A-ha!

How Do You Write A Book? My Story

Post by George Kittredge

How do you write a book, especially when you have never written one before? Here’s my story.

For years I have suggested to many of my colleagues and friends that they aught to write a book. I have a number of friends with extraordinary, creative minds. They would be perfect candidates for writing an entertaining fiction. And others who have particular expertise, interest and experience in areas such as business, the arts and travel seemed to me to be authors in waiting. So I encouraged all of them to pursue something that they had never done before. Write a book.

Curiously, I had never encouraged myself to do the same thing.

That was until a little over two years ago. I was doing some volunteer counseling for a business-oriented, not-for-profit organization when one of organization’s leaders asked if I would be a presenter at an upcoming seminar/workshop they were planning. The workshop was to be attended by approximately 30 business owners. They wanted me to offer some ideas and tips drawing on my sales and marketing experience about how to promote a business and attract clients.

I agreed to submit an outline of what I would talk about. The understanding was that if they liked my outline, I would do the workshop.

As the workshop date approached and with me scheduled to be one of the presenters, I began to seriously think about what I was going to say. It had to be entertaining, interactive and provide each of the audience members with some lasting value. So I had to have more than just an outline.

In the weeks that followed I began to write down ideas addressing each of the topics in my outline - at first just phrases and thoughts, and later paragraphs. One of the first things I realized was that ideas can strike you at the strangest times. (Did you ever try to write something on a clipboard while negotiating a corner on a ride-on mower in third gear?)

Over the next few months, my one-page seminar agenda was turning into a book. And as this book began to unfold, it also began to take on a life of its own. I found myself, at times, working on four or five chapters at a time. There were some months where I did not write anything at all. Then I would pick it up again and write as the ideas came to me. Most importantly, I did not try to force ideas. When I was inspired, I wrote. When I was not, I did not.

As I completed one chapter after another (with lots of re-writing), my goal became just to finish the book. I’ve met a number of people who have started books, then put them on a back burner where they still remain. Finishing this project became important to me.

Early in 2005, I made a resolution to myself that if I was going to complete the book (and it looked like I was), then I was going to get it published. I figured that if I had spent all this time writing a book, at least I should give other people a chance to read it. Besides, it is kind of neat to be able to say that you are a published author.

I discovered that with today’s technology, publishing has become much more author-friendly. It makes no difference whether your book is the next best-selling novel or winds up as gifts to your family and friends. Anyone who has the desire to write can become a member in good standing in the universal author’s club. And you don’t need to print 2000 copies to warehouse in your garage either.

Thanks to the good folks at WMEBooks, my book was published and released this past August. The book is now part of seminars and workshops that I still do. And I have to tell you, it’s a lot of fun to have other professionals read you book and offer their reviews and opinions. So far, people have been very kind.

In a later post, I will share with you a mistake I made when it came to publishing my book and how I corrected it.

It took me two years (on and off) to write my book. Will I write another? I don’t know. But I do know that I will encourage anyone who has even the faintest desire to write a book to do so. I think they find it as personally rewarding as I did.

How to Write a Book

The most frequently asked question I get from folks who find out we're a publishing company is, "So, how, exactly, does one write a book?"

The 'how to write a book' question is fraught with emotion. When I hear it, I pause a moment to gather my thoughts, all the while observing the person who asked it -- because it's in that observation that I learn the true question behind the spoken words. Often, it isn't confusion over how to write a book -- the easy answer, of course, is -- sit down at your keyboard and type [or grab a pen/pencil, a legal pad, and begin) -- the confusion is actually in organizing one's writing to become a book.

I'm putting together a simple, straightforward how-to called THE 'How to Write a Book' Book with advice and personal experiences -- from a number of folks who have written books. Many of the contributors are first-time authors. I asked them to write about their experience, about what inspired them and kept them working until the project was done.

This book will grow, over time, as I hope to add more author essays. For the time being, it will be a free download on the WME Books website. When it gets to -- oh, 100 pages or more -- I will ask a small contribution of say $5.95, where 50% will be gathered in a fund for aspiring writers to apply for, and the other 50% will be given to a woman's charity since I write a great deal about women over at my other blog and much of that (including my current book) has helped fund WME Books.

The people who so generously contributed to this book will be thanked profusely, by myself, of course, but also by the folks who download (or buy) the book. I just think it's more powerful to read the experiences and thoughts of writers who have gone before you, than it is to pick up a Writer's Digest magazine and devour article after article on character development, or citations, or voice.

