Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

harvard medical school publishing course

Social Media Tips from Harvard Medical School’s Leadership and Publishing Course

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Rusty Shelton
Retro Shot: Rusty Shelton and me at the Harvard Course in 2011.

I spent a few days in Boston last week for Harvard Medical School’s CME leadership and publishing course. When I wasn’t teaching workshops, I spent most of my time meeting course participants and helping them clarify their book concepts and publishing strategies.

However, I managed to squeeze in a few of the panels and presentations where I learned how much even a publishing insider can learn in this rapidly changing arena. Here are a few social media tips that served as helpful reminders—as well as a new website tip I picked up from Rusty Shelton:

One of Rusty Shelton’s social media tips: Google your name and see what comes up. “Your brand is what Google says it is.” [Click to Tweet This] Rusty asks, “Are you leaving that first impression for others to make?” Imagine a New York Times columnist searching for your name. “Would they find you? Would they be able to contact you on deadline?”

Of course, the advanced version of this is not just being searchable by name but by the keywords a journalist may search under. Rusty shared that four of the five most recent instances of his authors being on national TV were from a producer calling after finding the author in a keyword search on Google.

Rusty’s talk made me rethink the idea of having a contact form, which I used to prevent spam.  Rusty’s point is that you want to make it as easy as possible for journalists considering you as a news source. A contact form adds an extra step. A clearly visible e-mail and phone number work best. We certainly don’t want to turn away the media!

Publishing Trends and Tips from Julie Silver, MD

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Publishing is changing by the minute and the savvy author learns about these trends and shifts to see how she can avoid new pitfalls and leverage the trends to benefit. I’ve been speaking and writing on this subject quite a bit recently, most notably on the Huffington Post and on Live Write Thrive.

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in this moment in publishing is to attend a course or conference. The Harvard Medical School publishing course (which offers CME credits for medical professionals, BTW) Achieving Healthcare Leadership and Impact through Writing, Publishing and Social Media is one of the best opportunities around for getting a clear sense of publishing trends and requirements, what publishers are getting excited about right now, how to blog effectively, other ways to build your author platform and much more.

In addition, the opportunity to meet agents, acquisitions editors, successful authors and other publishing professionals–and get their feedback on your book ideas, your online presence, your greater “platform” as an author and your writing–is unique in the field of health publishing. The course takes place April 9-11 this year in Boston at the Fairmont Copley Hotel. I’ve asked the course director, Julie Silver, MD, to share some of her thoughts on publishing trends and tips.

Lisa: What is one of the biggest changes you see in publishing?

julie silverJulie: Professionals are using publishing more to build a reputation versus strictly to have a source of income. It used to be that you could publish a book and it would be a good source of income if it was successful. One of my colleagues told me that she published a book 20 years ago and it paid for a vacation home on Cape Cod. Today, it would be unusual to be able to afford a vacation home by publishing one book. In publishing, it’s important to set the right expectations regarding how much time you want to invest and what you want to get out of the time invested. I think publishing is a terrific way to build your reputation!

Lisa: I agree wholeheartedly. I often tell authors they need a business plan for their book. How will it make money? Many savvy authors invest more money in publicizing their book than they may even make back in book sales that first year–and it can be a brilliant strategy–but only if they have a plan for how that book and the pr will support other income producing activities like speaking, consulting, teaching or even, as one of my clients did, getting more research funding.

Can you share one of the most common mistakes of new authors–and how to avoid it?

You_Can_Heal_Yourself_COVERJulie: There are a lot of mistakes that first time authors make, simply because they don’t have experience. Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes is not realizing that they actually need experience to do this well. What looks easy, publishing a successful book, is not really all that easy. On the other hand, many professionals can do this successfully if they put in the time and effort to learn how to do it well.

I get emails on a regular basis from doctors and other healthcare professionals who want me to have a short phone conversation with them and explain how to publish a book. Today, a physician emailed me and wanted to talk to me about HIPPA rules and publishing. Publishing is a complicated industry, and short phone conversations to explain these topics don’t work well. That’s why I direct this publishing course which has really transformed into a leadership course. I want healthcare professionals to be successful! Nearly everyone who comes to the course says that it opened their eyes to a lot of opportunities that they didn’t even realize existed. For example, we talked about productizing intellectual property. Many healthcare professionals have never even heard of this. Others, who have heard of it aren’t really sure how to do it.

Lisa: Yes, I love the idea of product-izing. Sometimes a book is a perfect way to interest readers in an online course where they can go deeper and even get some support. And that can be a much bigger source of income–maybe a down payment on that vacation home on the Cape! Thank you, Julie, for giving our readers a small taste of what they’ll get out of the course this spring.

book cover ocd
I met Leslie Shapiro at the Harvard publishing course. Her book, Understanding OCD comes out this March.

