5 Problems With Conventional Book Publishing

5 Problems With Conventional Book Publishing
By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I am the best-selling author of 12 books, all of them issued by major publishers. Collectively, they have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

I like to start this way, not to boast, but to give you some confidence in my observations. They have been accumulated over 20 plus years of writing, so Ive seen various markets for authors.

Right now, there are some major problems with conventional book publishing, of which you should be aware, if your goal is to get this community to acquire and then to issue your work:

(1)Distribution through bookstores has never been tougher. Most publishers sell to stores on consignment. If books dont fly off shelves into the hands of buyers, theyre returned to publishers, very quickly. Your title doesnt get very long exposure or time to establish itself.

(2)Books used to be kept in print and available for longer periods of time, in many cases, for years. Now, theyre put to death quickly, if initial sales are anything other than brisk.

(3)We live in an era of the celebrity book. If Oprah wants to write a diet book, it will be a monster hit; you know that. But the most exciting, up and coming, highly credentialed nutritionist may not have a chance of breaking into print.

(4)Publishers expect authors to make them profitable through personal promotional efforts. What are you going to do to sell this book? is the major question they ask, and agents will tell you, without a personal commitment to sell your own copies, stated in your book proposal, you wont get a publisher to bite.

(5)Publishers are clueless, themselves, about what to put out there. Reluctant to lead, and reluctant to follow the success of others, they are like the proverbial deer in the headlights.

It used to be the case that if you wanted information on a subject you either went to your library or to your local bookstore. Not anymore.

By going to the Internet, you can assemble the equivalent of a book, fast and more or less, for free. Publishers havent figured out how to sell content at a premium, in an environment in which so much of it is available, instantly, for nothing.

There are alternatives to conventional book publishing, including self-publishing and using media alternatives such as audios and videos. Ill explore them in future articles.

But for now, give that dream of seeing your book on the shelves of Barnes & Noble, a second thought.

It may not be worth the effort.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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19 Ways to Secure NonReturnable Book Sales and Sell More Books

19 Ways to Secure Non-Returnable Book Sales and Sell More Books
By Joni Hamilton

Surprisingly, book stores are not always your greatest source of book sales. Most authors and publishers do want their books to be available in all of the book stores, and rightly so. You want your book to be there, too, but you want to sell more books. You want your book to be a household name a topic of conversation in coffee rooms and at dinner tables everywhere. Your publicity campaign is designed to create interest in your book, and to drive buyers to the book store market.

Unfortunately, those traditional book store sales arent always sold. The books might be returned over and over again. Thats the sad reality of the book retail industry.

Your books fame, however, can help you to acquire nonreturnable sales in the nontraditional market where a sale actually is a sale where sales of 25,000 copies and more are not uncommon.

Here are 19 Book Marketing strategies that will help you acquire those sales:

1. Write your book for a very broad market nonfiction works best.

2. Write a book that people will be happy to give as a gift.

3. Add as many photos and illustrations as you can afford.

4. Keep the topic light avoid heavy social commentaries, controversial topics, scientific theories and other heavy subjects.

5. Have your book professionally designed.

6. Have your book professionally edited.

7. Give your book a catchy name avoid boring titles such as How to Have a Happy, Fulfilling Life.

8. Make sure that the cover design is appealing, appears three dimensional and can compete with all of the major publishing houses. Hire a professional designer.

9. Sell the benefits of your book on the back cover. That is where you will sell buyers on the reasons why they just cant live without your book.

10. Price the book competitively in your genre.

11. Make your book look like it is good value for the price its all about perceived value in the minds of the buyers.

12. Dont write for yourself write for the end buyer. Fulfill a need for them or make them feel better.

13. Think of the corporate market when you are writing. Make a list of corporations that can benefit from your book, and then contact them.

14. Submit your book to the book clubs at least six months before you publish.

15. Find an agent who sells to the gift market.

16. Find an agent who sells foreign rights.

17. Find an agent who sells to the display market.

18. Dont be afraid to offer large discounts on nonreturnable sales.

19. Seek licensing agreements they are a great source of income for no work on your part.

A professionally designed book opens many doors while an amateurish appearance closes many doors. It is vitally important that you invest in your book at the beginning to create sales in the long term. Plan for publicity and marketing before you print your books printing is not the final expense in your book marketing plan. It is the beginning. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.

Create a book that buyers just cant resist -- and then create a book marketing plan that makes those buyers BUY.

Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.

Ink Tree Ltd. helps authors publish, market and sell books. We have all the tools you need to succeed in book publishing. Let us help you make your book a success. http://www.inktreemarketing.com

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Never Pay Full Price for a Book!

Never Pay Full Price for a Book!
By Cyndi Roberts

Are you an avid reader? Are you trying to instill a love of reading in your children?

My whole family loves to read! Right before bedtime every night, every one of us can be found with our nose in a book!

It would be very easy for us to spend a fortune every month on books. But, since we don't have a fortune to spend every month, over the years I've found several ways to get good books and never pay full price!

1. Garage and yard sales are a prime source for both hardback and paperback books. There are people who will buy a book, read it once, and they're ready to get rid of it. I pick up lots of books at yard sales and never pay more than 50 cents each.

2. Used bookstores are another place to find good reading material. Store policies differ but most do something like sell the books at half the cover price. If you bring in books to trade, a store will usually give you credit for one-fourth of the original purchase price. I sometimes buy books at garage sales for 50 cents, read the book, and take it to the used book store where I get more than my 50 cents in credit.

If I find a book in very good condition at a yard sale for less than 50 cents, I will buy it even if I don't want to read it because I can trade it in for credit at the used bookstore.

3. Trading with friends and family is yet another way to get good reading material. My mom and I live 200 miles apart, but we always have a bag of books to trade whenever we visit each other. After we've both read a book, then it goes to the used bookstore.

4. I have recently discovered that the Dollar Stores in our area (and probably in yours, too) have books, hardback and paperback, for $1.00 each. The selection is not very large, but they have fiction and non-fiction and books for grown-ups and children, too. A book can make a great gift and at a $1.00 price it makes great economic sense, too.

5. Bookstore chain stores, like Hastings, have clearance tables somewhere in the store all the time. It takes some time to look through them, but I have bought many gifts from these clearance tables.

6. If you know of a book you'd really like to have, why not just let your family know? Your mom or your sister or husband would probably love to give you a gift for Christmas or your birthday that is something that they know you really want.

7. And don't forget your local library! The library is a wonderful place to get a book you've been wanting to read without having to buy it. You can also read the latest issues of most magazines at the library. I consider public libraries to be one of the finer things in life!

So, if you, too, are an avid reader, or if you're guiding your children to a lifetime love of reading, there are lots of ways to ead on the cheap!

About The Author

Cyndi Roberts' website, 1 Frugal Friend 2 Another will show you ways to save money everyday. Receive a Free e-course on saving money at the supermarket! To learn more, visit http://www.cynroberts.com

editor@cynroberts.com

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Cheap and Effective Ways to Promote Your Books

Cheap and Effective Ways to Promote Your Books
By Lynette Rees

I thought it might be an idea to share here what I do to promote my books.

I like writing articles, so thats an easy way for me to promote. For example, I have a romantic comedy coming out shortly, so Ive written an article entitled, Crafting the Romantic Comedy and started circulating it at various article banks.

One article I wrote last year, just before the release of a romantic suspense novel, was entitled, Seven Ways to Inject Suspense Into Your Novel. A couple of weeks later, I was amazed to see it as the lead article in The World Wide Freelance newsletter, which has a circulation of 20,000. As a knock on effect, people contacted me after seeing the article via that newsletter and asked me to take part in live chats and interviews at their websites. They also asked my permission to publish the article as well.

I try to gear the promotional article up to suit the particular book coming out at that time and include a link to it in the bio.

If you are interested in trying this, here are some article bank links:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/
http://www.articlealley.com/
http://goarticles.com/

You can probably find many more article banks by use of a search engine. Of course, if you can go the extra step and get your article published in a relevant magazine, so much the better. Last year, I managed to get my article, Five Reasons I Chose to E-publish My Novel, printed in The Romantic Novelists Association magazine.

Another idea Ive had is to have my book covers printed on postcards. A friend gave me the link to a reasonably priced online printer, who also supplies 250 free business cards, so Ill get some of them printed the same time. Heres the link:http://vistaprint.com

Or how about putting out a press release, either in the local newspaper and/or online? See here: http://www.prwebdirect.com/

Ive also started including leaflets to my books that are due for release in other books I sell, so the reader, if he or she likes my style, may consider purchasing the new book when it comes out.

I also involve family and friends who are marvelous promoters. My mother, for instance, likes nothing better than telling her friends at The Salvation Army and Age Concern about her daughter, the author! Several have bought not just one book but the follow up as well!

My husband has promoted my books both at the bowls club and at work and Ive had several orders that way.

