How Does a Professional Editor Work with a Writer?

I spend a lot of my time working as a freelance nonfiction editor. Although I do work with many writers who have had their work edited by professional editors before, I probably work with more writers who have never encountered the editing process with anyone other than a writing buddy, someone in their writing group, a spouse, or a high school teacher or college professor. Thus, they really have no idea what it means to work with a professional editor.

For this reason, I’d like to devote this post to explaining how the process works. I’m going to describe the process of editing a book; however, the same process would pertain to editing an essay, article, e-book, or anything else you might bring to me for editing.

Types of Editors and Editing

First, let me explain the kind of editing I do for my clients. I do “line editing,” “content editing” and “developmental editing.” That means I study each one of your sentences and decide how to make it not only grammatically correct but also the strongest sentence possible (line editing). I also make sure that everything makes sense, that you’ve explained yourself well, that readers are not left with questions (content editing), and that all the pieces are included—that nothing needs to be added—or deleted—and that everything is where it belongs. I look at the minute details and the big picture.

Some editors just do line editing. Some just do content editing. Some just do developmental editing.

Miscellaneous Concerns

Some writers think that they must live close to their editor. It doesn’t matter if you live in New York and I live in California. We can talk by phone…even by Skype if you want, and we send documents back and forth by email. You can even live in another country than your editor, and you can still have a successful working relationship. They key is to find someone with whom you can work well. It is nice, however, if you live close to each other and can occasionally meet in person.

Others worry about theft of intellectual property. There’s no need to worry about the editor stealing your ideas or your writing. An editor has to treat the information you offer in the form of your book idea, proposal or manuscript at “privileged.” Despite what some people say, little idea stealing occurs in the publishing industry.

How to Choose an Editor

Also, when choosing an editor, find one that suits your “style.” I’m not a “coddle-my-writers” type of editor. I tell it like it is. I want to help you improve, so I’m not going to tell you something is great when it isn’t. And I’m not going to hold back on your manuscript—unless you specifically tell me to do so. So, talk to editors before you begin working with one.

I love it when an author is working right with me, waiting anxiously for me to finish a chapter or a section of an article so they can get to work on it. Then we have a mutual flow and are in synch. We develop one “mind” and one “voice.” I also really enjoy working with writers who want to improve their writing and work hard early on to improve the manuscript so I don’t have to spend the time poring over every sentence trying to figure out how to make it read well. They go away feeling proud of themselves for having become better writers. A few of my clients have gone on to write several books without me afterwards claiming I made them good enough writers to not need an editor any longer! What high praise!

So, choose your editor carefully. Check out their track record. Look for testimonials from past clients. And if possible, test them out. For example, I am usually at the San Francisco Writers Conference working as a book doctor. These are free short consultations. I also often do a short test edit on people’s work when I give an estimate of how long it will take to edit a job. This gives you an idea of my style and how I would edit your work. Hopefully, other editors will give you the same type of courtesy.

Phase I: The Analysis

When working with a book, more often than not, I begin with an analysis of the whole manuscript. This means I read the whole manuscript and make notes in the margins about what needs to be improved. I then go back and compose a document giving the author, first, a general idea of what has to be done to improve the book, and second, specific recommendations on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

This document becomes the blueprint for all the work done on the manuscript from that point forward. A writer who really wants to learn and improve their own writing will take this document and create a new and improved draft of the manuscript by incorporating as many of my suggestions as possible. This then comes back to me for the first phase of actual editing. Some writers prefer to have me just begin editing at this point; they give me the go ahead to implement my own suggestions.

Not all writers choose to have an analysis completed on their book. A written analysis does take time and can add considerably to the editing expense. That said, it is extremely helpful. When an author doesn’t want to complete this phase, I always recommend that they have me at least read the whole manuscript. Then I have a big picture view of the project and can at least jot some helpful notes to myself as I read. We can then have a consultation about what the book needs as far as improvements go. Some writers choose to do neither of these two and just have my dig right in and start editing, though.

Phase II: First-Round Editing

In this phase of editing, I attach everything I see! I work on every sentence to make it grammatically correct and to make it as strong as possible. I am looking to make the author’s writing as good as I can make it—if it isn’t already. Additionally, I do content and development editing.

I like to use Microsoft Word’s track changes option. This allows the author to see every change I make on their document. I also can leave them comments, which I do a lot. I leave little messages about information that needs to be added. I will explain why I deleted copy or why I went ahead and ghostwrote a few sentences or a paragraph.  I will ask questions or suggest moving copy around (or tell them why I moved copy around).

When I’m done with this phase, as my daughter says, the document bleeds whatever color track changes uses—one color for additions, another for deletions and one more for comments! The pages look a bit scary, so I usually send another version along as well that has the changes “accepted.” This allows the author to read a “clean” copy with just the comment showing. Then they can actually read without stress and notice the improvements rather than all the changes. They also can see the comments clearly.

At this point, the manuscript becomes their “ball” to handle. The authors must address all my concerns. Typically with a book I send back one chapter at a time, and the author works on that chapter. We work through the book chapter by chapter until we have completed the whole manuscript. It’s a bit like tag team. Once I finish a chapter, I send it to the author and go on to the next. They author works on that chapter. I complete another and send it one, and so on. When we the author finishes making changes to the last chapter I edited, hopefully the whole manuscript gets sent back to me for a second round of editing.

I say hopefully because not all authors choose to go on to the second round of editing. I highly recommend that they do. I’ll explain why.

Phase III: Round-Two Editing

In round-two editing, I have a chance to check two things:

1. My own work. Yes, sometimes the editor makes mistakes. In the first round, I make so many changes that I can and do sometimes miss a grammatical mistake—or make one. I may not see a misplaced or missing comma. I may delete a necessary word. I may change a sentence in a way that makes it unclear. Now, this is uncommon, but it does happen. So, I want to check my work. If I make 100 changes on one page (and a book has 150 pages), the likelihood becomes high likelihood that when I come back to check my own work, I’m going to find something upon which I want to at least improve.
2. The writer’s additions and changes. The writer has now gone through the manuscript and had a chance to accept or reject my changes. He or she has also made changes or his or her own and addressed all the issues I raised. Therefore, the manuscript has numerous areas that now need to either be re-edited or that have fresh copy needing first-round editing. I want to get my eyes on all of this and check for grammar, punctuation, content, etc.

Authors who choose not to do this round of editing don’t realize its value. So much can be caught and fixed and improved, especially since the writing is much cleaner and more polished at this point and all the pieces are in place.

Most writers decide they don’t want to spend the money on another editing round thinking it will be as expensive as the first. In fact, it goes much faster. The second round of editing usually takes me about half the time as the first round.

If you don’t believe me, ask some other editors what they think about how much editing a manuscript needs. I listened in on an editing panel at the San Francisco Writers Conference two years ago and was pleased to hear Alan Rinzler, a freelance editor of great repute and an executive editor at Jossey-Bass Publishing in San Francisco, say that he recommends at least two rounds of editing but prefers three rounds.

I have edited one or two manuscripts three times. The results were measurable…and well worth it.

Good luck!

And…if you are wanting to give yourself the gift of an editor for one of your manuscripts in the New Year, click here for a special offer—my gift to my blog readers!

