Inside the Book

It’s called peeking inside the book. So the following is just that, a peek inside my new book, The Write Life. Read on and enjoy.

It’s Not Money, It’s Your Life Plan

To manage your money, you must manage your life. To accomplish either there must be order. Lack of order produces chaos. When your money and life is in a chaotic state, you lose control.

A writer’s life demands control. Why? It does not guarantee a steady income. It is at the mercy of the marketplace. Consumers decide if you can sell what you write. Therefore, to make a living writing, your writing will consist of 40% of what you want to say and 60% of what the reader wants to hear.

There is something else that determines your success at living a writer’s life. You have heard it before. What is it? It is timing. When most people think of timing, they think of luck. Trust me when I tell you luck has nothing to do with it. Timing in this matter is knowing what the marketplace desires and needs at the current point in time. For example: as you are reading this does the marketplace demand more fiction and autobiographies or is the public aware of their need for history and memoirs? Gauging the consumer’s barometer on appealing reading material is crucial to your success. Being able to judge what sells and what does not, requires you being very observant, in tune with the marketplace, and able to provide what the marketplace wants.

Even though we all sometimes feel the need to jump right out into the writers’ circle, we must keep in mind we have other needs too. To enjoy a livelihood of choice can fulfill an emotional need but, it cannot meet the requirements of health, emotional, or spiritual issues. As you elect to step forward into this new endeavor, do not forget to stay mindful of the fact that all areas of your life must fit in the plan. If your choice brings chaos to other parts of your life, then serious consideration must be given to your expectations.

Now get ready. Put your thinking cap on and grab paper and pen. This section will open your mind to ways of doing what you have been dying to do. Hopefully, it will provide you with food for thought as it guides you in planning a new life.

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Did you like what you read here? You can go to

Books

and order the book The Write Life. Advance order price of $10 has been extended to June 15, 2006.
Have questions or comments? Email me at sylmcclain@juno.com

Promotions

It happens to most of us which I am sure. Those times when you can’t seem to get going. No inspiration or brain storms rolling in your head. Well, I am in that place where no matter what I try to think of, my brain isn’t working.

Why does this bother me right now? Well, as you found out last week, I just finish putting together another book and it is time to sell it, sell it, sell it. Which, by the way is a section in the book. As it sits with my two editors, I am to go to the next stage. Why am I having a promotion problem? Most likely because no matter what I do as I follow my own advice, I just don’t feel like things are moving at the pace they should.

Sure I have done the e-blast/internet thing, the flyer thing, and the media thing, Yet, I feel more passing waves from the public, instead of a hardy, “You go girl.” So I am now questioning myself, which always leads to the question of, “Am I leaving anything out?” In other words, have I forgot something. Heck, I am setting up book signings as I write. Those are the easy things to do. They are plans for the future. When the book is off to the printer, I will know the exact day the release party will be. In the mean time, what can I do now? That is where I am stuck.

So fellow writers, tell me what I can still do now while I wait for the finishing touches to be applied to the book. My past experience taught me that with every minute something can be accomplished. Remind me what I am missing out on. For some reason I seem to be drawing blanks in my head right now. Could it be, without the book in my hand just yet, there is only so much I can do? I don’t know. You tell me.

I keep feeling like something is missing, that things are not quite done, just yet. As a self publisher, I know I have to be my own sales department. By the way, that is another section in the book. Anyway, promoting the book is all on me and I want to do just that. But, somehow, someway, I think I might have forgotten what the next step to take is. Have I become like medical doctors? Those that tell you how to take care of yourself and then don’t follow their own advice.

Well, my door is open and you are now invited and more than welcomed to fill in my blanks. Feel free to, drop me a line, or two.

Blog Update

Want to know where I was this week? I was taking care of business. I have a new book coming out and working with the editors, and my plate has been full. What is my new book about? I am so glad you asked. Just read on fellow bloggers.

You have been waiting and
now you can have it in your hands.
What am I talking about?

The Write Life
Available June 2006

It’s coming-all the answers in one place. Want to get rid of that nine-to-five career and write for life? Want to maximize your writing talents, thinking about publishing your own book? The Write Life is the book for you. No more wondering how to get started, no more stalling getting those queries out. Become a publisher. The Write Life has the answers to your questions.

With budget guidelines to help you transition from your current career, you will be able to start slow and grow. No longer will you have to guess at what works and what doesn’t. The Write Life will walk you step by step to success. It isn’t about what you do. It is how you do it. Change your life. Live your dream and look for your name in print.

A published article or two doesn’t pay enough to live on. The Write Life helps you understand how to get your name in print over and over again. The Write Life shows you how to extend your writing career to workshops, conferences, seminars, speaking engagements, and syndication. You can take your writing career to the top.

You love to write. You have articles everywhere. Now you want to put your ideas all together in one book. The Write Life shows you what to do. Learn what other publishers already know about how to print and sell your work. Get the insights to designing book covers, registering your book for distribution, choosing printers, promotion and marketing, advertising and much more. Whatever you don’t know, The Write Life has the answer.

