Archive for the 'Publishing Center' Category
Friday, May 8th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles–February 2, 2006–Jaci Rae is the epitome of the D.Y.I. spirit that makes independent artists so successful. Being an inspiration to women and men that need a lesson in self-empowerment is her calling card. She is singer/songwriter, musician, prolific author of several successful books including the #1 bestselling Winning Points with the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time, which was the first ever independent authored book to reach #1.
It is not a secret that making it in the music business is difficult, particularly in the fiercely competitive Indie market. There are so many options and services available for artists to choose. Which company or individual do you trust with your dream and what is the best way to approach getting your career on track without tripping over yourself and sabotaging your years of hard work? Well Jaci Rae has lived it from start to finish, the good and the bad, she made all the mistakes and learned from the lessons of those experiences. Now all she wants to do is save other aspiring artists from the pain and heartbreak of unnecessary mistakes.
The answers are laid out in black and white with a helpful book titled The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money. Jaci covers everything from Everything Business 101- Podcasting and resources, Record Pools and to how to swim plus Guerilla Marketing, to name a few topics. Included in the book Jaci has some of her friends, heavyweights in the industry, giving you valuable insider’s secrets. People such as…Peter Visvardis, Thomas King, Cord Coslor, Miller Hogan, DJ Vargas, and more. What is more impressive about Jaci’s process, which is continually evolving in her many careers, is the fact that she constantly improves and updates this valuable publication, so when you do purchase it the information that is inside the book is right on the cutting edge for the Indie artist to be successful.
Everyone needs the right information to pave the way to where you want to go and as the saying goes-Jaci Rae has been there and done that. A word to the wise is sufficient, if you are an Indie artist looking for ways to market your music, its all here in this book.
Contact:
Jaci Rae
North Shore Records
P O Box 1118
Felton, CA 95018
Tel: 831-621-1805
Fax: 831-612-1305
Email
Website
PR Created and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com
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Thursday, May 7th, 2009
During the duration of ancestors, through the mighty pen, the ancestors wrote about the life as a slave, it is un fortunate that we as a people Continue to sing the same songs. Through time we continue to accept the negative fertilities of wanting to be slaves, nevertheless freedom has already been given through God, such a catastrophe we continue to teach our children, that they are less than a people, by feeding them with toxins, that they shall continue to fight for freedom, freedom was Came with the proclamation of life, pain that continues to flow threw the blood stream, assist to human mental suicide, views of who and what is the black man. Nevertheless, our ancestors felt the crack of the whip, they continue to write the words of freedom and fought that man would no longer, emancipate the theory of them being slaves,
Oppressor of self, the dignity among the inner philosophy Of which one stands, standing upon the darken light, when truth speaks; The sanctuary of confession, fly your banner Upon the skies, the light shall not shine, and under The micro sonic intentions that is man; The cry out loud, there shall be no voices, until the inner self Speaks out; Peace, Peace, Peace be still,
Brothers of progression, silence in retribution, each century, the voice becomes quieter in the emancipation of freeing self-restrictions, Liberty shall no longer hold the torch, one must free the Inner self, from the roaring fire, Each year has seen you my brothers progressing, never to sink to that level again. Through the infinity of rejection the voices Continue to slowly fade, where the eyes of Nation fades into a silent progression, The deeds of power; are given by the almighty God.
Look through the blue prints of discovery; the destiny has been for coming. The heights that are worth your attaining Keep your feet firm, and the heart humble in the path to the goal. Toward noble deeds every effort shall sub stand the Inner dignity that one shall not take, loyal Worthy ambition the fruits from thy Father’s gates of saints; Food for the soul! Transformation from the earth, Silence to the doors, Where no man shall cross, oh but yea thee who seeks knowledge Tighter power, shall walk the sonic treasures of tomorrow, earth has No accordance, only loyalist to thy God.
Until thy loyal servant upon the almighty God, shall you be the warrior of the words, which is summoned by our God. Never again shall the chains subsided by a dead mind never again shall the whip suck the inner spirit to defame! Nobles and Freemen the righteous shall only claim emancipation Upon the devils portrays; but your destinies call you to honor, your test of confinement will be the dignity and pride That was given when you came through your mothers womb, invokes of the lamb, to bring the Shepard to another place and time.
