3 Super Simple Ideas for Self Publishers to do NOW

These ideas are so simple you can do them right now, even if you just have a working title:

1. Buy the domain name of your book title, your name (if it is unavailable, add "author" at the front. i.e. www.AuthorAprilKelly.com), and your publishing company name. Buy these in all the possible misspellings.  
2. Capture your Facebook ID sooner than later. From your profile, go down to the bottom of the screen to "Create a Page" and follow the prompts.
3. Put Google Alerts on your title, your name, your topic and competing book.

Do a minimum of one thing to market yourself and your book today.  (Yes, even on weekends.)  That could mean mentioning it to someone at lunch, handing out a card, calling a prospective customer, commenting on a blog.  Anything is better than nothing -- but do something every single day!

The 6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make (Part 2)

The 6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make

When Writing Press Releases (Part 2)

Guest Blogger, friend, and colleague Sandra Wendel

Now where were we? Oh, yes, the importance of a grabber headline and the mistakes authors make in writing press releases:

Mistake #1: Thinking that your book coming out is headline news. It’s not. Fix: Give your book’s press release a reason to be read. 

The fact that you wrote a book is not news. But surely your book has a “wow” factor. Use it to hook reporters with a knock-their-socks-off headline that grabs them.

Common boring example many authors choose (Marilyn didn't submit this headline, but it's an effective example of what not to do):  

Marilyn Coffey Releases 40^th Anniversary Edition of Her Novel

Instead, set the hook and yank with this headline we actually used:  

Taboo Novel Shocked America 40 Years Ago

Real-life current example from a traditional publisher who should know better:

From the Authors of Barefoot Running Comes the Essential Guide to the Life-Changing Benefits of Barefoot Walking

My rewrite (but nobody asked me):

What’s the One Simple and Free Physical Activity Everybody Can Do

to Change Their Lives?

Maybe the people in New York publishing think launching a book is news. They’re still stuck in that tired traditional publishing model. You don’t have to be. Why? Because your book is competing with millions of ebooks and tree books for eyeballs. Your goal: Get a time-pressed lifestyle/health journalist or book reviewer working on a big city daily newspaper to scroll through a lengthy email of headlines and first lines to linger and perhaps stop—and OMG click—the link to read your grabber headline.

Give ’em a reason to request a copy. Or risk becoming noise in their crowded Inbox.

Mistake #2: Making reviewers jump through hoops to get a copy of your book. 

Your “wow” headline got the attention of a writer/reviewer/blogger. Now what? Offer them (a) a media review copy of the book by overnight delivery; (b) a virtual copy of the book immediately; (c) multiple ways to reach you via email, phone, web link to the book’s website; (d) all of the above. Right answer is (d).

Here’s an insider secret: journalists are busy and sometimes lazy. Make it easy for them to click for results. [P.S.: Make sure you are available to answer your phone and emails immediately if not sooner. Send a thank you note for any coverage you get.]

Only mail books with your press release right off the bat to the crème de la crème of media where you’re assured of a review, and that might be only five to ten sources that don’t include the Oprah Book Club.

Mistake #3: Saving the good stuff for the end of the release. Fix: Hit ’em with your best stuff first. 

Don’t wait until the end of the press release to mention that your book contains never-before-seen photos or that you’re the last living relative of Al Capone. That’s your lead. Lead with it. Inside secret #2: Journalists may not read to the end. They live in a reverse pyramid world.

Mistake #4: Looking sloppy. Fix: Proofread. 

And proofread again. If your press release is jumbled and contains typos and poor grammar, surely your book does too (or so the thinking goes).

Mistake #5: Thinking the entire world is interested in your new book. Fix: Hit your best prospects. 

The entire world isn’t interested in your new book. But niche journalists and their niche readers will be. Include on your email hit list the big time reporters/reviewers/publications in your genre, with their emails and names spelled correctly. Other often-overlooked sources for publicity include your alumni magazine; your hometown media (and make sure you include a personal note telling them your connection); church bulletins; social club newsletters; membership organizations you belong to; affinity groups; bloggers on the topic; and anybody who helped you write your book.

Hit your followers on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn with hot links to your book’s webpage. Make them your little army of marketers to “share” your news on social media with a personal note (“I went to high school with this guy.” “Her kids go to our daycare too.”) These are the followers you have been cultivating all those months and years it took you to write your book.

