Writing children’s stories is imaginative, expressive, and lots of fun. It also requires an understanding of what makes a children’s book successful. With practice, your stories come to life with memorable characters, an engaging story, and age-appropriate design.

Characters

When you write children’s stories, feature a child as the main character who is slightly older than the reader. The child drives the action in the story and solves the problem themselves without the help of an adult or another character. Despite a flaw or desire, they are likable and relatable to children. Of course, not all children’s books include children (or animals) in the story, but when they do, feature them and let them be the hero.

When writing for children, let the main character drive the action and solve the problem.…
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In the series of Clifford books, Clifford’s flaw is his largess. He wants to help, but it often causes trouble when he does. Through his ingenuity and by virtue of his strengths (his size), he is able to come to the rescue and “save the day.” Both pictures and words feature his lovable nature and readers always root for him. The timelessness of the stories makes Clifford a perennial favorite.

The Story

Regardless of the target age of a book, stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Set the stage by introducing the character, the setting, and the problem the main character must solve. Show the main character attempting to solve the problem with failures large and small along the way. Escalate the problem until the main character has no choice but to solve it. End with a successful resolution to the problem in a surprising way.

Begin your #picturebook by introducing the character, the problem, and the setting. #amwriting
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Famously, Max of Where the Wild Things Are begins with the problem – he is sent to his bedroom. He takes us on a journey through his imagination to a place that celebrates his wildness until he realizes that he wants to return home to the place where “someone loves him best of all.”

Length and Target age

Board books are generally under 250 words and appropriate for the 2-5 set. They often filled with ABCs or 123s, single word or simple sentences to 4 line rhymes on each page with brightly colored illustrations. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle  (Author) and Jill McElmurry  (Illustrator) or A Rehoboth ABC by Nancy Sakaduski fit this category with tightly constructed rhymes.

The majority of picture books published traditionally contain less than 500 words and are geared for children ages 3-5 or 6-8. The language and complexity of the story determine the appropriate age for the story. While not impossible, it’s difficult to appeal to 3 and 8-year-olds at the same time. Search Amazon for children’s books in the desired age category to get the feel of each category. Here are two examples.

Longer books are either easy-reader or early chapter books with appropriate grade level vocabulary. Scholastic excels at providing books appropriate for any age with reading level books as a standard of their offerings.

Early chapter books launch children into the love of stories with limited use of pictures and illustrations allowing older children to create the scene in their own mind. Many are writing in a series, like The Magic Tree House.

Do you know the target age for your #picturebook? Don't get caught writing for the wrong age.
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The Layout

Children’s picture books are typically 28 or 32 pages. Once your manuscript is complete, make a dummy book. A dummy book is a layout of the words on each page most easily done on paper or in a graphics program like InDesign. Create the layout so the words on the right page compel the reader to turn to the next page.

In Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, he ends many right-hand pages with the phrase, “but he was still hungry.” Any curious child needs to know what he eats next.

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t preach or have an obvious moral.

Do edit your book to make every word count. Seek out critique groups for children’s writers to get feedback from unbiased writers.

Do go to writing conferences, take writing classes, and learn the craft of writing to make your book the best it can be.

Do study the children’s writing market to stay on top of trends and movers and shakers in the children’s book industry. 

Do join SCBWI – The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for resources, events, guidance, and support as a children’s book writer.

Get the scoop on writing #childrensbooks with these tips. @scbwi
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Additional Resources

10 TIPS FOR WRITING CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS

The Three Commandments of Writing a Picture Book

Writing and Illustrating: Picture Book Beginnings

How To Create A Fantastic Picture Book

What are your struggles when writing for children? 

The post Write Children’s Stories for Publication appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

There are times in our history that are marked in books, noted in lectures, and remembered for generations. These historical markers can be positive or negative, joyous or heart-wrenching, but all signal a time of profound change. Some events have divided our country while others have bound us together in an unshakeable union with a single-minded focus. Many more events are a combination of the two.

History doesn’t happen in a vacuum. While there is often a single event noted as the day which changed the course of history, all were preceded by smaller events. Like a series of breadcrumbs through the forest, these events include stories of mini triumphs or not-so-minor injustices from individuals and groups of people. These stories contain our common humanity, our best ideals and hopes for the future, and sometimes contain the worst aspects of human nature. Often, when faced with the latter, we find the strength to summon the best in ourselves and inspire others to do the same.

One way to affect change is to bear witness to events or resulting emotions about past events or those still unfolding. Bearing witness is telling, writing, or otherwise expressing our stories. Psychology Today describes bearing witness this way:

“Bearing witness is a term that, used in psychology, refers to sharing our experiences with others, most notably in the communication to others of traumatic experiences. Bearing witness is a valuable way to process an experience, to obtain empathy and support, to lighten our emotional load via sharing it with the witness, and to obtain catharsis.”

Bearing witness, telling your story, can occur in your living room or from a large stage. It can be penned longhand and sent to a trusted friend or chronicled in a book bound for worldwide distribution. It can be used as catharsis, but when used together with others stories, contain the power to do so much more.

Bear witness to the story inside of you. #speakout
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Often painful and sometimes risky, speaking out against injustice gives others permission to do the same. Like the spark of flame from one tree to the next in a sprawling fire, the transference of courage from one to the next grows a movement. As voices grow, understanding spreads, too.

Whether you are the spark or a tree in the forest, bear witness to the pain inside of you or the situation around you. Tell your story and be part of history.

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For those of you who don’t know me well, besides being a writer, I am also a professional juggler. For 25 years, my husband and I have performed for audiences large and small, young and old. For the last couple of years. I had been trying to push the juggler me to the back so the publisher me, the professional one, can shine, but I realized I AM the sum of all my experiences.

Juggling speaks to who I am as a person, as an entrepreneur. Trying and failing and trying again is how I built my first career as a juggler and that’s how I’m building my second one as The Happy Self-Publisher. All the things I learned, I’ve taken with me on my new journey.

I also am a professional speaker. The following is an excerpt from a talk I give about lessons from a juggler’s perspective.

My legs were shaking. My palms were sweaty. There were thousands of little drummers in my ears. I couldn’t believe he talked me into it. Everyone was staring.

It was my first performance since starring in Snow White in first grade. “And together we are The Juggling Hoffmans,” we shouted like we had practiced hundreds of times at home. But there in Atlanta, with 100 or more eyes fixated on us, I realized my complete lack of judgment that got me there.

It’s not that I could juggle. I just couldn’t juggle well. I was a backyard juggler, not a performer. Nearly 25 years ago, my husband Michael got an invitation to perform at the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta.

“Let’s do it. It’ll be fun,” he pleaded.

“No way!”

“Pleeeeeease?”

With Michael’s unrelenting charm, I gave in. The flights were booked, and there was no turning back.

When we arrived at the park that day, soothing mantras alternated with paralyzing panic as we started. Just as I had feared, I was terrible. Brief juggling runs were always followed by embarrassing drops. My worst nightmare was coming true.

If that wasn’t bad enough, at the end of each show, we had to beg for money. Sure, it’s technically called busking, but it felt like pitiful begging.

We had several more shows that day, some only slightly better than the first. The terrifying feeling never went away. The embarrassment of dropping in front of all those people never got easier. And my certainty that performing was a terrible idea never waned. When the last show was over, we packed up and headed for home.

I boarded the plane that day with $31.53. It surely wasn’t worth the four hours of torture at the park and the three months of anxiety leading up to the event. It wasn’t worth all the hours spent practicing before that call ever came.

I looked over at Michael. He smiled back at me with sincere pride knowing well what it took to get me there. With nothing left to hold back the tears, I cried.

What I didn’t know then was that I would spend over 20 years of my life juggling as a career, that every child’s smile would fill my heart with joy and all the subsequent drops would just be another chance to make kids laugh.

Let me ask you, what would have happened if I had quit?

Life is full of failure. My decision to perform a second time was more monumental than the first. I didn’t know if I would be any better, any less embarrassed, any more confident. The sting of the first performance still resonated throughout my body when I agreed to try again. That single decision changed the course of my life. Failure was an invitation, and I found the courage to accept.

As writers, we get bad reviews, no reviews, and writer’s block. We battle distraction, doubt, and fear. Once we write it, someone’s going to read it. They’ll have an opinion about our writing and about us. That’s scary.

Do it anyway. 

Yes, you might fail. You might feel embarrassed. But trying again after you fail might be the moment that changes your life.

Failing isn't failure until you stop trying. #success
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I speak to many aspiring writers. When we discuss writing, eyes are wide open. When we talk about publishing, writers are curious. When I mention building an author platform, I’m met with blank stares. It’s pretty universal.