I’ll be teaching two writing workshops in the evening as well as co-teaching an advanced workshop on Writing a Winning Book Proposal  with my colleague Martha Murphy. Plus I am available throughout the course to help participants fine tune their ideas–as are other editors, agents and even acquisitions editors. This coming month alone, two more of my clients who are graduates of the Harvard publishing and leadership course have books coming out–both with Praeger Books and their acquisitions editor, Debbie Carvalko, will be at the course–one of many publishing gurus course participants will get to meet and speak with.

dream therapy ptsd cover
Bruce Dow, MD is a past participant of the Harvard publishing course whose book comes out this March.

Dr. Silver is a physician, an award-winning writer and an editor whose latest book is You Can Heal Yourself (St. Martin’s Press). She is former Chief Editor of Books at Harvard Health Publications and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, ABC News Now, AARP Radio and NPR.

Join us at Harvard this April! And feel free to share any questions as a comment in this post.

Publishing Beyond Your Wildest Dreams: An Interview with Carrie Barron

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carrie barron writing coach lisa tener
Carrie Barron and me at the fabulous book launch party for The Creativity Cure.

As we near the date of Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course (March 14 – 16), I’m excited about seeing colleagues again and even meeting some of my current clients whom I have not yet met in person. I recommend the course to almost anyone writing a book about health or well being—it’s a fabulous place to meet agents and publishers—and to learn so much about the publishing industry in a short period of time.

Authors get feedback about their book ideas—and often end up with a much better sense of both what their  book is (what I call the book concept) and what they need to do to become successfully published.

creativity cure cover
Author Carrie Barron and I met at the Harvard Medical School Publishing Course when this book was the germ of an idea.

Today, I’ve interviewed Dr. Carrie Barron—co-author with her husband Alton of The Creativity Cure, which was published by Scribner and came out in hardcover last Spring. I met Carrie at the Harvard course a couple years ago and began working with her on her book concept and book proposal. Her story may sound like a bit of a fairy tale—so put on your glass slippers…

Lisa: Why did you want to write a book?

Carrie: I spent many years scribbling thoughts and ideas on pads and blank documents and wanted to organize them into something. I was fascinated by creativity all my life–read about it, researched it, lived it as a former singer. In my private practice as a psychiatrist I was struck by how people’s moods and feeling about living could dramatically improve if they were involved in a creative process.

Lisa: Were there specific goals that motivated you? Opportunities you hoped the book would open up?

Carrie: I wanted the opportunity to write because I enjoy it so much.   Writing is a way to explore, to understand, to gain perspective and even to heal. Also, I felt that this information could be helpful to people who were trying to find ways to feel better–less depressed, less anxious–and not having any luck. Creativity has been called “the original anti-depressant.”

Lisa: When we met at Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course you’d mentioned that you’d been playing with the ideas for a book you were calling, “I’m Creative But I Can’t Create.” Can you say more about where you were with the book when we met?

Carrie: Before Harvard Medical School’s publishing course I had many, many pages but no organization.  I had titles, essays, ideas, inspiration but not a coherent package. I didn’t know how to write a proposal. I didn’t have an outline.

Lisa: What did you want to accomplish by attending the Harvard course?

Carrie: I wanted to turn an idea into a product, to have an effective method of writing- meaning a free, letting go part and a structured, crafting part and to learn how to balance them.  I wanted to have a writing life and to be able to maintain it. I also wanted to learn about the whole world of writing and publishing because while writing it self is joyful, getting it out there is a completely different thing.

Lisa: What did you get out of the course at Harvard?

al carrie jeanne, harvard
Authors Alton and Carrie Barron with their agent Jeanne Fredericks. You can meet Jeanne at the course this March.

Carrie: I learned an enormous amount about writing from the editors and writers themselves.  I realized the importance of promotion and social media and how to integrate this into the process in a way that feels organic. I met editors and agents with a wealth of useful information. I met many people with interesting ideas. The most surprising things I learned were that I could handle “pitching,” that the idea does not have to be perfect and that collaboration with the right person can make all the difference. I met you, Lisa, and Jeanne Fredericks, who became my literary agent. You helped me clarify my book concept and craft my book proposal and Jeanne became our agent—and negotiated a six figure book contract with Scribner. It has been thrilling to work with the Scribner team.

Lisa: Any exciting opportunities that have come out of being a published author?

Carrie: So many things!  We signed with Scribner.  We have had about thirty- five appearances including talk radio, panels, lectures and presentations. We’ve have contributed to articles published in The Atlantic Monthly, Parade Magazine and others, have a regular blog on Psychology Today, spoke at The Maker Faire, the Zoomer Conference in Toronto, on the Dr. Alvin Jones radio show and recently participated on a panel on Creativity and Mental Health at the Cactus Café at UT Austin. The talks are exciting—people ask  fascinating questions that really make us think.  Other writing opportunities have arisen.

