Sunday, May 20, 2007

New Blog!

Please visit my new blog at www.AnnMcIndoo.com.

To your writing success!

Ann

Friday, March 09, 2007

New! Author's Success Tele-Class Series

I am delighted to announce a new tele-class series for Authors. The schedule for the first six classes is listed below. My outcome is to provide you with interesting ideas, winning strategies and resources to help you achieve your book writing, publishing, marketing goals.

I am going to kick off the series with the 3 topics I am asked to speak about most often: How to write, What to write about and Creating the structure for your book.

Speaker: Ann McIndoo
Topic: Preparing to Write: What to do before you pick up your pen. Create your own powerful Writer’s Power Tools™. Learn how to write “on demand”.
3/14 @ 11:00 am and again at 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Ann McIndoo
Topic: Creating Your Own Author’s Technology: Making your book idea and material unique. How to create your own Author’s Technology and turn your technology into a book.
3/22 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Ann McIndoo
Topic: Creating the Structure for Your Book: How to organize your content and start writing your book.
3/29 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Ron McDaniel - Author, Buzzoodle, Buzz Marketing
Topic: Creating Buzz for Your Book: How to create buzz in just 10 minutes a day!
4/3 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Glenn Plaskin - Author, Turning Points
Topic: How to Write a Book Proposal: Step 1 for Writing a Best Seller!
4/11 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Kathleen McEntee - Business Development Specialist
Topic: How to develop your idea so it is scalable and salable.
4/18 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

Speaker: Chien Wang - Author, It's Who Knows You!
Topic: Networking Your Way to Success! How to use your book to promote your business
4/25 @ 6:00 pm PST
Tele-Class Event Schedule

There are so many amazing people and resources available to help us learn and grow our business. I plan to continue bringing someone new each week to share new technologies and proven strategies to provide you with content-rich learning sessions. Please let me know if you have any questions, ideas or comments. I would be happy to hear from you!

To your writing success!

Ann McIndoo
Your Writing Coach

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Promoting Your Book

One way to get great exposure and promote your book is to speak to groups. Yes, it’s very cool to be paid a big speaking fee, but at the beginning you may want to consider speaking for free to local groups like the Rotary, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce and local networking groups.

Are you afraid to address a group or feel you are not polished enough to speak yet? The National Speakers Association (http://www.nationalspeakersassociation.com/) and Toastmasters (http://www.toastmasters.org/) are great organizations to hone your speaking skills and learn how to build your speaking business.

I joined the Chamber of Commerce in La Quinta where I live. It’s a small community near Palm Springs, California. Using the premise of “It’s Who Knows You”, I have attended monthly Chamber events, Mayor’s Luncheons, Breakfast Meetings and Civic Events. Wow! Not only has it been fun but I have met lots of people who know people who want to write a book!

I experienced the same results with The Relationship Building Network, http://www.rbnexpo.com/, a professional networking group in Orange County, California. Even though it’s a 2-hour drive away, I like the professionals in the group and the networking opportunities the organization provides. I signed up 5 new authors for my Author’s Boot Camp as a result of 2 members (who did not have an interest in writing a book) referring their friends and colleagues to me.

I have learned that having a book is a great way to show your prospective clients that you are an expert in your industry and committed to your craft. What a great way to build rapport and create trust.

Let me know how I can help you write yours!

To your writing success!

Ann

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Using Your Book as a Tool to Promote Your Business

Did you know that there are many simple, fun and inexpensive ways to promote and generate $$$ with your book? I always keep a dozen copies of So, You Want to Write! in my car, two copies in my carry-on when I travel and a copy in my handbag. Why? When I meet someone at a networking event, business meeting, trade show, on an airplane or social event, that magic question always comes up – “What do you do for a living?” This is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself and your book.

