Fourteen Ways a Solo-Preneur Generates Income

An author has many potential revenue streams. Let’s face it: until you actually do manifest a mega-bestseller (and not just make it onto the list) and sell hundreds of thousands—or millions—of books, you’re not likely to be living off your publishing royalties. For this reason, it’s important for authors to diversify their offerings and continually try different communication channels.

The Internet provides a plethora of opportunities and taking the time to master various e-marketing strategies can be very advantageous for your career and your bank account.

Note: You might be aware of most, if not all, of the following revenue streams listed below, but seeing all of them in one place might spark an idea in your head.

Here’s a list of 14 basic potential revenue streams an author can create:

1. e-Commerce–enabled website: Developing a series of products and becoming a master marketer can help you build a healthy stream of revenue from web sales.
2. e-Books/Special Report landing pages: If you have a highly-attractive offer and you are a competent marketer, you can generate a consistent stream of revenue from this strategy.
3. Teleseminars: Although most teleseminars are free and used by marketers to upsell listeners on other products and services, if packaged properly, you can charge for these calls.
4. Distance-Learning Program/e-Courses: Once you’ve developed your course/program, you’ll probably need to create a marketing system and an e-books landing page.
5. Telephone coaching: You can charge for individual calls and/or monthly coaching.
6. Consulting services: You can charge for specific deliverables, go on retainer, and/or create a performance-based program where you’re tied to the success/profits of the enterprise.
7. Bookings/Speaking: Fees vary based on market demand and your platform’s perceived value.
8. Workshops/Seminars: You can charge for three-hour sessions, full-day workshops, or weekend retreats.
9. Publishing Advances/Royalties: See the Become a Best-Selling Author guide-book for details.
10. Sponsorships: As a speaker, you may be able to pick up a sponsor—if that’s appropriate for your platform. Patrick Combs, public speaker and author of Major in Success (Ten Speed Press, 2003), was able to get MasterCard to invest $150,000 in his speaking tour to college campuses. (Check out Patrick’s site.)
11. BOTR (Back-of-the-Room) Sales: Packaging and selling product at your speaking engagements can become the primary source of revenue for an author/speaker.
12. Ancillary Products/Merchandising: These products can be sold online and at your events.
13. Affiliate Programs: You can leverage other marketers’ affiliate programs to generate revenue and/or create your own and have other marketers selling your products—affiliate commissions can vary from 5 to 50%.
14. Google AdSense: If you have a high-traffic website, you can sign up for Google’s AdSense program, which is like putting Google Adwords on your website.

May you build a prosperous career with multiple streams of revenue!
The above article is an excerpt from 60 Strategies for Selling More Books exclusively available through Everything You Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author.

About Scott Jeffrey With an impressive client list including New York Times best-selling authors, speakers, and consultants, Scott Jeffrey is renowned for his ability to guide each client's journey to the impossible—crafting their own adventure, zealously following their bliss and discovering their unique, meaningful contribution to the world. Scott is the master strategist behind Creative Crayon, LLC, a world-class strategic coaching enterprise and consultancy. Scott is the author of Journey to the Impossible: Designing an Extraordinary Life, a Benjamin Franklin Award finalist, as well as the interviewer in the 10-CD audio program, Everything you Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author. He was the editor of Impossible Journeys. Scott and his four-legged hiking companion, Yoda, reside in the mountains of upstate New York. Find out more at http://www.bestsellingauthor.com

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Fourteen Powerful Ways to Market Your Book on the Web Many authors now understand how important a marketing plan and promotional tools (like an effective publicity service) are for selling more books.  Here’s a general overview of various Internet Marketing strategies you can employ to help market your book:

1. Author’s Website: There are two basic types of sites: author-driven and book-driven. Author-driven sites are seen more frequently — the website is usually www.[theauthorsname].com and it contains all their products and services. Book-driven websites center around the book itself; this type may be good for very content-rich, nonfiction books, or books that create some kind of a culture. (For examples, go to our Resource section at select "Build a Website.")
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): When someone goes to Google.com, for example, and types in your name or a term related to your book, where are you listed? Are you on the first couple of pages or do you need to click through 20 pages first? SEO is both an art and science; there are e-marketing companies that exclusively focus on SEO. (This top encompasses an entire field.  You can use a program like WordTracker to determine the most effective key words, but you may want to hire a SEO expert to optimize and maintain your site.)
3. Pay-per-click Advertising: This is one of the most cost-effective, trackable form of advertising on the Web. (Google's Adwords program is possibly the best place to start. Visit their site, watch their demo and they start experimenting.)
4. Email Marketing / E-Newsletters: This medium is essential to establishing and growing your platform as an author. In addition to building a general email list, you can deploy an e-newsletter targeting your area of expertise. If you’re in the business arena, this can be an effective way to generate new leads and sell books. (If you're just starting out, you may want to check out services like Constant Contact and Vertical Response.  If you're more tech savvy a licensed program like ActiveCampaign's 1-2-All might serve you better.)
5. Discussion Boards: Always think about how to get people to come to your site, stay on your site, and frequently return. The “fresher” you keep your site, the more people will want to visit. Discussion boards and chats build a “community” aspect into your Web presence. Although this isn’t appropriate for every author, creating a channel for your readers and potential audience to interact and communicate with you and other like-minded individuals can be a rewarding and powerful strategy for platform building. (Ready to start building a community around your topic of interest?  Here's a few popular programs: phpBB.com and vBulletin.)
6. Autoresponders: An “autoresponder” is an automatically generated email response that is triggered by a specific action. For example, when someone signs up for your mailing list or e-newsletter, an autoresponder message to thank the subscriber can be sent automatically. Additionally, you can create a seven-week email tutorial where a new message and assignment is sent out each week automatically. (The abovementioned email programs generally offer autoresponder capability.)
7. Content Submission and Link Directories: Your book-buying audience is out there — what drives them to your site? There are tons of content submission sites on the web where you can submit articles and/or your Web link with a short description.  Article submissions has quickly become a popular way of promoting your website and increasing your search engine positions. These articles and links may or may not lead to more traffic and sales on your site, but it’s just one more way to plant seeds. (For example, www.selfgrowth.com and www.ideamarketer.com— moresites are listed in the Resource section.)
8. Affiliate Marketing: Most likely, however, you’re going to drive book purchasers from your site to Amazon.com (through their "Associate" program). The reason you want to utilize Amazon.com as opposed to servicing the orders yourself is because they are masters at e-commerce and have defined the online purchasing experience (especially for books). Most people are already comfortable purchasing books at Amazon.com which lowers the perceived risk for ordering your book. However, if you have an e-commerce-enabled website, you can create an affiliate marketing program where a referral fee is given for customers who come from affiliate sites. They earn a commission and you increase your exposure and customer base. (If you're ready to launch your own affiliate program, you need to do your homework. There are numerous programs available with a wide variety of options and pricing.  They all seem to have pros and cons.)
9. Viral Marketing: Creating word-of-mouth buzz around your book can be challenging. Finding ways to make your book idea “viral” is unquestionably worth some time. If someone takes the initiative to subscribe to your mailing list, consider providing a “Tell a friend” feature so the subscriber can share your information with others.
10. Digital Media: There are so many exciting new ways to present information on the Web. Can you create audio and video downloads for your site? Maybe you can put together an online tutorial or a Web seminar, highlighting the key principles or lessons from your book. New technologies are constantly becoming available to “edutain” your audience. (I've seen numerous marketers posting video clips on Google Video to get more exposure for their websites and services.)
11. Distance Learning Programs: Perhaps the content of your book lends itself perfectly to a distance learning program. You can create a program that runs for a period of time (like 30 days or three months) and put together a series of modules covering specific topics. Each week you can email a different assignment that participants complete and email back or submit through an online form. Depending on your subject matter and how well you construct and market your program, this can be a substantial revenue source.
12. Blog: A blog (from “web log”) is basically an online publishing tool, like a web-based journal, that provides a forum for you to communicate with your audience. Blogging can enhance your search rankings, but it may not be the best vehicle if you don’t already have a subscriber base. (If you're just getting started, Blogger is an easy and free way of launching a blog. If you want a more professional blog with greater functionality, TypePad is the current program of choice.)
13. AmazonConnect: Amazon.com's AmazonConnect program has created an incredible opportunity for authors to communicate with their readers who purchase their books on Amazon.com. After creating an Amazon.com Profile with your "Plog" (product blog), your plog entries will show up on your book pages. Plus, your new Plog entries may show up on Amazon.com's home page for those who have already purchased your book.
14. Google Book Search: Google's Book Search matches the content of your book with the users search. It's a different way to get more exposure ... and it's free. (Sign up here and check out this success story.)

