Lisa Tener
Book Writing Coach
Today’s publishing questions come from a writer in South Africa who just received an offer from a traditional publisher. They have questions about the offer and contract and about publishing a book of short stories. Let’s address the book offer first, and in my next post, I will address the short stories. “I need help….
Each Thanksgiving I list all the people I am thankful for in my work. Plus books, nature and other inspiration. Here goes…but first, I want to say this: Given all that’s going on in the world, including the incredible polarization and demonization of opposing viewpoints, it’s more important than ever to focus on gratitude, foster…
Your Muse Wants You to Write from Your Heart Today’s post was inspired during our “Get Your Writing Done” session a few weeks ago. I’d offered that if anyone ever needs a little private laser coaching, they can request to do a short breakout group on our Zoom calls during the writing portion of the…
I’m thrilled to announce that I’m a featured presenter for the Rhode Island Author Expo and will share 7 Fresh Ways to Use Journaling to Tap Your Creative Genius as a Writer. I invite you to join us for some fabulous—and free!—panels, presentations, and networking. For today’s post, I interviewed the Association of RI Authors…
I recently led a writer through my Meet Your Muse exercise. He felt overwhelmed by world events. How could he write a book when everything feels so bleak? What could he contribute to systemic problems that seemed unsolvable? The Muse said, “Keep to what you are here to do.” “You’re not going to solve the…
The other morning, I led a doctor through my Meet Your Muse exercise to help her access her inner guidance about which book to write first—the one for other doctors or the one for patients. Her muse was clear—the one for patients. Before she left the scene, I invited her to ask whether her muse…
There are so many ways to sell books nowadays that developing a book marketing plan can feel overwhelming. Many old-time strategies that worked well years ago have little effect nowadays. Even getting on national TV doesn’t necessarily mean breakthrough sales. When I participated in some breakout groups for the Independent Publisher Book Awards and the…
“In my work and my book, I talk about the five absolute health tools—breathing, mindfulness/meditation, journaling or writing, mirror work and mind-body sensing. These five tools are tools for cultivating self-awareness, for being here now in the moment, and for being present with what is.”
A client mentioned something about my fixing her writing today. Later in the day, I attended our first meeting of a leaderless (someone said “peer support”) poetry writing group at Willett Free Library, just up the hill from my home. There, almost half of the members said something disparaging and judgmental about their writing. So,…
Last week, I appeared on the Journey Sixty6 Podcast with Melissa Parks and Dave Goetz to discuss my best advice for writing a successful book proposal. Melissa and Dave asked THE BEST and MOST THOROUGH questions about the subject and I’m thrilled to be able to share it with you. Listen here for my advice…
A recent email came to me with a slew of indie- and self-publishing questions. The writer wanted to know how to choose the optimal publishing option and company. They had questions about applying for book awards, how to get into bookstores, questions about formatting, and even about naming your own publishing house. How Do I…
This is my ode to summer reading. Ah, to cozy up to a book on the beach or in a hammock under the weeping cherry and immerse ourselves in another world, a sprinkle of wisdom, or pure magic! Summer began with some light reading: rom-com and chick lit. Once I got my fill (and found…
Does it matter if your writing files are a mess? And, if so, what can you do about it? This summer, a book coaching client agonized over the mess her writing files had become. “Old stuff and new. All mixed together. I can’t find anything.” She had research files, articles, and various versions of her…
A client recently asked me why I self-published my last book. I get that question fairly often, along with, “Should I write a book proposal and try for a traditional book deal or self-publish?” My answer to the first question is easy, but my response to the second isn’t always the same. It depends upon…
One morning a few weeks ago, I worked with my therapist on a dream which we had explored in my previous appointment. In the second iteration, we returned to my childhood friend Jackie’s basement apartment where some traumatizing events occurred. In the session, I found myself recalling a healing experience of seeing what I could…
Writing about family can be tricky—and scary! In a recent Get Your Writing Done session Marleise (not her real name) shared that she did some journaling during the first hour and found herself writing a letter to her dad. My first response (thankfully, I did not share it aloud) was, “Why aren’t you writing your…
I’ve been trying to make room in my bloated Gmail account by deleting old emails. If I were a bit more courageous, I suppose I would delete all these emails from 2015 and 2016 en masse and assume that any information I need I can find elsewhere. Or else it’s worth my time to lose…
The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego. An interview with Rusty Shelton To say that Rusty Shelton was influential in my journey as a book coach would be an understatement. Rusty has to be the most influential person in elevating my entrepreneurial journey, offering me life-changing opportunities and modeling service-oriented leadership….
On the heels of winning my fifth book award for The Joy of Writing Journal—the Silver Benjamin Franklin Award—I thought it would be a good time to share how I’ve leveraged awards into book sales and visibility for my programs and services—and how you can, too. I’d also love to hear your ideas as I…
Afraid to Write a Book? It’s been an interesting morning. My workday began with a call from a reader of The Joy of Writing Journal who wants to write a book. I sensed that it took some bravery to reach out to me. She shared about the inner saboteur who walks into a library or…
