In an encouraging and insightful presentation, Patricia helps you determine what you are looking for in a critique group. She shares with you how and why a critique group is critical to the success of your writing. With tips and techniques from her 20 plus years of experience in and running such a group, you will go away filled with ideas.
SSWW Welcomes Andrea Brundage, Professional Organizer
SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS 
Welcomes Andrea Brundage, Author, Organizer
Simple Organized Solutions (SOS)
Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wed JAN 29th, 2020 5:30 pm – See PayPal info below*
Starfire Golf Club, 11500 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Mission: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with professionals relating to writing, publishing, and marketing of books, and camaraderie and support.
____________________________________________________________________
SPEAKERS: Andrea Brundage, Professional Organizer
Andrea Brundage is a Professional Organizer & Bringer of Calm. She founded Simple Organized Solutions (SOS) in 2003 to help people who struggle with clutter, chaos, stress, and overwhelm.
Andrea works with clients from all walks of life. From overwhelmed executives to busy families, downsizing seniors, and everything in between.
She released her first book, Simplify Your Life: 8 Simple Principles to Turn Your Chaos into Calm and its companion, the Simplify Your Life Journal, in 2019. She is currently working on a children’s book about organizing.
Time cannot be managed, saved, or spent. Time simply ticks on by and we allocate our use of itbased on our priorities.
So, what are your priorities? Are you allocating your time and organizing your life to achieve the outcomes you most desire? Or are you struggling to get it all done?
Andrea Brundage, Professional Organizer and published author will share some thoughts on organizing your life and maximizing your time. She will also challenge you to identify your true priorities so you can mindfully allocate time towards the pursuit of your desired goals.
NOTE:
RSVP before NOON the Friday morning before the meeting The Starfire Golf Club needs to order food a week in advance, and must receive a guaranteed number at that time, the confirmed deadline for an RSVP! Thank you for appreciating our contract with the Starfire Golf Club.
*Please PAY IN ADVANCE with PAYPAL on this website only – see home page www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com NOTE upper right corner for the link. Please fill out the form and pay with your credit card before NOON the FRIDAY before the meeting! Meeting information on the left of the main page. Thank you!
PRICING: $30 for members and guests. We no longer take checks or cash at the door, except for payment of Annual Dues. Thank you for moving forward with SSWW.
CHECK-IN: Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 pm. The buffet is available by 5:45 Themeeting starts promptly at 6:00.
All those attending the meeting must pay for the dinner/room/speaker. The cost is noted above. Pick up your name badge at the front table and ENJOY a wonderful night!
Guests pick up a membership signup sheet too.
AGENDA: The agendas will be on the dinner table with a lot of wonderful announcements for you, including the schedule of upcoming meeting speakers. Remember, the announcements are reviewed at 6:00 with dinner. The member introductions follow at 30 seconds each.
DIRECTIONS: From the 101 Freeway, exit Shea Blvd and go West to Hayden Road and then North a quarter mile, the club is on the West side (Left) of the street. From the South, cross Shea Blvd going north on Hayden Road, again, it is on the West side (Left) of the street. 11500 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale.
Goals of the Group
- Value all the professional women writers seeking to share their expertise
- Honor all genres and all forms of professional writing
- Attend monthly meetings to move the group and its members forward
- Learn and share in the experiences of monthly professional speakers
- Grow the group to a membership of active and contributing women
- Encourage participation by members as mentors, and volunteers
- Support and challenge each other to always be writing
- Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty personal goals
- Have fun, meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams
SSWW Welcomes Linda Style, Novelist, Teacher and Founder of Boot Camp for Novelists
WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting
WHEN: WED Feb 27th, 2019 5:30 pm
See PayPal info below*
WHERE: Starfire Golf Club, 11500 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
WHY: Mission: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with professionals relating to writing, publishing, and marketing of books, and camaraderie and support.
SPEAKERS 6:45: Linda Fensand Style, Award-winning Novelist, Writing Teacher
Linda will speak about her experiences in 20-plus years as a novelist (15 years with a New York publisher and five years as an independent, publisher) and as a writing teacher and co-founder of Bootcamp for Novelists, an online writer’s school for novelists, where she taught the advanced level writing classes.
Linda’s non-fiction book “Bootcamp for Novelists: Writing Techniques of the Pros” includes six months of Linda’s class lectures, exercises and examples, some of which Linda will share and discuss along with what she believes to be the most important techniques to learn when writing both fiction and non-fiction.
In addition to writing novels, Linda also works occasionally as a freelance editor and writes travel articles for her travel website, GoRoamin.com, which she’ll happily discuss any time someone wants to listen.
