"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books
and share information and resources.
October 1, 2005 Volume 3: Issue 12
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com
By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions
are at the end of this newsletter.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Feature Article by Judy Cullins
4. Resource Links
5. Promotion Article by Sue Paulson
6. Free Products, Services, Downloads
7. Marketing Article by Gerri D Smith
8. Classes & Workshops
9. Review by Dan Shaurette
10. Announcements/Requests
11. Guest Article by Francine Silverman
12. Classified Ads
13. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the October 2005 newsletter for
SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the
subscription, I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for
visiting the website and subscribing to the list.
To the regulars out there, I'm glad to see you back for another
issue. This month we have four wonderful articles, plus a
review, as well as more great resource links.
Don't forget, next month is November and that can mean only one
thing! The return of NaNoWriMo! November is National Novel
Writing Month, and you can find out more in the Resource Links
below, or visit http://www.NaNoWriMo.org.
If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you'd like
to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request,
please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at:
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.ShauretteNet.com
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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a
resource for all authors. Obviously, we want to help you
succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-
promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors
asking what they can do to promote their books in the
newsletter.
I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in
the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said,
the best I can do is one of the following.
If you are interested in writing an article about your
experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than
happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article,
I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to
promote yourself and your book.
If you would like to send me an ARC copy of your book, eBook
format preferred, I would be happy to review it and interview
you. The interview would most likely be what gets published in
the newsletter, but reviews of recommended books may also be
published. Please note, I have already been presented with some
works to read, so please query me first before sending your
books. I'd rather return a book than form a slush pile.
If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those
when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in
February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you
host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a
writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about
such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location,
dates, and contact info. will be presented.
If instead you are just interested in placing an advertisement
in the newsletter for your book or website, you can read about
the rates on the website at
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com/advertise.html -- they are
very fair (only $6 per newsletter issue for a five line ad.)
Advertising requests sent to me, however, will be forwarded on
to Christina Wheeler (contact@selfpublishedauthors.com), the
website and newsletter owner.
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3: FEATURE ARTICLE by Judy Cullins
Comparing Publicity: Submitting Articles Online, Press Releases,
Book Signings, and Blogs
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Your audience online awaits information from you. That's why
they visit Web sites related to their interest area. With that
in mind, know that writing and submitting articles is the number
one Online publicity and promotion game around.
You already know that a great Web site with a lot of content
keeps pulling your visitors back for more information. Maybe you
don't know that to get your targeted audience to your site, you
need to spread your free, useful information around cyberspace.
That means to start and keep going a publicity campaign like
I do.
Writing and Submitting Articles to Top Web Sites Works
1. Write 10-15 how to and other articles your audience will
appreciate.
2. Leverage those to meet other audiences and focuses.
3. Gather 10-20 top web site addresses (URLs) that are in the
top 20 through Google or another search engine.
4. Search by submitting to your category such as "parents" a
second word "submit articles."
5. Submit 2-3 articles at a time to each of these top 20 web
sites and watch your numbers grow.
6. Delegate to an assistant to multiply results exponentially.
7. Google my name Judy Cullins to see these results later,
watch your growth. Google your name.
Your Coach's Experience
I was on 1200 Web sites year one, on 4500 year two, 14,000 year
three, 30,000 year four and this year over 123,000 other sites,
growing 1000's each day. All with a link back to my site where
people interested in writing, publishing, or promoting a book
will come for even more information. This translates to over
3500 Web visitors each day. Targeted visitors! Consistent sales.
From my results.
Blogs May Be Useful
Even when you create your blog you must also give useful,
original information such as these articles. They are proven to
do more than any other kind. You can also submit a customer
questions and answer it. Update your information at least
several times a week to boost your search engine placement.
These offerings as with writing and submitting articles let
people see you as the expert.
Submit Articles to Opt-In Ezines (no spam)
Submit these same articles to opt-in ezines. These are
subscriber only, so you aren't considered spam. From 500 to over
30,000 subscribers in each ezine, you can multiple business
results in these ezines. And, they are easy and fast to
participate in. Once you get well known, watch your web site
targeted traffic increase.
Press Releases May not Get to the Right Person
Let go of publicity and promotion that doesn't work. Like me you
may stop submitting press releases to book editors. Even though
I submitted over 150 press releases in a year, I only got a few
feature stories. I did get some action, but little for the time
and effort. If you do send a press release, put a 3-5 Tip blurb
in it to make media editor more likely to publish it. They love
short how-to information just like the rest of us.