Writers, in general, are creative sorts and not natural-born marketers. Yet most seek some financial reward for their effort. Many hope for major success. So, how do you fill in the gap between knowledge and desire?

When I decided to make writing my business a few years ago, I looked at my numbers. Zero blog posts. 100 +/- friends on Facebook. Zero email contacts beyond friends and family. I had a long way to go. Maybe you can relate. I needed a plan to get where I wanted to go. But first, I needed to know where I wanted to go. You’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Here’s a well-worn route to building your author platform.

The Vision

In keeping with the journey theme, envision the destination. If you are wildly successful, what does it look like? What does it feel like? Have you quit your job and are jet-setting around the country doing interviews and book signings? Are you the writing rock star in your town and teach classes at the local community college? Does success mean that a handful of people in your inner circle enjoy your book and that’s validation enough to write the next one? Finally, consider why this vision is important to you.

The three examples are vastly different images of success as a writer. Neither is better or worse. It’s your vision. You get to choose.

The Goals

The next step is to set your goals. Do you want to sell one book to someone who isn’t your mother? Maybe it’s 100 books or 1,000 or 10,000. Or, maybe it’s not a specific a number. Your goal might include being part of Oprah’s Book Club or becoming a New York Times Bestseller. It could be that you have more than one goal. Again, these are your goals. If your heart dreams big, go big. If your vision of success is in the pursuit of writing and not necessarily in the sales, your dream is no less valid. It’s important to articulate it in order to achieve it.

The Strategies

It’s tempting, at this point, to jump right in and try random tools to build your following, but there is a little more work to do.

Strategies are the different ways you achieve your goals. Suppose you want to sell 1000 books. Your strategies could be to get reviews, build your following on Facebook, build an email list, plan a book launch, and create an author website. The strategies are general categories and provide basic direction, but don’t nail down the specifics of how you’ll do it or the tools you’ll use to get you there. Start with 3-5 strategies that work toward achieving your goal. You don’t have to do everything. Creating a movie trailer and doing weekly podcasts might be great or they may be money or time-sucking endeavors. If you have no platform, start with the basics I mentioned above or even just a few of them. Once you build momentum, you can add more strategies to your author platform plan.

 The Tactics

Tactics are the specific steps you’ll take to meet your goals using the outlined strategies. For instance, if you want to build an email list, here are some tactics to employ:

• Choose an email provider
• Create a valuable offer (lead magnet) to attract people
• Create an ad to get the word out
• Create valuable follow-up emails or content or offers to keep subscribers interested

It’s obvious that each of those can be broken down even further. Once you get down to this level in the planning process, you’ll do some trial and error to determine what works best to achieve your goals. You’ll also use specific tools to make it happen.

The Tools

The tools are the specific programs, venues, or resources to create your promotion magic. Using the tactics outlined above, let’s explore the tools we’ll use.

For choosing an email marketing provider, we could research the pros and cons of using MailChimp (free, but a bit frustrating for me), Constant Contact (that’s mine), Aweber, Drip, and the list goes on.

For the lead magnet, we could create a webinar, a checklist, a free course, a fact sheet, an infographic, a series of quotes, templates, among hundreds of other ideas. You can have a signature lead magnet or create several different ones for more opportunities or to test for the best performing.

While planning it all out takes more time upfront, you’ll benefit greatly by the amount of time (and maybe money) saved on the back-end. You could randomly post stuff to Facebook or ask people to join your email list with varying amounts of success. But, this a roadmap for personalized success based on your vision and goals. It helps you stay on the path and not get pulled down every side road hoping for a shortcut or “the next best way.”

The Timing

When is the best time to start building your author platform? NOW! Wherever you are on your writing journey, start building your platform as soon as possible. If you wait until you publish, you’ve lost out on the most valuable time to sell you books – before the launch. If you’ve already published your book, you aren’t too late to make an impact on your sales down the road for your first book or your next one.

The amount of work in front of you may feel overwhelming or exhilarating. Put one foot in front of the other and do what you can today. Every step you take is closer to where you want to be. Lace up your boots and enjoy the journey.

Create your author platform success plan with this printable template.

Tell us about your goals as an author!

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We’ve all seen rocks. We’ve kicked them, collected them, and skipped them over ponds. Rocks located near rough waters or lining fast-moving streams get tumbled and worn, smoothed and reshaped. Rocks tumbling down mountainsides range from jagged boulders to tiny pebbles not much bigger than seeds which accompany them on their downward path.

Yet, what looks like a rock on the outside isn’t always the case. While many rocks divided in two are bound to become smaller versions of the mother rock. Others conceal one of nature’s great surprises. Deep within Earth’s crust and buried beneath mountains of rocks, hold crystallized minerals known as gemstones.

Chiseling away below certain rocks reveal shimmering beauty. Colors so brilliant they can only be found in nature. Yet, each rock reveals something quite different. Whether it is the rock-candy-like sparkle of a quartz crystal, the iridescent glow of an opal, or the brilliance of a red ruby, each is endowed with a unique beauty.  No two crystals are exactly the same. All endure immense pressure and lay dormant for Earth’s long, and often tumultuous, geologic history until someone digs for them. Even when first discovered, many need polishing to bring out their real beauty. Raw with potential. Perfected with care.

What creative beauty lies within you just waiting to be discovered? Have you felt something inside of yourself that needs time and care to make sparkle? Maybe you need a writing partner, critique group, or coach to unearth your potential and give you the confidence to start writing. You may need to learn the craft of writing to polish your gems. Or you just need to stand in your own light and let the world marvel at the brilliance you bring to the world.

Be patient, but be tenacious. Gems weren’t created overnight or by accident. The sands of time forced the struggle and pressure, but they also created art. Take the time necessary to write well and keep going even when the results aren’t immediately apparent. It doesn’t matter whether you create malachite or obsidian, tourmaline or tanzanite, or even the Hope Diamond. Know that what you create is unique and valuable.

What gemstone are you? How will you be discovered?

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All books, fiction or nonfiction, have story arcs. Memoirs are no exception. According to memoirist Adair Lara, the story arc is, “the emotional framework” of a memoir.

Your book must have an emotional driver from the first word of the book to the final period. Writers call this by a few names: the through line, the desire line, or even the happiness line. For you, the protagonist in the book, you hope for something. You NEED something.

I want…is a good way to start.

I want to live to see my children grow up.

I want my mother to love me.

I want to be first chair violinist in the London Philharmonic.

I want to climb Mt. Everest after the loss of my leg.

You can see in these statements how a single desire can drive a story and how obstacles play a part in derailing you from achieving it. If it is your memoir, it’s about you. Your desire. Even if you want to help your child overcome something, it is about how you deal with it or the impact on you that makes the story.

The arc, of course, has a beginning, middle, and end and is the storied path of attempting to obtain your burning desire.

The beginning often starts with a snapshot in time just before or just as life was about to change. For example, you are sitting in your doctor’s office when you are told you have Stage 4 cancer. Or, you are playing with your baby when your husband comes home drunk and hits you for the first time. It also could be the catalyst that turns your life around like if a demanding customer stiffs you on a bill as a diner waitress and you vow to never rely on someone to put a roof over your head.

The middle is filled with you trying to achieve your desire. It’s the actions you take or don’t take, the obstacles that get in your way, the result of the action (either success or failure), and your emotional response to what transpired. The story is in both the highs and the lows. You must be willing to share your failures because that’s where people connect with you and your story. People can’t relate to perfection and it doesn’t make an interesting story. People relate to your struggle – your hope and despair.

The end of the story is you achieving your desire, or not, or still working on it. The difference is that you’ve changed from the beginning of the story. You finish at a point after the first scene when your life turned upside down or you realized something about yourself. Consider how the obstacles and resulting successes and failures altered how you feel about who you are and your place in the world.

Once you understand your story arc, you realize which stories or events serve the greater purpose of your book and which are best for the “extra scenes” file. You don’t need to throw them out, just use them for a different purpose in the future. Find the events or emotion which relate to the through line and your desire to get there. Finally, take your readers on an emotional rollercoaster to keep them turning the page and rooting for you to succeed.

Raw, honest, and full of creative choices, memoir writing is one of the most challenging and cathartic of all the genres. Author of The Ghost of My Father, Scott Berkun, reveals his experience with writing a memoir in this post. You’ll see yourself in his writing and his struggle to make the story real and interesting at the same time.

In your #memoir, the through line speaks to the essence of the human condition. #amwriting
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What does your through line reveal?

How To Write A Memoir

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What’s your vision? Once you define why you’re writing a book, it’s important to envision your life as an author. If your book is wildly successful, what does that look like? If everything you ever dreamed about as an author all came true, how would you feel about yourself? Where would you be? Who is with you?