RSVP before NOON the Friday morning before the meeting The Starfire Golf Club needs to order food a week in advance, and I must give a guarantee to them at that time. That is the confirmed deadline for an RSVP! Thank you for appreciating our contract with the Starfire Golf Club.
*Please PAY IN ADVANCE with PAYPAL on this website only – see home page www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com NOTE upper right corner for the link. Please fill out the form and pay with your credit card before NOON the FRIDAY before the meeting! Meeting information on the left of the main page. Thank you!
PRICING: $30 for members and guests. We no longer take checks or cash at the door, except for payment of Annual Dues. Thank you for moving forward with SSWW.
CHECK-IN: Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 pm. The buffet is available by 5:45 Themeeting starts promptly at 6:00.
All those attending the meeting must pay for the dinner/room/speaker. The cost is noted above. Pick up your name badge at the front table and ENJOY a wonderful night!
Guests pick up a membership signup sheet too.
AGENDA: The agendas will be on the dinner table with a lot of wonderful announcements for you, including the schedule of upcoming meeting speakers. Remember, the announcements are reviewed at 6:00 with dinner. The member introductions follow at 30 seconds each.
DIRECTIONS: From the 101 Freeway, exit Shea Blvd and go West to Hayden Road and then North a quarter mile, the club is on the West side (Left) of the street. From the South, cross Shea Blvd going north on Hayden Road, again, it is on the West side (Left) of the street. 11500 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale.
Goals of the Group
- Value all the professional women writers seeking to share their expertise
- Honor all genres and all forms of professional writing
- Attend monthly meetings to move the group and its members forward
- Learn and share in the experiences of monthly professional speakers
- Grow the group to a membership of active and contributing women
- Encourage participation by members as mentors, and volunteers
- Support and challenge each other to always be writing
- Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty personal goals
- Have fun, meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams
BOOK REVIEW Paper Children – an immigrant’s legacy
Marcia Fine likes to show-off her charming wit and skill at satire in her books about Scottsdale, but her narrative fiction based on her grandmother’s immigration to the United States prior to WWII is in my opinion her life’s work.
Such is this author celebrated for her award winning novel Paper Children: an
immigrant’s legacy claiming the Best Books Finalist Award, USA Book News; the Foreword Finalist Book of the Year award and the Eric Hoffer Independent Publishing competition finalist status.
The book is about a young aristocratic Jewish woman growing up in Poland in the early 20th century in a sheltered and refined environment.
She lives within the walls of Jewish aristocrats in Warsaw oblivious to
the ominous changes going on in Warsaw with the beginnings of the Nazi invasion. The story continues its eventful trek with second and third generations.
Grandmother Paulina’s “matchmaker” marriage is one we all think we know from the little knowledge we gentiles have of Jewry. The story of the grandmother and the man of “her match” intersect through her father’s successful business. Although neatly arranged, the story winds
around years of an organized attempt on Paulina’s part to not go to America
with her new husband.
The bond of the Jewish family is beautifully illustrated, showing us both love and loss throughout the book.
Even when the gypsies predict she will marry an older man and go to America she questions why she would want to make the journey. But the day finally comes when immigration is eminent and the story moves to New York – not through Ellis Island but by cruise ship known only to the European aristocracy.
At 250 pages her novel is broken up into three books. First, is the Grandmother Paulina’s story, the aristocrat who learns the hard facts of Jewish life. Second, is the mother, Rachel, the rebellious
one who takes her own path to learn about her family heritage that she later comes to appreciate. And third is Mimi’s story that gives us the Jewish girl raised by two women caught in the middle of the old and new worlds of Jewry.
Being Jewish in America can be cultural or religious or both. Fine keeps
us fascinated with how old world religion can dissipate as the immigrant becomes more Americanized. It was exciting reading to learn how this happens and why it can happen.
Fine’s research into her culture, as well as her religioin and the Hebrew language, is a gift to the reader. She visited not only New York and Miami, but Warsaw, Poland where it all began.
Letters written on onion skin that belonged to her grandmother are beautifully constructed into the crux of the story. They’re from her great-grandparents
who wrote them in Polish and Yiddish in a loving and naive way as they
witnessed the Nazi takeover. Fine found the perfect person to translate the letters. They add much to the authenticity of the story.
Fine’s book is good enough to inspire a movie or a Lifetime TV show. Her
attention to detail is incredible and her use of dialogue and storytelling hit
the mark for this reader. She could easily weave the three women’s stories together even more and make a documentary about Jewish aristocracy that so many Americans may not know existed prior to WWII.