Submitting Copies of Your Book for Review
While this may work for some, it's a limited response. Yes, send
a few review copies out to people such as MidWest Book Review
who actually give them in a timely way. It's much easier getting
testimonials from people who have used your service or read your
book. They want to help you because they liked your book. They
will even give testimonials from a partial read or experience.
On the Internet-the playing field is even. You don't need gurus'
opinions to say you are O.K.
Book Signings May Work
If you love to speak and can speak well, by all means get out
and share the good news. You may not get paid to speak, but
selling at the back of the room can reward you. Or, people will
like what they experience and use your business. The catch?
Make sure you schedule 6 talks a month to get the maximum
visibility and sales you want.
What Better Visibility Than the Web?
When the Internet reared its beautiful head, I dialed a local
high school and hired a techie at low cost. With just the two of
us, we put the easiest, cheapest, and fun PR campaign to work.
We spend around 4-6 hours a week staying on top of this. When I
Googled my name today, I was listed on 123,000 other Web sites
with a link back to my site. That means sales.
Spend your publicity and promotion time on what works. What is
easiest and fun. You want to spend time on doing what you can
from your home office to reach your targeted audience Online who
want and need your service or product.
___
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works
with small business people who want to make a difference in
people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a
consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks
including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-
Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way
to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web
Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly
ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month,"
blog Q & A at www.bookcoaching.com and over 199 free articles.
Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com or Cullinsbks@aol.com
Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743
Print "Write eBook or Other Short Book Fast!" at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1597720208
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4: RESOURCE LINKS
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NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a creative
writing project in which each participant attempts to write a
50,000-word novel in a single month. The novel can be on any
theme, in any genre.
It must be started no earlier than midnight November 1, 2005,
and completed before midnight on the 30th, local time. Advance
planning and notes are permissible, but no earlier written
material can go into the body of the novel. Organizers of the
event say that the whole idea is to simply sit down and write,
regardless of quality, using the deadline as incentive to get
the story going and put words to paper, never mind what they
are.
If you are interested in reading some novels from last year that
were posted on blogs, check out Blogger's NaNoWriMo Directory at
http://nanoblogmo.blogspot.com
Some writers who complete this project choose to follow it up in
March with NaNoEdMo, or National Novel Editing Month.
http://www.NaNoWriMo.org
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5: PROMOTION ARTICLE by Sue Paulson
SPEAKING SELLS BOOKS - Ten Tips for Authors (Part One)
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"I'm a writer not a speaker. I hope you'll bear with me."
When I hear these words as a listener, I prepare to be
disappointed in the talk that follows.
Speaking poorly cheats the audience and reflects badly on a
writer's professional reputation. So part of our job as authors
is to learn the skill of speaking, just as we struggle with the
craft of writing.
I've listened to a number of authors who write beautifully.
Typically that's why they've been asked to speak - because they
won an award or had a bestseller or were acknowledged publicly
in some way for their printed gems. While it's common knowledge
that authors tend to be a bashful, introverted lot, that same
love of words can be used verbally. Naturally talented or not,
everyone can learn to speak well.
Let's face it -- showing your face and sharing your story sells
books. (Think Oprah's Book Club!) One of the cheapest and most
effective ways to build your fan base is guest speaking
engagements. The better you speak, the higher your fee, and the
more books you sell! So how do you create engaging
presentations?
Following are ten of my tips to help you earn that applause.
But first, let's address the biggest obstacle to speaking well -
FEAR. Fear is a natural and normal part of each one of us - a
survival mechanism that we wouldn't want to live without.
Running from or denying that fear only increases its intensity,
growing it from a shadow of worry to a fire-breathing dragon.
It's O.K. to be scared. Acknowledge it, befriend it, learn to
move through it; then decide to start talking despite the fear.
The three tools I recommend for transforming fear are
breathwork, journaling, and visualization. Practice slow, deep
breaths from the belly to help ease the fear and focus your
energy just before you speak. Journaling and visualization both
require some quiet space and time - first to track the source of
the fear, secondly to visualize your ideal image of you as a
successful speaker. The more vivid these mental pictures, the
better your chance of becoming that success.