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Thursday, May 7th, 2009
We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling you get when you look at an empty computer screen or a blank sheet of paper. Starting to write is the most difficult part of the process, and this is where formulas can help get you over that initial speed bump.
The first and easiest one is the interview. You can interview colleagues, clients, prospects or even yourself, if you’re so inclined. Here’s a clever idea you might want to consider.
Todd Black who’s in charge of business development for a large software firm in Silicon Valley, proposed writing a regular column entitled “The Winner’s Profile”. It consisted of a short 300-word profile of leading executives in his industry. The benefits to Todd are numerous. It enables him to contact high profile prospects under a non-sales guise, which increases the likelihood of his call being returned. Who wouldn’t want to receive free publicity and ego fulfillment by being profiled in an article like this?
It was a great way to initiate a conversation, which ultimately turned into many productive business relationships. If the trade publication in your industry isn’t publishing such a “winner’s profile”, suggest it. Smaller publications are often starving for articles and your suggestion is likely to be received extremely positively.
If you don’t have a prior endorsement from the trade publication, don’t let that stop you. You can write the article on “spec”. That is you write the article first, and then seek places to get it published. This is how I typically work. You can pitch it this way when you call a high profile person in your industry that you want to interview.
“Hi. This Mark Satterfield and I’m in the process of preparing an article for submission to Our Industry Trade Journal on emerging trends and was hoping I could get 20 minutes of your time to interview you for the article.”
I ask for 20 minutes because it’s less demanding than asking for a half-hour but since hardly anyone actually schedules his or her time in 20-minute increments, you wind up getting at least a half-hour with the person.
Of course there is etiquette involved in this process. For example, you don’t want to conduct the interview and then never actually write the article. That will come back to haunt you. On the couple of occasions where I’ve written an article but haven’t found a place to publish it, I send a draft copy to the person I interviewed asking for their comments. Not only does this satisfy the individual’s curiosity about what you wrote, but it’s also another great excuse or reason to get back in contact with the person.
When the article does get published, I send everyone I interviewed a copy. This is a good idea to do even if you’re sure that they received a copy of the publication through other sources. It’s a nice professional touch, shows your consideration, and again it’s a great excuse to stay in contact!
The interview format is the easiest to write because you’re writing in the same style as you speak. Most people communicate just fine when they’re speaking. This conversational style also works very well when communicating on paper.
A test that one of my editors told me early in my writing career, is to read out loud what you’ve written. If it sounds like you speaking, it’s probably fine. Remember that in order to get published you’ve got to write. It’s been my experience that the interview format is the quickest way to get your next article produced.
Mark Satterfield is the creator of the Gentle Rain Marketing System: How to Generate a Consistent Flow of New Clients. Quickly & Easily. With No Cold Calling. Find out more:
http://www.gentlerainmarketing.com
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Monday, May 4th, 2009
It’s very easy to write and upload an article to a directory, add it to your blog or website, publish it in an eZine or email. It’s a little harder getting people who see and read your article to read your resource box and respond in a way that generates traffic and makes money for you.
Everyday techniques like adding your email address and a mention of your web site are very important but very often people jot down the details and promptly forget about them, or write them down incorrectly and that’s even worse than not writing them down at all.
These are the best ways to turn your article’s resource box into a traffic magnet for your business:
1) Add a question to your resource box that can only be answered by contacting you or visiting your site or downloading a free report, etc.
Examples:
* That’s ten things you may not already know about AdSense, but if you want to know the number one, absolutely tops, no doubting it, THE Very Best Way to Double Your AdSense Income, email me at BLAHBLAH and you’ll have the answer in seconds. (For an article about AdSense but could be adapted to suit almost any subject).
* Want to know more about the Public Domain, such as which writer’s books fell into the public domain today and can now be used as content for your web site or even reprinted and sold as eBooks? If so, and you’d like to know about another 100 writers whose work has just entered the public domain, download my free report BLAHBLAH at www.hereswheretogetit.com (Again, about the public domain but can be adapted to suit most subjects).
2) Offer something valuable for free, such as a special report on the subject covered in your article or an eBook rebranded with your affiliate details. Get people to sign up for your newsletter to obtain the freebies, or give download details in your resource box and let readers download the eBook with your affiliate links embedded and wait for cash to pile into your bank account.
