Basic Principles of Pitching

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Recently I’ve been using PodMatch to pitch podcast hosts that I would be a great guest for their program. I’ve been amazed and grateful for these opportunities. Also I’m aware there is a set of basic principles which are important for every pitch.

If you are a writer who wants to publish or do anything in print or in the market, pitching is essential. It’s rare that anyone approaches you to write or publish something without you taking the first step to pitch them. No matter if you are pitching a magazine article, a book project, a newspaper article, a radio show, a book group, a guest blog post article or a podcast, there are a number of similarities in the basic pitch. Those elements are what I want to capture in this article.

The first step is to learn the system of how that person you are pitching expects to get the pitch. Maybe they have a google form to fill out. Or they want a particular type of article for their publication. Or they are looking for a particular type of person to interview for their podcast. Somewhere in their information, they will spell out who they are looking for and you need to absorb and follow this information. 

Several years ago at a writer’s conference, I had a brief conversation with a well-known editor who represented a large circulation publication about the process of getting on the faculty at a major, well-attended writers conference. To get into this process, you had to pitch on a particular deadline using as google form. This editor had attended this event multiple times and knew the decision-makers. She believed that to get an invitation on the faculty that she didn’t need to pitch or fill out the form. I listened and didn’t say anything but I was thinking, “Everyone pitches to get into the faculty of this conference--including me.” I hope you see how the attitude of this editor was off--and I’ve not seen her on the faculty for this event (her loss). Do not have this type of attitude. Instead use the expected path to make your pitch.

Create a Pitching System

It doesn’t matter what you are pitching, there is a system for getting considered. Make the effort to discover this system. If what you are pitching doesn’t have a system, then I encourage you to create your own system that you will use to consistently pitch the decision makers. One of the ways I’m consistent is using a system over and over. 

For example, with podcasting, I’m using PodMatch and I’ve got a strategy which book I’m promoting and how I’m promoting it. Podcasting can be fun for the author but if you don't have a target for your promotion, then you water down your effectiveness and have mixed results from your effort. I encourage you to aim for a particular target and make it easy for people to go there. On every podcast, I make a point to mention my special offer for 10 Publishing Myths where anyone can get the print book from me (including the shipping) for only $10 along with over $200 in bonuses. All you have to do is go to Publishing Offer.com (http://publishingoffer.com). Notice I picked two words easy to say and hopefully easy for someone to remember in case they are driving, exercising or something else distracting when they hear the podcast.  I hope they will recall these words when they get to a computer where they can explore it. Again I’ve focused on a strategic plan and encourage you to do the same with your use of PodMatch.  

In case you don’t know how I got “publishing offer” it is a change that I did on the website to forward from one website to another. I purchased the domain http://publishingoffer.com and then I set it up as a site which will forward to the site which sells my 10 Publishing Myths. There is nothing magic to this process--just some thought and strategy. 

Focus on the Receiver

Who is the person that will receive your pitch? Have they explained anywhere (online or in a market guide) what they are looking for? If you find this information, then this information will guide your pitch. For example, each time on PodMatch, the podcast host will detail their ideal guest criteria (who they want to select) and their audience (who are their listeners). In your pitch, you want to target this information with your pitch to get them interested. Through your pitch, you want to be a fit for this podcast and using this information will help you achieve your purpose (get booked on the podcast). 

Expect Rejection

Even using a tool like PodMatch, not every pitch will be successful. You may hear nothing or get a rejection. I encourge you to expect rejection then feel happy or surprised when you get accepted. To hear no or nothing is a part of the process. You are looking for an acceptance.

Be Consistent

A key part of the process is to consistent pitching. The only person who can give up is you. That regular pitching will pay off.

Understand It Is a Journey

The process of pitching (whatever you are pitching) is definitely a journey and celebrate your continued learning and growing in this experience. It is not something you do once and done but something you enter into over and over. When you don’t pitch, you don't connect to the decision makers who can propel your book or your writing before a new audience. The pitch is a vital part of the process and must be studied, improved and repeated. 

