Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many of my bookcoaching clients do you say, "I have so many other demands, I just can't get to the book."
This isn't procrastination or fear. Most writers get stuck when they don't know how to move forward, finish, publish and sell their unique, useful book to audiences just waiting for it to come out. Let me share two ways to speed up your process.
One. Take One or More High Level Action Each Day
Another to do, you groan? Not really. If you don't make your book one of the top three priorities in your life, it won't finish it.
Get real. How many hours can you give to your book a week? If not ten, I say you may never get your book out. Clients get so discouraged when they don't do their fieldwork for our coaching calls, so I came up with one solution of doing one High Level Activity or more each day for five days a week. (HLAs) Go ahead; take the weekend off like I do.
Some HLA steps include:
- Write on a chapter that you have passion for first.
- Write 2-3 pages a day on just one chapter.
- Finish one chapter before you move on.
- Write 3-6 questions you need to answer for your audience for each chapter before you write a word.
- Read a book on how to put a chapter together the fast way
- Write in your organizer each day the specific HLAs you will do
- Contact a book coach who has low-cost teleclasses, small group coaching groups, or writes books on the topic you need help on.
- Write a sample chapter introduction with a hook and thesis to direct your reader to the meat.
-Write compelling copy so your reader will turn all the pages and recommend your book to others.
Sample Organizer Page
Write your intention: I finish this book (name the title) by (name date and year)
Affirm: I stay on track every day with my HLA's.
Take Action: My HLAs for Wednesday, date, year
1. Contact a cover person for my how to book
2. Answer three questions for chapter 6. For example,
- Can I write print or eBook at the same time?
- What's the best eBook format for my book's purpose and me?
- How much will it cost to self- publish? (A lot less than you think)
- Add front and back material to sell more copies
Think of the Payoffs.
The trick is to finish these three HLAs or even one before you go to bed that day. If you finish fully, you'll feel confident and your guilt will disappear.
Two. Write Fast-Forward, Well-Organized, Easy-to-Read Chapters
Do you try to use past research for your chapters? This is not necessary. All you need to do is answer your reader's concerns and questions.
Your reader wants your to solve his problem or challenge, whether it be to make more money, save more money, create better relationships, connect with their inner self, or to communicate better.
If you don't answer these in each chapter, your reader will say "ho hum" or "I'm confused, what's the point of this chapter? They will put your book down and not recommend it to others.
One common mistake writers make with their books:
They don't complete one chapter with all its parts including the sizzling hook and introduction, the middle with stories or how tos with engaging headlines, and the ending that inspires the writer to keep going to the next chapter.
When you sidetrack, you get off focus, and that's also a big challenge for book writers. When you focus, you write so much faster, and with a little professional help, get to market so much sooner. Results? More cash flow so you can market and promote properly.
Judy Cullins ?2005 All Rights Reserved.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 170 free articles.
===============
Email her at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml. Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743
Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to... Read More
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
So you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
Not long ago, I took stock of my unrealized desire... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?For a theme to work and the... Read More
Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits... Read More
ACCEPT, EXCEPT Not commonly seen even from unpublished writers, who... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
Why should you consider creating a memoir of your personal... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
Joyce Carol Oates. Langston Hughes. Anne Sexton. F. Scott Fitzgerald.... Read More
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More
Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Our plotting stage is our testing area.Everything... Read More
In the words of Aristotle, "happiness is self contentedness helping... Read More
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More
Has the thought run across you mind that you might... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?For a theme to work and the... Read More
As a child, I loved to write. I can't remember... Read More
My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More
Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More
Writer's Block can strike like a King Cobra, paralyzing every... Read More
The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
Reading through a writer's notebook or journal is like discovering... Read More
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More
No matter what you are writing, the first priority is... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that... Read More
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
Someone once commented that there were no new ideas to... Read More
Writing |