The Write Life will surely be a sell out. Order your copy now. Advance orders are available as a soft cover or e-book for only $10. Save over 20% by buying now! It will be $12.95 after June 1, 2006. Place your advance order at www.scribalpress.com/Books.htm

A Fake

You know I cried when the public was informed that a book by an aspiring young writer was plagiarized. As a woman who waited more than 20 years to step out and begin a career in writing, my spirits were let down.

When I first had the desire to have a writing career, I didn’t think it would be feasible. I had a child to raise alone and felt it was too risky. After my son grew up, I went back to school, got the degree, and began writing for a living. It was odd this incident happened when it did. I have gone back to school once more to obtain a Master’s degree. One of my classes this past semester was in press law. I had chosen to write about plagiarizing for my one and only assigned paper. Lo and behold, another writer had committed this sin.

I kept thinking, did she not know? Sure, she was young and inexperienced but, as she pursued the field of writing, I know she was told plagiarizing was unacceptable. She claims she had no clue that was what she was doing. It was stored somewhere in the back of her memory cells in her brain. Hogwash! I am in the middle of menopause and I can remember if I read something before. I may not remember where I read it but I do remember I did read it elsewhere.

This young girl was also still in school like me. She heard over an over, in each and every class, not to even think about plagiarizing someone else’s work as she did her papers. Did she think it had nothing to do with her own personal musings? Bull____. She really thought no one would notice. But with a two-book deal and the amount of money I heard she got, the publishers had planned to make sure as many people as possible would read her book. In doing so, you can bet, somebody, somewhere, would notice the copies from another book. I mean, my God, the books were in the same category. If her book was appealing, the book she copied from was also read by the same people. Duh!

Anyway, this hurt me so much because I waited and waited for my chance to do what she got a chance to do early. An opportunity like hers is not a dime a dozen. What did she do? She blew it. Now every publisher that takes on an upcoming, potentially rising star of the writing circuit will check, recheck, and check again each and every line the new writer writes. Why? Trust. It is that simple, no trust, no sales for a bad reputation. Her publisher lost a lot of money on this deal. They say she had to give back her advance. Yet, it still can’t correct the reputation of the publisher because someone on the outside found the problem. It was their job to read the darn book and make sure it contained her words and her words only.

Whipped, Worn Out, and Plain Tired

I’m back. In the last three weeks my schedule was more than full, it was overwhelming. If you remember, I am a writer, teacher, and student. Between those three occupations, I spent each day running from one event or class every day. I am so glad that things are slowing down because I have a deadline for my new book, The Write Life. With only 29 more days to get this work completed, edited, and proofread is driving me crazy. Especially since some of my past writing events garnered me, advance purchases. So now you know what I have to do and how soon I have to do it.

None of what I have just shared with you has kept me from having opinions on the state of affairs here in the United States. The unofficial rape at the Duke University, gas prices, plagiarized writing by a new author, upcoming state elections, the war status, and a host of other things going on right now have my head spinning. How I keep my feelings in my head is beyond my comprehension, but I do. So I will attempt to give you my take on one issue and get back to the others next week. Why? Because my plate is still full with obligations, which mean I have very little time still. So here goes.

Gas prices

This one puts me up against a wall. I, like you can’t stand the thought of how much money it cost me to fill a ten-gallon gas tank. Instead of the $20 per weekly fill up I had gotten used to, I now have to plan in my budget $30. Doesn’t sound like much to you? Well, keep in mind, as a freelance writer, I don’t get a paycheck at the end of each week. My paychecks come like those of the old vacuum cleaner salesman. I get paid when I sell a piece. So one month I may make a few thousand and another, not one red penny. So the price of gas can’t just up and change and not cause problems for me. The key word here is budget. My preplanned budget was for $20 a week, not $30. So spare me the phrase that says there is nothing we can do about it. I say that is bull____. You fill in the blank.

Now the other side of this story is my retirement plan. I happen to own quite a bit of stock in the oil industry. My financial advisor back in 2003 insisted that I move some money around and buy it. I put up a fuss but went ahead and purchased some anyway. Well, you know what that means. With the increase in gasoline prices, there is an increase in my retirement portfolio. Trust me when I tell you, it is looking pretty good. The problem here is I am not old enough to take advantage of this influx of money. It is my retirement money. Ok, ok, I shouldn’t complain. But, at the rate the cost of living is going lately, I have to ask myself, will I live long enough to enjoy it. If things like unemployment rates, food and housing prices, along with the gasoline prices keep going upward, will I survive long enough to retire?

What really scares me is the fact that as a writer with money that comes and goes in drips and drabs, I never know sometimes when the rent will be paid or food will be on the table. I have no guarantee on how long I will live. Sure, there are agencies to assist me if need be but, I’m not unemployed, I’m underemployed some days and over on others. What’s a girl like me to do?

Anyway, like I said earlier, I am busy, busy sending out queries, teaching health and writing classes as my cost of living continually goes up. So I have to say good night now because I have work to do.