Of course, each of the above are big topics of discussion on their own. All of these elements can be included in your book marketing plan and promotion efforts. We’ll try to cover them each in greater detail in other articles and on the blog. The above article is an excerpt from the guidebook included in Everything You Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author.

About Scott Jeffrey With an impressive client list including New York Times best-selling authors, speakers, and consultants, Scott Jeffrey is renowned for his ability to guide each client's journey to the impossible—crafting their own adventure, zealously following their bliss and discovering their unique, meaningful contribution to the world. Scott is the master strategist behind Creative Crayon, LLC, a world-class strategic coaching enterprise and consultancy. Scott is the author of Journey to the Impossible: Designing an Extraordinary Life, a Benjamin Franklin Award finalist, as well as the interviewer in the 10-CD audio program, Everything you Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author. He was the editor of Impossible Journeys. Scott and his four-legged hiking companion, Yoda, reside in the mountains of upstate New York. Find out more at http://www.bestsellingauthor.com

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Follow Your Instincts – and Reap the Rewards

We spend a lot of our time so distracted by our daily chores and commitments that we tend to ignore what our instincts are telling us.

You know how it goes. You spend all your time working or, worse, traveling to work. As an aside, I’ve always thought employers should pay you for that – let’s face it: you wouldn’t be traveling 2 hours a day unless you were going to and from work – so why shouldn’t that be considered work time?

Back to the point. You spend time dropping off and picking up the kids, preparing food, eating, sleeping, relaxing with your loved one, watching TV, whatever. Where do you fit in the time to write?

And yet, all the time in the back of your mind you have this little voice that says: You really should be writing, you really should be writing…

So your instincts know what you want but your activities are committing you to a lifestyle you don’t want. There’s the dilemma. How do you stop doing what you don’t want and start doing what you do?

Simple – and this is going to sound naff but – listen to your heart.

I believe there’s a reason why we have instincts – they are there to tell us what we really want. They are there to nag at you to deal with the things that are lacking in your life.

Bear with me for a few moments now because I’m about to advance a theory. It may sound radical, but it’s based on something Sigmund Freud once said.

He talked about dreams. His theory was that your brain needs balance. Your life may be focused on certain activities, relationships and whatever and they may be enough for your waking hours. But during sleep, the brain needs more – it needs to be stimulated to take in a fully rounded life experience. So it compensates for missing life experiences by ‘making them up’ in your dreams.

It’s a natural coping mechanism – designed to keep you sane.

Let’s take this idea one step further.

On a subconscious level, the brain is taking in, assessing and dealing with all the information it needs – real or imagined. It processes everything, striving for balance. But what if there is something left over, something found wanting, how would that manifest itself?

I believe it manifests itself as instinct. It’s that intuitive yearning that needs fulfilling. A feeling that something or some direction is right for you. And it’s something you must respond to.

For the last five years that’s what I’ve been doing: acting on instinct.

Sometimes flying in the face of logic, doing things that reason would regard as crazy, to follow what my heart, rather than my rational brain, is telling me to do.

And guess what?

It’s working. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. More successful than I could ever hoped for. And every day I’m doing what I love – just taking life as it comes and doing what my instinct tells me to do at any given moment.

I recommend it.

Sure, things can get sticky. When I first resolved to listen to my heart I got sacked from my job – my boss said outright: “You and I know you shouldn’t be here, you should be doing your own thing. Just think of me as the bitch who made it happen!”

But that turned out for the good because she’d forced me to really come to terms with my life. She’d given me no choice but to confront my destiny.

I knew then I had to be a professional writer – what my instincts had told me all along – and that I had to make it happen, or die trying.

So that’s what I did. I woke up every morning from that day and just did what my heart told me to do: write a book, set up that website, teach this writing genre, whatever felt right. And it’s what I’m still doing to this day.

Simply responding to my instincts.

So, if you have some nagging voice in the back of your mind – listen to it – and act on its advice. It’s doing more than just nagging. It could be that it’s showing you the way to your destiny!

