Online Places For Writing Inspiration

Sometimes the idea of writing is easier than actually doing it. Commonly referred to as ‘writer’s block’ nearly any one who’s written, or attempted to write, has encountered this inconvenient phenomenon. So, what do you do when you’ve ran smack dab into the middle of the wall? You turn seek out other places to jump charge your creativity. The best place to look is also one of the most accessible – the internet. Here are a few areas worth exploring when you find yourself at a loss for words.

Blogs

With millions of blogs already in existence and thousands of new ones popping up daily, you’re bound to find some interesting perspective to kick start your engine. Head over to Google and start searching for blogs with a few choice keywords to see what you get. Don’t feel overwhelmed or think that you need to read each and every blog or post that surfaces. Instead, do some skimming and when a headline or sentence grabs your attention, dive in for the details.

Forums

One of the most overlooked repositories for excellent and inspiring nuggets, forums exist on nearly every topic and subject that you can imagine. They’ve very simple to search and quickly scannable. Find one that strikes your fancy and dig around a little to see what people are talking about, sharing or weighing-in on.

Video

Beyond YouTube there are plenty of other video hosting sites like Vimeo and Blip.tv. Videos are power sources for great content that stimulates multiple senses and sometimes that all you need to get going.

Del.ici.ous

Not only is this one of the most popular social media bookmarking sites, but it’s also a hot bed of resources and saved blog posts, articles, headlines and URLs that can easily be scoured to spark an idea or two. You can search by keyword or user and you also can see how many other people are bookmarking the same topic. This makes it effortless to identify trends, as well as duds.

If you’re having a hard time trying to find motivation, take a look at what’s happening online. Happy hunting.

From An Idea To Writing A Book

One of the most challenging parts of writing your first, or ninth, novel is trying to come up with an idea. For anyone who’s made an attempt at pulling together a background or concept for a book you know what a headache the process can be. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, nearly every writer struggles with overcoming many of the same hurdles. Follow the steps below to help begin the process.

1.  Write It Down

Organize your ideas by using mind mapping tools and idea clouds. By writing everything out you’ll begin to see how connections can be formed and you might discover a few new angles too.

2.  Outline The Content

Once you’ve decided how your ideas will be pulled together, organize them. This means transitioning from the free thought approach that you took in step one. Use the outline to illustrate logical steps that will take you as a writer and also the reader from the beginning to the middle to the end of your book.

3.  Edit, Edit & Edit

Actual writing is a wonderful thing. You’ll feel elated as you begin to see the pages accumulate in your manuscript. However, as proud as you may be it’s important to take a step back and include unbiased individuals in the review process. Use a professional editor or a trusted (and experienced) member of your target audience to flesh out inconsistencies and errors.

4.  Print & Publish

Once you’re satisfied with your final creation it’s time for printing and publishing. Depending on what route you’ve chosen to take, you may be working with a literary agent, a traditional publishing house or perhaps you’ve decided to self-publish or explore print on demand options. Whichever path you choose you’ll need to weave in how you’ll distribute, sell and market your book.

Undoubtedly there will be hiccups and mishaps along the way, but remember to stay strong and be persistent. Positive thinking and enthusiasm are instrumental in the process and in reaching your final book goals.

Self Publishing: The Good, The Bad & The Straight-Up

One of the biggest challenges when you’re an author or writer is getting your book published. If you pursue a traditional route and try to land a deal with a literary agent and a publishing house you’ll quickly discover that the idea is much easier than the chances of it actually happening. Fortunately, technology has made it much simpler to produce and distribute a book without having to depend on conventional methods.

The Good

Self-publishing is very appealing because you have complete control over the process from start to finish. You get to decide what to print, when to print and how to print. Plus, you can distribute the final product through a variety of mediums, such as ebooks, audio or print.

Another bonus to self-publishing is that at the end of the process there’s more money in your pocket because you’ve eliminated the bevy of middle men and you also own all rights to your material.

The Bad

Maybe self-publishing isn’t so much ‘bad’ as it is demanding. For instance, all costs need to be paid up front to cover actual production and distribution. Depending on how extensive your public relations campaign is you’ll need to also factor in costs associated with publicity to get the word out and create some buzz about your new publication.