Mistake #6: Using the wrong press release service with the wrong email list. Fix: Send a Hail Mary with a competent press release service and updated lists. 

Yes, look into a press release service that (a) hits the media in the genre you’re dabbling in (lifestyle writers at major U.S. daily newspapers for your self-help book and fantasy bloggers for your Harry Potter–like novel), and (b) select a service with coverage you can afford.

Tuesdays are still supposedly the best days to send press releases. But nobody really knows. If the Dow tanks, that day is a bad day to send press releases. Avoid weekends and Monday mornings and Fridays before a holiday.

It’s an old wives’ tale that releases shouldn't be longer than a page. So how long is a page these days? Say what you need to say, say it well, and stop. Include pertinent information about your book (title, author, about the author, ISBN, number of pages, price, formats, a 50-word blurb, book’s website URL optimized and hot, color cover and color author photo, and tell where to buy the book).

Sandra Wendel is a book editor. (www.SandraWendel.com) 

Marketing - Day 7 - Best advice of the day

Not everything is right for your book.

Don't do everything, only do what will make a difference.

Don't market to everybody, it's too expensive.

Don't try to make your book available everywhere books are found. You want to be everywhere your buyers are instead. 

Don't spend every dime on printing (save some for marketing). 

6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make - Part 1

When Writing Press Releases (Part 1)

Guest Blogger, friend, and colleague Sandra Wendel

Let me convey my best advice in a few words: Who cares if you wrote a book? You may stop reading now if you’re pressed for time and just wanted the Cliffs Notes on this blog post.

Yes, you wrote a book. Yes, you want publicity. Yes, you need to get the word out about your book and sell a million copies (or realistically at least a few hundred, but you hope for a few thousand). But how?

That’s where perfectly terrific writers who have written a magnificent manuscript that has been expertly designed and independently published turn into do-it-yourselfers with two left thumbs (unless, of course, they have two left hands through the miracle of medical transplantation, which would be a real news angle for a press release on a book on that subject).

In other words, many authors (and their publishers) can’t seem to expertly execute the press release part of their marketing strategy. In many cases, the press release becomes an afterthought to which they give little thought.

Not a good idea.

Yes, you need a press release. Yes, you will want to alert certain media outlets that you wrote a book. But nobody cares you wrote a book, and unless you feel like wasting time and effort (and probably precious marketing bucks), stop the presses right now until you read here how to craft a press release that delivers (articles, readers, reviews = sales).

By “delivers,” I mean turning your press release into a key cog in your marketing machine that turns into book sales. It’s one thing to pump out a press release telling the world about your wonderful new thriller, memoir, or self-help book, but I ask again, “Who cares?” Other than your family and maybe a few desperately loyal friends, nobody cares.

What journalists and bloggers care about is a hook, an angle, and a reason to give your “news” some space in their newspaper or on their website or a mention in their book review blog. Book bloggers are the new book reviewers, by the way, and you need to find them and give them a reason to pay attention to you.

Just because you wrote a book is not news. Please read that sentence again. It’s brutally true.

So what makes a busy, tired, overworked, underappreciated journalist or blogger or book reviewer on a tight deadline stop and take notice of your press release?

Oh, I have used up my allotment of words for today's blog, so you’ll have to read the next installment for the six outrageous mistakes authors make in writing their press releases.

Gotcha, didn’t I? Never underestimate the power of a powerful news hook and headline.

Guest blogger: Sandra Wendel is a book editor who has written scads of press releases and made plenty of blunders along the way. (www.SandraWendel.com) 

Part 2 tomorrow...

Marketing - Day 5 - Learn a New Marketing Language

In 1960, Jerome E. McCarthy came up with a revolutionary way to break up the elements of marketing -- the Four P's. He said that if you can establish these four things as you introduce and maintain the marketing of something, you'll be successful:  Product, Price, Placement, Promotion. Marketing classes repeat the Four Ps over and over and over -- I did it myself a week ago...

After I presented my class last Saturday, I began to ask myself "Do the Four Ps still play today?"  I think in the 20th Century marketplace with a product-oriented philosophy where you had to pound your message over a prospect's head over and over, yes.  In the real world of today, not so much. The 21st Century marketplace has given the consumer power -- power to demand quality, value, a great product experience, ease of purchase and acquisition. 