This article is written by Rob Parnell. Visit his website at www.easywaytowrite.com

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Focus Your Expertise

Yes, you are amazing and brilliant and capable of multi-tasking to a fine art.  You can do anything you set you mind to and you know that already.  You’ve become a master of juggling multiple responsibilities and you seem to be fairly successful at just about everything you do.  So why aren’t you making the big bucks?  Where is all that abundance and prosperity that being so multi-talented should be getting you?  You are going to hate my answer, but sit with it and you’ll see that it makes sense.

Here’s a little secret to becoming wildly successful that most people don’t know and don’t want to believe.  Most people are not capable of doing more than two things, sometimes three, really well.  Before you start screaming at me, think about this… how many self-made millionaires are also workaholics?  How many of them lose their marriages and/or their children, because their loved ones think that they love the company more then them?  How often do you see someone in the building stages of their fortune, doing a really great job of anything else?  Not very often.  There is a reason that the old saying, “Behind every great man is an even greater woman” was so popular a few generations ago.  In order for the man to be able to focus all of his expertise and energies into creating such a noteworthy career, he had to have a wife back home who took care of everything else for him.  Teamwork is a powerful thing, and we can definitely get into debates over gender roles and such another time.  For now let’s stay focused on being focused.

Look at the woman who is an amazing wife and mother and keeps an immaculately clean house while doing so.  If she’s truly an expert doing an outrageously good job at raising her kids and having a well run home and family, she probably is not working on a career outside of the home.  Look at the opposite.  How many super successful career women feel deep down that they are really doing their best for their family?  If they are, then chances are they’ve sacrificed by not demanding that they keep a picture perfect clean house.  They may focus just on family and work and let the chores slide.  Many single parents who are really working hard to earn an income to support their families are also working equally hard to make sure that their children are mentally and emotionally well off after the divorce.  They put most of their focus and energy into those two areas and subsequently many of those people really don’t have time to date and to give a new relationship the kind of serious attention it deserves?  We have all seen the newly divorced parents who are so focused on their own needs to find a new partner and to let loose and play for awhile, that they blow off their kids and kids wooden balance board.  We cannot judge any of these people for the choices that they make.  No one is right or wrong.  It’s simply a matter of time and energy, you can’t do all things well and you can’t be all things to all people.

Does this mean that in order to become fabulously rich that we have to travel through life without family and friends?  Without a social life or a hobby?  Yes and no.  What it means is that you have to take the time to set your priorities and be honest with yourself.  How important is that money?  How important are your children?  Your marriage?  How important is it to you to be elected into public office or to be a self-made tycoon?  You have to really sit down with those answers and pick a couple of things to do extremely well.  Then forgive yourself for letting the other things fall by the wayside.  Remember that you don’t have to choose to put making money above the other delights of life.  Perhaps you’ll decide that your personal idea of prosperity is getting to dabble in many things.  You can choose to do many things fairly well and be an expert in none.  Your income will show that choice in that you will do fairly well, but you won’t have the great abundance and wealth that you might have been dreaming of before.

If you do have a family that will be deeply affected by your decision, then you should probably include them in the discussion.  Don’t decide by yourself that you’re going to put your marriage on autopilot for a couple of years while you run off to make a ton of money assuming that they’ll wait around forever.  If together you agree this is a sacrifice you are both willing to make for long-term wealth, then so be it.  Teenagers will understand these sorts of decisions a lot better then toddlers will.  If you have small children, I don’t recommend putting your relationship with them on the back burner while you earn money.  They will likely end up with some psychological issues around whether you loved them or money… and it will mess with their self-worth.  If you’re single and you have no kids, then you can simply pick a couple of things to seriously focus on and become so expert that you make some serious money for yourself.

It simply comes down to this — experts earn experts’ wages.  A jack-of-all-trades smorgasbord lifestyle means you get a little of this and a little of that.  You get to meet a lot of different people and you get to play a lot.  That can be a very rewarding and satisfying life.  But there’s rarely any money in it!  If money is your goal, pick a couple of things that you love and do them really well, become the best of the best.  Stay focused.  Don’t allow anything beyond your tight little priority list to distract you.  Make peace with whatever you decide and have fun.