These are just a few ideas I use to promote my books, low cost ideas that cost little more than your time to write an article or issue a press release!

Lynette Reess romantic comedy, A Taste of Honey, has just been published by Samhain Publishing: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/a-taste-of-honey

Her non fiction e-book, Crafting the Romance Story is available for beginners, here:http://www.lynetterees.com/crafting/

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Writing MS Word 2003 Use Bookmarks for Global Corrections and Running Headers or Footers

Writing MS Word 2003 Use Bookmarks for Global Corrections and Running Headers or Footers
By Ugur Akinci

Imagine you have a 200 page MS Word document with repeating text elements like an address, a name, or a date which repeated over and over throughout the document.

And imagine, after finishing the document, or when it's time to update it, your boss tells you to change the name from John to Bob.

One way to do it of course is to use a global Find and Replace.

But what if you'd like to replace only some of the Johns to Bob? Are you going to check them one by one? Or what if you want to do it automatically without the need to remember to do a Find and Replace?

It's easy. You first mark the source text with a bookmark.

1) Select the text.

2) Select Insert > Bookmark from the main menu.

3) Enter a Bookmark Name (no spaces) and click Add. To see your bookmark on the screen, select Tools > Options > View Tab. Check the Show Bookmarks check-box.

The next step -- for all the other instances of this text, enter a REF (Reference) FIELD that points to the BOOKMARK of your reference TEXT.

1) Place your cursor where you want the next instance of the source text to appear.

2) Select Insert > Field from the main menu to display the Field dialog box.

3) Find the REF field in the Field Names scroll-down list box.

4) Select REF and then select your BOOKMARK in the Bookmark Name list box in the middle.

5) Click OK and your text will be inserted with a gray background screen (which will not be printed), denoting that this is not normal text but a variable field.

Now, every time you make a change to your original text, all other instances will also be changed automatically AFTER you do the following:

1) Select the whole document by selecting Edit > Select All from the main menu, or pressing Ctrl + A.

2) Press the F9 key and BINGO! You've got all instances of your text updated automatically.

P.S. Be careful not to delete the bookmark markers when you are editing your original text. That's why it is important to work by displaying your bookmark markers.

************* Creating RUNNING HEADERS and FOOTERS

Another great use of Bookmarkers and the REF field variable is in the Headers and Footers.

Imagine you'd like to include the Document Title (not the File Name but the actual name of the document printed on the front cover of the document) or a section title either in the header or the footer. This is also called a unning header or footer since the header/footer on a page changes depending on selected section headings or titles like the way, for example, you'd see on any phone directory or dictionary page.

Adobe FrameMaker takes care of this much more elegantly by allowing you to assign one or more variables to your header or footer, variables that are fully customizable and indexed to your paragraph tags, so that you can actually have multiple levels of running headers and footers displaying on your pages.

Although MS Word does not provide the same easy functionality to key the headers/footers to paragraph styles, it still can be done by inserting bookmarks and REF variables.

This is how you do it:

Assign a bookmark to the title (or any other source text of your choice) and then insert its corresponding REF field variable into the header or the footer. After updating the text, go back to your header or the footer editing mode (View > Header and Footer) and press F9. All your headers or footers (within that given section) will be updated as well.

NOTE: There is a formatting problem with updating the headers and footers this way since MS Word has the tendency to insert the source text with its original formatting.

If, for example, you are referencing a 24 point document title in your header, your headers will look huge. You can of course select the header text manually and re-format it to a smaller size.

If the next time you update the source text, the length of the updated text is equal to or smaller than the original text, then the header/footer preserves its latest formatting properties.

If, however, your new updated text is LONGER than the previous one, then for only that part of the text which is longer, MS Word switches the formatting back to the original source text format.

For example, if your original document title is composed of two words, Word Tricks, and your updated document title is either Word Techniques or just Word, then the headers and footers are updated (after going into the header/footer editing mode) nicely by preserving your latest formatting corrections.

However, if your new title is Word Tricks Explained, then the last extra word Explained is displayed in the headers/footers with the original formatting of your document title, creating a lop-sided and aesthetically unpleasant header/footer. In those cases you need to go back to your header/footer and reformat the extra new word(s) as well to match the rest of your header/footer. This is a bug that I hope Microsoft will take care of in the future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 corporations since 1999.

He is the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

A true movie fan since he was a child, Akinci provides FREE MOVIE PLOT IDEAS every day of the year at SCRIPT BOILER. Visit http://scriptboiler.blogspot.com today.

You are most welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

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12 Ways to Keep Your Nonfiction Book In the News

12 Ways to Keep Your Nonfiction Book In the News
By Sandra Beckwith

Publishers are willing to publicize nonfiction books when theyre released, but they rarely do much after the launch to keep books in the news, even though most deserve ongoing media exposure. Here are some easy things you can do to generate continuing publicity for your title. Use a mix of these ideas to develop a 12-month publicity plan that will provide the support your book needs.

Turn the advice in your chapters into a series of monthly tip sheets. A tip sheet is a press release that offers tips or advice in a bulleted or numbered format. Start your tip sheet with an introductory paragraph that explains why the tips youre offering are important, list your bulleted advice, then tie it all together at the end with a concluding paragraph. Send it to appropriate media outlets; the distribution list will depend on your topic.

Contact the press immediately when your topic is making headlines to offer your expert perspective. This is a sure thing with most local media outlets when its a national news story because youre giving them a local angle. If youve done enough interviews to prepare for the big time, pitch the national news outlets, too.

Add the media to your newsletter distribution list. The same useful advice or information you offer subscribers in your print or electronic newsletter could be of interest to reporters covering that topic, too. I got a book contract several years ago from the publicity that resulted from adding the media to the distribution list of a newsletter I publish.

Repackage your book content into by-lined trade magazine articles. Depending on the terms of your publishing contract, you might need to do some rewriting so its new material. Make sure the author credit at the end of the article includes your book title.

Capitalize on holidays and special months, weeks and days by distributing a press release with useful, newsworthy information related to the topic, or by contacting the press to offer yourself as an expert information source. For example, many daily newspapers run articles in December about how the holidays are especially difficult for people who are grieving the recent loss of a loved one or facing the anniversary of a loss. This presents many coast-to-coast interview opportunities for the author of a book on grief and loss but only if the author reaches out to the press.

Contact the public relations department of your industrys trade association to offer yourself for media interviews. Association public relations people are often contacted by writers looking for members with a particular expertise to interview. Make sure your association knows about your qualifications and the topics you can comment on, and youll get referral calls.

Conduct a newsworthy and relevant survey on your topic and announce the interesting results in a press release. The author of a cookbook designed to make cooking simple and easy, for example, can survey people about why they dont cook more, and release the findings in a press release sent to newspaper food editors and cooking magazines. The release should include information about your books connection to the survey topic.

Sponsor an attention-getting contest and announce the results in a press release. To promote my humor book about men, I conducted a Worst Gift from a Man Contest. The resulting press release led to nationwide media attention, including a holiday appearance on a national cable TV talk show.

Push your publishers publicist to monitor ProfNet for reporter queries related to your topic all year. Alternatively, subscribe to ProfNet via its PR Leads reseller and respond to appropriate queries. A subscription via PRLeads.com is $99 per month.

Monitor writer forums for source requests. Members frequently post requests on the magazines and newspapers forum for interview sources.

Tell the media when youre visiting their market. Reporters love to interview experts who arent local, so if youre in another city for any reason, contact the appropriate media people two weeks before your trip to offer ideas for articles they can write based on an in-person interview with you. If youre in town to speak, send an announcement press release several weeks in advance and offer to do a pre-event telephone interview.

Re-purpose your best tips into a free booklet. Write and distribute a press release that describes the booklet and how people can get a free copy; make sure both the booklet and the release include information about your book, too.

Generating ongoing publicity is work, but its not rocket science. Invest the time so you boost sales while contributing to your author platform. Youll see the rewards at the end of the year.

Sandra Beckwith, the author of two publicity books, teaches the online Build Book Buzz publicity course for authors.

Sign up for her free book publicity e-zine at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com

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How to Market Your SelfPublished eBook

How to Market Your Self-Published eBook
By Dorothy Thompson

One of the questions I get from writers who have never written an eBook for the sole purpose of self-publishing is, How would you promote a self-published eBook? Where would you even begin?

Many writers balk at even attempting to play publisher, but if they only knew that its not as hard as they think it is, plus they keep to keep all the profits, I feel that more people would realize that self-publishing ebooks is not only a profitable venture, but they are really simple to promote as long as you take a no-nonsense guerilla approach to marketing.

As long as you have a market, and have a quality eBook that is free of errors, your eBook can become a success, thus give you that added income. But, the great thing is, you wont be sharing the profits with anyone. There is no overhead except for website expenses, which you should already have.