I’ve heard many authors tell me they want to be on the New York Times Bestseller List. Terrific. But, what does that mean?

Does that mean having a staff of people working for you in a New York midtown office? Are you flying around the country or the world promoting your book or doing radio and television interviews? Have you quit your job and moved your family across the country? Are you in constant demand as a keynote speaker at top conventions? How many times a month are you getting on an airplane?

You get the idea. Maybe you’re like many authors with more modest goals for the future. It may be that you want to sell 100 books or 1000 and do a few talks at local bookstores. Consider the time and energy you are determined to put forward. Either way, be BOLD! This is not the time to settle!

While you may not be able to envision the personal transformation you’re about to undergo, you probably have an idea about where you want to be on the other side. Just as your WHY charts the direction for your book, your vision for the future informs how you publish and market it. Your vision determines the time and money you need to invest in your project and yourself. It sets you on a path to find your greatness, whether that be large or small. Having a vision pulls you toward your destination and is crucial in finding your success.

To express your vision, create a vision statement. This is a  constant reminder of the life you want as an author. The act of creating a vision statement sets your intentions. It helps you focus. When you display the vision statement, its presence in your working space is a reminder of what you are working toward. Your vision is a springboard when you’re feeling energized and an inspirational lift when you find yourself stumbling along the way.

To create a vision statement, consider a few things:

Thing big – This is the time to imagine your ideal self.

Think of where you are going – What is your life going to look like?

Project out 5 or more years – Think of the long-term impact of what you are doing.

Think of who, where, how much – Quantifying what you want establishes goals to reach.

I envision reaching 10,000 writers and empowering them to write a book which meets their “why.” 

I envision traveling nationwide teaching families strategies to cope with children suffering from autism.

You can also create a vision board. Creating a vision board is a more concrete way to express yourself. Gather a variety of magazine or use pictures on the internet and cut out pictures of the life you envision and then post them to a poster board or something similar. You can also use photographs or small objects if you like. You can include material things like the clothes you’re wearing and the car you’re driving, but also include the people you speak to, the expressions on their faces, your family and friends, and the work you’ll be doing 5 years from now. It can be about the THINGS you want, but it’s more important to describe the FEELING you want.

Create a vision board, not just about the THINGS you want, but about the FEELING you want.…
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Create a vision board or a vision statement which reflects your unique vision as a published author. Finally, post it where you can see it every day.

While envisioning your life as an author IS important, be careful not to get bogged down by this step or others. Circle back to your vision as you go through the writing process. You’ll gain clarity as you get further along.

What’s your vision for the future? Where will you be if your book is wildly successful?

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Let’s say you’ve got an idea for your nonfiction book, but you don’t know exactly how you’ll write it. You need a framework to give structure to your book and help sell it, too. Although you can probably build a house by hammering boards together, it’s more effective and efficient to build the frame first and then include the walls before you fill out the interior.

The framework for the book is WHAT you say and HOW you say it. Here are some ideas to find the best way to present your book. The most effective way to find great ideas is to brainstorm them. If you need some help with how to brainstorm a book idea, or anything really, check out my post 6 Ways to Brainstorm Your Book.

You’ll find some of these ideas more relevant than others, but all will give you new avenues for exploration and consideration to frame your book.

Go from broad to narrow – If you specialize in nutrition, start with a topic like healthy eating, narrow to healthy 30-minute meals, and then narrow further to healthy 30-minute meals using the Paleo diet.

Find a theme – Successful books often have themes. In keeping with our example of nutrition, consider themes like growing (as a plant), boxing (fighting disease), a mother’s care (nurturing body) or exploring a current food trend.  Numbers are also great ways to frame your book; for example, “7 Ways to Boost Your Nutrition”. Just make sure you aren’t being too cliché.

Use your experience and expertise – What is your motivation for writing this book? Did you lose a lot of weight, lose weight after a baby, was someone in your family sick, were you sick, or were you going into the military and needed to get in shape? Perhaps you’re a doctor, nutritionist, or own a wellness company. All of those can provide a frame for your book.

Consider demographics – Look to your target audience to find answers. Write for the busy family, for the common man, for the athlete, for the power executive, or for caregivers of aging parents.

Target a specific pain point – Help the reader overcome illness, make money, save money, save time, or cope with a trying situation.

How you’ll present the solution – Is it quick and easy? Can you do it on a budget? Will you overcome it with grace or power through difficulty? Finally, will you soar to the top immediately or does it require a steady lifestyle change?

Consider geography – Decide whether you’ll target a local or regional topic, such as hiking the Appalachian Trail, or tackle a national or global subject, such as global health.

Choose a writing style – You have numerous options to choose from. Your book can be funny, provocative, poignant, inspiring, scholarly, satirical, unbiased, opinionated, commentary, historical, or factual, among other things. It can be a workbook, full of bullet points and graphs, with a moral, with action steps, with stories, or full of interviews, vignettes, and case studies.

When you’re choosing your topic, be consistent with your company or author brand. You wouldn’t expect a moving, inspirational book from a stand-up comedian, nor would you expect a snarky satire from a self-help guru. Your brand is how others view you. The key is to be true to yourself and it will resonate with readers.

You can explore potential titles for the book as a way to frame the contents. Stephen Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a good example. Covey identifies 7 main habits to share. The book is for people who want to be very effective, not just “everyday” effective. Covey could have gone with “everyday habits for the working mom” and the book would have turned out very differently.

Bonnie Trust Dahan wrote the book, Living with Seasons: Creating a Natural Home. It’s a home decorating guide that uses the framework of the four seasons and the use of natural elements to decorate a house. She could have used colors instead of seasons or used handmade decorating ideas instead of natural ones. The topic clearly defines the contents and the mood of the book. It is a way of attracting the perfect reader.

Explore different ways to frame your topic. Go outrageous. Think absurd. Give yourself at least 20 minutes of time without ANY distractions to brainstorm the topic of your book. Don’t stop writing. Whatever comes to mind, write it down no matter how off base you may think it is. There is always a layer of fluff on top of the really good stuff. Give yourself space to find the really good stuff.

Once you’re done, sit with your ideas for a day or two. Give your brain time to process and synthesize all the ideas. I suggest you repeat this task and brainstorm ideas to frame your book one more time. Your mind has an amazing capacity for ideas. Your job is to mine for gold.

This is my favorite part of writing a book! How about you?

The post How to Frame Your Book appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

I just got back from a fabulous 2-week vacation in Italy and loved every minute of it. I explored the history and sites of different cities, towns, and countrysides and, most of all, the people. Within the immense beauty of the land and cultural history, I came away with thoughts about writing and life, in general. Let me take you on a little tour of the lessons I learned about writing while I was there.

1. Something well created lasts longer than those which were created fast. Iconic buildings throughout Italy took years or even decades to build. We can write a book in a week, but long-remembered books took time to develop and write. Powerhouse Margaret Mitchell took ten years to write Gone with the Wind.
2. People are motivated by fear or desire. Many cities around Italy are surrounded by huge stone walls atop mountains and hills built centuries before modern machinery to secure the town and its people against attacks. Other cities are built in the mountainside overlooking vast blue-green seas. It would have been easier to build in the valleys, but fear of enemies or desire for natural beauty made it worth the effort.
3. Opened windows and closed shutters abound letting the air in but filtering out light. Open your mind to the possibilities and protect yourself from the distractions that hold you back.
4. You can do remarkable things if you set your mind to it. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel in four years despite not being a painter. He worked on the 17-foot sculpture of David night and day in the rain and elements for nearly two years to create one of the most remarkable masterpieces in history.
5. If you don’t know the language, just ask. Whether you are traveling, writing, or anything else, if you don’t understand, seek out people who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
6. All roads lead to Rome. Find what’s in your heart and write it. Be true to yourself and let the world hear from you.
7. Use resources you’ve got. If you’ve got marble, be grand with marble If you’ve got a talent or experience, use it for all its worth. Don’t worry about things you don’t have. Trade your assets with other daring souls.
8. You have to take risks to find the best stuff. The road was steep, narrow, and winding to get to the majestic Amalfi Coast. I held my breath around each hairpin turn which precariously borders a nauseatingly steep cliff. I’m afraid of heights. Maybe they were, too. But, once we reached a town or a less ominous overlook, the view was worth it. Totally worth it. Take a risk. The view from the top is awesome.
9. Always carry toilet paper. Be prepared for obstacles and plan to overcome them successfully.
10. Things made in nature trump that made by man. As beautiful as the temples, bell towers, and churches are throughout Italy, nothing can compare to the beauty of Tuscany or the sparkling Mediterranean overlooking Capri. Get outside in nature and feel its transformative power to fuel your writing.
11. Not always the biggest attraction that makes the biggest impact. More may have read Chaucer, but if your book profoundly changes one life, wow, that’s big.
12. Experiencing new things and people alters the way you view the world. I thought Italians used lots of garlic, but no. They do not.
13. My problems are small. It’s hard to be bothered by local inconveniences, like no parking places when you visit Venice. Everywhere you go, you take a water taxi or walk. Uneven streets and steps over bridges are the way of life regardless of the load you carry or the shoes on your feet. You might have things holding you back from writing, but there are writers with bigger obstacles.
14. People throughout history are greedy and good. Good and bad rulers and popes and warriors. Find the good in people and the best in yourself.
15. Knowing history helps to understand our present. My grandparents were from Italy. Understanding how they lived gives me better insight into how my views on life evolved. What they saw and experienced every day play a part in who I am. Seeing their homeland is a key to better understanding.
16. It could always be worse. Without a method for removing waste, “it” regularly flowed through the streets of Pompeii. I know! We’ve all got poo in our lives. Build a bridge and get over it.
17. Wear comfortable shoes. It’s a long journey.
18. You can either go wide or deep. You can see the highlights of everything or experience the essence of one place, the people, food, and local life. Frame your book to either go wide or deep.
19. When in Rome…try something new. You never know what you’re going to find.
20. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take your time and do it right. It’s worth the wait.
21. Behind everything, there is a story. Facts are great. Stories are better.
22. When maps don’t work, use your instincts.
23. Get quality luggage. The right tools make everything easier.
24. Find a good guide. You’ll get to your destination without getting lost, and they’ll show you where to find all the best stuff. It’s also true for writing and publishing your book.
25. There’s no place like home.