After the Pitch (bonus principles)

After you use the basic principles to get the assignment or podcast or writing gig or speaking gig, there are some additional steps you can take:

--deliver with excellence. For podcasting, I spend some time reviewing the stories I will tell and looking at the podcast. For a magazine article or blogpost, I make sure I am delivering what they expect with excellence--and I encourage them if they see something that needs fixing to let me know and I will do it right away. These actions are a part of being a professional.

--deliver on time. If you have a deadline, meet that deadline.

--follow-up the delivery and promote it to others. When your article or book or podcast gets published, promote it to others.

--bottom-line continue to be the exception and stand out making a difference.

If you do these bonus principles, you will position yourself for other opportunities. As members of the writing community, it’s easy to view it as a large and impersonal group of people. From my perspective it is actually a small and connected group which talks with each other. If you use these simple principles, it will help you be the exception and standout. Are there other principles that you would include? Let me know in the comments below.

More Recent Podcast Recordings:

I’ve mentioned in these articles that I’ve been using PodMatch to book podcasts:

Watch the Going North Podcast with Dominique “Dom” Brightmon (@DomBrightmon) Ep. 909 – Book Publishing Myths Every Aspiring Author Should Bust with Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin) at: https://bit.ly/3ZQVnMK

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Why Re-Read Some Books

  

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Do you have some books on your shelf that you re-read from time to time or maybe even once a year? One of my friends re-reads The Lord of the Rings every year. Through each reading experience, she sees something new about the story.

For many years, I have been reading and re-reading a single book, The Bible. Reading The Bible is how I begin my day. Each year I choose a different version and this year, I’m reading The Daily Bible NLT. With each reading, I learn something different.

There are merits to re-reading and that’s what I want to examine in this article and give you a couple of resources to read and then re-read. If you follow me on one of my social media platforms like X/Twitter, you know I am a follower and fan of Darren Hardy and his Darren Daily. For years, I have posted them five days a week, because I watch them each time and believe in his encouragement to become “better every day.” 

As I’ve written in these articles, new books for my limited reading pour into my office several times a week. I rarely re-read a book but recently I re-read

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy.  I got this bestselling book directly from the author--and you can too if you follow the link. For the postage of $6.95, you will receive the book but also the audio version. As I read through the book again, at the same time, I listened to the words. Each time I go through the book, I have different insights about how to apply the information to my writing life. I hope it will be a resource for your writing life. 

With personal stories and insights, Darren Hardy gives the honest truth about how to survive and thrive in the middle of the ups and downs of life as an entrepreneur--and every writer is an entrepreneur (whether you call it that or not). Hardy compares it to the thrill of riding a roller coaster. The book also includes worksheets and other resources for you to apply the information to your life.

After re-reading The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, I returned to Darren Hardy's first book, The Compound Effect. If you follow the link, you can also get the hardcover version and the audio book of The Compound Effect for only the postage of $6.95. As I re-read the book, I’m listening to the audio of each chapter. I’ve learned to download them to my phone and can listen to them anywhere. I love the flexibility and the insights for my writing life from listening and reading this information.  

The essence of the compound effect is how making small incremental changes in your life, can give you the edge you need to find success. The book is aligned with Darren Hardy's hashtag for Darren Daily #BetterEveryDay. If you make small changes in an area of your life, it can have big results. For example, no one sits at their desk and writes a complete 50,000 or 100,000 word book. Instead you write a page, then a chapter, then another chapter over a series of days and weeks until you complete the manuscript. The writing process is a mirror of what Hardy is discussing throughout The Compound Effect. 

Do you re-read books on a regular basis? Which books and why? Let me know in the comments below. 

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The Value of Mentoring

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Whether we like it or not, the publishing world is constantly in motion and changing. As an example, recently I had lunch with a long-time friend who years ago led a communication team but now is retired. I told him about a few hours earlier when I recorded a podcast interview. He asked, “What is a podcast?” 

I explained a podcast is like radio yet online. With the massive numbers of people podcasting and guest podcasting or listening to podcasts, his question surprised me. Podcasting began twenty years ago. I include this story to remind us the tools of book promotion and getting out our message, continue to evolve. As someone in publishing, we need to be constantly learning and experimenting. I’m not encouraging you to chase the newest aspects but we need to be aware of them and use them if appropriate. 

In these articles, I’ve often encouraged you to be learning new aspects of the writing life and publishing. It’s important for each of us to have a healthy dose of curosity and eagerness to improve our writing. 