Writer's Digest is a worthy publication, don't get me wrong. I recommend it highly. In fact, it was instrumental in opening my eyes to the 'active voice' issue. And, I learned to 'show' not 'tell' by reading it. So, don't think I'm trashing any of the great publications, magazines and/or books already written to help new writers learn their craft. I'm merely saying, I'm taking a different approach. I want to show you how, not tell you how.

Over the last year, WME Books has seen some hard times, as any new start-up will. We've also seen many happy times. We've met some outstanding writers, lots of really talented people, and over the months we've learned that being flexible is key to our success. We maintain our belief that all would-be authors deserve respect and consideration, just as much as established authors.

Currently, we are going through a transition, redefining our approach to print-on-demand publishing. This comes from interaction with the numerous contacts we've made this year, via the net and via referrals in our local community. We aspire to excellence -- which means -- we will work with our authors to make sure their book is everything they hoped it would be. We will not publish each and every book that comes across our desk. But, we will tell the authors openly and honestly, why we choose or do not choose to publish their work.

For those few authors, and there are only a few (so far), who do not meet our standards (we need to feel confident we can market the book successfully; it does the author no good and WME Books no good, if the book is not marketable) we offer training -- which costs money, yes. We also give advice, suggest other publishers that might suit their needs better, and we offer encouragement, because the act of writing and presenting that writing to someone for a review, deserves applause, in and of itself.

I hope YOUR publisher is doing as much for you.

Stay tuned for the announcement on our THE 'How to Write a Book'  Book -- COMING SOON!

Changing Trends in Book Publishing

I've known writers who say, "I don't care if I ever get published. I write because I like writing."

To them, I say, "Hogwash."

I've known writers who say, "I just want to get published. I don't care if I make any money."

To them, I say, "Hogwash."

I've also known writers who say, "This is a good book. It should be a best-seller."

To them, I say, "Right on!"

High aspirations are healthy. Deluding yourself into thinking your hard work is not worth... a) being published (and that's what you're saying when you say you don't care if it ever gets published), or... b) selling well enough to make you some $$, maybe a lot of $$, is foolishness.

In the over 20 years I've been a writer, and in the last 10 where I've actually been published -- for $$ -- I have come to the realization that writing is hard work, and no one will pay me for my hard work, if I don't ask for payment.

Where does that leave the book writer? If the big publishing house won't return his calls?

Luckily, today's technology puts the answer right in the author's lap. Today's innovative print-on-demand technology gives everyone the option of becoming published. That's a good thing, and a bad thing. The trend is in citizen publishing -- take a blog, for instance -- several folks have written books on their blogs. For those who still prefer secrecy, websites like Lulu.com will take just about anything offered to them, and turn it into -- well, into something THEY call a book.

I call it -- false advertising. Why? Because many uninitiated writers (new authors) overlook the importance of a captivating cover, of page layout, of an introduction or an index, of paper stock and back cover testimonials; all parts of selling your book, parts which Lulu.com doesn't offer-- without a hefty added fee.

In order to understand how far publishing has come, we need to travel back to the previous century, where self-publishing was done on an offset printer -- and cost upwards of $10,000, for which an author might receive 5,000 books. That's $2/book, for the math-challenged. Not bad. Generally, one would expect to turn around and sell his or her book for -- well, at least $5, wouldn't you say? That's a fine profit.

But -- wait. Let's look at the details. First, the author would have to find a reputable printer, she would have to produce a manuscript with the exact specs the printer needed, and then, she would have to be prepared to pay the printer for all of the books at once. After receiving her books, she would then have to sell them -- herself.

I'm here to tell you that a lot of books got left in their boxes, and sat in people's dining rooms or car trunks -- because authors published this way and then -- could not sell their work. Not many writers are good salespeople.

The reason authors took this route was because they got tired of waiting for their agent (if they were lucky enough to get one) or the editor at a large publishing house, to get back to them about their cherished manuscript (this still happens today, sadly enough).

Other authors got burned -- their manuscript got accepted, whereupon the big publisher had the author sign away ALL RIGHTS and then -- after years of waiting (sometimes as many as 3 years) the publisher changed its mind, deciding NOT to publish the book after all. In fact, some authors' books did get published, but -- because it had taken so long to publish them, the market could no longer support them and the publisher -- gave the book back to the author, right? Not! The publisher sent the printed copies to a warehouse, where they would eventually -- be discarded. And the writer? Well, he or she had signed away her rights to the book -- it was gone, never to see the light of day.

