book writing course

Bring Your Book to Life® in 2022 * Jumpstart Session

March 1, 2022 by Lisa Tener

Did you miss the Bring Your Book to Life® training on Wednesday March 2?

Listen to the audio recording here.

Watch the video .

On this call we teach you how to:

author Victoria Dunckley MD with book — Bring Your Book to Life^® graduate Victoria Dunckley MD, finds her published book in a local bookstore. Since publishing Reset Your Child’s Brain, Dr. Dunckley has been on Good Morning America TWICE and in multiple summits, documentaries and national media.

Get started, stay motivated and finish your exceptional book in record time.
Break through any self doubt that’s getting in the way.
Unlock your unique voice as a writer.
Have fun and stay connected to your inspiration throughout your book-writing journey.

and I share secrets that have helped my clients secure 5- and 6-figure book deals!

If you are interested in exploring my Bring Your Book to Life 10 week program to get your first draft completed in just 10-12 weeks (and an exception book you can be proud of!), find out more here.

How To Write a Book after Signing a Contract with a Publisher

November 14, 2018 by Lisa Tener

When I emailed, “What do you want to discuss on our call?” all my client wrote was, “How to write a book.”

Dr. James Zender had just signed a book contract with a publisher and, not surprisingly, self doubt reared its ugly head. Can I really write a book?

Step 1: Address self-doubt.

Perhaps you’ve experienced similar doubts:

“Can I write a good enough book?”
“Will I be able to write a book within the schedule that I just agreed to?”
“Will anyone want to read it?”
“How can I do it right?”

Before we could move on to other steps, we needed to address the negative thoughts and feelings that naturally arise and get in the way. And we did.

I didn’t need to say much. Dr. Zender started by sharing his experiences at a conference he’d just attended, where the testimony of several of his peers underscored how under-served his target audience was. We were both a bit stunned by the silence around the subject of his book, and he felt even more determined that people needed his message. All this serves to motivate him to write the book.

I reminded Dr. Zender that he’d already written one chapter and an excellent proposal, as well as spent several years developing his platform. Much of the hardest work was done!

Not only that but he’d proven to himself and others that he could write a compelling chapter, and an equally compelling proposal. Obviously, he has the ability to write a book–and a good one.

In addition, his book proposal now serves as the blueprint for the book. By signing the publishing contract, he’s already agreed to write the chapters in the outline he presented. The path to take is clearly marked–by him!

Step 2: Break it down. Make a plan.

I asked him the number of words he’s committed to and to remind me the number of chapters he needs to write:

55,000 words
14 chapters left to write (out of 15).

We did the math. Approximately 3,667 words/chapter.

I suggested that with an early fall deadline, he aim for something like July 1 to have a first or second draft of the whole book. This gives him plenty of wiggle room for edits, changes or unforeseen circumstances.

It will be important to schedule specific times in his calendar and keep them sacred. Otherwise it’s too easy for priorities to shift and find yourself in a pickle near the end of the month.

Now, how to actually write the book? He has the blueprint already. If it works best for him, he can just put more and more detail in the outline, until he knows pretty much everything he wants to put in the book.

On the other hand, he has some fantastic stories. He may just want to choose the stories to tell in each chapter and start by writing that story in all its powerful detail. The writing of the story will naturally inform him of what points he wants to make in the chapter. In addition, the story writing will inspire, get the words flowing and make it much easier to write a book. So, it’s also fine to start writing, with a more modest chapter outline and let the writing flow from there.

There’s no right or wrong way to write a book. Experiment and see what works best for you. You can always change course.

Step 3: Consult your acquisitions editor.

I suggested that he come up with a list of all the questions he has for his editor. Rather than ask her for her vision, he should start with his vision, so that she’s more likely to be on the same page. Some of my suggestions included:

I’m planning on a conversational tone, not particularly academic; is that what you envision as well?
Much of my chapters are based on stories. How much quantitative information was she looking for, vs. qualitative information and anecdotes/stories?
Is she on board with the chapter outline as is or does she have any changes? Is there anything missing?
May I send you the first chapter or two for feedback as I write, to make sure we’re on the same page before I write the whole book?

