Author Entrepreneurship Magazine How to Sell Your Novel at Book Festivals
Gifts for the Writer in Your Life 30-Minute Strategies to Help You Manage Gift-Giving
How are You Going to Save the World?
By Peter J. Ferguson
December 2012, Issue 6
About Us
Credits
Author Entrepreneur Magazine is published monthly by Barany Consulting, an education and consulting firm located in Oakland, California. The magazine goes out to nearly 1,200 subscribers via email and is also distributed via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to reach over 10,000 people. For information on advertising please contact the editor at beth@ bethbarany.com, or call her at (510) 332-5384.
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Beth Barany Designer & Layout: Ezra Barany Editorial Assistants: Carissa Weintraub, Michelle Geary, Peter J. Ferguson, Virginia Gielow Contributors: Annmarie Lockhart, Barbara Millman Cole, Beth Barany, Catharine Bramkamp, Cheryl Derricotte, Ezra Barany, Peter J. Ferguson, Lynne Klippel Cover Photo: Flickr’s FutUndBeidl
Feel free to forward this to your staff, colleagues and clients. If this magazine was forwarded to you, you can receive free future issues by signing up here: www.AuthorEntrepreneurship.com. If you’d like to use one of our articles in your newsletter or blog, please contact the respective author for permission. All materials and photos in this magazine are copyright protected. Publishers, Writing & Book Professional Associations: Interested in advertising with us? Contact Beth Barany at Beth@BethBarany.com or call her at (510) 332-5384 to find out how you can reach your audience and save money over print publication advertising. © 2012, Barany Consulting, Oakland, CA. All rights reserved to the respective authors. If you wish to use any materials in this publication you must contact the author first for written permission. Thank you for protecting our copyrights.
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Letter from the Editor Thanks for reading our sixth issue! I created this magazine to help authors create sustainable and successful careers. It is my gift to you! As it happens, this month’s theme is Gifts and Gift Giving. Anthroplogists have long known of the social value of giving gifts. We create and enhance connections with each other when we give gifts, especially if we’ve taken the time to determine the best gift for our friends, colleagues, family members, and loved ones. Giving a gift can be an expression of love, thanks, sharing the wealth, or celebrating a milestone. As Peter J. Ferguson, this month’s Featured Author, points out, you can create a special gift for your fans, readers, and potential clients that they can receive all year round. In fact, I offer my authors and potential clients a 5-day Writer’s Motivation MiniCourse to help get them get writing or writing again. You can sign up here: http://www. bethbarany.com/contact.html#newsletter. Lastly, one thing I’ve realized recently is that for some of us (myself included) it’s easier to give than to receive. So, I’ve resolved to learn how to graciously receive with a full heart and feel the love coming my way. Thank you! Please support our advertisers who make this publication possible and free to you! Click on their ads for more information, and forward the magazine to your clients and customers so they can read this magazine, too! Thanks! eth Barany, Creativity Coaching for Authors B Creativity Transformational Writeshops Business Building Books The Torah Codes
6 Short Stories of Suspense 30 Minute Manager ACEServices4Authors.com AuthorsBroadcast.com Henrietta the Dragon Slayer Meditating Monkeys Overcome Writer’s Block The Writer’s Adventure Guide Twitter for Authors Vox Poetica YourBookStartsHere.com
Some links in this magazine (“Magazine”) may be affiliate links (“Affiliate Links”), including links to Amazon.com. From time to time, the Magazine includes featured books and/or product giveaways. Should AE Magazine receive compensation as a result of featuring any such books or giving away any such product, that fact will be disclosed. AE Magazine earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of readers of the Magazine clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service.
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Featured Story:
16
How are You Going to Save the World?
By Peter J. Ferguson
6 10 20
Gifts for the Writer in Your Life
Catherine Bramkamp
How to Sell Your Novel at Book Festivals Beth & Ezra Barany
Before Gifting: Form a Full Picture
24 28 34
30-Minute Strategies to Help You Manage Gift-Giving
Barbara Millman Cole
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Cheryl Derricotte
Gifts & Giving: ‘Tis the Season
Annmarie Lockhart
Using the Before, During, and After Technique to Market Lynne Klippel
Gifts for the Writer in Your Life A Cautionary Tale
By Catherine Bramkamp
This is the season when desperation overrides sensibility, and the sensible quickly devolves into the trite. After really sloppy research, we have come to the conclusion that when it comes to “writerly gifts,” the trite gifts writers receive are not only pointless, but truly senseless. First off, we know that you, the sincere yet hopeless giver of writer gifts has already evaluated the writer’s daily needs and have neither a good list nor a workable plan.
wasn’t all that bad, and the overnight stay in the hospital gave your writer some quiet time in her room, what with her roommate in a coma and all.