I have successfully promoted several eBooks for myself and for my writing group, getting those eBooks into the #1 position in the search engines.

How?

Thats where your guerilla marketing plan comes in.

Here are a few simple ways I have used to promote my eBooks and get them to the top of the search engines:

1)Using key search words throughout my selling page and on every single piece of promotional literature I send out.

2)Using free press release sites frequently, keeping in mind to use those key search words not only in the title, but also throughout the release.

3)Using free article banks as vehicles to get my selling pages link on hundreds upon hundreds of websites.

4)Using online storefronts who will list my eBook for free.

5)Using writers forums and websites who will let you announce your eBook.

6)Using blogs to announce your eBook and promote it.

7)Using others blogs to set up virtual book tours.

The secret to selling self-published eBooks (or any kind of eBook or print book, for that matter) is to get your link on as many websites as you can. You have to remember, you have an electronic book. You cant go on book signings, so you have to rely on the Internet to get the word out. But, by following those seven examples above, Ill guarantee youll get the sales you need.

So what if youve done everything above, and your eBook still isnt selling?

Where some authors go wrong is that they fail to remember the most important thing you need in order to sell any kind of booksa market.

No amount of promotion is going to do you any good unless you have an audience who is willing to fork out the money.

Before you even put down that first word, you have to ask yourself these following questions:

Who is going to buy my eBook?

Why is my eBook any different than Joe Blows eBook on the same subject?

What will my audience gain from my eBook?

Can they already find this information readily on the Internet?

Will my buyers gain something from my eBook, or is it simply to entertain?

Pique your potential buyers interest.

Post an excerpt on your website so they can judge for themselves whether your eBook will be something they need.

Once you get into the mindset of your buyer, things start falling in place, and youll get those sales you want.

Zero in on your market, and do the steps Ive outlined above, and Ill guarantee youll be selling ebooks.

Happy promoting to you!

Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson is the editor of The Writers Life (http://www.thewriterslife.net), one of Writers Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers, and the author of the self-promoting eBook A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, available at http://www.thewriterslife.net/promoteebook.html

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Writing Your Dream Book

Writing Your Dream Book
By Vivian Case

Do you dream of your name in lights? As the author of a fantastic novel? You read the bestsellers thinking, I could of written this! Or maybe you can spot all the errors the author made and know you could write something so much better. But then you sit down to put your great idea to paper (or screen as it may be), and boom. Nothing comes out except a few jumbled run on sentences describing...nill.

Don't be discouraged - but do be practical, for writing, like any truly worthwhile creative process is difficult. Just as the artist must first learn to train their mind to see creatively in order to draw, the writer must learn the rhythm of how to write.

Sometimes the only thing a prospective writer needs is a bit of encouragement - maybe in the form of the right motivational book, or the encouragement of a trusted friend or teacher. But maybe that motivation isn't forthcoming - how do you keep going? The sad truth is most would-be authors give up well before the first chapter.

So you say you don't want to be a statistic. You really are determined, comitted to being successful. Well I will tell you the formula for success, step-by-step. We will break each step down so you understand it's importance. Here we go.

First of all, lower your standards. Yup, that's right - you heard me - let that perfect, gleaming idea of perfection fly out the window. Your goal is to be sub-standard. Now before you trash this article, listen to the logic of this crazy scheme. After you've done your outline, plotted a few characters, and of course found your best idea, just write. Don't review and edit as you do so. Write fabulous run on sentences, terrific misspellings and other grammatical errors, and horrifying plot inconsistincies. Why? Because this is your rough draft, and darn it - it should be rough! Every terrific author out there will quietly admit how very much their first rough draft resembled absolute crap. And you can too. Then - when the horrific thing is in place - go back and rewrite that monster until it really is shiny and beautiful.

Reward Yourself. Set up a system and chart your progress. For every goal you reach reward yourself - a new book, ice-cream, a massage, taking a long bath - whatever motivates you to keep writing. This is a really important step - don't overlook rewarding yourself!

Set a goal and stick to it. 45,000 words? Terrific. 10,000? Great. Whatever your goal, break it up into smaller weekly goals or even daily ones. And again, keep track of your progress.

When your goal is reached, it's time to edit that dream novel into something readable. Join a writer's workshop. If there aren't any in your area, you can join an online one. Or set up a blog. The key is to create a support community as you go through the ups and downs of the editing process. Give yourself a time limit to finish editing your book. Some need a month, others need a few years, some take much longer. A year is a pretty good time frame.

When you have your novel polished to perfection, it's time to get it published. Here is where your support group is really necessary. Don't overlook self-publishing, but be careful to choose a reliable publisher.

Once your novel is published, don't go on permanent vacation! Set up a website, blog with your readers, go to book signings - and of course: Start the next one!

About Me: I'm a mid-twenties gal living in the Rocky Mountains. Obviously I love writing stuff, and have several blogs scattered around the 'net as well as my writing site, http://www.novelwriterworld.com . My hobbies include gardening, weblogging (or blogging for short), shopping and writing sci-fi and fantasy.

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Writing Your Own Book Can Give You An Edge!

Writing Your Own Book Can Give You An Edge!
By Jeff Smith

Have you been able to achieve the level of success in your career and life you feel is possible?

It's a common frustration we all experience, constantly being overlooked when it comes time to be recognized as a leader in your market.

In most cases, there is very little that separates you from top earners in whatever market you operate in, except one small factor - perceived expert status.

PERCEIVED EXPERT STATUS GIVES YOU AN EDGE

In one of my very first careers, I learned the lesson of why some people make it to the top while other, smarter, more qualified people sometimes never get paid close to what they are worth.

Here's a hint - it has nothing to do with how hard you work, how smart you are or how much experience you have.

One of my very first jobs was helping to sell house kits (complete house packages) for a local building supply store. Business was great and I had good experience having grown up with relatives who built houses for a living.

There were two of us employed, my skills with customers were far superior to that of my co-worker, yet there was one thing he had that I didn't - and that one thing meant he received more than double the sales I received.

His secret was a booklet and articles he had written on the basics of house planning and house building. With a small 40- page booklet that he self-published, he was able to gain immense credibility, led to double the sales over his competition, got him interviews and publicity all over the city and gained him a job for life.

ISN'T IT TIME YOU GAVE YOURSELF THE EDGE

Imagine learning this lesson at an early age. Understanding that you have full control over branding yourself as a leader in your market, as someone who demands to be seen as an expert commanding a premium over all others in your market.

Now, if that is not motivation for quickly writing your own book, booklet, ebook or report, I don't know what is.

Whether your plan is to advance in your existing career, launch a brand new career or business or strengthen your existing business, you can't find a better way to get an edge than putting out your own book.

Where do you start?

1. Tap into the underlying challenge your market is struggling with. What do they really want to achieve and what kind of information would help them get there?

2. Collect dozens of questions from your market - questions about the topic you have chosen. You will quickly notice that there are many questions that are basically all linked to understanding one big question - your main topic.

For example, if you target hobby-based woodworking enthusiasts, you might find that one of their biggest challenges is to
1) understand the basics such as tools and techniques to get them started or
2) build a workshop in a small space within their home or
3) To understand everything there is to know about the tools they can use to create incredible end results.

So, you would listen in on your market using discussions forums, local groups, surveys of your market and your own experience to understand the dozens of questions they may have around these topics.

3. Identify your own Solution System. You want to organize your information into your own system for giving your market want they want. You could have the YOU.INC system for designing workshops for small spaces or the XYZ.INC method for accomplishing basic word-working projects in just 10-days. By packaging information into your own system you are making the solution yours further enhancing you're branding and credibility.

4. Keep your first book simple. Focus on one topic - solve one challenge and get it to market in a few weeks - there's no need to write the ultimate information guide to woodworking on the first try, that's just bound to take too long and prevent you from ever finishing. You can always release v2, a second edition or another ebook or report to further advance your information product business later on.

By now you should understand the incredible edge you can gain by quickly packaging information. If you are struggling to get the recognition and profit you know you should be getting, then put the next few weeks to work on writing your own book and giving yourself an edge.

Discover the Secrets of the Pro's Who Pull In Fortunes By Selling Information. Exclusive Access To Their Tools, Systems, Insider Tips on What Works - And What Doesn't Including A Private Mentor's Forum For Getting One-On-One Mentorship. A Must See For Serious Information Product Marketers .

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Writing Your Very Own Ebook In 5 Days Or Less

Writing Your Very Own E-book In 5 Days Or Less
By Dennis Lively

This ones gonna be short and sweet! If youve been trying to get an online business started, but just havent had any success yet, have you asked yourself why?

Have you looked around, done research on the people who ARE being successful in their online businesses? If you havent, you SHOULD!

Take a look at people like Allen Says, Paul Myers, Anthony Blake, Willie Crawford, Bryan Kumar, Cory Rudl, John Reese, and others and see if you can find the ONE thing they all have in common.

