Why Write a Book

Should You Even Bother to Write and Publish a Book?

October 30, 2024 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

Most people who fill out my contact form are passionate about something they want to share with the world: an idea, a system for healing, wisdom, insights, new research, new perspectives, humor to share, a way of having a positive impact.

But sometimes, I get an oddball submission like this one:

“Isn’t it TRUE. Most publishing houses in London are staffed by female millennials? All they care about is to make money. Quality does not matter. It could be the most badly written prose ever, it doesn’t matter. If the person is a celebrity they’ll offer an advance!
Regarding novellas. You have no chance!”

In answer to the question, “Please let us know more about the help you need,” this person answered, “Why Should I?”

Why Should You Bother (when the cards are stacked against you)?

And here is my response to that question:

Not a should. Please, no.
But an invitation.
I invite you to believe in your own agency.
Know that you are not reliant on any gatekeepers, authorities or corporations
in order to reach readers.
Nowadays, there are so many ways
to reach readers—online, offline, in person—a gazillion platforms and models.
You wrote a novella, fella.
The hardest part, in many ways.
And now, the only thing left?
To find a way to share it.
Whatever your idea of how it must be done,
you have infinite choices—including uncharted territory that you may uncover.
There are no rules.
Not being published by a traditional house
may turn out to be the most liberating step
on your path!
Quiet your mind.
What does your heart ask for?

About Liberation from Limitation

I’m guessing that none of my readers are quite as victimized by their beliefs about “the system” as this aspiring author. And yet, we all have our limiting beliefs, don’t we? I have many of my own.

As someone who finds social media mostly fatiguing, I have felt victimized by the belief that most books hit it big because of social media and therefore…well, you can guess where that thinking takes me. I also hit some snags with Amazon. I raged against the machine. How far did that get me? I’m sure you can guess at that as well.

But the truth is, the challenges with selling on Amazon led me to think creatively about other ways to reach large numbers of readers. One of the best ways to reach many readers is bulk sales—when an institution purchases many copies for team members, donors, employees, customers or other constituents.

When I saw the opportunity that the first five 2024 Women in Business Stevie Award finalists to respond could purchase, for a quite modest fee, a “literature drop” (brochure or flier) for participants at November 8’s Awards Banquet for the Stevie Awards, I asked if my book, finalist for “Book of the Year,” could be given as part of the literature drop.

“Yes,” was the response. “Please bring 400 copies.”

Envisioning a Greater Opportunity

Having attended the Stevie Awards banquet in the past, I recall sitting at a table with women executives from IBM, solopreneurs and small business owners on different occasions. What if several of them received my book and realized what a great tool it is for fostering creativity within teams? I envisioned reaching many more people than Amazon might send my way. Hmm. How to make the possibilities clear that this book could help with any creative tasks, writing or otherwise? And that I could help these teams with creative problem-solving,

I emailed the awards folks again. “May I include a postcard tucked into the book?”

“Of course,” came the reply.

I could share many stories of book publishing and marketing challenges that turned into opportunities.

How My First Book Almost Died in Infancy

A couple of decades ago, my first book, Good and Mad: Transform Anger Using Mind, Body, Soul and Humor, co-authored with Peaco Todd and Jane Middelton-Moz, seemed destined to fail. Our publisher did nothing to publicize our book (back when they worked harder to promote books and had done a great job for Jane’s past books (think Oprah and Montel).

We got together, and the three of us hired our own publicist, who got us book reviews in the Chicago Tribune and 22 Chicago-area newspapers. Yet, when I called a Chicago Barnes & Noble to suggest they carry the book to prepare for what I was sure would be an onslaught of customers, they said they could only purchase one book, which would not be restocked. “I have a ‘do not replenish’ here in the system.” Some sleuth work revealed that the book’s dimensions were a no-no for bookstores (the days before the days before Amazon ruled the roost).

Somehow, Jane convinced our publisher to republish in new dimensions (which required a new title and new ISBN), and Good and Mad, together with The Ultimate Guide to Transforming Anger, sold somewhere upwards of 20,000 books (including both paperback and digital copies of both titles).

Find Opportunities

If we had taken the tact of the novella writer mentioned earlier, we would have cursed out our publisher and felt like victims. But collectively, we saw an opportunity to take matters into our own hands (hire our own publicist) and see the publisher as a collaborator, open to possibility. In the end, with its new title, I believe our book reached a large audience and made an impact.

I had not anticipated many gifts and opportunities along the way. I would never have become a book coach if it weren’t for that book. I would never have been invited to teach at Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing course for over a dozen years had I not worked with Rusty Shelton when we hired our publicist, which only happened because our publisher dropped the ball on publicity because bookstores weren’t ordering our book due to its dimensions.

What’s Your Story?

Often, the story of our success only reveals itself in hindsight when we see how the most demanding challenges result in the greatest transformations and outcomes.

Writing, publishing and marketing a book are demanding activities that require resilience, flexibility, fortitude and grit.

I’ve seen time and again how cultivating these qualities through the writing, editing, publishing and marketing phases opens unexpected doors for me and my clients.

Here’s some homework for you (feel free to comment below!):

Part I: Take some time to journal about these questions:

What are the limiting beliefs you may hold about becoming an author? Where do you get stuck in your thinking, believing and dreaming? (For example, do you question whether you have anything fresh to say? Do you tell yourself you’re not a good enough writer? Or do you think publishing is an insider’s game end you have no chance of getting published or reaching readers with your message?).
Make a list of one or two questions to ask your muse, such as, “How can I [overcome x issue]?” Or “How can I change my thinking about x?” or “Please help me break through self doubt and limited thinking. What do you want me to know or do in this moment to shift my mindset and beliefs?”
Now, get in a comfortable space where you can close your eyes and take a little journey to your creative muse. Listen to the following guided visualization to lead you to get outside of that limited thinking and see the possibilities before you.

What’s possible when you open up to new perspectives, ideas and strategies for meeting those challenges that inevitably arise during the author’s journey? Share your insights as a comment below.

Her Muse Gave Her a Stethoscope

October 10, 2023 by Lisa Tener 3 Comments

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 wanted her to know anything else.

“I see a stethoscope. I thought I’d create health education for people and leave my medical practice over time because the system is so broken. But I suppose my muse says I will keep a private practice.”

I’m careful not to project onto other people’s imagery, so I said, “If this were a daydream of mine, the stethoscope might symbolize the message to listen to my heart. Does that resonate at all?”

She smiled broadly and laughed. “Of course. That feels right.” She felt delighted by this personal and apropos symbol from her muse. She continued, “I recently stopped taking two major types of insurance because what they pay me cannot sustain me and my team—my assistant, the office, the billing service. But my colleagues look at my actions and think I’m crazy. They say, ‘You have a successful practice; how can you limit it so much? How will you survive?”

On Looking Crazy from the Outside

The doctor added, “I always think outside the box—with my patients and practice. I see a broken system and can’t just do things that way.”

I smiled and shared with her that when you’re a visionary with a mission to offer leadership in an industry, what you do will likely look crazy initially, but it will suddenly look normal in twenty years. You’re just ahead of the pack.

I know that many of my readers are like this doctor. You’re doing things differently. You’re breaking new ground, seeing new opportunities and ways of doing things that others can’t see yet. It may feel lonely and weird and scary. You may even believe people saying, “You’re crazy.”

