Here's the latest edition of Nina's newsletter:



Where Purpose & Passion Turn Into Published Products & Careers as Writers & Authors


Action Steps for Wanna-Be Authors                1/27/2012

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I'm gearing up for a hectic six to nine months not only working for clients and preparing some new proposals for books I want to write but also promoting my forthcoming book, How to Blog a Book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time. It's a crazy and exciting time! 
 
I just returned from New York City, where I did a presentation on How to Blog a Book. (I'll be at the San Francisco Writer's Conference in February doing the same...) While there I noticed that many aspiring authors really weren't prepared for success. So, this issue is focused on that--How to be ready when that agent or acquisitions editor says "yes" to your pitch--and how to have a pitch ready. Below you will find two articles full of great information:
2 Things You Need Before You Pitch an Agent or Editor
How to Craft a Winning Book Pitch 
 
Also notice the long discount price offer prior to the articles for my upcoming "Blog Your Way to a Book Deal" teleclass starting next week. It tells you how to save money on the registration fee. (Hint: preording my book is involved!) I hope you'll register. FInd out how here: http://howtoblogabook.com/resources/
 
At the end of the newsletter, find a rebate on coaching services and another special offer for preording my new book.
 
If I can be of service at any time, please contact me.

Here's to your inspired success!

Nina

Achieve
More
Inspired
Results
Your Inspiration-to-Creation Coach
namir@copywrightcommunications.com

408-353-1943
 
 
Save $ on Blog Your Way to a Book Deal 4-Part TeleClass

I'll be conducting a "Blog Your Way to a Book Deal Teleclass: How to Write, Publish and Promote Your Manuscripts on the Internet" for 4 weeks in February. And, I'm offering a really great way for you to save money on it...If you pre-order a copy of my forthcoming book, How to Blog a Book at www.amazon.com, you will SAVE $30 on the price of the teleclass.

Here are the details on the class:

When: Tuesday, February 7, 14, 21, 28 @ 5-6 p.m. PST
Cost: $99
For more information: http://bit.ly/CWCteleseminars

To get the discount (and pay just $69), order your copy here: http://amzn.to/HTBAB.

Then email a copy of the receipt to namir@copywrightcommunications.com. I'll send you instructions on how to register.

Please hang onto your Amazon receipt. You'll need to email it to me to get the discount and to enroll. No receipt, no discount. No exceptions...sorry.

How to Blog a book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time will be delivered to bookstores and to those who preorder in late April or early May. It has more than double the content found on the blog. Thus, it will be well worth the purchase even for loyal blog readers.

For more information on the book, click here.

Here's what people who have read the book already have said:

"Recycling your blog posts into a book may provide the easiest way to write a book, and How to Blog a Book provides the plan for producing both the blog and a book that agents, publishers and readers will notice."
Dan Poynter,
The Self-Publishing Manual and How to Write Nonfiction, www.parapublishing.com

"If you've been thinking about writing a book, Nina Amir removes the barriers to getting it done and provides you with a formula for making it easy. Who doesn't love easy? This book should give birth to a lot of new books, and if you read it, one of those books could be YOURS!"
Stephanie Chandler,
author of The Writer's Guide to Building an Online Platform, www.authoritypublishing.com

"Blogging is a great way to create content for a book. Now Nina has put together a road map for getting a book out of your blog posts. Check out How to Blog a Book. It covers all the stops along the way to your destination as a published author."
John Kremer,
author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book,www.bookmarket.com

"Nina Amir's new book is a book writing and promotion revelation. She shows you how to finish your manuscript at the same time you build a platform. Every writer will benefit from reading this slender, savvy volume."
Rick Frishman,
 bestselling author, publisher, and speaker, www.rickfrishman.com

"Lots of people talk about blogging a book, but few understand the process as well as Nina Amir. How to Blog a Book explains the  Why's andHow's of blogging a book from a big picture point of  view that will help both newcomers and experienced authors  profit from this proven route to getting published."
Roger C. Parker
, best-selling nonfiction author and coach who blogs at, www.PublishedandProfitable.com

"Turning your blog posts into a book is a terrific way to write your book and build your audience at the same time. Nina Amir will guide you through every step with practical advice based on real-world experience."
Dana Lynn Smith
, author of the Savvy Book Marketer series of marketing guides for authors, www.savvybookmarketer.com