Skye Thomas is the CEO of Tomorrow's Edge, an Internet leader in inspiring leaps of faith. She became a writer in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, soulmates, and parenting. Her books and articles have inspired people of all ages and faiths to recommit themselves to the pursuit of happiness. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. To read more of her articles, sign up to receive her free weekly newsletter, and get free previews of her books go to http://www.TomorrowsEdge.net

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Five Top Success Tips

Incorporate these skills into your strategy for success and you’ll move forward quicker than you ever dreamed!

Hustle: generally, people who make it big have one thing in common-they are dissatisfied with the status quo. They will not take what is “common” or “expected” and let that define their lives-they move past it and excel. You must work hard and hustle.

Character: someone coined the phrase, “character is what you do in the dark.” In other words, when no one is looking, will you behave differently than if someone was looking? If not, then you have character. If you are attacked, be tough-not hard.

Don’t be a pushover, but be compassionate, gentle, and flexible-especially on procedure (not principle).

Risk Taking: this isn’t gambling, it’s a willingness to be bold, hearty, and to push forward. People who refuse to take risks are definitely going to lose. If you refuse a new promotion because you’re not confident of your skills, you will likely be passed over when a different chance arrives.

Don’t be afraid of rejection, just take it as part of life and you’ll find there’s nothing to be afraid of-especially in the word “no.” “No” is just another opportunity to find a way around an obstacle and to use creative problem-solving skills.

Time Management: we all know that one minute has 60 seconds and that one hour has 60 minutes. One day has 24 hours, and one year has 365 days. But one year also has 525,600 minutes. We don’t think about a year in such small increments, but maybe we should. We waste minutes as if they’ll always be around, and the fact is that time wasted is time we can never get back. We might miss a deal or promotion of a lifetime by wasting just a few minutes.

Proper time management is essential as you climb to success. Continue to break goals down in to manageable chunks-do that with relation to your day and the time you’ve been given. You’ll accomplish far more this way and you won’t regret using your time wisely.

Master Non-Verbal Communication: it is said that our body language and facial expressions do much more communicating than our words will ever do. When the words that you speak don’t match the expressions on your face or the stance of your body, you confuse the listener and muddle your message.

Be aware that when you try to “multi-task,” you often end up short-changing something, and the last thing you want is to short-change people. Don’t try to do too much at once-your willingness to do this tells people they aren’t important, even if you’re expressing your appreciation of their work and effort.Be aware of what message your body is sending off!

About The Author: Dan Brown has been active in internet marketing for the past 4 years. Dan currently is working with the Zabang search engine, introducing their new affiliate program which is due out July, 2005. http://www.zabangaffiliate.com/

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Five Stumbling Blocks To Successful Networking And How To Overcome Them

The ability to connect with people is essential to success in any business. Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and to develop profitable relationships. These occasions are critical for anyone who wants to grow a business or promote a career.

Many people are simply not comfortable walking into a room full of strangers and striking up conversations. Here are five common stumbling blocks that you may face and tips to help you overcome them.

A RELUCTANCE TO TALK TO STRANGERS. You were taught at an early age not to speak to people you don’t know. It’s not safe. In certain situations today this is still good advice. In business, however, talking to strangers is a way to generate interest and support for your products and services. If you only talk to the people you already know, you will miss out on opportunities to make new connections and establish valuable contacts.

To get past your discomfort in talking to strangers, set a goal for yourself before you attend any networking event. Decide how many new contacts you want to make or how many strangers you want to meet. In some cases, you may specifically target individuals whom you’d like to know.

Next come up with some icebreakers or conversation starters. Have questions prepared that you can ask anyone you meet at the event. You may want to inquire about other people’s business, their connection to the sponsoring organization or their opinion of the venue.

LACK OF A FORMAL INTRODUCTION. It’s much easier to make a new contact when there is someone else to handle the introduction and pave the way. If you wait for another person to make the move you may not meet anyone. At networking events, the goal is to meet as many people as possible.

This is the time to take the bull by the horns, walk up to people you don’t know, introduce yourself and start a conversation. You can do this if you have prepared your self-introduction in advance.

You will not introduce yourself the same way on every occasion. Perhaps it is your first time to attend an association meeting. In that case, you might want to say that as part of your introduction. Let people know who you are, why you are there and give them a reason to ask more abut you.