Writing with Deadlines: How to Stay in High Gear After Write Nonfiction in November Challenge Ends

All month you’ve been marking the days off on the calendar, and since last night or early this morning you’ve been watching the clock knowing your deadline was fast approaching. The Write Nonfiction in November challenge was coming to an end. Indeed, at midnight tonight, you must make the last changes to your WNFiN project for 2009, and say, “Finished.” You must complete your project and meet your deadline.

In fact, unlike National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), to participate in WNFiN you don’t actually have to turn your project in for a word count. Nor will I be checking to see if you have actually submitted it. No editor, agent or publisher is waiting to find it in their email in-box by midnight either. The WNFiN deadline represents a self-imposed one. Yet, it’s a useful one all the same.

Deadlines, self-imposed or otherwise, provide writers with great incentives to complete their work. Without deadlines, it’s easy to simply muddle along producing only a little bit of writing here and there but never finishing a project. Without a deadline, you also could continue writing, editing or generally fiddling with your project forever, never getting it to a point where you deem it “finished.”

As a journalist, I have a love/hate relationship with deadlines. I dread them as they approach, but they force me to get my work done. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and deadlines make me stop and turn my work in. They allow me to go on to the next project, even if I think I could continue working on the last one and improve upon it. They make me a productive writer.

When it comes to my own books, articles and essays, if I’m not feeling inspired to write, a self-imposed deadline helps. If I attach it to something that feels more concrete — like having to tell my writers’ group if I met my goal in terms of time line — I tend to follow through more often. Thus, if you, like me, work alone and don’t have an editor or publisher actually waiting for your work, having an “accountability partner” helps gives you the incentive to meet your self-imposed deadlines.

So, while deadlines may not feel like positive things, they actually constitute gifts. Therefore, I’d like to encourage you to give yourself the gift this holiday season — and all year long — of self-imposed writing deadlines. I suggest that each month you have a goal of finishing some writing project or at least some phase of a writing project. Maybe you complete one section of your book proposals, write two chapters of your book, finish three interviews for an article, or write the first draft for an e-book. You also can have a deadline a week rather than a deadline each month, or you can chunk it down further to a daily deadline, such as writing 500 words or one blog post per day. This will keep you moving towards your writing goals without the need for the WNFiN challenge or any other contest.

Here are a few tips for working with writing deadlines:

1. Chunk tasks down so you have smaller deadlines within your larger deadline.
2. Use a calendar to keep track of your progress.
3. If you have a word count to meet, figure out how many words you must write per day.
4. Set up interviews early in the deadline period; email or call interviewees and let them know specifically your deadline–then give them their deadline, so they know that if they don’t meet their deadline they affect your deadline.
5. Finish your piece of writing at least two days prior to the deadline to allow time to edit; this gives you ample time to get “distance” from the piece for a few hours or a day between editing phases. It also allows time to get additional or missing  information for articles.
6. Re-evaluate your progress half way through the deadline period, so you can make adjustments to how you are handling the project. Assess if you must speed up your work schedule.
7. As soon as you compete one deadline, begin work on the next. If you have more than one writing deadline at any given time, divvy up your day to work on each project for a certain number or hours per day. Evaluate where you are on each project at the end of each day to assess if you are  moving towards each deadline at an appropriate speed. You might need to table one project for a day to catch up on another. You also can work on one project per day, if you find that easier.
8. If you get behind, take a day (or a weekend) to catch up.
9. Try, if possible to get ahead and finish early. This allows you to turn in work early to editors (who really appreciate this).
10. Don’t ever miss a publication deadline (at least not if you want to write for that publication again).

Whatever type of deadline you choose to use, don’t let the end of November slow your writing pace. That’s the point of this post. Now that you’ve geared up, don’t shift into a lower gear. Use deadlines to help you accomplish your writing goals.

I know December can prove busy with holiday shopping and parties and too much egg nog, but give yourself some deadlines anyway…or at least one. And then give your self other deadlines for the New Year. If you didn’t finish your WNFiN project, give yourself a deadline for doing so. It’s easy to have December 1 show up and just walk away from your WNFiN project and never look back–never edit it, never send it out to an editor or publisher, or never start a new nonfiction writing project. Don’t let that happen. Pick a new nonfiction writing project today and give yourself another deadline. (How about December 31st?)

I hope you’ve enjoyed using Write Nonfiction in November as a writing challenge and  found the blog posts inspiring and educational. Please let me know what you enjoyed most or found most useful and what you would like to read more of next year. To do so, leave a comment here, join the social networking/chat site and comment there or email me at cpywrtcom@aol.com.

Also, if you did find the blog series informational and useful, please help other nonfiction writers discover it by voting WNFiN one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers. You can do so by clicking here and following the instructions.

Also, don’t forget that you can still sign up for my free newsletter at www.copywrightcommunications.com today and receive a free gift, which will arrive in about a week…I’m still creating it specially for you!

To all my guest bloggers, readers and challenge takers, thanks so much for being a part of WNFiN 2009! Check back here each month for more great blog posts! The challenge ends today, but the blog continues all year long.

Good luck with all your nonfiction writing endeavors.

About the Author

Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field. She has edited or written for 45+ local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. An award-winning journalist, she also has a proven track record as a book editor; one of her client’s books was self-published and then purchased and re-released verbatim by Simon & Schuster (Fireside) and another won the 1998 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award (Inspirational category), received a contract from William Morrow but remained self-published and went on to sell over 115,000 copies. Another of her client’s books recently was purchased by O-Books, a fast-growing British publisher.

Nina also is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Additionally, Amir has written and self-published several booklets and workbooks, including:

• Using the Internet to Build Your Platform One Article at a Time, 8 Tips for Getting Publicity, Exposure and Expert Status by Providing Free Copy Online
• The Priestess Practice: 4 Steps to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It
• The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation: How to Mystically Manifesting Your Physical and Spiritual Desires
• From Empty Practice to Meaning-Full and Spirit-Full Prayers and Rituals…in Seven Simple Steps
• Navigating the Narrow Bridge: 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When Life Seems Most Precarious

Currently Amir is writing four books; she also compiled a Jewish celebrity cookbook for which she is seeking a publisher.

To learn how to use the Internet to build your platform one article at a time, why every author needs a platform or how to enhance your expert status by posting articles online, go to:
http://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Teleseminars.htmlorhttp://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Products.html

Nina Amir
CopyWright Communications
cpywrtcom@aol.com

www.copywrightcommunications.com
www.purespiritcreations.com

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Amir/1180528530
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nina-amir/6/460/134
http://twitter.com/ninaamir

www.mysoncandance.wordpress.com
www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress
http://www.examiner.com/x-7363-San-Jose-Jewish-Examiner

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

A Writer’s Check List for Finished Written Work

Tomorrow marks the end of the Write Nonfiction in November 2009. I had one more guest blog post, but it consisted of more advice about promoting books. I figured we did enough of that for one month. Instead, I though I’d offer you my check list for finished work.

This seems appropriate since you should be nearing the end of your November nonfiction project. Remember? You were supposed to start and finish a piece of nonfiction writing in 30 days. That’s what the WNFiN challenge is all about. It’s not just about reading the great blog posts. You are supposed to be writing as well.

Assuming that you have written something this month and assuming that you are nearing completion of that something, let’s take a little bit of time to talk about what needs to happen before that something gets sent out to an editor, agent or publisher.

As a journalist as well as an aspiring author, I constantly have to think about the quality of work I send out. This does not just mean the quality of my writing. It also means whether I am sending out material that has been fact checked, proof read and formatted correctly. I have to be sure I’ve met word counts, sent along photos, quoted people correctly, and spelled names and companies correctly as well—not to mention that I have to be sure I’ve made sense and gotten my point across succinctly.

