are already invested in its success!

Regina Brooks, Literary Agent and Founder of Serendipity Literary Agency: You need three things to interest agents and publishers: incredible writing, a hook and a strong platform.

My Take: Don’t worry if you don’t have these yet. It takes time to build your platform and write a great book (or book proposal). Give yourself the time to do it right.

I hope you find this advice from literary agents and publishers helpful! Continue to seek out experiences that will help you hone your skills and keep writing!

A Writing-Friendly Diet

June 6, 2018 by Lisa Tener

After working with Micaela Karlsen on her book, A Plant Based Life, I switched to a largely plant-based diet, almost no meat and very little dairy, and the results were dramatic – for my health, vitality and even my writing! You could call it a “writer-friendly diet.”

In this guest post, Micaela Karlsen shares how this writer-friendly diet affects her life and writing.

Me with Micaela and her daughter in 2017

“Mama!”

It was 1am, and my 20 month-old daughter barreled into the room to join us for the rest of the night.

As a researcher, my work is very mental. I write almost every day, a lot of it creative writing.

It’s the kind of work you dread when you’re feeling groggy, and the interrupted sleep that comes with young children can either wipe me out, or be no big deal, depending on what I ate the day before.

Fortunately, my typical diet of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, with little to no added sugar, is one of the biggest reasons I can feel alert in the morning, even after being woken up throughout the night.

I’m on and continue to be on a journey towards a completely whole food, plant-based diet. Every bit of success with what I eat rewards me immediately – because I can feel how my body responds and I know it’s what keeps my mind clear and my body ready to transmit the inspiration coming through me into words and sentences and paragraphs.

So as a writer who’s worked successfully with Lisa to develop a book proposal, create a relationship with a top literary agent, and secure a publishing contract, I attribute a lot of my success to eating a plant-based diet.

Micaela Karlsen with her book, *A Plant-Based Life*.

A whole food, plant-based diet has been shown to help people lose weight without counting calories, get off type 2 diabetes medication, and even reverse heart disease. It’s also the diet of choice for many top athletes, like Austin Aries, pro wrestler, or Griff Whalen, wide receiver for the Baltimore Orioles. So for good health, fast recovery, and an alert mind, a plant-based diet has made it possible for so many successful people to maintain their performance and stamina – including writers.

Following the structure of the book I published with Lisa’s help, A Plant-Based Life, my team and I have developed a comprehensive support program – the Sustainable Diet “Eat Better Forever” Program – to help others transition towards a more whole food, plant-based diet.

It’s a three-month program with education from top plant-based nutrition experts, including dietitians and doctors, chefs, and scientists, accountability from live mentors, and support – all the elements research shows people need to create new habits successfully. I’ve gotten incredible feedback from people who read the book and changed their diet as a result – better energy, clearer thinking, weight loss, and huge drops in total cholesterol.

It’s a big world. We each have a lot to do to fully express ourselves and share our unique contributions. Eating healthfully is absolutely one of the most effective strategies you can use to set yourself up for big success – in writing and in life.

For more information on how to get started eating a plant-based diet, sign up for the FREE Plant-Based Master starter kit and course preview.