To turn that new dream into reality, try out the first four of
my ten tips to prepare, practice, and perform that talk.
1. Analyze Your Audience - When you book a presentation, find
out as much as possible about your audience: numbers attending,
gender and average age, their interests, and their reasons for
inviting you. How long do they want you to talk' Based on that
information, decide about the purpose of your talk. Are you
there to entertain, inform, persuade or some combination of
those three?
2. Create Your Talk - Based on your purpose and the needs of the
audience, sketch out your talk. Remember that the best
deliveries take the form of "heightened conversation", where you
and your words engage the audience. Even academic audiences will
doze off if you drone on page after page.
3. Start Strong - Craft a strong opening to capture your
listeners' attention, a story perhaps, or a provocative
question. For the meat of your message, be sure to include some
kind of verbal roadmap such as numbering your points. This map
keeps everyone on the same track. Leave a lasting impressing by
creating an ending as strong as your beginning. (Isn't it
interesting that many of the components needed for good writing
are the same as those needed for good speaking!)
4. Get Personal - People are coming to hear you, so be sure to
include some of you and your life to help the audience connect
with the message that you will deliver. If you've been asked to
read from one of your books as part of your presentation, pick
out short pieces that fit the flow of your talk.
The tips in this article will get you started on the path to
improved speaking. If you have questions about any of the above,
please e-mail me: sue@fingertipsolutions.com. Watch for the
remaining six tips in the next newsletter. Happy Speaking!
___
Sue Paulson is the author of TIPS & TOOLS TO SPEAK WITH
CONFIDENCE: Keys To Finding Your Voice, an IPPY Award winner,
and TIPS & TOOLS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS: Keys to Higher Grades,
an Alberta best-seller. As a coach and instructor, she delights
in helping individuals transform their fears as they learn to
speak up and speak out. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Check out her website at: http://www.fingertipsolutions.com,
or call toll-free: 1-877-622-2205.
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6: FREE Products, Services, Downloads
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WRITERS-FREE-REFERENCE.COM
A large list of free reference web sites useful to writers and
anyone looking for free information. Some of the categories
include: Adult Beverages, Anatomy, Ancient Literature, Census,
Common Errors, Contests, Copyright, Currency Conversion, Current
Science, Dictionary, Free Webpages, General Research, Grammar,
Help for Writers, How Things Work, Journalism, Kings and Rulers,
Law Library, Literary Agents, Magazines, Maps, Newspapers,
Online Books, Poetry, Publishing, Quotes, Screenwriters, Slang,
Strange and Unusual, Thesaurus, Translation, World Records,
and Writing Contests.
http://www.writers-free-reference.com/
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7: MARKETING ARTICLE by Gerri D Smith
Insider Secrets to Internet Marketing
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"The trick to developing a product that is guaranteed to sell
like crazy is to offer a solution to a problem. If you can save
people time, money, or hassle, they'll be willing to pay for
your solution!"
- Corey Rudl
If someone offered to help you make a million dollars, why would
you say, "no?" This very thing goes on all the time to thousands
of people all over the world. You may have never imagined you
could make a six-seven figure income, yet it's happening all the
time on the internet. This is the result of internet marketing.
It is a viable business and has made many millionaires.
Even 19-year-old billionaires!
On the internet, millions upon millions of transactions take
place every day, every hour, every minute and every second.
This was not possible fifteen to twenty years ago. Now, with
access to the internet, you have the capability of reaching many
thousands of potential customers at the touch of a button.
And - you are only limited by your imagination.
Internet marketing sounds easy to do, yet most businesses that
currently use the internet to market their business lose money.
When marketing your business online, there are three important
steps that will make you feel confident. They include:
1. Targeting your audience.
2. Automating your business, and
3. Testing and adjusting your offer.
Your target audience depends upon the type of service or product
you are offering. A little homework is required here. If you
wish to sell hair and beauty products, you wouldn't send your
announcements to farmers. Find out where your customers are by
searching the web. Track what they are interested in when they
visit other web sites. Find out by asking. Do market surveys.
Send out questionnaires. Query friends, acquaintances, neighbors
and find out what interests them.
You can easily find out what your customers want by testing your
products and services. Then if it doesn't sell, you can make
adjustments before spending lots of money on a product or
service that the market won't support. Testing new products,
ideas, or your advertising message on a small target audience
first, saves you time, effort, and money. Doing a small test,
first, also allows you time to make adjustments to your website
or your advertisement to meet the needs of your customer.