FEAR OF BEING SEEN AS PUSHY. You may think that you will turn people off if you are assertive and that if they want to talk to you, they will make the first move. If this is your line of thinking you will find yourself spending your time alone at the reception or meeting function and leaving without a single new connection. Being open, friendly and interested does not turn people off.

You will not come across as overly aggressive if you seek out the “approachable” people. These are the ones who are standing alone or who are speaking in groups of three or more. Two people talking to each other are not approachable because they may be having a private conversation and you would be interrupting.

THINKING THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY NOT LIKE YOU. There is always the risk that the other person is not interested in you and doesn’t want to meet or talk to you. It happens. If that is the case, don’t take it personally. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. When you get a cold shoulder, smile, move on and say to yourself, “Next?”

HAVING YOUR INTENTIONS MISUNDERSTOOD. Approaching someone of the opposite sex to begin a conversation may seem more like flirting than networking. This is more of an issue for women than men. Women have an equal place in the work arena and need to make professional connections the same as men do. Women in business can no longer afford to hold back when there is opportunity at hand.

Neither men nor women will have their motives misinterpreted if they present themselves professionally in their attire and if they keep the conversation focused on business issues or topics that are not personal or private.

Whatever your stumbling blocks, face them before the next networking event and devise a personal plan for getting past them. Once you do, you will find yourself connecting with confidence and courtesy on every occasion and the results will be reflected in your bottom line.

(c) 2005, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit her web site http://www.mannersthatsell.com/

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Five Magic Phrases: Tips for Negotiating Like a Pro

Writers who are new to freelancing are often too afraid to ask for more than an editor offers. Thrilled to be making any money at all, new writers typically agree to whatever figure is proposed. I was no exception to this rule, but once I’d built up my credits, I realized editors weren’t about to offer me a raise if I continued to play the role of doormat writer.

Once a writer has some experience, the bottom line becomes more important. Especially if one aspires to write full-time, “trivial issues” like prompt and appropriate payment start to matter when you depend on your writing income to pay the bills.

Until you’ve tried negotiating, you may not realize how much you’ve been undercut. An editor’s first offer is rarely the maximum amount he or she can actually afford to pay you; as is human nature, most editors will try to get good writing at the lowest possible cost. Your job is to convince those editors that paying you a little extra for your piece will be worth it. How?

The answer may be simpler than you ever imagined: you just have to ask. In over four years as a full-time writer, I’ve gotten exactly what I asked for in every case except one—and even in that case, I was able to get the editor to spring for a 10% increase. In other words, every single time I got up the nerve to negotiate, I wound up with a bigger paycheck.

Remember that everything within a contract is fair grounds for negotiation; your goal should be to sell the fewest rights for the highest fee, payable quickly after submission. You can also strike better deals for the inclusion of a bio-note or advertisement for your business, extra payment for extra services (like photos and sidebars), and a high kill fee if such terms are necessary.

It’s always slightly uncomfortable for a writer to ask for more than an editor wishes to spend. But, with a few key phrases under your belt, you, too, can significantly increase your income.

The Magic Phrases

1. “That sounds a little low.”

A timeless classic. This follows a golden rule of writing: keep it simple. No matter what figure is proposed, just state those five words and then shut your mouth. Since no one can stand uncomfortable silences, your tight lips will force the editor to say something in response. Either he or she will make a new offer, ask you what you need, or tell you that’s the best they can do. If it’s the latter, employ one of the next phrases.

2. “To make it worth my time, I would need…”

This one lets you take control of the situation. If you’ve already figured out approximately how much time and effort this piece will require, you should be able to determine how much you expect to be paid for it. Make sure that you’ve done some research and that your figure is in the realm of what that particular market typically pays. (Asking for a figure that’s 20% more than their average payment for an article of your word count and scope is reasonable; asking for 200% more is not.) Don’t bother mincing your words; just state your figure and let the editor decide whether or not to meet your demands.

3. “Considering the amount of research required, can we agree to…”

You can end this open-ended statement with a higher fee, less rights, or other “barters.” Heavily researched pieces often have potential reprint markets. If an editor has asked for all rights, or exclusivity in any way, use this as a bartering chip. Mention that you can only give them exclusivity if they’ll raise the fee; otherwise, you’ll accept the fee for one-time rights (or whatever rights you find suitable) only. You may also barter for free advertising space, links to your website, etc.