Let's get microscopic and look at today's consumer:

Is the Product still important?  Today, I believe that the Experience the customer has with your product is the only message prospective buyers care about.  You can talk all you want about the product itself, but prospective consumers are going to focus on what it does for them. Period.  

Is the Price still important?  If you look purely at Price as a critical piece of marketing, you are looking at it only from one direction. I believe Value is more important -- and that is a two-way transaction. Does your customer believe that they gained something that is commensurate with the price you are charging?  On the other hand, does the amount it costs to make the product leave you with enough of a margin when you set your price?  Consider the middlemen too.  Do they bring value to your customer by getting the product where it is supposed to be without charging so much that it is impossible to make a profit?

Is Placement still important? Not so much anymore. Why?  Because you have to be Everywhere your customer might be looking.  Does that mean Everywhere Everywhere?  No. It means you have to be where your buyer is when they want to take out the $20 to buy your book.  Study the habits of your consumer and make sure your book is available in the places that make sense -- and that doesn't mean bookstores only. People buy books in all sorts of places -- retail stores, online, through groups and associations, at events, directly from you. 

Is Promotion still important? Seth Godin has recoined this element as building a "Tribe." David Ogilvy calls it product Evangelism. Promotion in its purest description is an offer, delivered creatively, delivered often enough to catch the attention of the buyer, with enough of an offer to persuade the buyer to purchase. Today, it's more important to Engage your customer in an emotional experience that delivers greater value than another company's experience delivers. 

Let your consumer be part of your marketing. Bring them into the pages of your story. Make your book easy to find and buy. Bring them value for their money. See, marketing is easy.  

Marketing - Day 4 - Think Engagement

What do you want your consumer to DO?  Is buying your book the end of the transaction for you, the author/publisher?  If you are like most of our authors, you want your reader to actually do something, change something, learn something, tell someone, be happier, be better, be inspired, or be entertained. 

We look to the back of the book for an opportunity to engage our customers. We add things that the reader might want to know, do or purchase as a result of loving whatever book we are talking about:

• About the author - Do you invite your readers to engage in conversations with you about characters, ideas and content?
• How to buy more - Perhaps your reader would like to purchase a case for her employees. Make it easy for her by providing information in the back of your book.
• Speaker Information - If you are a speaker or presenter, put information in the back of your book that will enable a reader to find you easily to hire you for an event.
• Bibliography or Suggested Reading - Do you provide ideas for additional reading? 
• Facebook Page or Blog - Engage your readers by allowing them a forum to discuss your book with you and other readers.
• Design philosophy - Does your book have special features, fonts, design elements that have special significance?  Many readers look in the book to find why something is the way it is.  
• Index - Indexes come in many forms. Does your book detail people and places? Customize it for that purpose.
• Glossary - Glossaries help the reader understand the terminology within your book
• Discussion Questions -Book clubs, schools and other groups appreciate discussions questions to get them started.  Having discussion questions in the back of your book is something to advertise on the outside of your book and in your marketing materials.

When you get your reader involved with you, your book, and other readers, it helps you spread the word about your book and you. Engage your reader in conversation and help them do what you set out to do when you wrote your book in the first place.  

Marketing - Day 3 - Think Commitment

In our publishing classes each quarter, I discuss the commitments a buyer makes versus the commitments a reader makes to you (the author). It's an important distinction because so many of you are choosing to publish your own work, and the behavior of book consumers is the same as it has always been no matter what formats you choose to offer: People buy books for themselves to read. People buy books to give to other people.

While I hear many authors ask virtually anyone in their path to "buy my book;" what most don't recognize, is that there is a much bigger commitment at work. Take a few moments to consider what you are really asking of your consumers; and remember that your buyer and your reader may or may not be the same person.

The commitment from the buyer is simple: You sell me a book, I'll commit $20 for it, and you deliver it to me in any form I want.  Done and done.

The commitment from the reader is complicated:  I'll commit the time to read it and think about what you say. I may also commit a portion of my self to actually making a change you recommend, or furthering an idea you suggest. In some cases, I may even change my life. You tell me I'll be either entertained, informed or educated and I'll commit the time to see if you deliver.  

Make certain that your book does deliver what you promise in your marketing, and be thankful for the valuable commitment your customer has made to you.

Marketing - Day 2 - Describe Your Book

You'll need to provide descriptions of your book for various purposes. You'll need it for your back cover, your sell sheet, descriptions for your wholesaler, book sellers, catalog listings, press materials, and your verbal explanation of your book (we'll handle your elevator speech later).