Automate your online business so that your valuable time and
attention is directed to creating more products or services.
There are now hundreds of web sources that offer business
automation services. They can send out your advertisements,
business cards, flyers, press releases, and post cards to
thousands of potential buyers at a time. They can notify your
customers when their order is ready to ship. They can do your
bookkeeping and track of your customer's order.
Internet marketing can be as easy as you make it, and it can be
fun. Thinking up products and services that meet the needs of
customers and getting them to the customer in a manner that is
convenient and appropriate is rewarding in itself. And when your
product or service is something you love creating, and when it
helps others save time, money, feel and look good, this is a
great benefit.
Three other benefits of selling your product or service online
are:
1. You have access to a global market at the touch of a finger.
2. Your investment of time is small.
3. You can start an online business with little cost.
Compared to the cost of offline marketing - newspaper, radio,
and TV ads, and the cost of postage with direct mailing, you can
set up a website at a low cost and start offering your product
or service and even see the results in a matter of days. With
internet marketing you can test your ads, sales offers, website
design, and notify thousands of potential customers - and
sometimes receive an order within hours - and almost at no cost.
The internet allows you to reach a global market and the cost is
much less than using the traditional methods. You can quickly
change your marketing plan and send out your marketing message
multiple times. Whereas, with the old way of selecting the media
and waiting for your ad to be scheduled, printed, and then
distributed, the comparison in cost and in time is monumental.
For internet marketing to work for you, you must set your
business to run on automatic so you can put your attention on
developing more products and better services. You must target
your advertising message, consistently get it out to as many
potential buyers as possible, and be ready to test, test, and
test again to make certain your offer is what your customers
wish to buy. These key secrets are a small part of what makes
for a successful online business. It's up to you to find your
passion, your faith, and your will to increase your sales, and -
to give back.
___
Gerri D Smith publishes and hosts a Free inspirational
newsletter to motivate, support, and encourage you to discover
and experience the power of your own uniqueness. Individuals,
women business owners, and entrepreneurs are treated to a
bi-monthly newsletter filled with articles and resources that
unlock the doors to your business and personal success.
Be informed. You deserve to be successful and wealthy.
Sign up at: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com
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8: CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
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WRITINGCLASSES.COM - Gotham Writers' Workshop Online
Teaching more than 6,000 students a year, Gotham Writers'
Workshop is the largest and most comprehensive private creative
writing school in New York City and online. Ten-week and one-day
workshops are offered in more than a dozen forms of writing
including fiction writing, screen writing, nonfiction writing
and more. The school also offers private instruction, script
and book doctoring services, workshops for teens, and custom
workshops for corporations.
http://www.writingclasses.com
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9: REVIEW by Dan Shaurette
"THE DAUGHTERS OF FREYA" by Michael Betcherman and David Diamond
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Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Format: Email Narrative
Publisher: Bumper Crop Productions, Inc.
Website: http://www.emailmystery.com
Price: $4.99 USD / $5.99 Cdn
Preview: Free preview of the story is available.
In the last issue of the newsletter, I mentioned a unique
"email mystery" called THE DAUGHTERS OF FREYA, written by
Michael Betcherman and David Diamond. Besides being a
suspenseful and fun read, the most fascinating aspect of the
story is its presentation.
The story's narrative takes the form of a collection of email
exchanges between the main characters of the story. However,
the reader upon purchasing the story, has those same emails
sent to their own inbox. This gives the reader a more intimate
reading experience, as if being CC'd by the characters
themselves.
Those readers familiar with epistolary novels, like DRACULA,
written as a collection of letters, diary entries, and news
clippings, will enjoy this format. Michael calls this updated
version an "e-pistolary" novel.
"Email narratives" are a relatively new storytelling medium.
THE DAUGHTERS OF FREYA, which was released in 2004, was the
first to actually be sent out as an email subscription.
The suspense induced by having to wait for the next email
reminds one of a serial novel, but luckily we need only wait a
few hours to satisfy us. The emails are received over a three
week period in real time. So, on average, the reader may receive
three to five messages throughout the day. It only takes maybe
five or ten minutes out of your day total. (Finally a novel at
MY speed!)
