The ABC’s of Becoming a Writer Part One

Hello Readers!

 

I’ve created the ABC’s of breaking into the literary field. I figured this would be a great way to kick off a new week. I have split the ABC’s into two days. So you can view half of the alphabet today and then the other half on Wednesday.

Enjoy!

Advice

You can never receive too much advice. Get it as much as you can from any source you can get it from. You do not have to follow in the footsteps of someone else nor do you have to do exactly what someone else has done. Keep in mind they have been there, done that. Take what you can and put your own twist on it.

Brainstorm

Continue to brainstorm and come up with new ideas. Take the time to do this as often as possible. Whatever your comfortable writing zone is, when that time comes, embrace it and collect your thoughts. Use your notebook to write down your ideas so that you don’t forget them. Brainstorming is a great way to produce a new writing project

Consistency

One thing readers do not like is a writer who is all over the place. Be consistent in what you do. Whether it’s releasing books, producing a newsletter or updating your status on Facebook, continue to do what you do and keep it going.

Drive

Being an author is hard work. It’s one of the hardest self-employed jobs today. By our own drive and motivation, we control how much money we make. You must have drive and a go getter attitude to make it as an author. Be ready to get in the driver’s seat and put the gear into drive when wearing the author hat.

Expect nothing less

There’s nothing wrong with having high expectations as an author. As long as the expectations are realistic you are on the right path. Expect nothing less than what you expect for yourself and your career as an author. Others need to know that you mean business!

Forgiveness

Humor me. You gotta forgive those that don’t believe in you now because later, they’ll regret it! Onward!

Genre

Don’t be confined to one genre. As an author it’s okay to dabble into other genres. Although you may not be an experienced author right now, after you’ve been comfortable in your genre of choice, try dabbling into other genres. Also remember, that your audience may not take the change so it is risky.

Help

As with advice, get it as much as you can from wherever you can. Having someone on your side through this journey is always helpful, preferably someone who has published a book or two before you.

Initiate

This simply means to initiate any type of connection with others. Introduce yourself to people and get to know them. Start networking. Email people and tell them about you. Join groups and be the first to say “Hey, get to know me”

Jot down everything

Write down everything that comes to mind. Keep notes. These will come in handy during those late nights when you have the writing juices flowing.

Keep Writing

You will come to a point where the writing will get dull. You’ll seem to not have any more juice in you and you have no motivation. Keep Writing. Keep pushing. It will get better. Learn to self-motivate!

Learn to hear the word NO

In this business, you will have to fall many times before you have that one success. Accept hearing the word no but don’t settle for it.

Good stuff right? Wednesday I will be back with the remaining letters of the ABC’s of Becoming a Writer. Share this article! Every writer needs this little boost of motivation!

Need help with your bio or synopsis? DMP writes and edits these two important areas of book publishing. Contact us today about getting the help you need! 

Your Literary Mentor

-Dominique

 

Self-Motivate on a Tuesday? Maybe…Maybe not.

Hello Readers!

It’s Friday! A day where we welcome relaxation without guilt and strive to find peace and happiness from the busy work week. But can we have motivation on a Tuesday? Sure we can. It’s called self-discipline and a change of your mindset.

On Sunday, we are defeated before the week starts. We dread Monday. It’s coming whether we like it or not. Many of us wish for a day between Sunday and Monday but if we got that day, we’d still complain and dread Monday.

You have to be the type of person to be able to motivate yourself on a Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday are the hardest days of the week. Monday is day one for everything. New diet, diet journey, new challenge. It’s always day one. People are hardly starting something on a Wednesday or Thursday. Then there’s Tuesday. Tuesday is still early in the week but by Tuesday we’ve gotten the cobwebs out of out head and we are a little more balanced to get the job done. Then comes hump day that has us in good spirits because we know the weekend is just a few days away. When Thursday hits, we have a new sense of joy and motivation because….tomorrow is Friday.

We have to be the type of business professional that can self-motivate when the day is a struggle. Don’t always look to Friday as the day to start getting excited, getting involved and finding the energy to get things done. We all love Friday but Friday should be a day of celebration. Job well done. Pat on the back. You should see the fruits of your labor from your small weekly goals. (I hope you are setting weekly goals as a business professional. If not you are in trouble.)

So it’s good to be excited about today, Friday. But make sure that you can also self motivate on the days when work isn’t too great, when you don’t feel like going to work, when it’s a Tuesday.

