'Tis the Season to Set Goals

One of the members of my critique group suggested that we have a separate meeting in January at one or our favorite coffee shops, away from our usual critique sessions, for an informal discussion about our goals for 2020. And to arrive with our goals in writing. Throughout the year we can check in with each other, see how we’re doing.

Yay. This method can work the way successful weight-loss programs work: by making ourselves accountable to someone. Why not do this for our writing? As a veteran of years of goal-setting and goal-breaking, I find myself excited and motivated by the prospect of putting my goals in writing and sharing them with my critique partners. This way my projects have an excellent chance of progressing, maybe even being completed.

Here’s what I plan to take to our meeting:

• A 35x24 white board has sat in our garage gathering dust for years. I rescued it, cleaned it off, bought a brand new set of dry erase markers, found my old eraser, and propped it up in my office. The months are listed on the left, projects on the top; goals filled in now and will be updated throughout the year.

• My goal plans were born on paper, typed up and ready to post on my goal board for the world to see. For my first book, about to be published, I typed up part of my marketing plan (the more detailed plan is kept in a three-ring binder), and to save space, I labelled its parts in phases. At the meeting I can explain the phases from my typed-up version, and throughout the year, as I go along completing my goals, I can erase them from the board and cross them off on paper.

• Most of the goals I’ve set are short-term, aiming toward the long-term drop-dead goal.

Take a Step Back to Leap Forward
Another member found a terrific “Best of My Year” set of questions we can ask ourselves about how we did in 2019, which were recently posted on Emma D. Dryden’s blog, and can be found here:

What excited you this year about your art or writing?

What are you grateful for in the progress you’ve made in your art or writing and your goals?

What did you do this year to propel your story forward and/or to propel your career forward?

What did you do to invest in your art or writing?

What did you do to invest in yourself?

Emma’s last words:
Bring it back to you and your creativity.
That's what matters most.
Hard to do, I know, but worth it.
You're worth it.
(And separate from social media if you have to!)

Let's make a date to meet back here in December 2020 on my monthly post date, the 27th, and see how much we've accomplished. If we take the time to set our goals, put them in writing, and follow through with them throughout the year, I predict we will be pleased--maybe even ecstatic--at what we've accomplished!
Introductory image courtesy of: Pinterest

Biggie 2020 goal: Use less paper!

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 150 articles for adults and children, and several short stories for children. She has recently become editor of the New Mexico SCBWI chapter newsletter, and is working on several projects for children. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Marketing & Promotion Recap - Happy Holidays!

As authorprenuers, we must market our products; Platform, Brand, and Website provide the way.

Today we’ll recap our discussions over the last several months because this topic is worth repeating.

1) What Does It Take To Promote Your Writing? 
It takes Author Platform, Branding, Identifying your audience, an Author Website, and building Connection with your readers. Overwhelming? Yes, but, we must reach folks to read our stuff, so let’s get going.

A Platform, established and maintained, is the action you take to promote your writing. Kimberly Grabas founder of YourWriterPlatform.com defines Platform succinctly. It describes the ways you connect and engage with your ideal readership – the readers who are most receptive to your work. It also denotes your influence, visibility and authority.

Branding is who you are and how you are known. We market ourselves through our branding.
You have a book in you. Write it and get it out there.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/04/what-does-it-take-to-promote-your.html

2) What Does It Take To Market Your Writing? Great Content
To market your writing it takes focused effort for Author Platform, Branding, and an Author Website. Let’s talk about Great Content today.

We use the internet to research concepts, compare topics and glean information for our work, discover fresh ideas, and to find the best, consistent resources without wasting time or money. We must deliver informative, strategic, and timely content in the same way.

Five Tips:
1. Since we are not entitled to our reader’s attention, deliver content that grabs their interest through text, imagery, podcasts and video, and make it snappy for the scanners
2. If it grabs, it’s likely to spread
3. Use proven structures such as: 

*Headlines, and sub-headlines, that command attention  

*Focused introductory sentences  

*Information that solves a problem  

*Limiting the message to one central point

More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/05/market-with-content.htmll

3) Create a Strategy that Delivers Great Content 
What does it take to promote your writing, be it articles, stories or books? The answer is much more than Sales Pitches and Events.  How do you tell your readers or a prospective publisher what you are about? How does your promotional offer benefit the reader? The answers are: your Author Platform, your Branding, and your Website.  It’s the way you inform and engage your audience. This week we’ll talk about Great Content, and developing a Strategic Plan.