That was then. This is now. Now, there is a way to become published that doesn't cost as much as the old-fashioned self-publishing, and doesn't cheat the author. It's called print-on-demand. But, this method is also fraught with difficulties, to the uninformed.

My experience with print-on-demand led me to start my own company, because I did not receive the respect, nor the attention, I thought I should get for my book. Essentially, I ended up paying to have my book printed -- and when I contracted for additional services, I was denied because of the title of my book. Even though my publisher KNEW the title, and that it was a double-entendre, all along.

After my unlucky experience, I recognized the weaknesses in many POD companies -- they help authors get PRINTED (not published), and then -- they turn their attention to the next client, never caring whether the author sells her work.

In the past 2 years, I've come across numerous companies online that profess to explain print-on-demand. None of their explanations serve the author well. Some are blatantly false, others are misinformed. Some companies are just what they say -- print-on-demand printers. That's to say, they print documents and books. They seldom offer design advice or expertise. Occasionally, they have partners which offer cover design. Occasionally, they include editing and proofreading, at an additional cost. In the end, they mislead authors into thinking their printing services are all the author really needs.

Other POD companies I've come across offer package deals, attempting to cover all the bases. The author is then offered anywhere from 10-100 books, with the option to buy more at a reduced price. Sometimes, these companies will offer to write press releases or they will include a booklet on marketing to their authors. When all is said and done, the author is left, once again, to fend for herself.

Here's the skinny -- print-on-demand is not new anymore. Lots of companies do it. Most of them treat the project as a printing project. Some actually attempt to act like publishers, but they are few and far between at this point.

Authors can do very well using print-on-demand -- especially if he or she truly wants to break into the big publishing houses. Because those big NY and CA houses are watching POD very closely. Some are even partnering with POD companies -- to help save costs on book returns. True POD only publishes a book when someone orders it (after the first, initial print run). The key is to hire an author services company.

And, to understand that most POD books are sold online, via Amazon or other independent book sellers who do business on the net. They take the lion's share of the profits, too. You won't see your POD book on the shelf at a Barnes and Noble store, and the chances of it turning up at the library, are slim -- unless YOU or your publisher do the work to get it there. You won't see POD books reviewed in Publisher's Weekly (though they say they give consideration to some).

An author hoping to have his or her book become a best-selling tome, had better be prepared to... a) work very hard selling and marketing the book, and/or... b) spend some $$ on professional help that can help sell the book. When you're researching POD companies, and author services companies, keep that in mind.

After all is said and done, is the company you choose going to help you SELL your book? Think that over very seriously. Then, think about this: the average first-time, print-on-demand author sells about 75 books. Not even enough to cover the print costs. If you're serious about your work, and you should be, get serious about producing a professional book that your publisher can help you sell. And then, get serious about selling it. You should expect to sell at least 500-- a respectable amount. A thousand would be even better -- just think of the possibilities if you sell 5 or 10,000.

Think big. Work hard. Be happy.

Advice for the Blog-lorn

Good information over at Debbie Weil's blog BlogWriteforCEOs on her book deal with Penguin Portfolio. Note the timeframe involved from first contact to contract signing. And, when the book will actually be out. This link to Elizabeth Wales' agent information is invaluable.

We congratulate Debbie on her accomplishments, and recommend her advice to all. While we promote self-publishing using an author services company, and the quick turn around of Print-on-Demand, there is something to be said for having an agent and getting a book contract from an old-fashioned publisher.

In this case, Debbie was already way ahead of the curve. Not only is she already a published author, she's personable, smart, talented, and in the know. All the qualities one needs to be an A-list blogger and famous author.

We know that the old-fashioned world of publishing is taking a long, hard look at us -- independent publishers who use POD. They're looking for good work, authors with talent, and places to partner with. If you visit Tom and Marilyn Ross's webpage on some high-powered self-published authors, you can see how this venue might be a good way to get started. Then, you can be just like Debbie Weil: writing great stuff and sharing insight into the way to a publisher's heart.

One of the best things about Debbie is her openness. She's blogging her book...how cool is that? No wonder she gets the right attention from the right folks.

Books and blogging: it's a match made in heaven, whether you're using an author services company or an old-fashioned publishing company.

Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book: Part III

While I am not as consistent, nor as prolific, as my good friend David St. Lawrence at Ripples, I am committed to continuing the saga of how I wrote and published my first book, using an existing POD company.

In the months since launching my own Authors Services company: Authors Helping Authors, for which this blog is named, I've learned more than I expected to learn, about old-fashioned publishing, vanity press publishing, and print-on-demand. Understand that I went into the goal of beginning my company with a lot of experience, not only from the months working with the company which published my book, but from YEARS of dealing with old-fashioned publishers. And yet, my knowledge of how this industry works has grown a hundredfold...and, I believe, will continue to grow every day that I stay in business.

Let's look at some of the problems I had with the publishing company I chose to help me with Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online. It should first be noted that I researched the POD industry by exploring my online options...

What was out there? Who was offering POD and what kinds of authors were choosing to use this new technology? My decision to choose AuthorHouse (which used to be 1st  Books, and is named here for the first time) was based on their website (was it up to the standards I was going to write about in my book?) and how long had they been in the business of offering POD? I also looked at a number of their books. They seemed the best choice, overall...

What ensued, over an eight month period, was a disappointing experience, as I've noted before here and here, and a burning desire to show them how to REALLY be an author services company, using POD.

As I mentioned in previous posts, the communication level at 1st Books (it's hard to remember to call them AuthorHouse) was less than satisfactory. Except for my original contact, Brian. He was, and continues to be, a gem. Beyond Brian, I was assigned several other account managers...who knew nothing about me or my book, as evidenced by their inability to answer questions when we first met -- via email, of course. But, even on the phone, these folks were clueless about me, about my book, and about where the project was in its development.

I was often reduced to sending repeat emails, and then...phone calls, in order to get a reponse. For the most part, the account managers did want to help -- they gave the appearance of wanting to help -- they promised to help -- but, generally, it was only through consistent nagging that Ifinally got attention. That was my first clue that perhaps I'd made a mistake.

Part II of this story explains how I finally got to the galley proofs of my book. I don't want to rehash that here, although you may click back to read it if you need to. Suffice it to say, the galley was a complete disaster. 1st Books produced incomprehensible pages...with images overlaying text and all bullet-points removed from my bulleted lists. When I called my current account manager to question how this could have happened, this conversation ensued:

"Clark, have you looked at the galley?" Not hard-copy, yet. Digital.

"No, I don't look at the galleys That's part of production."

"Do you suppose anyone in production LOOKED at the galley before sending it out?"

"I don't know. Do you want me to ask?"

"Why, yes...or, give me a phone number and I'll ask."

Clark took it upon himself to ask. He called me back a day or two later to say, no, no one at production had looked at the galley before sending it to me.

<SIGH>

Tom and I spent days -- literally days -- fixing their mistakes. We asked again and again -- what page margins do you want? What sizes and types of images can we use? How can we make this print-ready and avoid making the same mistake?

We sent the reformatted and revised manuscript, via email, and waited. A new galley came back. It was okay. But, it lacked some updates in my stats -- so we signed their correction form, gave them the proper page, paragraph, and lines that needed changing, and sent it along, all the while keeping our fingers crossed. What came back, a week later...was the original, badly formatted manuscript, with the corrections added in!

Can you image the frustration? Can you imagine how sick I became? I was two-months overdue for launch. I'd done some premarketing and now...it was for naught. People were going to forget all about "Dickless Marketing," or worse yet, when it finally came out...I would have lost first-mover advantage. The women's market was taking off...it was late 2003...I needed to get this book published before Christmas, now it was going to be well into 2004 before it would see the light of day because...it once again needed to be reformatted.

Once again, Tom and I worked on the corrections. Before sending it, we turned it into a PDF. We were finally sure that this was it -- this copy was the one that would go to print. And so, the book was on its way.

After signing off on the hard-copy that arrived within 10 days (with inferior paper, but...I could NOT afford to haggle over that...time was of the essence and my readers, who had been invaluable throughout, said the poor paper quality wasn't worth waiting another untold number of weeks to fix)...I called Clark and said, "Send it to print. Now, let's get started on the press release."

You see, I had paid for some marketing, including a press release, with the expectation that an established company would have more clout to get my book noticed, than I -- a fairly new author.

Clark said he would have marketing get in touch with me.

It took more than a week for marketing to call me. With this information,"We can't help you with your book. We're afraid the title will offend a little old lady in Texas, and get us in trouble." Yes, they said, "a little old lady in Texas"...