But know that as a visionary, the world will look different to you. And your purpose will require you to do stuff that doesn’t make sense from the outside. People may judge you, call you names, and invite you to question yourself.

Trust yourself. Listen to your heart. Maybe your muse has a stethoscope for you.

And write that book! Your way. Help the world catch up to your vision, wisdom, and gifts.

How To Write a Book That Grows Your Business or Career

March 2, 2022 by Lisa Tener 3 Comments

Many of my clients write a book to grow a business, launch a new endeavor or even enable a career pivot. A couple of months ago, Bring Your Book to Life® program graduate Janet Snoyer shared, “What surprised me the most is how the book helped my business. My hits on LinkedIn and my website are up by a factor of 40 since I published.”

The key to writing a book that grows your business or career? Don’t waste time writing the wrong book!

But how do you do that? How do you write a book that supports your business or career from the get-go?

Talk to your customers. Here Brian Burt, CEO of MaestroConference welcomes me (a customer) to Oakland, CA to chat!

Be clear on your vision and goals: If you know where you’re going, you can base all your decisions–from publishing path to target audience to features and tone–on your vision. This step might seem obvious, but I’ve seen high level entrepreneurs get caught up in the clouds and not realize that their book idea is not optimal in supporting their business direction.
Know what your audience/clients/customers want and need: talk to your people. It’s quite easy to write the wrong book if you are off in your head and writing from what you know about the subject rather than meeting readers where they are. I remember one author who began her first draft so far from where her readers could relate; I suggested she put that information at the end of the book to help her readers to aspire to something grand, not at the beginning where . This weekend, I’m facilitating a focus group for a client of mine with 10 or so of her mentees. We’re going to ask these women about their current challenges, pain points and goals, as well as ask them to think back on when they first signed up to work with her. What were their challenges and needs at that time?
Use their language: When you talk about the challenges and vision, use the words of your clients or customers (or the people you want to charm, such as a future hiring executive). A focus group, simple survey or just talking to your potential readers will help you hear how they describe their challenges, goals and dreams.
Give them just enough: If you’re like me, you may love to overdeliver–a wonderful trait when it comes to clients but it could be a mistake in a book. You don’t want to overwhelm your readers. Give them enough to work with but not enough to deluge them. Plus, you want them to realize that they’ll get even more by working with you or signing up for your programs, services or products. Whetting their appetite to work with you will grow your business directly. Plus, if you try to put everything in your book, you may just lose your readers. Keep the pathway clear and simple.
Include case studies: Not only do stories bring your work to life, they help readers see what you’ve done for others and imagine what working with you or taking your programs will do for them. These stories will showcase your business’s effectiveness, through your inspiring book.
End with next steps and encourage action: Your final chapter should directly support your business goals. Include ways they can continue learning and go deeper by signing up for your products, programs or services, including working with you directly. Give readers specific action steps. By being clear on your business plan and strategy, you can decide whether to engage readers in a smaller, evergreen program, perhaps even a DIY or self-study, or whether to invite them to sign up for more high end business services.

How Vanessa and Chris Leveraged Their Books to Grow Their Businesses

So, how are successful authors using their books to grow their businesses? Dr. Jeremy Weisz, host of the Inspired Insider Podcast, recently interviewed me and two Bring Your Book to Life® program graduates, Vanessa Levin, author of Teach Smarter, published by Wiley, and Christopher Littlefield, author of 75+ Team Building Activities for Remote Teams.

You can listen to the podcast to learn more about the specific ways these two authors are using their books to grow their businesses–and the dramatic impact that book sales have had on their books.

You’ll also learn:

How Vanessa Levin started and grew her business, Pre-K Pages
Christopher Littlefield shares how he pivoted in his career and how the book most recently helped him pivot during COVID to support some of the most crucial issues to businesses
Mistakes to avoid
How to make the decision to self-publish or traditionally publishing
How these authors used their book as lead magnets–and how you can too!
The real impact of a book for your business and life
Secrets to compelling writing
A must-have in your book

I also share the story of my journey to becoming a book coach.

Jeremy interviews many authors on Inspired Insider, including Chris Voss, Dan Grunfeld, Ian Garlic, Carline Anglade-Cole and many other wildly successful business authors. Check out more Inspired Insider podcasts here to learn how other authors are leveraging their books.

Do you need support to get your book written? Now through Monday, March 7, you can save $1,000 on the program that helped Vanessa get her book written quickly and well, and that Christopher referred back to, to get clear on his book concept and structure. Read all about my award winning Bring Your Book to Life® program and see if it’s the guidance, support, accountability, INSPIRATION, community and hand-holding you need to finally get your exceptional book written–quickly and well!

8 More Reasons to Write a Book This Year

January 8, 2020 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

If you’ve follow my blog, you may have read my post or free ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

8 More!

For the new year, and in preparation for next week’s “Bring Your Book to Life in 2020” free training call, I came up with a few new reasons to write a book. I hope they inspire you.

You can find the obvious reasons (and some nifty, out-of-the-box reasons as well) in my free downloadable ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

Here’s some new inspiration:

To get in touch with the essence of your mission and message. There’s nothing like writing a book to help you get clear about your mission and calling. Writing a book informs how to share your wisdom in your truest voice. I’m living that lesson right now as I work on my favorite book yet. Wish me luck. I discuss my latest draft with my book coach on Wednesday!
To help people navigate uncertain or scary times: As a career/success coach, Tama Kieves noted the theme of fear coming up more regularly as clients grappled with greater uncertainty in our culture, environment, politics, work and social milieu, and, of course, their personal lives. Her antidote? Thriving Through Uncertainty, an invitation for readers to “walk through this doorway” into “the life you didn’t plan.” Her goal was to give her readers “the right support” for stepping out into uncertainty, to help people realize that what’s in their way, is their way, and to help them discover their most extraordinary answers, even in times of stress.
To support an under-served group of people: Unlike sleep books for parents of babies and toddlers, Lynelle Schneeberg’s Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach offers a solution to parents of school-aged children. (I can attest to its effectiveness — it empowered my youngest to become a great sleeper!
To get people out in nature: Craig Seyfried wrote Dad’s Journal: a Naturalist’s Guide to a Wonderful Life to honor his father and help others discover the adventures awaiting in deep connection with nature. Craig reports how moving it’s been to hear from people who knew and loved his dad. They share how reading about his dad’s journey inspired them.
To “change the trajectory of someone’s life”: Kristin Meekof, Author of A Widow’s Guide to Healing spent three years traveling the world (Kenya, United Kingdom, USA) interviewing over 100 widows for her book. “My hope is that someone who reads it will be able to connect with another widow’s story and feel less alone. Also, I included practical advice from experts who work with widows because loss has some very real challenges. I wanted to be able to guide widows through them.”
To Empower Readers: Leena St. Michael saw how burned out many of her fellow activists were becoming. She wrote The Happy Activist to give them tools to nurture and recharge in order to be effective and sustain their work long term.
To bring in new income streams: I recently heard from someone who just signed a book contract. Among several reasons, she envisions her book as a way to boost a new program she’s developing.
To give parents a breather: Dr. Carla Naumburg’s How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids offers parents practical tools and humor to deal with the inevitable challenges of parenting in today’s world.