While you are talking about your businessm, give them a copy of your book! Write their name and a few words on the title page, sign it and enjoy the amazed look and grateful words that follow. This is a wonderful way to build rapport and begin a relationship. I learned from Chien Wang, author of It’s Who Knows You, (http://www.chiensworld.com/) and Professional Networker Extraordinaire that networking is about building lasting relationships. This is also the secret to building your business.

I love giving my book away. For me, it creates an opportunity to help someone who wants to write a book, or even more magical, I give that person an opportunity to help someone they know. It’s true, It’s Who Knows You!

Here’s who you can give copies of your book to:

  • People you meet – use as a tool to build rapport and begin a relationship
  • People who can promote you – your book will remind them of you
  • People who know people who want your services – give them books to give away
  • Prospective clients – Your credibility, level professionalism and commitment to your business gives you a huge edge over your competition.

I also give free copies of my book to:

  • Any and all children I meet who express an interest in writing
  • Parents of children who are interested in writing
  • Libraries I visit
  • Senior Centers and Assisted Living Homes for Seniors
  • Whoever is next to me on an airplane, shuttle or bus
  • Trade show exhibitors

Depending on the cost and number of copies you have on hand, it may not be cost effective for you to give your book away. No worries, there are lots of ways to sell your book and promote your business – for free. I’ll talk about that in my next blog.

In the meantime, think about how you can use your book to promote your business and let me know how I can help you write yours!

To your writing success!

Ann

Monday, February 19, 2007

Benefits of Writing a Book

Why write a book? As a speaker, consultant, trainer, or any professional that markets their services, having a published book can mean having a huge edge over your competition. Not only does it give you a product to sell or use as a marketing tool, it makes you the expert, it shows your commitment to your business and that you took an extraordinary journey and wrote a book.

Imagine speaking to a prospect about your services and then presenting them with a signed copy of your book. This is a powerful tool to associate you and your services to them. Whether or not they read your book, they will see it and think of you, your services and level of professionalism and commitment.

Here are some of the benefits I have enjoyed as a result of writing my book:

· Credibility - I am the creator of the "Writer's Power Tools", a writing technology.
· Created a Platform - A topic to speak about and teach.
· Creating Ancillary Products - Ebook, Audio CD, Events, Workbook, Radio Show.
· Invitations to Speak
· Higher Speaking Fees
· Higher Consulting Fees

Let me know how I can help you write yours!

To your writing success!

Ann

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

#1 Best Seller on Amazon.com

If you knew your book would be a #1 Best Seller on Amazon.com, would you be more driven to complete your manuscript and have it published?


What if you knew exactly how you could make your book a #1 Best Seller on Amazon.com? Would that inspire, motivate, compel you to complete your manuscript and have it published?

Completing your book is a huge win, and as I mentioned in my previous entry, seeing your published book for the first time is truly a magical moment. Being listed on Amazon.com? Yes, that’s cool, but honestly, being listed at #1,689,745 – no one, except determined friends and family members ARE GOING TO FIND YOUR BOOK!!!

So what’s the next step?

Not just being listed on Amazon.com but being a #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon.com! How? By participating in Randy Gilbert’s and Peggy McColl’s Amazon Bestseller Mentoring Program. I signed up for their upcoming program and am starting my journey to #1 Best Seller on Amazon on Monday, August 21.

I would like to invite you to join me and let’s see our books make #1 on Amazon.com!

Here’s how to get information for their Tele-class on Thursday, August 10 at 7:00 pm EST:

http://www.1automationwiz.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=472093

To Your Writing Success!

Ann McIndoo

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

They’re Heeeeeere!!!!

It was Christmas in July for me! Two weeks ago I received my first box of books! My book, So, You Want to Write! has officially been published and is on it’s way to book stores and being listed on Amazon.com! Wow! What an amazing feeling.
I can honestly say, there is NOTHING like seeing your first box of books arrive, ripping the box open and seeing your books for the first time. There they are, like little soldiers, all shiny and in perfect order, just waiting for you to pick one up. Holding my book in my hands ignited something truly amazing and wonderful inside me that has inspired and motivated me to triple my efforts to help others get their manuscripts completed and books published.