Eight months. I worked with them on this book for eight months. For eight months they knew the title of my book. I signed for the marketing package when we were three or four months into the project. I ASKED if the title was going to be a problem and was told, "No, why should it be? We will note that it's a spin on Dick and Jane..."

As you may imagnine, I was not a happy camper. I insisted on speaking with the marketing manager. Michael Johnson called me and relayed the exact same information, but assured me I could have my money back, and that they would still send me their free "How to Market Your Book" booklet, as well as write my press release. But, I would have to distribute it.

And so...we are at the end of Part III of "Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book," and...we have a book, but, no help with marketing. In Part IV, you will learn what I did to remedy that situation, how I parlayed their inability to get over the title (which I have received more compliments on than I can count -- and a number of critcisms which change to laughter when I explain the Dick and Jane pun) into working to my advantage, and how I discovered...the printing of my book was being outsourced to Lightning Source (another POD company) which, in turn, was sending the job to ... Rochester, NY. My hometown!

The printer printing my book was only a few miles away from where I lived!

That was the final straw. That information, and a subsequent visit to Colorcentric, convinced me that I could compete with 1st Books...because I have the experience and the talent, because I know what it means to be an author, and because, I live in THE hub of the print-on-demand world.

Part IV to come later this summer...sooner, one hopes, than later...but...WME Books is growing nicely and I am hard at work on the second edition of Dickless Marketing, so...we will take up the final part of this story in August.

Don't be a Guy!

What makes a book or its message memorable?

What makes them stick in your head?

... Become part of the way you think and talk?

I've been wondering about these questions lately. Partly, because I want my own writing to have that kind of "stickiness" — to borrow back the term used about Web sites. Partly, my interest comes from trying to help other authors achieve it.

But most recently, I've been trying to figure out how our friend Seran Wilkie did it in her new book, what a day ... What a Day!

(We'll get back to the title of this post, Don't be a Guy!, in a moment, I promise.)

Now, Seran is a professional communicator and, as the Director of the Center for Mental Efficiency, her business revolves around helping others communicate better — with each other and with themselves. But I must confess, it's been a surprise to me and all of us around the office how often we find ourselves refering to What a Day! and repeating catch phrases like:

"Don't be a Guy!"

and (if anyone says they're having a bad day):

"Have we got a book for you!"

After all, What a Day! is not offered as a literary classic. It's not a treatise on some deep subject. So what is it about this book that has those who read it repeating — even encoding — its message into their everyday interactions and then passing on copies to their friends and acquaintances.

Just last week, we had a new author come into WME Books and provide one of those "full circle" experiences. In the course of the conversation, he pulled out a copy of What a Day! that had been given to him by a friend of his who works at a company where Seran consults.

Here are a few of my tentative conclusions. First, Seran kept her message simple and clear. Read the subtitle: Never have another bad day. Yes, she really means it ... NEVER have another bad day. Everything in this slender volume points toward showing us how our own chosen responses to events allow "bad days" to happen and then it shows us how to stop them from happening again.

So clarity of message seems to be the first essential to a memorable book.

Second, Seran delivers her message in the form of a story. Storytelling has been the most effective way to deliver a message since humans learned to speak. What a Day! tells the story of a day in the life of Guy, through a series of events that you'll no doubt find all too familiar. Beginning at the moment Guy awakens, we share his experiences, his interactions with family and coworkers, and his thoughts about these events, until after he tucks his six-year-old daughter, Irene, into bed that night.

By letting us "live" the day along with Guy, Seran's book helps us understand at a personal level how Guy's responses at a few critical moments caused his downhill slide into what most people would call a "bad day." Seran reminds us in her Preface and After Story commentary that these responses are learned and become largely automatic over time, but they can also be unlearned and offer us many daily opportunities to make conscious choices that lead to different results.

At the end of Guy's day, he glimpses a different way of looking at things in the words of his daughter Irene, "Lucky Daddy!" Seran's delightful little story ends with Guy falling aspleep himself, not quite sure what to make of Irene's "innocent" response. By forcing us to speculate whether Guy will "get it," Seran succeeds in making the problem clear and the solution our own.

Finding ways to get your readers personally involved, then, seems to be another effective way to make your book memorable.

Note: I hope that this last point clarifies the title of this post?!?!?

Finally, Seran sprinkled a handful of photo illustrations through her story to supplement her words at crucial points.