Lets not waste a bunch of time on thatIll just tell you! They all have their own products. Sure, a lot of them are making some pretty good money telling their subscribers about other peoples products now and then, but the heart of their business was originally, and still is, built around their own products.

Does that tell you something?

Sure, there are plenty of very successful affiliate marketers out there. People who KNOW how to make that business work for themANDthey make some GREAT money! They dont have to put in the work to actually create a product, but believe me, the great affiliate marketers have to put in a LOT of work in order to make that great living!

But, what happens if the product youre making all of those affiliate commissions from suddenly disappearsfalls off the face of the earth? What happens if the company starts having financial problems and cant pay affiliate commissions? OR, as happens much more frequently, you see that $100 product youve been getting good commissions from suddenly show up on e-Bay for $10.00!

We all know this happens, sometimes more frequently than it should. But, if youve built YOUR business on SOMEBODY ELSES product, then what can you do?

IF YOU DONT OWN THE PRODUCT, YOU DONT OWN THE BUSINESS! Conversely, if you DO own the product, you DO control what happens to YOUR business.

Im sure youve thought about thisits NOT rocket surgery or brain science! Im just as sure that youve probably made plans, or at least, had thoughts of, someday, having your own product to proudly sell to the world. But, something is holding you back!

THATS exactly why Im writing this book. Over the past 6-7 years, Ive received, literally, 1000s of emails asking me the same questions:

Can you help me write my own e-book? OR, How can I do the same thing youre doing? OR, I really want my own product like you, can you help me get started?

I answered probably 99% of those emails with good, helpful advice for quite a whilebut, as time went on the emails got more numerous. Thats where this book comes in!

I distilled all of that advice, all of that experience, into these pages that you hold in your hand or see on your computer monitor. Its the sum total of what Id tell you if you were sitting right here in my office discussing your business with me. The advice comes from all of the mistakes Ive made along the wayAND learned from. It comes from my successes. It comes from my heart, because Id TRULY like to see you succeed in your own businessId TRULY like to see you take control of your own futureyour own familys future.

Soif YOU really want thatcontrol over your own destinyyou can get started by learning how to create and produce your own e-book using this guide. Together, lets figure out whats holding you back, what you need to finally get started, and figure out which tools and instructions are going to get your first e-book out there where you can start making some money with it!

Hold onthings are gonna get real exciting hereitll be fun, youll see!

Copyright (c) 2006 By Dennis Lively and LiveMark Associates, L.L.C.

Dennis Lively is the well-known host of Net Biz Radio and has written and published more than 160 books that have sold over 50,000 copies in all.

If you liked this installment of Dennis' book, you'll LOVE what you'll find at his newest site, Cash Paydays 4 Writers. Click over there and be prepared to be amazed!

http://www.cashpaydays4writers.com

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10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book... and What You Can do About It

10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book... and What You Can do About It
By Denise Wakeman

9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have at least one book or information product inside their head, but lack the time and organizational skills to get it out into digital or print form.

You may cringe when you read this list of ten things keeping you from writing your book, because it rings too close to home for you. You may have already written a book or an e-book, or have come close to starting it. Its hard, we know it, and weve been there too. But go ahead and read this list, see if you can identify, and lets discuss a possible solution to the book writing problem.

1. I cant seem to find the time.

2. Every time I sit down to write I go blank.

3. I need an uninterrupted time period to immerse myself.

4. I need clarity on my message, but theres no one to consult with.

5. I dont know where to start or how to organize all the chapters.

6. Im afraid of losing clients and having my business suffer if I take time away from it to write my book.

7. I agonize over the writing, the grammar, the sentence structure and punctuation.

8. I know what I have to say, just cant put it into written form without losing clarity and impact.

9. I keep thinking about all the time involved in writing the book, and wonder if it will ever bring me the results I want.

10. Once I get it written, I have no idea how to get it formatted, let alone marketed.

Ok, you know why you haven't started writing your book. Do you know why you need to write a book?

Why You Need to Publish a Book

Here are a few reasons why writing and publishing a book is important to you as an independent professional, small business owner, or solo-preneur:

1. Having a book, whether in digital, soft-cover, or hard-cover establishes you as an expert in your field.

2. People buy from people they know and trust; reading your book is one step in creating client confidence and relationship.

3. Once people buy and read your book, they will want more of what you have to offer in the way of services and knowledge. Your book can attract readers into your sphere of potential clients; once they have bought your book, they are ready to buy other services from you.

4. Having a published book is a great marketing tool, and people will actually pay for your expertise.

5. Books are one of the major sources of passive income for professionals; once it is published it can continue to generate sales for you, over the years and while you sleep.

6. If you dont get a book out soon, your competitors will have the edge, because many of them already have one and even two books out.

7. If you are a speaker, they make great bonus gifts and back-of-the-room sales.

8. They provide a platform for you to expose your readers to your mind and your heart, showing not only what you know, but how much you care. You can reveal your deepest philosophies through your writing, as well as your personal stories.

Three Solutions to the Book-Writing Problem

Of course, there is no problem if youve got a lot of money. You just hire a book writer. There are many of them listed at Elance.com. Some professionals do this, especially when they need to get something published fast and there are not a lot of complex issues to put forth. But is this really what you want to do as a professional who has an important message to convey?

Here is a list of solutions:

1. Hire someone to write your book for you (you can always rewrite it in your own voice and add your own stories). When finished, hire a publisher and then a publicist to market it.

2. Hire a writing coach who will walk you through the steps, chapter by chapter (again, for a substantial fee). Then when finished, hire a publisher and a publicist.

3. Bite the bullet, put your business on hold for a few months, and devote your time to just getting it written. You will have to turn it over to a book designer and get it formatted; search for the right publisher such as self-publishing or print-on-demand services, and then market it yourself.

Expensive? Yes, all three solutions are expensive. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Fourth Solution

There is another solution! What if there was a way to help you get your book down in print and ready for formatting in 90 days?

What if you could do this by following a system that organized you chapter by chapter, included testimonials, input from peers, professional editing resources, design and formatting resources at low costs, and only took a half-hour of time per day?

Could you afford to invest that much time and energy out of your busy day? Would it be worth it to you even if it meant an hour a day for 90 days?

If you already have a blog that you use to communicate with readers online, you can use your blog to write your book.

The blog format is perfect for organizing your ideas, chapters and getting feedback from readers.

If you dont have a blog yet, you may wish to create one. They are simple to set up and use (we recommend Typepad.com). It can be used to stay in touch with clients and to write your thoughts in an informal way. A blog is like having a conversation with people interested in your subject or expertise. Once your book is finished and formatted, you can then use your blog to market it. You already have a built in audience, hungry for your content.

To read more about how this system works and how you can benefit, go to this site: http://www.blogtobook.com the way you think about writing your book will shift and you'll see it in a whole new light!

Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership, and Patsi Krakoff of Customized Newsletter Services, have teamed up to create blogging and marketing services for independent professionals. Their latest program is the Blog to Book Project: How to Use a Blog to Create a Book in 90 Days or Less at http://www.blogtobook.com. You can read and subscribe to their blogs at http://www.buildabetterblog.com

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10 Steps to Finding a Book Publisher

10 Steps to Finding a Book Publisher
By Laura J. Thompson

This is the elusive question to which all writers want to know the answer: How do I find a publisher? Some will say that you have to find an agent or that you must know influential people in the publishing industry, but that really isn't true. What you need are:

• A marketable manuscript;


• The desire to see your book in print;


• Enough time to properly market your manuscript; and


• Sufficient drive to keep you going during the low points.

Of course, that's a rather simplistic way of looking at things, so here are 10 steps to finding a book publisher.

1. Write Your Book

Editors are interested in products rather than concepts, so don't approach a publishing house unless you have a manuscript to sell. New writers have a hard time breaking into the publishing industry because they don't realize how much work it actually takes to create a manuscript. So before you find a book publisher, write the thing!

2. Define Your Audience

Who will be most likely to pick your book up from a bookstore shelf? Your audience is the key to finding a book publisher because, without an audience, your book isn't worth anything. For a non-fiction book, the audience will be determined by subject; for a fiction manuscript, you'll need to go by genre.

3. Research the Market

Finding a book publisher isn't like finding the right nail salon or a garden store. You can't just start calling publishing houses and hope they have what you need in stock. Instead, pick up a copy of Writer's Market and start searching for publishers that might be interested in your book. Factors that might influence this include:

• Previously published material that matches yours;


• Requests for manuscripts in your subject or genre;


• A desire to publish work by previously unpublished authors; and


• Manuscript guidelines that closely fit your own.

4. Talk with Other Authors

If you are friends or acquaintances or colleagues with someone who has had a book published, go ahead and call them. Don't ask for a reference-that would be intrusive-but do ask for advice on publishers and markets. See if they have any specific recommendations; if not, you didn't lose anything by asking.