3) Make your article a multi-part feature, such as Part 1, Part 2, etc., or by inviting readers to visit your site for more information about the subject.
Examples:
* Part 2 of this article can be viewed at www.mysite.com
* Contact me for Parts 2 to 10 of this article which you’ll receive daily by autoresponder.
* Search this article directory for other parts of my article on BLAHBLAH. (This is the idea I like best because one long article can be cut into numerous parts, some publishers will download all parts for their promotions, meaning one lot of research and writing material can generate multiple incoming links for your site).
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Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
Are you a good communicator? Do people understand you easily? I’ve had several experiences lately that made me realize once again the tremendous importance of EFFECTIVE communication. I tend to forget that everything I do or say, or DON’T do or say, is an important form of communication. Our words, body language, facial expressions, silence, and tone of voice all communicate volumes to everyone around us. What language are you, speaking? Does your listener understand it?
Let’s start with the basics … communication takes two, right? A ’speaker’ and a ‘listener’. Most conversations, verbal or not, have one of each at any given point. Are you a good listener? Do you know when to speak and when to listen? As a coach, I do a tremendous amount of listening, and I’ve discovered there is quite an art to it. Active listening takes into account not only the words being said, but the tone, silences, speed, emotion, and most of all the words NOT being said. The better you are at “reading between the lines” the more effective you can be as a listener. Pay attention to the clues and you’ll learn a lot more about the speaker … they’re communication style may be vastly different from yours!
When it comes to the speaking part of the equation, how do you present yourself? Are you passionate, confident, and full of conversation? Find yourself drawn to speakers who are? Or do you say very little, but hope that each word falls on attentive and understanding ears? There are also some who prefer mostly verbal, and others who rely on non-verbal … be sensitive to what your listener prefers and you’ll find yourself understood more often. I tend to be a woman of few words, but regardless of your style, my words to live by in that department are simply “speak the truth in love”. There are times when the truth is very hard to speak, and even harder to hear. The way it’s delivered can have a huge effect on whether it’s truly heard or not. I had a friend speak some painful truth to me last week, offering a perspective on my actions that was difficult to hear (and hard for her to say), and it was spoken in love. After a bit of protest I was able to hear it, and learned some valuable lessons from it.
My friend’s observations also illustrated nicely the other half of effective communication … the unspoken part. She was seeing and responding primarily to how I was speaking and what I wasn’t saying, which spoke much louder than what I was saying with my words. In my coaching, I often point out what’s not being said, and offer feedback in the form of “What I’m hearing from you is …” which lets the listener know what exactly I am hearing and understanding. Feedback is critical to let the speaker know what’s going on in the listener’s head, and usually comes in the form of a reaction or a response. The difference? Reactions are sudden, intuitive, and usually emotional. Responses are thoughtful, considered, and delivered consciously, and sometimes silence is the strongest response! Both can be very effective forms of communication, but beware of letting reactions rule the landscape or you may get communications you didn’t bargain for!
The bottom line … even if you’re having a conversation with someone in your native tongue of French or English or what have you, stay conscious of what and how you’re communicating, and learn to read the clues offered by the other person. You’ll find that speaking the truth in love, and in a language your listener understands, will go a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings!
Bethany Rule is an experienced personal and professional life coach, championing human development, encouraging change, and helping you break your own rules. Based in NYC, she works with clients all over the world. Please visit http://www.bethanyrule.com to sign up for your FREE Trial Session, FREE monthly newsletter, or to learn more about coaching with Bethany.
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Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
There is a new venue emerging on the Internet. Perhaps you have heard of the new online article submission sites popping up on the web, as they are becoming all the rage indeed. Many people write articles and put a byline underneath to attract people to their websites to increase traffic; why? Well, for many reasons perhaps they are trying to sell something on their website, create public awareness to a worthy cause or simply want to increase traffic on their Blog or find like minded people you see?
Some online article writers may test the water by writing a few dozen articles and are anxious for fast results. Can you blame them? But really it is not a “get traffic quick scheme” and you see well, I think of online article writing more like a marathon than a sprint. It is basically the Tour de France of the Internet.