The downhill slide,

from the hectic race to get ready for work after waking up late,

to the frustrating drive through rush hour traffic,

to Guy's feelings of being trapped in his job,

our emotional responses are guided with pictures, as well as words.

This technique continues to the plot twist at end of the story, when Guy's bedtime conversation with Irene leaves him pondering her completely different way of looking at the same event that had started out his "bad day." We experience the charming moment right along with Guy, aided by another image Seran provides.

The lesson for authors: whenever possible use graphics to add to the emotional punch of your writing.

Seran's lesson for the rest of us: Don't be a Guy!

* * * * * * *

We'd love to hear your ideas on what makes a book and its message memorable. And your examples to illustrate (!) your points.

Blogs as Authors' Notebooks

Here we are at Book Expo America 2005 in NYC. Today was filled with educational sessions and a major theme was how the Web in general - and blogs in particular - affect the way books will be written, published, marketed, and sold. We heard about writers serializing books on blogs, authors and publishers making books available online, bloggers as book reviewers, and driving online book sales with Google's new book-search tool Google-Print.

But before we got to BEA and today's sessions, just after arriving at our hotel on Wednesday night, Yvonne settled in as the featured guest on the ConversationsWithExperts teleseries hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff (sponsored by their Build a Better Blog). The interview focused on Yvonne's writings and experience in Smart Marketing to Women Online and is summarized on their blog.

At the end of the interview, Denise and Patsi made an announcement that provided a perfect segue to the theme at BEA today: they're offering a new service they're calling the Blog to Book Project. The program offers several levels of service, but the key benefits are captured in a few nuggets from their descriptive page:

• lessons will be delivered via a private blog with steps and guidelines on how to write a book, followed by actual examples of books being created in real time ...
• organize your chapters through categories on your blog ...
• post articles for your book and get feedback from readers along the way, helping to shage the content of your book to meet readers' questions and needs.

As noted above, today's sessions at BEA showed that these techniques are gaining the attention of the publishing industry. We've encouraged authors to incorporate blogs into their writing and marketing efforts ourselves. Denise and Patsi have developed a program that should provide writers with a valuable service.

Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book, Part II

Many weeks have passed since I wrote the beginning of what I'd hoped to be an on-going series of posts, revealing the disaster I experienced when self-publishing my book,  Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online, as a print-on-demand publication.

The weeks have been overflowing with work -- exciting work that has inspired me and confirmed my commitment to make sure other authors do not suffer the fate I endured, way back... when I wrote a book. The truth at hand here is the recognition that writing a book is the equivalent of giving birth. There is a prolonged development phase, where the author spends countless hours creating the work (often researching, writing, crossing out what was written, throwing temper tantrums, and more), then the production phase where the work must be turned into a manuscript -- and this does NOT mean a simple Word Doc. Last, the manuscript must be printed in a galley proof...something tangible for the author to view...and approve, or correct, or change, before final printing, equivalent to that last Dr visit, where the Dr says, "You're almost ready to deliver."

And then, the excitement of print...giving birth. Anyone who has written a book can relate to this metaphor. Anyone who has ever given birth or participated in the birth of a child, can relate to this metaphor. Writing a book and bringing it to publication is as time consuming, emotional, and exciting, as the birth process.

Let us not forget the ultrasound of the baby:the book's cover. During one or more of the phases above, a book's cover is created. When the galley proof is ready, that cover needs to be ready also...it is a true reflection of the book's content, and can make or break that book's success. (yes, Virginia, people do judge a book by its cover.)

When I was writing my book, I was mindful of the need to prepare a manuscript that would be print-ready. I had several covers designed by a professional, and then asked readers to choose the cover they thought would work best for my book. When we were all in agreement, the cover was set in stone. Meanwhile, the writing was moving slowly. My readers, professional writers all, were not shy about commenting on the work. To their credit, I do believe they saved me from several minor disasters -- to whit, when writing from the heart, about experiences in one's own life, one can occasionally be overshadowed by the memory of the experience -- memories and experiences which may have no place in one's book. So I learned.

Throughout the writing process, I followed the publishing company's requirements for page layout: they requested a Word Doc, so I wrote in Word (what a disaster that was-- yet, didn't have to be). They gave me the margins for the size of book I requested ( a six by nine) and they told me to make sure images were placed within the margins. I wanted my images and call-out boxes to stick outside of the margins, which should not have been a problem-- as it would have merely required resetting the margins -- but, I was told, "No, that can't be done." In my naivete, I complied.

