Becoming a successful author is very much like the growth of bamboo.
Bamboo is an interesting plant. Its growth starts underground, where the rhizome system that supports the canes are developed.For three whole years, the plant establishes itself underground and there is no apparent growth. Nothing appears to be happening.
In the fourth year, shoots appear. The bamboo canes grow in height and diameter for only 60 days every spring. After the 60 days, that particular cane will never grow again.
However, because of the rhizome system, the next spring the shoots that come up will grow much taller and faster in those 60 days. After a bamboo grove has been establishing its rhizome system for 5 years, the canes that grow in that fifth year can reach as much as 90 feet (for certain species, in certain conditions)–all in 60 days!
Becoming a successful author is largely about establishing a strong “rhizome system” that will support the growth you can experience seemingly overnight–growth in the number of people who are exposed to your message and who themselves will begin to spread the word.
What it takes to develop that underground system is what I’m all about as a publishing coach.
That’s why you see a bamboo image in my new header.
I’m not about to promise you overnight success. I just don’t believe the real world works that way. You don’t really believe it does, either, do you? Much as we’d like to believe the fantastic claims of writing a book in 14 days or becoming a bestseller overnight, you and I know deep down that these are promises from clever marketers who want to sell us their products.
Instead, I’m going to show the exact Read More→
Dr. Alex Loyd
Tonight is the last teleseminar in the Successful Author Secrets series. And it may well be the linchpin that makes or breaks everything else you may have heard.
It’s been quite a series! I have gleaned so much from all the speakers–great nuggets that can be put into action to make a real difference in my success (and yours, as I pass them on to you).
Tonight, however, may be the most important of them all.
Tonight you’ll find out how to heal whatever it is that’s stopping you from attaining the success you dream of.
If you sense that you are not where you could be, that there’s been something holding you back, then you must take time to listen tonight or tomorrow to the replay.
Without what you’ll learn tonight, you might as well throw out the window anything else you’ve learned. Anything I or anyone else tell you about how to become a successful author will be worthless if you are cut off from the power to use it.
Tonight you’ll find out what it is that cuts you off from that power, and how to unleash it. Read More→
Protecting your intellectual property is a big deal these days.
Master copywriter John Forde, whose email newsletter is always worth reading, wrote an article about plagiarism I’d like to share. While he’s speaking to copywriters (those who write persuasively, to sell), what he shares is very applicable to authors of content in general.
Take it away, John! (Oh, and let me add this: John said I could use this with his blessing, as long as I tell people to go on over to The Copywriter’s Roundtable to get $78 worth of free gifts. Which I’m happy to do!)
Warning: You Might Be a Copy Thief And Not Even Know It
by John Forde
“Good writers borrow.
Great writers steal.”
- Oscar Wilde… er… Mark Twain… uh
Are you a copy thief?
Forgive what sounds like an accusation … but there’s a chance you might be and not
even realize it. Read More→
Best selling author Seth Godin (12 New York Times etc. bestsellers) dropped a bombshell on the publishing world when he announced on his blog that he’s not going to publish “traditionally” anymore.
“I’ve decided not to publish any more books in the traditional way. 12 for 12 and I’m done. ”
Why would a successful author ditch the world that has helped create his success? (Or has he succeeded despite it?)
“Traditional book publishers use techniques perfected a hundred years ago to help authors reach unknown readers, using a stable technology (books) and an antique and expensive distribution system.” (Of the latter, I wrote a post back in March 2007 called “The Fatal Flaw in the Book Publishing Industry.” We’re finally now seeing its collapse.)
In an interview with Jeff Rivera for a Mediabistro feature, Seth elaborated: Read More→
One of my mentors, Jimmy D. Brown, is celebrating his 10-year anniversary in Internet Marketing.
He’s very successful now. But it wasn’t always that way. Here’s his “rags to riches” story, in his own words.
Be encouraged by it.
And–take note, there is a gift at the end you won’t want to miss.
