First Word

  What are common mistakes writers make?   Mistake #1 – Self-doubt : Oh, this one can actually kill careers. Self-doubting writers lack confidence in their work. Projects get scuttled even before they can be finished. The anxiety and fear that their work will fail before it even sees the light of day holds many writers back from finishing what they start.   Mistake #2 – Not studying writing itself . Key mistakes get made out of sheer lack of education. An overall story can be really fantastic but so poorly executed that it’s unreadable. Mistakes like overwriting scenes and focusing on minutia versus pushing a story forward (and it’s all equal when it comes to fiction or nonfiction) can bog down your manuscript. You can hire a copy editor to clean up those minor mistakes, but the writing itself needs to be solid.   Mistake #3 – Writers who lack grammar skills and make their work almost impossible to read . Editing is a profession in and of itse...

  Today I wanted to discuss challenges every writer faces. I’m going to discuss them in no particular order or emphasis.   Lack of confidence – many writers don’t get published or even try to publish due to a lack of confidence in their talents and skills. I’ve published hundreds of articles and books, and yet I still struggle with confidence in my work. Writing requires readers, and readers can be critical. It can be difficult to put your work in the public eye and not feel sensitive about it. One thing that helps me is to be open to improvement. When someone gives me feedback – and as long as it’s done in a productive manner – I’m open-minded about it and don’t take it personally … anymore . I used to feel like an abject reject lol … age and wisdom have taught me the phrase “it’s all good.”   Uncertainty with a story idea and whether or not it will be a commercial success . Over the years, I have learned that when a story is going to be a hit, it will ...

  I hear authors routinely say, “I am writing a book.” However, I don’t see a lot of results from those declarations. A small percentage of authors actually produce a book. It seems that declaring you’re writing a book and really finishing a book don’t always go hand in hand. It’s not that people can’t write or aren’t talented, it’s really about motivation. How do you stay motivated to start and finish your book? Some of it has to do with authors who get bogged down in their own ideas of perfection. I’ve seen authors spin in circles around their first chapter. In fact, I’ve seen authors never get past their first chapters and stay stuck. These writers get caught up in every word and every little element of their writing. First, just keep writing and writing, and remember, you always have an editor who will help make the necessary adjustments. It’s easy to lose motivation if you can’t even move onto Chapter 2. So, keep momentum and just keep writing and writing. Lea...

Today, new titles like Chief Storyteller are being used in place of writer or marketing specialist. Corporate America embraced it, because leaders recognize the power of a great story vs. just generic information. If you can tell a fascinating story about something, it will intrigue, entertain, and attract people’s interest. For example, no one wants to hear just buy this or buy that; they would rather hear a great yarn. When I used to do speaking engagements about my books, I sold the most books when I sat and told stories related to my book. People identify with the stories and relate to them. Storytelling is a great technique to sell both nonfiction and fiction. In the case of nonfiction, you can take ideas and concepts from your book and tell a story about it. Fiction you can pull a story right out of the book (read a chapter). Even if you’re not able to do in-person speaking (Covid) you can still tell stories through Zoom or any other audio or video meeting. ...

  I have a question: What is the one thing that all writers need to be successful? Is it talent? Is it a great literary background? Is it a great story? I'm sure you can think of many other potential answers. So, what do you think it is? That one magical secret for success? The answer: CONFIDENCE Confidence will take you further than all of the things listed above. Why? Because confidence means you believe in yourself AND your skills and expertise to deliver all of those things listed. Confidence gives you the motivation to call literary agents until you find the one who is right for you. Confidence means being fearless and approaching publishers. Confidence means you don't just believe in your work, you believe in YOU. How do you achieve confidence? It's not magical. It's about working and gaining the knowledge and insight that YOU know your stuff. You know you have all of the skills listed above. And you KNOW you can do anything. When you've achiev...

Book reviews are important, and they help attract new readers. You will want book reviews for three reasons:   No. #1 - Spread the word about your book and get your name known as an author . The most important part of getting reviewed beyond even sales is to establish your name as an author. The more recognizable your name bodes well for future sales of more books. You have to think of overall momentum. Your first book may not be a best seller, but the more people who at least read it or see your name may have an important reaction for your second book: "Hey! Don't I know this name already? Didn't she/he write..." Of course, the desired second response is  curiosity to see what the current book is about and the third result, he/she buys it. Name recognition is like star power. Just having a recognizable name on your book is more likely to provoke future sales of other books.   No. #2 - Earn credibility - this one is important, especially for inde...