This last question is important because I have seen what happens when an acquisitions editor suddenly has a completely different vision for a book after the author has spent months writing it! Don’t let that happen to you. Get some feedback from the get go so you know you’re on the same page as your editor.

Step 4: Get Support

writing coach to write a book — A writing coach can support you to write your book, offering guidance, feedback and accountability.

This author is not the kind of person who needs a regularly scheduled coaching call. He’s quite self motivated and committed. So, he emails me when he needs editing or coaching. However, if you know you need more accountability than that, a book writing course, private coaching or a combination of the two might be the best way for you to get the hand-holding you need to write a book and complete it.

If you are interested in a book writing course or a VIP Day (where we can develop a plan for your book, platform building, book proposal or all three), I have my biggest sale of the year coming up right after Thanksgiving. You can save from 30-70% on my programs, including self-study programs, like Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book, my Award-winning Bring Your Book to Life(R) Program, which includes lots of one-on-one with me and more. You can find out more on this Thanksgiving Sale Preview Page. The sales begins November 23, but you may want to check it out and reach out to me to see which program is best for you.

Note, my steps for this author are based upon already having the book proposal done, so he’d already done much of the work of developing a vision and goals, clarifying his audience and getting clear on the book concept and structure. If those are thing you need help with, my self-study program, Quick Start to Kick Start Your book can guide you in more detail through powerful exercises that provide clarity and direction. You can wait until it goes on sale (for $67.90 vs. $97), or, if you want it right away, you can buy it now and I’ll send you a special journal for your writing as a gift.

In addition, feel free to ask your questions on how to write a book (or a book proposal) below as a comment. I always answer!

The Power of Community in Writing, Publishing and Promoting a Book

October 3, 2018 by Lisa Tener

This week, I’ve seen the power of community in action as Leena St. Michael reached out to her community and over 200 Activists and people-who-love-Leena signed up to be part of her launch team. The result is that Leena’s book, The Happy Activist, has hit several bestseller lists on Amazon.

It reminded me how powerful it is to do things in community. While writing itself can be a solitary sport (and maybe even not that when we consider the divine guidance that often comes through to help us), so much of the act of creating and sharing a book comes from community.

I see time and again in my book writing programs how people who’ve struggled to write a book for years finally get it done when they commit to it and get the support of a community and a loving, firm guide (yes, that would be me in this instance).

3 Ways to Get Community Support in Writing, Publishing and Promoting a Book

Ask for support from a current community—your women’s or men’s group, a mastermind group or a group of friends.
Join a new group that’s specifically for whatever aspect of book-writing you are entering—writing, publishing or launching.
Create a new group—perhaps at your local library—to support your book writing and publishing journey.

7 Questions to Ask Yourself:

How often do I want to meet? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?
How far am I willing to travel (or do I prefer a virtual group—no travel necessary)?
Do I want an expert to guide the process or do I prefer to set up my own process and organize a group? (and do I have time for that?)
What kind of focus am I looking for in the group meetings? Do I want the group to focus on feedback on writing? Do I want to use group time to learn more? Do I want to use group time to brainstorm big picture questions?
Do I have time to read other people’s work between meetings and have them read my work, or would I prefer a class or group where we do not read each other’s work between meetings?
What type of writers do I want to connect with? Similar genres? A variety?
What am I looking to find and create in this community? (encouragement, networking, creative brainstorming, sharing of contacts and connections, a launch team?)