There are many visuals of the horrors of war and the beauty of wealth in this family’s dynamics portrayed in the book. They could be readily transferred to the big or small screen because of Fine’s quality descriptions of the characters, events and scenery of the time.
The title becomes clear as we learn of her letters and the importance of their communication to the story. Beautifully written by the great-great
grandparents back in the old country of Poland, and later analyzed by Fine, they’re a cornerstone to the story and differentiate it from the others out there today.
There’s no e-book, this book exists as a solid object; the physical turning of the pages reflect the passing of time, the generations living through decades of their lives. The weight of the book and the paper in your hands is a critical part of the understanding of the strength of the story that needed to be told properly and correctly.
Fine has captured her history and the cultural and religious aspects of her heritage and should be commended even further for her efforts.
PUBLISH YOURSELF AS THE EXPERT – Business Women’s Boot Camp
} PUBLISH YOURSELF AS THE EXPERT!
} Patricia L. Brooks, MAOM – www.BrooksGoldmannPublishing.com
} ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN’S BUSINESS BOOT CAMP – FEB 6th, 2010
} Chaparral Suites – Scottsdale, AZ 10:00-3:00 p.m.
} Understand What Moves You
? Don’t think about the READER as you write
? Don’t think about your past SUCCESSES
? Envision what you want the BOOK to be
} Understand What Moves Them
? Remember it’s not what they HEAR in your work
? Remember it’s what they are EXPERIENCING
? Remember they want a passionate TEACHER
} Develop a Book Proposal/Outline
? Get out of your COMFORT zone
? Learn to deserve your AUTHORITY
? Make it VIABLE
} Honor for Whom you Need to be a VOICE
? Evaluate your ideas in terms of your AUDIENCE
? Note how they will be impacted in a POSITIVE Way
? Show your PERSONALITY, let them get to know You
} A Winning Writing Plan – THE DO’S
? Remember the opening is the immediate HOOK
? Begin in the right place with the BEST material
? Give them good stories – include your EXPERTISE
} A Winning Writing Plan – THE DON’TS
? Don’t open with anything but the TRUTH
? Don’t bore us – get to the POINT
? Don’t push HUMOR, let it flow naturally
} A Winning Writing Plan – THE BRAIDING
? Do an element of SURPRISE for the reader
? Use THREE topics or approaches in Braiding
? Allow for “NATURAL” organization in your structure
} Five W’s of Good Reporting – the Five P’s for SUCCESS
? Who, What, When, Where, Why
? Patience, persistence, perseverance, perception, perspective
} GOALS – steps to consider
? Write a book that is VISUALLY appealing
? Produce a GOOD Product then GOOD Marketing
? LISTEN to advice you hear over and over again
} OBJECTIVES – destinations to seek
? Develop a STRONG Author’s Platform
? Connect to your readers with HEART and SOUL
? Think commercially and KEEP them
} STRATEGIES – action plan ideas to ponder
? Consider a co-author for COLLABORATION
? Be both analytical and emotional – LEFT/RIGHT
? Keep a distinct TONE and PACE
} Research for YOU
? Look to the Future – and observe TRENDS
? Seek RISKS – but stay true to your voice
? Press Ahead – yet MONITOR your plans
} Develop a Pre-marketing PLAN
? Get a “BRAND” – situate your work
? Get a business “MINDSET” – make comparisons
? Be “CREATIVE” – where is the hole in the market?
} The FINAL Analysis
? Why are you the EXPERT – the authority?
? What is your EXPERTISE – the topic?
? Are you willing to be AUTHENTIC to create “buzz”?
My Offer ONE FREE HOUR of consultation on publishing or writing or editing
? Patricia L. Brooks, MAOM CELL – 480-250-5556
? EMAIL – [email protected]
The Arizona Book Publishers Conference – The Author’s Platform and the Web
The AZ Book
Publishers Conference
Your Author’s
Platform and the Web
The AZ Book Publishers Conference www.azbookpub.com 2009 offered a lot of great ideas, tips and techniques thus allowing me to take my clients/writers to the author stage in new and different ways. The result of this day well spent is positive and productive. I share some of that now with you.
Here are my comments and analysis from my notes on the first talk addressing the author’s platform and the web. Please take what works for you and contact me via comment or cell 480-250-5556 for a first hour consultation FREE to writers/authors. Look forward to hearing from you – enjoy!
