Linda Joy

Ask Your Book Writing and Publishing Questions—And Get an Answer!

February 8, 2017 by Lisa Tener

Last week I had planned a teleseminar to answer your book writing and publishing questions, but got hit by a nasty flu.

While recovering, I didn’t want to make you wait any longer for answers to your questions, so we’re turning the call into a blog post!

Many readers already sent in excellent questions during my free book writing teleseminar and I will start by answering those. If you don’t see your question here, please ask as a comment at the bottom of this post and I promise to answer.

Writing a Non-Fiction Book: Self-help and How-to

Rose asked, “What is the first step?”

Rose, I always have my authors start by clarifying their vision and goals for the book, particularly with how-to and self-help books.

Another recent product of my Bring Your Book to Life®Program

Shari asked, “How to stay focused, streamlining the information with examples?”

Shari, I suggest you work from a detailed outline. That will help you stay focused. Perhaps try adding the examples later so that first you get the flow of the book and then you can decide where examples would fit well and help you illustrate your points.

Barbara asked, “How to create content that is informative but also entertaining so you can attract and maintain readers’ interest?”

Knowing that Barbara’s book is about health, I would suggest a few things:

Make it conversational. Pretend you are writing a letter to one specific person. Imagine that person and write to him/her. Your writing will naturally be more conversational.
Put the super-technical stuff in sidebars. Some readers get overwhelmed or lost with the nitty-gritty. By putting it in sidebars, you give them permission to skip parts that certain other readers will require.
Add stories: If appropriate to your book, add some anecdotes with quirky details and “color.” We learn from stories.
Add other features such as cartoons, charts, graphs, images/icons, etc. that help break things up visually and intellectually.
Use playful section headlines, chapter titles and feature names. Alliteration or a play on words can work well.
Ask your inner muse! This is one of my favorite exercises for being creative or getting clarity about direction.

Leslie asked, “How should I best include my personal stories in my nonfiction book?”

Carol Lambert’s stories about women in her groups helps readers experience insights through others who have been through similar experiences.

Leslie, it sounds like you are talking about a self-help or how-to book and stories will make it come alive. As I mentioned to Shari, start with a detailed outline and go from there. You may want to first write the informational parts and then decide which stories will illustrate those best. I often have clients work with color coded index cards in a systematized way to come up with structure and organize anecdotes.

Revision, Editing, Accountability and Getting an Agent

Dawn says that she has been working with an editor and now needs to make revisions but that now the loose ends are swimming in her head. She wonders if she should look for an agent to help her get clarity, accountability, a plan of action and ongoing support. And, “Is this even realistic? How can I get one while still working on the manuscript?”

Wow, great questions, Dawn. First, I wonder if you need an editor who is more of a writing coach, so that you can get the planning support and accountability you need. Some editors offer more support while others will merely send you their revisions and feedback.

Knowing you need more than that, I would suggest you find that in an editor/writing coach or look for a supportive program.

Many people like my Bring Your Book to Life® Program for the structure, plan, accountability, support, community and one on one feedback from me. If that’s not workable for you however, see if you can find a more modest course or program that would fill your needs.

Will an agent offer the kind of accountability and support you are looking for? There are all kinds of agents and some are certainly more hands on than others. Most agents are not going to be looking for an author who needs lots of handholding to get revisions done, though.

books for gifts — The book proposal for The Creativity Cure resulted in a 6-figure book deal!

In addition, you ask whether finding an agent is realistic if you have not completed the book/revisions. YES! It certainly can be. You need a book proposal. Is that the right step for you? In this post, I answer the question, “Should I write a book proposal?”

In this post, I cover the steps for How to Write a Book Proposal.

First, you would complete and polish the proposal and have it all ready to go. Then you’d send a query letter to the agent to ask if they want to see the proposal. An unsolicited proposal ends up in the slush pile, so do not send without asking.