What have you learned while traveling? Ciao!

The post 25 Things I Learned About Writing in Italy appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

You are curious. My readers, in general, are curious people. It’s awesome! I love sharing what I’ve learned and seeing your (LED) lightbulb go on in your head. I started my company because I wanted to make it easy for aspiring authors to publish their books. Soon after, I realized that writers need help with writing and organizing before they get to the point of publishing. You want to know your book is good BEFORE you publish it, right?

In order to satisfy your ravenous appetite for information about writing, publishing, and book promotion, I’m developing a series of online writing courses aimed at giving you exactly what you need and delivered in a way that’s easiest to consume. Before I wrote one word or shot one video, I considered why writers and aspiring authors take writing courses in the first place.

So, why do writers take classes? You could read a book or go to the library or sit in the local coffee shop and wait for the writing gods to descend on you. Some do. But for the countless others, writing courses serve a variety of purposes. Here are some of the biggest reasons so many writers and aspiring writers pull money out of their pockets and time out of their lives taking writing courses.

Motivation and Accountability

This may be the biggest reason people take writing courses. You might have an idea that’s stuck in your head or a manuscript dusty from neglect. You might take a writing course to clear out the cobwebs or get unstuck. You might need the inspiration to get started and put pen to paper. If you’re like a lot of people you need to be in a space that motivates you to get your book done. While some courses are deadline-based with specific assignments due at a specific time, others allow more flexibility to work around your life. In either case, there is an expectation of effort that pushes you or pulls you, toward the finish line. We all need a little motivation now and then.

Self-confidence

A blank screen is scary. Putting words on a page gives you the courage to write the next ones, even if they are the perfect words. A writing course is a safe space to try something you’ve never tried before or explore different parts of your creative self. Everyone is learning. Everyone is exploring what it means to be a writer. Frequently, it also gives you the opportunity to get feedback from other writers or the instructor which gives you the confidence you are on the right track or provides the insight to make you a better writer. A confident writer writes more and is more likely to finish and publish a book.

Learn something new

Most writers don’t start with an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in creative writing or a degree in English. Writing courses help put you back in gear or fill in the gaps you never learned in freshman year English class. Depending on the program, you’ll walk away from a writing course with increased vocabulary, a better understanding of literary elements, voice, style, pace, or story arc. You may discover the secrets of the writing industry or the best way to write your book for success after the launch. Regardless of the type of writing course, a good one will stretch your potential and help you find ways to unlock your creativity. The more you know, the more self-confident you’ll be.

Find a new way to explore your topic

If you’re struggling to write or organize your book, a writing course is a good way to help explore new ways to think about it. By clarifying the purpose of your book, you open up opportunities for telling your story or explaining your subject. You’ll discover what motivates readers to pick up your book and read to the finish it. Learning about story arcs and organization helps you maximize that amount of pages readers read and get out of your book.

Tackle an obstacle

Writing takes many forms: fiction and nonfiction, historical and motivational, inspirational and paranormal, among countless others. Some writers need the courage to write from a painful experience or a challenging situation. The structure of a writing course encourages writers to get thoughts out of their head and onto the page and face their fears head-on. It’s a gentle push toward problem-solving whether it’s internal or within the story itself. If the challenge is writing the book, a comprehensive course gives you the structure to break it down into not-so-scary chunks. You aren’t climbing Mt. Everest in a single trek or tackling a marathon the first time you lace up.

Be part of a community of writers

You’ve found the perfect writing cubby in the corner of your house decorated with your favorite inspirational trinkets along with a full pot of hazelnut coffee. Everyday. Alone. A big part of the flock toward writing courses is the community that accompanies it. Writing is a lonely business and writers need each other for feedback, inspiration, and accountability. A committed writing community will cheer you on when you’re nailing it or lift you up if you’re having one of those days.

Unlock the possibilities for the future

Taking a writing course gets you one step closer to living the creative life you’ve dreamed about. Maybe that’s writing as a side hustle, quitting your job, or simply bringing more joy to your life. It may propel you into teaching or a speaking career, too, if that’s your thing. You’ll be in good company with other aspiring authors ready to make their next big shift. If you don’t know what that looks like going in, you’ll have a better idea by the end.

Like any new adventure, writing a book is a little scary. We risk something when we put ourselves out there. Think of the alternative. Not risking anything won’t get us anywhere.

That’s why people take writing courses. It’s a small calculated risk with potentially big rewards. Think of all you are about to become.

What do you want out of a writing course?

The post Top 7 Things to Expect from a Writing Course appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

Do you ever have that nagging feeling about something? You go down a path you’re not sure you should go in search of love or money, recognition or acceptance. Whether the ultimate goal is realistic, desired, or even justified, you have a sense you’re on the wrong path. That’s your intuition talking to you.

Intuition is with us all the time. You’ll make decisions because of it and despite it. You’ll get a feeling about someone the minute you meet them and decide whether you trust them or not. It’s all part of our evolution. Without the ability to scan a public Facebook profile or Google a person’s background info, our primitive ancestors needed to make snap decisions – friend or foe. This lingering survival trait gives us the ability to discern those looking out for our best interest and those looking out for their own.

And people are looking at us, too. They make a decision about us the moment they see us, talk to us, or read our blog post, book, or social media feed. According to PsychologicalScience.org, the phrase ‘you never get a chance to make a first impression,’ gets blown out of the water. Their research states people form an impression of you in the blink of an eye. Yikes!

As a writer, readers decide whether you are credible. They decide whether you’ll deliver the goods you promised. They’ll buy your book if they trust your judgment, insight, expertise, or your ability to entertain them. And they’ll decide in a blink of an eye.

That begs a couple of questions. What are you projecting out to the world? Is that the same thing you want them to see?

Look at your author brand. Your author brand is what you project out into the world. It’s what people think of you. It’s the way you write, talk, and dress. It’s also the quality and tone of your website – the words, graphics, and design. It’s about what you say AND how you say it. Your brand is not who you think you are; it’s what other people see that matters.

And your book? The cover, interior formatting, and good grammar (or pesky typos) all add to your author brand.

Do you remember your mom telling you not to hang with the wrong crowd? The same can be said for being a writer. Are you hanging out with writers who are determined to write more and better and prove it by going to writing conferences and who are setting and keeping weekly writing goals? Everybody loves a winner and it says a lot about who you are. People can sense it.

When you choose people or companies to help with writing or publishing your book, you’ll get a sense about them, too. Are they out for you and your best interest or are they just out to take advantage of your hopes or fears? If you’ve got a question, ask it. If you’ve got a sense about someone, good or bad, follow it and validate it. Chances are your intuition is right. Trust your gut.

The post Intuition and how we view each other appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

For those of you who know me or have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I am also a professional juggler. For those who don’t know me…yes, really. In addition to bringing the joy of authorship to writers, I also perform for young and old on stages large and small. The HAPPY in The Happy Self-Publisher stems from the joy I get performing (with my husband) and bringing smiles to children and their families for 25 years.

