Athena Dean Holtz is the co-founder of Redemption Press and host of Always Faithful Radio Group, mentions the book Nam Vet: Making Peace with your Past (paperback here | e-book here) and how it sold 10,000 copies before it got a press behind it and has gone on to sell hundreds of thousands. Self-publishing can be an incredible tool, especially if you have an already-built audience.
Athena’s Publishing Tips
Be teachable!!! Use an editor, and critique group!
Have someone critique who isn’t your “yes” person and doesn’t know your entire back story. Too much familiarity can cause your reader to subconsciously fill in the gaps.
A speaker (or anyone who has a built-in audience) may need product right away – and self-publishing is a great way to fill this need.
Recommends Lightning Source for Print on Demand
Take the Time to Set Up:
Cover
Editing & Critiquing
Layout
Walk around Barnes and Noble and check out what you like. Write down your themes and commonalities so you can get the branding you want.
What an amazing Writers Chat session today! Kevin Buchanan, author of The World Needs Your Hustle, (available Jan 2016) shared his 4 Steps to Accomplishing ANY goal, and we shared why and how to use a word for your year’s resolution.
Check it out here: Helping others accomplish their goals helps you accomplish yours. @kevinbuchanan
Kevin Buchanan’s 4 step system to accomplishing your goals:
Get specific – What do you want? What is your goal? Now narrow it. Get even more specific to focus your on your goal.
Determine your why. Why do you want to accomplish that goal? There is always a deeper reason WHY you want to accomplish your goal.
Create an action plan. What can you do this week to get you closer to your goal?
Celebrate your accomplishment! What can you do to reward yourself after 30 days.
What is your word of the year for 2016?
Mine is mogul.[Tweet “Helping others accomplish their goals helps you accomplish yours. Via @kevinbuchanan”]
Setting Goals
Don’t announce a huge goal at the beginning of Jan
Start from the smallest to the largest goal
Starting small is ok because bigger opportunities will come
Be realistic – you can’t do it all in one day
What do you have to do today to get you goals accomplished by the end of the year?
Are you prepared for this new year? We are spinning off of Tamsen Horton’s Quarterly Planning system (click here to see it!). See how Bethany, Jean, and Johnnie each plan out their writing and business calendars here:
How to set realistic goals:
Know what works your business may not work for everyone and vice versa!
Know your core why or reason you established your business. Your why is crucial to your goals, dreams, and living a fulfilled life.
Planning helps you respect your time, including the weekends and rest time!
Writer’s Chat Overview
All the writers reviewed the Business Flower Plan, inspired by Tamsen Horton.
Tip: Turn off the computer to get more things done! Be sure to establish boundaries for family time and sleep, although as an entrepreneur, you are going to lose some sleep.
[Tweet “Your why is crucial to your goals, dreams, and living a fulfilled life. @_kevinbuchanan”]
We have a treat today on Writers Chat! Our guest is New York Times bestselling author Liz Tolsma, who talks about writing and researching historical romance.
Historical Fiction: The dilemma of what is true and what is fiction.
Today’s topic is resources – the tools we use to make our lives easier. Join us to hear about your favorite tips and tools, as well as add some great apps to your arsenal.
The live stream and replay are below. To subscribe to the show or join in the chat, please click here to go to the stream.
On today’s special edition of Writers Chat, we have guest authors Ben Wolf and Kristen Stieffel of Splickety Publishing Group sharing tips on writing speculative fiction…but I have a feeling we’ll be diving into flash fiction, editing, and the importance of writers conferences as well!