In terms of how realistic is it, though, agents are looking for fresh ideas for a large and hungry audience and an author with a significant platform (following, online reach, etc.). See the above mentioned article on whether to write a book proposal for more details.

Rita asked, “How do I decide on a title when there are so many topics covered in the book?”

Rita, it sounds like you may have more than one book there! You should be able to describe your book in one phrase or theme. Answer the question: What is my book about? and answer it as briefly as possible. If you can’t, it will be hard to attract readers.

As to title, if you are in the midst of writing, look at your chapters and find a coherent theme. Your title or subtitle should capture that theme and the reason readers would want to read this book. If you are just starting, I would suggest with clarifying your vision and goals and creating a vision statement. Without that, you’re more likely to meander.

My self-study program, Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book can help you get started writing a self-help or how-to book step-by-step. It includes exercises for determining your vision and goals, writing a vision statement, clarifying who your readers are and much more.

Parris asked, “How do I know when my editor thinks of me as her cash cow?”

Yikes. There are two possibilities here. 1. Your editor has not been communicating as well as he or she should about the level of developmental editing and copy editing needed. or 2. You already know the answer or you wouldn’t be asking. This editor is taking advantage of you.

So, which is it? Sometimes editors assume you understand that it takes more than one edit to make a book strong. Most of the best books have probably gone through many revisions. Now that you know this, ask your editor to clearly communicate to you how many more edits he or she thinks it needs and what that cost will be.

If you feel a strong knot in your stomach, however, or just a sense you are being taken advantage of, trust your gut.

Questions About Writing a Memoir

Elaine said, “I need a dramatic opening and cannot come up with it yet.”

A dramatic opening is a good instinct. Make a list of all the high-tension points in your story. What might draw people in? Or perhaps the perfect opening hasn’t happened yet.

Don’t wait. Start writing in the middle and come back to the beginning to see what clarity comes when you near the end of the book. You can also try my free “Meet Your Muse” exercise and ask your muse.

[bctt tweet=”Self-Publishing Pros and Cons ” username=”LisaTener”]

a plant based life book cover — Cookboooks can be especially expensive to self publish, so I would recommend going for a traditional book deal if you can.

Carol asked, “Would you self publish or look for a publisher, and why for each?” Ann Patty also asked how to decide whether to self publish or “try to get a book contract.”

My recent article, “Should I Write a Book Proposal? 7 Questions to Ask for Clarity” can take you through the questions to ask. It also walks you through pros and cons through these questions.

Bridget asked for the pros and cons of self-publishing with a larger company. Here are the things to be careful of with any self-publishing company, no matter the size:

a) No matter what they say, the majority compete on price, not quality. And they usually contract out for editing, proofreading and design. If you get a quality editor or proofreader you are extremely lucky. It’s uncommon. Usually, there are many errors.

b) Don’t expect to get much PR. Most self-publishing companies make it sound like they will do a great deal to publicize your book, such as sending out a press release. That press release is usually guaranteed to do nothing. Nada. You’re likely best off hiring your own quality editor, designer, publicist, book launch manager, etc.

Are there exceptions to the rule? Yes. I recently met a new author, Sandra Coletta, author of The Owl Approach to Storytelling. The book cover was gorgeous and she gushed about her publisher, Motivational Press. I peeked inside and again was impressed by the professionalism of the inner design. I do know Sandy hired her own independent editor, a move I recommend.

I also know that Inspired Living Publishing offers publishing packages to authors and Linda Joy does an impressive job of getting her authors on Amazon bestseller lists.

So, can you find self-publishing companies that do an excellent job. How? First, I suggest you Google “Reviews [Company Name] ” and see if you can find independent reviews for the company. Also, find some authors who used that company and ask them what they liked and what they wished they could change, or any advice they have in working with that publisher. Would they hire them again?

Permissions

Amber asked, “Are there certain permissions that need to be obtained to discuss specific people, names, places and things. For instance, if I am referring to social media, can I say “Facebook”?

