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Not all books come out whole,
all at once. In fact, most books ease out little by
little. They have strange and wondrous beginnings. Some
come from speeches, some come from articles or short
stories. Your book may evolve from a teleclass or coaching
experience with a client.
The saying goes if you
write a page a day, at the end of a year you'll have a
book--a big book at that! But then, why think so big?
Twenty-five years ago, I
gave Speedreading and Memory seminars. I thought of myself
as a teacher or trainer, not an author. After joining
Toastmasters and National Speakers Association, I learned
enough to strengthen my presentations to promote my
personal growth skills business.
My audiences from corporate
and community education wanted handouts to take home with
them. Seeing a need I revised and edited my how-to
articles, then bundled them into short books. The articles
came from my talks, wide research, and my own experiences.
I wrote the books I needed and wanted to read. So can you!
Check out your files today, and see what undiscovered gems
are there.
Only 10-60 pages long,
these books were quick and easy to write. I priced them
for my health and personal growth audiences as well as
offering my proven consulting expertise to corporations.
Presenting 15 public
seminars a month, these simple short books sold well at
the back of the room as well as leveraged higher priced
corporate training, all enough to make two-thirds my
income for the next 15 years.
The irony of this story is
that I did write a long book--sort of. At 160 pages,
Passion at Any Age is complete, but my passion for it has
waned. Following the traditional route, I submitted a book
proposal to 30 agents. Five liked it, but their limited
book tour offers and knowing I'd still have to promote it
myself, made me think. Too much time and money down the
drain unless I was already famous. I ended up giving away
a chapter at a time to my book clients to inspire them. I
also realized you can't market effectively more than two
or three products at a time.
Since my book writing,
publishing and promotion knowledge made me a savvy expert,
I offer ten new eBooks on Book writing, Online promotion,
Web marketing and copywriting, and ePublishing as well as
one-on-one coaching and teleclasses, so clients can learn
by their preferred style.
Remember, your book is your
business card and helps evolve your business. Through
writing a book, you not only help your audience solve a
particular challenge, you share with the world your unique
experience to make a difference in people's lives. Your
book is an extension of yourself, your skills, and your
own style. It will bring you consistent, monthly income as
it does for me.
My 20 years research and
weekly seminars on how to write a book have come full
circle. As a book coach, now, I encourage professionals to
write a book--just write a short book! Make it an eBook.
Think 10-30 pages. You need to write your book and share
your unique message, but you also don't want to spend all
of your time on it.
Begin your book today by
writing an article that answers one of your book
audience's challenges or problems. You can then, string
several articles together. Include more stories, examples,
how-to's or exercises in your new book's chapter formats.
Before you know it, your
book will grow. They always grow longer than you think
they will. You will have plenty of pages, and each page
will deliver practical, inspirational material to your new
clients and customers concisely and directly--the way they
want it.
Remember, Offline and
Online potential book buyers want information. But, they
no longer want to read hundreds of pages. They don't want
to spend time reading a long book.
Will business people buy
your book? Yes! They are hungry for
information--information that only you have and can say in
your unique way. Will your book sell? Yes! With just
a few significances such as "presenting useful,
practical information," or "presenting material
that could change a life," or "creating a deeper
understanding of human nature," your book will be a
great seller.
Feel the sense of
completion by writing your book this year. Don't worry
about how long it is, its format, how much it will sell
for. Remember, like me, you can write your print and eBook
at the same time! And keep it going for your lifetime.
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About
The Author
Judy
Cullins, 20-year book and Internet
Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks
including "Write your eBook
Fast," and "How to Market your
Business on the Internet," she offers
free help through her 2 monthly ezines,
The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of
the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml
and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com |
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