Let’s move beyond learning for your own sake and ask what you do with this information. When you learn a new aspect of the writing life, how to you pass along this information to others? Some people don’t and that is certainly your choice.  Teaching others is a firm part of my DNA. As I’ve studied my ancestors, I discovered a long line of teachers. My great grandfather was a teacher. A number of his children including his oldest son (my grandfather) worked in education. In fact, my grandfather was a principal and superintendent at a Kentucky school.

While I didn’t study education in college, for many years, I have been teaching others.  Since 2008, the articles in this blog have been one of the places to write the stories and give insight to others. Many of my editor colleagues work with authors on their books yet do not teach at conferences or blog or write how-to books about their craft or any number of other ways to mentor others. Each of these actions take time, energy and on-going commitment.

Some people have become editors and others have started a coaching business. During the editing or coaching process, they mentor others. Others have started or joined a critique group as a way to give valuable insight to others and help their writing craft. Other writers have started a local conference or taught at writer’s conferences. Mentoring and training happen throughout a conference. Later this month I will be at the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference (use the link to learn more) which is a smaller event with great opportunity. Others have become university or community college instructors about writing. I’m suggesting there are many different ways for writers to pass along what they are learning to others.

Online groups is another way to mentor and teach others about the writing world. In particular, I want to tell you about a Christian group called The Writer’s View which Suzie Eller started in 2001. She created a unique format for this group. A series of professionals in different areas of the market became leaders or panelists (editors, publicity people, authors, literary agents, etc.). Each week this group will focus on a partiocular topic and discuss it for several days. Then a new topic starts the next week. In over 20 years, a wide range of writing and publishing topics have been explored. The process has created a rich database of information for anyone interested in publishing--whether a beginner or a professional. The panelists / leaders and the participants have varied through the years. I’ve been a panelist with this group since the beginning and stayed with it. The size of the group has varied but currently there are about 500 people participating.

Behind the scenes, some of my colleagues have been critical of my involvement in The Writer’s View. They have viewed my participation as a “waste of time.” Instead I’ve seen this online forum as a way to invest in others and pass along some of the lessons and insights I’ve learned from my many years in publishing. My continual participation is part of the consistent writer that I’ve encouraged in these articles. 

The Wild Card of Mentoring

There is a giant unknown for each of us who mentor or teach others. What is the impact and who have you touched in this process? From my experience after teaching and traveling for decades, it can’t be measured or known this side of heaven. Even this past week a much-published author and professional peer thanked me for helping her years earlier during a meeting at a writer’s conference.  I haven’t been to the event she mentioned in years so this meeting was decades ago--yet she recalled our conversation. It’s part of the joy and value if you teach and mentor others. I encourage each of you to find some method of helping others in their writing journey. 

A common saying is “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Actions speak louder than words. What actions are you taking to begin passing along what you have learned about the publishing world to others? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Invest In Your Writing

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Many editors and agents are difficult to reach. These gatekeepers play an important role in the publishing community. This aspect of publishing is rarely discussed but your connection to this person is important aspect of publishing. As I’ve written in these articles, every author needs a champion for their submission. 

As a new writer, how can you connect with these important gatekeepers? Many publishers don’t take electronic or mail submissions which is sometimes called a slush pile. They are not on LinkedIN or interested in developing new connections. These professionals are busy with their current books and authors. It’s the same story with the literary agents and often more difficult to get their attention much less to have them represent your work. In fact, it’s rare for them to sign a new author. 

If you want to break into the publishing business, what are your options? They are limited but one of the best ways to make connections with an editor or literary agent is to attend a writer’s conference. For many years I’ve been teaching and attending various writer’s conferences. In detail, this article gives the reasons why you should attend a conference. At the bottom of the article, there is a link to learn about various conferences.

Next month I will be teaching at the Blue Lake Christian Writer’s Conference. This particular event is a smaller conference (about 100 people) which gives each person the opportunity to get to know the faculty, talk about why you want to do what you want to do, then get their ideas and input. 

I understand that attending such an event is an investment in your writing. It will cost you time and money to make this effort but it is an investment that I’ve seen return many fold through my years in publishing.