· Why do buyers buy your book?
o They have a specific genre and topic in mind and have enjoyed this area for a long time, or have discovered it recently and it fits them. They are seeking your topic for research, education, information or pure enjoyment. Give them what they want and make it easy for them to find you – Marketing 101.
o They are interested in what you write because you have “touched a nerve” and you are someone they know or believe they can trust for information. They may have been inspired by your other writings.
o They have heard of your book through word-of-mouth, friends, family, co-workers, social networking sites and so you have inadvertently started your “author’s platform” and made yourself available to them and them to you – congratulations!
SIDE BAR…There is no more effective way than to have someone say “I just read ……..and I loved it, and I think you would love to read …….” That is why when I read a good book, and I read about 2-3 a month, I love to tell people by putting it on my www.twitter.com/PatriciaBrooks or by writing a review on Amazon for that book. For my authors, it would be a book review online on my Facebook http://profile.to/patricialbrooks or my blog and telling my friends, family and colleagues in any form needed.
· What is an Author’s Platform?
o You need a “team” to help you spread the word in this highly competitive marketplace. It is extremely unlikely that a direct mail piece; and I still believe they have their place, will be enough. It is really rare that a press release and a one-time article in the paper will be thing that “pushes you through the eye of the needle”, again I love media coverage. Remember, you must fall in “love with your laptop”, “work the web” and “ink the internet” with as much writing as you can by obsessing on you and your book.
o People who know you is only the start of it. There is a world out there of people who (1) think like you, (2) believe like you, (3) socialize like you, (4) grew up like you, (5) read what you read, (6) live their life like you do and (7) want to know you.
o Your work, family, friends, Facebook, Twitter, blog, website are your “teammates” and all of them and their connections and friends are your team along with your database that you are building. We called it our “Hot 100 Hit List” decades ago when I embarked on a sales career and collected business cards and kept in touch with people regularly, while building my Rolodex, I still do that and keep one for back-up. Guess that comes from being in Camp Fire Girls, we always had a plan B. My contacts, friends and family always know where I am and what I am doing.
SIDE BAR… Life in the world of writing and publishing is now about social networking as much as anything and keeping in touch in all the electronic ways out there, or at least 2 or 3. I prefer my blog and my Twitter, my LinkedIn page and now my FaceBook to compliment my two websites and those business cards and emails I have been collecting along the way. I fondly refer to them as “my tribe”. Sometimes I feel so connected I wonder if I have to wear lipstick to take out the trash!
· Why do I need an Author’s Platform?
o Determining if anybody knows you is the easy part because of course many do. By making a list of all the organizations you have been involved in, all the places you have worked, all the clients you have worked with, all the events you have participated in and all the places you have lived curing your adult life you will have a pretty good list as a starting point. For me, it is 30 plus years in business in AZ in several careers that have lead to other things including two home-based businesses and memberships in several key organizations. The books that have come from those personal experiences, as well as professional wisdom and contacts seem endless and for that I am most grateful. It will be that way for you too. You just need to start writing your lists and checking them twice! Start from today and go backwards and list everyone before you screen them.
o Your credibility statement is already partially out there with your bio and resume and vitae, but it can be condensed and fine-tuned, polished and made better with a professional editor. You want to be sure you “shine as bright as the North Star” and are showing your true colors as you project yourself to the world. Do not be afraid to show your personal side. Remember: People do business with people, not companies and they buy products from people they know and like.
o Selling online is critical to your success and paramount to your being able to compete in today’s world. If you are squeamish about being on social networking sites or are afraid to “toot your own horn” because you are a shy writer read “The Shy Writer” By C. Hope Clark www.fundsforwriters.com and hire someone to help you with your marketing and PR. You need a good web person like my friend Danita with www.DLWebWorks.com.
SIDE BAR…“You are nobody ‘till somebody loves” your blog, email, Twitter, online newsletter, Facebook, website “so find somebody to love” and they will love you back. That is the way this social networking works and happens. It is like “online dating” when you don’t want to be dating and dislike dating and love being married, like me and my husband, but we are on Facebook and Twitter and have websites and a blog. It is reality and you do want to live in reality don’t you?
· Who are they and how big can “it” get?
o Friends and family, colleagues, co-workers, trade organizations and anyone else who has crossed your path in your life qualifies to be in your “social network” and should be if they will be a positive force for good in your life. Subscribers to your blog are the “most beautiful people in the world” so pay attention to your list and it will make you a player online. Barbra Streisand was right, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world” so make your services needed, leave good content online.
o Those who bought your last book are the breath in your step, the song in your heart and the most valuable source for keeping the “buzz” about you going to catapult your next book to a new level and take the first one along for the ride.
o Those who read your online newsletter are your loyal tribe of do-gooders who will be relentless in telling people about your writing. They should have found many great things in your newsletter that have helped them and so your book will be even more beautiful in their eyes if you pay it forward.
o Those who have attended past events/engagements are part of your delegation because not only will they come to you online in their home, but they will get dressed and drive to you and participate and be in attendance because they believe in you. Do not dismiss the importance of this special group that is like no other.