5 Things to Look for (or Set Up) in Your Group

book writing program — Participants in My Bring Your Book to Life Program in Narragansett

Whether you search for a writing group to join or set up your own. Here are important things to look for:

Look for alignment of commitment: Make sure you all agree on what you’re willing to put in (reading/not reading, etc.). Don’t agree to a group where you know you can’t meet the commitment.
Look for—or create—a group with clear rules and structure. Without that, you may find that one person can hijack a whole meeting, or you just won’t accomplish what you set out to do.
If you are joining a class or mastermind, make sure the group is structured to focus on the challenges you are facing and wish to address.
If you are starting your own group, consider a guest meeting where you can get a sense of the group members and make sure you are all a good fit for each other. I once was part of a writing group where one member spent a good 15 minutes discussing her health issues each time. A one-time guest visit can help you determine whether someone is a match before they join. Be kind and compassionate if they are not, and say it gently.
Consider a group that is writing in the same genre. As you all grow in your writing, you’ll have the most to offer each other. Plus, are more likely able to support each other through platform building, launching and other phases!

Looking for a group? Check out my Fall/Winter Book Writing Mastermind!

Do you have any tips or insights to share about creating community to support your writing? Share your comments below.

Interview with Juan O’Callahan

December 29, 2012 by Lisa Tener

Juan B_and_Wsm — Juan O’Callahan, author of Wellness for Super Seniors

I met Juan O’Callahan this past June at the University of Rhode Island’s Ocean State Summer Writers Conference and provided editing and advice over the next few months. When he self-published his excellent book, Wellness for Super-Seniors: How to Support Your Parents’ Health & Happiness & Help Them Live Longer, Better, I asked if he had advice to share with authors.

Lisa: Can you share with blog readers how you started with the idea for Wellness for Super Seniors?

Juan: I started out producing a manual for the wellness for elderly seniors –people over 75–consisting of exercises and nutrition practices that I had originally developed for myself, and was now teaching to others in my community and to some of my former military peers. It consists of my special exercises, advice and recipes on sound nutrition, and tips on certain health issues.

Lisa: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

book cover wellness for super seniors — Juan’s market was the adult children of super-seniors even more than the seniors themselves.

Juan: Relatives and friends advised me to make it more personal: “Talk about yourself,” they said; “Add some stories of your students, case histories, examples.” I struggled with making the vignettes long-winded and tedious, and not knowing where to insert them, if at all. I also began to discern that my manual was potentially turning into a book…and if that was the case, I would have to write longer and better introductions to each of the three core tutorial sections.

Lisa: That’s one of the wonderful things about writing, seeing how your ideas grow and develop with you. When you knew this manual was becoming a book, what did you do next?

Juan: I first consulted an online writing coach in California who suggested I had not addressed a specific audience [important for this book] and I enrolled in a summer writing conference at the University of Rhode Island. That’s where I met you, Lisa and had our one-on-one conference about my intentions. You had suggested that I was addressing several different audiences and that I needed to choose one as a primary audience. So, I settled down to rewrite the entire narrative sections of the book.

Lisa: What did you end up rewriting?

Author Juan O'Callahan — Juan O’Callahan practices what he preaches!

Juan: I wrote each section addressing the children and caregivers of the very-elderly since they would be the ones concerned with the conditions of wellness and quality-of-life of their loved ones. Even then I became disheartened because my audience wasn’t specific enough. I sat down for several more months and tried to resolve my dilemma, redrafting the entire text once again.

Lisa: When you were finished, how did you go about getting your book out into the world?

Juan: Fortunately, my two daughters (my prodders and copy editors) were able to select the appropriate printer and formatting process in order to self-publish my book. With your help and detailed editing, I added paragraphs and even some pages pointing out WHY those side stories had been included. And I also made sure to persuade my audiences that caring for the very old was not necessarily an onerous or unbearable chore, but could be a joy and even surprisingly rewarding to the younger sets.

Lisa: I love that–it’s such an important perspective. Any lessons to share with readers?

Juan: I discovered that what may be of interest to me—the writer–may in fact be be far too long-winded, and perhaps not even that interesting to the reader; I had to learn to trim and delete, and start over again on paragraphs, pages and chapters.

While the whole process—from start to finish—was harder than I had imagined it would be, having finished, the feeling of accomplishment was euphoric and made it all worth the effort.

Lisa: If you could go back and redo the process so it was easier, what would you do?

