Gabriella Goddard's Blog (author of "Gulp!: The 7 day crash course to master fear and break through any challenge"

Write That Book: How to build a powerful author's platform

If your Gulp! challenge is to write a book, or you've already written one and want to sell more books, then come and join us on this teleclass as part of Julia McCutchen's "Ask the Author" series.

Check out:  http://www.juliamccutchen.com/events/ask_the_author.php

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The Four Cornerstones of a Powerful Platform with Gabriella Goddard, author of Gulp! (Penguin)

Do you want to sell loads of books or would you rather be the best kept secret on the bookshelf? If you chose the latter then I’m afraid to say you’re in the wrong business!   Your success as an author depends to a large extent on how many books you sell. That’s why one of the first questions a publisher will ask is 'what sort of platform do you have?' … So what would your answer be?

Whether you’re just starting out, or whether you’re already published, developing a powerful platform is the secret to selling more books.  In this session we’ll explore the four cornerstones of building a powerful platform; your database, your profile, your relationships and your 'engine room'.

We’ll take a close look at each cornerstone and discuss why it’s important, what impact it has on your chances of success and practical ways that you can create it.

You’ll learn how to; quickly build a quality 'fan' base, raise your visibility in the local and national press, nurture long lasting relationships with your potential readers, journalists and key influencers, establish an 'engine room' that is efficient, effective and easy to manage, leverage your platform to expand your income potential.

Plus we’ll show you how to approach all this from a place of curiosity, fun and adventure! So obviously a session NOT to be missed!

Check out:  http://www.juliamccutchen.com/events/ask_the_author.php

Write That Book: Ruby's Tips for Creative Writing

1                    Aim to write your first draft as quickly as you can. It is not until you have completed the first draft that you can truly know what the story is.

2                    Forget trying to be a perfectionist. Allowing yourself to write badly and inelegantly is the only way you will reach the end of a draft.

3                    Write something every day otherwise you will quickly lose momentum and enthusiasm. Five minutes every day is better than nothing at all.

4                    Have a daily goal to aim for. Either a set word count or time period works best, but be flexible! Remember – something is better than nothing.

5                    Measure your progress. For example, if you are writing 300 words a day during your lunch-break, that adds up to 1,500 words a week (five days). That’s 6000 words a month. In six months time you will have written 36,000 words.

Ruby Speechley at www.advice4writers.com 

Write That Book: Jacqui's Tips on Novel Writing

Set aside regular time each week for your writing and make it sacred. 

For example, make Sunday evenings your writing time and put it in the diary.  Tell everybody you know that you’re busy and honour this time.  It may seem a small step, but it’s a way to signal to yourself and others that you are committed.  Once you can manage this, build more blocks of sacred time into your weekly schedule.

Have faith in the process. Works of art are organic things.  Don’t put off beginning because you don’t have the whole thing plotted out.  The final novel is not a thing that appears in one’s head fully formed.  The more you work on it, the more it will grow in your imagination.

Perfect your writing space.  Make sure that the place where you write is conducive to your work.  It’s difficult for anyone to work at a desk that’s strewn with bills or work-related reports.  Think carefully about what kind of space you would like to create for your writing.  Does it include a pin-board covered in inspirational post-cards?  A vase of flowers? Make this a space you long to return to.   It could even be a nearby café or the reading room of an art gallery. When you are outside your normal environment, away from distractions, it can be easier to focus on the task in hand.

Jacqui Lofthouse is a Novelist and Writing Coach. She has published three novels that have sold over 100,000 copies in the UK, the USA and Europe. She is also the author of an eBook The Writing Coach:  30 Days to Conquer Self-Doubt and Procrastination and Have 30,000 Words Under Your Belt.

http://www.thewritingcoach.co.uk

Write That Book: Mindy's Top Tips

Write it for the right reason. 

When I say ‘right’ reason, people immediately think I am being judgemental and saying that some reasons are right and some are wrong.  Not at all.  What I am saying is that some reasons are right for you and some reasons are wrong for you.  For example, I sometimes get clients who say, a bit sheepishly, that they really don’t want to make a lot of money from their books.  They are writing for very personal reasons, such as wanting to leave a legacy for their children or really wanting to help people. Why be sheepish about that?  Those are very altruistic reasons.  The other side of the spectrum has people saying that they have received some communication or attended some event where they heard they could make a lot of money by writing books and ebooks.  Yes, you can make a lot of money, but in my opinion, if that is the main driving force behind the project, the content won’t necessarily be the best that it can be.  Furthermore, if a writer feels s/he should be thinking commercially about the book and they don’t really feel that way, this can create a conflict and an unsatisfactory feeling, which makes it difficult to write much less promote one’s work.