I encourage you to invest in your writing and attend a conference--even plan to come to Blue Lake next month. Take the time to get prepared, select your classes and the people you want to meet at the event. Also create a business card and bring lots of them to exchange with people. Create a one-page pitch with your article idea or your book project. Then go to the event with an open heart. You never know who you will met and what door of opportunity they will open to you during your conversation. I find often what happens is not what you expect or anticipate. At these events, I’ve made life-long friends who have read and reviewed my books. I’ve also met editors who have called or reached out to me when they have a writing need or a project for me to tackle. These relationships often began at a writer’s conference. 

As writers, we spend a lot of time alone but we need each other to accomplish this work and reach others. Some of these connections happen at a writer’s conference. I look forward to what will happen at Blue Lake next month. I hope to see you there. In the comments below, let me know what steps you are taking to invest in your writing. 

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How to Keep Moving Up

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Notice the tiny lady bug on a leaf. This insect uses persistence and consistency to keep climbing upward on the plant.  I see this effort as a metaphor of the same sort of continual effort we make as writers to keep in motion toward our goals and dreams for our writing. The path isn’t often clear and filled with challenges and set backs. Yet the people who succeed are the ones who continue forward despite any setbacks.

My own path has been filled with false starts and stumbles along with surprises and opportunities. I began writing for magazines and was trained in newspaper journalism at a top school, Indiana University. To the surprise of my classmates, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators out of college and spent ten years in linguistics before I returned to my writing. I started writing for magazines and learned how to craft a query along with other skills. 

At one of my first writer’s conferences, an editor told me about her problem then asked me if I had any ideas. I pitched and she said, “That sounds like a good idea, Terry. Write that up and send it to me.” I made a little note, went home and sent the submission. It started a chain of events which ultimately led to my first published book, When I Grow Up, I Can Go Anywhere for Jesus.

Since then I’ve written many different types of books and even had two of my book proposals receive six-figure advances. I have long stories about what happened to those books and will give those details another day. While I have had many failures, I’ve also succeeded with a number of writing projects. Throughout my journey, I continue to meet new people and learn from different sources. 

Last week a friend asked me if I was interested in reading her book. As I’ve mentioned in these articles, publishers and author often send this question because I’ve written a large number of book reviews. I turn down the majority of these books because no one could read the volume of material that pours into my home. I agreed to read WRITING FOR MONEY & MEANING. 

I’ve read many how-to writing books (and written several of them). I have never seen anyone tell me the path and direction to move upward and increase your income and fulfillment. The detailed information and questions to ask a prospective client is something I have not found in other books.  

Every writer is trying to find the right place for their work. Publisher Julie Anne Eason has been in that place and with honesty and insight opens the door of opportunity in the pages of WRITING FOR MONEY & MEANING. She clearly says there is not one path but some essential attitudes and practices for every freelance writer. 

Many writers are looking for black and white answers to different questions related to the publishing world. Eason encourages writers to experiment, learn and find their own path. As Eason writes in the opening pages, “This book is going to give you a glimpse into dozens of ways to move your career forward.” (Page 4)

Deeper in the book, Eason writes, “It’s up to you to ask the right questions and find out what their expectations are before you quote a price for your writing services. Some short books fall in the $10,000 range for your services,  while others can run into six figures for a project. That a huge range and it took me a long time to figure out how to get to those $100,000 ghostwriting contracts.” (Page 44) 

If you want to earn more money, Eason provides readers with a detailed path and questions for writers of every level. As I read the book, it stirred a cornucopia of possibilities for my own writing life. I wish I had read this book 10 or 20 years ago but it didn’t exist. The opportunity for every writer is out there. You have to read the information, ask the right questions and then seize the project. I learned a great deal reading this book and highly recommend it. 

Have you found this type of information in another source? What steps are you taking with your writing life to keep moving up? Let me know in the comments below. 

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The Acquired Skill

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

It seems easy to publish a book. Thousands are doing it every day.  I’ve been studying the market for years, reading and looking at books. What is not obvious to readers and people outside of publishing is this fact: each aspect of the process is an acquired skill. Because it is an acquired skill, you can learn this skill but you will have to make a concerted effort for it to happen.