Here's the different types of descriptions we write for each and every book (because experience tells us that these lengths are most frequently requested):

  Length    Common Usage (but many other uses present themselves)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  30 words - For those occasions when someone asks for 1 or 2 sentences about your book
  50 words - Very common length for catalogs and newspapers announcing your book
  75 words - Common for wholesalers and bookstores
100 words - Newsletter announcements, short descriptions for websites and bloggers
150 words - Pretty common length for back cover copy, but not set in stone
300 words - Longer descriptions when a website leads a buyer to "read more"

Craft this copy carefully. Every word is relevant and all of these words should provide separate and powerful tools for online searches. Google the keywords that you are considering for your copy to see what results come up. Remember that this copy is not the place to be vague or to use "puffery" like "the best book" or "the only book." Tell the reader exactly what they will get from reading your book, what your book brings to the table that other books don't provide, and don't play games with the buyer. Appreciate the moment the person has taken to read about your book by providing meticulously-written copy that illustrates your promise.

File a master file with all of these descriptions at the ready. Make sure if you change a relevant word that you change the word in all of your descriptions for consistency.

Save each description you send with it's own file name. For example, Your_book_030213_Amazon_100

How to Market Your Book - Day 1 - What is Success?

It's the first day of March, the beginning of Small Press Month. Take a vow with me to make marketing your book a priority this month. Do something every day.

TODAY:  Write down what YOUR definition of success is in publishing.

It's not the same for everyone. Really examine what you are trying to achieve.

Hint:  It is probably not all about selling books!

If you are willing to share, let us know what your definition of success is.  Thanks!

Stop the Fraidy Cat from Blocking Your Writing

What stops many writers from completing their books?  Fear.

• Fear of having enough of a story to tell.
• Fear of being able to get it all out once they start.
• Fear of exposing their thoughts and secrets.
• Fear of exposing their knowledge or conversely, their lack of expertise.
• Fear of hurting someone.
• Fear of people not getting or liking their writing.
• Fear of nobody taking out $15 to buy it.
• Fear of exposing their grammar and writing skills.
• Not to mention the fear of the publishing world in general 

I can sense one or more of these things in nearly every writer. I tell my clients that it's very common to have these fears, but the most important piece of advice I can give them is to get the story out of themselves in some way.  If you can see that you have one of these fears, stop the Fraidy Cat, and get the book out of your head and on to paper, computer or recorded.

Writers Edit. Write. Edit your writing. Step away from your writing for a moment and edit some more. Writing is rewriting.

Writers Read. Read Stephen King's On Writing or Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird

The Contract Between the Writer and the Reader

As I was listening to the 15th of 25 hours of the Steve Jobs Biography by Walter Issacson audiobook, I realized the depth of the promise the writer must make to the reader, and the trust the reader gives the writer. It doesn't have anything to do with the retail price, or how I downloaded the book, or how pretty the cover is -- those are publishing issues. Who in their right mind would choose to listen to 25 hours of an author reading his book? Who has 25 hours to listen to any audiobook?  What is the "reader" going to get out of this book?  At that moment, I thought this book better deliver what it promises for that much of my time.

We ask all new authors:  What is your intended goal? What do you want the reader to come away with from your writing?  Then we use that stated goal as our Reader Contract for all decisions throughout the publishing process.  If something about the book does not fit within the stated goal, it needs to be changed, added to or deleted.

Walter Issacson's work is nothing short of genius in this contract, and I appreciate that he never wavers from his promise that each reader is experiencing his books in a way that he has visualized.

Are you visualizing your reader while you are writing your book?  What do you want your reader to get from your book?

Sample the Grapes Before You Buy the Four Pound Bag

About once a week, I hear of another author who was "helped" through the publishing process by an acquaintance who said they could help them publish. Not surprisingly, they ended up being disappointed in the process. Many times, it's not a publishing novice either, but a former literary agent or publishing professional from New York exploiting their former employer's name to get the work. It can sure sound impressive, but do they have the know-how to go through the whole process and have they actually ever done it?

There is a simple test you can administer if someone tells you they can help you publish your baby (That book you have been dreaming about for five years. You know, the one.). Ask the person to show you the books they have done and what processes they performed to publish those books, start to finish. While you are interviewing them, ask how long they have been helping authors through the entire publishing process. Things are very different now than they were three, five, ten, twenty years ago, and they are changing literally every month!  Historical perspective can be valuable when paired with up-to-date savvy.