Personally I have written a few articles on the internet myself and watched to see how many people use my articles on their websites or Ezines to promote their efforts as well, a win/win for sure. After 17 months I have some 32,499 plus Ezine Publisher pulls, I can say that my articles are all over the place and even though I have 1.5 million article views on one website alone. In fact I’ll just bet I have 50 million article views total considering all the other pick-ups from all the other sites out there. As far as traffic is concerned, well it is MEGA. Hang tough and set a good solid pace, be efficient, dedicated and never ever give up. It works and you’ll see. Consider this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Article writing and distributing articles is still the best way to increase the web site traffic and search engine ranking for just about any web site. Spend anytime on internet marketing forums though and you will find no shortage of gurus telling you that duplicate content has killed article marketing dead.
Let’s get one thing straight – duplicate content should be a central plank of your article marketing strategy.
Stop. Shock, horror. An article extolling duplicate content – off with his head.
To put a couple of other matters into context – I have no patience for the duplicate content generated by the myriad of auto site generators, article spinners or site scraper software. The sooner that sort of content is removed from the internet the better.
Private label rights (PLR) articles have a place in providing useful web site content but have no place in an article marketing strategy.
To see how duplicate content should be used to turbo boost your article marketing an example is in order.
I have a web site on Goal Setting – www.goalsetting.jkl.co.uk. Obviously I want to promote that site. Equally obviously I want to use article writing and marketing.
The techniques used in goal setting are very simple and almost universally applicable. So I write an article called something like “Goal Setting – 5 Techniques That Everyone Should Know”. It’s a good article – fresh, original and packed with good, solid techniques and information.
And it bombs. Very few web sites take it as content. Very little web traffic is generated.
What has gone wrong?
There are quite a few reasons. The headline is hardly a benefit laden ‘must read’ for one. But that’s not the biggest issue. The big problem is that while goal setting may be a universal problem all of us think of ourselves as individuals. Our problems are unique. Anyone who doesn’t understand ‘my’ problem can’t possible be able to help me.
So if you want your article to be read you have to show that you understand ‘my’ problem and tell me how your solution solves ‘my unique problem’.
Goal setting is simple and based on a few universal principals. So wholesale changes to the body of the article are not required. What are needed are changes to make it appeal to specific target audiences.
For instance you could change the title to “Goal Setting: 5 Techniques Proven to Transform the Live of Busy Teachers”, or “Goal Setting: 5 Techniques Proven to Transform the Live of Busy students”. Or auto mechanics, accountants, solicitors, chiropractors,…
There really is no end to the possibilities for making this article call out more to specific target markets.
Simply changing the title/headline alone won’t do the trick on its own. You would also need to change the opening paragraphs a little too. How about something like:
“As a busy teacher you don’t need me to tell you how tough it can be to balance the competing demands of students, parents, colleagues, administration and the curriculum. Every day there are fresh demands, new legislation, new subjects to learn. It is a never ending treadmill. Goal Setting has been proven to transform the lives of teachers just like you…”
That becomes:
“As a busy auto mechanic you don’t need me to tell you how tough it can be to balance the competing demands of customers, colleagues, vehicle manufacturers and government red tape. Every day there are fresh demands, new legislation, new subjects to learn. It is a never ending treadmill. Goal Setting has been proven to transform the lives of auto mechanics just like you…”
You get the idea. The interesting thing is that for a 600 word article you will have only changed 20 or 30 words at most. If the search engine gurus are to be believed that will mean all of your articles will get rejected by the duplicate filter monster. Yet this is simply good marketing practice.
Every marketer has done exactly this since marketing began. You tailor your basic message or offering to appeal to specific niche markets. Every salesman does it pretty unconsciously.
Give it a try. I guarantee that you will get each article on many more web sites and gather much more traffic than you would with the original article. It doesn’t take long to do either.
All we need is a little common sense among the article directories.
Keith Longmire specialises in helping small businesses grow using the web. Article writing and distribution is a core concept. Discover more at Article Writing for Web Traffic
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Sunday, April 26th, 2009
If you’ve had an intense fear of public speaking for many years and have tried a variety of ways to rid yourself of the fear – without success, you’ve probably concluded that you’ll probably never get rid of the fear. Or, if you do, it will take a lot of time, effort, and reinforcement.