What NOT to deliver to a writer for the holidays. Does the writer need a new uniform? Not really. She already owns fur lined slippers and fur enhanced yoga pants. Of course the fur is courtesy of Muffin the Wonder Kitty, but still, incidental. Perhaps another kitten? No, Muffin was very resolute about her dislike of last year’s new Christmas Kitten who was quickly named Hopeless. That turned out to be a sad morning resulting in nothing more than a poem about loss, written in rhyming couplets, and that still hasn’t sold. The writer already has a room of her own. That closet you fixed up last November for National Novel Writing Month is working out really well except for that one afternoon when the bowling balls stored on the top shelf sort of dislodged during a tremor. Looking back, the blow
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Those handmade coupons were such an economical idea, but they didn’t work out as well as you hoped. That one that guaranteed five hours of peace at home was supposed to be the perfect gift. And the kids loved the new Spiderman movie, but who knew scarfing down multi packs of Twix and full cans of Red Bull would make them so restless? There’s no warning label on the packaging. And that same day incident involving snatching up the back up drive to use as home base during a lively
Continued on pg. 8
Ah, a wedding in the wine country. But Allison's best friend Carrie’s grand event may end less like a romantic comedy and more like a slasher flick. Who is stalking the bride? How did Ben’s former Friend With Benefits turn into Injured With Repercussions? And why must Allison wear 90 pounds of red tulle during the hottest season of the year? While innocent bystanders fall like flies, Allison copes with selling her house in Sonoma County, scrambling to finance the shower from hell, and wondering if the person responsible for the spate of murders can be hired to take out her ex-boyfriend before her own nuptials.
Realtors order Trash Outs to completely clear out a listing in order to sell it. When this done by amateurs, it’s called vandalism. On Amazon in Kindle and paperback – right now.
For more information: www.YourBookStartsHere.com
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game of indoor baseball was unpreventable, there was no need for such an over reaction. So what can you do this year to make your writer’s holiday bright and your New Year’s Eve less lonely?
Do not spend another dime on a really beautiful fancy notebook. Maybe a better approach at this point is to offer a handy list of what NOT to deliver to a writer for the holidays: Do not spend another dime on a really beautiful fancy notebook. Your writer won’t use it. Writers are supposed to write crap, first drafts and awful poems in notebooks, and one that looks like a gilded peacock is far too intimidating and won’t be used. Do not buy that brand new hardback book “written” by the latest celebrity. A former governor comes to mind. Do you know how many used paperbacks your writer can purchase at the Friends of the Library annual sale with the price of one 30 dollar hardback? Many. Cute tiny dictionaries With pictures. Really. Give her copy of the OED or nothing. Thanks. A Funny Mug to Wake Up To Anything embellished with “I’m a Famous Writer!” is bound to fail miserably on Christmas morning. No writer feels a “shot of inspiration” from the lettering on a coffee mug. A better mug would be one
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festooned with illustrations of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemmingway. Because sometimes that’s just how we feel on Monday morning: suicidal. A memo pattern ceramic mug and tray in the shape of an open notebook Remember last year when your nephew mistook her Kindle for a coaster? The odds are good your writer will retaliate and mistake the clever ceramic tray for an actual note pad, grab a sharpie and write a brilliant poem onto the surface. The poem will immediately smear after her sister stacks the wedge of brie and rainforest crackers on the tray. The writer will always regret losing the poem. It was probably her best work. She can’t recall a single line. Not like the Kitty sonnet with the refrain. “Oh fragile fur that didn’t last the day” that her memory stubbornly refuses to abandon.
The odds are good your writer will retaliate. Book lover games Honestly, who in the family is ready to challenge their book lover parent to a book love game? Anyone? No? Ready to play baseball using the memo patterned tray as second base? That’s what we thought. Save your money. Okay, okay! Is there anything left to give the writer? Finger puppets of famous authors The writers can work out their angst between the puppets. Woolf Continued on pg. 9
can talk Plath out of the oven. Joyce can look on and say unintelligible things. Freud can insist a cigar is just a cigar. A Magic 8-Ball This will be an invaluable tool for conversations with the accountant. The answers from the 8-Ball are as good as anything else because no, the writer did not remember to write down the odometer reading January first, so the 8-Ball answer, “perhaps,� is one of the better responses. A dozen excellent pens But not too excellent because writers lose pens as often as we lose consciousness. Money for more books Did we mention that?
Catharine Bramkamp is on LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs through Wordpress. She is at her noisiest on Newbie Writers podcast every Friday afternoon. Her new book is Trash Out, a Real Estate Diva Mystery. More on her site at www.YourBookStartsHere. com.
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How to Sell Your Novel at Book Festivals and Book Fairs If you write horror, a plastic skull is always pleasant. When you target your audience with something eye-catching, they’ll be more likely to hover closer to your table for a closer look. *** Reach out first
By Beth and Ezra Barany In this article, bestselling authors and book consultants, Beth and Ezra Barany, share their tips on how to sell your novel at book festivals and book fairs.