Yes, you can refer to Facebook or the name of a company. However, sometimes a brand requires a trademark sign next to it, which can look pretty goofy in a novel, but fine in a nonfiction book.

If you are referring to people, you may want to give them a heads up, as a relationship builder. Can you be sued for saying something about a person? There are instances where, say, an ex-spouse sues for defamation of character. When in doubt, consult an attorney.

Note, the term “permissions” tends to be used for permission to reprint lyrics or a longer excerpt. Often, a payment is made to get the permission.

Book Sales

Readers of Fashion Feng Shui often read the book in one sitting and immediately signed up for a $3,500 training!

Hugh asked, “Do wannabe authors often have an inflated concept of how much money a published author might receive? What is the realistic way to think about the cost of producing one’s book versus the return it is likely to bring back?”

Hugh, these are excellent questions and ones I try to address with all my clients. If you are investing in your book for editing, publishing, marketing, etc. you may not actually get all that money back in book sales. Books are not an expensive, high margin item.

That’s why I encourage authors to have a business plan for their books.

Consider what activities you can do that will bring in money. For example, teaching online courses related to your book’s subject can help sell more books while bringing in income, rather than costing money, AND book sales can also support course enrollment, further increasing income and the impact of your message.

Pen Name

Golde asked, “What is involved with using a pen name and does a publisher help with that decision?”

Golde, you can just use a pen name. However, nowadays that is less common because it can hinder reaching readers. Social media is one of the best ways to reach readers, but if you are using a pen name, you can’t really be on Facebook or LinkedIn anonymously. And you’ll need a whole new and separate Twitter identity.

Okay, there were more questions, but I’m going to need to sign off for now. Just add your question as a comment below and I promise to answer!

And, if you have questions about my upcoming Bring Your Book to Life® Program, there are a handful of seats left, feel free to ask about that as well.

Writing a Book at Midlife: The Experience, Joys, Results and Surprises

January 10, 2017 by Lisa Tener

Writing a Book at Midlife

On January 23, Dr. Randy Kamen’s “Finding Fulfillment and Joy in Midlife“ Summit begins. In some ways, this summit can be seen as an outgrowth of Dr. Kamen’s writing a book at midlife, Behind the Therapy Door, and the personal growth tools Dr. Kamen teaches in her book.

In this author interview, you’ll learn about writing a book at midlife, how Dr. Kamen’s self-published book got picked up by a national publisher and how this midlife summit can help you as a writer.

Lisa: You wrote your book at midlife. Why do you think midlife is such a powerful time for writing a book?

Randy: Because by midlife we have acquired a certain amount of wisdom and a body of life experiences that often inspire us to share our story, lessons learned or world view.

Lisa: Did you feel a sense of urgency in writing your book, Behind the Therapy Door? If so, what drove that urgency?

Randy: I felt it was an important developmental milestone for me professionally and personally. I felt I had a message from my years as a psychologist and educator and I wanted to share information that I knew would make a difference in people’s lives. At the same time it helped me to further develop my own thoughts and see another dimension to my work.

Lisa: You mentioned to me once that writing your book helped you systematize the information you had been teaching your clients, and that helped you in bringing those lessons to nurturing retreats as well as seminars with CEOs. That’s a powerful benefit of writing a book that I would not necessarily have thought of. What challenges—if any—did you have to overcome to get your book written and published?

Randy: One of the greatest challenges for me was that of organization. I needed no motivation to write. I felt inspired during most of the writing—but organizing all the material at times felt daunting. The other challenge was learning new technologies, because I knew that I had to build an online presence. There are many platforms and different technologies involved with building lists, learning social media, doing podcast, learning how to do the lighting, the audio and video of interviews, etc.

Lisa: Yes, there is so much to learn and that often intimidates aspiring authors. I think it’s important to take it all one step at a time and not try to do everything at once. I think you did a good job of that—at one point focusing on your newsletter, later writing for the Huffington Post, etc. What vision did you have for what your book would do for your life and your work?