SIDE BAR… Online networkers are those crazy, lovable people who cannot wait to check email, collect things for their Twitter and keep making notes for their next blog. They are always looking at other websites for ideas and fell in love with Facebook the first time a friend from their class of 1968 found them – yes that is yours truly and it will be you too if you are receptive to giving it a try to sticking with it and making it work for you!
· Why is Online more attractive than Offline marketing?
o Easier and less time consuming is the obvious answer, but it is also what the majority of people are doing these days. We need to be willing to compete and keep up, or go more than the extra mile and exceed all expectations. You deserve your rightful place in the world of publishing as much as I do, or anyone else.
o Less expensive is good in this case, but Online should be supplemented with Offline ideas to personalize your overall marketing efforts. No one idea is the “end all” for you and with a good marketing plan in place, you will make the right decisions to balance your marketing budget and put forth your best efforts. Do the footwork and it will pay off in the end.
o Easier to do and lasts longer are two of the components that make Online so attractive. You do not need to be anywhere but in your home office with your laptop and you can teach yourself most of the areas we have discussed so far. The last longer part is true because the web is somewhat like a sponge, it soaks up everything, and lets it out when you release it, but it will not allow anything to dry up, even if you remove it from your web world. It is there for the duration, be careful what you wish for in this case.
SIDE BAR…You will be able to grow your network to be of value to your long range goals while savoring your experience when you are away. This is my favorite part because the Twitters keep chirping and the blog comments keep blowing my way and the Facebook entries keep funneling into my life and I love it. I can leave one for a couple days and go back and visit and everyone is still there and basically happy. My email will keep me aware of what is going on in my “web world”. It is as if the party never ends!
· Why do I need Websites and Blogs for my Author’s Platform?
o Technology can show you off in a way that you could not have imagined just a few years ago. It is moving very quickly and is ready everyday to make you look better. You must take advantage of most of it to compete.
o Blogging must be faithful because if you expect loyalty you much be loyal, just like any relationship, trust and loyalty are the keys to building that solid foundation. They will not leave you if you do not leave them. No abandonment issues in blog life.
o A good money investment if maintained because you are not paying for an expensive four-color brochure that needs to be updated every year because the numbers or people or addresses or products have changed. You can do most of this yourself, or hire a web person like I do to help out and be another set of eyes to make things better and generate more ideas. Looking professional and competing with the “big guys” is now possible for a fraction of the cost we once knew.
o Search engines are critical and are the caboose to your cause. “The Little Engine that Could” was one of my favorite books as a kid. It comes to mind because it is the story of optimism and the American Dream. If you have not read it you should and you will understand all there is to know about search engines, online marketing and why you should keep going despite today’s challenges.
o Track hits, sell product; keep notes, finish project. Pretty much the same thing said in two different ways. If you do not know what is happening in your life, how can you use this valuable information to the best of your ability? Why would you throw away the present and keep the box or the wrapping paper? Why would you not at least look at all the ideas given to you before making a decision?
SIDE BAR…Social networking is “touchy feely” and we can learn to love it and think we can handle it because somebody loves us, but we must know what you are doing. All of the social networking arenas have “how to do” info pages and instruction, and yes a lot of information, but take it one item at a time. When all else fails, read the instruction book. This is a learning curve item like many others; you can do business math, you can change the tire on your car in an emergency and you can learn to be a good social networker!
Thank you Grael Norton
Your ideas stimulated my ideas at the conference and helped me create this blog. I have developed further my Author’s Platform proposal for my next book and one for several clients who will publish this year. Again, thanks for the “teamwork.”
How to Use the Web to Sell Your Book” – Grael Norton, Speaker – 2-28-09
AZ Book Publishers Conference, Phoenix, AZ
That Winning Attitude – writing and publishing the AZ Cardinals Success Story
That Winning Attitude
writing and publishing tips for the
AZ Cardinals Success Story
Writing and publishing the AZ Cardinals success story of “against all odds” is a privilege and an honor. As the ghostwriter and publisher of this improbable success story, we know the history of their achievements will be forever documented, and their action plan on how to do it right and not falter when things get rough will always be in place as a benchmark for the next unlikely fairytale team.
WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD STORY?
- Some stories about sports teams are written to warm our hearts.
- Some stories that make the New York Times best seller list are written to get attention after a lifetime of hardship.