If you’ve used most conventional methods to get rid of your fear, you’re probably right. The Lefkoe Method (TLM) is not one of the conventional methods. In fact, TLM is the only technique that has been scientifically proven to totally eliminate the fear of public speaking. As Lee Sechrest, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, concluded after conducting a rigorous scientific study with 36 people who had a severe fear of public speaking, “The Lefkoe Method was effective in virtually eliminating the fear of public speaking.”
How does TLM work and how can you use it to eliminate your fear? About twenty-one years ago I developed the first in a series of interventions that literally do produce rapid and permanent change. The most important one, the Lefkoe Belief Process (LBP), eliminates the beliefs that are the primary cause our behavioral and emotional patterns.
After helping hundreds of people with a fear of public speaking totally eradicate that fear, we discovered that there are only a few beliefs that cause the fear.
Mistakes and failure are bad.
If I make a mistake or fail I’ll be rejected.
What I have to say is not important.
People aren’t interested in what I have to say.
I’m not capable.
I’m not competent.
I’m not important.
I’m not good enough.
What makes me important or good enough is having people like me or think well of me.
Change is difficult (or takes a long time, or needs reinforcement, etc.)
Inherent in public speaking is at least some fear.
When all these beliefs are eliminated and a little bit of de-conditioning occurs, the fear is gonepermanently. Let me show you how the LBP works for one of these beliefs.
David, one of my clients, complained of significant fear whenever he had to speak in front of a group. His palms got sweaty, his heart pounded in his chest, and he had a hard time focusing on what he wanted to say. One belief he had formed that contributed to this pattern was Mistakes and failure are bad. Intellectually he knew that learning from mistakes was a good thing, but deep down he felt this statement was the truth for him and, in fact, making mistakes upset him.
When I asked David what happened early in his life that led him to that conclusion, he replied: “Dad and mom got annoyed with me whenever I didn’t do what they wanted, when they wanted. They’d say things like: ‘Can’t you ever do anything right?’ and ‘How many times do I have to tell you?’.”
After telling David that his belief was, in fact, a valid child’s interpretation of his parents’ behavior, I asked him for a few additional interpretations of what his parents did and said. In other words, what else could their behavior and statements mean other than the meaning he gave it as a child?
His answers included: My parents thought mistakes and failure were bad, but they were wrong. My parents didn’t get angry because I made a mistake or failed; they got angry because I didn’t do what they wanted, when they wanted. The way my parents reacted had little to do with what I had done; it was a function of poor parenting skills; a couple of parenting courses and they might have treated me very differently.
I then asked David, “If your parents’ behavior could have had many different meanings, can you see that the belief you’ve been living with as “the truth” is only “a truth,” just one interpretation out of many?” He nodded agreement.
“Didn’t it seem as a child when your father was yelling ‘How many times do I have to tell you?’ that you could see that Mistakes and failure are bad?”
“I did see it,” he exclaimed.
“Take another look, now. I know you saw your parents and heard their words, but did you literally see Mistakes and failure are bad? Because if you really ’saw’ it, please describe what it looks like.
“I guess I didn’t really see it,” David replied.
“What did you see?” I asked.
“I saw my parents yell at me when I didn’t do what they told me to do and I heard what they said.”
“And what is the inherent meaning of that? What do you know for sure about you or about making mistakes or failing?”
“Nothing. The events had no meaning until I gave them one.”
“David,” I said, “Say the words, Mistakes and failure are bad, out loud. … Do you still feel that that statement is the truth?”
“No. No I don’t believe that any more.”
David had eliminated one belief causing his fear of public speaking. However, David had to go through the same process several times to eliminate each and every belief that caused his fear of public speaking. In other words for other beliefs he had such as “If I make a mistake or fail, I’ll be rejected” he had to find out what happened earlier in his life that lead him to the belief, find other ways of interpreting those events, and realize that his interpretation could not be “seen” in the events and that the events had no inherent meaning. Each time he did that a belief was eliminated until all the beliefs causing his fear of public speaking were eliminated.