Inspired to Get Going?

Need motivation to get started and impassioned? Download the free, inspiring ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

7 Miracles You’ll Experience When You Write a Book—Revisited

January 10, 2018 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

When you write a book, it changes your life. It’s somewhat magical how it happens. Years ago, I wrote a post about 5 miracles I witness time and again when my clients write their books and publish. I felt it was time to revisit that post with some new examples and a few more miracles!

You’ll Change People’s Lives: Gustavo Ferrer, MD, co-author with Burke Lenihan of Cough Cures, shares that, “Publishing my first book opened new doors and brought the satisfaction of seeing new patients coming to the office and telling me, ‘I love your book.'” He wrote the book because most people—even doctors—don’t know the best cures for a cough. And many medicines are actually dangerous! He’d seen patients in the emergency room die from taking the wrong mix of over the counter medicines. Cough Cures helps prevent those accidents and help people get over their coughs safely. “The feeling that you are impacting people’s lives is the best of all!”
You’ll Discover Your Voice: Writing is partially an act of self-discovery. As you write your first draft, you may find that sections of your writing skim the surface, or come out a little generic. With a bit of coaxing, you’ll find that deeper place where you write from your heart. It may come out poetic or practical, nurturing or a bit nutty, hilariously funny or right on the money, but you’ll feel it when you hit it right—your authentic voice. Finding your voice will empower you in new ways, as a writer and as a human being. Plus, it will enhance your writing and draw your audience to you. Many of my clients come from an academic background. It’s thrilling for them and for me when that light turns on and they rediscover a truer voice that speaks directly to their readers. Dr. Gus Ferrer shares that, “I found a voice that tells me how to communicate complex things in simple language.”
You’ll Make a Name for Yourself: Karin Esterhammer was honored as Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month by the University of Dayton (what humor writer wouldn’t be blown away by that honor?!) and her book So Happiness To Meet You: Foolishly, Blissfully Stranded in Vietnam was featured in Fodor’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide, alongside 16 other great books by celebrated authors including J.M. Coetzee, John Hodgman, Salman Rushdie and Douglas Preston. What exciting company!
You’ll Get to Know Your Muse: As humans, we are naturally creative. As you write a book, you have the opportunity to deepen your connection to your creative source–what some people call “your muse.” That will help you with all kinds of things—from enjoying your life and relationships, to tapping into your creativity for business projects, to bringing more breadth to your writing and other activities. Kimber Simpkins strengthened that muscle in writing her Nautilus Award-Winning Memoir, Full: How I Learned to Satisfy My Insatiable Hunger and Feed My Soul. Her connection with her muse continues to deepen as she writes for the Huffington Post and completed a new book, 52 Ways to Love Your Body. Her first book trailer, which went viral and got picked up by Self, also offers an example of the creativity that comes out of her strong “muse-connection.”
You’ll Gain the Confidence and Credentials to Take Risks and Go for Your Dreams: Becoming an author of an award winning book helped Huibert Evekink take the plunge, leave his executive position in a large multinational corporation and start his own business, using the book as a business building tool. “Writing and publishing Feedback First allowed me to develop new professional identities…as a writer, an communication expert and as a entrepreneur. I liked starting in a “safe environment”– with Lisa as book coach– in order to learn, gain new skills and transition into new roles. I am still surprised how much the book gave me!”
You’ll Show Up in a New Way: Before publishing Get 10,000+ Twitter Followers: Easily, Quickly, Ethically, Cathy Turney saw herself as “a right-brain creative, technophobic Luddite.” “That I could come to grasp Twitter and actually convey what I learned to others in a style that readers could understand and absorb—using the word focus throughout, making it kind of humorous (snarky), and showing (with illustrations) rather than just telling readers how to do it—that was a miracle,” she says.
You’ll Be Surprised: Perhaps this one is the most miraculous, because it’s also unpredictable. When you write a book, opportunities will enter your life that you could not have anticipated. Some may fulfill a dream.
Carrie Barron, author of The Creativity Cure reports, “Publishing a book created a whole new path, one that I never expected. My job as Director of Creativity for Resilience at Dell Medical School involves integrating the Arts and Humanities into medical training. I’m helping burned out doctors find transcendent movements in their lives, helping them improve mood, mind and the experience of their patients as well. It’s exciting to have such a profound impact.”
Download my free ebook and get motivated today!
In my own case, I never could have predicted that writing and publishing my first book would have led to a whole new career as a book coach.

Write a Book!

Are you ready for your miracles? Aspiring authors: Share a miracle you envision for your published book.

Published authors, what are some of the miracles that happened to you when you published your book? Please share them below as a comment.

Looking for more inspiration to get you motivated to write that book in 2018? Download my new, FREE ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

The Most Powerful Personal Growth Tool Around

January 25, 2017 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

What’s the shortcut to personal growth?

Hint: Maybe it’s not exactly a shortcut.

Answer: Yes. You got it. Writing a book.

[bctt tweet=”How Writing a Book Changes You (for the Better) ” username=”LisaTener”]

One of the joys of being a book coach is seeing people’s lives expand, grow and deepen in remarkable ways as they journey from aspiring author to published author.

After writing and publishing her first book, Amy O’Brien, a Bring Your Book to Life® Program graduate admitted that, “Writing a book was something I thought was reserved for other people. I honestly didn’t believe I could do it.” Once Amy broke through her own doubts, she went on to write two books, Stuck with Mr. Wrong and Star in Your Own Life Story. You can imagine how exciting it was to see her inner writer—freed!

book photo author in bookstore — Victoria Dunckley finds her book on the shelf of her local bookstore.

Another Bring Your Book to Life® Program graduate, Victoria Dunckley, MD, confessed that she was terrified of being on TV. Yet, in service to her book and the good she knew she could accomplish with it (and with the hope of attracting a publisher) she overcame that fear and appeared on the Today Show as a mental health expert—twice! Now, Reset Your Child’s Brain is a reality, published by New World Library, and her work has influenced other bestselling authors, creating a movement around reducing screen time for kids.

Carol Lambert, MSW , author of Women with Controlling Partners, shares, “I ran the Boston Marathon at 42. Writing and publishing a book gave me a similar sense of empowerment, like, ‘What can I take on next?’ Both achievements make me hopeful that when I break down tasks and master them I can get to the finish line. That’s how I approached the marathon and approached my book.

“Since becoming an author, I continue to feel more and more confident in my professional life, and have greater ownership of what I know. I’m becoming the expert that people see me as. I had to grow into it and I’m still growing into it. ”

Writing and publishing Feedback First gave Huibert Evekink the confidence he needed to leave his job in a multinational company in order to start his own consulting business, something he’d contemplated for years. Less than four months after publishing, he is helping teams boost performance by improving communication skills. His clients come from both the private and public sector around the globe.

And you?

book rebuild your immune system — This book by Bring Your Book to Life® graduate Linda Mercer was just published!

When you write a book, you say “yes” to:

Your dreams.
Your abilities.
Your gifts.
Overcoming self doubt and old habits that hold you back.
Sharing your wisdom and experience.
Making a difference for more people.
Creative self expression.
Being a mentor.
Giving back.

