Five Reasons I Read and Respond to Email--And You Should Too

In various online and print articles and from time management experts, I have read repeatedly that we should take control of the number of times we read our email. Some people recommend you do it only once or twice a day rather than checking your phone or email many times during a day. I understand the reason for this suggestion since most of us check our email too much—to the annoyance of our relatives sometimes. You do have to be controlled about when you check it—but in this article I want to give you a contrarian type of answer—about reasons you should be reading it”

1. Opportunities come in various emails. Recently another author asked me to write the foreword for their book. I looked at the book and agreed then wrote my foreword and sent it via email.  I have a new forthcoming writing book and I've been gathering endorsements for this book and a foreword. I've done this work through email. Edtors ask authors to write articles for magazines and much more via email—provided you are faithfully reading them and responding in a timely way.

2. Book contracts come via email.  Years ago, contracts were sent in the regular snail mail. Today with secure servers and such, contracts are often sent via email. You can also print, sign, scan the pages and return the contract to the publisher through email. It is how I have been working with authors on their book contracts at Morgan James for the last several years.

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3. Money comes in email. As I've mentioned in these articles, I am involved in affiliate marketing. Some of the emails that I send through my email list promote others and their products. If you attend their event and buy their products, then I get a percentage of the sale as an affiliate. I explain more about affiliate marketing in this free ebook, You Can Make Money (use the link to get it and learn more and become one of my affiliates for my products).

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4. I learn about writing reading my email. I'm on other people's email list—and I have an email list. I believe every writer needs to be growing an email list. If you don't know how to get started on an email list, I have a little product called The List Building Tycoon After you have an email list, you need to be using it on a regular basis.

5. I communicate with authors through email. As an editor, I send a lot of email to authors. It's how I set up phone meetings and for some people, I send them book contracts from our Morgan James publication board.

I'm certain there are more than five reasons why I read my email and respond but these will give you ideas for your own email reading. It's why I read my email and respond to it throughout the day—every day.

Do you have boundaries for reading and responding to your email? Let me know in the comments below.

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10 Tips to Sell Your Photos Online

For a moment, stop and think about the photos you've snapped on your digital camera or on your computer’s hard drive right.

Now consider your answers to these questions:

• Are there are any photos of dogs, cats, birds or other pets? • Are there any photos of other animals, like wildlife? • Are there any photos of people, like cute babies? • Are there any photos of nature, such as forests, mountains, and beaches? • Are there any photos of landmarks? • Are there any other interesting photos, like bridges, rainbows, sunrises, waterfalls, buildings, etc?

If so, you could be sitting on an absolute fortune!

That’s because people love buying photos online, especially through stock photo sites and photo product sites.

And you can get your share of the money by following these 10 tips for selling your photos online…

1. Find out what people want. The easiest way to sell your photos online is by focusing on the photos that people really want to buy.

Example: Go to istockphoto.com to see what’s popular. Then create something similar.

2. Focus on one subject. People who buy photos on products (like t-shirts) or those who buy photos to upload to their websites don’t want cluttered photos. So when you take a picture, be sure to focus on one primary subject.

3. Edit the photos. Of course sometimes clutter is unavoidable – and that’s ok, as long as you crop and edit the photo using software like Gimp.org.

4. Create transparent or white backgrounds. This is particularly important if you’re selling your photos on stock photo sites.

Example: If a person wants a photo of a laptop, they want JUST the laptop – they don’t want to see the table it was sitting on when you took the photo.

5. Upload photos to stock photo sites. Want a quick and easy way to start selling photos TODAY? Then upload your photos to sites like istockphoto.com.

6. Put your photos on photo products. This one takes a little more time to get set up, as you’ll want to proof the products before you start selling them. But you can charge more for these products, which makes photos products (like t-shirts and coffee mugs) very profitable.

7. Create themed packages.

Example: Create a package of 25 photos of poodles. Or create a package of famous landmarks. Point is, photo packages will sell better if the photos are related.