[bctt tweet=”How Writing a Book at Midlife Opens Doors ” username=”LisaTener”]

Randy: Writing my book opened so many doors for me—more than I envisioned. I wanted to do more speaking engagements and that came readily. I began writing for my own blog as well as the Huffington Post; Mind, Body, Green; WebMD and so many online and traditional publications. I regularly speak at conferences and retreats around the country now at a wide variety of venues.

“Power of Gratitude” panel with Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra and Dr. Randy Kamen. New Museum, New York.

Lisa: I quoted you when I spoke at Harvard Medical School’s Healthcare Leadership Course last fall. You said, “I now reach a global audience of influential people.” That is such a powerful result of becoming a published author. And you’re now doing so much training…

Randy: Yes, most recently I developed an online course which can be taught in 8 weeks or expanded out for a year. It’s about retraining the brain and developing more vibrancy and joy in midlife. I’m also about to launch a summit at the end of January, 2017 with leaders from the fields of mind-body-spirit. Although a tremendous amount of work and a huge learning curve this has been one of the most satisfying projects I’ve ever taken on.

Lisa: Anything else that stands out from writing a book at midlife and becoming a published author?

Randy: Meeting leaders in the field and establishing peer to peer relationships with people whose work I truly admire and resonate with.

Lisa: It must have been especially exciting to be personally contacted by Arianna Huffington and asked to join a panel she was leading. And then to be on that panel with Deepak Chopra, Gabrielle Bernstein and others. What are some surprises that came out of becoming a published author—things you didn’t expect?

Randy: One of the biggest surprises was that my agent continued to show my book to publishers after I had self-published and my book eventually got picked up by a medical publishing house. This means that it will be in book stores and libraries all over. The book is currently being edited and updated.

I never thought I would be able to create a virtual business and see patients via Skype and run groups online in the way that I’m doing now. I love that I can be anywhere and operate a business that I love. I had begun to feel burnt out—sitting with patients in my office all day. I had a successful private practice for many years and was blessed with such meaningful work, but I was ready to make a change and create something different and reach a larger audience too. That said, I still maintain a small private practice just to keep myself alive in the field. I enjoy having a small practice that allows me the freedom to do what I want personally and professionally.

Lisa: What’s the most exciting part of being a published author?

Randy: When someone tells me that they read my book and how much they valued the information and strategies, I’m always delighted. I also feel like it’s a milestone for me in a private sort of way. I’ve always liked taking on big projects and seeing them through despite the challenges that inevitably present themselves. I remember feeling the same way when I wrote my dissertation, which was also a book. I still would like to publish that data I discovered doing that research.

Lisa: Wow. I look forward to seeing that!

[bctt tweet=”Why Writing a Book at Midlife is Perfect Timing ” username=”LisaTener”]

Lisa: What are some midlife skills and experiences that made midlife the perfect time to write your book?

Randy: Writing a blog helped to hone my writing skills. I still write just about every day. Also, all of my years as a psychologist gave me so many stories and skills to draw upon. And of course raising my children gave me a greater appreciation for parenting, balancing family and work. After the children were launched a space opened up in which I now really had the time to write and create.

Lisa: I can see how that would create some time! Do you have clients and colleagues who’ve written books at midlife?

Randy: Yes. Many of the people involved in my summit have written books and I’ve developed some friendships with these people. Otherwise I don’t have many friends that are authors. In the town where I live it seems that most women don’t work full time jobs and many have more traditional marriages—though in midlife that seems to be changing somewhat.

Lisa: What are some of the motivations that have driven your colleagues to write a book at midlife and publish?

Randy: The people in my summit are kindred spirits for the most part. Many are on a mission to share their acquired wisdom and make a difference for the greater good.

Finding Fulfillment and Joy in Midlife: The Summit

Lisa: Tell us a bit more about the midlife summit.

Randy: The summit is an awesome collection of women and men coming together to talk about the research and cutting edge strategies for making the most out of these precious years—rather than letting them slip away. This summit will help people take more responsibility in how they choose to lead the coming years and hopefully live with greater sense of purpose.

