Abundance appears when you choose to solve one problem over many. Abundance appears when you stop bargaining and start brainstorming. Abundance appears when you become teachable. Abundance appears when you stop saying “me” and start thinking of “we”. Abundance appears when you release your fears and embrace your flaws. Abundance comes from the heart and is exemplified in your every thought and word. ~Lucinda Cross
New Author Tip #3 Write Three Paragraphs Per Day
Write just three paragraphs, describing the problem and the solution based on your subject. Do this every day for the next 30days. The problem may remain the same, or you can choose a different problem and a different solution to write about. This is a formula works like magic for non-fiction books. If you are writing a fiction book, consider picking one character, one scene at a time and start to set the tone for your book. Write just three paragraphs a day about it or about them.
For example: Low self esteem for a college freshman is the problem–write about this in detail. Then write about the solution–based on your research, experience and expertise how this problem can be solved?
But here’s the catch: you must do it every day. No days off, no vacations, no weekends or holidays, no me-time. You will write at least three new paragraphs every day.
There are no restraints on this formula. This is the recipe to getting the chapters completed and getting the book done. I call this “free writing”. Be free in your writing; don’t worry about structure and placement. Just pick one problem and a solution to match and write it out. Consider carrying a paper journal or recorder on your day to day travels, three paragraphs at a time.
Carry it with you and you might find that your three paragraphs isn’t enough for the day and you can write one or two more in the course of the 24 hour day.
After you complete your first three paragraphs, date it, label it and don’t read it until the end of 30days. Give your work to a critic and have them make notes on the paragraphs and don’t read the notes until the end of 30days. Why? Because we want to avoid writers block, self sabotage and being overly emotional from the critics point of view. The critic can be your friend, another writer or someone in your target market that you now, like and trust.
Resource: Start keeping our notes on Google docs or Evernote
If you are looking for a writers circle who will push you, critic you and love on you all at the same time, join the next course and get connected.
New Author Tip #2: Purpose driven writing and the big WHY
Why are you writing this book?
Why is this topic relevant?
Why someone would read it besides your Nana and your best friend?
This is the day that you answer the big why questions. The answers to your big why will be the reason why your book is chosen by book clubs, organizations, presentations and maybe even used as a teaching module.
Determine your books purpose, and post it on your writing journal. Surround yourself with the purpose because it will motivate you to keep on keeping on. The purpose is what turns your book into a gift of meaning to others to become the best version of themselves. Your book is the book that will help people accomplish or achieve— ‘more love,’ ‘more health,’ ‘more money’ or ‘to tap into their potential or hidden assets,’ ‘awaken their passion.’ You get the idea!
All of this must be determined before you put the pen to the pad or the finger to the keyboard. Meditate on the questions and the big why. Your books purpose is the foundation of your “author platform,” It’s where your book comes from, and how the books purpose will be driven to the hearts and minds of the readers. This is what will breathe life into the book.
Resource: Put your title to the test using http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/
Are you writing a book or thinking about writing a book? Connect with me for more information on the Authors basic writing workshop. http://tungle.me/lucindacross.com
August is dedicated to new authors.
New Author Tip#1: Please don’t expect to get rich tomorrow.
There’s a big misconception going around that if you self-publish a book you will have overnight success on your launch day, and have thousands of sales, and can take four vacations a years, buy a house and quit your day job.
While I wish this was true, it is not.
Most of the self-published authors I know (including myself), are on the marketing and promotional grind—daily, hourly. Why? Because writing doesn’t generally make you stacks and stacks of money. There are some exceptions to the rule. But unless you are one of the 1% that strike a chord with OWN network and somehow end up on Oprah’s reading list, then keep your day job or your business in full operation. Write for the message, for the love, for the experience, for the potential opportunities and write to YES make a profit but to also make a change in the hearts and minds of your readers.
If you are considering self-publishing your works, it is true that sites like Amazon, Smash words, Create space, Lulu.com, Lightning Source and Barnes & Noble make becoming an independent author much easier. Yes, you can now self-publish your books and have as much visibility to the public as Jack Canfield. But you still have to do the marketing, and you still have to write a quality book. Key words are marketing and quality. You have to start to develop your reader fan base ASAP.
Self publishing is about hitting a trend while it’s hot and riding that trend till the wheels fall off, or in our case until the words fall off the pages. The book is like your business card, your access key to really make the big bucks. So when considering your first or third book, consider the trend, the reader fan base and position you want the book to place you in when published.
May 21st was my book launch, I sold thousands of copies but the real work started 6 months before the release and now I am on double time positioning my book in a way to set me up for government contracts, workshops and empowerment trainings. The Road to Redemption is not paying the mortgage, the contracts I receive while I am on the road to redemption is.
Set your expectations and intentions right at the start, everything else will just flow.
Resource: www.shewrites.com (great community to be a part of)
Want to be a part of the next Write It Already 6 week workshop that starts in September sign up now by clicking here.
1. Claim it
Whoever you are claiming to be, whatever experience or skill you possess, let’s claim it and believe it. If you do not believe in yourself, people will smell the uncertainty and the mixed messages you are sending out. If you are a speaker, you should figure out what kind of speaker, what topic you speak about it and the people you touch with your unique message. Believing in you, feeling worthy and confident in the level and status you are at right now is the key to claiming it. You must walk the walk and talk the talk. People sense a fraud, so don’t be a hypocrite to your calling. Avoid claiming to be the Profit coach, and you complain to your friends about how hard times are and how this recession has stopped your business growth.
2. Write it
Position your expertise in words, whether it’s your words or someone else’s. Start to provide free content to your audience. Visualization is important for those who like to read, who like to reference and like to research your topic of discussion. If you like to bake, why not write about ingredients, exotic spices, seasonings that can be used in multiple ways. You can discuss how people can cook great meals for a family of four or five on a budget. If you are not a writer, grab someone else’s recipes and post it up as the recipe of the day (make sure you reference the source), get contributing writers that will write an article for your blog weekly or monthly.
3. Speak it
Start to record one minute segments or infomercials, and place them on your blog or connect the link to your social media sites. You can use systems such as www.audacity.com which is free recording software.
Connect with Toastmasters to practice speaking in front of groups, you will find that this will help you with your online video recordings and will help to boost your on air confidence and presence.
Following these three steps is a start. It will help build a platform and a foundation in your expertise and your industry… people are waiting for you to step out and do something. Let’s start with claiming it, writing about it and speaking about it to everyone we know.
When you look at these 3 strategies, there is no time to be side tracked and definitely no time to sleep.
Start today what are you waiting for! Do you want to succeed or do you want to sleep?
How do you overcome challenges?
How do you overcome detours?
How do you get your passion back?
Read the Road to Redemption….
Click on the image to pre-order your copy today!