5. Prepare Your Manuscript

The next step in finding a book publisher is to prepare your manuscript for shipping. Make sure that it follows the submission guidelines set forth by the publisher, and refer to my article on Manuscript Format for more detailed information.

6. Submit Your Package

Once you've prepared your manuscript and a list of potential publishers, it's time to send it off! Make sure that you include adequate postage as well as SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). You should also address the package to an individual editor and make sure you include everything that the publisher requests.

7. Start on Your Next Project

The waiting game always takes awhile-sometimes up to six months-so you'll need something with which to occupy your time. The best way to curb the waiting jitters is to start on your next book while waiting on replies from potential publishers. This will give you a sense of continuing accomplishment even if you start to receive rejection letters.

8. Follow Advice

If you receive a rejection letter from a publisher, take any advice they give to heart. Some (small) publishers will take the time to give you a reason for their rejection. For example, if they say that your dialogue is too stilted or unrealistic, go back through your manuscript and work on improving dialogue.

9. Hire an Editor

If you get several rejection letters in a row, there might be something wrong with your manuscript. Perhaps your grammar isn't up to par or maybe your characterization is weak. Whatever the case, you aren't the best person to make an objective assessment, so you might want to hire a freelance editor. He or she can direct you toward your pitfalls and help you strengthen your writing.

10. Don't Give Up

Just because you aren't going to be published tomorrow doesn't mean you won't find a book publisher eventually. Keep improving your writing, editing your manuscript and submitting to new publishers. You can do it!

Laura J. Thompson is a professional editor, ghostwriter and Author Coach. She provides these services at competitive prices for both businesses and individuals all across the United States. You can learn more about her services by visiting her website (http://www.editingbylaura.com) or by reading more of her articles. She specializes in fiction ghostwriting and editing, though she also enjoys self-help and other non-fiction articles and books.

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You Can't Slap Someone Up Side The Head With An EBook (Or How To Publish In Today's World)

You Can't Slap Someone Up Side The Head With An E-Book (Or, How To Publish In Today's World)
By David McKee

Ever had that urge to write a book? Just about everyone has at one point or another; you may even have a complete manuscript hanging around in that bottom desk drawer. Maybe you even have several! Unfortunately if you have done any of the usual searching around as to how to get your name into print, you most likely have run up against the wall of: You must submit your manuscript to several editors at various publishing houses where it will sit in the Slush Pile and perhaps never get reviewed.

What about that E-Book that you only sold 6 copies of at 99 cents on Ebay? That's not too fulfilling!

Maybe you have even looked up some of the smaller publishing houses in the Writers Guide for 20xx only to find that most are fairly specific in what they take, how many they will look at, and I'm sorry but we have our quota for the year, in fact for the next 100 years. What about self publishing?

Well, you can do that and many authors have become wildly successful that way, however what you don't hear about is that there are even more authors who lost their shirt doing that too! Setting up a publishing house on your own to promote a book is a full time business with large up-front costs...or at least it used to be: Enter Micro Publishing or Books on Demand.

Did you know that you can have one of Amazons subsidiaries publish as little as 25 of your books (some micro publishers will print and bind as little as 1 copy!) and they will list those books on Amazon! Basically this means you don't even need a printer to set up your publishing house today, just a computer and Internet connection and you can write, publish, and sell your books. Amazon is not dumb, they know there are people out there who can write books that will sell big, and they want to be there to cash in on that. Did you know that Eragon, the book about the dragon rider that is now a major motion picture was self published? Not only that, but it was written by a 15 year old boy? Now the book is selling in the millions and that oy is financially set for life.

That could be you and I as well! And now there are tons of Micro Publishers and Books on Demand services out there that are competing for your business. That means prices are falling in this wild new area of information marketing.

And speaking of marketing: What if you happen to own a small printing house that does short run books, pamphlets, cards, etc.? Here is a new market you can get in on! What if you advertised that you will do micro publishing for customers and actually take care of their entire fulfillment process? You could automatically take orders, print small runs, do the bindings, warehouse the inventory, advertise the book, and, if the book really takes off so that you can no longer handle the volume you could cash in big time when you sell the publishing rights to one of the Big Boys. There is quite a few opportunities in this market, and I believe we will see publishing move more and more into this model.

Already Amazon and others are rushing into this market, but the great thing is, those individuals (whether they are 9 or 99) that just do not have the resources to go the raditional route to publishing, can now put their ideas out there! Some of those ideas will be great, but would never have seen the light of day at any other time in history. This truly is a cultural trend in my opinion that will have far reaching consequences. In my own business I have a motto Words that Sell the World, but in all the history of Mankind, it has been Ideas Change the World, and this new trend will only accelerate that.

And that is a good thing.

David McKee is a freelance copywriter and a Software engineer. He writes award winning copy, creates marketing web-sites, and develops useful software.Words that Sell the World

McKee Copywriting http://www.mckeecopywriting.comCeltic Cross Engineering http://www.celticcrosseng.com

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10 Reasons Why People Attend Book Signings

10 Reasons Why People Attend Book Signings
By Catherine Franz

This is the survey result of 325 people conducted by myselfso I can improve at my own book signings. After completingthe survey, I saw the wealth of insight it had given me. Ifelt it was important to share it with a wider audience. Ialso interspersed some personal experiences.

The survey was conducted by Catherine in-person with peoplewho attended book signings at area bookstores in NorthernVirginia metro area between January 2004 and September 2004.A total of 325 people completed the survey.

Here is their response to one of the questions: Why do yougo to book signings?

If you are wondering how this can help you in marketing yourbook. These 10 items are extremely important. They tellwhat authors need to give to their audience in order toincrease their books sales and to connect with the audience.When you know what you audience wants, what they expect, theguessing fades and transforms into a great book signingevent.

Here are the top ten responses in answer to the firstquestion:

1. People desire to be acknowledged for taking their timeto come -- by you, the store, and others that came.Participants who have either already read the book, come tomeet other like-minded people. They have a social intentionand you need to give it to them. Most book signings don'thave any social aspect to them so create one. When youinclude ways, you will definitely increase sales. Peoplewant connection, they don't want to be ignored. Get themto talk to the people around them. Introduce one person youjust met to the next person to them. There are manytechniques or create some of your own. A seasoned authorlearned to do this over time. Learn to do it sooner.

2. Curiosity. People are normally curious about authorsand how they write, or how they got their book published.Tell them about your journey with all this. For the wanta-be or gonna-be writers there because their vision includeswhat you are doing, give them that feedback. It createsimmediate connection. Even if they didn't come not to buyyour book, usually they will change their mind, just becauseyou settled their curiosity.

3. Entertainment. Yes, you need to be entertaining.People do want that and they stick around (meaning theydon't get up and walk out) if they get it. Show energy, usehand gestures, and please stop reading from the page (numberone pet peeve). Over and over again, I saw people leavewhen the author continued to read his presentation from thepage. People don't expect perfection. They had a heavyweek, or day, and they want some way to lighten it up. Evenif your book is a heavy topic, lighten it up. Comicalanecdotes about yourself are great!

4. Oh, the old, whats in it for me discussion. What arethe benefits for them to read the book? Is there someinformation that will help shift their thinking on anything?Use testimonials, ones that have some meat on their bones.Yes, you may need to make some assumptions on where theaudience is at. Go ahead and do that. Create a few thatcover a wider perspective and it will deliver to a wideraudience.

5. There is nothing wrong with encouraging more sales. Whoelse might be interested in the book. Their boss, friends,sister, who? Go ahead, give gift ideas. What holidays orevents can you tie the book to? Is Christmas, Mothers Daycoming up? Tie your topic and the holiday together if youcan. Mention the type of people who like to read this sortof book. No, don't say everyone and anybody. This issometimes hard for authors because they attach it toselling. Drum roll...heaven forbid...selling. When anaudience is so enthralled in a book and its story, theirmind isnt on buying two books. They walk out with one andthen when turning page three or five, a flash appears,Ooops, I should have bought one for my boss. I guaranteeyou that it is very unlikely they will return to thebookstore to buy another copy at that point.

6. Do some things where you make extra connections with theaudience. Just dont sit behind the table. Stand up, shakehands -- no limp ones either, and look them directly in theeyes when you ask them, Who would you like me make this outto? Ask if they would like another book made out tosomeone else?

Heres a SECRET tip. It makes a BIG connection. TheJapanese do this all the time. Put down the pen. When youhand over the book, hold it cover up facing them with bothhands, present it to them slowly, purposely, as if itsworth a million dollars and a very special gift. Look deepinto their eyes at the same time (okay this part isdifferent than the Japanese), and say silently in your heartand in your voice, Thank you. Watch them light up. Ofcourse, smile.