Juan: In addition to outlining the “story flow” and putting together chapter summaries at the outset, I would get the first chapter down early and reviewed, and made interesting or exciting enough to “grip” the reader. I would consult with, and retain a writing coach at the outset, at the very moment an initial outline and purpose had been set out, even in rough form. I wasted so much time struggling on my own. I believe that I could have shortened the entire process by a year. Your advice and the meticulous corrections and additions you made to my draft manuscript was enormously helpful.

Lisa: It’s great to hear you say that about starting with a coach from the outset. I very much enjoy working with people from the very beginning. I would have also saved a great deal of time if I’d worked with a professional from the outset–my first book took 7 years to go from idea to a book published with a major publisher–I’m sure your first draft was much more professional than mine! That’s why I developed my Bring Your Book to Life Program–so people can get help from the get-go and make sure they’re writing the right book and saving time.

I’ve been reflecting, too, that while many people do get a first draft written in my program in 8-12 weeks, others need a good 5-6 months or so to get a first draft written. With that in mind, knowing that my Bring Your Book to Life 8 week program is coming up in late April, I’m offering a special track for people who want to start their books now and work with me directly to get a head start, so they can have a first draft by mid-June–people who know they are going to need more than 8-12 weeks to write a first draft.

I’m setting up special consultations in the first two weeks of January for those people who want to explore the 6 month program with me. This is a special opportunity that I’m offering to 10 people maximum. So, readers, if you’re interested, e-mail Geri at Geri at LisaTener dot com, to receive an application and set up a time to explore the possibility with me.

Writing Blocks: Do You Ever Get Overwhelmed?

October 1, 2012 by Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach Lisa Tener — Your Book Writing Coach

This theme of overwhelm has come up in multiple book concept consultations in the past week as I’ve met with new participants in my Bring Your Book to Life Program.

As I take them through a visualization I call, “Meet Your Muse,” the messages from their muses have been consistent as well–versions of, “One page at a time.” The muses seem to concur that you don’t need to focus on the big picture the whole time.

Most of these book-writers have begun their outlines–using a process I suggest with color-coded index cards. Once the outline is done, just pick a section and begin. You don’t have to start with the chapter that “scares you” as one writer put it. Choose a fun chapter, or one you feel excited to write. That’s the beauty of the outline. It provides a structure so you can be more free.

Take a walk in nature as a writing break to refresh and clear your mind.

I once had a book writing course participant who took one day off a week and planned to write eight hours that day. She said she couldn’t manage writing any other day. She struggled until she could let go of the pressure of an eight hour writing day. Ideally, start with small blocks of time. Try a half hour. If you find yourself just getting into the rhythm of writing, increase your writing blocks to an hour or two. After that, you’ll probably need a break. Take a walk outside. Then begin again.

What are your tricks for getting past overwhelm? Share them as a comment below. Or share your writing challenges and I’ll provide what experience and suggestions I can to help you.

Writing a Book and Got Stuck? 5 Cures

May 22, 2012 by Lisa Tener

I just got an e-mail from a Bring Your Book to Life Program participant who’s a little stuck. Thought I’d share a few ideas–three related to book outlines:

1. Go Deeper in Your Book Outline: Sometimes you just need to be clearer about what goes into the chapter and where you’re going. A more detailed outline can get the juices moving.

2. Forget Your Book Outline: If the outline is constraining you or taking you in the wrong direction, maybe it’s time to put the outline aside and try writing without one.

3. Pick a New Spot to Start: Look at your outline and ask yourself which part has the most juice for you. Start there today.

4. Go for a Walk: Sometimes you just need to get your energy moving. If you can walk in a beautiful natural setting, all the better. My favorite is Newport’s Cliff Walk.

5. Read your Vision Statement: My course participants often say that the vision statement is one of their favorite tools. It keeps them motivated, makes it easy to write and also helps them stay focused with both tone and content. Don’t know how to write a vision statement? Check out my Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book self-study program. It’s on sale for the month of May!

Share how you get unstuck by adding your comment below. Or ask any book-writing or publishing questions and I am happy to answer!