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Next Tuesday, I will be conducting a Virtual Book Tour with New York Times best-selling author, Dinesh D’Souza, author of What’s So Great about Christianity. Tyndale, the publisher of the new paperback edition, is hiring me to do this. (You’re invited, of course! Ask a question, sign up at http://www.askaboutchristianity.com.)

How did I learn how to do Virtual Book Tours?

Through master trainer and inventor of Virtual Book Tours, Alex Mandossian.

Virtual Book Tours are only one kind of teleseminar Alex teaches. There are many other forms and purposes for teleseminars, all of which can help authors and business people build a platform, sell more books, stay in touch with their audience, and even create new products at the speed of sound. Not to mention, turn a very nice profit!

Alex will be teaching his premier course, Teleseminar Secrets, in December. Before the training begins, he will be holding a Preview Call. I got you a VIP discount for that call.

Here’s what I’d like you to do:

1. Read my new Publishing Coach Weekly article on “5 Ways to Use Teleseminars to Build an Author Platform–Before or After Your Book is Published.”

2. Ask your question about teleseminars. I’ll be answering them on next week’s Publishing Coach Weekly call.

3. Sign up for Alex Mandossian’s Teleseminar Secrets Preview call on December 4 at http://www.teleseminarsecretspreview.com. When you do, you will also be eligible for my 1-hour+ follow-up strategy call focusing specifically on what you learned from the Preview Call and how it relates to being (or becoming) an author. This will also prepare you to get the most out of the Teleseminar Secrets course itself, should you take it. (And I highly recommend you do.)

So go here now to read the article and get all the details.

If you’re an author or aspiring author, have you ever considered that you are a leader? As I mentioned in my recent Publishing Coach Weekly article, the real job of a successful author is to lead. Lead people toward your vision, lead people to interact with your ideas and do something about them.

Since you’re already a leader (author means authority), I believe you will be interested in attending the Virtual Book Tour with Nancy Ortberg next Tuesday evening. I’ll be asking Nancy Ortberg YOUR questions on leadership and how to unleash leadership potential in yourself or others.  We have dozens of questions already from all over the world!

I believe Nancy Ortberg’s “lessons in non-linear leadership” will inspire you. Nancy is a great storyteller as well, and I’ll be asking her to share some of her great stories during our interview. Storytelling is also something all authors need to do well–another benefit you will glean from listening to this VBT.

Nancy’s book is called Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands and you’ll get a free sample chapter when you sign up for the Virtual Book Tour at http://www.asknancyortberg.com. Even if you don’t have a question, or can’t make the live call next Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern, you’ll get the link to the replay afterward to listen to at your convenience.

I have a new Publishing Coach Weekly article for you!

It’s called “The Real Job of an Author” and I think it may surprise you.

Whether you have a book yet or not, this article will get you thinking about the real focus you need if you want to be a successful (read: influential) author.

It’s not what it used to be.

As usual, I have suggested Action Steps and recommended resources.

(Because … “successful authors T— A—–,” right?)

And please, ask your questions! I’ll be answering questions here on the blog, so ask away!

The audio is now up and ready for your listening pleasure here.

HIGHLIGHTS

Quote of the call:

“I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like a child stringing beads in kindergarten - happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another.” –Brenda Ueland

That really became the theme, as I answered the first question and talked about how to make writing more fun.

Also covered were the ins and outs of protecting your work from people stealing your ideas (can it even be done?), and how to market an ebook (or any book).

And–you’ll see why “you don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.”

Listen … and please, send me your feedback! Comment below.

Ever wonder if anyone wants to read what you want to write?

The latest Publishing Coach Weekly article addresses a question from last week’s teleseminar, and expands on another aspect of testing whether there’s an audience for your book.

The article is called “Test Your Book Idea Using Keywords ” and I give you a great tool to get familiar with.

If you don’t have a book yet, use this to help you hone your idea–and even come up with new ones!

If you do have a book you want to market, use this to find other ways to find the people who want to find you!

Don’t forget to ask your question if you have one–I answer questions on the Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminar.

I hope you can attend the teleseminar on Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. If you missed last week’s you can also listen to the replay at the Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminar replay page .

Thanks to XSite Pro, you can now view Publishing Coach Weekly on your mobile phone!

This way you can view the articles when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, or stuck in traffic, or as you’re waiting for your child to be done with practice….

Just go here. You can read the new article on how to become a prolific writer in 15 minutes a day (and then you can start right away!). Pretty cool way to “redeem” some dead time, don’t you think?

In this week’s Publishing Coach Weekly article I reveal a simple exercise that can turn you into a prolific writer in 10-15 minutes a day.

No kidding. It’s one of the ways I trained myself as a writer, and was able to get hired as a magazine editor and actually keep up with the writing deadlines–even though prior to that I was not even doing any formal writing.

Read it here.

You can start with this tonight, or tomorrow for sure.

The replay for today’s Publishing Coach Weekly call is ready!

(To get to the teleseminar replay, scroll past the article–which is related, so please read if you are considering publishing at all.)

Questions answered on this call:

• “What do you think of Virtual Book Tours? Do you have a recommendation as to whom to hire to help promote?” (Debbie)
• “I need a refresher on how to make outlines. Although I like the freedom of straying from the outline, to have something organized on paper helps me focus, yet I run into difficulty making that outline.” (Margaret)
  (I revealed the mind-mapping technique that I use for virtually everything I plan. It will give you an outline for your book–or anything, even a vacation–in minutes! Also guaranteed to beat writer’s block.)
• “I have sent submissions to 6 publishers, got turned down by 4 and accepted by 1- Tate Publishing. But they want $3,400 up front to do ‘everything.’ Is it normal for publishers to want money up front? I need understanding on the best route to take with publishers by knowing what is the norm and what is more of a scam.”–Cindy

The Tip covered 5 questions to ask yourself to determine whether self-publishing or mainstream publishing is the best publishing path for you. (Only you can decide!)

The call is just under 45 minutes. Make sure you print the Resource Guide to get the most out of the class, okay?

Just a quick reminder that today is the first Publishing Coach Weekly class! I hope you can join me as I talk about how to connect
with your market to find out what THEY want to know from you.

Plus I’ll answer questions. We have some great ones!

To ask a question now, go to www.askyourbookpublishingcoach.com. (This will be the Ask page you can always go to for Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars.)

For the teleseminar, you will have your choice of listening on the phone, or via the Web. You may also ask more questions right online, during the
call, via a form you fill out. (Cool, huh?)

Here’s the call-in information:

DATE: Thursday, August 28, 2008
TIME: 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern
CALL-IN NUMBER: 218-486-3696
Use Conference ID: 821610#

To attend on the Web, get your Action Guide, ask your question during the call (if there’s time), go here. Fro the replay afterward, go to www.publishingcoachweekly.com.

You are invited to the very first of many Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars.

Each week I’ll cover a tip, questions submitted both live and prior to the call, and a resource … all designed to speed you on the path to becoming a successful author!

The teleseminar will be held on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Pacific, 12 noon Central, and 1 p.m. Eastern. They’ll only be 30-45 minutes long, so I’m hoping you can take a lunch or other break and join me.

But if not, you will be able to listen and even download the audio recording from my new site, http://www.publishingcoachweekly.com.

On that new site, you will get an article of the week, the teleseminar recording, and a recommended resource. I hope you will come back regularly!

For this week’s teleseminar, I have something very special planned.

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