- Some stories are written after years of fighting the uphill battle in corporate America to promote a consulting business later in life.
The AZ Cardinals success story is being written for publication because it is about never giving up, about not losing sight of the goal, about never quitting before the miracle happens and about supporting, trusting and believing in yourself, your team and your leaders.
It is the story of team building and goal setting, camaraderie and good listening skills. It is a story of loyalty and the things we should learn before we publish our book such as helping each other when the going gets tough by supporting fellow writers.
WHAT IS THE BOOK THEY HAVE INSIDE THEIR LOCKER ROOM?
- “Shock the World – the AZ Cardinals Story”
- “Keep the Faith – the Kurt Warner philosophy for the AZ Cardinals”
- “Red Rocks – the Cardinals rumble in the desert”
- “We are the Champions – the AZ Cardinals and their improbable journey”
Which book title do you vote for as the one that needs to represent of the AZ Cardinals team? Remember:
- This team has a game plan and utilizes it to the fullest
- This team is on a mission and has a clear vision in sight
- This team has a sense of commitment even if nobody looks in their direction.
WHY IS THIS IDEA GOOD ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN A BOOK?
- The Cardinals get no respect but are spurred on to victory
- Showing writers how to stay focused on their ideas and team up with their editor to fight for what they believe in to get out their voice and remove themselves from the naysayers
- The Cardinals are seen as the underdogs and thrive in that position
- Giving writers the motivation to do the things they want to do with their writing regardless of how many times doubt enters regarding publishing a book
- With 62 years since winning a championship, the stars are aligned now for the biggest trophy to come home to them
- Motivating the writer to keep their eye on the prize of an award for their work when many challenges and obstacles stand in the way
- The Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl for the first time and it is their destiny, their fate, their turn and they know it
- Inspiring writers to pursue big dreams in writing no matter how long it takes and despite the negativity that is on the long road to the publisher’s house
- Many coaches share the AZ Cardinals journey but left before the miracle happened, allowing the coach that was meant to be here at this time to emerge
- Proving to any writer that the perfect match can be made with the strongest team coming together for the right synergy to finish your book
- Many good players moved on and opted out of loyalty and trust in the AZ Cardinals
- Which is why writers learn dedication and perseverance are the keys to getting the job done during long and lonely days of writing
- The fans’ broken hearts are mended and they believe in the promises of this team
- Which is what all writers seek to do when they finish their manuscript and “birth that baby” by giving it to a trusted editor to prepare it for the publishing process
- The fans who were not committed have come in to the fold and now the volume is turned way up for the world to hear
- Which can be our decision too if we have doubted ourselves and left our writing project behind for a long time to collect dust
- The fans who were not loyal have been forgiven and now have a chance to share in the glory days
- Just as any writer is forgiven for a bad first draft and a mediocre second draft it takes at least three drafts to make the work begin to sing and your voice known
- The transient community of the past is pulling together as one Arizona
- Just as the writer’s audience will come together once a platform is built and shows who the writer is and what they are about and that they believe in their work and their message
- The AZ Cardinals losses have faded into memory and the victories are even sweeter now that the stars shine on the field ever so brightly
- Just as the writer will experience the positive attitude that they have something important to contribute and that there are people out there that need to read their work
- The exceptional talent on this championship team has replaced the players who moved on before the sun rose in the desert and “we were raining men”
- Just as the writer’s talent will grow and flourish, development will occur further by pursuing the writing craft with each new day
HAS THIS IDEA EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE?
Developing old ideas with a new spin is what writing is all about and what publisher’s pursue. The idea of the improbable win and the unpredictable victory is a story line in many books. We have seen it with the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. The AZ Cardinals success story will be one for the record books too. The story of Big Red is a winning attitude story that needs to be told and we’re making it happen.
They had so many obstacles to overcome, including the fans, the media, the competition and their own attitude. They do not get respect, even when they earn it, and that does not deter them from bonding together and doing their job well. This is a story of motivation. From this we learn that they are “the team nobody thought they were” and that they have staying power. Now it is an inspirational story by fine young men we can emulate and use for good measure.
They knew their chance would come, and like any good writer and would-be author, they ignored the skeptics who said they were losers and with a quarterback who was too old. They reinvented themselves like so many artists and musicians, and like a creative writer they tried many things. They never stopped believing in themselves which is what every writer needs to do as they progress from one project to the next reaching for new experiences.
WHAT IS THE MARKET (S) FOR THIS BOOK?