For this reason, over the years I’ve come up with a check list of things all writers should ask themselves before they actually say their projects are finished and turn them in or send them off for consideration. I hope you find it useful.

Nina Amir’s Finished Work Check List

1. Have I said what I meant to say?
2. Have I written as concisely as possible?
3. Have I written as simply as possible?
4. Have a used the style appropriate for this publication?
5. Is the article the correct length?
6. Are all the names spelled correctly?
7. Is the manuscript formatted correctly?
8. Is my conclusion as strong as my lead or introduction?

Also:

1. Have I read it aloud to find errors I might miss when proofreading or editing on the hardcopy or on the computer screen?
2. Have I let it sit for a few days or more and then reread it to help me edit with more perspective?
3. Did I run the spellcheck function?

And:

1. Have I read the piece with a critical eye?
2. Have I asked someone else to read my piece?
3. Have I searched out every passive verb in my piece and changed it to an active verb or changed the sentence construction to allow for an active verb and stronger sentence construction?
4. Have I tightened each sentence by cutting out unnecessary words?

If you go through all 15 points on this check list, you’ll submit much more “finished” work than you would if you didn’t bother to take the time to do so.

Until tomorrow…happy writing and finishing your 2009 WNFiN projects.

About the Author

Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field. She has edited or written for 45+ local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. An award-winning journalist, she also has a proven track record as a book editor; one of her client’s books was self-published and then purchased and re-released verbatim by Simon & Schuster (Fireside) and another won the 1998 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award (Inspirational category), received a contract from William Morrow but remained self-published and went on to sell over 115,000 copies. Another of her client’s books recently was purchased by O-Books, a fast-growing British publisher.

Nina also is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Additionally, Amir has written and self-published several booklets and workbooks, including:

• Using the Internet to Build Your Platform One Article at a Time, 8 Tips for Getting Publicity, Exposure and Expert Status by Providing Free Copy Online
• The Priestess Practice: 4 Steps to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It
• The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation: How to Mystically Manifesting Your Physical and Spiritual Desires
• From Empty Practice to Meaning-Full and Spirit-Full Prayers and Rituals…in Seven Simple Steps
• Navigating the Narrow Bridge: 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When Life Seems Most Precarious

Currently Amir is writing four books; she also compiled a Jewish celebrity cookbook for which she is seeking a publisher.

To learn how to use the Internet to build your platform one article at a time, why every author needs a platform or how to enhance your expert status by posting articles online, go to:
http://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Teleseminars.htmlorhttp://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Products.html

Nina Amir
CopyWright Communications
cpywrtcom@aol.com

www.copywrightcommunications.com
www.purespiritcreations.com

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Amir/1180528530
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nina-amir/6/460/134
http://twitter.com/ninaamir

www.mysoncandance.wordpress.com
www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress
http://www.examiner.com/x-7363-San-Jose-Jewish-Examiner

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are wrote about this month or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

Time Management for Nonfiction Writers: The Fine Art of Repurposing Your Work

Many writers don’t write full time. They fit their writing in and around their full-time jobs or around caring for their families. If they write for a living, or, like me, write and edit for a living, they may have little time to work on personal writing projects during the day. Plus, as we’ve seen if writers seriously take on the task of promoting themselves to build their platforms, this also can take up an enormous part of their day or the time that could be spent writing.

It’s no wonder, then that many writers, myself included, moan about the fact that they have no time to write. They also may complain that they have no time to market themselves with their writing. I’m here today (Yes, just me again…I’m the expert blogger.) to tell you that a way exists to get a lot of writing done and to use it in a variety of useful ways that doesn’t take up a lot of time. The most efficient time-management tool I have discovered over the years involves “repurposing” your work.

This means reusing your writing, as well as your telesminars, talks, blogs, news releases, etc., for other purposes. The best way for me to explain this is to offer you examples from my own experiences.

Let’s say I write a brief article for my Examiner.com column, a job I took on primarily for promotional reasons. It gives me great exposure online but pays very little. (If you would like to know more about how to become an Examiner, please read about Examiner.com here or apply here – but be sure to use my name when you apply—I get a $50 referral fee, and every little bit helps. Thanks.) I can then expand upon what I write in that column and use it in my blog at www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress. I also then link the two, increasing readership in both places.

Here’s an even better example of how I repurpose material with very little effort: Each month I produce a podcast script for my show on Conversations with Mrs. Claus (www.thefamilyyak.com). This takes me most of a day. I then take a piece of the script, usually something that includes tips, and modify it slightly to create an article I can submit to the ezine distribution service I use, www.submityourarticle.com. I use this same article in my Pure Spirit Creations newsletter. Then, I take the same article and rewrite it as news release by placing some of the information in quotes. In other words, I make it sound as if someone interviewed me. I then submit this news release to ExpertClick.com’s newswire service, so it can be read by journalists.  (If you are interested in increasing your status as an expert and becoming a member of Expertclick.com or The Yearbook of Experts, please use this link to receive $100 off our membership.) I may even use the same information as the basis for a blog post at www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress. So, this one piece of work, which wasn’t even actually writing work—although it did take the form of a script, turned into three or four other pieces of writing. All my podcasts scripts may also become fodder one day for a book.

Blog posts also can be turned into articles or essays. Mine tend to be somewhat “essay like” in nature much of the time. It’s easy enough for me to add a few tips to them and submit them to an ezine distribution service, put them into my newsletter or actually submit the piece to a magazine. If yours tend to be more businesslike and include tips, think about how to modify them into personal essays or full-length articles by adding examples from your own life experiences. If you write a series on the same topic, you may find that you have the makings of an e-book or special report.

I added an opt-in to my website called the “Living Fully Challenge.” I offered people a free one-year-long course, basically, in how to live their lives more fully. All they had to do was sign up–giving me the ability to place their email address on my mailing list; in return, they received an assignment every month for a full year. (Not that many people signed up, but enough did to keep it going for about a year and a half.) At the end 12 months, I discovered I had written a book. I simply wrote an introduction, and, wallah…manuscript completed. It’s being reviewed by a publisher as I write this post.

If you conducts teleseminars  or classes in conjunction with your writing, these can be transcribed and edited into e-books or other written products you can sell. Your talks and workshops can be made into videos or CD or MP3 series, which you also can sell.

Look at all your writing work for ways in which it can be repurposed, and you’ll find that you can get a lot of writing accomplished in little time. You’ll also market and promote yourself in less time than you thought it necessary to get the job done. When you examine your writing output at the end of the day, you’ll be amazed at how much writing you’ve accomplished—both what you wanted to write and what you needed to write to handle the “business of writing.”

About the Author

Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field. She has edited or written for 45+ local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. An award-winning journalist, she also has a proven track record as a book editor; one of her client’s books was self-published and then purchased and re-released verbatim by Simon & Schuster (Fireside) and another won the 1998 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award (Inspirational category), received a contract from William Morrow but remained self-published and went on to sell over 115,000 copies. Another of her client’s books recently was purchased by O-Books, a fast-growing British publisher.