They arrived just in time for me to give each Author a book at my July Author’s Boot Camp in Orlando. What a thrill to be asked to autograph the books. I put stacks of my books everywhere, just like in the bookstores. Wow! What great fun!

So, what are you waiting for! C’mon, dust off that manuscript and complete your book. It is so simple to get a book published and printed. My publisher, Advantage Media Group (
http://www.amglive.com/) did a beautiful job of making the publishing process so easy.

To Your Writing Success!

Ann McIndoo

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Let’s Celebrate!

It’s my birthday this week and I’m celebrating! Why?

1) My book, So, You Want to Write! has hit the presses! It will be on Amazon.com on July 1 and in bookstores soon!

2) My audio book is being pressed to CD and will be ready July 10!

To celebrate, I am offering Authors-to-be, who are serious about taking the next step and writing their books, the following 3 special options to get their book done NOW!

OPTION #1: So, You Want to Write Book, Audio CD and Storyboard Kit
Hot off the presses, this is your step-by-step guide to getting your book out of your head and onto the paper. Use the “Get Started Today” instructions to prepare to write your book in as little as 7 days. Listen to the audio CDs to learn, use the book to do the exercises and the Storyboard Kit to make your book come alive. Package includes 1 individual Coaching Session $197.00

OPTION #2: Writer’s Workshop: Monday, July 17, Orlando, FL or Saturday, August 12, Palm Springs, CA.

Join me for one action-packed, content rich day and get started on your book. You will create your Writer’s Identity, Writer’s Power Tools, the structure for your book with your Manuscript Grid™ and learn how to get your book published and in your hands in 45 days. Package includes 4 individual Coaching Sessions to keep your momentum going and complete the process. $397.00

OPTION #3: Author’s Package
Want to write your book this summer? I have 6 spots available for my Author’s Premier Coaching & Book Package. Write your book in the comfort of your home with me coaching you through the entire process. (Full details at http://www.soyouwanttowrite.com/) Regularly $1,895.00, you can purchase the Author’s Package for $1,497.00. This offer expires in two weeks or when I have filled my 6 coaching slots available this summer.

So take the next step. Make your dream come true and Write Your Book! I can tell you from first-hand experience, there is nothing like feeling your book in your hands and seeing your words in print.

Select the option that best suits your needs and give me a call. We can get started this week and you could have your book done by the end of the summer!

To your writing success!

Ann McIndoo

Saturday, June 24, 2006

My Book Is Being Published!

So, You Want to Write! has hit the presses! Advantage Media Group is publishing 5,000 copies of my book and I am delighted to say that it will be available in bookstores soon. You can also order online at
http://www.amazon.com/ beginning July 1. Wow! I am very excited about this. If you can’t wait, you can order a copy today from the Advantage Book Store at http://www.amglive.com/.

If you are wondering what the publishing process is like, it’s a very fun and exciting process – IF, you have the right publisher. I selected Advantage Media Group (
http://www.amglive.com/) and it has been a 5-star experience. I've listed the steps I took to publish my book in the following document which you can download, with my compliments, at:
www.soyouwanttowrite.com/publishingsteps.pdf

There is nothing like seeing your book in print. It makes all those late nights and every minute of effort worth it. Any doubt you may have had about your book evaporates and there is a feeling of pride and a smile on your face, like no other.

To your writing success!

Ann McIndoo

Thursday, March 30, 2006

On the Radio!

Have you ever wanted to be on the radio? I have and I decided to do something about it. I enrolled in Wayne Kelly's Radio Class and wow! what fun. I'm learning what it takes to be a great radio guest and how to get on the radio! This week he had two radio show producers on the call who shared with us how to get invited to talk on the air! Homework assignments are fun and easy and I am excited about the possibilities.

For more info or to sign up for Wayne's class, go to www.onairpublicity.com

To Your Writing Success!