I can promise you, this will require some stretching on your part. We all have some “ego-consciousness,” “stinking thinking,” and habits that keep us from playing as big as our potential.

We also all have a spark of genius—actually, a bright light. We all have access to creativity, inspiration, passion, wisdom, knowledge.

Every time you say yes to working on your book, you are saying yes to the light within. Every time you doubt yourself and let that stop you, you are giving into that voice of ego, inner-critic, saboteur.

It should be an easy choice, but it isn’t always. Is it?

Sometimes you need tools.

Ta-da.

[bctt tweet=”5 Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic ” username=”LisaTener”]

Another recent product of my Bring Your Book to Life®Program
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway: It’s okay. Let that voice chatter away. Sit in your chair and write anyway.
Create Community: Surround yourself with people who are also committed to embracing their creative spark, perhaps even those writing a book!
Reach Out: Having a tough time? Connect with a trusted friend or colleague you know will be supportive.
Have a Plan: Schedule specific dates and times to write; plan with an accountability partner; join a book writing course or class (yes, I have one coming up!). A plan will help you write even when you don’t want to. It will give you structure and support to stay the course.
Spend Time in Sacred Space: Both sacred inner space and sacred environments will support the brilliant writer part of you. Spend time in nature, meditate, sit quietly in a church or temple or yoga class—any places that will inspire you. Remember, too, creating that quiet time and space can also crowd out the critic. I guess space behaves more like a gas than a vaccum in that way, but there’s my nerdy side showing up. I digress.

Back to You, Personal Growth and Writing Your Book

Bring Your Book to Life graduate® Kimber Simpkins at one of her first book signings. Shortly after, her book, Full, was picked up by a traditional publisher.

Personal growth may not be your number one reason for writing a book, but when you look back on the experience, it will be a very rewarding one.

Imagine it now. You hold your book in your hands. Someone says to you, “I always wanted to write a book.”

And you say, “Do it. It will change your life. For good.”

What are your reason for writing a book?

It’s not too late to explore my Bring Your Book to Life® Program for 2017. I only teach this book writing course once a year. You’ll find that support, accountability, momentum, plus guidance from a seasoned coach who loves helping aspiring authors discover the sparkle that makes their books distinct. And more. So much more. Read more more more about Bring Your Book to Life® here.

Update: My new program, Get Your Writing Done, occurs every week! Join us and learn how to get in a state of flow with ease and write your best stuff! Get the support and accountability you need to write a great book, finish and publish it!

Has writing a book changed you? Share your experience?

The 5 Miracles You’ll Experience When You Write a Book—Redux

February 3, 2016 by Lisa Tener 3 Comments

When you write a book, it changes your life. It’s somewhat magical how it happens. Here are the 5 Miracles I witness time and again when my clients write their books and publish:

You’ll Change People’s Lives: If you’re writing a self-helf or how to book, you’re either writing to help people solve a problem or help them reach a certain goal or both. And when that happens, you are going to meet people who tell you what a difference your book made in their lives. And it will blow you away. I remember when Amy O’Brien published her first book, Stuck with Mr. Wrong. A woman came up to her at a book signing and said, “Your book helped my mom and sister finally understand me.” Wow. Changed that woman’s life. Her family members became her allies. What will people say to you about your book?
You’ll Discover Your Voice: Writing is partially an act of self-discovery. As you write your first draft, you may find that sections of your writing skim the surface, or come out a little generic. With a bit of coaxing, you’ll find that deeper place where you write from your heart. It may come out poetic or practical, nurturing or a bit nutty, hilariously funny or right on the money, but you’ll feel it when you hit it right–your authentic voice. and finding your voice will empower you in new ways, as a writer and as a human being. Plus, it will enhance your writing and draw your audience to you. Many of my clients come from an academic background. It’s thrilling for them and for me when that light turns on and they rediscover a truer voice that speaks directly to their readers. Every time Dr. Pat Hoy sent a new chapter of Arts Awareness, I was excited to see the writing become more spontaneous, fresh and alive. Bruce Dow, MD, is another great example of an academically trained writer who became a storyteller, as he rediscovered his voice in writing Dream Therapy for PTSD. When I ran this post by Dr. Dow he told me he’s at work on another book. “I’m still telling stories, using the voice you helped me find. The results are quite exciting.”
You’ll Show Up in a New Way: You can’t stay the same when you write a book. It forces you to grow. Writing a book helps you overcome areas where you may be playing small. It will help you release old paradigms like, “Who am I to write a book?” or “I’m not a great writer” or “I’m not an expert.” You’ll step into a more expansive version of you and step into your power. And that feels great. Even if you’re already “playing big” you’ll probably uncover one or two areas of growth as you write, publish and promote your book. Marla O’Brien, author of Wine Within Your Comfort Zone, called it the best thing that ever happened to her next to “35 years of marriage, the birth of my children, and a successful teaching career.”
You’ll Get to Know Your Muse: As humans, we are naturally creative. As you write a book, you have the opportunity to deepen your connection to your creative source–what some people call “your muse.” That will help you with all kinds of things—from enjoying your life and relationships, to tapping into your creativity for business projects, to bringing more breadth to your writing and other activities. Kimber Simpkins strengthened that muscle in writing her Nautilus Award-Winning Memoir, Full: How I Learned to Satisfy My Insatiable Hunger and Feed My Soul. Her connection with her muse continues to deepen as she writes for the Huffington Post and completed a new book, 52 Ways to Love Your Body. Her first book trailer, which went viral and got picked up by Self, also offers an example of the creativity that comes out of her strong “muse-connection.”
You’ll Be Surprised: Perhaps this one is the most miraculous, because it’s also unpredictable. When you write a book, opportunities will enter your life that you could not have anticipated. Some may fulfill a dream. For example, Dr. Randy Kamen, author of Behind the Therapy Door, envisioned leading retreats and seminars and doing more public speaking, but her biggest opportunities came not out of searching them out. They came to her. One was in the form of a personal email from Arianna Huffington inviting Randy to serve on a panel of thought leaders on gratitude that Ariana was leading. another was an invitation to train an elite group of CEOs. I’ve also witnessed opportunities that far surpassed the author’s own vision for his or her book. In my own case, I never could have predicted that writing and publishing my first book would have led to a whole new career as a book coach!

Write a Book!

Are you ready for your miracles? Aspiring authors: Share a miracle you envision for your published book.

Published authors, what are some of the miracles that happened to you when you published your book? Please share them below as a comment.

When and How to Write a Second Edition: Author Spotlight with Julie Silver, MD

October 21, 2015 by Lisa Tener 6 Comments

Julie Silver, MD is director of Harvard Medical School’s CME course on Healthcare Leadership and Publishing. I have interviewed her before on how to write a health book and earlier this year on publishing trends and tips. With the second edition of Before and After Cancer Treatment just out–and people all over celebrating breast cancer awareness, it seemed a perfect time to bring Dr. Silver back to answer questions about when and why to write a second edition, how to write a second edition, specific challenges authors face in updating to a new edition and also specifics of what readers will get out of this important book.

Lisa: I’d like to start with the idea of a second edition: Why is a second edition of a book needed? When is it necessary? I imagine that with a book like Before and After Cancer Treatment new treatment methods come up, new research—so that at least some of the information is eventually out of date. Is that the main reason Johns Hopkins University Press published a second edition? Were there other reasons?