And so, the book was written. The research that supported the insight into the women's market online was completed during and while I wrote, with occasions of revisiting a chapter to update content. The websites I visited and wrote about were both familiar ones and ones discovered through targeted searches. After many months of hard work, where I supported myself by taking out a home equity loan on my house (as well as writing for magazines and ezines), I was beginning to feel burned out.

It was time to send the book to the publisher. Off it went, via email, as requested. A galley proof was promised in three weeks.

Three weeks!! That was a bit of a shock. I suppose one of my many account managers (I had three) must have informed me that the galley proof would take so long, but I didn't remember that. I only knew that I had worked so hard, and planned so carefully, for this book to be out before Christmas, that discovering I wouldn't even get my galley until after Thanksgiving...was a major set-back.

But, what could I do? The publisher was not willing to discuss 'hurry up' tactics. The publisher said, repeatedly, through the account managers, "This is how it is. We can't do anything about the time. In fact, we are estimating 3 weeks. It could be four or five."

Four or five weeks...for a print-on-demand company to prepare a galley proof. I can tell you now that with today's technology, four or five weeks is absurd. A galley proof can be prepared within a week, or two, at the most, if the publisher is extremely busy with tight deadlines on dozens of other works. A publisher working with print-on-demand should be able to turn your manuscript around in one or two weeks, easily. If special circumstances apply, perhaps the three week window is appropriate, but, for most books, 100-300 pages, without a lot of color inside, three weeks means the publisher is not working with the author's best interests at heart.

And yet, the book is the author's heart and soul. Shouldn't the publisher be tuned in to that? Each and every time? I thought so. At the time, I was wrong.

At the time, there seemed no other recourse. I was not going to get my money back. I'd paid by credit card, up front. The service I'd received was less than satisfactory throughout the process, and now, as we approached print...I could not afford to pull the book from this publishing site and take it elsewhere. If only I'd known the real truth...

We will continue this saga another day. What happened next was, is, unthinkable. Incomprehensible. Astounding. But, most of all, so unprofessional, it convinced me to start my own publishing company.

Stay tuned. I will reveal all...in Part III.

Just do it! Part Two

The next step is to assess your writing skills. How well do you write? What type of writing do you like? Think about your favorite Author, what style of writing does he or she use? Is this a style you are able to relate to? Is style something you can understand, or…should you take a writing course to learn about style? All of these assessments will help set the groundwork for your project and further strengthen the investment you’ll be making to it. So you’ve assessed your skills, you’ve taken a course, you’ve determined that you are ready to start writing.

Now what? Now you start by making an outline of what you want to write. Put down your main ideas, characters, settings, plot ideas etc. Try to get all your ideas organized. Put as much rough information down as you can. This is where you establish the flow of your book. It’s your brainstorming session with yourself. The more ideas, descriptions and information you list here the better. Your outline has been created.

Now you can start writing. My advice here is to just do it. If you want to set a goal of a chapter per writing session, then do it. You’ll soon find out how much time you need to write a chapter. Once you’ve finished writing it, read it out loud to yourself. Make any changes that are needed and put it down. Walk away until your next writing session.

Each time you start a new writing session, read the chapter you wrote previously. Once every few writing session, go back and read all the work you’ve done from start to finish. You may want to consider having someone else read your work to get his or her opinions. Someone close who is supportive but objective enough to be honest about your work. Be open to their review. Don’t get upset if it isn’t what you want to hear. Start developing a thick skin because you'll need to be open about the fact that some people may not like what you write. Don’t take it personally.

You are now officially writing your book.

Back to question one: How do you keep yourself motivated and on track? Motivation comes from your commitment to yourself. It’s what enables you to continue to invest in your “baby.” One thing to do is to pat yourself on the back everyday. Remind yourself how much you’ve put into the project and how rewarding it will be when it’s completed. Allow others to motivate you as well. Share your work and embrace the feedback you get back. Understand how amazing it is to have others read what you’ve written. When they take time out of their busy day to see what you’ve written, chances are they will provide you with constructive comments even if they don’t like the story. Use their words to keep you going.

Motivation is essential but it’s only one of the elements you need. Keeping a “just do it” attitude will enable you to win that writing battle. Remember to keep to your schedule, prepare yourself and manage yourself wisely. Organization can help build motivation and even eliminate pitfalls. Good luck.

Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book

I've been following a friend's experience becoming a published writer. David St. Lawrence of Ripples: post-corporate adventures blog, has been posting about his attempts to publish, in print, his book: Danger Quicksand: Have a Nice Day which is a free download off of his blog, to those who are interested. I even spoke with him on the phone the other day and he's such a warm fellow, inviting, personable, and full of energy-- especially for his book, that it gave me an idea-- to start a series of posts about MY experience writing and publishing my book: Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online.

Let's start at the beginning, and go on until the end-- which is how all good stories should be told. Even the ones which begin with a flashback.

Many, many years ago, when I was a child in second grade...oh, I suppose you don't want me to start THAT far back. You will get used to me...I can be a bit of a joker.

Ahmm....(that's me clearing my throat)....

Two years ago I was much like my friend David. I was disappointed with the path my life was on. I had endured corporate job after corporate job, over a period of close to 15 years. (before that I was a stay-at-home Mom.) In 1999, through 2002 and into 2003, I worked at several start-ups.

The start-ups were exciting--for the first few months. Then, they became bothersome. (David, and all who read his book, will understand.) They became bothersome because-- they refused to allow me to do my job. I was hired to write, but, more often than not I made coffee, opened mail, and watched the CEOs make disasterous decisions that, ultimately, would, and did, cost me my job.

No problem. After the third time, when the company I worked at actually seemed to value my input but refused to take my advice, I said, "No more. I'm not going to be an employee ever again!" And, I went out on my own.

I was, at that time, just beginning to earn enough money to live on-- as a consultant doing web content writing, with a few articles at paying magazines thrown in. It was heaven. However, there were a lot of people in my immediate world that continued to want to take advantage of not only my good nature, but my writing skills. These people, sad to say, were mostly men. Men who thought I would be thrilled to join their staff, unpaid, and do sales, marketing, or writing for them. Just to get my name in front of their customers. Customers, mind you, that most of them were desperate for!

<Big sigh.> Now, while this was going on, I noticed something interesting happening online. I noticed that the number of women online was outpacing the number of men. Women were moving beyond email and into shopping -- for the convenience, the choices, the free shipping, and many other reasons. But, no one was paying any attention to this important phenomena. Just like folks in the "dirt world," the Internet was ignoring the women's market.

At this time, I was expressing some frustration at yet another company that was trying to convince me to work for free, when a friend (a male friend) said, "If you could do exactly what you want, and not have to deal with these bozos who are out to steal your talents, what would that be?"

I thought about it for a few seconds, and I said, "I'd write a book. A book about marketing to women who shop online."

"Sounds like a good idea," he said. "I know what you can call it..."

I waited-- he was in marketing and had scads more experience than I, so I was very interested in his advice.

"You can call it: Dickless Marketing," he said, with a grin. "After all, you'll be teaching people how to get out of the 20th century Dick and Jane world, and into the new millennium."

After laughing for some time-- laughing so hard I was crying-- I heaved a sigh and shook my head. "I can't do that," I said. "I'd never be able to pull it off."

"Of course you will," he insisted. "You'll explain that Dickless means marketing to Jane, not to Dick. It's just common sense."

How true, I thought. In time, oh, five minutes or so, I came to love the idea.

The fact that the title of my book is provocative, has attracted both positive and negative comments-- but, in the end, it served (still serves) its purpose: to show people online that Jane is the gender who spends the most money. Jane is the one searching for your product or service-- for herself, or for someone she knows.

Now you have the story of how the title to my book, Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online, came to be. In my next post, I'll talk about how I chose print-on-demand for my book, and show you why my new company was born-- out of that less than satisfactory experience with the POD company that produced my book.

Do not, however, expect confessions, secrets, or blatant accusations. The company that published my book is still in business. They have many customers. I don't know if these customers are happy ones, or not. I only know that I am not one of the happy ones and I will tell you why without insults or anger-- something I could not have done when I was going through the experience.

And I will tell you what I learned about print-on-demand.

I hope you will learn something from my experience. Just as David St. Lawrence is doing such a marvelous job showing others the way, I hope I can point you down the right road...maybe one that leads to Rochester, NY where print-on-demand began and where we, at A-ha!, do business.

We'll talk. Tune in later this week for Part 2. Until then, write something wonderful today. Even one sentence. Think of science-fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, who said, "Don't think! Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things; you simply must do them."