Make sure you taste the grapes. Ask to see samples. The proof will be right in front of your eyes. 

Setting Up Your Micro-Publishing Company

You've decided to publish a book!  Congratulations! Now get off on the right foot by acting like a real business. Decide who will be your accountant, your attorney, your insurance agent and your banker. I'm none of those things, but this is the basic order I tell my clients they will need to set up their business.  Consult professionals to make sure you are protected and legal.

Establishing your micro-publishing company is the first step in the self-publishing process that most self published authors don't consider until later. Setting up a proper company not only legitimizes you as a business and sets you on the right track to thinking like a business, but it also provides a safety net in more than one way.

1. Name your company
Your company name should be related to your area of expertise or topic area in some way. However, don't make it hyper-focused on what you do or who you are, as that will flag you as a self publisher immediately.

2. Establish a business structure - LLC, S-Corp, Partnership or Sole Proprietor
Consult your accountant or an attorney to determine what is best for your particular business. Based on your structure, you'll have tax implications and expense considerations as you are creating your book. Apply for a business license in your state, and a reseller permit (different states call these different things. Always check with the State Treasury.

3. Open a PO Box or some other address (other than your home)
You will receive mail, packages and possibly even visitors -- don't give them your home address in your book. Mail Boxes Etc. and places like them can accept packages for you. They also call your box a Suite # rather than a PO Box, giving the illusion of an office space.

4. Purchase QuickBooks and Create a Basic Chart of Accounts
To understand basic business accounting, attend the SBA's SCORE business start up class: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/. You have to have a Chart of Accounts for your business dealings as well as for filing your taxes. You can do it with Excel too, however a program like QuickBooks walks you through how to do it. With Excel, you need to know what you are doing and why.

5. Get your Federal EIN and a License from Your State http://tinyurl.com/CMI-FEIN-Link.
You must have your business structure already set up to get a Federal EIN, which is basically your company's Social Security Number.  Every bookseller or retailer that sells your book will ask for it when they pay you. Your checking account will be tied to your business name and this number.

6. Open a Bank Account
Sign up for the simplest business checking account you can get, with the lowest fees attached. Call the bank before you head out, because you will probably need to bring in your business papers, such as your Federal EIN letter, your Operating Agreement, Articles of Organization, photo ID, etc.

7. Design Your Company logo and business identity items
You can have a logo created by any graphic artist, but keep these things in mind:

• Logo should be no wider than it is tall-equal height and width. 
• Logo or a portion of your logo should be able to fit on the spine of your book
• Logo should be designed so it's identifiable in a small size
• Logo should look good in black and white and color; stay away from drop shadows and gradients 

These 7 things don't take a long time to set up, but they would take a long time to fix or create after the fact. You could potentially set up #1-5 plus #7 in one day, and then get #6 done when the paperwork comes in. Your new best friends are your accountant, your attorney, insurance guy, and your banker. Use them now to prevent bigger expenses and potential legal issues later.

#

Every stone is a step...

I produced books for an architectural firm for 6 years...  
I learned that every business has its own language and culture. I learned that a building is more about the people inside and a building's contribution to the community both visually and functionally than it is about bricks and mortar. I learned that building something has a lot to do with listening.

I went to school for 9 years...
I learned that I just have to know what I don't know, and how important common sense and resourcefulness were going to be in my life. I learned that there are some people who are in it for themselves, and others who really do care about others.

I published the first book for someone else...
I learned that a book is more than ink on a page, that to complete a book takes more than one person alone, and that publishing is the truest test of marketing there is.

I worked as a waitress for 15 years...
I learned sales, customer service, wine, listening, the difference between appreciation and gratitude, and that every plate has a history and every guest has a story.

I worked for an ad agency for 8 years...
I learned that people can be divas about their work. I learned that true creative geniuses are born that way, and they see the world from a completely different perspective, and that balancing creativity with common sense is important. I learned that the fax machine took the approval/rejection process from 2 days to about 5 minutes.

I worked for a non-profit publishing company for 9 years...
I learned that independent publishers are spirited, creative, passionate; they are the ones that want to change the world. I learned that publishing is collaborative, cooperative and one of the only businesses where a direct competitor is the first person I call. I learned what email was, and as a result, I could have a worldwide network of other publishers who had "been there, done that."