Lisa: Like?

Carrie: We’ll be collaborating on some interesting projects that will focus on using Your Own Two Hands and the value of True Connections to other people. The paperback is coming out in the summer. Frankly, I realized all my goals and beyond.

Carrie and Alton
The authors of The Creativity Cure taking their own advice and spending time outdoors.

Lisa: Anything you’d like to say to someone who’s considering attending Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course March 14-16 in Cambridge, MA?

Carrie: This course changed the entire course of my career. It was fun, informative and stimulating from start to finish. If any doctor has dreamed of writing, the HMS course is the place to go.  And don’t forget to sign up for the pitch fest because it is the best preparation for what’s to come!

Preparing for Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course

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harvard medical school publishing course
Sitting around the table at lunch last year, a group of my clients and I refine their book pitches for the pitching panel that afternoon.

As I go over my notes for “Writing for Your Reader: How to Write a Smart, Compelling, Enlightening Page Turner,” a workshop I’ll be delivering Saturday, along with Martha Murphy, as part of Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course, I’m getting excited.

The 3-day course is always filled with exciting book ideas, brilliant physicians and medical professionals, talented agents, publishers and others in the publishing industry. The course Director, Julie Silver, MD, varies the presentations each year–there will certainly be some new perspectives and interesting discourse. I’m looking forward to connecting with colleagues, including Rusty Shelton, whose talented team at Shelton Interactive designed my book coaching website.

dr. victoria dunckley at harvard medical school publishing course
After helping Dr. Victoria Dunckley with her book and book proposal, I encouraged her to come to Harvard where she met her literary agent, Deirdre Mullane

I equally look forward to the book pitches. Serving on the panel that provides feedback to the brave and aspiring authors who pitch their books, I enjoy the challenge of jotting down as much feedback as I can in the 30 or so seconds we have, while also noting the projects that most excite me as a book writing coach and editor.

I often meet with my clients as a group ahead of time to help them hone their pitches–a great opportunity for them to meet each other–and the group as a whole often comes up with some fabulous ideas for each other.  Sometimes, it’s the first time I’ll be meeting a client in person, even if I’ve been working with them by e-mail and phone for many months.

In the evening, participants get detailed feedback on their writing and book ideas in intimate writing workshops. I received several manuscripts already for four very intriguing books.

Most often, the biggest shock for course participants occurs when they find out how important it is to develop their author platform or following. These folks have the best credentials one could ask for. Many of their books apply the latest research to topics of great interest to readers. Why do they have to market themselves?

Digital Media Strategist Rusty Shelton and Book writing coach Lisa Tener
I always look forward to catching up with my colleague Rusty Shelton who has helped many of my clients develop a top notch website and successfully navigate the world of digital media.

The interesting thing is that once they do start to develop their platform, they often enjoy it–blogging, connecting with colleagues on twitter, being interviewed on TV–they realize how satisfying it can be to come out of their smaller world and reach a huge number of people nationally. One book proposal client I first met at the conference a few years ago, has been working on his platform religiously. And it’s paid off. A major publisher approached him before his agent even sent out his book proposal–they just liked what they saw in his blog (and they probably also noticed he’d gained quite a following).

When I think about what people take home from the publishing course at Harvard, it’s this: an understanding of the publishing industry, knowledge about what it takes to write a compelling (and successful) book, feedback on their ideas–so they’re not starting from scratch and they write the “right” book, a sense of community, support, mentors, colleagues.

It’s quite amazing to me really, in these three short days, the kind of powerful connections that take place. Authors find their editors, agents, mentors or even publishers. They meet fellow pilgrims on the path to publishing–and these friendships provide a great deal of support throughout the year as they write books, book proposals and grow their platforms.

And so it is with anticipation that I print out my revised notes, pack my bags and prepare to head to Boston. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

Harvard Gems: 7 Tips for Aspiring Authors from the CME Publishing Course

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By Rachel Horwitz

Rachel at lunch at the Fairmont Copley’s famed Oak Room with Lisa’s clients and book writing participants working on polishing their book pitches

Lisa has asked me to share some gems from Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course. For a soon-to-be English language and literature graduate I found the course especially enlightening. The most prevalent theme? Course director, Julie Silver, MD, stressed over and over: Develop your platform (your following, especially online) in order to interest publishers and also sell books, once you become published. Of all the leading edge courses run by the diverse faculty—from editors to publishers to book coaches, publicists and literary agents, I discovered several tips and secrets to improve my writing skills, which you may also find beneficial.