Lisa: I think one of the things about anything you do is that you always back up your teachings with the research behind it—the evidence that it works. Tell us more about your vision for the midlife summit.

Randy: My vision is to create an annual event in which I draw from leaders around the world to contribute their energy, wisdom and know how with an ever expanding audience. This time in life is so rich and I want to be deeply involved in focusing on the best aspects of midlife—rather than focusing on the negative—the losses—the notion of the midlife crisis. Midlife I’m convinced can be the sweetest time in a person’s life.

Lisa: Wow, that’s an exciting vision and in such contrast to much of what we hear from the media on midlife. I think your vision of making it an annual event really ups the quality of a summit—when you know you want to create more events and attract top talent to the summit year after year. What can we expect?

Randy: Expect an annual event that will tap into the best resources and people coming together. Perhaps even over time creating a live event. But I must say I’m loving doing the interviews from the comfort of my own home or wherever else I may be.

Lisa: You’re a natural at interviewing. It’s fun to experience you in this new role. What are some of the interviews that will be especially relevant to aspiring authors?

Randy: Dr. Joan Borysenko just finished writing her 17th book. Dr. Alice Domar has written seven books and Dr. Rick Hanson has written four so far. Dr. Maria Sirois, and Dr. Reid Wilson also have written beautiful and compelling books. Mirabai Bush has co-authored a book with Ram Dass and is now writing another about the dying process. She is doing this with Ram Dass as he faces his deteriorating health and ultimate death. So many others have messages too that they just had to put together in a coherent way. It’s for them and their audiences. I know the feeling of needing to create and fully express ideas and experience. It can be intoxicating at times.

Lisa: What an inspiring line up! I think my readers will also be very interested in hearing my colleagues Nancy Aronie who is so wonderful about helping writers feel “safe” to write about deeper personal experiences and inspirational publisher Linda Joy. I also have to share that I am so proud that my client and Bring Your Book to Life® Program graduate, Micaela Karlsen, is perhaps the only non-midlifer in the summit. Micaela, author of A Plant Based Life, provides evidence based advice on how to stick with healthy eating, despite all the temptation “out there.”

Anything else you want to share about the midlife summit?

Randy: It’s my first one and I’m blown away by the generosity of the speakers. They have been so honest and willing to share their truth, their frailties and strengths. I am honored that so many people stepped up and contributed to this summit in such beautiful ways.

The summit is over but you can find out more about Randy’s offerings here.

And feel free to share your midlife dreams, aspirations and transformations below, as well as your questions about writing a book at midlife.

How to Make Money Writing, Teaching, Editing, and Doing What You Love , Part 2

January 29, 2014 by Lisa Tener

Book writing coach lisa tener — Your Book Writing Coach

As I prepare to offer a presentation at The San Francisco Writers Conference on The 6-Figure Author: 21 Principles to Make Money Writing, Teaching, Editing and Doing What You Love, I’ve been thinking a great deal on all the lessons I’ve learned to become a 6-figure writer and the people who helped me get there. I think it’s time I introduced you to some of the wisdom of a few of those folks, two of whom will be presenting at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference.

So, let’s assume you read my last post–also on how to make money writing, editing, teaching and doing what you love–and you understand how to price your services based on value–and how to increase the value of your skills and talents. What next? Next, I’d like you to focus just a little on marketing. I know, marketing is worse than a four letter word to many people. Maybe you’re one of them.

Last year, I worked with a consultant who suggested I apply for three awards, one in the category “marketing.” I felt a little uncomfortable about it but she convinced me. Then, the craziest thing happened: I won Marketer of the Year – Media for my size company (small) from the American Business Awards. It was the GOLD Stevie Award. And, yes, I felt excited, but I also felt a little embarrassed. The worse-than-a-four-letter-word thing.

