Archive for Productivity tips
New Article–An Easy Way to Write Your Book …
Posted by: | CommentsI hope you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did! So much to be thankful for. (Getting to communicate with wonderful people like you is definitely one of them!)
You’ve been hearing a lot about why I feel this is the best time to be an author. Well, another reason is that it’s never been easier to create and deliver your message.
If you tend to blank out when facing a blank screen, I have an antidote.
Speak your book!
Even if you do like to write, adding speaking to the mix will profit you immensely.
And I’m not talking about the kind of speaking where you have to travel.
Find out more by reading my new article, “5 Reasons to Do Teleseminars (Whether Your Book is Published or Not Yet).”
As usual, I also suggest a couple of very simple action steps that will help you implement what you learn from the article.
Have a great weekend!
Courtesy Reminder: Deadline for Anniversary Special
Posted by: | CommentsJust a quick reminder that the half-price anniversary sale of both the “Jump Start Your Book: 12 Questions You Must Answer to Write a Book that Sells” Tool Kit and the “How to Choose Your Best-Selling Title” Telecourse is about to end.
At 5 p.m. today, October 3, the prices will go back to normal.
I will not run this special ever again, so if you have been considering either of these, now is the best time for you to invest in your book.
Knowledge can do a lot for you. From the knowledge I share, you will drastically reduce time it takes to write your book. You will also enjoy exponentially greater success because your book will have all the ingredients necessary to make it a best seller: irresistible title, right positioning in the market, the publishing plan that’s right for you.
If you’re ready to start your book, find out more about Jump Start Tool Kit.
It’s not too late to get in on the “Choosing Your Best-Selling Title” 5 module TeleCourse, either. The first class was today and the replay of the class, plus the study guide and handouts, are available once you sign up.
As you read this message, please seriously consider whether this is the right opportunity for you now. If it is, I look forward to learning more about your project and speeding you on to success with it.
“What is the fastest, easiest way to repurpose content?”
Posted by: | CommentsAs you know, you can ask me your questions about writing, publishing, and/or marketing your book at any time. I answered a lot of questions during the teleseminar a few weeks ago, but could not cover them all, so I promised to answer some on my blog.
Here’s a very good question from Leslie:
“What is the fastest, easiest way to repurpose content?”
I believe the fastest, easiest way to repurpose content is to start with what you have, and then either chop or build.
If you already have a book, you have tons of content. In this case, you chop.
When you chop, you need to think of two things: the content, and the vehicle. Start with the vehicle.
For instance, from a book you can chop content into the following vehicles:
- articles (post them in ezine directories to build traffic to your site)
- email messages to your list (delivered automatically via autoresponders)
- mini-course (again, delivered electronically via email) Note: you can get a free Special Report on how to create a mini-course in 1 day, here.
- ebook (if you publisher allows it. If you own rights, you’re in the clear.)
- blog posts
- teleseminars (You can offer them for free, to build your list and platform, or repurpose into a teleclass for which you charge. Then you can further repurpose the audio into something you can sell, alone or as part of a larger home study course, or use as a bonus with your other products.)
- podcasts
For each of these vehicles, you can fit some of the content from your book.
If you don’t yet have a book, your job is to build.
Start with an article, preferably one offering 7 tips. This is your “flagship” article–the one that gets at the heart of your topic. (It’s good if you have done some market research to test the interest in this topic. You can search keywords in article directories to see how popular the subject is, and search engines and search engine tools.)
Once you have that article, you can write 7 more by focusing on each tip of your original article, and expanding the content.
From that, you can build your topic into some of the vehicles mentioned above.
If you’d like further help on building your article into other products, you might be interested in the special Jeff Herring offered on a recent teleseminar. Jeff built his whole business from articles, and is a master at the “building” kind of repurposing.
I hope this helps, Leslie!
(Here’s a little side note: From this one blog post, I can create an autoresponder email message to my list, and two articles–one just like this, and one on using article directories and search engine tools to test your market interest. In fact, I could probably write yet another two articles–one going in-depth about article directories, one about search engine tools. And what about a teleseminar or two? Four articles and more from one blog post! See how it works?)