Dr. Silver: The second edition of Before and After Cancer Treatment has a lot of new updates that are due to medical advances that support survivors’ recovery. For example, the concept of “prehabilitation” is introduced for the first time in this new edition, and I explain how it is different from “patient education.” Prehabilitation involves actual interventions that improve outcomes for survivors—it helps to empower them and focuses on things that will make a difference in their physical and emotional health. The first edition was called After Cancer Treatment, and for this new edition we added “Before and” to the title to emphasize that this is a book for people who are newly diagnosed as well as those currently going through therapy or finished with treatment.

Lisa: Had you gotten reader feedback that inspired any new features or content? Things that readers had requested or questions they’d asked that spurred new material?

Dr. Silver: The excellent Amazon reviews for this book, and the number of hospitals that ordered bulk copies to give to every newly diagnosed patient has made this book such a worthwhile endeavor.

Lisa: Once you decide to write a second edition, what’s the process of updating the book? What steps do you take and how long did it take?

Dr. Silver: It took about 6 months to do the actual research and writing and then another 6 months for editing and getting to the finished book.

Lisa: [bctt tweet=”What are the pitfalls to watch out for in writing a second edition?”]

Dr. Silver: I was tempted to rewrite more than I needed to. I had to remind myself that the first edition really resonated with and helped survivors. I wanted to be sure that I didn’t change it too much and lose that strong connection with the readers.

Lisa: Great point. Was writing the second edition much quicker than writing a book from scratch or not?

Dr. Silver: Yes, it is definitely faster and easier! As long as you focus on an update and don’t try to rewrite the whole thing.

Lisa: You share some personal details that you reveal are very hard to admit—for instance how hard it was to care for your children at some points, that you just “sat around” at some points during your treatment. Was it a process to decide what to reveal and to feel safe enough to do so? Any tips for authors on how to do that?

Dr. Silver: Yes, that part was and is definitely hard. It’s important to let readers understand your story, but at the same time, I wanted them to focus more on the medicine than on me. So, striking that balance was something I spent a lot of time on.

Lisa: That’s great advice for any self-help author—to consider how much of their story to provide depth and context and how much to leave out, as well. In Before and After Cancer Treatment you share the story of when and why you decided to write this book. It’s a great example of there being books on the subject but that you had something unique to offer that wasn’t out there in the marketplace, in particular, you and your colleagues developed a model for cancer rehabilitation care that you call “STAR” – Cancer Survivorship, Training and Rehabilitation, and developed programs so that institutions could adopt this model which helps maximize long-term survival and prevention of recurrence. When did this idea come about? Did it happen as you were writing the book?

Dr. Silver: A few years after the first edition came out, I developed the STAR Program which is a turnkey solution for hospitals and cancer centers to offer survivors rehabilitation services. Cancer rehabilitation medical care is generally covered by health insurance, but too few survivors get these important services. This means that they live with more pain, fatigue, weakness and disability than is necessary. There is a lot of suffering in cancer, but there’s no need to have unnecessary suffering when cancer rehabilitation can help. Survivors can find a STAR Program near them by putting their zip code into the STAR Program finder on the STAR Program website. If there isn’t a STAR Program near them, they should ask their doctors if they know about it. Many new hospitals are adopting it every week!

Lisa: What are some of the things you are doing to spread the word about Before and After Cancer Treatment?

Dr. Silver: There are quite a few people like you who believe in my work and are willing to share it with survivors. It’s a privilege to be able to help people when they are sick.

Lisa: What would you like to leave our readers with?

Dr. Silver: No book can replace excellent medical care—I want people to read Before and After Cancer Treatment, but I also want them to ask their doctors about cancer rehabilitation medical care and to find a STAR Program near them.

Ask your questions about the book, writing or publishing–our favorite question or comment wins a free copy of Dr. Silver’s book!

Finding Yoga in Writing and Writing in Yoga

April 4, 2013 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

Guest Post by Stephanie Hrehirchuk

I was struggling to write the story of my year in yoga and how it transformed me, when Lisa crossed my path. Her Bring Your Book to Life program offered me the structure and guidance to finally pull my manuscript together. Thinking I had a good handle on yoga and my daily practice, I had no idea how much Lisa’s program would challenge me to employ all that I’d learned.

Completing the 1st draft of my manuscript was like completing a challenge pose in yoga, a particularly daunting, advanced, intimidating, uncomfortable pose. Like a challenge pose, it’s completion gave me a new perspective, a honed practice, a great sense of accomplishment and the courage, confidence and poise to expand my practice further.

I challenge you to tackle your challenge pose, and offer 5 common insights I found from yoga and Bring Your Book to Life:

1. Set an intention. What do you wish to accomplish? Your intention sets the tone for your practice. Just like stepping on my mat, if my intention is unclear, my practice may follow suit. Lisa helped me get crystal clear on my intention for my book, it’s message, audience and form and encouraged me to commit it to paper and revisit it daily. Once you set a clear intention, hold it, for the duration of the practice.

2. Commit. Back yourself and the Universe backs you as well. Waffle on a commitment and finding support and success can prove challenging. I don’t sort of, kind of go into a head stand, thinking maybe it’ll happen on it’s own. I commit to headstand, to learn the foundation of the pose, the structure and progress, facilitated by a knowledgable teacher. Of course spontaneous successes arise, most stem from a committed practice. I committed to Lisa’s program, financially, physically – through my time commitment, emotionally by letting those close to me know what I planned to accomplish, and whole-heartedly as a gift to myself.

3. Show up. Practice is called practice for a reason and a daily practice yields deeper results than an occasional one. Every day I step on my mat my body is different. Some days I am sore and stiff in places, my thoughts may be busy, scattered or day-dreamy, my mood may be frustrated, happy or impatient. One thing is certain; if I step on my mat and show up for myself and my practice, I will feel better when I step off my mat. Lisa’s program encouraged me to show up every day, moving one step closer to my goal no matter how much resistance or how many excuses surfaced.

4. Breathe. Intention set, commitment made, showing up daily; everything is in place to support you, all you can do is breathe. This is key. If I hold my breath as I try to force myself into the posture, I’m met with substantially more resistance than if I place my attention on my breath and relax into the practice. I step on my mat, not looking at the end game, not intimidated by how far I need to progress in a relatively short period of time, but by taking a long, slow, deep breath and seeing where the day’s practice takes me. Each time resistance came during Lisa’s program, it met with another deep breath and another. I’d like to say resistance disappeared but it did not. What disappeared were my excuses to not step onto my mat and continue my practice each day.

5. Trust. It’s a biggie. If trusting the Universe is too woo-woo for you than trust yourself, trust your determination and tenacity, trust you have value to add to the world and trust in your ability to choose the right coach for the job. The Universe may have handed me Lisa but I researched her well and ensured I was choosing the best teacher for this particular practice. I trusted myself to show up every day and I trusted Lisa’s program to help me learn the proper form as she nudged me into position. I paid less and less attention to the inner critic who often rants as I write and chose instead to trust my practice.