Aside from performing as a juggler, I also speak about my experiences and my unusual life choice. The following is an excerpt from my talk, “Juggling Fire and Other Life Lessons.” I connect the past to present from learning to juggle to succeeding in other areas of life. The things I learned as a juggler fueled my courage to write three books and start a publishing business.  I’m not suggesting you need to learn to juggle to write a book, but the confidence I gained throughout it all was invaluable. The traits I discovered in myself benefit me when it comes to everything else. Look for these things in yourself and good things will follow.

In this talk, I highlight six life lessons. The first, featured here, is tenacity.

To be tenacious is to embrace failure. In my life and especially in my career, I’ve failed over and over again. In fact, it is the only way I could have succeeded. No one juggles the first time they try. Or the second. And often, not until doing it dozens or hundreds of times. Every new trick I try or every new combination of tricks I do is met with the assurance of failure. It’s true for musicians and athletes, entrepreneurs and writers.

Years ago, my daughter was trying to learn how to dive in a pool. She got frustrated after doing a belly flop time after time. She was going to quit and resign herself to NEVER being able to dive. Do you know what I told her? “You haven’t failed enough times yet. After you fail 100 times, then you can think about quitting.” And do you know what she did? She started counting. But, she never made it to 100. She figured it out before she got there. She reframed her thoughts and understood that the only way to success was to push through failure.

For me, failure is a sign that I am trying and risking and putting myself out there. It’s scary, for sure, but worth it. The first time I juggled fire I feared I might make a mistake and my hair would go up in flames. But with the surrounding fire companies on speed dial, I tried, failed, and picked up the burning sticks until I mastered them.

As a fledgling writer, you may craft imperfect sentences or your organization might not be clear. As a new author, you may stare at your sales numbers wondering if anyone will ever buy another book. If you stop at your first try, you’ll never find the gold. There’s a better sentence in you, a new way to organize your thoughts, and another way to reach your ideal readers. Keep digging.

Sharing your voice, your vision, or your knowledge and the impact it makes on others may be the only treasure you seek. Maybe it’s more than that. It’s up to you to discover what’s important.

Whatever your treasure may be, don’t stop at the first failure. You may have many more in front of you. Push through them. Once you find the 100 ways it doesn’t work, you’ll find the way that does.

I can’t promise you an easy road, but I can promise that writing a book will change you forever. That’s the real gold.

Writing a book will change you forever. #amwriting
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If you’re looking for a speaker for your next event, please contact me. I would love to share my insights and antics with your group and help them find the best in themselves. If you need more info, download the speaker one-sheet below.

The post Are you tenacious enough to write a book? appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

Why are you writing a book?

Of all the questions you’ll answer, this is one of the most important ones. The “why” behind any project, whether it’s a business venture or a book, is the driving force behind what you do and how you do it. Your why is your mission statement and everything you write in the book, from the quality of the production to how you market it, should point back to why you’re writing the book in the first place. In his TED talk, Simon Sinek famously talks about why then what. Think about why you are writing your book and then decide what you’ll write based on your answer.

So, what does your why look like?

The WHY behind a memoir

Let’s say you want to write a memoir, autobiography or family history. In this case, your why may be to pass down your memories to your children and grandchildren so your family history won’t get lost to time. On the other hand, if you believe your history has great historical value, like your part in the march for freedom, or there is a broader takeaway for the reader like perseverance or bouncing back from abuse or illness, your why might be to write a book that inspires those who have also fallen victim to similar circumstances and to help them see healing and a hopeful future. Finally, you may have a memoir that reads like fiction and sweeps the reader off their feet with a beautifully told story, in which case your why may be to explore your creativity.

The WHY behind a promotional business book

If you are writing a book to impact your business, your why may be different still. The purpose or mission of my book, The Almost Perfect Birthday Party, is to have a marketing tool to give to families who might want to hire me (in my other career as a professional juggler). I can give the book away or sell it online and at events with the purpose of getting juggling gigs. I don’t have to position it as the ULTIMATE book on the market. I just want parents to know that I understand what it is like to be a parent throwing a party. It helps me establish trust with the people making the buying decision. No parent wants to hire Hannibal Lecter for their kid’s party.

The personal WHY

It could be that the process of writing the book is the most important thing to you. Your why could be to heal yourself or prove that you can actually write a book. While some may run a marathon, climb Mt. Everest, or get a Ph.D., many of us turn to writing. Crossing a massive project, like writing a book, off your bucket list is an awesome reason to write it. If your main purpose or why is about you and your path in life, your task is somewhat easier because you don’t have to worry about commercial success. My dad wrote eleven books without ever worrying about anyone outside of the family seeing it. He didn’t have to worry about every typo or perfectly craft each sentence. Even so, it’s still important to identify your why and write it down.

If your why focuses financial success or notoriety, it’s especially important to define it up front. While most people want their book to sell and sell well, centering on sales numbers challenges you to create the best possible product and invest your time and money to ensure you reach your goals. Essentially, the bigger the payoff you hope to achieve, the more you’ll need to plan up front for success. Makes sense, right?

Identify your WHY before you write a book to benefit you AND your readers. #amwriting
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The benefits behind your WHY

Let’s start with the monetary benefits:

• Passive income from selling the book
• To teach live and online workshops
• Get paid speaking engagements

If you’re writing to promote a business, you get indirect monetary benefits like:

• Use as a lead magnet
• Use as a promotional tool
• To help people know, like, and trust you
• To establish your expertise in your field
• To use as an outline for a course

Other benefits from the process of writing the book may include:

• Get to know your business better because of in-depth analysis of what you do
• Get to know your target reader well – their hopes, fears, and needs
• Get to know yourself better – YOUR hopes, fears, and needs
• Heal yourself
• Express your vision
• Share your passion
• Help people overcome something
• Make the world a better place and…

Engaging in a daring pursuit and accomplishing it is a feeling like no other. After you write a book, you’ll feel like you can do anything. And the truth is, you can.

Some of these benefits may speak to you more than others. Decide on the driving force behind why you are writing this book.

Benefits to your readers

Additionally, your why must benefit your reader. While this book may be about your journey, your experience, or your insight, and it may be a stepping stone to what you want to accomplish in your life, it ultimately must be for the reader. If you want people to read your book or especially if you want them to buy it, it has to resonate with them and it must be something you’re passionate about. Write your why with them in mind. Ultimately, it’s a win-win – your reader wins and you win.

Use words like help, teach, provide, inspire, foster, delight.

______ is to help people heal from _______.

______ is to teach young adults how to ________.

______ is to provide salespeople a tool to overcome _______.

______ is to inspire women to _________.

______ is to foster _________ in ________.

______ is to delight people with stories about _________.

Once you’ve defined why you are writing the book, the task of writing it becomes infinitely easier. You don’t have to help everyone with all their problems or tell every story that pops in your head. If you’ve got more to say, think about how to include in the next book or the one after that. Think big, my friend. The world is waiting to hear what you’ve got to say.

The post Identify your WHY before writing a book appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

You’ve been blogging for a while and you have a lot of great content, right? Your readers love what you’re sharing and they want more. Why not turn all your words into a book that informs, inspires, or entertains your readers? Why not sprinkle a little magic dust on your hard work and make the transformation into an author? Why not blog your book?

If you already have a blog or a series of articles and want to turn it into a book, this post will get you to the heart of it.

Turning your blog into a book is both easier and more challenging than starting from scratch. It’s easier because you already have lots of content written which can save you tons of time. It’s harder because you’re trying to fit your blogs into a box that may not flow, has overlapping content, has language that’s more appropriate for a blog (like “check out my post on this”), or doesn’t meet the objectives of the book. And you don’t want your book to read like a series of blog posts.

What I do know is you’ve come this far. Take the next step toward building your credibility and establishing yourself as the go-to person in whatever you do best.

Here are 10 manageable steps to blog your book:

1. Determine why you are writing this book. How is it different from the objective of your blog? What is your vision as an author? Can you see a new path forward?

2. Target a specific customer. Your blog may appeal to different customers in different posts, which is fine. But, when you put your book together, it should speak to a particular target reader. For example, I worked with a financial advisor who had clients ranging from beginning investors to those with more experience, more money, and a higher risk profile. He had content for the range of clients and potential clients on his blog, but it didn’t make sense to talk to everyone about bond ladders when a large group of readers were just opening their first retirement account. He chose to focus his book on the beginning investor. It eliminated some of his blog posts from consideration, but he can still use them later in another book if he chooses.

3. Determine what problem are you solving for your reader. Target your ideal reader and you will find them. If you are clear on solving your readers’ problem, they will find you, too. What is the main takeaway for the reader once they read your book?