If you can conquer this challenge, you are well on your well to being  a success!

Self-motivation is the key. No one is going to hold your hand in this business. It has to be you! So make sure it’s you!

Become a Descriptive Writer Workshop is coming September 5th. Reserve your spot today It’s only three days. View the details here. 

Your Literary Mentor

-Dominique

Things to Consider when Publishing an Ebook

Ebooks are a thing of today in the literary field. Almost all books are in ebook format. For those seasoned authors who have been publishing books before most of us were even born aren’t too fond of the ebook but understand that times have changed and they must adapt to the change.

For authors and writers who are eager to get their book in ebook format here are a few things to consider.
Ebooks have their own ISBN

If you are interested in getting your book in ebook format you must keep in mind that it has to have its own ISBN. The ISBN is basically the product number. It’s the long number code on the back of the book. This identifies the book to what it is and if someone was to go searching for a book using that ISBN it would direct it to one particular book. Even if the book is in paperback, hardcopy and ebook format the ISBN stands alone for only one format.

If you’ve published your book in paperback and now want it in ebook format you will have to get an ISBN number for it. How can you do that? You can either purchase it yourself or have your publishing company do it for you.
You can convert the book yourself

You do not have to be computer smart to turn your book into an ebook. There are tons of websites and books about ebook format. All you have to do is research the topic and you’ll be doing it on your own in no time. If your publishing company does not offer this then doing it yourself is the way to go. If your publishing company does offer this well then you can skip over this article because there’s no need in you trying to find out how to put an ebook together. When searching for a publishing company finding out if they offer ebook formats is definitely important. Some people no longer buy paperback and only purchase ebook format books. You don’t want to exclude this market. In the world we’re in today you want to cross all of your t’s and dot all of you i’s. You may come across a reader who is interested in your book but only wants to buy the ebook version. If you don’t offer this, you’ve just lost a customer.

Keep in mind when turning your book into an ebook you want to make sure you have the rights to do so. If your book was self published, meaning you did everything yourself and you have the right to the book then you can go ahead and convert your book. But, if you’ve published through a company that retains the rights of your book then you do not have the right to turn your book into an ebook. Companies like this are traditional publishing companies and most P.O.D (Print on Demand) companies. This is why a lot of authors do not publish through P.O.D or Traditional because most of these companies take your rights to the book. You can’t turn it into an ebook unless they say so. You don’t have movie rights unless they say so. You always want to double check your contract because you could be signing over all your rights!

Ebooks can stand alone

The great thing about ebooks is that they can stand alone. They don’t have to be just another format of a book already in paperback or hardcopy. You can release a book in only ebook format and it can sell very well. That’s simply because the ebook market is on high demand right now. If you wanted to bypass all the publishing company drama and want a quick release, ebook is the way to go. With this you can do it all yourself and retain the rights for later publishing it as a paperback or hardcopy.

Many people in the literary field especially publishers make ebooks so difficult but truly they are not. Like any new thing you simply need to learn about it and then do it. I’ve learned a lot through self training. You can too. Don’t be intimated by ebooks and converting them or words like ISBN and retaining rights. Start from the beginning and take the right path. That means, picking the right publishing company, reading over the contract and knowing what’s at stake. Be sure of your decision knowing that you can’t go back until the contract is void. Learn all you can about ebook publishing and be well on your way to having your work in ebook format.

Last note. Remember! To publish on Kindle, iBooks, Nook and Kobo or different ebook formats!

Do you need assistance with finding out which publication path works best for you? Contact DMP today to get the assistance you need!

Your Literary Mentor

-Dominique

www.diamondmpresspublications.com

Using a Business Plan to Help your Literary Career

When people think about Business Plans, they think about starting a new business, needing money to start up this new company and quitting the job they already have. But a business plan is simply a guide to success.

A plan is very important to have in any type of situation or case. We have emergency plans, traveling plans, financial plans. But when it comes to the literary field, having a plan is just as important.

When we start writing books, the only thing on our mind is to have our book published and for someone to read it. We aren’t thinking of ten years from now. We aren’t thinking about marketing or promoting. We just want our book read and we want to reap the benefits from it. Simple as that. But when we start to make a career out of writing books, whether we have a full time job or not, it’s important to have a plan.