Ezra: Reach out first. At the last book fair Beth and I went to, we didn’t have something eye-catching, so I had to use other means of pulling people in closer. I didn’t bother addressing the people who looked like they wanted to run away, the ones that were moving past the table quickly at a far distance. I just noticed the ones that slowed a bit to get a better glance at our table. To them I said, “Hi.”
Eye-catching
You want something that will make the passers-by take a closer look.
Think eye-catching. Everyone has books on their table. You want something that will make the passers-by take a closer look. If you’re selling kids books, it makes sense to have free toys or maybe candy at the table. If you’re writing YA fantasy, like Beth, maybe have dragon figurines, or ones that represent your story. If you’re selling a thriller, like Ezra, maybe hang up a paper target used at shooting ranges.
Beth: I agree with Ezra. Reach out first if they look at your table with curiosity. Have a few things you can say and use your best judgement as to which one to use. I use compliments, like “I like your bag!” “Awesome shirt!” I also sometimes say, “Have you read The Hobbit”? (See what Ezra says below on Your Book As An Experience.) Or sometimes I just smile. The attitude I’ve adopted is: “I’m an Ambassador for Books and I’m sharing the love!”
***
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Continued on pg. 12
*** Get them to like you Ezra: Expert in influence, Dr. Cialdini, said that the best way to get someone to like you is to genuinely find what you like about them and express it. Beth did a masterful job at complimenting the cool shirts, hair-coloring, and jewelry that the passers-by had. Beth: See above! ***
of your book. Nobody cares. What readers care about is the experience they can expect to have when they read your book. I got this insight from my beautiful wife, Beth.
Reach out first if they look at your table with curiosity. So the best way to convey the experience your book promises is to figure out what famous book or movie delivered the same experience. Then ask the passersby if they’ve read or seen that book or movie. For example, after saying “Hi,” the first thing I said to the passers-by was “Have you read The Da Vinci Code?” Beth: You can also deliver a HighConcept pitch. More on that next. You can also read Ezra’s post that includes how to write your High Concept Pitch here. *** Deliver your high-concept pitch
Ask a question Nothing gets a person interested more than having someone interested in them. The question could be pretty much any question, but the best question is one that stimulates an experience. More on that next. *** Your book is an experience Ezra: Your book is an experience. Share that. Don’t tell them the storyline
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A high-concept pitch is frequently listing two famous books or movies and putting the word “meets” between them. “My book is Lara Croft meets Lord of the Rings,” (this is Beth’s) or “My book is Jurassic Park meets Jaws.” You can revise the high concept pitch to be more direct. For example, “My book is Jurassic Shark.” After finding out whether or not they read The Da Vinci Code, Ezra tells them,“My book is a Jewish version of The Da Vinci Code.“ ***
Continued on pg. 14
Deliver your credibility Ezra: Now that you’ve conveyed the experience the reader can expect to have, give them a reason for why the experience is practically guaranteed to happen when they read the book. Has your book been getting five star reviews? Have you won an award for your book? Has it been a bestseller on Amazon? What I tell them is, “My book has been doing pretty well. It’s been a bestseller on Amazon since December, 2011 (true), and won an award at the Hollywood Book Festival (also true).”
five-star book. Then edit and reload the book on Amazon, maybe with a different title.
If they say they’re going to check out the other booths, I’m not upset. Beth: Once people express interest in my book, by picking it up or responding to one of the things I’ve asked, then I say that my novel is the 2012 Grand Prize winner of the California Indie Fiction Authors Contest. Then I’m quiet, and I let them absorb the book. Similar to Ezra, I want them to decide if it’s right for them. I want people to feel excited to read my book, not pressured. Ezra: I’ve noticed that by this time, either they ask me how much it costs or they say something like, “I’m going to check out the other booths and maybe come back later.” If they ask me how much it costs, I tell them and ask if they’d like it autographed. I write something on the dedication page as they’re getting their money, I put an “Autographed by the Author” sticker on the cover, and we do our exchange.
I used to say, “My book is doing pretty well. It’s been getting four and five star reviews on Amazon.” Now I use bestseller award-winning status to show how good the book is. By the way, if all you’ve been getting is three stars or less, I suggest taking your book off Amazon, showing it to beta-readers, and asking them what you would need to change for it to be a
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Continued on pg. 15
If they say they’re going to check out the other booths, I’m not upset. First of all, even though that may be a polite way of saying “I’m not interested,” what counts is that they care about my feelings so I appreciate that. Second, why would I want a person who thinks they won’t like my book to read it? Am I looking for bad reviews? Of course not. Don’t force your book on someone who thinks they won’t like it.
it didn’t invoke interaction, but at least it was informative. Beth: What also doesn’t work at book fairs is sitting. Stand up and smile and interact with the people there. Everyone is there to browse because they’re curious and love books. Standing helps your energy move and keeps you on your toes, both literally and figuratively.
*** What doesn’t work Ezra: I tried starting conversations by asking, “What do you like to read?” I found that all the question did was confuse them. Usually, they read such a wide range of books, the responses would either be uselessly vague or have nothing to do with my book.
