Jumpstart Your Signature Product Offerings by Writing a Book

 

Writing a book offers many benefits to professional coaches. You may be surprised to discover how the process of writing a book can help you jumpstart other projects, such as signature product offerings that gain you more business, a wider presence in you industry, and other avenues for helping others.

Writing Stimulates Creativity

Writing is an utterly creative process. Regardless of the endless hours you spend researching and outlining your book, the time you spend in front of the keyboard pounding out chapters is an entirely creative time that actually serves to feed your creative tendencies. These are the times when ideas, plans, and processes for other projects will come to you.

Take a little time to jot a not so you don’t forget about these new ideas, then get back to work on your book. You want to make sure you don’t lose track of these signatures ideas but also that you do not get lost in planning that project rather than completing your book.

Create Mini Classes for Group Coaching Sessions Based on Topics Your Book Covers

Your book offers a straightforward guide your readers can follow to achieve real success. However, diving in deeper to some of the topics your book covers through group coaching and mini classes can help your audience accomplish so much more. Jot down outlines for these classes and group sessions as you are writing those chapters for your book. Your mind is fresh with the details and you can get double rewards for the information you’ve researched.

Consider Developing a Book Series

If not a book series, at least consider creating a workbook series supplemental planners that are based on your book or topics related to your book. That offers you opportunities for greater profitability while helping your audience transition the principles in your book into actions in their lives. The more books, workbooks, planners, and other products you have available, in addition to your book, the more opportunities you have to earn greater profits from your existing audience.

Kick Your Price Point Up a Notch or Two

Books build confidence and trust among your audience. Now that you’ve written a book, it’s time to consider the value of the courses, products, and coaching sessions you offer and reevaluate how much you’re charging for your time.

Books create authority and expertise in the eyes of your followers. Make sure the prices for your new items reflects the added value your time and talent now command.

Also take the time to review existing products for ideas about updates and upgrades that can make them more valuable to audiences and help them command a greater price from consumers.

The more time you spend creating products, reworking existing products, and planning out new products for the future, the easier the writing, planning, and publishing process will become for you. The key is to actually start and see how quickly it all comes together for you.

***

Rebecca Camarena is the Book Coach that helps memoir and business book authors write, publish and market books that grow their brand. As a best-selling author with her co-authored book Out of My Comfort Zone: Stories of Courage, Perseverance and Victory she helped women share their stories of how they got of their fear zone to excel in their business.

Sign up for my FREE 30-minute Author Consultation call so you can start on your book writing journey. Click here www.rebeccacamarena.com/contact/

 

How Dickens Made a Word for Himself and Became Known for “Messiness"

Dickensonian Words for Inspiration

Creative Writing Isn’t for the Faint of Heart

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

I included a chapter in the third edition of my multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers for the kind of writers who can’t resist making up words, especially if they feel insecure about it. Of course, writers should reassess such “indiscretions,” but knowing a bit about renowned writers who did the same thing helps them feel more comfortable about straying from the usual. I love MSNBC’s motto, “the more we know…” and it benefits by adding  “the more equipped we are to break a rule.”

Take the admired Victorian writer Charles Dickens, famous for his A Christmas Carol (1843) and Oliver Twist (1838). He invented a slew of words by making an adjective like messy into a noun with by adding a suffix. Some adjectives like messy very nearly demand to become a noun and Dickens’ messiness was so successful it can still be found in some of the best dictionaries. 

I think of new words attributed to Dickens as inspirational. They to dare us to proceed when we are so tempted. Here’s a little list of his adaptations—some that caught on and have been used for decades now and some…well, not so much.

§  Comfoozled: Some say Dickens invented this word, some prefer to call it a coined word. He used it in one of his Pickwick Papers which appears to mean “a horrid state of love,” and “done over with.” Popular or not, I put in in a class with Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwockey.” A word doesn’t have to live long to be a lot of fun.