In a workshop on Narrative Writing, I picked up powerful tips from Elizabeth Rider, MSW, MD:
 

1. Capture the experience using all your senses to paint a picture for the audience. Even in a how-to book, the anecdotes or stories should come alive for your readers.
2. Before you ever send out a manuscript: reread, review, revise. Lisa adds that by reading aloud you will hear things you may not notice when reading “in your head.” In addition, you can have someone else read to you and you’ll discover additional opportunities to refine your writing.

Another influential class titled, Making English Move by publication consultant, Susan Aiello, DVM, ELS provided the following strategies:

3. Use strong verbs to be vivid and precise (this is one of Lisa’s favorite writing tips as well).
4. Thin nouns and adverbs; nouns and adverbs can make a sentence wordy and can be replaced with verbs

Rusty Shelton’s Media Training as well as a short chat with the digital media strategist, left me with a solid concept of how to begin building my author platform:

Lisa and Rusty connecting at the publishing course
5. Blogs are paramount: reviewing books will not only please authors, but attract attention and make connections.
6. Interviews online, on the radio and television are auditions for more interviews. Post any interviews on your website.
7. 35% of journalists are required to be on Twitter. If you want to get to know journalists in your field and potentially be interviewed by them at some point, there’s a window of opportunity to get to know them through following them, commenting on their posts and tweeting.
Workshop in progress

These inspiring workshops guided authors who have been stewing on a concept for years to strengthen their content as well as providing blossoming writers like me with the nudge to begin. I was reminded of how essential a platform is for an author and the advantages it provides. Not only did the conference allow me to network with these professionals but also absorb their critiques in a manner that was enormously beneficial to an aspiring author and member of the literary field.

Rachel Horwitz is a graduating senior at The University of Rhode Island, majoring in English. She is resurrecting her writing blog and will soon include reviews of food writing, environmental writing and writing tips. She is in the job market, seeking a full- or part-time position in publishing related endeavors: editing, research or writing. She’s done an incredible job here at Write Your Book and we wish her great success in future endeavors.

Highlights of Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course

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This is one of the best conferences on book writing and publishing–probably the best if you are writing a health related book. So, if you attended, here are some highlights to remember and a few reminders about how to get published. If couldn’t make it, here’s your crash course.

At dinner with literary agent Rebecca Gradinger and Vicki Dunckley.

At dinner with top Literary Agent Rebecca Gradinger and psychiatrist/soon to be author Vicki Dunckley (I’m the one smiling behind the camera), one theme that came up is  that it’s harder than ever to publish fiction–even a talented author who would have easily been published five years ago.  Guess that’s why they’re all going digital/self publishing.

The good news is, there’s always a market for good self-help, how-to and other nonfiction–as long as you develop your following and have a new angle or fresh voice on a topic of interest to a strong niche audience. The competitive market should propel you to think creatively about your book concept and write the absolute best book you can. My clients are seeing great responses (and signing book deals) even in this market. You can, too.

Bring Your Book to Life participants practice their pitches at lunch.

The 70 second book pitches were the best ever this year. And Bring Your Book to Life participants did an especially inspiring job. Here they are practicing and fine tuning their pitches at lunch–all heard back from agents who heard their pitches and wanted to  connect and see their book proposals when ready.  I felt like  a proud mom.

What makes a good pitch? A compelling hook, a clear market, impressing agents with your platform or following, something fresh…and humor always helps!

While no one’s going to ring a buzzer and say, “Time over” when you pitch in real life, this is great practice at making in impression in a very short amount of time. Try it at home–a great exercise.

Connecting with Rusty Shelton, President and Founder of Shelton Interactive

I always enjoy connecting with Rusty Shelton–he was the publicist on my first book and many of the greatest opportunities in my career have come through Rusty. He’s one of those people who is always doing great things for others–even when the publicity contract is over!

Rusty’s new company, Shelton Interactive, designed my new website which I will unveil in the next few weeks. This year was particularly special in that Rusty and I had breakfast in the Oak Room with one of our favorite agents to discuss the book we’re working on and received enthusiastic feedback. More on that soon…

Harvard often provides the opportunity to connect with clients of mine whom I’ve worked with for a year or more, but never met in person until now.

I enjoyed connecting with Dr. Vicki Dunckley, whom I’ve worked with for over a year without having ever met her in person. Vicki just became a blogger on Psychology Today and I’m sure that helped agents get excited about her book pitch–she went from very little platform to instant platform.

Of course, the topic had a great deal to do with their enthusiasm. If you’re wondering how computers affect your kid’s brain and what you can do about it check out Vicki’s blog and her Psychology Today column. The moral of the story here–start with your own blog and then pitch a fresh and polished post to a big blog like psychology today, the Huffington Post or WebMD.

Oh, so much more to tell you about, but that will be another post for another day…

If you were at the conference, do share the highlights:

– What was the most important tip or advice you learned?

– What insights or breakthroughs did you experience at the conference?

– Did you get clearer about your book?

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