Ann

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

I signed my publishing contract today!

Wow! What a great feeling! After many months of editing and rewrites and just not wanting to let it go, I let it go. The contract was actually written up on July 5, 2005 and here it is, 9 months later, that I signed it and sent it in. I feel very proud and excited and in a few short weeks, I will see my book printed and bound! Yay!

Although I have been selling my book in ebook format via my website and have been using it in my Writer's Boot Camps, it feels different now. It feels official. I am using Advantage Media Group (www.amglive.com) to publish my book and they are outstanding. The entire process has been flawless. I love the custom cover they designed for me and I am embarrassed to say, but will, that I can't wait to see myself on Amazon.com!

If you have been procrastinating getting your book done, do it! Push through, it is so worth it! The feeling is unbelievable!

To your writing success!

Ann

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Writing an eBook?

Is anyone interested in writing an ebook? I think they are a great learning tool if you are lucky and find a good one.


While going through the long process of having my book, So, You Want to Write! edited, reviewed, critiqued and edited again (which has taken a lot longer than I anticipated), I turned the book's manuscript into an ebook and made it available for sale on my website. I have been delighted to discover that this is a great way to generate revenue while you are waiting for your book to be published and on your way to becoming rich and famous.

For me, one of the great things about having my book in an ebook format, is that I have been able to continue to update the ebook and add new material. I really like having this "live" document and knowing that it keeps growing and getting richer in content. I plan to continue to update the ebook version of my book, even after the book gets published and is selling on Amazon.com, which should be very soon.

Why? Value. I want to make sure that everyone who purchases my ebook feels they received an extraordinary value. Not a good value, not an excellent value. An Extraordinary Value.

I downloaded 4 ebooks in the last month, 2 for free and 2 that cost $29 each. All four were written by professionals in the book writing, internet marketing, blogging and publishing industry. One of the free ebooks is very good, the other freebee is excellent - both had great content and provided excellent value. I learned things and got several ideas that I could apply to my business. I was very excited and more importantly, I would buy more of their material.

The two ebooks I purchased for $29 (+tax) were HORRIBLE!!! I was very disappointed. Both authors had transcribed a coaching call and a teleseminar, slapped a great cover on it, wrote phenominal sales letters and began selling. When I saw that my $29 had simply purchased a transcribed dialog between 2 and 3 individuals on a telehone call, I felt as if I had been tricked. Not only was the information promised hard to find or non-existent, the transcript had not been edited and the format was difficult to follow. Sadly, I will never buy anything from them again.

Selling an ebook can be a very good thing business-wise and $$$-wise, but as you can see from my experience, it better be good or you will lose credibility. I offered my ebook for free until I was convinced, by feedback, testimonials and several completed books, that it offered extraordinary value.

So, do you want to write an ebook? The teacher in me decided it would be fun to write an ebook on How to Write an eBook. I will be offering it as a complimentary mini ecourse on the website. Look for it on April 15!

To Your Writing Success!

Ann

P.S. I will send you my ebook in exchange for a review.

I love being a Writing Coach

I arrived in in Phoenix today to attend the Ice Escape Writer's Conference. (
http://www.iceescape.com/) I'm pretty excited about being here as I will be sharing the stage with some pretty prominent speakers and have the opportunity to do two presentations.

As I was looking at the meeting room and exhibition hall, I met and spoke with a couple of the attendees who came to learn how to write a book. They too, were excited about being here and after a few minutes of talking about their book, they asked the magic question, "How do we get started?"

That began a 45-minute mini-lesson on preparing to write, giving them my book with a homework assignment and a promise that they would come to my session on Saturday. They both gave me a hug and had big smiles as they went off to get started on their book. It was so wonderful to see that look on their face, the look that says "I got it!" "I can do this!" The "I'm really going to write my book!" look. It reminded me of why I started my company in the first place, to help people turn their book writing dreams into reality. I love my work!

To your writing success!

Ann

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Got Milk?