§  Sassigassity: Dickens said it means “audacity with attitude.” That makes it a superlative for audacity; you know, very sassy or very audacious. Perhaps it didn’t catch on because writers’ seem to have a natural aversion to redundancy. Today Dickens experiment might serve as an example of how we writers might evaluate our own creative efforts. In this case it did double duty for something we’re already uncomfortable with.

§  Whizz-bang met with greater success. Dickens used it to as a noun for the sound of gunshot. His word became popular during WWII to mean a small-caliber shell and it might have been adapted through the decades to describe a vigorous or smart person, but that theory might not be easily verified.

§  Jog-trotty: Apparently Dickens wasn’t thinking of jog-trot, a term used for the slow trot used by some breeds of horses. He seemed to equate it with it with something dull in his Bleak House (1852). That one, too, hasn’t found popularity.

 

Here are a few of Dickens’ words that have happily survived:

§  Sawbones is still occasionally used to refer to a surgeon. I suspect its tinge of humor has helped is longevity.

§   Mildewy was so useful Dickens used it twice—one in The Pickwick Papers and again in A Tale of Two Cities (1859).

§  Soupy, bulgy, swishy ,waxy, and trembly are all examples of how easy it is to add a suffix to most any word. Using that technique probably won’t add points in a game of Scrabble, but if your inventions are disputed because they don’t show up in dictionaries, you can try the old defense, “If it’s good enough for Dickens, it’s good enough for Scrabble.

I’ll be counting on your sassigassity to come up with some words of your own and maybe new techniques for the process. I’ll need new material for that chapter in The Frugal Editor I mentioned. It’s a favorite among poets and authors of children’s lit. You new words could be my excuse to pitch its fourth edition…and make your new word famous. Ahem!

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MORE ABOUT TODAY’S BLOGGER

 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. All her books for writers are multi award winners including the first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter published in 2003 now updated and published in its third edition. Her The Frugal Editor, also now in its third edition, won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award and includes an almost-new chapter for poets and other creatives who like making up their own words.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

Writing for Children? 3 Things to Avoid

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi

It seems there are still new children’s authors or wannabe authors who don’t take the time to learn how to write for children… at least to learn the basics.

The absolute must-nots when writing for children:

The Picture Book Cliffhanger

A recent client of mine was for a picture book rewrite project with the ending missing, so there was a bit of ghosting involved. The intended age group was four to eight.

I rewrote the story and added a ‘satisfying’ ending with a takeaway only to learn the client wanted it to be a cliffhanger and didn’t want a takeaway.

Well, kind of a cliffhanger. The client wanted the ending missing.

No loose ends tied up. No satisfying ending. No full character arc. No full story arc.

This client scenario was a first for me.

Not wanting a takeaway is one thing, but not wanting a satisfying ending for a young children’s book doesn’t make sense.

The story was to leave the reader to guess what the author had in mind for the ending or create their own.

The author’s intent was to create a series of cliffhangers motivating the reader to get the next picture book.

I tried my best to help the client understand that a young children’s book needs all the elements of a ‘good’ story, especially when seeking a traditional publishing contract.

I understand that in self-publishing a lot of new authors do whatever they want (even though they should produce a quality book), but it’s a different ball game when going the traditional route.

The Perfect Story World

I don’t get too many of these types of authors, but it came up in another recent project.

This scenario is when the author doesn’t want any significant conflict in the story. No real stakes involved.

-No swarm of bees to block a path the protagonist must get through.
-No ferocious fire-breathing dragon blocking the entrance to a cave the protagonist must get into.
-No dangling from a cliff before being rescued.

The author also doesn’t want the characters, even the villain, to have any bad traits.

-No evil Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis).
-No evil Joker or the Penguin (Batman’s nemesis).
-No evil Lex Luthor (Superman’s nemesis).

This type of story is sugar-coated.

Instead of a roller coaster that goes up and down, where the rider has to hold on tight, this type of story is the stationary horse on the carousel, no holding on needed, no real movement involved.

You always want your story to be the one the reader is motivated to hold onto, motivated to turn the pages. You want your story to go up and down and around.