Nina also is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Additionally, Amir has written and self-published several booklets and workbooks, including:

• Using the Internet to Build Your Platform One Article at a Time, 8 Tips for Getting Publicity, Exposure and Expert Status by Providing Free Copy Online
• The Priestess Practice: 4 Steps to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It
• The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation: How to Mystically Manifesting Your Physical and Spiritual Desires
• From Empty Practice to Meaning-Full and Spirit-Full Prayers and Rituals…in Seven Simple Steps
• Navigating the Narrow Bridge: 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When Life Seems Most Precarious

Currently Amir is writing four books; she also compiled a Jewish celebrity cookbook for which she is seeking a publisher.

To learn how to use the Internet to build your platform one article at a time, why every author needs a platform or how to enhance your expert status by posting articles online, go to:
http://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Teleseminars.html orhttp://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Products.html

Nina Amir
CopyWright Communications
cpywrtcom@aol.com

www.copywrightcommunications.com
www.purespiritcreations.com

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Amir/1180528530
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nina-amir/6/460/134
http://twitter.com/ninaamir

www.mysoncandance.wordpress.com
www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress
http://www.examiner.com/x-7363-San-Jose-Jewish-Examiner

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

7 Nonfiction Book Marketing Traps to Avoid

The year I won the San Francisco Writer’s Conference pitch conference, I had just gained some really valuable information in a morning session. (I mentioned this in an earlier WNFiN post.)  The session was taught by writing-career-coach Teresa LeYung Ryan and public relations/marketing consultant Elisa Southard.  I’ve never forgotten the lesson Elisa taught me and shares again in today’s WNFiN post: “Use power verbs to describe how people profit from your books.” I was able to apply this even to my novel (yes…a novel), and to see the contest judges’ eyes light up when I made my pitch. Later, other agents’ eyes also lit up when I pitched the manuscript to them. I volunteer at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference each year, and although I still think Elisa and Teresa have more expertise, I help a lot of writers hone their pitches using the skills I learned in their session. I also use this ability when writing pitches for query letters and book proposals.

Elisa has a wealth of great marketing information to offer, so I thought it fitting to end WNFiN’s series of posts on this topic with one from her. She has compiled really terrific tips on avoiding some common marketing traps.

7 Nonfiction Book Marketing Traps to Avoid
By Elisa Southard

You smile as you sign on the dotted line with your publisher. Bravo! Let’s clink glasses! Your work is done. Or is it? Your publisher provides limited marketing, which puts this urgent hat square atop your head. Keep your eyes on the footpath as you advance to avoid the jaws of the following marketing traps. Your fan base awaits…

1. Concentrating on what you can’t control

You give your business card to someone at a writing conference or agent panel. What assurance do you have he or she will contact you? None. Instead, gain control over the follow-up by getting the other person’s contact information. You walk away with a smile and control of the next step.

2. Taking too long

How long does it take to introduce your passionate offer? If you don’t get your message across quickly, you won’t get it across at all. Use power verbs to describe how people profit from your books. Here’s an example: “Through my book, Break Through the Noise, I help professionals power up, build and recharge their marketing and public relations messages.” Strong verbs generate strong interest—straightaway.

3. Focusing on facts

An avalanche of facts detracts from your message. Instead, launch the ultimate writer weapon—a story. With a story, you nudge readers to consider his or her personal life. Think in bullet points; limit your facts to three. Even an avalanche starts with snowflakes.

4. Hiding behind status

Do you feel you’ve earned your stripes? Do you think it’s time for agents or editors to come to you? Unless you provide an unrivaled book for a particular need, think again. Copious options tease your readers; feeling entitled traps you, the author. Instead, put status aside by sharing yourself. Show a friend how to research, step up to volunteer, speak up to support. With these actions, you’re memorable. You’re marketing.

5. Reacting not reaching

Blew it on the last agent or editor pitch? You didn’t give yourself the okay to practice without pressure. It’s time to take a tip from world-class athletes, who always warm up. Don’t you smile seeing those pre-game stretches or pre-season bouts? Model those rituals to conquer your skills under pressure. How to do it? Select one aspect of your pitch, set a mini-goal to practice with a friend until you master it without reservation. Then move on to the next until you ace it as a whole.

6. Assuming rather than swapping

When you assume people know the importance of your topic, you risk going on autopilot. Instead, keep your message fresh by swapping sides. Judge from your reader’s viewpoint. Browse through a blog or trade magazine in your area to access their viewpoints. Examine the top topics in your motif for current language. Take a quiz online. When you swap sides, you shift to your readers’ viewpoint. You hone your instinct to design messages that resonate in their own language.

7. Knowing without showing

An industry authority once said, “Marketing is talking to a passing parade.” How observant. Parades of potential fans come in the form of invitations to volunteer at a conference or event. You join the committee, bond briefly, move on. However, without sustaining relationships, you never convert colleagues into fans. Here’s how to stay in touch without straining your current commitments. Show what you know. Right now, write down one concept you advocate in your book. For Break Through the Noise, it’s, “Marketing is easy. You can do it, too.” Now write down the rewards of using this tip or technique. How many items do you have? I bet at least a dozen—enough to stretch this concept into a year of ideas. Write short “What If…” tips from your list. Show what you know by spreading these tips through your favorite venues, online and off.

With these seven antidotes to marketing traps you no longer need to fear turning your attention from manuscript to self-promotion. The next time you meet an agent or future fan, your marketing hat will be more than an accessory. You’ll wear it with conviction to build the fan base you always knew you deserved.

About the Author

Through her book, Amazon business best seller Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message, Elisa Southard loves to help professionals be their own best advocate. Elisa also serves as a faculty member of the San Francisco Writers Conference and a contributor to Helmet Hair.com Motorcycle magazine. She is researching her second book, Bring Your Inner Newbie Out for professional women launching into a new sport or pursuit.

ElisaSouthard@gmail.com
BreakThroughTheNoise.com

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
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How Nonfiction Writers Can Find Personal Value in their Marketing and Promotion Efforts

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s November 25th, and Write Nonfiction in November has just five more days left before the challenge ends. Blog readers have been busy reading, but I’ve heard little from writers. I hope that means you’ve been busy writing. I did notice, however, that many of the article on marketing and promotion garner less readers than others. I’m not surprised.

When I speak to nonfiction writers I’m always surprised at how few want to take on these tasks. In fact, many don’t realize they have to be their own best self and book marketer both before and after their book comes out.  Still others just refuse to take on this job.

I started a discussion once on LinkedIn in a group for writers and editors asking what online methods they found worked best to promote themselves, and the majority of writers flat out said they felt their writing provided the best marketing tool possible. They said they only needed to be good writers; they didn’t need to do anything else. I got the distinct impression that they thought less of me and any other writers spending time on marketing and promotion as a way of getting noticed by editors and publishers or getting our books published. I was more than a little bit amazed. (A few writers, agents and publishers in the group did chime in to say that marketing and promotion were, indeed, necessary.)

So, on this Thanksgiving Day I’m here — yes, just me today — to tell all you nonfiction writers to get your heads out of the mashed potatoes and stare the Turkey down. The turkey represents the actual business of getting your work published and selling your books. That takes marketing skill. That takes promotional efforts. And no one is going to do that for you or like you can.

I’m also here to tell you that reasons exist for you to actually be thankful for this job being yours and for making the effort to promote yourself as a writer and to promote your work as well. (Yes, you can offer up gratitude on Thanksgiving that this job is yours–and, basically, yours alone.) Let me explain why.