"There's a lot more involved in creating a book out of a blog than just gathering up a bunch of posts and hitting "publish." Nina Amir leads you step-by-step through all the consideration. Say good-bye to "what should I write about?" and say hello to "I'm a published author."
Shel Horowitz
, book shepherd and award-winning author of eight books including Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, www.frugalmarketing.com

"I believe that blogging can change your life. I also believe that writing a book is one of the achievements you will be most proud of. Combining the two can therefore be a brilliant way to get the project moving. Nina's book will help you organize the process so you can put all your time and energy into writing and building a community."
Joanna Penn
, author and blogger at The Creative Penn, voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers, www.thecreativepenn.com

"If you are just starting out as a blogger or if you already have 15,000 posts online, Nina Amir's How to Blog a Book, has the plan for you. You can't go wrong with this book. Written to provide you with the easiest path from screen to page, How to Blog a Book, gets you there while helping you to dodge many pitfalls and common frustrations. Read it and learn."
Shane Birley
, co-author of Blogging for Dummies

"At the turn of 20th century everyone began to realize they needed a blog. Now, today, those same people are realizing they need a book, too. Why not do both at the same time? Nina helps you understand how to easily write a book and build a platform."
Jim F. Kukral
, author of Business Around a Lifestyle and 5 other titles, www.digitalbooklaunch.com

The old saying, kill two birds with one stone, is the perfect metaphor for what Nina teaches in this valuable book. Blog with the intention of turning the accumulated material into a complete trade book is a brilliant concept.
Jeff Herman
, Literary agent, www.jeffherman.com

So, are you ready to pre-order a copy of How to Blog a Book and get the discount on my 4-part "Blog Your Way to a Book Deal" teleclass (and pay just $69)? Are you ready to start learning about how to blog your way to a book deal, repurpose existing blog posts into a book and promote your work in cyberspace while getting your book written faster than you ever imagined? If so, pre-order a copy of How to Blog a Book and then email a copy of the receipt to me at namir@copywrightcommunications.com. I'll then send you instructions on how to register.

I can't wait to teach you what I know--and what I put to use to land my deal with Writer's Digest Books as well as what other successful bloggers are doing to land their deals with a variety of publishers.

It's a great time to be a writer, a blogger and a book blogger!

 

 
2 Things You Need Before You Pitch an Agent or Editor

If you plan to pitch an agent or an acquisitions editor at a writer's conference or at some other type of event, like a pitchapalooza, pitch fest or speed dating for agents, be sure you are ready not only to pitch but for one or more of them to tell you they are interested in your book idea.

Of course, you will need a pitch, or elevator speech. (See article below.) When the response you hear to your pitch is, "Yes, I'm interested," you want to jump into action. To ensure you can, here's what you need:

  1. A clean, crisp and professional cover letter that states the material you are sending was requested.
  2. A professionally edited proposal. Be sure this has been edited by someone who actually knows the industry standards--not by a friend, an English teacher or a book editor who has never worked on a proposal.

If you are writing nonfiction, which I assume you are if you subscribe to this list, be sure you also have built your author platform to some extent. Your proposal should include a strong platform section complemented by an equally strong promotion section. These two sections can make or break the proposal--whether or not you have a good idea and are a strong writer.

I've seen numerous aspiring authors struggle to get a proposal together at the last minute--many of them successfully, but this is not the best way to get your proposal written. Remember, the proposal is your second chance to make a good impression after that meeting with the agent or editor. And it represents THE business plan for your book. It's a marketing piece that must hook the reader and get them so interested in your book that they are willing to fight for it to be purchased. That's how you land a contract.

Now, that's not a document you want to throw together carelessly or quickly is it?

How to Craft a Winning Book Pitch

Aspiring writers come to conferences from all over the country--and even the world--hoping to get in an elevator with an agent and to give their "elevator pitch." They pay to go to pitch sessions where they have 3-10 minutes to tell an agent or editor about their idea. They hope to leave with a card in hand and having heard the words "Send me your proposal. I'm interested."