8. Offer exclusive licenses. Sometimes you may sell the same photo to hundreds of different people. At other times, you may consider selling exclusive licenses so that just one person has the rights to this photo. You may charge hundreds of dollars or more!

9. Market your photos. Sure, you’ll make some money by uploading your photos to stock photo sites and photo product sites. But you’ll make even more money if you cast a wider net by advertising your photos.

Example: You can start a Fan Page on Facebook.com or post an ad on CraigsList.org.

10. Create an email list. Finally, be sure to keep in contact with your prospects or customers by starting an email list. If you don't have a list, then take my free 21 lesson course (follow this link) or get my inexpensive Ebook The List Building Tycoon to learn this important skill. Then with your own email list, you can turn buyers into repeat buyers!

Whether you’re new to selling photos online or you’re a seasoned pro, you can make more money by using the above tips. But to make even more money, then you need to get your hands on The 31 Day Guide to Selling Photos Online. You can get your copy right here: http://www.moneywithphotos.com/

A Key Tool For Every Author

From my years in publishing, I've learned authors are a stubborn bunch. Most of us have huge dreams for our writing. We want other people to read it, publish our work, pay us fairly for our work—yet we don't want to actively be involved in marketing our work and telling other people about our writing. We want to create and write more words. I've been consistently teaching writers to add regular marketing to their writing life. These skills are something that everyone can learn—and it's not too early (or late) in the process for you to begin building your audience.

Recently I met with a much-published author who had a stack of proposals and ideas for books that he wanted to write. I admired his drive and desire to write new books. He does have some websites and I checked out those sites. During our conversation, he mentioned that he didn't have a platform or visibility in the market.

As I looked at his website, this author was missing a key tool in his arsenal of reaching his audience. He had no list-building device on his website. There are many different forms of this list-building device. In general, the author offers a free Ebook or a free audio or a free special report—in exchange for the reader giving their first name and email address. In the last few years, I've created a number of these types of offers.

For example, my Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to A Rejection-Proof Submission is a free Ebook. I promote this Ebook on my name website, my blog and a number of other places including twitter.

When you create one of these tools, you are gathering names and emails for an email list. Each time you send an email (whether a single offer) or an e-zine, you include the removal or unsubscribe links so the reader can no longer receive your mailings.

Everyone begins with a small number of subscribers then through providing consistent quality materials, your list grows and your audience grows. To me, List Building is a key tool for every author or would-be author. It doesn't matter if you are writing nonfiction or fiction, poetry or novels or magazine articles, every writer and author should be working on this regular communication tool.

To help you with more of the details about how to build a list, I've launched The List Building Tycoon. This step-by-step guide will teach you the various elements of list building and start today to gather your audience. This 76–page resource is backed with my 60 day risk-free guarantee.

Whether you get my List Building Tycoon ebook or not, I hope you will begin to take action and develop your own audience. It's a key step for every author.

Continually Build Your Audience

It's one of the simple yet necessary actions for every author or would-be author. They need to continually build their audience—people who follow them, learn from them, enjoy whatever they have to say and read their work and finally buy their products and services.

While the need is simple, the importance can't be overstated. There is a great deal of competition for our attention in today's marketplace.

There are multiple ways to build this audience for your message. For years, I've encouraged authors to regularly write a newsletter and send it out. I've been building my own newsletter list since February 2004. On a regular basis I send this publication to my audience. This consistent communication device helps you:

• Build your expertise and credibility in the marketplace
• Allows you to encourage and motivate others
• Gives you a means to share information
• Gives you the ability to sell your products and services

Yet here is one of the keys with a newsletter—you need to continually add subscribers and build your audience. One of the easiest ways is to give away a free Ebook or something of value to the people you want to attract. In exchange for the free Ebook, the reader has to give you their first name and email address. Through this exchange you build the reach of your audience and message.

For several years, I've been using a tool to build my subscriber list called PopUp Domination. Whether you have a regular website or a Word Press blog, PopUp Domination is a great resource because it allows the reader to easily sign up for your free offer. In addition to receiving the free offer, that reader is added to your list of subscribers for ongoing communication.