Try walking yourself through this belief, using the events of your own childhood and you’ll discover when you get to the end of the process, your belief will be gone.
copyright ©2006 Morty Lefkoe
“Steps of the Lefkoe Belief Process” copyright © 1985-2006
Morty Lefkoe
Morty Lefkoe, founder of the Lefkoe Institute in Fairfax, CA , is the author of Re-create Your Life: Transforming Yourself and Your World. Using The Lefkoe Method, Morty and his colleagues have helped over 12,000 clients get rid of a variety of behaviors and negative feelings, including the fear of public speaking. For additional information, contact Morty at morty@lefkoeinstitute.com or visit the web site http://www.speakingwithoutfear.com.
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Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Thinking about genre is one of those places where writers can get stuck. They don’t submit their manuscripts, or worse, they don’t finish them because they feel the story “just doesn’t fit” with any particular genre. If you think this way, then you’re missing out. Genres can be limiting but they can also make your job easier if you understand them and how you can use them to help sell your book. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
What is Genre?
A book genre is a way of grouping books that have similar characteristics. The best known genres are considered their own markets as well: science fiction, romance, mystery, Westerns, thrillers. And many writers have made their names by specializing in a particular genre: Octavia Butler (science fiction), Danielle Steele (romance), John Sandford (mystery), Larry McMurtry (Westerns) or John Grisham (thrillers). A genre can even have it’s own formula–for instance many romances start off with the potential lovers hating each other. If you aspire to write in a particular genre, it’s best to know as much about it as possible–what’s selling, what isn’t, who’s breaking new ground, where the best opportunities are, etc.
Genre is a Choice, Not an Accident
Instead of wondering what your book might be, make a choice about whether or not you want to write in a genre. There are good points for either choice. When you decide to write in a certain genre, your job is made easier because some decisions are made for you: target market, plotting elements (if the genre is formulaic) and who you try to sell the book to, since many agents and publishers do specialize. But it’s best to make this decision before you start writing. Do you want your book to be firmly placed in one genre? Do you want to blend genres? You could run into trouble if you start writing without thinking about where you want your book to fit in. It’s like building a house then deciding you want an elephant to live there and trying to push it through a too-small door! It rarely works because you end up with a tag that doesn’t quite fit. You also have other people trying to push your book into a group and why should they get to do that? You’re the one writing the book! Which brings me to…
Better None Than the Wrong One
When you haven’t been clear on what your book is, you run the risk of sending it to the wrong agents and publishers who will reject it simply because they don’t handle that type of material. That’s a waste of your time and money. Now, this doesn’t mean you slap a tag on your book just so you can send it to a particular editor. Don’t be afraid to say your book is simply fiction and leave it at that. At most, you might want to specify literary or commercial fiction. (FYI, think of “commercial” as mass market and a possible money maker. Think of “literary” as a possible book award winner. Sometimes a book can be both, but it may be easier for you to think of your book as one or the other.) Some agents only represent novels. Some will say if they have specific genres. If your book doesn’t fit the genres, ignore those agents and only pitch to the ones who handle novels in general. If someone asks you to categorize it, just give a brief, note BRIEF, story synopsis and say it’s fiction. Again, be clear so you don’t waste your time or theirs.
Does Genre Matter?
The answer is “yes”, but the good news is you get to choose how much and in what ways it will matter to your book. So think about it up front and don’t let someone else make the choices for you.
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is “The Book Sistah” TM. Get her FREE REPORT, “The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published” and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Sophfonia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today’s issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.
The Book Sistah
230 South Main St.
Ste. 319
Newtown, CT 06470
203-426-2036
Info@TheBookSistah.com
http://www.TheBookSistah.com
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Friday, April 24th, 2009
If you’re just starting out as a writer — as in, you have moved from “Some day I’m going to write a book” to “Hey, I just wrote the first chapter of my first novel…now what?” — the following advice is a summary of tried-and-true stock tidbits you’ll hear in some way, shape or form every time you ask an author what it takes to become one. And if you’ve been at this for a while…well, you’ve heard all this before. But you might at least take away an understanding chuckle.
Let me begin by stating something you might not be aware of: writing is work. Most successful authors talk about the joy of creation and the high that comes with filling a page with words that work together to create a story (and of course, the royalty checks help the high along). But I want you to know what you’re getting into. Yes, the elation writing brings on a good day is incomparable. Addictive. Unbelievably thrilling. However, if you plan on getting serious about writing, there will be days when it’s a drag. Depressing. Very nearly painful. Because the first thing you have to do is. . .