Without the backing of a major literary establishment you’ll be doing a tremendous amount of work to create momentum, including marketing, interviewing, coordinating inventory, managing budget, monitoring reviews and feedback, as well as processing order fulfillment. Be prepared to wear many hats and to get down and dirty if you decide to self-publish.

The Straight-Up

The truth is that it really doesn’t matter what pathway you choose to get your book published. Whether it’s traditional or self-publishing, each has it’s own set of pros and cons. The bottom line is that it takes hard work, patience and resourcefulness. Setting yourself apart from the masses is key to being stand out in front of literary agents and also your audience. Remember that both groups have thousands of choices so it’s important to demonstrate why you’re the best one.

Decide what you want to do and stick with it. Think like a business professional and you’ll be on your way to getting what you need to get your book into the hands of readers.

Authors, Books, Business & Multiple Streams of Income

As an author, selling your book should be first and foremost on your list of to dos. Selling copies leads to revenue and that’s what pays the bills. Beyond selling your book, did you know that there are other profit avenues that you can explore and expand on? Well, there are and to make things easy, we’re highlighting a few of them below.

Ebooks

These days, quick access is the name of the game. With the advent  of the internet, people have become more impatient and used to clicking a button to download what they want. Fortunately, you have the ability as an author to tap into the world of instant gratification for consumers by creating an ebook. Convert your printed version into a PDF document and charge for live downloads and online purchases.

Audio

We’re a race of people on the go. From working out at the gym to extended commute times to the office, there seem to be fewer hours available to curl up and enjoy a good book. Not anymore. Authors can adapt to the fast-paced lifestyle of people by developing an audio version of their books. It can easily be downloaded and burned to a CD or MP3 player for portability and listened to while on the move.

Ecommerce

Brick and mortar retail locations are great and they’re certainly not going extinct anytime soon. However, make it more convenient for readers to purchase your book by incorporating ecommerce into your website. Customers can avoid long lines and inventory fluctuations when they buy directly from your site.

Affiliate Programs

The largest affiliate program comes from Amazon Associates and if you’re an author it’s a must that you join. Through the program, website owners feature Amazon.com ads on their sites for books and products. When site visitors click on your ad, you receive a commission for the sale of your book. There are many affiliate programs available, as well as resources that compare and contrast their features and benefits. Do your homework and find one that suits your needs and you’ll be on your way to sales and profits in no time.

There are many other ways to generate additional points of income from your book. Explore the web for inspiration and test the waters for yourself.

eBook Marketing Plan

You’ve written your eBook. You’re ready to share it with readers. What is your next step? Promoting your ebook requires some marketing creativity and tenacity. Roll up your sleeves and put on your marketing cap. These marketing basics will get things moving in the right direction. You can always customize and build on them once they’re in place.

Start with an ebook mini-marketing plan. It doesn’t have to be fancy or deeply detailed to start. Just a nice, tidy outline that answers some key questions and lists some of your primary objectives with your ebook. For instance, who is your audience? Where is your audience? How many downloads are you aiming for per month? You can easily outline this in a simple one-sheet, but make sure to put some thought and consideration into your questions and answers, as well as realistic and attainable objectives.

Use what you’ve got. Take the resources and tools that are already available to you and use them to your advantage. For instance, if you have a blog, use it as a vehicle to build a marketing campaign for your ebook. Create an editorial calendar and start planning your blog posts around themes directly related to your ebook. Tie in a link to your ebook and a call-to-action for ebook downloads in each and every post. Make sense?

Here’s where your social media profiles come in handy. Update your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts with ebook mentions and links. Get the word out that your ebook has arrived and  that you’re ready to share it. Consider putting together a download contest and challenge fans and followers to try and be the 100th person to download. Award the winner with a prize like an iPod that includes an audio version of your ebook.

Make your ebook front and center on your website. Feature it prominently on your homepage and use starbursts and call-outs on subsequent pages to remind visitors to download a copy of the ebook. You’ll also need to drive traffic to your website. Write articles and press releases announcing the launch of your ebook and start posting and distributing them on ezine sites.

With a little effort, you can create momentum and generate buzz about your ebook and do it all with out breaking your bank.