Hitting the Reader Over the Head

Most of my clients have a specific goal for their story. They want to send a message to a child. They know exactly what they want the takeaway to be.

A number of stories have the bullying theme, but interestingly, that’s eased off. Now I get more requests for inclusion, standing up for yourself, and being kind themes.

Some new authors think they have to hit the reader over the head with their message. They blatantly want to tell the reader how the main character grew because he was kind, stood up for himself, or included someone different in her group.

Hitting the reader over the head with the story’s message is frowned upon. The story should convey the message subtly. The reader will pick up on it.

I hope these three absolute must-nots in kid’s writing help you on your children’s writing journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, working ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. If you need help with your story, visit Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

Karen also offers authors:

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S FICTION BOOK
A DIY book to help you write your own children’s book.

WRITERS ON THE MOVE SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICE
Self-publishing help for children’s authors.

Weave Hidden Messages into Your Stories

An early sketch of
Thistletoe the Packrat,
by Nancy Batra

By Linda Wilson   @LinWilsonauthor

The theme(s) in your story needs to be subtle and not stand out; the main theme is what your story is really about. It’s not the characters, plot or even what happens in the story, but the universal idea that runs throughout. Theme works best when readers discover it on their own. Theme is linked to whatever your main character values most. 

Examples of themes in stories include:

• Friendship: What it means to have a friend and be a friend.
• Responsibility: Owning up to one’s actions.
• Overcoming fear: How to face challenges with integrity and courage.

Hidden Messages 

In my stories, in addition to the themes, are messages that I’ve strived to cloak in fun and interesting ways. It all begins with my overall message, “Stories from the Great Outdoors,” which is prominently spelled out on my marketing materials. And yet, children might not realize that each story involves activities that the characters enjoy out in nature— swimming, hiking, running, bird watching, feeding ducks, horseback riding, and bicycle riding—because these "messages" are hidden in plain sight.

Here are examples of some of my hidden-in-plain-sight messages, beginning with the Abi Wunder chapter book series:

• The ghost in the story is a beekeeper; his interest in collecting honey a reminder of the importance of bees. The story takes places in the country, an experience not available to a lot of children, which might encourage readers to appreciate country living. A sheriff relays the message that police officers have authority, but are friendly and helpful. (The chapter book, Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery, Book 1)
• A country living setting is explored more in this book. Abi lives in a town about two hours away in an apartment. A family Bible from the 1800s is part of the story in Mist, regarding the family record kept in it. The ghost comes from the 1800s, so her dress and background are explored. (Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery, Book 2) 
• Apartment living and the love of grandparents will be integral parts of the story. (Secrets of the Heart: An Abi Wunder Mystery, Book 3),  currently a work-in-progress.

And in four picture books:

• The story introduces readers to packrats, what they’re like and what their habits are; with information in the backmatter about the Southwest. (A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift)
• A story about a 4-H horse show, with information about 4-H and how to join the organization. (Tall Boots)
• A story about the discovery of a bird’s nest, which includes ideas about how readers can become birdwatchers. (Cradle in the Wild)
• The story shows that ducks need to live in a healthy habitat. Readers are encouraged to feed water fowl nutritious food, rather than bread. (Waddles the Duck: Hey, Wait for Me!)

Pairing hidden messages with the themes in your stories such as these has the potential to provide readers with the motivation to go out and ride a horse, start a backyard bird sanctuary, or simply enjoy various characters’ positive life experiences so much that they’ll strive to make them their own.

Source: https://www.writeacademy.com/blog/thinking-about-theme/ 

Talls Boots and
Cradle in the Wild
are now available in Spanish
https://www.amazon.com/author/
lindawilsonchildrensauthor/

Linda Wilson is the author of the Abi Wunder Mystery series and other books for children. Her two new releases are Cradle in the Wild: A Book for Nature Loves Everywhere (2023), Botas Altas (2024), the Spanish version of Tall Boots, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero, and Cuna en la Naturaleza (2025), translated by Adriana Botero. You’ll find Linda on her Amazon author page, on her website at LindaWilsonAuthor.com, and on Facebook.