4. “I’m expecting more for this piece.”

Another simple statement that forces the ball back to the editor’s proverbial court. Again, follow this one with silence, and allow the editor to come up with a new figure. This statement introduces the possibility that you could decide to sell the piece elsewhere if the editor doesn’t meet your requirements.

5. “Can we work on that?”

For pop psychology fans, this one brings the editor onto your “team.” By using the word “we,” you’ve asked the editor to partner with you in coming up with more acceptable terms. This question opens the door to a variety of improvements; you may choose to talk about fees, rights, word count, sidebars, kill fees, etc.

Whichever phrases you use, keep in mind that your tone and professionalism will matter. You must convey the impression that you are self-confident and aware of the value of your work. And, with a few successful negotiations to your credit, you may be able to stop acting and start believing.

Originally published in Writer’s Digest, 2001. Reprinted with permission.

Jenna Glatzer is a nationally-published freelance writer and the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com). She is the author of Outwitting Writer's Block and Other Problems of the Pen and Words You Thought You Knew: 1001 Commonly Misused and Misunderstood Words and Phrases, as well as lots of other books that you can find here: http://www.absolutewrite.com/jenna/books.htm.

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Five Easy, Pain-free Ways To Boost Your Productivity FAST (and make more money)

Commit to following these five strategies for a month, and you’ll be more productive — that’s a promise.

Note: although my strategies are geared to writers, they will work for you no matter what your work happens to be.

One: Think —”Do It Now!” and write one sentence
This means, that as soon as you turn your computer on, you write one sentence on your current project.

After you’ve written one sentence, you can read your email, play Minesweeper, have a cup of coffee, or do whatever you like.

Writing one sentence first has an amazing effect. It alerts your mind to what you want it to do. You’ve broken through the initial inertia. You may not get back to work immediately, but you will get back to work, and you’ll do it with minimal pressure.

As you’re reading your email, you’ll think of another sentence, and another one, and before you know it you’ll be working happily on your project.

If you’re not a writer, then adapt “Do It Now” to your own circumstances. You might call one client, or write a line in your next report, or find a graphic for your new presentation.

Two: Never Assume: create a strategy and follow it
Never assume. Always get evidence. Evidence takes time and action to acquire.
We all make assumptions. If a strategy doesn’t seem to be working, it’s easy to think that it will never work.

In my eight week copywriting course, which helps students to start their own copywriting services business, it’s hard to convince students to market their new businesses consistently. Students get the “yes, buts”. As in: “Yes, but I don’t have any experience…”

If you’re assuming, use “commit to 30 days”.

Three: Commit To 30 Days: form new habits
Follow your strategy for one month. Don’t think, just do it. For example, if you’re marketing your business, work your plan for at least a month, before you change the plan.

If you’re a writer, and are sending out article proposals, send out at least five proposals a week (more is better) for a month *before* you assume it’s not working and stop doing it.

It takes 21 days to change a habit. In 30 days, you’ve got time to develop a whole new habit. Therefore, when you’ve created a plan, stick to it for 30 days. After 30 days, your new productivity will be a habit. And you will have results and feedback, which will help you to get over your assumptions.

You will be challenged. If you commit to contacting ten companies a day to offer your copywriting services, I guarantee you that you’ll get a cold, your computer will die, or something else will happen to interrupt the course that you’ve set for yourself.

Deal with the interruption, and then start your 30 days again, from the beginning. Remember, don’t assume, just commit to the plan, and keep going.

Four: Make It Fun
Are you passionate about what you do? Focus on the fun aspects of what you’re doing. If you’re doing something which has no fun in it at all, like sending out invoices or writing direct mail letters, then give yourself a treat when you complete the chore.

Five: Schedule Time Off
When you’re running your own home business, work will take over your life if you let it. Keep regular office hours.

If you’re moonlighting in your own business until you can go full-time, then take the weekend off. If you work all the time, the quality of your output will degrade sooner or later.

You must have downtime, so schedule it into your plan.

Start today, and try the above productivity strategies for a month. You WILL become more productive.

Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business — words to sell, educate or persuade. E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/

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Five Book Back Cover Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Did you know that your back cover information is, after the cover, the best way to sell more books? And, that most authors, emerging and experienced, miss this opportunity to engage more potential buyers?

Your book’s front cover and sizzling title must impress your buyers in four-eight seconds. If they like it, they will spend ten-thirty seconds or so on your back cover’s a great opportunity to convince them that your book is necessary for their pleasure or success.

Does your back cover pass the test?

Five Best Solutions to the Biggest Book Back Cover Mistakes:

1. Mistake: Too many non-powerful words and too busy to have a focus.

Solutions: A back cover of 6 by 9 inches should have fewer than 60 words. Use sound bites; picture and emotional words; benefits, not features; and testimonials to capture your readers’ attention to keep your message focused. Make every word count and be willing to get five-fifteen edits.

2. Mistake: Too much superfluous material on it such a long author’s bio or large photo. Potential buyers want to know how the book will help them, teach them a skill, or entertain them.

Solutions: Print only a one or two-line bio on the back cover. Put your photo and more bio on the inside of the back cover. Omit features such as format information, which belong in the introduction.

Connect with your buyer emotionally with specific, powerful ad copy. For self-help books use bullets with specific benefits, and enough of the right kind of testimonials (specific benefit driven) to sell your book in 30 seconds. For fiction, modify to include a bit of plot, with a powerful quote or dialogue. Use bookstore models to assist you.

3. Mistake: Repeating the book’s title at the top of the back cover.

Solutions: Since your potential buyers already know the title and are stimulated enough to look at the back cover, hook them with an emotional question or statement to read on.

Create a “Hot Headline” that compels your reader to buy. Notice the headlines in your newspaper. Visit your bookstore and notice other best selling authors’ headlines. “What’s So Tough About Writing?” by word smith Richard Lederer, author of The Write Way; “Imagine Being an Author,” in Dan Poynter’s Writing Nonfiction; “To Age is Natural – To Grow Old is Not! In Rico Caveglia’s Ageless Living, or “Imagine 1000’s of People Reading your Book Next Month! for your coach’s “How to Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast!”.

4. Mistake: Omitting testimonials.

Solutions: Testimonials sell more books than any other information on the back cover. Put at least three up. Contact a variety of people. Use one from a top professional in your field, one from a satisfied reader, one from a celebrity who cares about your topic, and one from a famous media person.

In her book, “A Kick in Your Inspiration,” Ruth Cleveland got one testimonial from an ex convict! Jacqueline Marcell, author of Elder Rage, took eight months to get forty testimonials from celebrities. Her book is endorsed by: Steve Allen, Ed Asner, Dr. Dean Edell, Dr. John Gray, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC, Regis Philbin. Jacqueline Bisset, and Phyllis Diller.

It was worth the effort, because in April 2001, she made the cover of the AARP Bulletin distributed to over 35 million readers. It included a feature story, some how-tos and contacts and pictures of the author and her book. She had to dance fast, and order 10,000 books to get distributed by the time the piece came out. After it came out, she was inundated with speaking engagements. There’s a problem you might love to have!

After you write several books and become rich and famous, you, like other professionals, will fill your back cover with testimonials. You won’t even need to add benefits, because people have already bought your other books and liked them.

Potential buyers will purchase when they see people they trust and know recommend the book. Besides filling the back cover with testimonials, you may want to even add extra testimonials in the front pages of the book. The more testimonials, the better!

5. Mistake. Independent publishers submitting galleys to reviewers, distributors, and wholesales without ANY back cover information.

Solutions: “Make the back cover your first area of concern,” says Susan Howard, Director of Consulting Services at top publishing firm, The Jenkins Group Inc., who write “The Publishing Connection” She adds, “Waiting for testimonials is generally the reason the back cover of a galley is left blank. Failure to realize the value of the back cover seems to equate with the failure to realize that the text for the finished back cover can always be changed before the printing of the book.”

It’s important for writers to “market while they write”– To make each part of their book sell copies. The back cover is all-important.

Copyright © 2004 Judy Cullins. All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams eBk: "Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Your Book Online" http://www.bookcoaching.com To receive FREE "The Book Coach Says..." or Business Tip of the Month go to http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml

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