4. Create a spreadsheet or table and organize your blog posts into categories. My blog posts generally fall under five categories: writing, publishing, book marketing, the writing life, and inspiration. Each one of my blog posts will fit under each of those five categories. When you compile the blog titles in your spreadsheet, you can see where you have a lot of material, not much material, or overlapping posts. You can choose to write your book based on one category or you can combine some or all the categories for your book. It may depend on whether this is your one and only book or if you have several more in you dying to come out. I hope this is the first of many!

5. Develop a story arc for your book. The story arc is the order in which you tell your story. In the example of the financial advisor, he gave his reader a tour of why readers should save money, when they should start, and how to decide which options are best for their goals. He ended with an encouraging word about creating the future they want even if they aren’t starting with a fortune. Look at your blog posts and determine where each post fits into the story if it does at all. Look at the overlaps and gaps. Where to you need to add information and where do you need to choose one post over the other or combine two posts? I use just the titles at this stage and dive into the details in the next step.

6. Put it all together. Once you have the titles lined up, include each full blog post into a single Word document or other word processing program.

7. Smooth out the transitions at the beginning and end of each blog post to make it read like a book and not a series of blog posts. Don’t be surprised if you need to eliminate posts or significant chunks of your posts.

8. Edit it. Use these content editing guidelines to look for places to make your book the best it can be. Use editing tools like Grammarly and the Find and Replace feature in Word to search for common grammar and punctuation errors.

9. Publish it. Make the dream real for you and accessible to your readers. Use publishing platforms like CreateSpace for your paperback book and Kindle Direct Publishing for your ebook and send it out to the world! If you don’t have the tools to transform your words into a print-ready manuscript, seek out a reputable self-publishing company to expedite the process and create a professional product. Because publishing is often the biggest hurdle, here are some answers to your self-publishing FAQs.

10. Share it with your readers! Even before the book “hits the shelves,” tell your friends and fans. Engage them in the journey as you write and publish so by the time its available for sale, they can’t wait to buy it. Ask for suggestions about titles, book covers, and more and they will feel part of the journey. When your readers connect with your journey, they will help you by sharing with their friends. And on it goes.

So, give it a try. See what happens when you take this next step (or giant leap). Blog your book. Your readers are waiting!

Have some questions? Let’s talk! Sign up for a Complimentary 30-Minute Discovery Session to discover where you are and what tools you need to be successful. If you’re serious about taking the next step toward becoming a published author, Click Here to Sign Up.

The post Blog Your Book in 10 Manageable Steps appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

I talk a lot about knowing your why behind writing a book. It’s the single most important step to a successful outcome for your project. Once you determine your why, the next thing is to think about what you want in your life. You might be thinking, Wow, you’re reaching pretty far, aren’t you Lois? Why can’t I just get to writing the book?

It’s too easy to have vague goals. But, most often, vague goals lead to equally vague results. You want results, right? Even if the goal is to sell one book, or just finish what you started, it’s a result. Your goals aren’t going to be like mine. We all have different things we want out of life. We often think of a few things we want or aspire to be, but unless you write them down and act on them, they are merely wishes.

Here are some ways to think about your goals.

Monetary Goals

Money isn’t everything, but it sure is nice.

• Buy – Things and experiences
• Have – Security and peace of mind for now and later
• Give – To family, charity, community

Write down the monetary goals you want. Is it a vacation home or college education for your children? Maybe one of your goals is a nest-egg so you don’t have to depend on anyone in your later years. Perhaps, giving your daughter her dream wedding or a down payment on a house is what you want most. Or, you want to give generously to charities that mean a lot to you.

List each item on one side of a piece of paper. On the other side, put a dollar value on what you want. Is it a modest vacation home in the mountains or a lavish oceanfront mansion? Go down the list and write how much it will cost for each item if you fully satisfied your goals. If you are like many people, you have denied some of the dreams you want in your life. Take the time necessary to explore your thoughts and get down to what you really want.

Non-monetary goals

Of course, not all goals are monetary, yet they are both valid. Here are some other things that we all want to some degree or another.

• Status – respected in field, business community or your own community, popular or sought-after, admired for your achievements, knowledge or philanthropy
• Inner satisfaction – pride in work or achievements, lived your potential or pushed through obstacles, happy or content
• Purpose – make a difference in people’s lives, your field, the community, the world, your lasting legacy

Write down each of these goals, as well and visualize what it feels like. Pretty good, huh?

So, what does that all mean and what does that have to do with your book? If your book is in service of your business and your business is in service of your ideal life, writing a book plays a part in helping you achieve your ultimate goals. The book is a tool, an incredibly valuable tool, to gain credibility, increase exposure and increase sales for your business. Even if you aren’t in business now, being an author means you will be.

There are a lot of great reasons to write a book, but what you are your reasons? Think of what writing a book means to you. It isn’t enough that people have said you should write a book. You need to know why. Write the reasons that resonate with you. Add to that list as new ideas emerge specific to your industry and your business.

Now, go one step beyond the list. What are your desired outcomes? What does success look like to you? Gaining credibility is a wonderful reason to write a book, but you must realize the power credibility brings. That’s where defining the purpose of your book comes in. Setting goals prior to writing a single word ensures two things:

1. You write your book with a specific outcome in mind
2. You align your marketing of the book to achieve those goals

Once your goals and motivations are clear, the path to attaining the goals and the tools to achieve them become easier to identify. The goals are a guiding star through the writing, publishing and marketing journey. You will catch yourself whenever you veer off course and redirect your efforts more quickly and easily. Even more than that, when you know what you want, REALLY know what you want, you’ll feel a magnetic pull toward your ideal life. You’ll write your book because you can’t NOT write it.

If you need a little more help with goal-setting, check out this post on setting SMART goals and then take a moment to share your goals with our readers.

The post Your book and what you really want out of life appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

If you’re a dedicated writer, you’ve probably got your favorite spot to write. Maybe you curl up in a little nook in your bedroom or plunk down at the kitchen table. But sometimes you need to get out of the house. You need inspiration. While routine can be good, very good, writers benefit by shaking things up every once in a while. Feed your creative soul with different sights, sounds, and smells of life outside of the usual. You need creative spaces to write.

Here are a few places that may take your brain on a little inspiration vacation.

5 Creative Spaces

Coffee shop

If you are a regular follower, you know that I routinely hang out at Panera for my morning writing. I used to walk down Main St. in my town wishing I was one of those “coffee shop people.”  One day I walked in and decided to be one.

For around $2 a day, I get a comfortable place to plop my computer, a hot cup of coffee, and regular “officemates” to make the job more interesting. I like working with the hum of humanity in the background and an occasional shot of local buzz going on around me. I feed off people chatting and laughing while watching expressions for clues about what’s really going on behind the smile. For me, it’s part escape and part community gathering space. It’s my office and I’m a better writer for it.

Library

The library, sanctuary of books. When quiet is the only way to go, the public library is the place to be. Free wifi, large working spaces, and a whole new cast of characters make this a go-to place when there is a deadline looming. Perfect for those who cherish the sound of turning pages and inspiration that comes only from being surrounded by the crafted words of generations of writers.

If you’re doing research, you’ve got more than the internet or even the wide variety of source materials in the space. You have reference librarians waiting to help you discover hard to reach gems or give you insight into where to search for the best stuff.

Park

Whether you venture out to a national or state park or wander over to a local picnic bench, you are sure to gain inspiration from your surroundings. Nature inspired the greats like Emily Dickenson and Ralph Waldo Emerson and countless others who fed and still feed off the beauty, solitude, and wonder of the world.

Even if you aren’t writing about nature, being in contact with the rhythm and beauty produces mind-altering results if you sit long enough and let it in. Allow yourself to be connected to the life of trees swaying, the breeze blowing, and the birds that fill both with song. Maybe your nature exists in the middle of a busy city or town and the chirping of birds is drowned out by the sound of cars driving by or squealing children avoiding being tagged “it.” No matter. Take the breeze, the sun, or the crunch of leaves under your feet and use it to power your thoughts.

Air BNB

Wanna get away? If you have the luxury of leaving it all behind, whether for a night or longer, use someone else’s space to inspire your creativity. You can try out a beach, lake, or mountainside retreat, or spend the weekend in a loft in the city. Look for possibilities to connect with a different part of your brain that comes with altering your location. You may find inspiration from a knickknack on a shelf or the view out the window or the conversation you have with the owner. Be on the lookout for the spark that ignites your thoughts.

Can’t get out of town? Have a “retreat” with another writer at their home or offer to house-sit for someone going out of town. The most important thing is to get out of your own space. Wherever that space may be.