Stand up and smile and interact with the people there. It’s best to be specific. I was sharing a table with authors selling Young Adult, Paranormal, and Romance. If the goal were to direct the passerby to the right book, a better question would be, “Which do you like best, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, or Thrillers?” That’s a simpler question to answer. One of us had the insight of saying, “Our table covers the range from Romance and Paranormal to Thrillers and Young Adult.” The statement wasn’t a question, so
Image by Elizabeth Fajardo
Beth and Ezra Barany are a husband-wife team that help authors create successful careers, through coaching, advising, and mentoring. Beth is the Editor & Publisher of the Author Entrepreneurship Magazine, and Ezra is the graphic designer. They live and write in Oakland, California, with their two cats, 10 tomato plants, and hundreds of books. Those last thankfully don’t need feeding. Ezra Barany is the bestselling author of suspense thriller, The Torah Codes. Beth Barany is the author of the awardwinning YA fantasy, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, and several bestselling books for writers.
December, 2012 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 15
How are You Going to Save the World? By Peter J. Ferguson “Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee and together we’ll ascend.” ~Quaker Proverb You are an entrepreneur. You started your own business so you could be free to express yourself and live life on your terms. But did you realize you also set out to save the world? It sounds like a tall order, but it’s true. Think about it. Are you vying for world domination? Are you seeking power over others? Is your attitude something like “Screw you, I’m gonna get mine”? No
way. You’re working to make the world a better place. Your potential clients are making a positive difference in the world, too, but they need your help. That’s why they’re searching for someone with your expertise. You make a positive difference in the world by helping them do the same. Society at large lives in a world of scarcity and fear. People are reluctant to help without getting something out of the deal. Businesses ask, “How much can I get out of the next sucker?” Continued on pg 17
The world we creative entrepreneurs envision is far more wonderful. Our world is abundant. Our world is open and free. Our world is peaceful and caring. Our business question is “How can I help you?” GOOD GIFT-GIVING Email marketing is still the most effective marketing method out there. Marketing experts admonish over and over: “Build your list!” And they are right. But I’m not sure they are giving you the right picture as to why. Here’s a scenario you’ve probably experienced before. If you’re like me you’ve been there many times (I swear I’m not a sucker!):
Why would a so-called expert give you a free box full of air? Because that person’s intention is to reel you in and bombard you with product advertisements.
You want high quality clients with worthwhile projects. They are either fishing for suckers or trying to make a buck. But your ideal client isn’t a sucker. You want high quality clients with worthwhile projects. So, give high-quality gifts that deliver real value. GIFTS THAT KEEPS ON GIVING What should you give away for free? Give potential clients a step up. Give them a major breakthrough. Give them something that will revolutionize the way they do business. That’s right – just give it to them! Ask these 3 questions when considering your free gift: - How can your gift revolutionize potential clients’ lives?
Image from TakeDesigns.com
You go to an expert’s website. He advertises his FREE EBOOK that is “sure to revolutionize your business” and “your business is suffering without it!” So you sign up. After skimming through this “invaluable” ebook you think “What a load of malarkey! This is all common sense. Thanks for nothing!” You feel duped and can’t unsubscribe fast enough.
- How can your free offering give them a step up? - (see below for the third question … damn, I’m sneaky!) If you help them get a step up, then you justify your value before they pay you a dime. They can also afford to pay you, because you gave them that step up to the next level. Creatives and
Continued on pg. 18 December, 2012 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 17
entrepreneurs appreciate that. If you give good gifts you actually create business for yourself. You open the floodgates of creative energy for yourself and your clients. When creativity flows freely, so does abundance. You never have to worry about giving away all your secrets because you and your business continue to grow.
Now, in the spirit of giving good gifts and making the world a better place, ask yourself question number 3: - How can you open the floodgates for someone, today?
Give high-quality gifts that deliver real value. This photo of a man giving his sandals to a homeless girl has been circulated as one of the top pictures to restore your faith in humanity. I dare you to not get teary-eyed:
P.J. Ferguson helps creatives and entrepreneurs grab life by the horns and create lives of pure awesomeness! He is a budding author, Life and Business Coach at Supreme Self Coaching, and Meditation Coach at MeditatingMonkeys.com. His books can be found online at TheSupreme. Me and MeditatingMonkeys.com.