I use this tool on several different websites including the one with my name: www.terrywhalin.com. If you go to this site, you will see that you can receive my free Ebook, Platform-building Ideas for Every Author.

Another place I use PopUp Domination is at the sign-up page for my affiliate program: www.terryinfo.com If you go to this page, you will see the pop up for my free Ebook, You Can Make Money and the simple sign up buttons.

A third place where I use PopUp Domination is on my Book Proposal Coach website: www.bookproposalcoach.com. You will receive a 91–page Ebook, Book Proposals That Sell Extra Special Report.

Currently PopUp Domination is announcing the third version of their program. I recommend you look into it as an important tool in your arsenal of building your subscribers and audience for your message.

Become A Magazine Editor

Some of you will have to use your imagination a bit because you don't have a lot of publishing experience or even if you have publishing experience, just let go and imagine for a few minutes.

You've been offered a new position as a magazine editor. Now your responsibility is to reach your target audience with solid writing on a regular basis. You will have to write a few articles. You will have to reach out to other writers and get their material. You will look for some products to review and advertise. Then you will add subscribers and be involved in the business aspects of producing your publication.

Feel a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility? It doesn't have to overwhelm you. In fact, there are easy-to-use resources to help you create the content for your publication.

I've often encouraged writers to begin their own magazine—an electronic newsletter. This magazine is a consistent way you can reach out and touch your audience with solid content—and remind them that you want to help them in your particular subject or area of expertise. I have had a newsletter for many years, Right-Writing News. Follow the link and you can see it and subscribe to it. When you subscribe you will receive free ebooks—and access to all of my years of back issues.

Publishers, editors and agents are actively looking for good writers but they want these writers to come to them with a ready-made audience. What are you doing to create this audience? Yes, you are working at your writing and storytelling skills—which is excellent. But are you making audience-building a priority? I hope so because having a ready-made audience could be the tipping point between finding your champion inside the publishing house and a form rejection.

Robert W. Bly has been one of my long-term friends and a mentor in this area of newsletter creation and marketing. His Ebook, Ready-Made Ezines, has a revised second edition and is excellent.

In the first part of this Ebook, Bob provides important details about the creation and writing of an Ezine. He answers important questions such as:

• Why do you do it?
• How frequently to you touch your audience?
• How do you expand your audience and get people's email addresses?
• How can you create it in two hours or less?
• Do you send the Ezine in HTML or text?
• What are the two most important lines in every email?
• What are the 14 things Bob likes to put into his Ezine?

In the second portion, Bob gives the lasting value of this particular resource: ready-to-use Ezine articles on different topics that you can cut and paste into your own Ezine. The articles are organized into ten different categories for easy use.

This valuable resources is an investment in your own writing life but from my view it is well worth it. You will gain education and the practical articles that you can use for weeks into the future to build your own audience. This resource matches a consistent message that I've been giving to writers. Every writer needs to be developing their own audience and their own products.

If you don't have an Ezine, then take the first step with Ready-Made Ezines. If you already have an Ezine, then you will find more ideas and a treasure-trove of ready-t0–use articles. I'm going to be using this resource in the days ahead. How about you?

21 FREE Audience-Building Ideas

Many times over the last several years, I have encouraged writers to start a regular newsletter as an audience building tool. If you don't have a newsletter, then start one. I've pointed out this free 150-page resource to help you start a newsletter.

Today I want to introduce another free resource to build your audience--an e-course from Jimmy D. Brown. This Internet expert is known for his no nonsense, straight-forward approach to creating and selling products online.

If you go to 21 Email Success Tips and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can sign up for this free E-course. In a series of 21 emails you will see how Jimmy is using his list for additional income and also to continually expand his audience.