7. As mentioned earlier, audiences come with a hiddenagenda -- to have a good time. To enjoy themselves. Createthat space of joy and lightness for them. Dont think youdont have any control. The store wants you to succeed.Share with them what type of experience you want theaudience to have. Ask for recommendations, ask for thingsthat havent been done before too. Give inspiration inlanguage, in thoughts, and in stories. Stories that pullsthe heart strings. If there isnt one in the book, findone.

8. There is nothing wrong with giving away a trinket, toy,item, that comes from one of the characters. Or even itisnt directly and just somewhat related. You dont need tospend lots of money on promotional items. Think. Thismight require approval by the host store. You will usuallyfind that as long as it usually doesnt cost them anythingand it increases book sales, they will encourage it. Give agift if they buy two or three copies. Find a unique magnet,or something funny, something that doesnt cost much but itjust ads to the incentive to buy more than one. Sometimesthe book store is returning something and can give you aremainder sale price. Ask.

9. You cant say thank you too many times. Remember tosmile, say thank you, and be there with a loving and openheart. This creates an attractive energy and pulls peopletowards you.

10. Share tidbits about how the idea of the book came toyou. Did you write 15 minutes a day, a certain word count?Did you get help from others, who? Did you struggle withsome part or something? Was there someone there for youthat inspired your journey? Please not the spouse commentall the time. To singles this is boring and people said aturnoff. Share tidbits about your childhood. There is achild in all of us. Share your childhood with youraudience. Especially funny screw-ups.

Well, I hope you enjoyed learning what audiences want atbook signings. This process was definitely an eye-openerfor me. It gave me a real taste of people and theirexpectations. Maybe another future survey would be to getpeople to tell me why are they leaving early.

Copyright 2004, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing &Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internetwriting and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.comblog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online P2

10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online, P2
By Earma Brown

Honeymoon over with your book sales? Did your book sell as well as you hoped? Could your sales use a shot in the arm? Perhaps you are just starting and looking for ways to sell your book.

Either way, I've got good news for you! Join the Information Revolution. There's a whole new Internet audience waiting to hear about your insightful book that solves their problem in your field. Include Internet Marketing in your promotion plan. Use a couple of these guaranteed marketing techniques and explode your book sales to a whole new level.

6. Use benefits and features throughout your marketing copy. Do you know the difference? Knowing that benefits sell and features explain make your promotions like a magnet that attract your best customers.

7. Create cds, tapes and videos of your speeches promoting your book. Then package them and sell them from your website. Post mini-audio clips to offer your web visitors a sample. Additionally, you can choose a speech and offer it as a gift to your web visitors. They can listen to it On-Demand or use it as an incentive to sign-up for your ezine.

8. Create short articles from your book excerpts and submit to ezines, directories and online groups. The articles will help build your creditability as an expert in your field. Additionally, the signature files at the end of each article if developed correctly will drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website.

9. Develop and email your own ezine that helps you stay in touch with prospects to build trust. Does a newsletter sound overwhelming? Try doing a short e-column on the subject of your book. Either way make sure you follow up with your visitors. Researchers say most will buy after 5-7 exposures to your sales message.

10. Create a short eBook on a similar topic as your book to help brand your business and attract new readers. A short ebook of 10-100 pages could turn into a traffic virus that's contagious to all your web visitors. Soon your name would be known as one of the experts in your field.

If you don't start your Internet Marketing plan, you could be this time next year with the same disappointing level of sales. Don't wait join the Information Revolution today; use any of the above marketing ideas to explode your book sales to a new level. Discover the promotion techniques it takes to have an abundance of customers every month.

========================================

Earma Brown, 11 year author and business ownerhelps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of 'Write Your Best Book Now', she mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine 'iScribe' Subscribe now at iscribe@writetowin.org for FREE mini-course 'Jumpstart Writing Your Best Book' or visit Write a Book for more book writing and marketing tips.

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Secrets of the Writer's Trade: Why Do You Need a Book Proposal?

Secrets of the Writer's Trade: Why Do You Need a Book Proposal?
By Stephanie Gunning

A book proposal is your calling card to literary agents and publishers. Despite a few exceptions, such as novels or memoirs, most authors write a proposal to sell a book and get an advance payment for it before drafting a manuscript.

Here are five good reasons why you, an aspiring author, need to draft a book proposal:

1. To persuade an editor and publisher to acquire your project. If they dont see your ideas spelled out on the page, they won't be as willing to take a risk. The proposal gives them an opportunity to point out flaws in your material and make changes.

2. So you know what to do when youre writing your book. A proposal serves as the blueprint for the book you plan to writeall you have to do is follow it. This map helps you build a book with a solid structure that will stand the test of time.

3. To educate your publishers production and design team about the books appearance. A cookbook must look different than a biography or diet book, for example. The book proposal gives your publishers graphic artists sufficient material to inspire them to create an appropriate interior and cover design.

4. To inform your publishers publicity, sales, and marketing team about your personal and professional contacts and activities, and potential niche marketing opportunities, so that they can strategize how best to promote and sell your book.

5. To outline a business plan for your career. As a general rule of thumb, from conception through promotion a book is a three-year project. In order for your book to be financially successful, promoting your book is essential.

In my publishing course Writing Your Breakthrough Nonfiction Book Proposal, I always tell students, Publishers are looking for fresh ideas and want to work with authors who will make their lives easier. If you show the publisher that you understand your market, where your book fits into it, and why youre enthusiastic about your subject matter, youll generate interest and attract the right publisheran appropriate fit for your business. They want to read good writing and know how you plan to promote your book.

Stephanie Gunning is a bestselling author, editor, and publishing consultant with more than 20 years experience in the book business. Her A-list clientele includes bestselling authors, major publishing firms, top caliber literary agencies, and innovative self-publishers. One of the most sought-after nonfiction writers in the publishing industry, she is the coauthor or ghostwriter of 14 published books and the audio program Partner With Your Publisher. She lives in New York, NY. For more information visit her websites: http://www.stephaniegunning.com/ and http://www.publishing-partner.com/.

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Table of Contents Templates for EBooks

Table of Contents Templates for E-Books
By L. Winslow

Are you considering on writing an E-Book? If so you should be using a template that you are comfortable with and fits your style. The Template I use is from Microsoft Office 2007 Templates Online, which I modified using a Thesis Template Style so I can add in the information for research, not everyone will wish to do this, but for the types of stuff that I do, I need it incase someone challenges me on anything, I have a back-up and references in the back.

I like the Template I use and am willing to email it to anyone who wants it in a Word 2007 file and they need to understand that it is a ".docx" rather than a ".doc" so if they have an old version of Word they will not be able to use my modified template format.

However if someone has MS Word 2007 then I can mail them anyone one of my eBooks and they can simply change the title page to "Item - page number" and use that as their permanent template for all their eBooks. I have a system now I created and it works killer. For instance if I am writing on a subject I know a lot about. I simply start typing and leave space to check facts, references and keep going.

For those who specialize in a certain business they can do the same thing very easily. I am willing to email this free template too. And I will email you the MS 2007 Word template and an eBook in a word file if you prefer that to modify it to make your own template like I did.

Glad to help out where I can, I too had the same issue and I had to do it myself and learn the hard way and that caused me to procrastinate on writing these eBooks previously, but not anymore. Because once you have the tools you can kick butt. And you also will have tons more articles if you use my other concept of "Triple Play" usage of your "Key Strokes" and that in its self ought to be a whole article. Use your articles in eBooks and also add in some personality and make them into blog posts too.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

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10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online P1

10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online, P1
By Earma Brown

Honeymoon over with your book sales? Did your book sell as well as you hoped? Could your sales use a shot in the arm? Perhaps you are just starting and looking for ways to sell your book.

Either way, I've got good news for you! Join the Information Revolution. There's a whole new Internet audience waiting to hear about your insightful book that solves their problem in your field. Include Internet Marketing in your promotion plan. Use a couple of these guaranteed marketing techniques and explode your book sales to a whole new level.

1. Create a book marketing plan or revise your old one to include Internet Marketing. Your book marketing plan is what I often describe as your map. It describes your book, what you will do after the book is completed and published. It also describes who you hope to sell your book to target audience.

2. Develop an easy author's website to jumpstart your Internet Marketing plan. If you don't have one that focuses on your book or you as an individual, create one. Your website is now one of the first places clients will look to find out more about you. The better quality it is, the more it will pre-sell you and your book itself. First impressions are important. Make your website a good one that accurately reflects your book and you as an individual.

3. Know the one sentence version of your mission statement to attract new targeted clients through email. Remember prospects don't buy your education or career titles, they want to know what's in it to help them. Place that one sentence as the second line of your signature file.

4. Put your power-packed signature file at the bottom of each email you send. It will soft-sell your book each time you contact someone via email. Be sure to develop different signature files for different promotions. Use each one to drive targeted visitors to your book's website.