Remember what I said on November 1: Even though the business of writing takes you away from writing, it does not represent wasted time. By marketing yourself and your writing, you develop a readership for your work — and ultimately all writers want readers. What’s the use of writing if no one ever reads what you’ve written?  Many nonfiction writers write to help others (via self-help, spiritual, body-mind-spirit, religious books), but if their writing never reaches a reader, they help no one.

I’m not poo-pooing the need for good writing. Assuming your goal involves a published nonfiction book (and not articles), it’s a given that to sell your manuscript to a traditional publisher or your self-publish book to readers, you must have (1) a marketable idea, and (2) good writing skills. If you don’t have a good idea, no one will buy your book. If you aren’t a good writer, you can hire a good editor to make it look like you are a good writer. (If you need a good editor, contact me at cpywrtcom@aol.com or visit www.copywrightcommunications.com!) After that, you will need to market yourself and your writing, first, to develop a platform — develop readers (buyers), and, second, to sell books.

That said, if you, like most writers, cringe at the thought of becoming your own marketing expert, let me assure you there are ways in which to make this job less daunting and more fun. You can also make it fulfilling. I know this, because I took on the job and now actually enjoy it.

If you accept that fact that in today’s publishing world you will be asked by your publisher to do at least one thing every day to promote your book, you’ll realize that you might as well resign yourself to beginning this practice now. You’ll have to do more if you self-publish your book, because you’ll have no help from a publisher at all; even small publishers might offer an author a little bit of help promoting the book…even if that simply means getting it into some stores and helping set up some speaking gigs. So, find 1-5 activities you might enjoy doing and make them part of your daily to-do list.

Here are some I enjoy and in which I find some personal value. (Notice that many of them involve writing.)

Blogging: Blogging gives me a presence online and drives traffic to my website. It also gives me a steady stream of readers–both new and regular readers. Later, when my book is published, I can tell these readers and, hopefully, a percentage of them will buy the book, because they’ve grown to trust me as a writer, blogger and “friend” online. Plus, I get personal value out of this activity, because it provides me with another way to express myself through my writing. It’s a writing exercise for me. When I’m bogged down editing for clients or producing articles unrelated to my books, I can write about something that matters to me or that is related to my personal work. And, by doing so, I gain readers every day. I find it very satisfying to look at my stats and discover that 100 people read my blog on a particular day or to receive a comment from a reader who said my post made a difference in his or her life.

Providing Free Content to Directories: I try to write at least one article every month on a topic related to my books and post this to an article distribution service. This places my article in a variety of online directories, where it then becomes available for use in blogs, newsletters, websites, etc. In other words, anyone looking for content and willing to pay one of the directories for my article can purchase it and use it. Each article contains a resource box with a short bio and contact information. This sends them to my website, where they hopefully become regular visitors or blog readers or sign up for my newsletter. I pay for this service.  I love finding my articles in all sorts of obscure newsletters and blogs. Sometimes I just do a Google search of my name and spend an hour trying to find my articles. Or I’ll put a Google Alert out on some of the key words and see where the article landed. It’s really satisfying to know so many people find my articles worth publishing (even if they don’t pay me). And it’s satisfying to see my website traffic spike.

Writing News Releases that I Post to the Media: I maintain a yearly membership with ExpertClick.com, and there I am able to post news releases that go out to the media. I can tell them what I am doing. I can rewrite my articles and post them. In general, I can let them know that I am the expert on the subjects about which I am writing in my book(s). This way, they will think of me when something comes up in the news that relates to my upcoming books. This also provides me with the ability to comment on news that pertains to my book’s subject matter, making me a socially relevant expert. This activity feel personally valuable when I get a call from the media, which doesn’t happen too often. But when it does, I know my efforts have paid off. I did land a monthly podcasting job from this site, and that has paid off in numerous ways. In particular, I now speak ever month to a huge audience. (The podcast has 110,000 listeners in 90 different countries each month.) This site also gives me excellent Google ranking. (If you are interested in signing up for ExpertClick.com, use my link for a discount: www.ExpertClick.com/discount/Nina_Amir.)

Commenting on Blog Posts and Articles: I have Google Alerts set up for words related to the topics of the books I am writing. When I get an alert and see that someone has written a blog post or an article related to these topics, I click on the link, read what they have written, and, if I have something to add or feel they have written something worth noting, I leave a comment. These comments always provide a link to my website. This brings more traffic to my website, thus increasing my chances of more unique visitors (those who come back more than once), more blog readers, and more people signing up for my newsletter, thus increasing my the list of people to whom I can promote a new book. This activity seems worthwhile to me when I actually develop relationships with the website, blogger or writer. We may set up reciprocal links or begin sharing leads. This is when I know what I offer has value to someone writing about a similar topic or that someone feels their readers benefit from what I have to offer as well as from what they offer their readers. I also learn a great deal from those writing on similar topics, and I might not normally spend the time online finding these blogs or articles.

Frequenting Social Networking Sites: Since I work at home alone most of the time, only having contact with other people when I need to interview someone from my books or for an article, I have found that I really enjoy social networking. I most enjoy Facebook and Twitter.  It’s fun to find real friends there who follow you because they enjoy what you post or “tweet” not just to gain more followers.  When you show up at Twitter, for instance, and “tweeple’” are happy you are there, converse with you and “retweet” what you post, it feels good. And it’s just plain enjoyable.

Writing Articles for Ezines: I write for ezines related to my topics. Some of these pay and some of these don’t. Many writers refuse to write for free. I prefer to get paid, but if I can post an article on a site that get’s 5,000 visitors per day and is willing to run my bio with links to my website, I’m happy for the opportunity to promote myself and to attempt to gain more readers and more people on my mailing list. As usual, it feels great to have my writing read as well.

Speaking or Teaching: I do try to schedule at least a few speaking gigs per year. Sometimes these are local, and sometimes they are in other areas of the country. I must admit, they give me the jitters, but once there I enjoy myself. I like doing workshops or offering classes; then you get to talk to people one on one. This develops stronger relationships. I find it easiest to offer teleseminars. I can do this from the comfort of my home and potentially reach the most people possible. I enjoy testing out my ideas on people and having them give instant feedback; it’s a bit like test marketing your book, especially if you are doing it prior to having a published book. Plus, each time I speak or teach before an audience, I feel more prepared to be a published author. That gives this activity added value.

Writing for Traditional Print Publications: I send out queries or essays to a variety of print publications on topics related to my books. This tends to be hit or miss, since they have to accept my ideas or essays. However, when they do, I typically get paid and get a short bio and possibly a link to my website. As a magazine journalist by trade, I find this most satisfying. I love having my work published in magazines and newspapers and getting paid for my writing. The fact that people are reading my work, I’m getting paid for that work, I’m building my platform,and I’m gaining “fans” at the same time fulfills many of my goals in one fell swoop.

Additionally, I have gotten involved in a few organizations that give me some promotional advantages while also allowing me to pursue my interests or support causes in which I believe. This is why you’ll find me as director of public relations of CyberJudaism.org, for instance.

I’d like to leave you with the same information I offered on WNFiN Day #1: These efforts have helped me grow my “author” website (www.purespiritcreations.com) to 10,000 visitors per month and the related blog, called “As the Spirit Moves Me” (www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress), to an average of 3,000 readers per month. To some these numbers may seem huge; to others they will seem small. Remember, I have only self-published a handful of booklets and many, many articles. I am not a well-known speaker.

I will admit that my “opt in” efforts have not been as good, and my mailing list has not grown tremendously over the years. That’s my next task–to get more people to actually opt in to my newsletter so my list grows.