As a writer, why do you want to continually expand your audience? Publishers and literary agents are looking for writers not only who can write--but who have audiences to sell books. The larger your audience, the more attractive your pitch will be to a prospective publisher. Through this free resource, you can get proven ideas to expand your reach as a writer. Get started today--one email at a time for the next 21 days.

Every Email Counts

Since the beginning of 2004, I've had a newsletter called Right Writing News. Ideally, I write one a month but because of my schedule and other responsibilities, the newsletter hasn't gone out as frequently recently. There are 38 back issues of Right Writing News and it's free to subscribers. These back issues contain more than 400 pages of how-to write articles and information--a rich resources for anyone who wants to learn about writing.

Also anyone who subscribes will receive three valuable Ebooks worth over $100. The main page of Right Writing.com has a pop-up menu which offers the newsletter and anyone can instantly subscribe. It isn't automatic--but generates an email which I manually add the person to my email newsletter list--and they confirm they want the subscription. I know the system isn't perfect but I've been using it for five years and it is what it is. This list has almost 7,000 emails which have been collected over the years.

For many reasons, I've not kept up on processing the emails which go into the web mail for Right-Writing.com. In fact, part of me has been ignoring it. This weekend I looked in the email box and it had over 500 emails. I started to check the emails against my master list to see if the subscriber had gone ahead and gone to the newsletter page and subscribed. In fact, I was hoping they had subscribed, then I could delete the email and move through the pile of unprocessed emails.

Instead I learned that only about two in 100 emails had subscribed. If I had been rushed, I would have deleted 98 people who requested my newsletter yet didn't get on my list. It reminded me of a simple lesson when it comes to newsletters and subscribers: every email counts. It's part of the discussion that many publishers and writers frequently discuss--platform. If you want to sell a book to a traditional publisher, you need a platform. You can build your platform in many different ways (get this free Ebook for some of my ideas) but one of the keys is to gather every email and add it into your newsletter. Then through the newsletter continually build your relationship with the individual. It's something I've been encouraging writers to do and faithfully modeling for several years.

Platform building and building an online presence are two chapters in my Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. Part of my motivation in writing this book was to encourage every author to understand some proactive steps they can take to build an audience and presence in today's marketplace.

During the next few days, I will be processing the Right Writing email address--and adding those emails to my list. I want each person who wants the free newsletter to have it and profit from that valuable information. Once again I was reminded of the value of each email.

Meet A Need--Build A Quick Audience

It's a rather frequent conversation that I have with authors about their visibility in the marketplace. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, publishers and literary agents want to work with writers who have a direct personal relationship to their audience. In these entries on The Writing Life, I've encouraged you to build that relationship through regular communication, such as starting a blog or electronic newsletter.

One of the keys to building that connection to the audience will be finding a need and filling it. While this aspect is critical for nonfiction, it can work on the fiction side as well. In this entry, I want to tell you about Peter Shankman. He found a need, filled it and built a quick audience in the process. Also every author or publisher will be interested in what he has built because you can tap into this resource.

Peter has a number of reporter friends who were regularly calling him to tap into his large database for story sources. To meet this need of reporters to be connected to specific people, he launched Help A Report Out on Facebook. It quickly grew beyond the limit of 1,200 emails and launched it on the HARO website. If you visit this site, you will see that it is simple to subscribe--and free. You will receive three emails a day from Peter which contain the different reporter needs he has received. If you have a story or a product or something to help the journalist, then you contact that person directly.

Peter makes it clear that individuals should only contact the reporter if they have something to meet their particular need. It is not a way to collect reporters email addresses for more SPAM. If he gets complaints about you, then he can boot you off the list. He has built an impressive series of contacts with a number of high profile outlets in radio, print, television and the Internet.

HARO also makes the reverse service available. If you are writing a book or a magazine article and need a certain type of person, then you can use his other site to broadcast your need and locate a certain type of person.

In a short amount of time, Peter Shankman has built a list of almost 15,000 emails that he writes three times a day. Each one of those emails gives Peter a chance to talk about what he's doing in a paragraph or two before he gives the queries from the last few hours. I've been fascinated to see how he found a need, filled it and is using that need to build relationships--and a quick audience.