Co-working space

As writers, we don’t often think of ourselves as having a business. But if you plan to make any money on the sale of your book or resulting workshops and speaking gigs, you clearly are a business owner. With that in mind, check out a local co-working space. It’s a novel way to get solopreneurs out of the house and into an office-like setting without the burden of a renting office space full time.

The added benefit and one that is fueling the growing trend toward co-working is the inspiration, and sometimes collaboration, that comes with working with like-minded travelers. Each participant in the space is striving to build a business, develop a new concept, or grow into a “real” office space. Being among this upwardly mobile crowd can bring an entirely new energy to your writing and help you build your network. You’ll cherish your network, especially when your book is finished.

Here is a short clip of my day in a local co-working space, The Hub in Wilmington, DE. My goal for the day was to work on the resource guide for my upcoming online video course. But since I was alone for a while, I decided to film a little silliness and write this post instead. I felt truly inspired.

Where will you write next? Let us know where you’ve written and how it inspired you. If you haven’t tried it yet, where do you WANT to write?

The post Creative spaces to write appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

If your readers are on Facebook, you need to be on Facebook.

If you are new to writing or if you are an established writer trying to build a fan base, this is the perfect time to set up a Facebook page. You might be thinking you already have a personal profile. Isn’t that enough? I would argue that you need both.

Why you need a Facebook Page?

There are many advantages to having a Facebook Page in addition to a personal profile. The first and main distinction is separating your personal and writing life. Although your writing may intersect with your everyday existence, as you build your fan base, they may not want to hear about Aunt Sally’s knee replacement or your dog’s latest fascination with Game of Thrones.

But that’s not the only reason. You can also gather emails, send people to your website, if you have one, schedule posts, create ads, and can view valuable insights about who is viewing and engaging with your posts. You have many options to share your posts with people outside of your limited circle of friends that creates boundless opportunities for reaching new readers.

How to Create a Facebook Page?

You can step up a Facebook Page in just a few minutes and fill it in details as you get more information and establish yourself more as a writer.

First, go to the left navigation bar of your Home feed in Facebook. (To get to your Home feed, go to the top right of any page on Facebook and click the button marked “Home.”)

At the bottom of the navigation, click on the word “Page” under CREATE as shown here.

On the next page, click Artist, Band, or Public Figure.

In the drop-down box, scroll to the bottom and click “Writer.” Choose a name for your page. I suggest you use your writer or author name instead of the name of your book to maximize your impact as you continue writing. Once you click to continue, behold your new Facebook page.

Fill in the details with a profile photo (a professional headshot is best) and a cover photo. You can start with something generic for your cover photo just to get you started (like a stack full of books) or add (or create) a graphic that speaks to your writer brand. Your writer or author brand is how your readers relate to who you are in the world. Apple has a brand. Starbucks has a brand. You, as a writer, have a brand, too. If you need help creating a Facebook cover photo, try using a free graphic tool like Canva.

Continue by adding a description of your writing, a brief bio, or just a little about you as a writer. Give readers a reason to stick around even if you haven’t established yourself yet. You can update this information at any time, so don’t get bogged down.

You can also add buttons to your site to encourage readers to contact you or make purchases. Each element you add brings new opportunities for engagement.

How do I get people to Like my Facebook Page?

Invite your friends! Fortunately, Facebook wants you to succeed. They give you a list of your Facebook friends and a quick link to invite each of them to like your page. You can invite everyone or choose your friends who are most likely to be interested in your writing. Personally, I encourage you to invite them all and let them decide for themselves. Even if they won’t directly benefit from your writing, they may know somebody that will.  They may just want to cheer you on. Let them!

As you post interesting, shareable content, you’ll attract more readers. So how do you do that?

What do I post on a Facebook Page?

First, it’s important to know the purpose for your Page is about building relationships with your readers. You may eventually sell books via your Page, but it’s really about letting them into your world and establishing a connection based on trust. They trust that you are out for them and not just yourself. This isn’t something you’ll do in a week or a month. It’s part of the reason to start building your fan base long before you publish your book.

Post your favorite quotes about writing, ask questions of your readers, post photos from your upcoming book or of your favorite writing spaces, or take a video while you’re researching an interesting place. List your five favorite books and ask about their top five. Ask about the most inspiring lyrics from a song. Tell them what you’re writing and what motivates you. You can post nuggets of information like tips or facts that you research and write or find fun or interesting articles to share with your readers written by someone else. It can be a lot more than just articles. Look for videos on YouTube, photos on Pinterest, or presentations on SlideShare.

Much of what you post depends on your specific genre or topic, but concentrate on helping your reader discover something new or help them solve a problem. Zig Ziglar once said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.” That’s your goal.

Your Facebook Page is just one part of building your author platform, but an important one. Establish your presence and then build your relationships through consistent and engaging content. Your readers will become fans and reward you in the end.

If your readers are on Facebook, you need to be on Facebook. #amwriting #author
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Do you already have a Facebook page? Please share it in the comments below and connect with other writers to widen your universe. Let’s build our platforms together!

Click here to visit (and like) my page on Facebook.

The post Does a writer need a Facebook Page? appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

It’s launch week for my online writing course, Adventures in Writing Nonfiction: A roadmap for writing a book people want to read!

I began working on this project in January – writing, editing, filming, and finally sending it into video production to create a course that would help YOU realize your dream of becoming an author.

And just like the exhilarating feeling I’m experiencing now with launching my course, you’ll feel that when you publish your book. Let me tell you, it feels great!

What’s included in the course:

10 modules containing 41 high-quality video lessons

Downloadable audio of each lesson, if you prefer learning on the go

Downloadable transcripts of each lesson, chapter by chapter or all in one file

A Resources Toolkit containing questions and exercises to further develop lessons and understanding in each chapter. The Toolkit is available in each chapter or all in one file for your convenience.

Worksheets and forms to stay on track

Additional resources for added learning

An enthusiastic instructor

An option to add coaching sessions to work one-on-one with me to craft a book that meets your WHY.

This course is for you if:

You want to write a nonfiction book

You are a first-time book writer or

You wrote a less-than-successful book in the past or

You are stuck in some phase of writing your book

You like the flexibility of learning online

You like learning at your own pace

You learn best with video, audio, or printed content

You want to get your book done easier, faster, and with more confidence

You want to know the insider tips that make a book successful

You are ready to be the author you know you can be!

SPECIAL LAUNCH BONUSES

As part of the course launch week, I’m offering a bonus coaching session for anyone who signs up for the course. If you enroll in the course by 11:59 EST on Wednesday, September 20th, we’ll schedule a complimentary 30-minute coaching call to talk about your book and get you on the right path for success.

There’s nothing like expert advice right when you need it most.

I’ll also include a copy of my book, The Self-Publishing Roadmap: A step-by-step guide for publishing the book of your dreams.

Once your book is done, you’ll have what you need to publish it, too!

I’m offering my email subscribers one additional bonus opportunity – 5 days of FREE access to the course. All you have to do is participate in a quick, easy, and fun scavenger hunt and complete it by 11:59 pm EST on Saturday, September 23rd. If you’re not an email subscriber yet, click here to sign up.

Even if you are just a little curious about the course, check out Adventures in Writing Nonfiction to find out more about it.

If you’re ready to write a book, ready to find out what is possible, ready to realize your vision, don’t go it alone. Let’s go on this journey together.  

Start your adventure today!

The post Adventures in Writing Nonfiction Launch! appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

Here are my top 21 reasons it’s worth the effort to write a book.

1. Earn passive income

Whether you publish a physical book or ebook, or you hawk your book online or off, there is money to be made from book sales. The exact amount depends on a lot of factors including the topic, quality of the writing and production, and your promotion efforts. While most people think about the income from the sale of the book as a driving force for writing it, it’s clearly not the only reason (and shouldn’t be) for writing a book.

2. Feel a sense of accomplishment

It’s hard to describe the feeling of pressing the publish button or holding your book in your hands for the first time. Joy, elation, relief, pride, over the moon, on top of the world…you did whatever it took to get through and the feeling on the other side is like no other. No one can take that away from you.

3. Gain new level of credibility

You’ve told people you have expertise, but how can anyone really know? Your book is your proof. It’s your philosophy, methodology, and insight into your topic. When you write a book, a little piece of you is on every page announcing what you have to offer to the world.

4. Get speaking gigs

With your credibility, you can get speaking gigs, large and small. Your book is a ticket to seek out opportunities and for opportunities to come your way. Audiences want to hear from successful people. As an author, that’s you. Whatever your topic, there are audiences eager to hear your message.

5. Develop trust

If you’re already in business as a coach, consultant, healthcare practitioner, investment advisor, or any number of positions where customers base their buying decisions based on trust, a book is your opportunity to give them confidence in you. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. It can speed up the process between first introduction and engagement with you and your company. In a world where time is money, a book gives you a direct route to promoting your brand and quickly turn prospects into clients.