I had a little mishap yesterday, I spilled a bowl of frosted cheerios all over my laptop. The keyboard was in a sea of milk. What a mess. After wiping it up, I tentatively pressed the keys and needless to say, any key I pressed produced a series of keystrokes that created gibberish on the screen and launched other programs. Yikes!

After a frantic call to my computer guy, I got my hairdryer and started drying. He recommended drying it for a bit, waiting 24 hours and testing the keyboard again. Interestingly enough, the rest of the computer seemed to work fine (screen, mouse and hard drive) even my iTunes kept playing.

As I was getting ready to start a writing session with a client, my sweetheart went to the store and bought me an external keyboard and voila! a few minutes later I was back in business.

Sure enough, 24 hours later, I gingerly tapped a few of the keyboard keys and they worked! Some of the keys feel sticky, others a little mushy, and there was one casualty, the right mouse button got cemented in (probably the extra sugar from the bananas) but I'm delighted to report that we're up! I'm ordering a new laptop keyboard tomorrow as I do not like the idea of a hardened white lake under my fingers as I type.

Lesson learned: Eat your cheerios at the kitchen table with your sweety-pie!!!!


Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Free "Author's Night" Writing Tele-Seminars

I tuned into a couple of tele-seminars in the past week and I got some great information. I find it pretty amazing that you can sit in your home, in your play clothes, dial a telephone number and learn. Wow! Can it be any easier?

To help new writers get started on their writing journey, I decided to have my own tele-seminar series. I am offering a free "Author's Night" Tele-seminar on the last Tuesday of each month. 5:00 pm PST. Here's the line up for the first 4 events:


Tuesday, 1/31/06 - How to Get Started and Prepare to Write!
Tuesday, 2/28/06 - How to Organize Your Material
Tuesday, 3/28/06 - How to Produce Content, turn your notes into a book!
Tuesday, 4/25/06 - Staying Motivated, Dealing with Procrastination and Writer's Block

I thought it would be great to talk about the topic for 20 minutes or so and then open it up to Q&A, sharing writing tips, strategies and experiences.

Join me for an hour and learn something new about writing!

Telephone Number: (641) 985-1000
Access Code: 630054#

To Your Writing Success!

Ann

Monday, January 16, 2006

Writing an Inspirational Book Based on Your Experience

If you want to write an inspirational story or book based on an experience in your life, here is my formula for capturing content.

First, associate yourself to the experience, (you can do this quickly by just thinking about the experience and putting yourself back in it) focus on what happened and visualize it. If possible, relive it.

Second, ask yourself the questions I have listed below. Think about them and start writing. Just write, write, write. Do not stop to edit, forget about punctuation or structure right now. Just write.

Third, after you have finished writing, stand up and shake it off, especially if it was a painful or frightening experience. Read what you wrote. Make any notes about key points that you want to add in. I usually let my writing “simmer” overnight, and edit the next day.

(1) What Happened?

What happened to you? What did you experience? How did it come about? What was your intention or outcome? What happened instead? Describe the event, what occurred? Describe the experience in as much detail as you feel comfortable and conveys the message to the reader about the experience. Stick to What Happened. What was the environment, your purpose for being where you were, your physical and emotional state before, during and after the event. What was your reaction during the event? Who else was involved? How was it resolved? How did you feel when it was over?

(2) How did it affect you?

What was your reaction after the event? How was your life changed? Personally? Professionally? Physically? Mentally and emotionally? What was different in your life, in your routine, in your relationships? How did your world change? What steps did you take? What did you do differently?

(3) What did you learn from this experience?

What lessons did you learn after the event? How much time has gone by? What have you learned since the event? Would you do anything differently? How are you a better person? What tools, strategies, techniques, steps, books, web sites, resources, groups, coaching, etc., did you use to get through your experience? Where are you now?

(4) What do you want to teach others?