Do you ever feel wishy-washy when it comes to your writing? I am constantly coming up with ideas and thinking they’re great ones. I’ll start something and just stop. I find I often lose confidence in an idea or become distracted by other projects. In my world, I am trying to hustle and make money. So when a paid opportunity arises, I always take it. Unfortunately, I then find my own writing falling to the wayside. My other issue is losing confidence in my finished work. Oh, now I know my new novel The Abused is a great read. My focus group comments were all positive. My sensitivity comes from concerns about the marketplace. I lose confidence it will sell. As a publisher I’m keenly aware of how competitive the book market has become and saturated with many self-publishers. It takes a lot of effort to move a book into the audience’s hands. Therefore, I am nervous to spend money unless I know I’ll have time to promote it. Are you feeling my points? As an autho...

  Tip #1: Blog – Most blog sites are free . You can use their templates to build your own blog site look and feel. I personally prefer to keep it as professional as possible – especially since I am a business owner promoting a brand ( www.3LPublishing.com ). I like Google’s blogspot (here). Other blog sites are available. Now some authors (depending upon their genres) may feel like their site wouldn't have enough content. In that respect, you can pull out themes from your book and discuss them. You can talk about the writing process. And if you’re really bored, blog about your dog, but just make sure you keep your blog content current. Lack of content makes your blog look abandoned. Tip #2: Social Media posts . I have to admit that sometimes social media can be invasive what with people messaging me about private matters. I have even had moments where I wanted to de-activate my social media, but that would be a mistake. It sends the wrong message. It als...

I've watched readers and behavior when interacting with books. Here are the three things you want to be your very best to close a sale: 1. Enticing book cover -- the very first thing that lures in readers is a great book cover. A great book cover is the first draw to get a prospective reader to pick up your book. It's the first step toward a sale. 2. Fantastic title -- readers walk up, they see an intriguing title. A great title should be interesting, mysterious, intriguing, and not so own the nose direct that it won't spark the question, "What is this book about?" Note: If your title is esoteric or unique, make sure your subtitle tells the reader what the book is really about. Your subtitle should be direct. 3. Captivating back-cover copy -- reader picks up book based on cover and title and what does he/she do next? Flip the book over and read the back-cover copy. I've learned that you need to make sure your copy reaches the right audience. My boo...

1. Create the Table of Contents -- the table of contents is your book's road map (this mostly applies to nonfiction). Creating your table of contents will give you an idea of how to start. In all nonfiction books the structure should make sense in a kind of "unfolding" way. Each chapter should relate somehow to the chapter before it. For example, your introduction to your topic obviously should be in the front of the book. It's a standard approach. Now I am always for break the rules, but know the rules before you break them. 2. Chapter by Chapter -- You can work a chapter at a time finish and go onto the next one. Don't worry about editing until you have a first draft. 3. Outline the Structure of Each Chapter -- You will want the same road-map approach for each chapter, too. Once you have an acceptable outline back fill the content.

1. Every writer needs an editor including the publisher who uses three editors on her own book, Body in the Trunk . The day you think you can see all the mistakes is the day you get awarded "God-Spell" ;) LOL. 2. Selling a book bundle takes the same amount of time as selling a single book, so bundles are great and net more income. I always say it takes 10 minutes to sell $14.95 or $30.95. You might as well offer a bundle and make some real money. 3. The cover matters more than the content . Yes, no riots, please. People are drawn to your book by the cover. We're a visual society. Always make the cover draw them in.

If there is anything I hear all of the time as a publisher is "I have this story ..." Do you know what sets people apart? You have the dreamers and the doers. The doers walk up to me with a finished manuscript and pitch it. The dreamers always say, "I have a book in me." The dreamers will never do much more than say the words. The doers will get it published. I like to dream -- but I like to dream and then do. No dream is too big or too small to pursue. I think what gets me going is feeling inspired and excited. What I like about having a partner is that he inspires me. He gets excited. And while we dream together we do it. Our latest project is a children's book that sprung from a five-minute conversation into reality. You have to know you can do anything you set your mind to doing. Sometimes you might need help and guidance to make your story more than a dream. Believe me when I say anything can be accomplished -- especially when you have help. We provid...

eBooks are definitely taking over . Don't ignore the eBook revolution -- it's happening. While print is currently dominating, don't expect that to last past the next two to three years. The industry will continue to shift much like the cell phone put the land line into check. Yes, there are still land lines, but I don't even use one in my business. Watch that trend to continue with eBooks until print is strictly "novelty" vs. norm. Authors who fail to support their books will not win the game . Let me give you an example. Josh Mathe, author of In the Footsteps of Greatness, recently embarked on a book tour at the regional REI stores. He sold books directly to readers, but also his eBook and print sales reflected his activities. Other authors who either get tired, bored, frustrated or give up will see sales reflect their own attitudes about their books. Everyone can publish via publishing services, the market is glutted, and you better know how to make your...