5. Write a sales letter for each book you want to sell. Like a mini-salesman, your sales letter will sell your book 24/7 and make you money even while you sleep.

If you don't start your Internet Marketing plan, you could be this time next year with the same disappointing level of sales. Don't wait join the Information Revolution today; use any of the above marketing ideas to explode your book sales to a new level. Discover the promotion techniques it takes to have an abundance of customers every month.

Earma Brown, 11 year author and business ownerhelps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of 'Write Your Best Book Now', she mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine 'iScribe' Subscribe now at iscribe@writetowin.org for FREE mini-course 'Jumpstart Writing Your Best Book' or visit How to Promote Your Book for more book marketing tips.

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10 Down 90 to Go How Many EBooks Have You Written This Year?

10 Down 90 to Go - How Many E-Books Have You Written This Year?
By L. Winslow

Have you ever considered writing e-books for the public? I have and I am switching gears now from being an online article author into an e-book author. My goal is to write 100 e-books in 24 months. So far I have written 10 e-books in the first three months and I have 90 to go. I believe anyone can write e-books is they know their subject matter quite well or are considered an authority or expert in their fields.

Writing online articles is quite exhilarating and that is one way to get information out in the public, but e-books seem to be a growing area that you might consider. One thing that I have found that has been absolutely wonderful is that the new Microsoft Office Word 2007 because it has all types of templates to help me. This helps speed up the process and makes the e-books look as if a master editor had spent hours and hours going over them to make them perfect.

Will I reach my goal of writing 100 articles in 24 months? I believe I will because I have the right tools and because I have experience now in online article writing. If you are considering writing e-books you need to set a time line and set of goals to get this done.

First I recommend making tables of contents and outlines for each e-book and collecting your thoughts in the process. Then it makes sense to write introductions and a foreword to the e-book. If you feel like you're on a roll write the first chapter of each e-book that you plan to write. You must start sometime and if you stay on your target goals along the way you should be able to attain your objective.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer http://www.worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

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Is it Time to Put Money into Book Marketing

Is it Time to Put Money into Book Marketing
By Harriet Hodgson

Every author wants top sales for their book. The day comes when you ask, Should I put any money into marketing? I asked this question, answered it with a loud yes, and created a variety of resources to support my anticipatory grief book. You may create these marketing resources, too.

BOOKMARKS. Since I had designed the cover of the book, I decided to use it for a bookmark. I asked a graphic designer to change the colored photo to black and white and to design a bookmark around it. She put the sunflower image on the front left of the bookmark and a reverse image on the back. A local printing company printed 250 bookmarks on yellow card stock for about $70.

POSTCARDS. After the bookmarks were done I asked the graphic designer to adapt this design to a postcard. She enlarged the sunflower image and put it at the top of the card. Ordering information was printed at the bottom. I had 500 postcards printed on card stock at a local office supply store. If I recall, the postcards cost me about $135, including state and local taxes.

VERBAL REVIEWS HANDOUT. The anticipatory grief book has received excellent written reviews. But the verbal reviews - short, emotional comments at the end of a presentation - are the most moving to me. I typed these comments, added a postage-stamp image of the book cover, and had several hundred handouts printed on yellow paper for eight cents each.

AUTHOR BIO. Usually there is an author biography at the end of a book, so I keep a one-pager on file. I realized this bio would make a good handout, and added a rubber stamp graphic for visual interest. The same office supply store printed 200 hundred handouts for eight cents each. I may have more printed on holiday letterhead in December.

MAGAZINE AD. Because I am a health and wellness writer I try to stay up to date on health publications. When I learned that Minnesota Medicine was going to focus an entire issue on grief, I contacted the editor and asked for ad rates. I signed up for a 1/4 page, full-color ad including the cover image and a comment from a reader. The ad was not cheap and, to pay for it, I sold some antiques at auction.

CATALOG REQUEST. A national group that specializes in resources for grieving people contacted the publisher and asked if I would be willing to sell the book at a reduced price if they put it in their catalog. I contacted my co-author and we agreed that this would be a good thing to do because we would reach the ight market.

You may not have much money to put into book marketing, but the money you spend should boost sales. If you don't believe in yourself, who will? Take a chance on yourself and put some money into book marketing. Happy sales to you!

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

www.harriethodgson.comhealthwriter.blogspot.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundation website under the School Corner heading.

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Free Creative Writing Examples #21 Read Swashbuckling Book

Free Creative Writing Examples #21 Read Swashbuckling Book
By Kat Jaske

. . . Because we were willing to experiment and change our treatments. We rarely amputated, and we listened to advice from all sides, even from Asians. Nor did we ever drink before we went to work. You know what? Laurel glanced at the musketeer and he told her he didn't know what. I've come to the conclusion that bloodletting often kills a man, and that more often than not, amputations that are done to try to save a man's life actually kill him. Of course Laurel well understood what could drive a doctor to drink. Those things she had seen in her not too distant youth had caused her none too few a nightmare.

What other strange notions have you come across in your travels, lad? Porthos said as he joined them.

Oui, I admit my father and I are very eccentric, but what we did saved men's lives, she defended, taking offense at the suggestion in Porthos' tone that she was most definitely not what she should be. We learned to use strong alcohol to wash out wounds and to pour that same alcohol on every instrument that we used during surgery. We took to frequently washing our hands and faces with soap and water between patients. Oh don't look so scandalized. She frowned at the two men. It worked, and it was this knowledge I used to save Athos. If you'll notice, he has recovered very quickly and with very few complications. None that I can think of, to be precise.

I suppose you also advocate full-body bathing as often as possible, Porthos commented, his tone clearly derogatory. Madame was very easy to provoke.

As a matter of fact, I do. I believe in full-body bathing with soap and water at least once or twice a week when possible. Sometimes more frequently.

Wherever did you pick up such a strange notion? Don't you know that bathing causes sickness and chills, drains life away? Porthos informed her, deliberately baiting her further.

Well, I'll have you know that I've been bathing in this manner all my life, and I am rarely ever sick. And the Asians have been doing so for centuries, and they live significantly longer than most Europeans. Barring war, that is.

Where did you become such an expert on Asians? Athos changed the subject before Laurel took it into her head to go after Porthos and do him some mischief.

Before I was born my father used to frequently travel to the Indies and was an active participant in the spice trade. He made a fortune in it because he adapted to the Asians' way of life. He followed many of their practices and won their respect. Eventually, he hired a half dozen Asians to come back to France with him and serve in his household. So I grew up with an Asian nursemaid and other Asian servants. I cannot think that the Asian traditions I have followed would hurt anyone, she concluded. She was beginning to suspect Porthos might have been baiting her. Would fit perfectly well with the big man's personality.

No wonder you're such a queer little thing, Porthos interjected, and Laurel looked as if she'd like to shove his words back down his throat no matter how much bigger he was. All thoughts he might have been baiting her fled from Laurel's mind.

I'm not little, you hulking elephant. And call me queer if you must, monsieur, she threw back at him, deliberately slighting his rank as much as possible. Of course, I think that men are afraid of change, afraid of a woman or anyone for that matter who is proud to be independent and not ashamed of who and what she is. She spat out the last words with all the hurt anger that was pent up inside her being.

Christophe, Athos tried to break through her tirade, but she was determined not to stop. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. Christophe! Christophe! he cried, shaking her until she shut up. You are creating a scene and could well blow what is left of our cover with this tirade. I suggest you finish it in private. Each word became softer so that only she could hear it.

The young woman took several deep breaths and stood up straight, trying to regain her composure. Very quietly, with fiery intensity, she told Porthos, I am who I am. I will make no apologies for that. I'm an eccentric, just like my father, and I'm very proud of that. I've got every reason for my pride, just like you, or Athos, or Aramis, or D'Artagnan take great pride in the unique people you are. She choked on a word before going on. But I suppose that makes me a freak who cannot fit into society anywhere, beyond the pale and not a true lady or woman. At least you have somewhere where you belong, monsieur. I don't even have that. So at least allow me my pride in myself, my accomplishments, and my heritage, she finished and rushed from the room to the streets and lost herself in the crowd. At least she had gotten the last word.

D'Artagnan joined his two companions after almost being bowled over by Laurel as she stormed out of the room. What happened with Christophe?

Christophe lost his temper again, Athos finally answered, his eyes looking for Laurel's form. Her temper might well end up getting her killed just as his own temper had nearly killed him about eleven years earlier, before he had learned to better control it. That and her penchant for trying to help through direct challenge when other methods other than frontal assault might well have worked better.

Let me know when Christophe gets back. I want to talk to him immediately, Athos told his companions and then made his way to his room, flinching as he jarred his still tender shoulder.