Points for brainstorming your strategic plan to deliver great content:
1.    The WHAT: Writing a series of five, six or ten articles focused on one theme
2.    The HOW of delivery is via quality information in text, graphics, video and audio. We are not entitled to our reader’s attention. Deliver content that grabs their interest early, and make it good for the quick-look reader.
3.    Change up the presentation by offering an article in text with audio as well.
4.    Make it original, relevant and valuable while staying focused on your theme.
5.    Also, make it substantial and in-depth even when it requires 1000 words or more.
6.    The WHY: Connecting with your audience which leads to engagement and sharing
7.    WHEN you build Connection, readers are more likely to follow by taking Action
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/06/create-strategy-that-delivers-great.html

4) Content Curation & Aggregation 
You promote and inform readership of the benefits you offer through your Platform, Branding, and Website.  Let’s talk about growing engagement by diving a bit deeper through Content Curation and Aggregation.
•    Content Curation is not creating new content; it is the process of searching out, discovering, compiling and sharing existing content for your readership relevant to a specific topic or subject.
o    Content Curation’s purpose is to add the value of a broader view and understanding.
o    Introduce the content with your own perspective and ideas, then provide a link to the source article via “To read the original article go to: …”
•    Content Aggregation is the collection of information for a particular topic with one or more related keywords. >>>
Adding value is the best path to growing your readership and promoting your work.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/07/content-curation-aggregation.html

5) Platform, Brand and You 
Your Platform and your brand, presented via your website, tells readers who you are and what you are about. These three, closely aligned will present a consistent message. Readers will return often to ask; “What do they have for me today?” “What more can I do to build my writing business?”

Your Platform is useful if you are a blogger writing essays, articles, or books. Our success requires visibility, thus we must communicate with our readers. Work to make your message clear and valuable, building trust. As for me, I want people to know where I am, what I offer in the way of writing craft, and the pieces I’m working on. How do they connect with me? My Website.

What’s Brand? You Are! You are your brand. We build brands through words, images and actions—your actions.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/08/platform-brand-and-you.html

6) Market Your Product
As authorprenuers, we must market our products i.e., books, articles, and niche.  Platform, Brand, and Website form the vehicle to make that happen. These, along with your mission statement tell your readers who you are and what you do. Closely aligned they present a consistent message.

Your Platform is a useful necessity for all authors whether you write essays, articles, blogs or books, fiction or nonfiction. Brand is who you are. You are your brand, built by words, images and delivering as promised. Success depends upon visibility. We communicate with clarity and offer valuable information through our websites because Content is King.

Start building your writer Platform now without delay and maintain it to keep connecting with your clients; building a Platform takes time…
More:  https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/09/market-your-product.html

7) What’s Different About an Author’s Website?
As authorprenuers, we must market our products. Platform, Brand, and Websites form the vehicle to make that happen. Writers’ need a dynamic website, update or start anew.

•    Create a Clear Identity
•    Create a vibrant headline with an image that is topic or niche focused and describes what you write and might include an image of your latest book cover, or another highlight of your work
Lots more: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/10/whats-different-about-authors-website.html

8) Social Media and Powerful Headlines
As authorprenuers, we market our work through our website and social media
Delivering great content value for our readers is the goal.  So, show them where to find it. Enter—social media.

As you register for social network accounts, pay close attention to building your profile and the name you choose for your account. Using your brand is powerful. Is your name your brand or is your theme your brand? Consistency matters, use it throughout all the social media accounts you create.

Let’s select from the highest rated social networks to promote our writing. >>>
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/11/social-media-and-powerful-headlines.html


Helpful resources:
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s “The Frugal Book Promoter” https://howtodoitfrugally.com/the_frugal_book_promoter.htm 

Kimberly Grabas founder of YourWriterPlatform.com defines platform succinctly. Platform describes the ways you connect and engage with your ideal readership – the readers that are most receptive to your work.   https://www.yourwriterplatform.com/

Joanna Penn and Marketing:  https://www.thecreativepenn.com/marketing/

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her writer’s website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/  
And her caregiver’s website at: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Season's Greetings 2019

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM 

WRITERS ON THE MOVE!