So, I had to take a day or two and get my head around what I know marketing truly is–and not the dirty word some folks have made it into. At the heart of marketing is service–understanding who you are serving, what they need and want, what keeps them up at night–and then delivering that to them, with a smile, with some panache, perhaps. Listening when your market–the people you serve–have something to tell you. And, yes, marketing is about helping them find you!

In that vein, I thought about some of the many people who taught me about marketing along the way. Here are five people I believe are great at marketing–and what they’ve taught me about serving and succeeding:

Linda Joy: Linda taught me many things about marketing. One of them is to ask people to help you spread the word about your services. Ask your former or current clients, ask the people who referred them in the first place. You’re offering them not only a chance to help you, but a chance to help the person they refer.

Julia Griffin: Julia is a mentor extraordinaire. She’s taught me about enjoying everything in life more–and having success in bringing my vision to fruition. Among the zillions of things I’ve learned from Julia is that less is more. It’s so easy to take on project after project, run yourself ragged and lose the ability to savor all the beautiful things about your life. One of the best things you can do is to return to how you want your work to impact the people you serve. Spend time each day seeing your work making an impact for others. Tap into the feeling of what you’re helping your clients (or students) create–whether it’s a book, an article, a business memo or something else entirely. The more time you spend on this, the more easily the other marketing activities will flow–and the more effectively and efficiently you’ll achieve your vision–including a successful business.

Jeanna Gabellini: I’m taking Jeanna’s Healthy, Wealthy Launch class right now and I see how much fun Jeanna has in marketing her services. I’m sure–well, I hope–that you have fun writing, editing and/or teaching. Can you bring some of that same sense of fun to marketing? Take the edge off?

Rusty Shelton: Rusty was our publicist for The Ultimate Guide to Transforming Anger. He was a dream to work with and our book got all kinds of national publicity–from a fabulous book review in the Chicago Tribune to a quote in Glamour to a spot in USA Weekend–and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But his sense of service didn’t end when our contract was over. He continued to send opportunities our way when they came up. As a result, I’ve become more than just a happy former client. I’m a huge fan and, of course, I recommend his services all the time–knowing that he will more than deliver for the authors I recommend him to. Go the extra mile and people will do the same for you–and they’ll feel so good about recommending you knowing you will provide that same kind of value you gave to them.

Michael Larsen: Mike was a “paper mentor” long before I met him in person. At the suggestion of literary agent Rita Rosenkranz, I purchased the second edition of How to Write a Book Proposal and–with my co-authors–got a book deal using his guidelines and examples. One thing Mike emphasizes every time I hear him speak is community. To be a successful writer, particularly in this time of ultra-connectivity, you need to connect–to writers, colleagues, mentors, clients and others. Communities will support your success–and that includes financial success.

So, can you guess where I’m going with this? What better way to be in community than to attend a truly fabulous writers conference? Well, lucky you, there’s still space at the San Francisco Writers Conference where you can create community with other writers, bestselling authors, literary agents, acquisitions agents (publishers), business experts, publicists and all sorts of great and brilliant people who will be fellow travelers along your path. In fact, two of the mentors I mentioned above, Rusty Shelton and Michael Larsen, will be presenting at the conference (Mike is co-founder), so they can become part of your dynamic writing and publishing community!

Please do join me at the conference for THE SIX-FIGURE WRITER: 21 Principles for Making Money Writing, Teaching, Editing, and Doing What You Love where you’ll learn all 21 of my principles (and at least 3 bonus principles, because I keep getting more ideas!). You may also enjoy my half day pre-conference workshop on Thursday Feb. 13: Writing in the Zone: 5 Steps to Inspired Flow.

And, I want to tell you about all the amazing workshops, panels and opportunities to create community, but the easiest thing is really to go to the San Francisco Writers Conference website and see the schedule. Let me know if you’re coming! And please do share your comments below, particularly any marketing lessons you learned from your mentors or experiences.

Can You Write the Wrong Book?