Did you know 70 percent of Amazon top sellers are now produced from small- to medium-sized and independent publishers? Why is that trend growing? 1. Independent publishers offer one-on-one service and attention to their clients . Writers don't get absorbed into the book publishing corporate food chain where they may end up with half-a-dozen different editors and representatives on their projects over the course of their experiences. 2. New and first-time authors often cannot break into the corporate publishers because they either don't have a platform (AKA as following) or because they are unknown and unproven . Independent publishers give new authors an opportunity to get their books published where doors might otherwise be closed. 3. Greater attention to the content and book-coaching services to create award-winning books . Many of our company's books have won awards. These first-time authors might not have won without our seasoned guidance and professionalism to cr...

3L Publishing's (www.3LPublishing.com) mission is to work with new and emerging authors to help them achieve their dreams. We strive for excellence in everything we publish, and as a result our books win awards and sometimes go on to become Amazon top sellers. Many people often have a book or a story to tell, but they aren't professional writers. Some of these people come to us for ghostwriting services or book coaching. We specialize in these services. You might be surprised to know sometimes would-be authors show up with absolutely nothing but an idea. We can help them develop the idea and then write it. It might surprise you to know that if we're going to ghostwrite a project, we prefer the author to show up with the idea in mind vs. a weak manuscript. Why? Because a weak manuscript becomes the author's disappointment when we start revising it. They sometimes feel like it was a waste of time or maybe we don't want them to have wasted their time. Working wit...

"The book business is hard," said an author. "Yes, the book business is a business ," replied the publisher. The glamor of publishing seems, well, glamorous. Book signings, parties, congratulations, book reviews, and attention. Reality is though -- it's a business . No getting around it. No matter how you look at publishing and books, it requires effort, time and pressure. Have you ever been to a dozen signings in three weeks? Is it fun? It's always fun. But after the 200th signature and a lot of talking and selling, it hits home -- this is work. Doing the marketing and supporting the book -- work. Staying the course with book when you're exhausted and maybe worked a whole other job during the day -- work. Writing marketing material and blogs and social media posts and generally trying to be consistently brilliant and clever -- work. Would I trade this business for any other? No! When authors want to publish their books, I always try to ensure they...

The most successful authors who consistently sell books are the most persistent and tenacious -- and they understand it's a business. The book business is a challenge. You have a lot of competition out there. The self-publishing and eBook business have invited the average person to publish a book. The biggest mistake I see any author make let alone a self-published author is to release it on Amazon and wait ... and wait ... and that's usually about the time the author shows up on my doorstep and says, "I've sold a few books. Why aren't they selling?" I tell authors the flat reality of publishing: it's 50 percent writing and 50 percent business . As writers we sometimes get so into the process of writing and love doing it, we falsely believe our books will just sell. Voile! Books don't magically sell on their own. Behind every top seller is a marketing and public relations campaign. That some books are received better by the buying public is the ma...

As a traveling publisher, I meet all kinds of readers and people in general. So for your entertainment, we're going to use our Friday Morning Musing to quote the funniest things or comments I hear from readers. "I don't like books." -- book festival patron(s) "Do you read a lot?" -- someone wondering about my love of reading (I'm a publisher and editor) "Is this a real publishing company?" -- I am inevitably asked this in my booth space with about 50 books in my display. Now here are the funniest things authors say. I want to give you a preemptive strike. If you get the actual publisher on the phone, don't say any of these things. It will be a huge strike against you, and a publisher's time is precious. It's a deadline-driven business. "My first chapter sucks." "I don't know what my book is about." "I don't think it will sell." "It's not very good." I realize you prob...

I am looking forward to the book festivals getting started. The funny stories await me. People are really something to watch, and book festivals almost always supply the "moments". Speaking of the moments ... so I meet 3L Publishing author Scott D. Roberts for lunch to discuss his forthcoming book Hidden Agenda . We're both kind of wise cracks, and he comes up with the absolutely best line that is what they call in the commercial "priceless". So here is why if you're a creative person you should always either keep a notepad (albeit your cell phone works too) by your bed (you know to capture dreams) or at least keep one in your pocket. Three days later, he texts me, "What was that line again?" It's a great line and now he wants to use it in the book -- and he can't remember. I couldn't remember the exact words, which were succinct and crisp. Lesson numeral uno: you never know when greatness will strike so you better keep a pen and paper...

Britney, 3L Publishing's copy editor, recently said this about writing vs. authorship. She said, a writer loves to write. An author sits down and professionally writes a novel. I've been asked that question many times. I never distinguished the difference the way she described. Although I've written five books, I didn't give the title of author much thought nor did I consider whether or not I was a writer or an author per se. I typically say "writer," and I've used that moniker to describe myself for decades. I've done so many different kinds of writing including screenwriting and magazine writing that I feel it fits best. These days as a publisher, though, I am prone to neglect my own books. Writing at various times becomes a difficult creative process. I find that I sometimes even avoid it. I can write easily enough (e.g., see this blog), but I can spend days or even weeks rolling thoughts about story around in my mind. Everyone has their own crea...