Mindy Gibbins-Klein is a leading writing and publishing consultant better known as The Book Midwifeä.  A coach for over 18 years, Mindy has enabled hundreds of aspiring authors to start, and more importantly, finish their books.  She is always happy to have a short discussion free of charge about any writing or publishing ideas.

www.bookmidwife.com

Write That Book - Sarah Newton's Top Tips from a Debut Authors

Sarah Newton's debut book titled "Help! My Teenager is an Alien" published by Penguin, is due to hit the shelves on March 1st.  She shares with us her amazing and honest gems for getting that book written.  Thanks Sarah!

1. 1.  Start with the end in mind -  before you even put pen to paper, start with your idea of the finished book and the impact it will have.  What will it look like, feel like, how will people feel reading it? Truly get connected with the impact your book will have on the world. Go to bookstores and imagine your book on the shelves, build a vision board of images or write how people will be feeling when they read your book. This is so important and you will need it on the days when the energy is not so great. Just looking at these images, reading your vision and connecting with the readers you want to attract will motivate you.

2. Plan a general concept and framework of the book before you start to write – how many chapters will it have, how will it be written, what will make it different, what would you love to see in it? Get other books and incorporate ideas you like. Get the flow of the book planned before you write. I decided I wanted my book to read as if you were watching a television programme, so I knew I therefore needed to use case studies with pieces in between that were informational, like when the presenter speaks to camera on a TV programme.  Once you have the framework, you can then fill in the gaps.

 

Write That Book - More Top Tips from Julia McCutchen

4.  Just Do It!

How many people have said either out loud or to themselves that they will write a book ‘one day’? Yet, sadly for many people, that day simply never comes. Understand that getting started is the first step and the only time for that – or indeed anything at all really – is now! Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Life is too short not to realise your dreams so just start writing today!

5.  Get some professional guidance and support.

Many people feel isolated on their writing journey and unsure of how to move forwards to achieve their full potential as writers. For others, the world of publishing seems like a foreign country for which they have no map or guide! Yet it doesn’t have to be that way. Advice and feedback will make all the difference not only to your chances of finding a publisher but also to your experience of the journey. You don’t have to walk this path alone.

Write That Book - Linda Jones's Story

"2003 seems like a very long time ago now, but that is when I first picked up a pen a jotted down a rough idea for a children’s book entitled ‘The Lonely Little Christmas Tree’. The story was completed all bar the ‘tweaking’, in 2004. All Ineeded now was to find someone to illustrate it!

The husband of a work colleague, Mike Conn, came to my rescue. A truly talented guy who is giving my words ‘life’. Initially though it proved to be a slow and drawn out process. Being very aware that illustrations do take time to produce if you are going to ‘do the job right’, I had to find a way to speed this process up a little without compromising the finished product. I simply did not know how to achieve this at all.

Enter Gabriella Goddard! - Gulp! Was my inspiration! In my admiration for Gabriella’s drive and vision, I discussed my project with her.

Write That Book - Top Tips from Book Guru Julia McCutchen

1.  Explore this question: who are you before the writing begins?

The real source of your writer’s voice lies in the deep place within yourself that is the truth of who you really are. We are not talking here about the roles you fulfill in life as a friend, partner, entrepreneur … or even as a writer. Through stillness you can discover that the space between your thoughts of who you think you are is a gateway to knowing your true self. And out of this space, the ultimate power of your writer’s voice arises.

2.  Nurture your creative spirit.

How much time each week do you allow for nurturing your inspiration, imagination and creativity? Do you know what your top 3 sources of inspiration are? Successful writers know that finding ways to ignite creativity form an essential part of the writing journey. Make time to go for a woodland walk, listen to an author talking about their writing at a bookshop event or literary festival, and spend time with other creative people regularly to nurture your own creative spirit.

3.  Investigate your motivation for writing and finding a publisher for your book.

If you give yourself the gift of time to consider what you are really aiming for – and why - it will provide you with a clear focus and a valuable resource that you can return to again and again when the path to publication feels challenging. Write your thoughts down and update them whenever necessary as your journey unfolds.

...more to come...

By Julia McCutchen ,

Author of "The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication"

Click here for Julia's FREE Special Report on "Writing for Success" plus check out her new Masterclass and Coaching programmes

January Gulp!: Write That Book!

If you've always wanted to write a book but never got around to doing it, then THIS is the month to get started.  All this month we will be featuring tips from top book coaches, inspirational stories from people who've taken the plunge and vital resources to start you on your journey.

So check in regularly...and make January 2007 the month where you kick start your writer's journey.

Expert Tips: Overcoming Procrastination the Holistic Way

If you're suffering from "manana, manana" as you step up to your Gulp!, who better to ask for advice than time management guru, Mark Forster, best selling author of "Do It Tomorrow".

Virtually everyone has problems with procrastination at some point in their life. For many people it is relatively easily overcome. For others it has a permanently crippling effect on their lives. Whatever their talents and however big their dreams, they are unable to express them fully because they keep putting the necessary action off. So their dreams and visions remain dreams and visions and nothing more for year after year.