What lessons did you learn? What information do you want to share? What could others learn from your experience? What is your message? What could others learn from your experience? What “technology”, steps, system did you develop that you want to share or teach to others? Name the top 3 things that are the gift of this experience. Write about each one.


This will get you started on creating your content.

Talk to you soon!

Ann

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

How to Sell Your Book Tele-seminar

I received a note from my friend and colleague, Alex Carroll. An author and fabulous Radio Guest, Alex has a phenominal package that teaches you how to get on the radio and make money selling your book or product. (www.AlexCarroll.com) Next Monday evening, Alex will be hosting "Bulk Book Sales Genius" Jerry Jenkins on a live tele-seminar (no charge).

Monday, 1/16/06 at 5pm PST / 8pm EST
Call 620-294-4000 and enter PIN: 222089#

Did you know that:

* Non-bookstore outlets buy more than 300 Million books every year?
* They never return them for a refund?
* They almost always pay for the shipping!

I found this fascinating information. I would LOVE to sell a thousand books to one outlet. Yes, even Big Lots! Hey, 1000 books at $5.00 each is better than 1000 books at zero. (Just ask any author who has hundreds of books sitting on pallettes in their garage!)

Jerry has sold 12.8 Million books to Catalogs, Universities, Associations, Foundations, Book Clubs, Big Corporations and MLM's. (MLM's are network marketing companies like Amway, Herbal Life) and they buy over 100,000 books PER MONTH) Jerry is an expert in this area and he is going to talk about:

* The types of books big corporations buy, and why they often order more than 100,000 copies at a time


* 3 things your book must have to make it more attractive to big buyers

* Secrets to finding the key buyers at the big companies and institutions and how to pitch them once you do

* How to break into selling books to government agencies (Alex has a neighbor in Santa Barbara who's been living off the sales of 2 books to the US Government for almost a decade now)

* Three secrets to getting your book(s) into the big mail-order catalogs and the hidden windfall this will bring (in addition to the book sales)

* Which MLM's buy the most books ... and a couple of strategies to get your book in through the back door

* The inside scoop on Book Clubs. Many are a waste of time, but a few of them can make you a fortune. You'll learn which ones they are, and what they are looking for.

Mark your calendar for next Monday evening:


January 16 at 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern.
Call 620-294-4000
Enter PIN: 222089# to join the call.

This is a great way to learn about how you can make money selling large quantities of your book!

See you there!

Ann

Saturday, January 07, 2006

How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?

One of the top 3 questions I get asked most often about writing a book. (The other two are: How do I get started? and How many pages does it have to be?

In a nutshell and without any sugar coating, the answer is very simple: as long as you decide it's going to take.

Whether you are writing a book to build your business or it is something you have always wanted to do or a dream you want to fulfill, the length of time that it will take you to write a book all comes down to 3 simple things: preparation, commitment and dedication.

For some people, the idea of writing a book is as formidable a task as climbing a mountain. For others, it’s not the work itself that is so daunting, but the time required to complete it. After all, who has time to sit down and write a book?

I’ve asked hundreds of people, “How long do you think it takes to write a book?” The typical answer is anywhere from 3 months to a year. I then ask, “How long do you think it would take YOU to write YOUR book?” These responses are very different. “Oh, I don’t know, 6 months, 1 year, a decade. I would love to write a book, but I don’t have the time! People are always surprised to learn that writing a book doesn’t have to take a long time and amazed when I tell them that they can complete their book in just a few weeks.

I recently attended a writing class and one of my classmates asked, "How long will it take me to write my book?" The instructor, a published and well-known author, responded, "about 2 years". As I was squirming in my chair, pressing my lips together so I couldn't blurt out something I would regret, she went on to say that she devoted 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, to writing her book. Yikes! Who has 7 hours a day to write?

I have found that for many aspiring authors, writing a book seems like a giant monster and believe they need to set aside a big block of time to capture it. The truth is, you can write your book in just 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week and complete it in a reasonable amount of time. Honestly, it doesn't have to take huge blocks of time, a summer vacation or a sabbatical.