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Scaffold Your Literary Life Before Gifting: Form a Full Picture of One’s Literary Talents effect on me. What a gift it is to notice another’s qualities and articulate those talents and attributes in a way that is not fleeting, but permanent. Writing the essay, I formed a more complete picture of my daughter in my mind and captured that image in words that I might keep forever. Image by Pritya Books
By Barbara Millman Cole “We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” ~ Mary Dunbar Writing a parent essay about the gifts and talents I feel my daughter possesses for her high school counselor caused me to think about her on a conscious level and really form a verbal description of how I see her. I love her. I feel proud of her social and academic accomplishments. I love her independence and extroverted approach to life. I smile as I pass her bedroom door and listen to her passionately and persistently practice her violin. But I realize I experience these moments like a flip book through my day, stopping only to bookmark them in my brain, not long enough to reflect or savor their full
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We must know our goals, our own strengths, and our own desires. She too was tasked with writing about herself. What are her strengths? What are her passions? How does she view herself as a human being? What are her hopes and dreams? Reading her image of herself, I was pleasantly surprised to see how similar we thought, how synchronistic our assessment of her character was. I also had a light bulb moment: How we project ourselves in the world is how we are perceived and received by those who experience what we project. The holidays are a time of giving, and a perfect time for reflection on our relationships with others: family, friends, neighbors, and the people in our ever widening, concentric spheres. It is also a wonderful time to ponder one’s own relationship with self.
Continued on pg. 22
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“Put on your oxygen mask first,” we are advised when in an emergency. To help others, we must be in a secure position. Only then, can we reach out to offer our gifts. Yes, gifts. By realizing and recognizing our own talents, virtues, and potential we are more able to clarify our purpose. We are in a better position to give something of value.
our contribution the stronger. By tallying and understanding our best attributes, we are better able to serve our clients, readers, and selves. We all have gifts. We all must uncover our unique traits so we may choose how we share our gifts and talents. Benjamin Franklin said it well. “Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?”
To help others, we must be in a secure position. So often I hear authors say, “I write for myself. If I want to read it, others will too.” This is not egotistical, so much as qualitative. Writers are picky readers. Words are important to us. How words are put together is crucial to our staying with a story or moving on to one better suited to our tastes. Knowing what speaks to us, what inspires us, what wakes us, informs our author and entrepreneurial paths. Whatever our role in the writing life, we must play it with a sense of purpose. We must know our own goals, our own strengths, and our own desires. Being aware of ourselves and being willing to share our gifts honestly before we venture forth to counsel others through coaching, to guide others through the editing process, or to impact others through our own written stories, makes
Barbara Millman Cole is an award winning author of Short Literary Fiction, content editor, and creativity coach, who helps writers delve deep to discover their true meaning. Understand why you create so you know what to create. Contributing author of Creativity Coaching Success Stories and author of the forthcoming book, The Painted Woman and Other Short Stories, she can be reached at bmillmancole@sbcglobal.net. Find Barbara online at http://www.meetup. com/The-Writers-Place/. ©2012 All rights reserved.
Image by Flickr’s Asenat29
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Get the Free Report: “12 Stages of the Writer's AdventureTM”
www.writersadventureguide.com Wherever you are on your writer's journey, you'll find useful tools in this new book by creative coach, Beth Barany. Beth has a knack for knowing how to kickstart both clients and colleagues into action! Patricia Simpson, Bestselling Romance Author (San Francisco, CA)
You can buy the book online at Amazon.com. December, 2012 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 23
30-Minute Strategies to Help You Manage Holiday Gift Giving
By Cheryl Derricotte Many people find the holidays stressful. For shy authors who are more comfortable behind the computer screen, the pressure of public appearances at parties can be overwhelming. Even the more outgoing among us can be challenged by the demands of finding the perfect gift. This article will highlight five 30-minute strategies you can use to make your holiday shopping and gift giving fun. 1. Make a List. Before you even think about going into a store or looking at a website, make a list of everyone you want to buy a present for this holiday season. Check your list to make sure you have everyone on it, as last minute shopping is a recipe for disaster. Spending 30 minutes to develop a good list is time well-spent. 2. Set a Budget. There are two schools of thought on the gift giving budget process. Some people opt for the “flat rate” model of budgeting—each person gets a gift valued at $20 for example. The other model for budgeting is based on your relationship with the person. The closer the relationship, the higher the dollar amount of the gift. Whichever method of budgeting you prefer, spend your 30 minutes making sure you have a realistic number and one that will not jeopardize your normal
monthly expenses in December. 3. Design gift categories. Since we are authors, books should play a role in holiday gift giving. Spend 30 minutes to review your gift list and determine who would enjoy receiving a book. Think carefully about whether or not the person would enjoy fiction or nonfiction before you make a selection. Would they like a physical or virtual book? Gourmet food stuffs, sparkling cider and wines are always welcome gifts at the holidays—particularly for friends on your list who you know entertain.
Think carefully about whether or not the person would enjoy fiction or nonfiction before you make a selection. Would they like a physical or virtual book? Are there opportunities for you to buy local? Include fun items from local craftspeople. Handmade soaps and reusable grocery bags are just a couple of the great gifts you can find at large farmers’ markets that include craftspeople and special holiday sales in government agencies and churches. At the higher price point, look for handmade jewelry (earrings and necklaces for women, cufflinks for men). 4. Plan Fun Breaks. After you make your list, set your budget and begin your shopping, make sure you plan ample fun breaks. Take 30 minutes to have coffee Continued on pg. 26
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AVAILABLE SERVICES BOOKS Being The Grown-Up, a practical guide for caregivers of loved ones with terminal illnesses (Winter 2012). CONVERSATIONS Confirm Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, Chief Information Officer of 30 Minute Manager, for your upcoming special event, conference, radio and televsion show. TIPS Join the 30 Minute Manager community and get your free report, 30 Minutes To A
Providing practical information to help you tackle life’s challenges & embrace life’s great adventures.