Let’s take the back cover of books as an example. Many years ago, a publisher hired me to write back cover copy for their books. They mailed a hard copy of the edited manuscript, which I read then crafted the words for the back cover. If you study back covers, you will learn a consistent pattern for how these words are written. At times, they begin with a short and powerful quotation from someone well-known who is endorsing the book or the author. Other times they will have a moving headline to draw you to reading the other words on the back cover.

You only have seconds to catch someone’s attention with these words so they have to be carefully selected. The words often have bullet points and they emphasize the benefits from reading the book. What will a reader gain from spending time reading this book? That is a critical question which you want to answer with the back cover copy.

Sometimes the back cover will include a sentence or two about the author. Other times the entire space is used to entice the reader to purchase the book. This acquired skill is called copywriting and can be learned but the writer has to make a conscious effort to learn this craft. To learn about copywriting, you can take an online course or read a book on this skill. 

One of my long-time friends and a skilled copywriter is Robert W. Bly. His book, The Copywriter’s Handbook is in the Fourth Edition. You can learn a great deal as a writer if you study this text. 

Another acquired skill for book creation is gathering endorsements and/or a foreword for your book. In these articles, I’ve written about this process in the past (use this link to see some of those articles). I’ve encouraged you in these articles to build relationships with well-known authors and other leaders. If you have these relationships, then you can use them to gather endorsements. A foreword is like a short magazine article and typically 1,000 to 1,500 words. I’ve written forewords for a number of well-known people. The key action in this process is to make it easy for the person to say something like, “That looks great. Run with it.” You have to secure their permission to use it from the person themselves. Your editor doesn’t gather this foreword or the endorsements but the writer gathers these words as a part of the book creation process. 

Whether you publish with a traditional house or an independent publisher or self-publish, the back cover copy, the endorsements and the foreword can be critical elements which will help you sell books. Forewords are typically used with nonfiction books--not fiction or children’s books or gift books. To get this detail right, you have to study the type of book you are publishing, then make sure you conform to the expected details in this process. 

Whether you are aware of it or not, every aspect of the publishing process involves an acquired skill. It’s something you can learn and do--but you have to take action in this process or it will not be done. What are other acquired skills in the process of publishing a book? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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The Writing Life Rollercoaster

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Our life as writers is filled with highs and lows. When our work gets published, it's a high. Maybe it is a magazine article or a chapter in an anthology or your first book or ____ book. When each of these pieces get into the world, it makes you feel good.

 

Then there are the lows when you get a negative royalty statement. If you've never heard this term, it's where you received an advance from your publisher but the book hasn't earned back or sold enough books to make any more money. You still get statements from the publisher but they are in the minus or negative category. Or you look at your reviews and see a one star review where someone threw your book into the subway trash can. I didn't make up that line but someone actually wrote that statement on an Amazon review about one of my successful books.

 

These highs and lows of the writing life can be compared to riding a rollercoaster. As you ride, the rollercoaster slowly climbs to the top but when you reach it, you know you are headed down on the other side. Every writer experiences these highs and lows as a part of our writing life—including me. 

 

How do you ride through these highs and lows of the writing life? It's what I want to give you in this article. There are several key practices for every successful writer to practice. I'm not talking about practicing something once but building it into the fiber of your life and doing it over and over.

 

Persistence and Perserverance. As writers, we are told “no” a great deal—at least it happens in my life. Phone calls aren't returned. Contracts are not taken when offered. Projects get cancelled and many other things happen in the process of working with others. Yes, it hurts and is “not personal but business” along with other phrases people use to soften the blow. When you have this experience you can certainly quit and move away from the project. Or you can do what Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen did as they were rejected 140 times for the Chicken Soup for the Soul proposal. They looked at each other and said, “Next.” See the hope built into that word? The current project wasn't a fit for you but you are turning and looking for the next one. Your persistence and perserverance is what will count to eventually make it happen.