Make Your Writing Plan for the First Quarter of 2025

 by Suzanne Lieurance

If you’re a writer, planning your first quarter can set the tone for an entire year of creativity and productivity. 

 

A solid plan gives you clarity, focus, and something to aim for as you turn your writing dreams into realities. 

 

Here’s how you can map out a winning Q1 plan that keeps you moving forward.

 

Step 1. Start with Your Big Picture Vision.

 

What do you want your writing life to look like by the end of 2025? 

 

Maybe it’s finishing a novel, landing a book deal, building an engaged audience, or launching a freelance writing business. 

 

Get specific about your goals and write them down. 

 

Then, ask yourself: what’s one milestone I can realistically hit by the end of March that moves me closer to that vision? 

 

This will be your north star for Q1.

 

Step 2. Break It Down into Quarterly Goals.

 

Take that big milestone and break it into smaller, manageable goals. 

 

Let’s say your Q1 focus is completing the first draft of your novel. 

 

Break that into goals like:

 

- Outlining your story in January.

 

- Writing 30,000 words in February.

 

- Finishing the draft by the end of March.

 

Keep your goals focused and measurable. 

 

The clearer your goals, the easier it is to stay on track.

 

Step 3. Schedule Writing Time Like a Pro.

 

Great intentions won’t get you anywhere without consistent action. 

 

Look at your calendar for January through March and block out dedicated writing time. 

 

Be realistic—whether it’s 20 minutes a day, three focused hours on the weekend, or daily sprints, commit to a schedule that fits your life. 

 

Treat this time like an unbreakable appointment with your future self.

 

Step 4. Create Systems to Stay Consistent.

 

Life happens, and distractions are everywhere. 

 

Set up systems that help you stick to your plan. 

 

This could mean:

 

- Using a habit tracker to log daily writing progress.

 

- Joining a writing accountability group.

 

- Setting weekly goals and rewarding yourself for hitting them.

 

The key is consistency—not perfection.

 

Step 5. Incorporate Flexibility for the Unexpected.

 

Even the best plans need room to breathe. 

 

Build flexibility into your Q1 strategy by setting buffer time in your schedule. 

 

For instance, plan to finish your draft by mid-March instead of the very last day, so you’re not scrambling if something unexpected comes up.

 

Step 6. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection.

 

The goal for Q1 isn’t to write the perfect draft or flawlessly execute every task. 

 

It’s to make progress. 

 

Each word you write, each goal you hit, gets you closer to your bigger dream. 

 

Celebrate small wins along the way—they’ll fuel your momentum.

 

Step 7. Reflect and Adjust at the End of Each Month.

 

At the end of January and February, take some time to reflect. 

 

What worked? 

 

What didn’t? 

 

Adjust your plan as needed. 

 

This ensures you’re not just blindly following a schedule but actively refining your process to get better results.

 

Step 8. Keep Inspired Action at the Core.

 

Your Q1 plan should excite you. 

 

Focus on actions that feel meaningful and energize your creativity. 

 

When you take inspired action—writing from a place of joy and purpose—you’ll find the process as rewarding as the outcomes.

 

A strong Q1 plan is more than a to-do list; it’s your roadmap to writing success. 

 

By setting clear goals, creating systems, and staying flexible, you’ll build momentum that carries you through the rest of 2025. 

 

Start now, and when April rolls around, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come. 

Try it!

 

And for more tips and resources for writers, visit writebythesea.com and sign up for The Morning Nudge (it's free).

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of more than 40 published books and Law of Attraction coach for writers.

Do You Want to Write a Bestseller?

By Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin)

As an acquisition’s editor at a New York publisher, I often speak with authors about their dreams and ambitions for their book. Many authors want their book to become a bestseller. Every business has a pinnacle of success. It is the ultimate mark of achievement. In book publishing, this mark of success is tied to winning a particular award or getting your book on a particular bestseller list. Many writers proclaim their book will be a New York Times bestseller. While it is an admirable goal, just making such a statement is another publishing myth because of the difficulty involved. It is equivalent to a brand-new actor proclaiming he is going to win an Oscar. Eventually, this actor may win an Oscar, but rarely does it happen right away.