One of the aspects I enjoyed about the nature of using email as
the medium was the added level of realism to the story. Michael
explained, "the guiding principle behind this concept is that we
wanted readers to experience this story in exactly the same way
that they actually use the internet. Just as in the emails that
people get in their real life will occasionally link to external
sites, our emails also link to external sites.
"So some of them are newspaper, magazine articles, or
photographs of potential suspects that were created specifically
for the mystery. But in order to enhance that aspect of email
use, we would include web sites that already existed just to
further blur the line of reality and fiction."
Every good novel starts with a good cover; the website at
EmailMystery.com is that cover. I think it looks good -- it
brings you in. You have the ability to flip through the first
three pages of the story as it were.
The story itself is well-written and the characters are
introduced quite well through their communications. The main
character is Samantha Dempsey, a journalist who has been asked
by an old friend to investigate a cult his daughter has gotten
involved with.
The cult is a group of young women called the Daughters of
Freya, whose leader, Simone Jorgenson, has convinced them that
sexual liberation will save the world. Fear not, dear reader,
there is little to no depiction of sex in the story.
Samantha's initial article after meeting with Simone and the
girls is that the cult really has no ulterior motives. But when
a mysterious informant surfaces and claims the cult is not what
it appears to be, the plot thickens.
The story has many twists and dangers, yet it is not overly-
complex. A great balance is struck with story, characters,
personal dramas, and suspense.
When the story ended, I found myself missing the emails.
I believe this is partially because of the way you read the
story. There is an intimacy built between the reader and the
characters because you feel like you are involved in their
emailed conversations.
Yet, this is also due to the fact that the characters are
written so well that you feel connected, and miss them when
their tale is done. A sequel is in the early stages of planning
and I am looking forward to that.
The story costs only $4.99 US ($5.99 Cdn) to subscribe, just
under the price of a paperback novel. It comes to you at your
convenience, at your inbox. It's a wonderful story. a novel way
of telling it, and I really enjoyed it.
If you would like to read or listen to my interview with
Michael Betcherman, please visit
http://shaurettenet.blogspot.com
and check out "Is This Thing On?" episode #4.
___
Michael Betcherman is a Toronto-based writer and filmmaker.
He is currently working on a documentary on the wrongly-
convicted. David Diamond is a writer and journalist based in
Kentfield, California. His seventh book, coauthored with poker's
Annie Duke, hit bookstores this September. To find out more
about Michael Betcherman and David Diamond, visit THE DAUGHTERS
OF FREYA website at http://www.emailmystery.com.
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10: ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS
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FANSTORY.COM OCTOBER CONTESTS
http://www.fanstory.com/contests.jsp
Halloween Poetry Contest
http://www.fanstory.com/contests.jsp#hpm
For our Halloween Poetry contest we are looking for poems that
fit the theme of Halloween. The deadline is Oct 31.
The winner takes away a one hundred dollar pre-paid Visa gift
card. Second place will win ten member dollars. Third place five
member dollars.
All poem types are welcomed. Entries must fit the theme of
Halloween. That can be horror, thriller or just plain fun.
One entry per person. New entries only.
Halloween Short Story Contest
http://www.fanstory.com/contests.jsp#hss
For our Halloween Writing contest we are looking for stories
that fit the category of Horror and Thriller. Halloween should
play a part in the story but it does not need to be central to
the story line.
The deadline is Oct 31.
The winner takes away a one hundred dollar pre-paid Visa gift
card. Second place will win ten member dollars. Third place five
member dollars.
One entry per person. Minimum length 700 words. Maximum Length
7,000 words. Recommended length 2,000 - 3,500 words.
New entries only.
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11: GUEST ARTICLE by Francine Silverman
Motivational Speakers and Authors - the Secret to Their Success
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"Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve."
- Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
"You become what you think about."
- Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)
"Fear of failure becomes fear of success for those who never
try anything new."
- Wayne Dyer
"You can have everything in life that you want if you will just
help enough other people get what they want."
- Zig Ziglar
The four most prominent motivational speaker/authors share five
similarities that help account for their success:
1. Childhoods laden with hardships
2. Insatiable curiosity about human potential
3. Desire to help others
4. Backgrounds in careers that required speaking and outgoing
personalities, i.e, sales, broadcasting or journalism.