It all comes down to preparation and planning. Have you ever heard the riddle, "How do you eat an elephant?" -- one bite at a time. It's exactly the same for writing a book, you write your book one bite at a time. I've helped authors write 54 books in 2005; 33 of them in as little as 3 days, the rest were written over a period of 4, 6 or 8 weeks.

It call comes down to preparation, planning, committment and execution.

To your writing success!

Ann

Happy New Year!

Can you believe how fast 2005 flew by? It was an amazing year for me, I produced 55 books! (more on that later). Looking back, 2005 was filled with so many great events and learning experiences . . .

January

What better way to start the new year than by writing a book? I was delighted to assist several new authors create their manuscript. Michael Lipowski wrote Pure Physique, Roberto Ruiz created Zero to Iron Man and Feryal Allen, who wrote From Fear to Light. February and March were chock full of new books (soon to be listed on my Author's Page) and all of sudden it's April. Time to get ready to Exhibit at my first event!

April - Mark Victor Hansen's Mega Book Event

What a thrill to be "approved" as an Exhibitor at Mark's event and even more thrilling to be there. Mark certainly knows how to host an event and ALWAYS has an incredible lineup of speakers to present. Exhibitors get a 45-min breakout session to present and it was pretty cool to get a huge turnout for my 7:30 am Writing Class. That's right, 7:30 A.M. and there were 54 people in the room! Bea Donatelli, my Marketing Manager was phenominal, sales were through the roof!

Exhibiting can be very fun and very profitable. Here is what I learned from doing my first show:

1) Have a great partner / assistant / helper.
2) Know your audience and their needs
3) Know your product and make sure it matches your audience and their needs
4) Be prepared: to answer questions, sell product, stand for many hours
5) Collect email addresses and permission to contact them -- I asked: May I send your my Writer's Newsletter? Everyone said yes.

May - First Writer's Boot Camp

My first "group" of authors. Wow! What fun. 9 authors, 12 books! How did they do that? Michael Morningstar, Health Coach extraordinare, (
www.GreatNewsCoach.com) wrote 3! Sandra Herron wrote 2. Held at the beautiful Lake La Quinta Inn in La Quinta, California, we had 3 amazing days. The synergy was incredible and inspiring. Everyone commented on how much fun and how easy it was to write their book! The Writer's Boot Camp is a hit! Everyone got their outcome and a great time was had by all! I was walking on clouds for days after the event.

July - NSA in Atlanta!

Off to Atlanta for 5 days to Exhibit for the National Speakers Association. Honestly, I don't remember how I found out about the NSA but it made sense to go to the event since Professional Speakers typically need a book. I was right! It is an absolute MUST for Speakers to have a book. What a fabulous experience! I took Bea Donatelli, and as usual, she surpassed all my expectations for sales.

October - Writer's Boot Camp

15 Authors, 21 Books! Can you believe it! The most amazing 3 days of the year! From the moment I arrived at the hotel, 3 days before the event, I knew it would be magical. My Leadership Team, Michael Morningstar, Yolanda Harris, Brenda Schinke, Farah Riseon, Billy Billitzer, Carol Grove were absolutely incredible! Authors from as far away as Australia and New York came to Newport Beach, California to write their book and we did it in 3 days! The guest speakers, Adam Witty (Publishing) , James Roche (InfoProducts), Glenn Plaskin (Manuscript Review), Yolanda Harris (Speaking) and Katherin Sansone (Publicity) gave content-rich presentations.

November - Mark Victor Hansen Speaking Empire

What a hoot! Incredible speakers, fabulous presentations, great venue. Mark's team is top notch and a delight to work with. The event was a huge success and Mark personally invited me to speak on stage at the next Mega Book Event!!! I was totally speechless! The event is in July, 2006 in Orlando, Florida. This was a dream come true and I owe this happening to Yolanda Harris, (
www.TheKeyNoteGroup.com) Speaker's Coach Extraordinare, and my Business Coach, who literally got behind me and pushed up to Mark to say hello and speak with him. Thank you, Yolanda! You are awesome!!!!