To start, you should make a list of short term goals and long term goals. Ask yourself general questions:

• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What do you expect to reap from writing books?
• Will you always have a full-time job or do you plan to quit and take on writing full-time?
• Are you financially ready?

These are things to consider. Once you’ve asked yourself a ton of questions and have answers to those questions, it is now time to start making a plan; making those dreams come true.

This will mean that you will have to sacrifice in some places. You may need to do a better job at saving so you can hire a good editor. You may need to start promoting more so more people can get their hands on your book. You may have to spend an extra hour or two at night writing because you get home late from work each night. In anything that you do, it’s going to take hard work and sacrifice. But ask yourself, doesn’t the dream ahead sound well worth the sacrifice right now? Sure, it does! So, use this motivation to push ahead.

Your plan should not be tedious. It shouldn’t be hard in any kind of way and it should be attainable. Also, give yourself short term goals you can meet once a week or every month. Like spending a little more time researching an illustrator or editor, using your lunch break to eat and write, putting away twenty extra dollars each month. It’s all possible!

Consider your literary career a part time career. All of this hard work is a means to an end-beginning. Start creating a Business plan for your literary career so you can see your dreams come true!

-Your Literary Mentor

www.diamondmpresspublications.com

Being an Author is a Business

Many people who are new to the industry don’t understand that being an author is a business. You are actually running a business. Your brand is your company and your books are your products. So it’s important to build your brand, a strong brand so that your books have something strong to stand on. 
Your brand is what your consumers are going to remember you by. Like Kraft. Most people know that Kraft supplies diary products. Or Johnson and Johnson. Think about the brands that are popular in your home. Apple. Samsung. All of these are brands that have products for consumers to buy. When we think about computers, we think about Apple or Dell. Household names. Brands that are popular in today’s society. How about Jordan. Nike. Again brands with products that are popular today. So consider your brand and your books as a business. Get a business plan. Set goals and work hard at your business daily! 

Your Literary Mentor 

-Dominiqje Watson 

Hyper Active Business People

I’ve seen a lot of hyper active business people on the internet lately. From simply observing and networking, people are just hyper and sometimes I want to yell at them “Sit down somewhere”

What I mean when I say hyper active, I mean constantly going like they drunk a gallon of coffee with sugar babies and a Twinkie. They are going non stop and it’s annoying.

Business people who are supposed to be professional people are cussing other people out on Facebook about how they may have been treated or how someone else is doing business. Screen shotting what’s going on in their inbox. All that is simply unprofessional.

There will be one time or another where you will be mistreated, not taken seriously; someone will conduct business in an unprofessional way while dealing with you. It happens in business but it’s not your job as a business owner to let people know how they treated you.

Sometimes you just need to be quiet and move along. Leave them a review or testimonial and leave it at that. Don’t hurt your career or business by making it known how someone treated you or making sure you let whoever know that such and such company sucks. Give that person a good hand shake and keep it moving.

I personally turn away from people like this. It causes you to lose customers and money. Don’t fall for this. Stay clear of this drama filled cycle. Walk away and be a professional.

-Your Literary Mentor

Dominique Watson

Revamping your Business; The Good, The Bad, The URGH

There comes a time in every business where things must change. Either you’re keeping some things or getting rid of them. Sometimes you have to downgrade or upgrade. Change is always lurking when in business. There’s no way to avoid it. Things change around us in society so your business must stay in tune with the community and the things of today.

Have you noticed that just a few years ago we didn’t have self check out? Walmart being one and some other grocery stores allow you to check yourself out. This type of change helps the pockets of the owners by cutting down on hiring cashiers and also helps customers quickly check out. Some things must change. There’s just no way around it.

Whatever your business is, there will come a time when you’ll need to revamp your business, meaning,

• An updated website
• New way of emailing or contacting the company
• New products
• Newsletter list is different
• New delivery time
• Promotion

These are all good changes that could attract new customers, make current customers more interested and make your business look like the next generation.

Some revamping isn’t good but may be needed to help your company

• Hiring or firing employees (Puts a dent in the owners pockets, upsets the employee being fired)
• Relocating (online or a physical location)
• Getting rid of a product or feature you loved (that others loved but wasn’t really selling)
• Changing time of operation

But going through change is never fun. You have to get adjusted, your employees have to get adjusted and more importantly, you customers need to get adjusted. Change is always needed in business. You never want to stay in the same rut when running a business. Your clients will get bored and move to a company that works best for them.