Write every day.
I’m not talking Monday through Friday here. You have to write every single day. Much like those stubborn arm and leg muscles that atrophy with disuse, your writing mind needs regular exercise. Even when you’re sick, or tired, or would much rather be out in the yard lying on the grass and identifying cloud shapes. . . you must make time every day to plant your butt in a chair and get some words down. It may sound harsh, but it’s the only way to improve. Practice makes perfect! (Ah, another tired old cliché. I wonder how many I can fit in this article?)
Show, don’t tell.
This little gem is the extraordinarily abridged version of the Writer’s Bible (if such a thing existed). The concept is simple, but once you grasp it your writing will be a hundred times more powerful when you apply it. Here’s the gist: when you put your characters down on paper, let the reader see their emotions–don’t bash them over the head with static statements that tell them exactly what’s going on. An example:
Sally pulled into the middle lane and got cut off. She was mad.
That’s telling. Now, here’s how to show:
As Sally pulled into the next lane to pass the rusted Chevy truck whose little old driver’s curly blue hair barely cleared the back of the seat, a screaming yellow Camaro swerved over from the passing lane, clearing her front bumper by mere inches. Gritting her teeth, she slammed the brake and laid on the horn, then screamed, “Watch where you’re going, jerkoff!” for good measure–like the schmuck in the Camaro could really hear her at ninety miles an hour.
The simple statement “She was mad” takes on a whole new dimension. Without actually saying it, the reader knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that Sally was mad. Here’s another, shorter example:
Telling: Jeff grew thoughtful.
Showing: Jeff sat down and propped a hand beneath his chin, a distant look in his eyes.
It’s far more effective to show a character taking action than to simply give a laundry list of thoughts and emotions. Once you master Show, Don’t Tell, you’re well on your way to writer-dom.
(Don’t always) Write what you know.
This doesn’t necessarily mean if you work in a convenience store, your main character should be a retail clerk. It also doesn’t mean you have to learn some spells before you try and write a fantasy novel about wizards. By now you may be asking: what does it mean, then?
Writing what you know simply means using all of your life experiences and the people you’ve known and observed to give your stories believability. Most of us don’t like our jobs enough to inflict them on our protagonists–though it works for Grisham!–but maybe you have a longtime hobby you could transform into an unusual career.
As for the people you know. . . go ahead, exploit them in your writing without fear. Perhaps you have an aunt with a knack for (wrongly) judging new acquaintances by their choice of footwear. Or maybe you know a guy at the office who comes in late every day with a new weak excuse on a par with “the dog ate my homework.” Small personality quirks can pave the way for integral characterization–and if you mix them carefully enough, no one will suspect you’ve used them for writing fodder.
So you think what you know won’t make an interesting story? Fortunately for you, there’s an addendum to this caveat: write what you know. . . and research what you don’t. An example: if you want to write a story featuring a cop, but you haven’t ever so much as set foot in a police station (and if you say you’ve never even been pulled over, you’re either a liar or you don’t have a driver’s license) you can start by scanning the ‘net for information. Then go to the library and get some books — most of them carry preparation manuals for law enforcement exams that contain great information on police procedures. And perhaps most importantly: get in touch with a cop and ask some questions. You’d be surprised how willing people are to talk to you when you preface your statements with, “I’m writing a book…” Apply these techniques to any profession, culture or lifestyle you want to write about, and not only will your writing be more believable; you’ll expand your personal horizons and enrich your own life.
Persevere.The most simplistic, most repeated advice writers give is this: never give up. If you decide to seek publication, you will be rejected. Over and over again. Know this going in. Understanding won’t make rejection any less painful, but at least you’ll be prepared to take your lumps and keep moving ahead. Be assured that you have something to say, and someone out there wants to hear it. . . you just have to be patient until you find that someone.
No matter what else you do, don’t quit. You don’t want to be the person who says, “I used to write, but. . . ” — do you?
Unpublished writers, take heart. If you strive to improve your craft, if you write every day, if your burning desire to tell your story drives you to the computer at three in the morning to get that idea down before you forget–no matter what the rest of the world says, I say: congratulations. You already are a writer.
The world just doesn’t know it yet.
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