(Side note #2: All these ideas came from ONE question from my Ask campaign! Can you see how powerful such a campaign can be? Contact Diane–diane at words to profit dot com–to talk about setting up an Ask campaign for yourself.)
Reminder–Tuesday’s Virtual Book Tour for Abundant Gifts
Posted by: | CommentsI 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. Read More→
Kick Your Writing Career in Gear
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’ve dreamed of becoming a freelance writer, here’s an opportunity to take some action right now.
Last night, Writers on Call offered a free call to explore what these group coaching calls are all about. I took had to take a few days off this week, so was unable to tell you about the call in time. But Suzanne Lieurance says I can offer you something special.
If you send Suzanne an email (suzanne at workingwriterscoach dot com–format this the way you know it works), she will send you a recording of the call. She will also give you the two coaching questions she asked on the call, AND is offering one on one coaching to help you answer the third.
Here are the two questions:
1. “What do you want?”
2. “Why do you think you don’t have it yet?”
The third question is what her personal coaching will help you answer:
3. “What is one little thing you can do today to move you toward what you want?”
Send Suzanne an email, and make sure you tell her Diane sent you! I want to see you start to reach your goal–TODAY!
Featured Resource–Simpleology (how to get more done faster)
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I think of resources to highlight for you, I try to pick things that will give you the most value in terms of the time, money, and/or energy required to use that resource.
I want to make you aware of resources that will enable you to write, publish, promote and sell your book/information product faster, better, and with less human effort.
This forces me to think through what’s been most valuable for me in terms of saving time, or what knowledge has allowed me to make a good living from my knowledge.
One of the first things that came to mind is Simpleology. Read More→
You Really Can Start Your Book Today
Posted by: | CommentsThe recording for the class on “Make a Living from Your Book–Starting Today” is ready.
Sign up to download the Study Guide and recording now.
I promised that by the end of the call, listeners would have the tools they need to start their book–the right way.
Apparently I delivered, because at least two people emailed me immeditately after the call to say that indeed, they had started brainstorming their book idea.
Linda Della Donna wrote, “I outlined my book during the last minutes of the class. What fun. I had no idea I had it in me.”
The technique I taught at the end of the class truly is amazing. It will help anyone.
Further proof: I talked to someone in my church just yesterday. “How’s your book coming, Marilyn?” I asked.
“Oh, I’ve given up on it,” she said. “I can’t do it.”
We chatted a bit longer, and I shared the technique I teach in this class. Then we went to our Sunday school class.
Right after the class, Marilyn was waiting for me outside the door. She whipped out a piece of paper filled with words, circles and arrows. (You’ll understand once you listen to the class.)
“I’ve outlined my book!” she cried in delighted amazement.
I know the same thing can happen for you. So download the Study Guide and use it to take notes as you listen. And make sure you listen all the way to the end. That’s when you’ll actually start your book.
Two Pieces of Software to Help Your Writing Productivity
Posted by: | CommentsI recently came across two pieces of software I like a lot. Each has helped me get more done and helped me be more organized.
Even better–both are FREE!
The first is an add-on from OpenOffice.org. It’s called EverNote. It’s extremely simple to use (great for certain tech-challenged people I know). Basically, you put info into this software that is one big file (one long note). Then you search by any keyword you might remember, or by categorie. Boom! You’re instantly on your note.
What’s also cool is it shows you where the note origintated, so with a click you can get back to the email, file, Web site, whatever.
For instance, I put a note in with the words “Free Internet tools to blog about:” and the links. I typed “EverNote” into the search box and in half a second was at the note, where the keyword I typed in was highlighted.
This is comparable to the MS Word OneNote, only it’s FREE. (Of course, there is a paid upgrade version, but so far the free one works fine for me.)
The second tool is called TimeLeft. This cool tool is a desktop utility you can use as a countdown clock, reminder, clock, alarm clock, tray clock, stopwatch, timer, sticker, auction watch and time synchronization utility.
The main feature of TimeLeft is a powerful customizable reminder, which can show a message, play music (any formats including mp3) or open a link, document, execute an application, turn off your monitor or shutdown your PC.
Try them–I think you’ll like them!
(What favorite free tools do you like? Post your comment!)