On Facebook, my followers are not huge (over 360), but people tend to be more careful about who they “friend” on that site. On Twitter, though,  in about nine months I’ve gained over 760 “tweeple.” Every day that number increases.

Overall, I’m struck by the personal value I’ve found through my marketing efforts. Although I have bemoaned the fact that I have yet to receive the coveted traditional publishing contract, I have found my writing in ezines, newsletters and blogs all over the world. More people read my writing each day than I ever thought possible–possibly more than would read a published nonfiction book of mine unless it was on the New York Times best seller list or the next Harry Potter of nonfiction. When I think about the fact that I have yet to sell one of my book manuscripts to a traditional publisher, I remember that because of my marketing efforts I actually am reaching–and helping–an enormous number of readers. That fact, however, will likely help me reach my goal of landing a traditional publishing contract. In the meantime, I’m having some fun, finding personal value in my marketing efforts and feeling fulfilled as a writer.

No, I’m not making much money off these efforts–well, I make money off a few of them. However, if I wanted to self-publish a book or push my self-published booklets harder on my website, I could. When I want to market my teleseminars or workshops, I can. And when I do have a traditionally published book in hand, I can tell all these “friends,” “followers,” “visitors,” “readers,” and “tweeple” about it, and hopefully they will buy the book…and tell their “friends,” “followers,” “visitors,” “readers,” and “tweeple” to do the same.

In the meantime, I’m being read and listened to, and more and more people know who I am and what I do. I get feedback as well. All of this I find personally valuable. That makes my job as Nina Amir’s marketing director a bit easier to stomach. Actually, most days, the job “tastes” pretty good.

On that note, I think I’ll dig into my mashed potatoes and eat a bit of turkey before it get’s cold.

About the Author

Nina Amir is a seasoned journalist, nonfiction editor, author, consultant, and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience in the publishing field. She has edited or written for 45+ local, national and international magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and newsletters on a full-time or freelance basis. Her essays have been published in five anthologies and can be found in numerous e-zines and Internet article directories. An award-winning journalist, she also has a proven track record as a book editor; one of her client’s books was self-published and then purchased and re-released verbatim by Simon & Schuster (Fireside) and another won the 1998 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award (Inspirational category), received a contract from William Morrow but remained self-published and went on to sell over 115,000 copies. Another of her client’s books recently was purchased by O-Books, a fast-growing British publisher.

Nina also is an inspirational speaker, spiritual and conscious creation coach, teacher, and the regular holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month (www.thefamilyyak.com). Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions.

Additionally, Amir has written and self-published several booklets and workbooks, including :

• Using the Internet to Build Your Platform One Article at a Time, 8 Tips for Getting Publicity, Exposure and Expert Status by Providing Free Copy Online
• The Priestess Practice: 4 Steps to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It
• The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation: How to Mystically Manifesting Your Physical and Spiritual Desires
• From Empty Practice to Meaning-Full and Spirit-Full Prayers and Rituals…in Seven Simple Steps
• Navigating the Narrow Bridge: 7 Steps for Moving Forward Courageously Even When Life Seems Most Precarious

Currently Amir is writing four books; she also compiled a Jewish celebrity cookbook for which she is seeking a publisher.

To learn how to use the Internet to build your platform one article at a time, why every author needs a platform or how to enhance your expert status by posting articles online, go to:  http://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Teleseminars.html orhttp://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Products.html

Nina Amir
CopyWright Communications
cpywrtcom@aol.com

www.copywrightcommunications.com
www.purespiritcreations.com

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Amir/1180528530
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nina-amir/6/460/134
http://twitter.com/ninaamir

www.mysoncandance.wordpress.com
www.purespiritcreations.com/wordpress
http://www.examiner.com/x-7363-San-Jose-Jewish-Examiner

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

Why Social Networking is a Must for Authors

When I mention social networking to my writing friends, they cringe. “It’s too time consuming,” they complain. “I don’t have time.”

It’s true. Social networking does take up time, but so does every other thing you must do as a nonfiction writer to promote yourself as a writer and your published work. And promote you must if you want it to sell your books.

Personally, I find social networking an enjoyable and effective way to build platform and promote myself and my writing. I have seen my efforts expand my readership and traffic to my websites and blogs.

As writers, we must be good book promoters and marketers. We must have a web presence. Why not try developing these things on the social networking sites? You might be surprised at what you’ll find there…not only a host of people that might enjoy “following” or “friending” you, but people you might enjoying conversing with as well. You might actually make some friends!

I use Twitter and Facebook daily and LinkedIn on almost a weekly basis. I truly enjoy Twitter and Facebook, and I have many friends in both places. I’ll even admit to “hanging out” on Twitter when I’m bored or want to procrastinate, because it’s interesting, fun and useful all at the same time.

However, don’t take my word for it. Take the word of Dana Lynn Smith, a book marketing coach with a degree in marketing and 15 years of publishing experience who is the author of several books about social networking for writers, including The Facebook Guide for Authors and The Twitter Guide for Authors. I had been looking for someone to write a WNFiN post that would convince nonfiction writers to take on social networking as part of their promotional plans when I discovered Dana. I’m just thrilled that she accepted my invitation to be a guest blogger this year, and I hope you will not only find her advice useful but heed it as well.  (By the way, you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NinaAmir, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Amir/1180528530 and on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nina-amir/6/460/134.)

Why Social Networking is a Must for Authors
by Dana Lynn Smith

Over the past couple of years, social networking has become an increasingly essential online book marketing strategy—one that you can’t afford to overlook.

Reaching potential book buyers is the most obvious benefit of social networking, but not necessarily the most important one. For many nonfiction authors, developing relationships with peers and influencers is equally important. These contacts can review your book, recommend you to others, participate in your book launch, and publish your articles in their blog or ezine. They also are potential joint-venture partners.

Social networking is ideal for generating word-of-mouth marketing, where your message gets passed along by others. For example, when people enjoy a book, article, blog, or video, they often recommend it to others online. This type of user endorsement is more effective than traditional marketing.

Here are some other benefits of social networking:

• Building author platforms, expert status and brand recognition
• Driving traffic to websites and blogs
• Subtly promoting books, products and services
• Learning from others in your field and finding material for your books
• Increasing your opt-in subscriber list
• Getting speaking engagements or consulting customers
• Improving search engine optimization and search results ranking through back links from social sites.

Which social networks are most important for nonfiction authors? My top choices are Twitter and Facebook, used together. I also recommend the professional network LinkedIn.

Other sites may also be useful, depending on your target audience. For example, if you’re writing for young adults, MySpace would be a good choice. If your target audience is boomers, check out Eons. Search Ning.com, and Google for networks that serve specific niche audiences.

Also consider the virtual reader communities that aim to bring together authors and readers. GoodReads is the largest, but there are many others. See who has reviewed books similar to yours (or books appealing to a similar audience) and send friend requests to those folks.

Here are a few tips for getting the most from social networking:

• Be selective about which networks you join and who you invite as a friend. Only invite people who appear to share common interests with you.
• Send personalized friend requests, introducing yourself and stating why you want to befriend the other person.
• Get involved in the community. Add value by helping others, answering questions and sharing resources and knowledge. Don’t forget to share a bit of personal information about yourself.
• Be careful not to appear too promotional. It’s okay to promote your products and services on occasion, but don’t make that your main focus. Sending out an announcement of your book launch is fine; sending frequent promotional messages about your book is not.