Possibilities Abound--If You Persevere

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As we approach the end of another year (and the end of this decade), I've been thinking about some of the great things which happened this past year--and some of the things which I attempted and fell flat. Yes, each of us have things on each side of that situation. Can you major on the possibilities and look for new opportunities? They are certainly out there yet only if you keep your eyes open for the possibilities and persevere. Many people along the way seem to drop off, give up and quit. Are you one of those people? You can make a choice not to be one of their number.

One of the continual discussions in the publishing community is whether a particular piece of writing is publishable or not. With the variety of possibilities from Internet to print-on-demand to traditional publishing to magazine work, there is always a way to get something to the audience--provided you reach the right audience. Publishability is a question the publisher will always ask--because they are investing a large amount of money into your project--just to produce it and also to market and sell the book.

I see many projects which don't have the depth or substance to be a book--and instead they are a longer magazine article or a substantial magazine article.

Who will you reach with this particular book AND does this publisher have the ability to reach that audience? Some publishers are better equipped to reach into an audience than others. Some times a publisher will consider your potential audience and reject the project because they are ill equipped to reach that audience and know it would be a mistake and misguided use of their resources. The answer about your audience returns to the age old question of researching the market and knowing how you will reach that market.

For example, if you are a children's author and tell me your book is going to be for any child from 3 to 12, your project gets immediately slated for rejection. You have no understanding of the divisions of children's literature and how that is handled in the bookstores and libraries of the nation. Your project is way too broad in scope from the beginning. Keep reading if you are a children’s author because I have some resources for you in a minute.

The same concern is true in the adult market when you say in your book proposal or query letter that your target market is women from 25 to 80 (as one which came across my screen recently.). You have not done your preparation as a writer to see the true possibilities. So do not be surprised when that idea doesn't hit too broad of a target.

Who are you targeting for the sales of your product? If it is the brick and mortar bookstores, then you need to work toward a traditional publisher for your product because no one reaches these stores better than the traditional publishers. I love traditional bookstores and try to spend as much time as I can in them--browsing the books and purchasing them in the store.

If you can show a publisher a large market (even if outside of the bookstore) and you have the ability to reach AND energize that market to purchase your new book, then you have moved out of the rejection pile and into a publishable category worthy of a publisher's consideration.

Finally no matter where you are in the publishing process, I want to encourage you to listen to this Mp3 called The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightengale. It is the only gold record ever achieved for the spoken word. If you are wondering about success and how to become successful, this recording is loaded with sound tested wisdom. I've heard it a couple of times. It will encourage you that the possibilities abound if you persevere.

As a writer, how are you handling the holidays and the end of the year? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

The possibilities are endless for writers if you persevere. Get insights and encouragement here. (ClickToTweet)

 ------
W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  His newest book for writers is 10 Publishing Myths, Insights for Every Author to Succeed. One of Terry's most popular free ebooks is Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to a Rejection-Proof Submission. He lives in Colorado and has over 205,000 twitter followers.  

How to Get Speaking Gigs for Conferences

If you're an author or illustrator, you probably know you can substantially increase your income by speaking for a fee at professional conferences.

You don't have to be a high-profile author or illustrator to land a great speaking gig at these events either.

Just try these tips:

1. Think small.

It's true that most big national/international conferences - the ones that attract thousands of participants - want high-profile authors, so submit presentation proposals to smaller regional and state conferences instead and you'll probably have more luck.

2. Check out the websites for regional and state conferences.

Most of these will list upcoming conference dates and locations.

They'll also list the name of an upcoming conference, the theme for the conference, and the proposal due date (typically 10 months before a conference, so you have to think ahead).

3. Take time to study the programs from past conferences.

Make note of the titles and descriptions of author presentations.

This will give you some ideas for your own presentations if you don't already have a list of topics that you feel comfortable and qualified to speak about.

4. Get to know other authors in your area.

Ask them about events where they've been a speaker.

They may be able to give you some tips or even know which events are looking for speakers and who you should contact.

Speaking at conferences is valuable in a number of ways.

It can help you increase your income through speaker fees and books sales, of course.

But it can also help you build name recognition as both an author and a speaker.

Try it!

For more tips, resources, and other helpful information about writing and the business of writing, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at www.morningnudge.com.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 35 published books and a writing coach. Learn more about her coaching programs and other resources for writers at www.writebythesea.com.