 

Consistency.  Since July, 2008, I've posted on Twitter over 68,000 times. Yes, that is a lot of posts. If you look at my Twitter Feed, I post about 12–15 times a day in a consistent pattern.  At times, I wonder if anyone is reading these posts or cares. In April, I met a high-profile author and the first thing he told me is that he reads my Twitter posts. He applauded my consistency and how I stay on message with these posts.  I blog consistently and write these new entries every week. These are just two examples of my consistent actions. What steps are you taking consistently. Are you meeting new people through LinkedIN or Facebook, then helping those people? Are you pitching new editors or podcast hosts or radio programs or something else you want to do? Your consistency will pay off in the long haul. Nothing is immediate in this business. As Jerry B. Jenkins wrote in the Foreword of my 10 Publishing Myths: Left Behind was his 125^th  published book. He was not an overnight success but has consistently worked at his craft and presence in the publishing world. Left Behind was originally published over 20 years ago and continues to sell at least 10,000 copies each month and the series has sold over 60 million books. Consistency is an important quality.

 

Continued Improvement and Growth. I've never claimed to be the best writer in the room but I am one of the more persistent and consistent writers. Another key to this writing life rollercoaster is continuing to grow and improve as a writer. I love what Darren Hardy encourages in his Darren Daily. He has created the hashtag #BetterEveryDay. It's why I continue to read books on the craft of writing, take online courses and learn from others. It's a key part of my writing life—and hopefully your life as well.

 

Knocking on New Doors. I've gotten wound up on this article so I'm going to bring it to a conclusion. Be meeting new people and pitching new projects in new places. The opportunities are there but you have to be knocking on the doors.

 

I've given you some important characteristics for the writing life rollercoaster. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

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The Importance of Online Writing Groups

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

For many years I've been an active participant in several online groups. Some of my writing colleagues have criticized those efforts and wondered why I did it. I see the importance of these online groups in a number of areas and want to capture some of those reasons in this article.

 

One of the groups where I'm active began in September 2001 (yes the month when the September 11th attack came). The person that began this group selected different “panelists” to lead discussion in various areas of publishing. I have been participating in these discussions for over 20 years. The format is simple. Each week one of the panelists lead the discussion on a single topic. There are several hundred writers in this group and some weeks have much more active participation than others. The posts are stored on the site and have created a rich resource of ideas and teaching.

 

I participate in these groups as a way to give back to the writing community. As a writer I've learned so much (and continue to learn) from others. This group is a way to pass to others what I've learned. It's also a place to learn from others. Through the years I've gained great insights from what others have written in this group.

 

For example, last week I led the discussion and focused on writing for Sunday School Take Home Papers. Admittedly Sunday schools have been declining for years but there is still a group of these denominational publications. The editors produce 52 issues or one for each week instead of a monthly publication. They take nonfiction, how-to articles but also short stories (fiction). It's a wonderful place for new writers to break into the market and begin to learn about publishing. In our discussion last week we covered a variety of topics related to this topic including which publications, reprints, theme lists and much more. 

 

The participants in these online groups come from all over the world. I know one of our active members is an American but living overseas. If you aren't in an online group, you can search groups on yahoo or Goodreads or any number of places. Many organizations have their own online groups where you can participate. I recommend this resource as another way to be growing and learning as a writer. 

 

Do you participate in an online writing group? How did you find it and why do you participate? I look forward to reading your experiences in the comments. 

 

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How To Have Perfect Timing

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Much of the publishing world is outside of our control as writers. Publishers, editors, agents, retailers and readers are just a few of the key decision makers in the publishing process. As someone who writes for a variety of places and works in the community as an acquisitions editor, occasionally I see internal dynamics which will make a decision go against the author instead of in their favor to get published.

 

Here's a recent example, an author submitted an excellent book which was appropriate for our publishing house. In addition this author was committed to spending a large and explicitly stated amount of money on the promotion of this book. Yet when my colleagues looked at the details, the manuscript was large and in fact when moved into production was going to be over 400 pages. My colleagues asked me to return to the author and see if he would be willing to reduce the book manuscript to something with a higher likelihood greater book sales or possibly split it into two books. When I spoke with the author, he was unwilling to reduce it or split it. This stance became a red flag warning that he was not coachable and would likely be a “difficult” author. Despite the large promotion money, my colleagues decided to pass on publishing this book.

 

I'm telling you this story for several reasons. Publishers are looking for authors but the right authors and publishers also have experience about what sells and doesn't sell in the marketplace. As a writer, you show them something through your response. In this case the author revealed his lack of flexibility and willingness to learn from the publisher. The publisher made their decision from this interaction.