Like stepping onto my mat, every day I write I learn something about myself. I may fall out of some poses and soar into others. Some days may feel like I’ve never set foot on a mat while others feel as if I was born to be there. Tears may fall, laughter may explode, poetry may happen but one thing is certain, I am always grateful I showed up for myself. With Lisa’s help I completed a particularly intimidating challenge pose and built a strong foundation in the process. May you rise to your own challenge pose, meet and complete it with guts and grace.

Namasté,

Stephanie

Stephanie Hrehirchuk is a life-long wellness enthusiast with 15 years of experience in personal training, nutrition and wellness. She currently owns atONE Holistic Living, in Alberta, Canada, and provides group and private yoga, meditation, alternative healing and holistic coaching. Her background includes fitness, nutrition, yoga, meditation, herbology, ayurveda and flower essences. Stephanie is a writer, master level reiki practitioner, wife and mother of two young children.

It’s not too late to register for Lisa’s Bring Your Book to Life Program. E-mail Lisa today if you’d like to explore whether this award winning program is for you.

Happy Spilled Milk Day?

February 11, 2013 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

book writing coach lisa tener — Your Book Writing Coach

There’s Earth Day, Grandparents Day, National Pancake Day—but did you know that today happens to be National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day? What does this have to do with writing a book? Spilled milk: accidents happen—no need to stress. And as a writer, I’m sure you have your share of days where you feel you’ve made writing mistakes:

My editor told me I have the wrong target audience…”

My outline is too short…

My book has already been written…

I wrote the wrong book…

After all that polishing, this chapter doesn’t fit in the book anymore…

The good news is that every time you sit down and write—or even just sit down at your desk and think about your book—you’re exercising your writing muscles. You’re practicing writing. Even if you have to write a whole new chapter, the one you wrote contributed to your growth as a writer.

Writing is not a linear process. So trust in your process. And don’t cry, even if you spill your milk.

Now, having said that, you can cut down on your mistakes by working with a professional editor or book writing coach, or just getting some good advice and guidance up front. Here are three tips for avoiding the more common mistakes.

Lisa’s Preventative Medicine for Authors:

book writing program starter kit — Get clear on your book concept and book’s structure with Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book.

1. Get clear on your vision, goals, audience and book concept before writing the book: You’ll save tons of time if you do this before you start writing. And my Quick Start to Kick Start Self-study Program will help you do all of that, if you’d like to be guided through the process, step-by-step.

2. Work from an outline rather than lots of rough writing that you will have to find a place for later. Aha, again the Quick Start self-study program will help you.

3. Get Support: Rather than work in a bubble, get support to a) be accountable b) help you when you’re feeling unsure of yourself c) give you feedback on the writing d) guide you throughout the way. While it’s always good to work with a professional at some point in your writing process, much of this support can be in the way of supportive friends, colleagues or even clients who will read some chapters of your book and give you feedback.

So–taking a few liberties with the old saying–don’t cry over your writing mistakes. Every writer faces accidents now and then. Take the time to celebrate your victories and forgive yourself any trespasses. Thanks to Rachel Horwitz and Geri Lafferty for today’s theme and blog support!

Please add any of your own “spilled milk” lessons–either how to prevent or how to recover from the spill.

Win an Award to Boost Your Book or Business

August 22, 2012 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

lisa tener book writing coach — Your Award Winning Book Writing Coach

When I saw that my coach and client, Teri Scheinzeit won Best Mentor/Coach of the Year 2011, I thought, here’s the answer to something I know I’m not the only one pondering:

“How do I help people see instantly that what I’m offering is the best program out there?” A national award–yes. This got me to thinking about awards in general and how powerful they can be. Not only for me, but for my clients.

* Sell More Books: Awards always contribute to book sales–through increased credibility, links from the awards site to your book and pr that mentions your award or even stems from it.

* Impact More People: When you reach more people, you have more opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

* Get Top PR: You can leverage your award in a press release (and call the press as well)–this can land you TV and radio interviews as well as coverage in local, regional and even national newspapers and magazines. In the press release, use the award as a jumping off point for offering 5 tips in your area of expertise.

* Improve Your Search-ability Online (SEO): An online press release as well as a link to your website from the awarding organization can help improve your ranking with search engines, helping people find you more easily when they google your subject.

* Be Viewed as a National Expert: Especially for a how-to or self-help book or other nonfiction, a well-written book says that you’re an expert in your field.

* Attract High End Clients: You can target a particular audience–your ideal clients–by writing a book specifically geared to that market and their particular needs. And you can target awards that speak to that audience–a business award if your ideal clients are business people, an award in self-help, new age or religion if your book has a spiritual bent, etc. Your award also speaks to quality and helps attract high end clients because this group often looks for such creds–and they’re willing to pay extra for the quality.

speaking gigs award — This speaking gig and American Means Business came out of winning two American Business Awards.

* Improve Your Speaking Venues and Fees: An award from a reputable third party adds to your cache as a speaker–and can help justify higher fees.

* Make More Money: People expect to pay more — and are comfortable paying more–for services of a top expert; Your award helps establish that.

* Help Define Your Brand: An award says that part of your brand is excellence. The specific type of award will also contribute to brand and image.

* Create More Impact with Your Social Media: An award icon (or more than one) on your blog and facebook page send a certain message. My assistant, Geri, recently suggested we change my profile photo on the business facebook page to show me holding up my awards. It added another level of credibility to my social media and I got lots of comments as well–Thanks, Geri.

* Convert More Buyers on Your Website: Visitors on your website may be looking for reasons to buy or not buy. Winning an award creates a certain confidence that can help them decide to “risk” their money and buy your book, course or services.

I decided to interview some of my award winning clients about their achievements and what benefits they’ve reaped. Amy Beth O’Brien author of Stuck With Mr. Wrong, Evana Maggiore author of Fashion Feng Shui, Deb Scott author of The Sky is Green and the Grass is Blue and Elizabeth Hamilton-Gaurino author of Pink Doodle Bug worked hard for the honors bestowed upon them. Being crowned in their respective fields soon reaped powerful results for their books and businesses:

Stuck with Mr Wrong Cover — Amy Beth O’Brien’s book cover

Lisa: Amy won the International Book Award for Best Self-Help Relationships for Stuck With Mr. Wrong and was a finalist in a few other awards. How has this affected you, Amy?

Amy: Winning the awards has been validation. I came to writing later in life, so I wasn’t sure I had the talent for it. Completing a book, in and of itself, was a big achievement.

Lisa: Has it had an influence in your business?

Amy: Yes, in fact, the gold sticker on the book and the title “award-winning author” lends credibility to my business. I’ve also been invited on radio shows and to speak to a variety of women’s groups. The biggest thing winning these awards has done is given me credibility. From here on out, I am a “4-time award-winning author.”

Lisa: Evana won the Association of Image Consultants International IMMIE (Image Makers Merit of Industry Excellence) Award for Innovation. Evana, can you say a bit about this prestigious award?

Evana: It indicates that the recipient has made an important contribution to the image industry. My contribution was creating a groundbreaking transformational dressing technique called Fashion Feng Shui (R).

Lisa: And the effect?

Fashion Feng Shui Cover — Cover Art for Fashion Fegn Shui

Evana: Instant credibility! What had been a far out concept, was embraced by image consultants worldwide, many of whom have studied with me.

Lisa: So, it helped tremendously in growing your business. Can you say more?