5. Persistence, persistence
Napoleon Hill was born into poverty in rural Virginia and his
mother died when he was 10.
Earl Nightingale also grew up poor, in Long Beach, Ca. during
the Depression, and his father left the family when he was 12.
Wayne Dyer spent the first decade of his life in foster homes
and orphanages.
Zig Ziglar was born in rural Alabama during the Depression and
his father died when he was still a boy.
From an early age, Napoleon Hill tried to find the answer to how
people from meager backgrounds with no discernible advantages
manage to reach tremendous heights in life. Striving to overcome
a handicap of birth of ignorance and superstition, he studied
the greats - Emerson, Paine, Edison, Darwin, Lincoln, Ford,
Carnegie and his namesake, Napoleon - and tried to reshape his
own character by emulating them.
As a "mountain reporter" working his way through law school,
Hill had an assignment to write a series of success stories of
famous men and interviewed Andrew Carnegie. The steel magnate
then commissioned the young reporter to interview more than 500
millionaires to find a success formula that could be used by
the average person. It took Hill over 20 years to produce his
ground-breaking book, Think and Grow Rich, in 1937.
In the book, Hill tells a story that illustrates his philosophy
that "whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can
achieve." A man named Barnes was bent on partnering with Thomas
Edison. One day Barnes showed up at his door and Edison thought
he looked like a tramp. But impressed with the determination on
his face, Edison offered Barnes a job in his office at a nominal
wage.
It was not exactly the golden horseshoe, but when the
opportunity did present itself, it turned out differently than
Barnes expected. Edison had invented a dictating machine that
left his salesmen unenthused. Barnes knew he could sell it so
Edison gave him a contract to market the machine all over the
nation. Barnes made a pile of money and proved that he could
really "think and grow rich."
Like his idol, Napolean Hill, Earl Nightingale was hungry for
knowledge. As a young boy he would frequent the Long Beach
Public Library in California, searching for the answer to a
question similar to Hills': "How can a person, starting from
scratch,, who has no particular advantage in the world, reach
the goals that he feels are important to him, and, by so doing,
make a major contribution to others?"
As a member of the Marine Corps, Nightingale volunteered to work
at a local radio station as an announcer. Years later, he would
become host of his own daily commentary program and for three
decades was heard on more than 1000 radio stations across the
U.S. Canada and 10 foreign countries. When he was 29, he read
Think and Grow Rich and its message "We Become What We Think
About" would become his credo.
As owner of an insurance company, Nightingale spent time
motivating his sales force to greater accomplishments and his
sales manager begged him to put his inspirational words on
record. The result, entitled The Strangest Secret, reveals the
answer to the question that had inspired him as a youth.
The recording was also the first spoken word message to win
a Gold Record by selling over a million copies.
Zig Ziglar grew up with insecurities and small expectations.
As a salesman, he had little confidence until a sales exec told
him that if he would only recognize his ability he'd become a
"great one." Ziglar went on to become a star salesman and many
of his books focus on improving the self-esteem of sales people
around the world.
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, author of 20 self-help books, is the only
author in the Self-Improvement section of Barnes & Noble on 82nd
Street and Broadway, to have a shelf embossed with his name.
Affectionately known by fans as the "father of motivation,"
Dyer began his career as an educator and eventually earned a
doctorate in counseling psychotherapy.
He too borrowed from Napolean Hill, especially the philosophy
that we become what we think about. One principle he lives by
is to focus on what you want and refuse to let anyone stand your
way. He uses the example of the Wright Brothers. "I don't think
Orville and Wilbur said to each other, "This thing is heavier
than air, so how will it get off the ground?"
How can we emulate these four masters of self-improvement?
While we have no control over our birthright, we can expand our
curiosity, help others to achieve their dreams, and always keep
our eye on the ball.
___
Francine Silverman is editor/publisher of Book Promotion
Newsletter, a bi-weekly ezine for authors of all genres, and
author of Book Marketing from A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005), a
compilation of the best marketing strategies of 325 authors from
all over the English-speaking world. Please visit
http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com and click
"Ask the Experts" for answers to your book marketing questions.
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12: CLASSIFIED ADS
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LISTINGS:
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SHAURETTENET: The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
- Is This Thing On? - http://feeds.feedburner.com/shaurettenet
All this and more at: http://www.ShauretteNet.com
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13: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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