 

Because there are many details that can be seen and unseen outside of your control as a writer, how can you have perfect timing? 

 

1. Be active pitching your ideas and book proposals. Whether it is a guest blog post or podcast or radio show interview or speaking at an event or publishing a book, the author (or their representative) has to be pitching them. You have to be actively pursuing these opportunities because in general they will not come to you through passive activity.

 

2. Be consistently meeting new people. As writers we need to be constantly expanding our network and connections. As I've often written in these entries, who you know is as important as what you know.  It's one of the reasons I continue to expand my connections on LinkedIN. Last week I spoke with an experienced editor who called me and was referred from another friend. I spoke with this editor and also we connected on LinkedIN.  This editor was looking for either a full-time position or freelance work. I noticed his small number of connections on LinkedIN and encouraged him to expand them.

 

3. Seize and follow-up, when an opportunity comes across your desk (for anything). You must actively do something.  Your activity and consistency is one of the critical elements for finding and having opportunity.

 

4.  Learn new aspects and continue to experiment. You must apply what you are learning to your writing life. There are many different paths to success. You can learn from many different sources such as live events, reading books, reading online, taking courses and much more. Be committed to continually learning.

 

You can't control anyone other than yourself. Take your own responsibility and get out there. Like the author Paul Little said, “God can't steer a parked car.” The timing for many parts of publishing is simply outside of our control. Your consistent action and perserverance will be the difference maker. Many others will give up and yet you continue. Then some day your timing will be perfect.

 

I'd like to have perfect timing and the only way I've found achieve it is to take consistent action. What insights have you found to have perfect timing? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

Would you like to have perfect timing? This prolific editor and author gives four steps in the process. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource. 

The Challenge for Every Learner

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

 

Several weeks ago, a reader contacted me about my book, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. He had read the book and marked different pages in the book for additional study and action. Sometimes a picture is worth 1,000 words and this reader sent an image.

 

I smiled at his use of post-its in books because when I read books, I often use the same system. I mark different passages with a highlighter and post-its. Then I return to these places and apply the material to my writing life and work. It is a system that I've been using successfully in my own life for years to keep growing as a writer.

 

While I've been in publishing many years, have a college degree in journalism from a top university, and have been attending writers conferences and classes for years, here's the key: I still have much more to learn as a writer.

 

Are you continuing to grow as a writer or have you arrived? I've interviewed more than 150 bestselling authors. In this process, I've met a few authors who have acted like they have “arrived” at the pinnacle of their profession. It is not an attractive attitude to witness and in fact a turn off for me. As I have watched what happened to people with this arrival attitude, I've noticed they have faded from the bestseller lists and are now in relative obscurity. Yes still around the community but not currently producing bestselling books. If you have that “arrival” attitude, I would challenge you to change it. Make sure you have others in your life who will give you honest feedback. With this honest feedback, you can continue to grow and learn as a writer.

 

As writers we need to keep learning and growing. In this process of growing, there is a tricky balance between continuing to learn and taking action. To move forward as a learner, you have to be doing more than learning, , you need to apply that learning to your work. Recently I was speaking with a writer colleague about this issue: many people take courses—but don't take action (implemention—where the rubber meets the road).

 

There is an old saying, “Knowledge is Power.” This statement is true—but only if you act on the information in your head. For example, I know about Goodreads and how every author can select quotes from their book and add them into Goodreads quotes. You give other people automatic permission to use your quotes—and promote your book. It's good to know that fact—but worthless if you don't take action, choose the quotes and them put them on Goodreads. Several weeks ago I wrote about the details of this process (follow this link to see this article.) This is just one example of dozens of things authors need to do to take action.

Recently I learned about the free online courses from the Muck Rack Academy. One course is on social media and the other is on pitching to journalists. I've completed the course on social media and learned a number of valuable insights which I implemented into my social media. The second course on pitching to journalists, I'm about to finish but have yet to implement it into my own writing life. I am a learner but have the same challenges of every writer—finding balance between learning and implementation (taking action).

 

How do you find the balance between learning and taking action in your writing life? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

Every learner has a challenge between continuing to grow in knowledge yet also implement and take action. Get insights in this article from a prolific editor and author. (ClickToTweet)