What $12.95 Can Mean
Early in our marriage, my wife and I got deeply into credit card debt. (I’m talking tens of thousands of dollars in debt at 18% interest.) We had a combined annual income of just under $30,000 and couldn’t pay our monthly bills.
We had to charge electric bills, food and other necessities on our credit cards because we were so far off budget due to the debt. When we made a $800 payment to the credit card, about $650 of it went directly to interest payment.
We did the math: making the minimum monthly payment (which was growing!), it would take almost 70 years to pay off.
Things weren’t looking good.
Then, something happened: I made $12.95. Read More→
Have you been following the Successful Author Secrets series?
If not, you have missed some insightful, informative, and useful information. These guests are really hitting the ball out of the park!
Last night was especially useful to me, so I’m posting some of the highlights so you can make time to listen to the call while the replay is still up for free.
Bill Baren gave very useful tips on “time mastery.” If you find yourself getting distracted too often … if you find it difficult to focus on writing and/or marketing–getting your book done–you will find his suggestions tremendously helpful.
Here are a few.
1. One of the biggest things that determines success is Read More→
Author success does not happen overnight, as I say over and over again. It is like bamboo–it takes TIME.
It also takes four other things. I call them the Four Rs.
You must do the right things the right way, in the right sequence, to the right people.
Let’s break this down.
The Right Things
There are two main things any author needs to do consistently over time in order to become successful. Read More→
The Successful Author Secrets teleseminars have been outstanding! Christine Kloswer and Lynne Kippel are to be congratulated for lining up such a stellar line of guests, and doing such a great job of interviewing them.
This is one series you’ll want to add to your library and really STUDY. Takes notes, for they chart a pathway to author success based on real life. So far they’ve covered how to Claim Your Expertise.
I’ve listened to two of the three so far and all were excellent! (Sorry, Andrea Lee, I’ll have to catch yours on the replay later–the weather derailed all ability to listen).
I encourage you to sign up for your free pass now–so YOU won’t miss any more.
Especially since tonight (August 5), they start on Step Two: Expand Your Vision.
The guest will be none other than Michael Gerber, definitely a thought leader and best-selling author qualified to expand your Vision!!
You can catch some of the highlights from my Tweets about it, which I wrote as I was listening.
More will be forthcoming tonight…
Did you know that one of the best ways that an entrepreneur can stand out from the competition is to write a book?
(It’s what I talk about in my Find Your Publishing Path free teleseminar–path #2 and #3.)
When you’re an author, you have a business card that lasts forever, sharing your message and wisdom with the world. In fact, a book is often your ticket to getting invitations for paid speaking engagements, media attention, information products, higher fees, and a steady stream of clients.
However, writing and marketing a book can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Aspiring authors can get bogged down and never finish their books, or, even worse, write a book that no one wants to buy.
I’m really excited about an event happening the month of August, Successful Author Secrets: Navigating the Course from Aspiring Author to Best-seller and Beyond. This ground-breaking program will feature
21 successful authors who will tell you the truth about what it took for them to become successful. Read More→
It would seem almost a dream come true: You publish with a good ‘publishing services” (self-publishing or print on demand) company. They produce a beautiful book. You give it a great launch and it gets on the bestseller list.
The success attracts a top-notch literary agent.
Now the big question is: Should you go with the agent, who may be promising you a huge contract with a Big Six publisher?
Surprisingly, the answer is NOT a no-brainer.
It may not be in your best interest as an author to let the agent take your book and shop it around.
Why not?
Here are the considerations from someone who’s been in publishing for a long time and has seen all sorts of things happen (few people will tell you what you’re about to learn). Read more
As I was thinking through the most valuable things I could give you as “your book publishing coach,” what hit me was that the most important thing you need to know is which of the three publishing paths is right for you.
What, you don’t know what the three publishing paths even are?
Don’t feel bad, few do. Until recently, there weren’t really more than one publishing path.
But as you know if you’ve been reading me at all, things in publishing have changed tremendously.
Now there are three pretty distinct paths of publishing, and if you don’t know what they are and which one you’re on, Read More→