When an author lands on the New York Times list, the achievement is forever carried with their publishing life. They are introduced as a New York Times bestselling author. In many ways, it is the holy grail of publishing to achieve such a milestone. I’ve never achieved such a milestone, but I know a number of authors who have reached this goal. Several years ago, I moderated a panel with three members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors who have become New York Times bestselling authors.

As the moderator, I pulled together the speakers and organized the session into three parts: the pitch or the proposal, the writing, and the promotion and life changes that came from the experience. I asked each speaker to pull together some tips and suggestions into a handout. 

This event is at a “members only session” for the ASJA. In other words, you have to be a member of this organization (about 1400) and have registered for the conference and traveled to New York City for the event (an even smaller number). Here’s the handout for this event (www.terrylinks.com/nytwh). This document is nine pages of solid information and insight.

I encourage you as an author to continue to market your book, yet understand reaching the New York Times bestseller list is not easy or simple. Many people seek it but few attain it. For the majority of authors, it is a myth for them to reach any bestseller list—not just the New York Times bestseller list but others like the Los Angeles Times or Wall Street Journal. 

In this article, I want to focus on several practical steps every author can take to help generate additional book sales on an ongoing basis. One of the most neglected areas for authors is the book launch. From working with authors on book production, the final push to complete a book and get it ready to print can be grueling. There is a lot of detail work to finalize a book for printing and when it is finished, there is a huge relief. Yet it is not a time to stop and do nothing. This silent period is called the pre-launch stage. To become an effective book selling author, it is time for you to crank even more energy into this pre-sales process.

Many authors let down and do nothing during this stage. The exceptions and successful authors will use this time to promote the pre-sales on the book, write press related materials, hire a publicist and gather a launch team or at least people to write reviews. I’m going to give you more details about each of these activities.

Create a Pre-Launch Campaign 

The period when the book has been completely produced and finalized but not released into the bookstore is called the pre-sales season. As an author, one of the most effective actions you can take is to organize a pre-sales campaign. Dave Jarworski, was one of the early employees at Microsoft and the winner of the first Microsoft sales award from Bill Gates. He ran an effective pre-sales campaign for the launch of his book. After he left Microsoft, Dave and I worked together at Christianity.com. We kept in touch and Dave wrote a book about Microsoft called Microsoft Secrets (www.microsoftsecrets.com). Dave gathered unusual resources with his book such as some unpublished videos and launched a pre-sales campaign for this book. If you pre-ordered the book, and after your order, returned to Dave and told him (giving an order number for example), you got access to these extras. The pre-sales campaign drove people to pre-order the book from different bookstores. 

Also the pre-sales campaign is something Morgan James can promote to our bookstore sales team who in turn promoted it to the bookstores. When Microsoft Secrets launched, the physical books were sold into the majority of the bookstores throughout North America and Canada. Authors who do not have a pre-sales campaign will sell into a limited number of physical bookstores, but because of the pre-launch campaign, Microsoft Secrets received much broader distribution than normal (and increased sales as a result).

Because a successful campaign was launched for the book, this author activity spilled into other areas such as foreign rights. At this writing, Microsoft Secrets has been sold into two additional languages besides English, Vietnamese and Simple Chinese. Ironically after 22 years away from Microsoft, Dave Jaworski rejoined Microsoft as an employee. Worldwide Microsoft has over 154,000 employees. To create this pre-sales campaign, you can study the activities of other authors and watch how they launch their books. You may need a website or other help with this process. Get several recommendations before selecting the right person to help you. The key difference maker to become a bestseller it to take consistent action to be telling people about your book and where it is available. Finally, every author needs to have a realistic view of their book and what can happen with it.

Tweetable:

What does it take to become a bestselling author? This prolific author and editor gives some insights in this article.  (ClickToTweet) 

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.