January 17, 2011 by Lisa Tener

head on hands on books — Your Book Writing Coach

Is it possible to write the wrong book? Yes. You may write a book that:

* Doesn’t meet your goals for sales, impact or results (the results it gets for you, your business or your readers)

* Doesn’t speak to the audience and meet them where they are. Maybe it’s too technical, speaks the wrong language (sports metaphors for women artists) or assumes a common experience or belief system that isn’t accurate.

* Is hard to follow or doesn’t flow well.

* Loses your readers’ interest.

Or a number of other issues. Avoid this unnecessarily sorry fate by thinking clearly through your book concept from the beginning: clarifying who your audience is and what they want (not what you think they need), then matching your content, tone, table of contents, features, etc. to that specific audience. And, of course, polish your book to perfection.

How to clarify your book concept? Join me and Linda Joy on February 2 for Birth Your Book: From Inspiration to Published Author to learn more tips for clarifying what your book is (and isn’t), who it’s for and how it will captivate your readers.

The view from my book writing classes and Feb. 4 Open House

And if you’re in New England, you can follow the teleseminar by coming to my open house / introductory program in Narragansett, RI on Feb. 4. E-mail me to RSVP and for directions.

And, as always, feel free to ask questions here on the this blog.

Your Author Platform: 3 Things I’ve Learned from Linda Joy

September 3, 2010 by Lisa Tener

When Linda Joy invited me to become an advisory board member of Aspire Magazine, I got goose bumps. Linda is all about delivering inspiration to women–a mission I could get behind.

This was the first issue with Aspire's new image when it was still a print magazine — This was the first issue with Aspire's new image back when it was a print magazine

Two plus years later, my community has grown significantly, partly through knowing Linda and being part of all that is Aspire magazine online and Inspired Living Publishing. Linda truly knows how to create a “village” and reach people with her inspired message.

You may know that recently Linda and I decided to team up and offer you our combined secrets on both sides of the book equation—book writing and book sales. To sell books, you need to work on your author platform before you write your book—and Linda is an expert on how to grow that author platform.

Inspiring Publisher and Proponent of "Conscious Partnership" in the writing and publishing world, Linda Joy

Working together on Birth Your Book: From Inspiration to Published Author, I’m learning so much just by watching Linda in motion. Here are 3 of the things I learned from Linda:

1. Ask for help—people love to be asked, but they can’t read your mind: When Linda began inviting my clients and former students to promote our free teleseminar, I realized how little I invite my clients and students to do such things. While a handful may spontaneously retweet or comment on a facebook post, how much more powerful to have your very-happy clients promoting a new program of yours through a personal phone call or an e-mail blast to their tribes?

2. Tend to your past clients and the people who know your work: These people already know the value and quality of your work. Introduce them to new business ventures—invite them to become affiliates and offer your programs to people to earn a commission when people sign up for your paid programs—it’s a win/win/win for everyone—from the new person who benefits from working with you to the past client earning a commission and getting to help a friend—and you grow your business and the list of people who want what you have to offer.

3. Give your community the tools they need to support you: Linda is so organized. She doesn’t just rely on the shopping cart’s affiliate center (which can be confusing). She e-mailed everyone several different sized banners they can use in newsletters, e-mails and on their website, as well as text they can use to promote the program.

Above all, Linda is a woman of integrity and love. She has tremendous passion for everything she does and she generates true enthusiasm for the purposeful work of colleagues, clients and friends, supporting and promoting their work. This powerful way of being in the world inspires me and all who know her to take our way of being to a whole new level.

Did this article spark any ideas for you in growing your community and author platform? Linda and I will be sharing more Author Platform Secrets on our joint teleseminar: Birth Your Book: From Inspiration to Published Author on Wed. Sept. 21, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. You can sign up here. And I’ll also share how you can finally get your book written.

And if you’d like to spread the word about our Birth Your Book Teleseminar and potentially earn a commission for those who sign up for paid programs, here’s your link to become an affiliate or read more about the program here. Joining our campaign, perhaps you’ll be inspired to start one of your own.