Can you do likewise with the topic that you are passionate about?

Everyone Starts Small So Get Started

When I talk with would-be book authors about starting an email newsletter or an ezine, I often hear, "No one will be interested in my newsletter and my list will be so small." Or "What in the world will I write about or use to fill the newsletter (or starting a blog)?" Here's the truth of the matter: everyone starts small. When you start any publication, you put yourself, your spouse and a few close friends to pad your newsletter list and get it going.

The key is to start and then consistently put out your newsletter. It doesn't have to be often but it does have to be consistent and continually grow. Many people talk about writing and even repeatedly go to writers conferences, but the ones who succeed are the ones who continue to grow in their craft--and they consistently write. They write for magazines and they write fiction and nonfiction but they keep working at their writing.

I'm suggesting you can do the same thing when it comes to growing a newsletter. Over four years ago, I started Right-Writing News I had less than 50 subscribers. Today I have thousands of subscribers and this list continues to grow. Yes, I've had a few people unsubscribe but that happens for many reasons and some of them have even unsubscribed then returned. It's a free newsletter and I've produced 32 issues. If you look at the newsletter, I don't write all of it but get articles from my friends and those articles promote their books and other work. You can do the same with your newsletter. It doesn't have to be as much work as it appears. You can download a free 150-page Ebook about this topic but the key is to get it started and grow your relationships with individuals. Newsletters, blogs or a book project or any type of consistent writing project takes work. Just keep the big picture in mind and take the plunge.

In yesterday's mail, I received the May 12th issue of Publishers Weekly and noticed two listings from their bestseller list which are connected to this matter of growing your newsletter list. In past entries about The Writing Life, I've mentioned Debbie Macomber and how she continues to grow her newsletter list and use it. Her new release, Twenty Wishes, is #3 on the hardcover bestsellers fiction list. Debbie is on a 20-city tour to promote the book and at a recent signing in Chicago fans lined up for more than two hours to meet her. Then the magazine says, "Many attendees learned about the signings through e-mails from Macomber. At every appearance, she invites readers to join her e-mail list--already over 90,000 names. Mira reports 480,000 copies in print (of Twenty Wishes)." Macomber has established a personal connection to her audience.

If you flip the page in your Publishers Weekly over to the paperback bestseller/ trade list, you will notice the second entry or Hungry Girl from Lisa Lillien which makes its first week of appearance on the bestseller list. Beside the entry, here's part of what is in the magazine, "Lillien began her Hungry Girl (hungry-girl.com) in 2004 with 100 subscribers; now, she has 440,000. When she announced the book to her readers a month before the April 29 pub date, preorders at online retailers racked up astronomical numbers--it hit #1 at BarnesandNoble.com and #2 at Amazon.com and stayed in the top 10 for the month of April. Griffin (the publisher) reports 400,000 copies after eight printings and expects that figure to increase." Lillien's newsletter is daily which is quite ambitious. You don't have to start there--but do get started.

The value of your list and that direct connection to the author will be evident in your book proposal and pitches to publishers. It will pay off.

As another resource, if you are near Los Angeles, I encourage you to attend Author 101 University, which I mentioned several days ago. In preparation for this conference, three of the speakers have recorded preview calls (Preview call #1 with Brendon Burchard), (Preview Call #2 Steve Gardner) and (Preview Call #3 with Hollywood Agent Ken Atchity). You can follow each of these three links and download these teleseminars to your computer or iPod and listen to them--and profit from the free information. The key--just like this newsletter issue--is to act. There are limited available seats at Author 101 University but it could be the boost you need for your writing life. I'd encourage you to act before the doors close to this unique event.

A Free Link-Maker Resource

The search engines on the Internet love active links which go into your website and links which point to your website. It takes some effort on your part to create these links. Maybe it comes from making comments on various blogs and pointing back to your own site.