- There are Cardinals fans throughout the country because the franchise is one of the oldest in the country (secondary market)
- There are Cardinal fans in at least three major cities where they have moved the franchise – Phoenix, St. Louis and Chicago (primary market)
- There are football fans who love the underdog (audience on the fringe)
- There are those who love a motivational and inspiring story (niche)
- There are those who love a “good guys” finish first story (niche)
- There are those who believe in team building, camaraderie and family (niche)
- There are those who are faith based and appreciate a team with good people who give back to the community (niche)
WHAT IS THE THEME AND FOCUS OF THE BOOK?
(1) Could focus on the three team franchises in the three major cities they have represented where they have grown with each move
(2) Could focus on the 20 plus years they have been in Arizona and how they built up a fan base with a new stadium and a trip to the Super Bowl with a “never give up” theme
(3) Could focus on the 60 plus years since they have won a title with a persistence theme and a we will “overcome” mentality
(4) Could focus on the team’s attitude and goals, their underdog status that perpetuates a philosophy of we can do it, and their motivation to inspire theme
(5) Could focus on the behind the scene stories of how they came together as a team and developed into “good guys” with camaraderie on the field and in their locker room that should be emulated with a theme of the “new football” in the NFL
(6) Could focus on their improved work ethic that helps them execute better to achieve greatness with a theme of striving and thriving in adversity
WHAT ARE THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT WORK FOR THIS PUBLICATION?
- The second generation of ownership is at the helm innovating
- The coach is the leader with a new philosophy and attitude
- The teammates are comrades in arms on a mission
- The players are succeeding because they trust the coaches and believe in each other
- This is a team with talent and heart that has improved mentally
- This is a complete turnaround due to more confidence being instilled
- The no nonsense mode of operation has channeled their makeover
- Their main goal is to be in the zone while focusing on the job
- The players are out to help the new generation of ownership with loyalty for the big picture and what they came to do
- Their team leader’s faith and courage has sustained the team and by instilling faith
- Their other team leaders have been there for them are willing to give and share their vision too
- Talented players are stepping up in big games and reaching high
HOW CAN WE CRAFT A REALISTIC MARKETING PLAN?
- MESSAGES
- Glendale – the happiest place on earth has now replaced Disneyland
- Move over Disneyland
- The die-hard Cardinals are overcoming decades of futility
- Victory is in the cards, deal them in
- They played their cards right and held a full house
- Big Red has roared and the country is noticing
- TAGLINES
- The Arizona drought is over
- The drought is over, tears of joy rains down in the desert
- The second longest drought for a championship will be broken
- Tears of joy for long suffering fans quench the AZ desert
- Brilliant games, flawless execution, shows the heart of champions
- Overcome with emotion, tears of joy
- You have got to believe
- Savor the moment, this is what life is about
- Stunned, jubilant and grateful
- They stood up like men so the purity of the moment can never be taken away
- They busted the glass ceiling and soared into uncharted territory
HONORING the 10 Steps to SELF-PUBLISHING
Good Morning!
This week my author, Michael Lyding, Gratitude a Verb, will be featured here as we talk about the self-publishing process. The process is the 10 Steps we are going through to take his book to fruition and get him on time to the spiritual retreat he is attending in California in January! He will be using his book at the retreat and with future speaking engagements.
STEP ONE: Write the manuscript with fierce abandon and revise it over and over again. In the case of the author mentioned, he tags on to his book entitled Grateful not Smug. If you are writing from a new starting point, you just jump in and get it all out. Do not go back and look at anything the first year – yes year! You keep writing – yes, write ’till you drop. Now you are ready to revise and revise and revise. This is critical because that is not the proofreader’s job and certainly not the editor’s job. The peer reviewer is not going to want to do that either, but will do some parts of it if that is what you ask of the reviewer.
STEP TWO: Allow a peer review to bounce your ideas and information off a trusted professional friend before venturing to the editing stage. I have done several this year and believe a work should be given out for peer review after several revisions. I did one this year at the first writing stage and it took me 23 hours to review it when it should have taken about 10 hours! Yes, I did it on a flat fee that was promised and learned something valuable. The peer review is to be done after several edits to give it a chance to be of greatest value to all involved. The author Mike noted above writes on a topic I am interested in so I am a great choice for peer review as well.
STEP THREE: Say yes to editing and/or proofreading as it is paramount to your success and should never, I mean never be skipped or taken lightly. This is the heart of the finished product, this is what will make your writing work for you and your readers. This is the area that will be your professionalism shining through loud and clear. You absolutely cannot afford to avoid this and think that you or your Aunt Madge can do this for you.