Kat Jaske is an English and French teacher in Las Vegas, where her high school selected her award-winning, swashbuckling novel, For Honor, as the featured book for the 2006 Reading Incentive Program. This is an excellent example of creative fiction writing. You can get free downloads or order the book from web site http://www.forhonor.com

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Instantly Boost Your Ebook Sales With an Ebook Cover Image

Instantly Boost Your Ebook Sales With an Ebook Cover Image
By Leva Duell

Images can instantly boost your ebook sales. They can change the look of your web pages instantly and make your web site look more professional.

It's especially important to represent your ebook with an image. When used correctly, quality ebook covers can double and even triple your ebook sales. Here's why. An ebook cover image makes your ebook look eal. It supports your sales message. And it boosts your credibility.

Here's some tips to make your book cover effective:

The design should convey the book topic at a glance. Carefully select your images to best represent your ebook and support your sales message. You can do that by choosing images that are related to your book's topic.

Choose the right words for your title and any text you're using on the book cover. Your book title should be a compelling, benefit-oriented headline.

Make your book title readable. Keep the text short. An ebook image is small. The less text you use, the larger and more readable your text will be. You may want to use a short version of your book title.

Use a larger font for the title than for the subtitle or bullets. Use fonts that are readable in a small size. Arial, Impact, and Futura are great fonts for the title of your ebook.

Use special type effects such as drop shadow and outline.

Select colors that work with your web site colors. I recommend designing the web images first, then use a color theme for the web site that works with the image. If you already have a web site, tell your designer so he can select colors that will work for your site.

Be Unique. Be original. Stand out from your competition. Don't copy someone else's design. Make your book cover unique. Use custom design.

Use ALT tags to improve your search engine positioning. Include ALT tags in your images. Search engines can't read images. Alt tags tell them what the image is about. Use your main keyword in your ALT tags.

Don't underestimate the importance of ebook cover images. Try them. It's one of the easiest ways to instantly increase your credibility and ebook sales.

Boost your ebook sales with quality 3D ebook covers!FREE 34+ clipart and photo resources.Quality custom design of web graphicshttp://www.QualityEbookCovers.com

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Getting Valuable Insight to Help You Write Your Next EBook

Getting Valuable Insight to Help You Write Your Next E-Book
By L. Winslow

As an author of e-books often I find that the most valuable insight I get is from people who know little if anything about the subject matter. This is because you gain insight into the various questions of the readers and novices who may read your book. In fact they may know nothing about the subject or topic you are writing about.

For instance currently I'm writing an e-book about the future of over the road trucks or 18 wheelers. So, I e-mailed 10 people who I believe ask very good questions and I sent them the table of contents and a couple of pictures that will be in the book and asked them if they had any thoughts on the subject. They did.

Indeed one person asked about new technologies which will prevent truck drivers from falling asleep at the wheel. There are actually such technologies that do exist now in the future they will probably be on large semi trucks. I assured the people who asked these questions; I will be sure to address all of these concerns in the eBook.

Indeed, there were other questions such as road conditions, traffic and what happens to the cargo if it involves perishables and the road is impassable? Another question was about pollution and how the trucks to the future will pollute less or perhaps run on fuel cells.

I told each participant; Thank you very much for helping kick off this topic for me. And I will surely return the favor if they ever ask me. This is one method that I recommend the e-book authors use to focus in on their audience.

There is no sense in leaving anyone behind in your eBooks and you need to know the questions that normal people would ask. If you are writing an e-book you should answer the normal questions and the questions of the particular industry. I hope this e-book authoring tips will help you.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

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You Have To Promote Your Books No One Else Will

You Have To Promote Your Books - No One Else Will
By Douglas Bower

Someone once said, You don't have to write something that is particularly good, just something people will buy to read.

I've often given that advice to those who email me asking how to get started writing. It is excellent advice. However, one thing that I have learned is that there is a consequence to following this advice. If people do not like what you've written, and they've shelled out money for it, they feel entitled to tell you off, big time. Upon occasion, they even go to the extent of threatening you physically.

There was this woman from Albany, New York, who actually wrote a eader's review (gross misnomer) on Amazon.com. She threatened to come to where I live in Mexico and slap me. See what you have to look forward to as a writer?

Although it would be great to write something good that earns you a literary award as well as being something people buy, this is rarely the case. The buying part of writing far outweighs the fame when you are trying to pay the rent and buy food with the income you earn from your scribbling.

Saleable writing today is more often a matter of promotion than good writing. You should try to do both. You should write well and sell what you write. However, the selling part is more often the pragmatic choice. There are a lot of writers who certainly are not literary geniuses but they consistently write what their readers want. Those are the ones who make money.

Information is very valuable and people will pay dearly for it. If you want to eat, pay the rent, buy clothes for the kids, correctly promoting that print, eBook, or report makes the difference between success and failure.

I had to learn this lesson quickly when we wrote and published our first book. When you are a obody in the publishing world, you often have to settle with small, independent publishers who have absolutely no promotional budget for your book. Basically, they get it into the market. That's all. If you want people to buy your book, so you can get that new pair of pants, you have to be the one to promote it.

Quickly, you have to figure the ins and outs of book promotion. It is riding on your shoulders and no one else's. If you do not shamelessly promote yourself, trust me, no one else will do it for you.

The immediate painful reality is that you will never, as a sole individual, have access to the distribution channels that big name publishers have. So, unless you are wealthy, you have to choose one or two of the venues you can realistically afford to tackle and go like gangbusters.

If you can afford it, you could hire a private publicity firm to do what a big name publisher would do. But, because few of us can afford to do this, we have to think creatively.

Because I write non-fiction, I was able to find scores of tight-niche websites that were thematically related to my book. I wrote a book on relocating to Mexico as an American expatriate. Can you even begin to imagine the websites out there related to my book? It is a goldmine. Consequently, with small text ads, I have been doing rather well in sales on Amazon.com and am consistently in the top ten of my book's genre.

I also found related sites where I could post a thumbnail picture of our book's cover, a description, and a link back to Amazon.com. These cost very little money. One lady posted my ad in exchange for ebook versions of two of my books. So, you can barter for advertising if you have something of value to offer.

You can offer to write an article or two for someone struggling to find content for his fledging website. You must insist you will write the article for FREE if the website owner will post a link back to your book.

You can also tell them, as an incentive for a permanent link, that they can earn a commission on sales of your book if they sign upand it's freewith Amazon.com's Associate Program. I am on many thematically related websites because I suggested this. The website owner gets a commission; you get free advertising, and everyone wins.

Something that really is grossly underestimated is writing free articles with a bio or esource box at the end of the article with your book's info in it. I write for FREE for several online magazines that post my books, their website links, and my bio. They, in turn, get my content. I get free advertising and free exposure.

I am convinced that most, if not all, of our book sales come from doing this little-known method of book promotion.

Press releases, targeted ads, link exchanges, writing FREE articles in exchange for posting your book at the end of the article, are all ways to promote your book when all you have is yourself as your publicity agent.

Go for it like gangbusters as though your life depends on it.

And, it just might!

Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Associated Content, Transitions Abroad, International Living, Escape Artist, and The Front Porch Syndicate.

He is founder of Mexican Living Print & eBooks.

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Ghostwriting: NonFiction Books

Ghostwriting: Non-Fiction Books
By Laura College

One of the most effective ways to advance your career is to write a book. Just look at all of the politicians, C-Level executives, marketing managers, psychologists and economists who have published books and experienced success. Writing a book establishes you as an expert in your industry, which is why so many people are writing books these days. But do you have the time, ability and knowledge to actually sit down and write a book?

If not, a ghostwriter could be the answer to your prayers. A ghostwriter is someone who writes your book for a flat fee, after which you can publish the manuscript under your own byline. You own all the rights to the manuscript, and the ghostwriter works strictly behind the scenes.

Here are a few things that a ghostwritten non-fiction book can do for your career:

Authority Once youve written a book, you will gain authority over the subject matter. It will definitely give you a leg-up over the competition when it comes to the expert status in your industry.

Public Speaking Very few people are asked to speak in public unless they have written a book. Thats simply the facts. When youve had a ghostwriter pen your book, youll be asked to speak at conferences, seminars and lectures.

Job Opportunities Imagine how much better your resume will look once you have Author as one of the categories! It shows that you are knowledgable and experienced, and might put you ahead of the competition.

Raises Your current employer will be impressed with your accomplishment, and it might be just the bargaining chip you need. Your expertise will be suddenly indespensable to your employer.

Dont let your fear of the writing stop you from achieving your dreams. Hiring a ghostwriter to write your non-fiction book can set you on the path to success much faster than almost any other activity. Although it does involve an investment usually of at least $12,000 you can earn ten times that amount in an advance from a publisher, and the fame will be invaluable.

Laura J. College is a professional ghostwriter with more than ten years' experience writing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Her work can be found all over the Internet, and she is currently accepting ghostwriting clients. Check out her website at http://www.laurajcollege.com.

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