Get the Lowdown on Getting Published

Getting published today is easier than ever. You can write a manuscript and have it printed in book form within 14 days. That book you've been wanting to write can definitely be on your coffee table before the end of the year! Of course, that assumes that you know what you want to write and can devote uninterrupted time to getting it written.

Fewer people use the yellow pad for manuscripts now that computers are so easy to own and operate. Some people have latched onto the idea of talking into their computers and having printed matter come back to them. Then there is the recording method of talking your book into a recorder and having someone else type it out. There's just no excuse for not writing that book! All it takes is time, thought, and writing.

Ask Yourself
                                                                                          
There are many things to think about. For example, why do you want to write? It's easy to begin writing. I've begun books that are still on the proverbial back burner, and I have a few more book ideas, waiting for me to be less busy. On the other hand, I've written and published three books. One is a best seller which has been translated into five languages.

Next questions: Who would read what you write?Will it be a memoir for family members or a potential best seller? What else has been written on the topic you have chosen? You can easily scan Amazon.com, but it's better to go to a bookstore and see what they are carrying on your topic. Are you prepared to follow through and market what you have written?

Once you've rewritten the first draft a few times, you are ready to share it with others--peers and an editor. Yes, it takes time, talent, and endurance!

Should You Self-Publish?

Then it's decision time: Do you want to self-publish what you've written or submit the manuscript to publishing houses? There is a lot to be considered, beginning with the resources to self- publish. It will cost a few thousand dollars. If your bank account does not allow that, you do have options: find a sponsor, coauthor, or loan. Self-publishing sets you off on an adventure! There is a lot to be learned and many resources to help you through the maze.

Finding a publishing house to publish your work may not be any easier. How well do you take rejection? Major houses generally prefer to work with agents. So, your first step is to do a little research. As you're looking at the books on your subject in the bookstore, make a list of the publishers and their location. Then as you begin to send out query letters, start with those. You would definitely benefit from a review of Jeff Herman's Writers Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents. Also consider an experienced writing and publishing coach to help you along the way.

Who Is Going to Sell It?

The last thing I was thinking of when I began to write my first book with Bennie Bough, Ph.D. in 1997 was marketing it! It seemed simple enough to publish a book that we would sell at the back of the room after our presentations. We discovered, though, that other opportunities abound and it soon became obvious that I needed to learn a lot more about marketing. Book signing was one of the obvious solutions and we soon were signing our book at major bookstore outlets.
Of course, bookstores are not the only place to do book signings. One highlight for me was signing at the Barnes and Noble store in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Another highlight was doing a book signing tour of eleven cities in the Southwest US. What a learning experience! The best signing of all was a visit to the Barnes and Noble store in El Paso, Texas. There the Community Relations Manager had a vast sales background and excellent connections to the local media. You don't find that at all stores and Barnes and Noble do not include media in their efforts. However, I did three television interviews, a radio interview, and had an article about the book with full color cover in the local newspaper. There was standing room only after employees hauled in all the chairs in the store. Publicity and experience make a huge difference!

What to do?

There is a lot of information available on writing and publishing. I worked my way through Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual in 1997, made a checklist, and started down the self-publishing route to get the book out quickly and maintain control over the title and other decisions concerned with getting it published. I'm not the best writer in the world, though I did win an award for my research paper on Civilians on the Battlefield. For my books, though, I relied heavily on good editors and designers to develop a professional looking book. The first book took nine months from concept to market.

Now I'd like to help you save time and money as you put your
ideas into manuscripts and make those decisions that will give
your writing life! I'll be hosting a very small group of writers
at Lavender Spring Ranch in New Mexico. We'll help you develop your memoirs and potential nonfiction best sellers. We'll have a professional editor there, too! Save time and money by shortening the learning curve.
Learn from other people's experiences!

Here’s what you get:

1. Time to develop your ideas.

2. Seasoned professional writers, publishers, and an editor
to facilitate, instruct, and consult. This gives you
interactive learning experiences with a very small group where
you can ask questions and get answers.

3. Stimulate your thinking by exchanging ideas with other
participants in a friendly, trusting environment.

4. Quiet time for work or play. How often have you been told to take time to smell the roses? Here you have a mini-vacation. Relax in the clean mountain air, smell the roses and the lavender. Pick raspberries, climb the mountains, and feed the deer. Go sightseeing. Visit Ruidoso and Lincoln County, site of Billy the Kid’s famous shoot out.

5. Sleeping accommodations in the ranch bunkhouse, meals, and transportation from and to the airport. We'll take care of you.

There will be time for consulting and hot seats, if your want
it. Hot seats allow the person in the hot seat to present an
issue or question. The seminar leader and other participants
will provide replies. These sessions are informative for the
whole group. At various stages in the writing and publishing
process, most of us will probably come across similar issues.
Listening in and participating in a hot seat experience may
shorten the learning curve even more for you, even if you are
not the person in the hot seat!

Work at your own pace. Lectures will be low-key learning
experiences geared to the needs of the participants. Also, you
will have quiet time to write, consider your options, and learn
even more about profit possibilities.

Register now and get these bonuses:

• Discount of 25% on any product in the GoalMinds, Inc. catalog

• All future TeleSeminars free

• A clickable CD copy of "From Book Signing to Best Seller.

To request information on next Writers Camp,
click here