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Last night I did my Virtual Book Tour on Abundant Gifts.

If you missed it, you can catch the replay now.

Many of the questions submitted were about how a Virtual Book Tour works, and I promised on the call I would be answering those questions in the future.

So this week’s Your Book Publishing Coach article is on “What’s a Virtual Book Tour, Anyway?” It will give you an overview of a Virtual Book Tour and begin answering some of those questions.

I also thought you would like to know my results so far, just one day after my VBT–and before the emails about the replay line were all sent out.

How does 109 sold books sound?

When you compare it to the fact that at a typical in-store book signing the author sells four books (if that much) … and that you can do a Virtual Book Tour in the comfort on your own home, in pajamas if you wish (who would know?)… and that they’re a lot of fun to do … and that you (and other people) don’t have to get in your car and drive anywhere … and that those who couldn’t make the live event can still listen to the replay (and order books) … and …

Can you see why I am so pumped about Virtual Book
Tours?

You’ll be hearing more about this in the future.

For now, start with this week’s article.

I hope you’re subscribed to my newsletter list, so you’ll get word on when I will be doing my introductory free teleseminar on Virtual Book Tours (soon!).

The Abundant Gifts Virtual Book Tour is TONIGHT at 6 pm Pacific, 7 pn Mountain, 8 pm Central, 9 pm Eastern.

Sign up if you want to hear the live call, OR the replay later–you’ll receive the link. Ask your question even if it’s after the call, because I will be answering questions later on my blog.

Hope to “see” you on the call!

I just wanted to remind you that the Abundant Gifts Virtual Book Tour is Tuesday night.

If you wanted to see what a “Virtual Book Tour” is all about–how it works from start to finish–and you haven’t signed up yet, please sign up now. (more…)

First, an apology.

If you tried to sign up on Friday for my Virtual Book Tour, and got to an error page and not the page with the information … I’m sorry!

I learned late on Friday that one of the sites that integrates with the signup page was down, maybe most of the day. (Where is workable technology when you really need it?)

If you wanted to sign up for the Abundant Gifts Virtual Book Tour, and did not get to the page where Suzanne Lieurance thanked you … would you mind trying again?

I truly think you will be inspired by what will be shared on that call.

It will be a celebration of lives changed … and an interesting story on the life cycle of a book.

For instance …

… the real power behind the book: the two people who most influenced the writing and publishing of Abundant Gifts … one famous, one not at all.

… why I believe, despite the recent technological glitch, that God is quite in control of technology–all-new stories connected to the book and how I plan to “repurpose” that content in the future

… why I believe we can trust God to bring anyone and anything important into our lives (three of the most important people in my life I connected with in the most amazing ways)

… the story that has turned around marriages (including my own)

… the surprising places Abundant Gifts has shown up

… why I know that God has a sense of humor

… why this book going out of print is actually a “disguised gift,” and how God is leading me to a next phase in some very exciting ways. (Other authors/potential authors will want to pay attention.)

Oh yes, when you sign up I’ll send you a link for getting your own gifts journal. This practice totally turned around my own life, and I want to share it with you. You’ll have three formats from which to choose. (more…)

Want the major search engines to find your web page? (Note: If your web site is really a blog site, you can ignore this. Blogs are structurally search-engine friendly, which is why I recommend them as the kind of web site to have.)

If you wait, it may take months for Google and other search engines to find your web site (again, this doesn’t apply to blogs).

However, it need only take you just a few seconds. You dont have to use anyone’s service. And for heaven’s sake, don’t pay someone to do this for you!

All you have to do is:

Step 1. Go to www.google.com. See the search box? Type in the full url of your web page, in quotes.

It will say it can’t find it. That’s okay. The fact that you just searched for it will tell it to go out and find it.

Double check in a few days. Voila! You should find the page.

If the page is an article, you can also do the same thing with the article title. Again, in quotation marks.

Step 2. Do the same thing with www.msn.com and www.yahoo.com.

Step 3. Do this for ALL your web pages.

Now wasn’t that simple?

People have been asking me about Virtual Book Tours.

I’m so glad they asked!

As you may recall, recently I was the host of a Virtual Book Tour with Terry Whalin. Next week, I’ll be on the other end of a Virtual Book Tour as writing coach Suzanne Lieurance asks me questions about my book, Abundant Gifts. (more…)

For most people the thought of writing a whole book is daunting.

What if you started smaller–say, a lot smaller? Something between an article and a 50-page or more book, for instance.

How about a 7-15-page Small Report that you make available online?

This week’s “article of the week” will show you one place you can go to get great ideas for your first simple Small Report … and this week’s “Resource of the Week” is one such Small Report that will give you
even more information!

If you like to write, and would like to make a living from your writing, working just a few hours from home, you will definitely want to check this out!

This past week, I received two letters from readers of one of my books, Abundant Gifts .

One was from Nigeria. A young woman said she had picked up my book when she went to a pharmacy to get drugs for a sore throat. (A pharmacy in Africa! You never know where your book will en up.) She picked up the book, leafed through it, and put it down. Her fiance, who was with her, bought it for her as a gift. “I was so thrilled and I cherish the book so much,” she wrote.

(By the way, the letter was dated 12-04-07. Am I in the Twilight Zone?) (more…)

The new Article of the Week picks up where “Story of a Successful (but Broke) Author” left off. This time you will find out the big Secret Successful Author learned that has made all the difference in her being able to make a living from her book.

Reminder about the Resource of the Week: There are still just a few remaining special offer consultations from Terry Whalin available. Remember, Terry will go over your query and book proposal in a 40-minute, private phone consultation, when you get his 3 CD-set, “Editor Reveals Book Proposal Secrets.”

In this consultation, Terry will point out any weaknesses that may make an editor reject your submission, and show you exactly how to strengthen your proposal, point by point.

This is available for only the first 12 people, so you must act now. If the slots are already filled, you will be put on a standby list in case someone who qualified decides not to move ahead with the consultation.

For more information on the wealth of content you will learn from Terry, check out my Resource of the Week page.

As you know if you’ve read my recent emails and blog posts, on Tuesday, June 5, I interviewed book proposal expert Terry Whalin on “Editor Reveals Book Proposal Secrets.”

We received 260 questions prior to the interview and answered as many as we could in one hour. But there’s so much more to say! So Terry is now making available a new 3 CD training, “Editor Reveals Book Proposal Secrets.” Between the replay of the interview, the recording he made available, the new 3 CD set and accompanying bonuses, we’re talking more than 7 hours of insider tips and guidance on book proposals and how to capture an editor’s attention. (more…)