Serious About Self Publishing E-Course: Lesson 5

Welcome to lesson 5 in the Self Publishing Basics e-course. So far, I've covered:

Lesson 1- Writing & Publishing in 90 Days or Less
Lesson 2- Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
Lesson 3- The Writing Process
Lesson 4- Picking a Title and Staying Focused


In this lesson, I'll cover how to avoid writers block and writing compelling chapters fast.

But first, I want to ask you if you completed the writing exercise from lesson one? I have received quite a few writing samples and the response has been great. I've even spoken to several serious aspiring authors as a result of their requesting a f-r-e-e 20 minute self publishing book assessment.

But not everyone who has subscribed to this e-course has taken full advantage of all of the additional resources available.

Procrastination has cost me over $250,000 in the last 2 years and I don't want the same thing to happen to you. If you are seriously looking for ways to boost your bottom line, generate more income, build your credibility and increase your exposure then you need a book. NOW.

Don't let fear, procrastination, or complacency be the thief that quietly robs you of the income you deserve. If you're skeptical about any of the claims I've been making allow me the chance to prove you wrong. There is NO risk, or obligation on your part, just the benefits of authoring a book, generating more business and increasing your credibility.

Here are three additional resources that you can take advantage of now...It's not too late...


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10 MINUTE WRITING SAMPLE CHALLENGE

Take 10 minutes and write (NO EDITING...just write) about what comes natural to you, or what you're most passionate about and in “chatting with a friend” simplicity, explain it.

Stuck? Just ask yourself, "What do I want to tell the reader about...." and fill in the blank with the subject. I'm sure you can think of all sorts of things that you want to share.

Just reply to this email and send me your 10-minute challenge writing sample. Put Lesson 1 Writing Sample in the subject line and I'll offer you useful feedback to help jumpstart your writing project.

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Visit http://selfpublishingworkshop.com/callme to get a
f-r-e-e 20 minute consultation on writing your book.

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Find out the 7 Things You Must Know Before Self Publishing A Book and get an info packed ebook on how to create a bestseller.

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Writing a book is a big deal, you should be very excited about the thousands of people who will:

• be touched by your message
• learn a new skill or technique that only you can teach
• have the benefit of taking your knowledge with them on their life's journey

You have an OBLIGATION to share what you know, especially if you feel it can help, heal or benefit someone else.

But, I'm getting way ahead of myself...here's Lesson 5:

If you can remember back to the grueling days of high school or college and the dreaded term paper, you might liken that experience to having a severe case of writers block, your mind and your fingers were just refusing to cooperate and you were stuck in the middle as the clock ticked.

Well, those days are behind you (thank God) and now you're  writing your own book. But, if you've never completed a term paper, let alone written a book, the task may seem like an uphill climb with lead boots. I promise you it won't be...

Ben Franklin penned more than 12 books; he had a simple formula for success, he believed that successful people worked just a little harder (and smarter) than other people. And from nothing, he built a successful printing and publishing business in Philadelphia; and organized the country's first subscription library.

Maybe your intention is not to go to that level of success, but your goals of having a book will be a reality if you don't allow writers block to hamper you.

The main thing to know about writer's block is that
it doesn't really exist. The idea of writers block is simply a function of not having a well thought out purpose and plan before starting to write something. In lesson three I discussed the writing process and practical ways for you to organize your thoughts so the information you wanted to share would flow more smoothly.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to write your book in sequential order. This faulty thinking is the #1 reason most people get blocked. If your ideas are not flowing clearly in a particular subject or chapter, just move to where the energy is greatest and you'll be able to bring all of your thoughts together to form a cohesive and well flowing whole from all of the parts.

Here are 10 ideas to get your writing flowing and your book finished:

Take a break. Write in 45-60 minute chunks of time and commit to at least a 10 minute break from what you're doing every two hours. Sometimes all it takes is a break from what you're working on to give you the clarity and refocused energy you need to make you want to get back at it.

Go for a walk. If a simple break isn't enough, go outside and get moving. Getting the blood flowing to your limbs will get it flowing to your brain, too. And you may find inspiration in nature.

Skip ahead. If you don't know what happens next, skip around to another part of the book or chapter. You can always fill in the gaps later. There's no rule that says you have to write the book in chapter order

Outline. This will help you see the bigger picture. Make a broad outline of the chapter or topic you want to expand on; it's a great guide. Ask yourself, "What do I want to tell the reader about...." to help you get all that you can out of a chapter or idea

Tell someone. Sometimes talking about an idea helps. Don't dwell on being stuck; talk about what inspired you to write. Be sure to share your idea with like minded people that share your enthusiasm and respect your vision. This is where an R&D team works best.

Just get it out. Whatever you write may not be perfect in the first draft, so just write without editing as you go along or worrying about typos along the way. Inspiration most often comes when you're already writing, not before you start.

Work on something else. If you really are stuck, try working on some other element entirely, like the press release, the main points for the back cover of the book, or do some research on your target audience. This will often give you a resurgence of energy and inspiration to pen a thought.

Read. Reading inspires and sparks the imagination. Read a book on a similar subject as the one your writing or as a complete contrast read the newspaper or a magazine that is totally unrelated and see how the author used powerful writing techniques to get you to completely read the article.

Write a little every day. The more you write, the more you'll want to write. As you slowly get comfortable with the feeling of the process, you'll be more excited to write with the intention of completing the book. Don't try to do it all in one sitting or even in a day. Remember, progress happens daily not in a day.

Speak it into existence. Often we have verbal conversations much more smoothly than written ones, so grab a tape recorder or get some speech recognition software and talk out your book.

When thinking about writing compelling chapters fast, use the points discussed in lesson 3, as well as the ones listed above. You are not going to have tons of information to share on each topic, so it's okay if your average chapter size is between 3 and 5 pages, in fact- due to the overwhelmed reader, less is more.

Strive for short, concise chapters that make a point, give an illustration or tell a story to make the point relevant to the reader and then reinforce the point again. That is the way we best learn and it's also the easiest way to write a chapter fast.

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty passionate about self publishing, I strongly believe that it's my OBLIGATION to help aspiring authors get their message out. My life has been profoundly touched by books, and I know that because of the books I have written, I've touched lives as well.

How do I know? Because my readers tell me. There's no greater feeling than receiving an e-mail from someone who has read your book and been inspired, or being able to share your knowledge, experiences and techniques with someone  in a tangible way.

It is my sincere hope that you will make a personal commitment to authoring your book and sharing your unique message with the world.

If your ready to get started? I can show you how. Just e-mail me to learn more about my one-on-one, hands-on self publishing coaching program. I'll help you develop a winning game plan for taking your book from idea to author-- quickly, easily and  affordably. We can get started right away.


In lesson six, I'll discuss getting advance praise, killer quotes and awesome testimonials for your book-BEFORE it's written.


I hope to hear from you. Until then… write your book ideas out and commit to Bring Out the Author in You!
 

Sanyika Calloway Boyce
Author, Speaker, and Coach
212-978-9638

 

Lesson 1 | Lesson2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5

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