Dreams do come true!!!!

Thursday, August 18, 2005

A Sweet Surprise!

Wow! I sent out my very first newsletter, "Just Show Up . . . With a Pencil" just a few hours ago and wow! What an amazing response! Great notes and hello's from friends and clients and people who actually requested my newsletter! What a great feeling to be acknowledged for providing great content. Thank you!!!

If you would like to receive a free copy, you can sign up at www.SoYouWantToWrite.com. I also have the first issue available for download on my site on the Resources page.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Hello!

Thank you for visiting. Have you always wanted to write a book? Are you ready to write but don't know how to get started? If you answered YES!, sharpen your pencil and get ready to learn how to organize your material, produce content for your book, stay motivated, deal with procrastination and "writer's block" and much more!

Welcome!

I love to write and I love to write about writing, although I have to admit, my very favorite thing to do is help others write their book. What a joy to be able to do this every day via writing, coaching, boot camps and private writing sessions. My dad always said, "If you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life." He was so right! I am so lucky and very grateful.

Oops! I fell down and wrote a book!

An interesting (and a little painful) thing happened to get me started on this amazing journey of writing books. As I was zipping down a flight of stairs, I missed one, fell and broke 3 bones in my ankle. Ouch! This resulted in surgery and several months in a wheel chair. Unable to go anywhere further than 10 feet from my front door, I had lots of time to think about things. Spending 3 months in a wheelchair turned out to be a major turning point in my life, I learned a lot about myself and discovered a treasure buried deep inside me, writing.

To keep myself entertained and stop focusing on all the things I couldn't do, I started making a list of all the things I could do and would do when I was able to return my rented chair on wheels. I made it a contest to come up with 3 new things that I could do each day. I also had an on-going challenge with myself to create 3 easy, economical, delicious and healthy meals a day – all prepared and cooked from my wheelchair! This resulted in 2 books: "101 Things to do in a Wheelchair", and "One-Pan Cooking: Eat Healthy for 30 Days for Less Than $10 a Day".

I Meet Tony Robbins

I also thought about how I could make money from my wheelchair during my recuperation. I took an inventory of my skills and ended up with an assignment transcribing audio files for Robbins Research. This, by the way, is a great way to make money sitting at home listening to and learning (and typing) incredible content. They liked my work and after a couple of months invited me to work with Tony Robbins on his new book. (By now I had very gratefully returned my wheelchair and donated my crutches).

I started out as a transcriber on the book project and was soon promoted to being Tony’s Creative Assistant. This turned out to be a year-long international globe-trotting university on the art of writing a book. Our writing sessions were conducted on the beach in Fiji, overlooking the ocean on the Gold Coast of Australia, a golf course surrounded by the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains in Palm Springs and a breathtaking view of the forest and mountains in Vancouver, Canada. Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and fabulous adventure that I will always treasure. This also provided me with a one-of-a-kind skill set: How to get content out of your head and onto the paper.

Writer’s Boot Camp is Born

Soon after arriving home from my adventure, my sweetheart and I bought a lovely home in La Quinta, California, complete with this adorable "casita", and moved in a few weeks before Christmas, 2004. I was on fire! I wanted to write! I created tools, materials, wrote a book, “So, You Want to Write” and most importantly, created a process to help people write their book. I named it my “Writer’s Boot Camp”. The outcome? To write your book in 3 days – or less! An amazing thing happened. People came!

So here I am, 8 months later, having helped 21 authors write over 30 books! Many of my authors write 2 books during the 3 day session. I have one superstar who wrote 3 in 2 days and an incredible success story of an author who created the storyboards for more than a dozen books in 3 days! More about that later.

For free Writer's Tools, please visit my site:
www.SoYouWantToWrite.com

Next Post: How do I Get Started?