Grown-Up Estate Plan. www.30minutemanager.com CONTACT 30minutemanager@gmail.com
30 Minute Manager, LLC 2633 Telegraph Avenue, Studio 212 Oakland, CA 94612
December, 2012 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 25
or tea. Go for a 30-minute walk or run. Spend 30 minutes writing a blog post about your holiday exploits. Watch crazy videos on YouTube for 30 minutes. Here is a video short to get you started and is guaranteed to make you laugh: Animal Beatbox, 2011 Tropfest Winner: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxiSP_ch_oI I cannot watch this video without dissolving into laughter. 5. Assemble Gift Wrapping Supplies. One of the most fun parts of gift giving is wrapping up the presents. Have fun with this! Make sure you assemble scissors, tape and great papers well in advance. Forget standard holiday wrap. Try brown paper or newspaper with fanciful ribbons or bows. Buy sheets of handmade paper from Tibet and Nepal at large craft store chains for beautiful gift exteriors. Don’t like to wrap? The dollar store is a great source of cost-effective gifts bags in all shapes, colors and sizes. Now that you have completed the five steps in this article, holiday shopping and gift giving will be simplified. The end result is more time for you to enjoy the holidays instead of stressing out about them. Have a great holiday season and a prosperous New Year!
Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, is the Chief Information Officer for 30 Minute Manager, LLC, an indie publishing company she founded in 2011. Her new book: Being the Grown-Up, a guide to managing a loved one’s terminal illness and death will be published this winter. Stay in touch with Cheryl at www.30minutemanager.com.
Image by Flickr’s Jimmiehomeschoolmom
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Gifts and Gifting: ‘Tis the Season By Annmarie Lockhart Editor’s Note: Written for writing coaches, this article also works for other creative service professionals. *** Yes, it’s that time of year again. In this day and age when anything imagined can be purchased and consumed, it’s a challenge to find a way to give without getting caught up in the game. “It’s the thought that counts” has taken on new meaning as people regift, upgift, downgift, trade gift, and ungift. (Maybe person A was on the gift last year, but
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times change and person B has taken that spot this year). Lucky for you, you’re a creative professional. This means you have different options.
It’s a good idea to have on hand a supply of nicely designed bookmarks with creatively inspirational messages on them. For starters, your gifts have meaning. Whether it’s the gift of your time in the form of a free session or the gift of a client publication you were instrumental in
Continued on pg. 30
securing, your gifts have value. Matching the right gift to the right recipient is where the challenge lies. Long-term clients do appreciate a free session, workshop, or coaching hour. This gift has even more meaning if you can time it around either a specific project you’re assisting with or the beginning of a new project you’ve yet to tackle. If you don’t want to be limiting you can award a session of the client’s choosing within the parameters of time, length, and structure you determine appropriate.
are a writer too. How about remembering that by producing gifts that highlight your creativity? Print up a short story or a poem of yours on high-quality card stock, personalize it if you’d like, and distribute. Your credentials are bolstered by your own publishing successes. Remember that Charles Dickens wrote Christmas stories (A Christmas Carol included) as a way to support himself while he was writing his novels. The tradition of gifting one’s own creative writing is rich and deep.
Matching the right gift to the right recipient is where the challenge lies. Newer clients might also like this particular gift idea, particularly if they’re a bit unsure about how to gain the most from your services. Select an option that might best highlight your value and give accordingly. Or offer a more generic “free class when you sign up for six” type of discount if you feel that might be better appreciated. Another option is to give other clients’ finished products as gifts. For example, new client, Susie Smith, is working with you to help her short stories sparkle and find published homes. Your long-term client, Mary Jones, just published her 15th book of short stories, work that you guided through the writing, editing, querying, and publication process. You can give Susie Smith a copy of Mary Jones’ book and give her something concrete to hold on to as the two of you concentrate on her goal. You can probably get copies of Mary Jones’ book at a bit of a discount too, which is always a good thing. Your work as a creativity coach gives you an opportunity to help writers hone their skills, but it’s easy to forget that you
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It’s a good idea to have on hand a supply of nicely designed bookmarks with creatively inspirational messages on them. Use these as gifts and giveaways, pairing a particular message with an intended recipient based on the work you are doing (or would like to be doing) with that writer. Not only does this show you understand the person receiving the gift, it also reiterates a key message you are teaching along the way. Bookmarks and postcards can also be festive handouts that promote your Continued on pg. 32
business at the local library, bookstore, coffee shop, PTA meeting, diner, craft fair, community college, senior center, or any other place people come together. Everyone loves a little gift and if your gift reminds a potential client that there’s no time like the present to give you a call and get started writing that book, all the better.