While social networking is a terrific business tool, it’s also great fun to meet people all over the world who share your interests. If you haven’t already jumped onboard, get started today!

About the Author

Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach with a degree in marketing and 15 years of publishing experience. She develops marketing plans for nonfiction books and is the author of several books including Facebook Guide for Authors and Twitter Guide for Authors. Her Book Marketing Maven blog is packed with marketing tips, and you’ll get a copy of her Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free ezine at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com.

Dana also now offers “Boost Your Book Sales with Social Networking,” a 90-minute audio that teaches authors how to use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote themselves and their books. Sign up here: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/savvy_book_marketer/boost.html

Follow Dana on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BookMarketer
Friend Dana on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DanaLynnSmith
Connect with Dana on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/danalynnsmith

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

Promoting Yourself Online for Writers: How to Get Started Without Losing Your Mind

Once upon a time I had a webmaster who did everything for me. Then I had another webmaster. At first she did everything for me, but then she encouraged me to be my own webmaster…unless I needed help. Now, I have control over my own websites  as well as over my own blogs. (I have two websites and three blogs.)

Once upon a time I thought I was too stupid to do anything on the Internet. I was afraid to manage my own website or blog. I found doing anything on the Internet daunting. So, I let other people do my work for my online. Now I spend a good deal of every day promoting myself on the Internet via my blogs, websites, social networking, article marketing, etc. And, because I have been willing to take on the job of  ”Internet marketer and promoter,” even though I’d really like to just be writing my books, I’ve driven a tremendous amount of traffic to my websites and to my blogs. In fact, I’ve built a platform, and I might have more readers online than I could ever drum up for a book.

And, guess what? I kind of enjoy my time working online. I love blogging—and the fact that the more I blog the more readers I have. I enjoy social networking. I don’t mind writing articles and posting them to directories. I even kind of like working on my websites, which is easier than trying to explain to someone else what I want done.

To whom do I owe this knowledge, experience and revelation? To Linda Lee, my sometimes webmaster, always friend and an expert at helping writers develop a web presence and take control of their online life.  The founder and owner of AskMePc-WebDesign and SmartWomenStupidComputers, Linda Lee is a writer, speaker, educator, and website designer. Today, she offers a WNFiN post filled with great information to take the fear out of any writer who knows in their heart they must take the leap and create an online presence via a website or blog…no matter how much they don’t want to do so or fear doing so.

All nonfiction writers absolutely must have online presences today, and this presence becomes a necessity before their books hit the bookstore shelves not afterwards. So, read Linda’s advice and take action before November ends. If stating a blog or website ends up being the only WNFiN project you take on this month, so be it. Even if you don’t finish it by month’s end, you’ll at least have gotten started. (Just be sure you finish…)

Promoting Yourself Online for Writers:
How to Get Started Without Losing Your Mind
By Linda Lee

Writers often hate the promotion part of their job. Even non-writers can understand this emotion. Unless you have a “sales” personality, promoting yourself can be awkward and difficult.

Writers must face this fact that in today’s publishing world, no matter what kind of writing you do, you will need a website at some point to promote yourself on the Internet. This allows people to find you and your work.  Having a website also represents part of building your platform. Agents, publishers and your own readers expect to find you online. Gone are the days when you could say, “I don’t go online or use the Internet.” It is best to embrace this reality now, and get started as soon as possible.

Alleviate Your Fears of Working Online

Beginning your online promotion can be a creative and fun endeavor.  Even if you are a technophobe, you can do this. I have helped hundreds of people who had no computer skills or knowledge at all—and many writers as well—start a website or blog. They now enjoy the perks of having a web presence and are proud of themselves for pushing through their fear of getting started online.

Getting started consists of several components that ultimately create an online presence for you as a writer. Developing this is not as hard it may appear to you. People have lots of fear around working online. Almost daily I hear people say, “I am so stupid with computers,” “I don’t know anything,” and “I am a technophobe.”

You can alleviate these fears, however. When you work on the computer, no matter your current skills level, do the following:

1. Realize that you can do it. (Please, do not tell yourself you are stupid; you aren’t.)
2. Take it one task, one item, at a time.
3. Take a break when you feel frustrated.
4. Google for help. (I find answers to almost every question I encounter while working online simply by searching for it on Google.)
5. Stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish.
6. Do not compare yourself to others online. (You will reach their level of expertise.)

Stay Focused on What you Want to Accomplish Online

During the last 10 years of working online, the most important lesson I have learned is to stay focused on what you want to achieve. When you work online, literally millions of things clamor for your attention. Suddenly you begin to notice numerous internet marketing ideas, “get rich online” schemes and this tool and that tool. Then your friends start telling you about things you simply must do, like Twitter and  Facebook, and tons of things you may of never even have heard of! Everyone will tell you that they know best, and that you must try this or that. Before you know it, you will feel overwhelmed and frozen by your fear and confusion.

Right now, find an index card or a note card and write this down:

What am I trying to accomplish online?
Is what I am doing right now getting me closer to that goal?

When your head starts to spin with information overload, take out this car, close your eyes, take a deep cleansing breath, and read it. Then answer the questions honestly. This will help you stay focused and prevent you from getting distracted from your primary purpose.

I also suggest that you do not start buying internet marketing products until you have at least gotten a website or a blog up and have spent some time developing content.

No matter what your goals, focus always constitutes the first thing you have to learn. Staying focused on the basics allows you to get a little experience before you invest in Internet marketing products that have an entirely different learning curve and can be complex and a distraction from your purpose.

What You Need to Create a Website or Blog

As I said, to promote yourself as a writer, you need a website or a blog. Here are the basics you need to get started online:

1. You need a domain name.

You can buy a domain name from a variety of places.
The pricing varies from 6.95-14.95 a year.
Places that offer a very cheap price initially for a domain name will charge you full price upon annual renewal.

2. You need to select a hosting company.

This is where your website will live, or be “hosted.”
Be sure to look for a company with telephone support and a control panel, so you can login and work on your website yourself.

3. You need a website or a blog.

Once you have gotten your domain name, selected your hosting company and set it up, you are ready to create your website or blog. Both blogs and websites are websites. Blogging started out as more of a journaling tool, and the name blog comes from “web log.” An exciting medium has evolved out of this initial tool. WordPress, which has become the major blogging platform, now is more powerful then most websites in what it can do for you as a website.

WordPress functions as what is called a “content management system.” What this means is that you, as the user, have control over your website. You can login and add articles, or “posts” and “pages,” images, videos, and audio on your own without the need to pay a webmaster.

I encourage many of my clients to select what I call a “blog website” vs. the traditional straight website.

4. Get Started Right Now With a Free Blog

You can sign up for a free blog at WordPress.com or Blogger.com. I recommend WordPress.com, since they are the number one content management system out there. Plus, if you learn the system in their free version and later decide to host your own site, you will be able to transfer your work over to you own self-hosted blog and domain with ease.

Many of my clients ask me to explain the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com hosts your blog, and they run the entire site, which is full of blogs. You are in control of the content, but your site “lives” with them. This is fine when starting out and if you want to get used to blogging for free. WordPress.com has its own communities you can join. They get great results in the search engines. If you are on a budget or want a great place to learn, I think this offers a perfect choice. You can’t beat the price!

WordPress.org is for people who are self hosting their own blogs. This is a support community with people who use self-hosted blogs helping each other.