Here's a new tool that I've started using called Real Link Finder. It's easy to use and the creator Neil Shearing has created some excellent brief instructional videos to show you exactly how to use this tool.

I've been using this free tool and it works well. It was simple to download, install and use which amounts to an unbeatable combination.

With a few clicks, you can change the website address that you are leaving with your relevant comment. Whether you have a new book or a new website or are simply trying to build your newsletter list, tools like Real Link Finder are valuable to put into your marketing arsenal.

Find Your Own Way

For many years I've been listening to writers as they pitch their ideas and manuscripts. As I've written about in these entries in the past, each one believes they have hit on a "hole" in the marketplace with their idea and it's bound for the bestseller list. I admire their enthusiasm then often I look at bit closer at what they are actually doing to make that idea a bestseller. It's one of the places that the process has broken down for them. They have created something--a manuscript, a book proposal, a novel. In the next breath they tell me they have no visibility in the marketplace. It's normally where the conversation breaks down in my view because the writer begins to tell me they have no interest in marketing or they have no money or they have been focused on writing their book or _________ (you fill in the blank).

If there was a one, two, three point formula, then the publishers would have figured it out a long time ago since they have to create a financially viable business to keep their doors open. It is not an exact science and each person has to find their own way toward success (however they define success).

Some writers are stuck in research mode. You know if you are one of these folks. You've read every book, purchased almost every product and attended almost every writers conference. Your commitment to learning and acquiring information is admirable and applauded but you have not put your shoulder to the wheel and written or submitted your work or marketed your work. These writers plan on launching a website but have only gotten as far as purchasing the domain. These writers are thinking about a newsletter but haven't launched one. The key is to get moving into the marketplace and find your own way.

In the last few days, I completed reading Stephanie Chandler's excellent book, From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur, Make Money with Books, eBooks, and Information Products. She points to some different resources than I've used in the past and has solid information. I liked her focus as she says in the preface, "My goal is always to exceed my customer expectations and this strategy has served me well in every business endeavor." I identified with this goal because it's also been my intention as I've created products or magazine articles or my teaching at writers' conferences (like this coming week at the Florida Writers Association). It was good to read Chandler's line, "There is an eager market of buyers out there. My goal is to show you how to develop and market your own products. One of the greatest advantages of selling information products is that they can essentially become passive income--money you make while you sleep. Once the work is done and you’ve created a high-quality product, and you’ve automated the product sales and delivery process, your primary role will be to continue marketing your products. That's where the real fun begins."

Here's several basics that Chandler highlights for the reader saying, "There is no single secret to success, though there are many tips to help you along the way…

Everyone is an expert at something: Whatever your expertise, whether it's fly fishing, yoga, parenting, knitting, sales or customer service, you have something to teach others who know less than you do.

The Internet is a powerful venue for reaching customers: Learn to maximize your reach in order to run an efficient and profitable business.

Marketing is an investment in your business: Rare is the business that succeeds without marketing. Try a variety of strategies and repeat the ones that work best.

Don't be afraid to ask questions: Nobody has all the answers and most people are willing to help. Just ask!

Invest in other people’s information products: Not only will you have the chance to learn something new, but you can evaluate the content and begin to understand the formula for success. It's also good karma to support people whose work you admire.

Persevere: My favorite word in the English language. There will be days when you feel as if you are spinning your wheels for nothing. But eventually, with enough effort, something magical happens. It all starts to come together.

Never stop learning: I don't care what industry you are in. Things change. Rules change. People change. Stay on top of your area of expertise. Learn about new technology. Remember how much fun it can be to learn something new and how rewarding it is to succeed." (page xi to xii) I recommend From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur. Read it and you will be sure to learn something.

I love what Armand Morin says repeatedly about success: "Success leaves traces." If you want to succeed in publishing, then you need to continually work at finding your own way.