So always be open to change!

-Your Literary Mentor

Dominique Watson

The Importance of a Media Kit

A media kit is very important to have as an author and as a business owner. Many authors and writers are afraid of the word media kit when professionals ask them for it. Creating a media kit is simple and should always be included in any type of submission for your work.

Media kits let professionals know about you and your work. You should create a media for every book that you publish. The reason is, when you submit a request for a review or interview, most of the time authors are promoting their recent work. Their recent work is most likely a book they have published recently. So that professional is going to want to know about that particular book that is being promoted. So it’s a good idea to have a media kit for every one of your books.

It is okay to create a media kit for all books or a general media kit. This type of media kit should have everything about you and all of your work. It should not single out any particular book. The purpose of a media kit is to bring attention to something in particular so when doing a general media make sure that everything is included and you are not singling out one book.

As a business owner, you should also have a media kit. Business owners get interviewed as well and most professionals want a media kit so they can know more about you and know what questions to focus on in the interview.

Bottom line, it’s important to have a media kit. It’s a marketing tool that you will be asked to submit most of the time. We all know that marketing is a very tough part of writing and publishing a book. It is a means to an end; profiting from your hard work and in order to do that we have to promote to make a profit.

So what’s in a media kit? Let’s take a look.

The first thing you should put in your media kit is a bio. Your bio. Your bio should be written in third person and it should include a nice, professional picture of you.

The next thing that should be in a media kit is the book you are submitting about. Your synopsis and book cover should be included. That’s the focal point of the media kit.

Next, should be links. Your website, Facebook, Twitter, blog all social media networks. Wherever people can get in contact with you, those links should be there including an email address.

You should include reviews and interviews as well. Have you had book signings? Do you have pictures from events? Put those in there as well. Anything that is going to help market you, place it in your media kit.

You should start your media kit in Word and then transfer it to PDF. Make it look professional and well put together.

I always tell my clients that as an author, you should be able to do everything yourself. This is one of those things that you can do yourself!

But I also provide this service and can do it for you. If you are interested, contact me at diamondmpresspublications@gmail.com

-Your Literary Mentor

Dominique Watson

Learning to Inspire Yourself

For being such an inspirational person, it’s hard for me to inspire myself. When someone I know or love is going through something, it’s easy for God to come to them through me and for me to pour out God’s word on them to inspire them, but I can’t do that as much with myself.

When someone I know or love is in need of encouragement I know exactly what to say to help them through but ask yourself, can you inspire yourself?

When dealing with writer’s block, business is slow; not running the way you feel it should, you’re in a rut, the publisher is not meeting your needs, etc can you help yourself?

Business is not always a float. Sometimes we feel like we’re drowning in the daily duties of running a business. Even trying to publish your book; finish your book, sometimes you still feel like it’s just too much even if it’s our first love; our passion.

I believe that a business mentor or any mentor can help but that’s not always the case. I personally do not have a business mentor and sometimes I wish I did. Sometimes I have questions I can’t answer myself and sometimes I need just an encouraging word to help me get through.

That’s where learning to inspire yourself comes in.

First:

Look at the positives in your situation

Look at how far you’ve come in your business/work. (That has to count for something right)

Take a break (sometimes taking a break brings you back to the face of your work refreshed and renewed)

Don’t give up!

That last one is the most important. Don’t give up. In anything, there’s always a good stretch and then a bad stretch. You will have to endure some bad days. Stick with what you know and keep pushing. You have to get through the bad to see the good and in no time the good will show.

Your Literary Mentor

-Dominique

Knowing your Competition

Do you know about those that are in the same business as you? Do you know about the writers that write in your genre? Have you researched those that are in the same category as you? If you haven’t, you should.

For one, if you are a writer, it’s good to read in your genre, especially a best seller. Find out what they are doing to get their books in more stores or have more appearances. Research! If you are in business, find out what that business owner does to bring in more customers. Why are these clients more interested them? These are things you need to find out.

Now, I’m not saying go snooping around and get dirt on them. I’m saying pay attention to those who are ahead of you. In reality, they are in a place where you are trying to get and you are trying to find out how to get to “your” place in that line of work.

So know your competition. Read the books of those that write in your genre and know what that business owner has done differently to get ahead. Make it motivation and inspiration for your own drive!

Your Literary Mentor

-Dominique