Evana: I stepped out of the box by blending fashion and feng shui. At first I had been worried that my professional colleagues would think it was too “woo-woo” — but I did it anyway. If I hadn’t taken that risk, I would have missed the greatest opportunity of my life.

Lisa: How about on the personal level?

Evana: Winning AICI’s IMMIE for Innovation confirmed that success comes when you are authentic and do what you love.

Lisa: Deb Scott has won INDIE Next Generation for Motivation, Moms Choice Award for Self Improvement, USA Best Books: Best New Non-Fiction and Books & Authors Award for Self Help. That’s quite a few awards. How has this effected your life as an author?

Deb: I have been a featured as a guest on over 50 radio shows talking about my book The Sky is Green and the Grass is Blue, including CBS radio and stations in major networks such as Boston, LA and New Orleans.

Lisa: Any specific results from your success that has helped your business?

Deb: I created the Motivation Marathon, featuring major experts and celebrities. My radio show is also now top rated in 17 categories with over 200k listeners! Publications and speaking opportunities came much easier after I won my awards. I can check them off my bucket list now!

Lisa: Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino is another winner of the Gold Mom’s Choice Award. Elizabeth, have you seen any increase in sales because of your award?

Elizabeth: Yes, they grew handily and it also led to my book Pinky Doodle Bug being featured at the Maine Festival of the Book.

Lisa: That’s wonderful!

Elizabeth: We thank everyone at Mom’s Choice Awards. The book goes through very careful screening with industry professionals and so it is a tremendous honor to have won.

Another Gold Mom’s Choice Award winner is Anne Burnett for her book Alleviate Autism. The MCA recognizes authors and business people who contribute to family-friendly media available to families so they can make informed decisions on particular and everyday challenges.

Anne credits her book as being the number one reason for securing a high level job as Executive Director for a national nonprofit at a generous compensation package well above what she’d been earning. I’m sure the awards contributed to her standing in their eyes. Anne told me that when she contacted the organization, they read her book and re-opened the position, despite having picked a finalist. In interviews everyone shared how inspired they were by Step Ahead of Autism. The book spoke to her expertise in a powerful way that an interview just can’t match.

My client, Pat Hastings is another award winning author. Her award was from the Yuxon Spring 2009 Christian Choice Writing Contest for her book Simply a Woman of Faith and she was chosen for Inspirational Woman of the Year by the TV show Tea With Marie. As a speaker, international retreat leader and spiritual coach, her awards have added the credibility to attract speaking and teaching opportunities, clients and publicity. That includes speaking and teaching opportunities in Bermuda, Hawaii and on cruise ships!

So, now’s my turn to ask for your help in winning another award. If you have not already voted for my Bring Your Book to Life Program in the People’s Choice Awards of the American Business Awards, please do. Anyone can vote. We are now in second place and the voting is close. We can win the gold with your help! Please vote here (it takes 30 seconds!) and share with friends, too.

Thanks in advance for your vote and please share your questions about winning awards and your comments and ideas for benefiting from this practice. Have you won a book award? Tell us how it has helped you!

10 More Reasons to Write a Book: True Stories

August 10, 2012 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

Thinking about writing a book? Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a long time, too, huh? There’s nothing like a vision for what that book will do to help you get motivated. What will that book do for your business, your career, your life? How about the lives of your readers and the community beyond that?

Here are some inspiring examples of just 10 of the benefits of writing a book:

1. Get New Clients and Sell More Products: Within two months of launching Self-Worth To Net Worth, co-author Belinda Rosenblum says she’s seen sales grow steadily for her DIY home study product. The book is also attracting new clients. “My new book is serving as the gateway to open a much-avoided, and much-needed, new conversation about money. The book offers the easy access way in. I’ve been so pleased at how quickly I am seeing a return on investment for this book and how much my audience wanted this resource to help them get started.”

2. Get a High End Job in a Challenging Economy: Anne Moore Burnett, author of Step Ahead of Autism, and Bring Your Book to Life Program graduate, credits her book as being the number one reason for securing a high level job as Executive Director for a national nonprofit at a generous compensation package well above what she’d been earning. Anne told me that when she contacted the organization, they read her book and re-opened the position, despite having picked a finalist. In interviews everyone shared how inspired they were by Step Ahead of Autism. The book spoke to her expertise in a powerful way that an interview just can’t match.

3. Land High Profile Speaking Gigs: Bring Your Book to Life graduate and author of The Generosity Plan, Kathy LeMay gives book-related talks to financial advisors at many of the big banks to educate them about advising their clients on philanthropic investments. The book also leads to many keynote opportunities to nonprofits and corporations alike.

book cover — Publication led to research funding, keynote speaking and growth of the author’s medical practice.

4. Fund Your Research, Non-Profit or Other Endeavors: Dr. Michael Banov, author of Taking Antidepressants credits the book for the increase in funding for his research. In addition, the book’s accessible, conversational style, which was a focus of my work with him, sends the message of a compelling and understandable speaker on the subject–leading to many high profile speaking gigs around the country.

5. Re-Invent Yourself and Retire from Your Day Job: Nine months after publishing Simply a Woman of Faith, my client Pat Hastings took a leap of faith and retired from her job as a substance abuse counselor. Her book launched her career as speaker, retreat leader, spiritual coach and radio show host.

6. Travel the World: That was Pat Hasting’s dream and she now leads workshops and retreats– based on the subjects in Simply a Woman of Faith–in Bermuda, Hawaii and on cruise ships to exotic destinations like Mayan Ruins.

7. Transform People’s Lives: Back to Pat Hastings: When Pat first came to me, she had no faith in her writing ability and had never learned the tools and skills of compelling writing. Now, she regularly hears from fans to say how much they loved her writing and that her book, “Changed my life.” The Creativity Cure by Drs. Carrie and Alton Barron–featured recently in Parade, Allure and The Atlantic Monthly, is another example of a life transforming book. Come to think of it, most of the dozens of books of my clients have that power.

8. Fill Your Seminars: Evana Maggiore, author of Fashion Feng Shui: The Power of Dressing with Intention and founder of Fashion Feng Shui (TM), says that she often hears from someone who found her book online, read it in one sitting and immediately called to sign up for a $3,500 seminar. If you hate sales, your book can do the work for you and many clients are sold before they even call you.

9. Develop Demand for Your Services and Those of People You Train: One of the reasons Evana wrote Fashion Feng Shui was to help develop worldwide demand for her powerful system for dressing with intention. As a result of the book, new clients contact her from throughout the US, Europe and Australia/New Zealand seeking a trained consultant in their area.

10. Be a Thought Leader and Get National Publicity: When we began working together on her book concept and book proposal, Dr. Ellen Weber Libby said she wanted to write a groundbreaking psychotherapy book that would affect national discourse and help people realize the importance of the phenomenon of The Favorite Child, the title of her book. Not only has she raised awareness of The Favorite Child Syndrome nationally on the CBS Early Show and through her blogs on Psychology Today and The Huffington Post, but she’s been on top morning shows in South America and Australia, going way beyond our borders and reaching people well beyond what she initially imagined.

So, why are you writing your book? What passions motivate you? What’s your vision? If you’re already published, please share what your book has done and inspire us!