5. Maintain a Traditional Website and Add a Blog

Many of my clients already have a website, and they want to add a blog. This allows you to maintain your website with your webmaster, and you can update pages on your blog yourself. Blogs get lots of “search engine love,” because they are fresher and updated more frequently. If you add a blog to an existing website, you will see your traffic increase almost immediately.

The Writers’ Advantage Online

Remember every journey begins with one step. Did I mention that working online can be a lot of fun too? As writers you already have a huge advantage over most people, since you already know how to write.

There is a saying online: “Content is King.” No matter what your site looks like, in the end it what you have written that brings in the readers. Just think of this as another opportunity to showcase your writing and attract new readership and attention,  and you will be building your platform online in the process.

About the Author

Linda Lee is the founder and owner of AskMePc-WebDesign and SmartWomenStupidComputers. She is a writer, speaker, educator, and website designer. She is currently working on her book Smart Women, Stupid Computers, A Savvy Guide to Getting Started Online. Available for consulting and coaching, she helps people launch blogs and websites and trains then in how to get traffic to their sites and to maximize their website presence with the use of blogging and search engine optimization of their websites. Linda is passionate about empowering people to take charge of their computer, showing clients with laughter and enthusiasm that they can make it work for them.

http://www.askmepc-webdesign.com
510-582-2837

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

How to Build Online Relationships and Sell More Books

Not ever author wants to speak in front of audiences, although speaking has been the publishing industry standard for promoting books. (It remains the gold standard for building platform prior to publishing a book as well.) While most publishers will expect you to do at least some speaking as part of your book marketing and promotion plan—and even self-published authors should be out speaking as a means of selling their book—authors also can build relationships on the Internet. In fact, the online community has become an ever-growing source of marketing and promotion opportunities for writers.

Today, John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, is back to tell us how nonfiction writers can take advantage of those online opportunities to build relationships and sell more books. He offers some great tips that any writer can utilize from the comfort of their office and at little or no cost other than some time. Yes…you will have to take time away from writing to market your book. Resign yourself to the fact that you must take on the business of writing. Remember, though, that marketing revolves around creating relationships, and relationships can be fun. Your online book marketing efforts can be enjoyable.

How to Build Online Relationships and Sell More Books
By John Kremer

The most important thing you can do to market yourself or your books online is to build relationships with the top websites that your target audience already goes to on a regular basis. You want to have you and/or your book featured on high-traffic websites devoted to your subject area (or those websites that attract your target audience).

That means that, if you have a book on crocheting Halloween sweaters, you want your and your book to be featured on websites devoted to crocheting sweaters as well as those devoted to Halloween costumes and apparel. In addition, to reach your target audience of middle-aged women (the primary demographic for crocheting sweaters), you also want you and your book to be featured on websites targeting women, such as iVillage.com and PopSugar.com.

To find the websites devoted to your key subject area (like crocheting), use the Google or Bing search engines. Focus on developing relationships with the top 30 websites you uncover on these search engines for your keywords (such as crocheting sweaters).

To uncover the high-traffic websites devoted to your targeted audience, you can use the search engines, but the search engines aren’t as useful in uncovering targeted audiences. A better way to find websites targeting your audience is to ask your friends (via your blog, your newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or the knowledge-focused websites featured at http://www.bookmarket.com/ knowledge.htm.

Once you have found the websites with which you want to create relationships, offer them good content. The top-rated and high-traffic websites get that way by offering lots of fresh good content. Most of these websites don’t create that content themselves; they get it from people like you and me.

Check out your targeted websites for how they feature content—and then offer them that kind of content. If they like doing book reviews, offer them a copy of your book for review. If they like doing interviews, offer to do an interview (and tell them why their visitors would be interested in what you have to say). If they feature guest blogs, offer to write a blog for them.

Other content you can offer them includes: excerpts from your book, articles based on your book, relevant news stories, podcasts, videos, on-going columns (Q&A or commentary), statistics, survey results, polls, and more.

Once you begin offering great targeted content to websites, they’ll come back to you again and again for more content. That’s how you create a long-lasting relationship with key websites.

About the Author

Book marketing expert John Kremer is the owner of Open Horizons. He is the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High-Impact Marketing on a Low-Impact Budget, Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, and Celebrate Today.

As a book marketing consultant, his clients include a self-published author who has sold over two million books, a new age publisher with 60 titles, and a $100 million publisher with a rapidly growing list of 1,000 titles.

John Kremer, President
Open Horizons
P O Box 2887
Taos, NM, 87571
575-751-3398
JohnKremer@BookMarket.com
http://www.bookmarket.com
http://www.TenMillionEyeballs.com

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/

Marketing Nonfiction Begins with Creating Relationships

The first time I had the need to research book marketing for myself, a publisher told me to purchase 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer. I immediately purchased a copy of the book and have been referring to it ever since—and telling other authors to do the same. So, when I contacted John to ask if he would be willing to participate as a WNFiN guest blogger this year and he said, “yes,” I was thrilled.

Today, John takes us farther into the world of book marketing. Don’t’ cringe, though, or click through to a different blog post or website. If you want to become a successfully published author, you need to learn how to become a book marketer. Plus, once you understand what this job entails, it won’t feel so difficult or uncomfortable. After all, even writers have relationships…

Marketing Nonfiction Begins with Creating Relationships
By John Kremer

The essence of marketing is very simple. It comes down to one thing: creating relationships. And that, in turn, can be broken down further to simply making friends. If you can do that, you will be successful as a book marketer.

I know many authors who only want to spend time in the garret writing their great American novel or the self-help book that will change people’s lives. And, personally, that’s what I enjoy doing most.

But, as an author, you can’t hide away. You must engage people. You must get involved. You must interact. That’s how you build an audience and create true fans.

The two most effective ways to create relationships in today’s book world are to speak and to build an audience online.

If you haven’t spoken in front of an audience before, the best way to start is by working with local bookstores, libraries or groups. Begin by speaking in front of small groups so you can develop a comfortable speaking style and have time to write one or two talks you can present regularly. Start with short talks (a half hour or less). In time, you’ll come to love speaking in front of larger and larger groups.

The great thing about speaking is that once people hear you speak (and like your talk), they become bigger fans than they would have been simply by reading your book. That means they will tell more people about you and your book.

Speaking also gives you a great opportunity to interact with your readers, to find out whether or not your book meets their needs or answers their questions. Indeed, their questions could easily help you develop a new edition or even write a completely new book.

In the second part of this blog (which will post tomorrow), I’ll describe a few of the actions you can take to build relationships online.

About the Author

Book marketing expert John Kremer is the owner of Open Horizons. He is the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High-Impact Marketing on a Low-Impact Budget, Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, and Celebrate Today.

As a book marketing consultant, his clients include a self-published author who has sold over two million books, a new age publisher with 60 titles, and a $100 million publisher with a rapidly growing list of 1,000 titles.

John Kremer, President
Open Horizons
P O Box 2887
Taos, NM, 87571
575-751-3398
JohnKremer@BookMarket.com
http://www.bookmarket.com
http://www.TenMillionEyeballs.com

Help writers find the wonderful information and resources at Write Nonfiction in November all year:
Vote  WNFIN One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers

Please visit www.copywrightcommunications.com and sign up for the free newsletter to receive a gift at the end of the Write Nonfiction in November challenge!

Don’t forget to sign into the WNFiN social networking and chat room and tell us what you are writing about or start a discussion.
http://writenonfictioninnovember.ning.com/