Updated Straight Talk

Last October, I wrote about the Amazon Short program as a way for authors to gain additional exposure with a short original article. Some people will recall that I created Straight Talk From The Editor, 18 Keys To A Rejection-Proof Submission as a part of this program. A number of people have purchased this Short and especially when it released it was the number one ranked Short at Amazon. Part of the arrangement with this Amazon program is that they receive an exclusive arrangement on the material for the first six months then they switch into a non-exclusive arrangement. I suspect many of the authors have pressed on to other things and don’t think about this arrangement.

Over the last few weeks, I've been working toward using Straight Talk From The Editor for some other purposes. It's part of the suggestions I've made to repurpose content. I took the edited version of this manuscript and updated it for my own purposes. I added links into the PDF file which will be a greater benefit for the reader. Plus I've switched from working for a publisher to being a literary agent since Straight Talk From the Editor released. I wanted the updated version to appear as professional as the Amazon version. With a brief Google search, I learned about Ebooks Graphics.com which sells templates for Ebooks along with simple instructions for using it. I created this version of Straight Talk From the Editor as you can see from this different graphic.

How do I get the maximum use for this updated version? I'm still working out the details but I have a partial answer with this entry about The Writing Life. I used Marketing Makeover Generator to create a squeeze page. If you don't know the term "squeeze page" it's a place where you send people to give their first name and email address. When they give this information, you give them the item or in this case they get Straight Talk From The Editor as a free download. Marketing Makeover Generator is simple to use and I've arranged for you to have a trial subscription if you click this link.

I created the form and made it easy to locate and download with this new link: http://www.straighttalkeditor.com/.

Why go to such effort? It is another means to collect first name and email addresses so I can continue to increase the number of subscribers to my free Right-Writing News.

OK, here's my question for you: can you follow my steps and do the same thing? Absolutely. Literary agents, acquisitions editors and publishing executives are looking for people with visibility in the marketplace or some people call it platform. I see it all the time with some good writers who have good ideas--yet they are stuck marketing and remarketing their single book manuscript. It doesn't matter if they have written nonfiction or fiction because I see it in both cases. Maybe they have written for a few magazines (which I recommend) but they have never started a newsletter or have not done the work to continually increase the size of their newsletter list (get this free resource, download it and read it). They do not understand why their good material is consistently rejected. The reason is simple: it takes a tremendous effort for a publisher to push and promote a new author into the marketplace. It's not impossible and it is done but infrequently.

As a book author, you need to do everything you can do to increase your attractiveness and value to the publisher. Last week I was listening to Mark Victor Hansen from the Mega Book Marketing University last March and he said that to get into the bestselling area of the book market, you needed to have at least 100,000 people on your newsletter list. Doesn't that sound like an impossible dream? It's not everyone has to begin some place. Make a plan and get started today.

And if you can, spread the news about my free resource, Straight Talk From the Editor.

A Free Ebook Teaches About Email Newsletters

Almost every day I receive pitches from writers who have great dreams and desires for their writing. Some of them have worked hard on their own writing craft and the idea that they are pitching. It is evident to me as I look at their proposals or manuscripts. Yet many of them are missing the critical ingredient. You can call it platform or visibility in the marketplace or a network or connections. No one outside of their own social network knows them. They have curled up with their keyboard and produced a masterpiece in their view--without a market.

In many ways it's a shame because they have passion yet little understanding about how to build that visibility. One recommendation that I have made frequently (and here it comes again) is to begin building a newsletter list. Yes there are millions of ezines online. You have to be wise about how you focus such an ezine then deliver great content issue after issue on a consistent basis. If you take some of these steps, over time you can build your audience.

Last night I was talking with an author about his nonfiction book proposal. The idea seemed to have merit and he was writing to a real felt need that he saw around him. Yet he has no market visibility or promoted expertise in the area that he wants to write. The best course of action in my view is to begin a newsletter and a website to start building that momentum.

I've found a free 150–page ebook resource called Email Newsletters 101, A Small Business Reference Guide which covers many of the basics for starting an excellent newsletter. I read this resource and it offers sound advice that any writer could immediately use--whether they already have a newsletter or want to know about starting one.