6. Heal yourself

If you come to writing from a place of pain, writing a book gives you an outlet to express your circumstances and journey down your path. The process of writing gives you a forum and purpose for understanding your pain and coming out on the other side. Well delivered, your memoir can help others in a similar situation or promote understanding with those unfamiliar with your plight.

7. Explore creative expression

Creative expression is part of what makes for a joyful life. It employs our sense of wonder and dares us to express life as we feel it. Writing a book allows us time to tap into the deepest parts of our being and live life with eyes wide open.

8. Develop good habits

At the outset of a book project, many writers plan time to write. They set weekly word count goals and adjust their schedules to meet the goals. In the process, many found they pushed bad habits out of the way to make room for productivity. Being mindful of your time allows you to use the time with purpose. Many find that once they begin scheduling time for writing, they find time for the other things they love, too.

9. Learn more about a topic

Whatever your topic – business, personal, hobby, etc. – you’ll learn more about it as you write. You’re writing about something you love. It’s an opportunity to dig deep and explore the details, stories, and finer points to most fully paint a picture for your readers. By the time you publish, you’ll naturally understand your topic and yourself, and perhaps your business with greater clarity.

10. Teach classes

My favorite way to use the information in my books is to teach classes and workshops. You can earn money by walking attendees through lessons, guiding them through exercises, or providing inspiration to forge their own path. You can sell books at each session to provide additional income and to offer private consultation to the attendees, as well. It gives you a forum to personally connect with an audience and bring them into your tribe.

11. Set yourself apart

Your topic or area of expertise may be shared with many experts. It’s crowded out there! Your book gives you a way to stand out from the crowd with your unique vision and perspective. It sets you apart from those who aren’t authors and demonstrates your skills and knowledge at the same time. Reviews for the book give the social proof you need to attract new people to buy your book or other products or services you offer.

12. Believe in yourself

When you write a book, you’ll know that you can do anything you set your mind to do. Because of the effort and dedication it takes to follow through to the end, you’ll have proof you have what it takes to accomplish other life goals. Nothing will hold you back. You wrote when it flowed like water and when obstacles got thrown in your way. And now, whatever life throws at you or whatever opportunities present themselves, you’ll take the challenge and succeed.

13. Earn money as a consultant or coach

Now that you’ve proven your expertise, others will seek you out for advice and assistance. Perhaps the most lucrative part of being an author is the opportunity to offer your services in group or one-on-one settings. You’ve positioned yourself as an authority and can capitalize on your knowledge and experience. Your book can provide the format for guiding clients through each session or can be the backdrop for preparing workbooks and lessons.

14. Find a new community

As writers and as authors, we have the opportunity to be part of a new community. There are writing groups, critique groups, and groups where authors share their promotion advice. It’s a place to give and receive information and expertise and pull together for a common purpose. Whether it’s a local group meeting in person or a discussion group online, you’ll find people to lift you up and push you forward when you need it most.

15. Help others

An important part of the book writing process is knowing what problem you are solving for the reader. They may need help growing tomatoes or saving for retirement. Readers may want to know they’re not alone in feeling or experiencing something. They may just want to be entertained. Whatever it is, you are helping someone solve their problem with knowledge, comfort, or a good laugh. You are touching someone’s life with your words. It’s a worthy cause, indeed.

16. Be a role model

Of all the things I experienced after becoming an author, this one surprised me most. You don’t know who is watching while you are writing. After I published my first book, my daughter hugged me and said, “I’m proud of you.” Besides nearly crying, I realized something else. I’ve set an example for her. She saw me haul off every day to a coffee shop to chip away at my book and emerge several months later with a testament to my hard work. Without realizing it, I modeled tenacity and persistence, and she noticed. Priceless.

17. Raise awareness

Your book gives you the opportunity to raise awareness of a lesser known condition, issue, or topic. You may share a perspective that others haven’t considered. No matter the topic, a book gives you the megaphone and a forum for sharing your message.

18. Leave a legacy

Whether you write a book for public consumption or just a book for family and friends, it is an opportunity to leave an eternal mark on the world. We all have a desire to be significant in this life. No one shares your unique experience or thoughts. Writing a book preserves your legacy for generations.

19. Grow a business

Writing a book gives you the opportunity fully express your vision when you prepare to grow your business. Use your book to attract and engage customers. Use it as a lead magnet, as a series of blog posts, or include snippets as social media fodder. Include your book as a value-added product or bonus to entice customers to buy. It is a marketing asset that keeps on giving.

20. Inspire others

Your book is an inspiration. Even if you haven’t written an inspirational book, you’ve put in the hard work and saw it through to the end. Believe me; others are watching. Who will you inspire someone by the mere act of writing? How will their lives change because they were inspired by you?

21. Find a path forward

Sometimes the road ahead isn’t clear. Writing a book can help pave the way for a new path or define the one you’re on. It may be a new career, new friends, or a hopeful future. While you can’t be sure what the future holds, there’s one thing to know for sure–when you write a book, you’ll be forever changed. It’s you, only better.

Which reasons resonate with you? Why will you make the effort to write a book?

Now’s the time to start!

Find out how you can use your insight, expertise, or experience to write a book. I use short video lessons to walk you through the writing process, step-by-step. Each section is explained with the beginner in mind. Along with the videos, you’ll get an interactive Toolkit to put your new knowledge to use. You’ll find information AND inspiration to carve the path and guide you from first word to last.

Check out all I have ready for you.

All you need to do is take that first step.

If you just want to take a peek, no problem. You can sneak in by following this link.

If you've got questions about the course, leave them in the comments.

The post Top 21 reasons it’s worth the effort to write a book appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.

The upcoming holiday season brings gratitude, joy and an opportunity to celebrate life with those you love. It is the time of year to express our thankfulness for family, friends, opportunities, progress, and yes, writing. As a blogger, writer, or author, you love to write! So, you should always be thankful for writing, right?

Many business and entrepreneurial articles correlate thankfulness with success, often portraying thankfulness as a “secret ingredient” in goal progression.

Daily routine: Get up. Get dressed. Be thankful.

Simply expressing thankfulness as a tool for success minimizes what it means to truly be thankful. Being thankful is not solely an item on your to-do list or a pathway to success, but it can be a means of refocusing our thoughts and a powerful motivator. On days when you are tempted to stop writing, think you have nothing left to contribute, or your “why” for writing is no longer worth the work, perhaps you can simply be thankful.

Thankful for the burden of writing, the often-tormenting process of drafting and editing, and sorting information you believe valuable for your tribe. If you find yourself struggling to be grateful for the grind, consider these reasons to be thankful for writing:

Be thankful you create.

Instead of copying, you create! Instead of complaining about outcomes, you become part of the solution. We live in a world today filled with more words and information then humanly possible to digest in a lifetime (or two!). Books, magazines, newspapers, and Google in our back pocket make creativity difficult. Knowing much content already exists, it becomes easy to believe all has been said and done before.

In her podcast for creatives and writers, “Writing Tips: If You Feel Like It’s All Been Said Before,” Maria Forleo describes this situation perfectly. “Often, it takes that one person to express it [a thought] in their voices for it to actually get through, and you are that person for somebody!”

Be thankful you contribute.

How wonderful to write, if only for our own benefit. Instead of consuming, you contribute. When you write, you profit from the effort. Thus, how much greater to know our writing also has the potential to enrich the lives of others.

“Thoughts disentangle themselves passing over lips and pencil tips.” Writing is a means of making sense of a world that appears senseless. Your writing is an opportunity to reach someone you may never meet, in a place you may never visit. Every day is filled with experiences that influence our lives. In a socially distant society, what a privilege it is to share those experiences with others.

Be thankful you learn.

An interview between successful entrepreneur and bestselling author, Michael Hyatt and the co-creator of the 5-Minute Journal and Productivity Planner, UJ Ramdas detailed many staggering considerations about writing. “Blogging is a means to process things in public,” stated Michael Hyatt, “I don’t know what I think about until I’ve written.”

“You can’t improve yourself in real time. When you write and correct, you are essentially correcting the syntax in your brain. Your thinking becomes more efficient,” added UJ Ramdas. Consider someone who made a positive impact in your life. Any great influencer was first a great thinker. Writing leads you to sort thoughts and train your mind to delve into a deeper level of thinking.

You learn through the writing process, contributing to the world through a perspective only you possess. So be thankful for writing! The often-daunting writing process yields outcomes worth celebrating this holiday season.

Why are you thankful for writing? Comment below! We love to hear from our reader-writers!

The post Be Thankful for Writing appeared first on The Happy Self-Publisher.