I've been involved in helping judge the San Francisco Writers Conference, for several years now. I've heard a lot of pitches. So, let me tell you what I know coupled with what I learned from Chuck Sambuchino, an editor for Writer's Digest Books (an imprint of F+W Media) and the editor of Guide to Literary Agents. I heard him speak on this topic just last weekend at the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City.

Chuck says a pitch is basically your query letter memorized, and for a three-minute pitch session, your pitch should only take you about 60-90 seconds to say.

To craft a pitch, I suggest writing a draft of 75 words or so. Then hone it down to something under 50 words. At the San Francisco Writers Conference, the rule used to be 25 words now it's about 50 words. I like one great sentence.
 
There's a huge difference in pitching fiction and nonfiction; memoir, while nonfiction, can be pitched more like fiction because it reads like a novel.

Nonfiction writers should focus a pitch on what the book is about, why it is unique, timely or needed and its benefits (the added value to readers). Also, if you can include information on your market, unique features, or any comparison to another best-selling book, that's great. Additionally, you want to let the agent or editor know what makes you an authority or expert on the topic and if you have a platform; this last part, says Chuck, can even be offered as if in bulleted form.

Fiction writers shouldn't make the mistake that I see most often: telling the whole story. Just offer the narrative arc  in the most creative way possible to hook the listener. Again think about the benefits you book offers (yes, even fiction benefits the reader in some way); that's how I focused my pitch the year I won the San Francisco Writer's Conference pitch contest, and that pitch was for fiction.

Chuck offered great advice for fiction writers. I'll repeat it although most of my readers tend to be nonfiction writers. Follow this format step by step:

  1. Tell the details first - genre, title, word count (if appropriate), if it is complete.
  2. Offer a log line - one sentence (ex. A treasure hunter searches for a lost necklace in the Himalayas.)
  3.  Pitch using these 6 elements:
  • Introduce the main character(s).
  • Introduce something interesting or what he/she wants (or both).
  • Introduce the inciting incident (that moves the story forward).
  • Introduce the hook (plot)--in other words, say what the story is about or repeat the log line.
  • Explain the stakes, or complications (ex. innocent people die, they get lost).
  • Describe the unclear wrap up.

       4.  Describe how the character is changing - the character arc.

Be prepared for these three words that you want to hear from the agent or editor when you finished pitching: "Tell me more." Have three bullet points with more information that you can provide ready.

Chuck also suggests asking:

  • What would you like from me?
  • How would you like it?
  • To which email should I send it?
  • Should I attach it?

Always come to a conference with a query and cover letter and a book proposal finished and ready to put in the mail (see above). Don't expect an agent or editor to take this home with them. In some cases they will take three pages of a novel or a one-page proposal, but don't expect that either. Do give them your card if they ask for it. I know of one instance in which an editor was so taken with an idea she called the writer the next day.

Don't be nervous...well, you will be. Take a deep breath, admit you are nervous, but the agent or editor knows you are. It's okay. You can take a few seconds when you sit down to make small talk, but don't waste your time, especially if you only have 3 minutes. And then pitch. Be yourself. They want to say "yes." Every editor or agent is looking for the next great book and author--and business partner.



 
Purchase a Book...Get a Free Blogging Coaching Session

My New book, How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time, is now available for preorder on Amazon.com. I realize you will need to wait until April or May to receive your copy of the book if you order it now, however, I am offering a preordering incentive. Preorder the book and email me a copy of the Amazon.com order confirmation at nina@copywrightcommunications.com , and I'll give you a free 15 minute blogging coaching session. We can discussing blogging your book, booking your blog or blogging in general. Your choice! If you are interested, preorder How to Blog a Book here:
 
February CWC Rebate...Another Gift!

My website, CopyWright Communications, offers a variety of coaching packages--for authors, writers, and bloggers. If you sign up for a minimum of two months of author, book, writing, or blogging coaching beginning by February 10, I'm offering a rebate. You'll receive 10% back when you pay for two months of coaching upfront! Pay for three months upfront and receive a 15% rebate! Send an email to nina@copywrightcommunications.com or call me at 408-353-1943 and mention the rebate to get this deal.
 
Here's the link to my blogging coaching services, if you want more info: http://www.copywrightcommunications.com/Blogging-Coaching.html

If you have questions about coaching, feel free to call. Or email to set up a free 15 minute coaching session to see if coaching is right for you.





 

 
 

 

 

 

 

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