In considering your options remember to keep it tasteful, simple, and meaningful. A little acknowledgment goes a long way in making people feel appreciated. Every client matters and it’s good for business and creativity to let them know it.
Print up a short story or a poem of yours on high-quality card stock, personalize it if you’d like, and distribute. While the season of giving is traditionally the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year, remember that token gifting is not limited by the calendar. Marking a birthday or the anniversary of your work with a client can be particularly meaningful, as can honoring the achievement of a goal met. You may have clients for whom traditional holidays are a noncelebratory or painful time. If you’re confronted with this, be respectful and don’t force the issue. There are enough days in the year to acknowledge people you value, it’s OK to spread them around.
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Annmarie Lockhart is the founding editor of vox poetica, an online literary salon dedicated to bringing poetry into the everyday, and unbound CONTENT, an independent press for a boundless age. A lifelong resident of Northern New Jersey, she lives, works, and writes two miles east of the hospital where she was born. More about Annmarie’s work here: http://unboundcontent.com/.
Cheatsheet: Story Development Hero’s Journey and Plotting Your Story Five-Point Plot Structure (Resource: The Writer’s Brainstorming Kit, Pam McCutcheon and Michael Waite, Gryphon Books for Writers, c. 2001. www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com)
Hero’s Journey Story Structure (Resources: The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell; The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler)
A. Ordinary World
1. Ordinary World
B. Trigger Event
2. Call to Action/Call to Adventure 3. Refusal of the Call 4. Mentor 5. Accept the Call
C. Change of Plans
6. Enters the Special World: Test, Allies and Enemies 7. Approach the Inmost Cave
D. The Black Moment
8. Confrontation/ Ordeal/ Virtual Death/ Face Your Demons
E. Resolution
9. Reward 10. The Road Back 11. Purification/ Transformation/ Resurrection 12. Triumph/ Return to Community with the Gift
Using the Before, During, and After Technique to Market Your Book
By Lynne Klippel Editor’s Note: An expert in helping nonfiction authors, Lynne Klippel’s article will also help fiction authors. *** One of the biggest challenges facing every writer is knowing how and when to market her book. Many new authors mistakenly wait too long to start marketing, thinking they can deal with the marketing after the book writing and publishing is completed. That’s understandable. Few of us have taken classes in how to become a successful author, so we simply don’t know what we don’t know. In my ten years of publishing and working with authors, I’ve discovered that the best book marketing comes from a solid written marketing plan. Here’s an exercise that will help you create a marketing plan for your book. Grab a piece of paper and turn it lengthwise, or create a new document on your computer in landscape orientation. Draw
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three columns and label them Before, During and After. In the Before column, brainstorm all the things a potential reader needs to know before they decide to buy your book. Consider things like: • When the book is available • Where it can be purchased • Who you are • What you offer • Why the topic is important • How the information is unique and fresh
The best book marketing comes from a solid written marketing plan. In the During column list what people need to know while they are reading your book. This list will cover all the information needed to purchase your book including: • Where to purchase it • Price • A book description or back cover copy • Format- print book, e-book or both Finally, list all the things readers should know after they finish your book in the After column. Readers who love your message will want to know: • If you’ve written other books • Where to connect with you on Social Media sites • If you write a blog
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Image by Abi Skipp
• How to learn more about you and your work • If you provide any classes, workshops or special event related to your book Now that you have your three lists, start with the Before column and create ways to provide that information to readers just as soon as possible. Before your book is written, you want to reach as many people as possible and start to build a tribe of folks who are interested in you and your topic. You can do this in several ways including: • Facebook groups • LinkedIn groups • Blogging • Writing and publishing articles • Teleclasses or speaking
get your book marketing plans solidified before you go to print. If you have already printed your book, you can still catch up. Just remember that this exercise is not about you writing your book, it focuses on what readers need before, during and after they buy it. Remember, you can do this! You’ve planned the content of your book already. Now you’re just going to plan how to tell people about it.
One of the most important things you can do in the Before stage is to build an opt-in email list so for all your efforts to introduce people to you and your future book, direct people to your website where you offer them a free gift in exchange for their name and email address. This list will become a valuable asset as it contains the people who are most likely to be the first buyers of your book.
Start to build a tribe of folks who are interested in you and your topic. Once you’ve decided on how you will reach people before your book is written, you can create some preliminary plans for the During and After stages of your book marketing. This Before, During and After exercise will help you streamline your book marketing and make it easier to plan it successfully. If you have already written your book, take time now to do this exercise and
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Are you ready to write your book? Get Lynne’s free assessment and Author Quick Start program at www.BusinessBuildingBooks. com. Lynne Klippel is a best-selling author, publisher, and book shepherd. Since 2004 she’s been working with coaches,speakers, and entrepreneurs who want to write a nonfiction book to showcase their expertise and build their business. Her business, www.BusinessBuildingBooks.com, focuses on the marriage of internet marketing and publishing and has helped clients from 6 of the 7 continents.