According to my friend and special proofreader/editor, DJ Burroughs, the proof is making sure the sentences make a visual for the author and the words are correct, and correctly spelled, and that the punctuation works. The editing is all of the above plus knowing the sentences and paragraphs are clear and the reader is getting what the writer wants and intended. DJ is always asking himself when reviewing a work if he has questions, if he is confused over paragraphs, is there continuity. The edit takes two times as long as the proofread.
STEP FOUR: Value your cover design because it is the smile on the book, the sparkle in the book’s eyes and the mystery in that smile. It is everything and the critical step. According to our designer Heather Kirk it must be seen quickly by the author and the audience in a sea of book covers or it will not be successful. No amount of quality and compelling writing will jump through a book without an outstanding cover that excites the reader. Your cover’s unique appearance should not let the reader put it back on the shelf. The back cover must be ready too to keep that reader holding on to the book with excitement and wonder. Yes, this is a big job, but it is the dressing, the frosting and surely the sparkle with a hint of mint!.
STEP FIVE: Honor the book design and graphics on the interior for they are paramount to the overall readability of the book. According to Heather Kirk, who did our interior too, the cover is the gloves and the interior is the shoes that match the purse that make the complete outfit stunning. You can do a little or you can do much in this area, but whatever you do it should match the book, the title and the personality of the author. These parts carry the reader to the next chapter; sometimes without their knowing it.
STEP SIX: Seek out an illustrator who is the flower or the lace, the life and the heart for the book. Some books need an illustrator and in the case of our current work, Heather our designer used several in the separation of quotes from the verbiage. The illustrator may need to do more if it is a children’s book and heavy with characters, animals and scenes or a self-help book that has a lot of expression to go along with main points. This is a valuable tool to “say in pictures” what you are trying to say in words that needs another level.
STEP SEVEN: Respect the compliance required to meet the market standards. Getting your book to market has a business side too and you need to be aware that every book has an ID, an ISBN number and a bar code so yours is a one-of-a-kind book in the marketplace and easily dealt with in bookstores and libraries. This is handled by the publishing group and is critical at the early stages. You should also investigate the copyright of the book and the Library of Congress, but these are not absolutely needed. The copyright is automatic at an immediate level, but copyright is recommended by me.
STEP EIGHT: Cherish the printing of the manuscript and all its beautiful parts for it is the glitz before the ball. Selecting a printer who will work with you at a fair price for a quality product, honor commitments and be communicative and respectful of your work is what you need at the last turn. Customer Care is crucial to your success at the end. I look for a company I can depend on to take us to the ball on time.
For this project, and others, I selected again Color House Graphics. They are located in Michigan and have proven to me in the past that they can do the job. At this time, we have electronically sent all files and have forwarded hard copy of the manuscript, an instruction letter and 50% payment to the printer – we are on our way home! We anticipate a turn-around of 3-4 weeks even with the holiday week.
STEP NINE: Jump on the distribution bandwagon of Internet and on ground opportunities. Today more than ever before, distribution is endless. The possibilities would take pages, but let me say here that the Internet is becoming the Queen of distribution! Yes, I am still proposing bookstores and inventory in warehouse, and distributing outlets, and book fairs and speaking engagements. Always having books in your car is essential, but having Internet sales off your own website and a blog and links to other sites is a must. It is the business card of the ’60’s, it is the pager of the ’70’s, it is the cell phone of the 80’s, it is the website of the ’90’s – OK you get it! Yes, I was 12 when I had my first business!
STEP TEN: Make Marketing Magical and work for you. Marketing is about 40% of your costs and it is about 80% of your energy and what you will do at all times once you launch your book. If you have never been a lover of marketing you need to start reading everything you can on the subject. I can supply many more things to consider and books to read. Ask me for a copy of my marketing plan to market you and your book. Yes, you are a product too in this new book business. You are now in the marketplace and need to be asking yourself a lot of compelling questions.
Marketing is the wheel and you do not need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to repair it and oil it and keep it running well so you can participate in the fast paced book industry race. Marketing is creativity and fun and all of us can tap in to ours with the help of a marketing consultant.
More blogs to come. Ask me anything about marketing and I am sure I can answer it or find an answer for you. Having read a 100 plus marketing books, taught it at the university level for 15 years and consulted in it for about 20 years – especially to small businesses – I am your girl for answers.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you launching a book in 2009 like my author Mike Lyding. I wish you all the best of luck and am available for any and all questions. This is an exciting time for all of us. Remember, the artists are starving not the authors. Reading is an inexpensive way to entertain, books are a low priced item for a gift, a gift that keeps on giving. I love to “re-gift” books. A book gift is one that is cherished for a long time. Economic hard times for books and authors – bah humbug!