Event Goals

As I prepare for the release of Your Goal Guide in January, I have events on the brain. I'm looking to extend my reach and introduce my book to the world, which requires exploring different event scenarios, both as an attendee and a speaker.

Through my research and outreach, one thing is clear: the best live-event strategy is a multi-faceted approach. And the most effective way to make that happen: Set event goals! 

Here's how to do it:

1. Commit. As January approaches, look at your schedule to see what is your most feasible monthly event count. My recommendation is to commit to three events each month: Aim for one event per week, and take off one week a month. Obviously, if you can do more, that's even better. If you have to do less, that's fine too. Just pick what's doable and stick to it.

2. Discover. Reach out to friends and peers for recommendations of events to attend, groups to explore, and organizations where you can speak. Do your own research on top of the recs to find what may be the best fit for your needs and schedule. If you are curious about an organization or conference, and want to learn more before joining or paying to attend, offer to volunteer.  That gives you the best access to meeting the speakers and making connections.

3. Mix it Up. Events aren't limited to organized functions. A catch-up coffee with a former colleague or a fun night out with old friends is just as valuable as a speed-networking mixer, a workshop.  

4. Schedule. Once you find events that hold your interest, register, and mark out the time on your calendar. Commit to events the same way you do to deadlines and work meetings. As you attend regular happenings, you'll start seeing the same people, making to easy to form a bond and solidify that connection.

5. Connect. Exchange business cards and send a connection request and/or follow up - with a personal note - to everyone you meet.

Whether you speak, attend, or volunteer, event goals should be a normal part of your business routine. Above all else, remember, events should be fun. Your smile, your enthusiasm for your career, your passion for your topic should come through whether you are onstage, chatting, or just out and about. You will enjoy the events more, and so will the people around you.

* * *

How do you find good events? What are your event goals? Please share in the comments.

* * *

Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of The D*E*B Method: Goal Setting Simplified and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. Like the Write On Online Facebook Page and join the Facebook Group.  Debra is the author of Your Goal Guide, being released by Mango in January 2020, as well as Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. She is host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and the Guided Goals Podcast, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

A Marketing Story to Inspire Authors to Renewed Efforts

A Marketing Story to Inspire You to Renewed Efforts

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers

I don’t think any author—or anyone with a profession or career or business—needs to be reminded that marketing is important. I sense, though, that they need a little inspiration now and then to convince them to keep at it or to utilize its magic to make whatever they are passionate about work better. Maybe to make it more fun. So here is a little story that recently took my breath away, convinced me anew that the net works. That Twitter works. That reviews work. And that even when we don’t see their charms on a daily basis, they (and their marketing sisters) are out there doing what they are supposed to do and doing it without asking us to recognize them, praise them, or pat them on their backs!

You see, I recently found a review floating around the Twitter platform at least a decade after it had been written,  a review I never knew existed. It was written by Author Anthony James Barnett (twitter moniker @ajbarnett) who is a fellow tweeter. Years ago he found me there, read my multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (then it its first edition!) and reviewed it on his blog (http://bit.ly/irpv3) --all unbeknownst to me. I found it more than a decade later and it has haunted me because it illustrates so concisely most everything I have been trying to help authors do with my consulting, coaching, teaching, and my series of books. It proves the value of reviews (and, coincidentally the need for the third book in my HowToDoItFrugally Series, How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically: The ins and outs of using free reviews to build and sustain a writing career  which—I suspect—Author Barnett may not even know exists in this new decade!)

Every author needs to plumb reviews to launch books and to give their older books a new life—maybe make them into classics! I love that Author Barnett is still out there helping me help authors do that! I relished it. Tweeted about it and then, gasp! …. ! I realized that my marketing and blogging benefactor may no longer be alive.

I left Barnett a comment on his blog and it is awaiting acceptance—with no luck.  I’ve surfed the web for his name and the title of his book a bit. Now it seems I need help finding him. That’s my first choice. But if that can’t be done, I can use the web and marketing tools to keep the beautiful little secret gift he gave me years ago alive. And maybe to inspire other authors!

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor which 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. How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically launched to rave reviews from Jim Cox, Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Reviews and others:

“How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically [and other books in the series] could well serve as a textbook for a college Writing/Publishing curriculum.”