I published the second and third indie books...
I learned that authors sometimes work for 10 to 15 years on a book they have been dreaming of for 30. I learned that demographics are not as important as psychographics in marketing books. I learned what an awesome responsibility it is to be a surrogate for another person's dreams, as well as how fun and rewarding it can be.

I worked for a dot.com for 3 years (that's actually 10 in dot.com years)...
I learned that I can be motivated and inspired by hard-working, talented coworkers and leaders. I learned how to call upon my inner resourcefulness to get the impossible done. I learned how to present my case and how to tackle an overwhelming number of tasks for a project.

I worked for a custom jewelry company for 3 years...
I learned that everything is negotiable in advertising. I learned that competition for the ring finger is much more death-defying than the competition for a reader's commitment of a few dollars, a few hours, and some change in thinking.

Publishing recruited me, for good...
I love how publishers and authors can work together for the greater good. I learned that when someone decides to self publish, it is a commitment to the author's dreams, a solid contract with a reader, and an absolutely mind-boggling algorithm of marketing challenges.  I learned that everyone has a story. I learned that most publishers, whether traditional, micro, self, niche or independent are fair-minded people. I learned how to set realistic goals and how to help others do the same.  I learned how most independent publishers support one another in solidarity to create books that provide value to their buyers while they entertain, educate or inform their readers.

Each stone in my career path, while they often overlapped one another, has led me to the knowledge that we are all part of something bigger and what we do affects others. 

Write something that can change someone, make them think, or entertain them for a moment or two.

Get Organized and Start Writing

It's the second week of January and you are sitting there this morning wishing you could get to writing your nonfiction book. Here are some lessons I have learned from working with writers for three decades:

GET ORGANIZED!

• First, remember that fiction is made up, non-fiction is "not made up". Interestingly, 70% of first-time authors are not able to identify which is which!
• Do give your project a working title. Don't put pressure on yourself to create the perfect title. Your working title is a destination - make it precise enough to give you a path to reach it and if something doesn't get you to that destination, don't put it in your book.
• Do set aside a place for your writing.
• Do set aside time for writing. Tell yourself  "I will write two paragraphs today," and then do it. (Notice I didn't say "I will write two perfect paragraphs today," nor did I say "I will write a chapter."
• Do write out a table of contents on index cards with suggested points bulleted underneath.(Hint: don't call it an outline.) I like index cards because you can rearrange their order. Don't expect to have your table of contents complete in one sitting -- it's a dynamic and fluid guide at this point.
• Do buy a three-ring binder and a bunch of plastic pockets and start gathering photos or other items you want to include or write about in your book.
• Do write the low-hanging fruit stories first ... and in the words of Anne Lamott, "Give yourself permission to write a shitty first draft."
• Don't try to write the first paragraph or the last line first. 
• Do be yourself in your writing -- One of each Tolstoy, Hemingway or Dr. Seuss is enough
• Do take a class on writing -- any and all types of writing classes. If you were going to try yoga, you would go to a class to learn and perfect your technique. Works the same for your writing.
• Do read a book in your genre. 

Today is day one.  Two paragraphs.  Go.

Is this the year you will become a published author?

This could be your year!  There are more alternatives, more opportunities and more distribution channels than ever to share your story.  Brush off those beginning chapters you started but didn't know how to finish and what to do next, and stay tuned...

1. Define what success is to YOU. Be specific!  Why are you writing a book?
2. Who will want to read your book. Be specific - Everybody is NOT an answer.
3. Decide who will BUY your book. If you are self publishing, your marketing dollars go here.
4. Don't spend a dime until you fully understand 1-3.
5. Be realistic, positive and get informed. Realize that no matter what your budget is, there IS a way to get you published.

My 2013 resolution is to complete a useful blog post every week of this year with lots of great tips and things to think about as you embark on your exciting journey.

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Want to get the info in condensed form?  

We have classes at Metro Community College in the Omaha area.

How to Write Your Book:  January 12, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-005N-70)

How to Publish Your Book: February 16, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-525N-70)

How to Market Your Book: March 2, 8:45am to 11:45, Sarpy Campus (Course COMM-530N-70)

Register: All classes are $29 (senior discounts are available) www.mccneg.edu/ce or call 402-457-5231