Cheatsheet: Book Editing Checklist Story First Read-Through
Technical First Read-Through
___ Have you reread your book in a space In the first read-through, notice where the of curiosity, neutrality, and interest, in other technical aspects of the writing get in the words, as a reader would? way of the reading experience. Mark them with a pencil, but keep reading.
Second Read-Through
Second Read-Through
___ Reread your book a second time noticing what worked and what didn’t in these story and technical areas: (Use highlighters or a pen to mark edits as you read.) ___ Story flow and scene transitions ___ Character development ___ Showing versus telling ___ Consistent point of view ___ In dialogue action tags, as appropriate ___ Paragraph length: not too short or too long; must fit the the story’s rhythm
Word Choice ___ Active verbs ___ Overuse of adverbs (use active verbs) ___ Accurate nouns ___ Minimal use of “it” and “this/that” (replace with accurate noun) ___ Consistent character names ___ Don’t use odd speaker attributions (she snarled, he grimaced) unless absolutely necessary. "She said/he said" are the preferred form
Plot ___ Do you have a compelling story? ___ Is the setting the best fit for the plot?
Grammar ___ Good use of punctuation, including dialogue marks ___ Vary short and long sentences for readability and rhythm
Setting ___ Well-described using the 5 senses
Spelling ___Carefully check spelling and don’t rely on the computer’s spell checker; it can’t catch homonyms/homophones
Dialogue ___ Make sure your characters’ dialogue either brings the story forward, reveals character, or preferably both ___ Characters shouldn’t explain things to each other that they would already know. Put such exposition in the prose.
Point of View ___ Stay consistent in the story’s point of view, either 1st, 2nd or 3rd person (Unless the story calls for it)
beth@bethbarany.com www.bethbarany.com revised:15-Dec-12 510-332-5384
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Event Listings January 5-6, 2013. Patrick A. Horton, PhD, presents Mastering the Power of Story: The Story Coach – Practical Magic at the Beverly Garland Hotel, North Hollywood, CA. A weekend celebration of story, craft, collaboration, and success, co-sponsored by The Scriptwriters Network and Write Brothers, Inc. http://www.thestorycoach. com/ January 9, 2013. 6 pm. Beth presents on Essential Tools for Getting Your Book Done to the California Writer’s Club, Saratoga, CA. --South Bay Branch http://southbaywriters. com/wordpress/events/ January 18-21, 2013, Aloha Writers Conference, Kapalua, HI. http://www. alohawritersconference.com/ February 8-10, 2013, Creative Get-Away Retreat. Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators, San Francisco North and East Bay. Green Gulch Farm, Muir Beach, CA. http://www.scbwi.org/Regional-Chapters. aspx?R=9&sec=Events February 14-17, 2013, The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference: A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community. San Francisco, CA. http://www.sfwriters.org March 23, 2013. Fremont, CA. Beth Barany presents on Voice and Style for Fiction Writers to the Fremont Area Writers, a branch of the California Writer’s Club. http://www.cwcfremontareawriters.org/ May 18-19, 2013. East Bay Writers Conference. Oakland, CA. Theme: Author Success Academy. 10+ speakers. Hands-on tools. Networking with your peers. Get the support you need to create a success business as an author and author entrepreneur. http://eastbaywritersweekend.com/
June 20, 2013. Redwood City Library, Redwood City CA. Beth Barany presents on Start Your Writer’s Adventure: Write Your Book in 2013. http://www.redwoodcity.org/ events/ Events are listed for free, space permitting. For more in-person writer’s events and support groups, check out http://www. meetup.com, and your local writer’s oganization. Become a part of a writing community. Find the right organization for you. WRITING ASSOCIATIONS Romance Writers of America (RWA) http:// www.rwanational.org/ Mystery Writers Association http://www. mysterywriters.org/ Sisters in Crime http://www.sistersincrime. org/ Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. http://www.sfwa.org/ California Writers Club http://www. calwriters.org/ Broad Universe http://www.broaduniverse. org/ National Writers Union http://www.nwu.org/ Horror Writers of America http://www. horror.org/ The Authors Guild http://www.authorsguild. net/ International Thriller Writers, Inc. http:// www.thrillerwriters.org/ Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators http://www.scbwi.org/ American Christian Fiction Writers http:// www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com/
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Author Entrepreneurship Magazine
SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Would you like to continue to receive free issues of Author Entrepreneurship Magazine? If so, click here to sign up or go to http://AuthorEntrepreneurshipMagazine.com! ADVERTISERS: Would you like over 1,000 subscribers to see your ad? Our reach also extends to over 10,000 people on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. Contact Beth Barany at Beth@BethBarany.com or call her at (510) 332-5384 for details.
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