And if this post has motivated you to get started, sign up now and join me and Linda Joy for our Sept. 18 teleseminar, Birth Your Book: From Inspiration to Published Author. I’ll be sharing some new powerful tips and ideas to help you get started right away (and write the right book–the one that turns your vision into reality.

For Love and Money: Your Book and Your Business

March 23, 2011 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

Many aspiring authors write their books from a yearning or passion to get their message out to the world. This is a beautiful place to come from–whether your book will help people heal, help them be better managers or help them choose the right college.

Take another step, now, and think about how you’ll reach these readers and have the greatest impact on their lives. Will you reach tens of thousands of people through public speaking? Will you offer teleseminars and private coaching to help them take the work deeper?

And don’t stop there. I want you to also think about what your book will do for you in your life. Will it have you traveling to exotic places to give seminars? Will it make you prosperous through all the clients it helps you attract and doors it opens?

Sometimes people tell me, “I don’t care if I make any money with my book.” Really? What if your book can help you make an even bigger difference for people because of the success it helps you achieve? And why don’t you want money?

Some of the people who say this are struggling to make ends meet. Unfortunately, it’s harder to make a positive impact in the world if you’re experiencing struggle in any part of your life. How much more of an instrument of joy, peace and love can you be when you have abundance and prosperity in your life?

Start thinking about the business of your book and how it will help you be in service at an even higher level. As you make more money and have more success with your book, you get to make even more of an impact for other people.

I’m fortunate to be part of an amazing line up of speakers in the Fire Up Your Business Conference over the next couple of months–luminaries like Stephen Covey, Ken Foster, T. Harv Ecker, Stephanie Hartman, Penny Sansevieri, Rick Frishman, Joe Vitale and many more. Check out the registration page for the full line up of speakers.

As I’ve been listening to these calls I’m struck by how these thought leaders–and most of them are published authors–have so much to give. Their success stems from a place of service to others. And most of them are also quite prosperous. Let these leaders be your teachers and mentors.

Join me for this amazing virtual conference and learn how you can:

Make more money doing what you love.
Create a greater impact.
Enjoy a never-ending stream of clients or customers.
Take your business to the next level.
Oh, and, of course, leverage one of the most powerful business building tools of all time–your book!

See you on the calls. I’d love to hear your comments on what you’re getting out of the call–come back to this page or my facebook page and let us know what pearls of wisdom and powerful tools these speakers are giving you to Fire Up Your Business.

I’d also love to hear what you’re hoping to hear on my call! (We should have a date in April shortly–sign up for the free conference and you’ll be notified when it’s scheduled).

11 Reasons to Write Your Book in 2011

December 31, 2010 by Lisa Tener 5 Comments

head on hands on books — Your Book Writing Coach

1. Targeting: Wouldn’t you love to have a portfolio EXCLUSIVELY of ideal clients—those people you just LOVE to work with, who leave you energized and full of a sense of purpose? There’s no better way to attract your ideal clients than to write a book for them.

fashion feng shui — One book sale often results in a $3,000 plus seminar sale!

2. A Boost for High End Sales: One of my clients, Evana Maggiore, says that a $25 book sale off the internet often results in someone devouring her book, Fashion Feng Shui: The Power of Dressing with Intention, in one sitting and then registering for a $3,000 plus seminar. What could your book do for you?

3. Be the Expert You are and Get that PR: I’ve had many an expert tell me they couldn’t get on TV until they became a published author. TV and other PR provide great exposure for your business and your book makes it that much easier to get coverage (especially at the national level). If you want to be seen as one of the top experts in your field, just write a book! (Your competition probably is…).

4. New Experiences: Exciting opportunities will show up in your life as people read your book and want to connect or partner with you—things you may not have even dreamed of. One of my clients, Pat Hastings, author of Simply a Woman of Faith, has led retreats in Bermuda, Hawaii and a Caribbean cruise as a result of becoming a published author.

5. Hang Out with Interesting People: When I became a published author, I began to meet other authors, speakers, TV and radio hosts and others whom I found stimulating and inspiring. Becoming an author will expand your circle.

6. Increase Your Influence: If you want to impact more people with your wisdom, system or message, a book is one of your most potent tools.

7. Double or Triple Your Speaking Income (or Start a Speaking Career): No question that most speakers get paid more (and get higher profile speaking gigs) when they become published authors.

Becoming an author helped Pat retire from her day job and launch a new career — Becoming an author helped Pat retire from her day job and launch her dream career

8. Retire from Your Day Job: Pat Hastings retired from her job as a substance abuse counselor 9 months after publishing her first book, Simply a Woman of Faith, and launched her career as a spiritual life coach. What’s your dream job?

9. Tax write-offs: You may be able to write off expenses that are related to your book (travel, research, classes that inform your book, etc.). Check with your accountant.

10. The Feel Good Factor: Writing a book provides a powerful sense of accomplishment. After all, according to a New York Times article, it’s on 81% of people’s bucket lists, yet most people never make it happen.

jump_Lisa_color — Is 2011 the Year You Become a Published Author?

11. A New Expanded YOU: Writing a book makes you expand and grow as a person in ways you may not even expect. You’ll develop new skills, step into your power and more deeply align with your purpose and Spirit. I see it in my clients and it’s exciting to watch that process unfold.

So, what’s your top reason for writing a book in 2011? What will you do about it? Share your comments and commitment here so we can support you.

Help, Someone Already Wrote My Book

January 9, 2010 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

My Bring Your Book to Life students are preparing for the start of book writing class next month. They’re researching their markets, creating the vision for the their books, and starting to outline. Some are calling me for their book concept consultation.

I love the consultations as we brainstorm to take good ideas and make them even better. Today was no exception–fun and creative. The possibilities for this book seemed endless.

Eight hours after today’s session, I received a desperate e-mail with the above subject line, “Help, someone already wrote my book.” The book covered exactly the material my student planned to cover…and the author–someone with similar credentials–seemed to have a very similar take on the subject.

My advice, “Don’t panic. Your book will have its own voice and flavor.
Sounds like he does a good job, but maybe by adding a brief story to the start of each chapter, your book will have something his doesn’t. And the forms will be an excellent addition.”

In fact, when publishers and agents consider a book, they want to know there are other books like yours out there. They’re very concerned when there aren’t! If there are no books like yours, there may be no market.

Students finding their unique voice in the "in-person" version of my book writing class

At the same time, if your book is exactly like another book, why write it? You want to add something unique to what’s out there. How do you do that?

1. Go back to your readers. What do they want and need? Are there ways to give that to them? Perhaps your book will have stories that address readers’ concerns, or you’ll add another two chapters that the other person missed, or you have a new point of view on certain topics. Perhaps your book is more experiential and offers exercises or journal prompts.

After all these centuries, books still sell.

2. Trust in your unique writer’s voice. Your tone should capture your personality in a way that meets a need of your audience (humor, emotion, a degree of irreverence, or playfulness, for instance). It may take time to find your voice, but trust that you will.

We can go back to Ecclesiastes to find, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Yet, there are fresh ways of saying things or books would have stopped selling a more than a century ago.

Lose Weight: Write a Book?

November 3, 2009 by Lisa Tener 3 Comments

Over the years, I’ve had several people come to me and say, “I need a book writing coach. I have to write my book. I keep gaining weight and I know I will lose that weight when I write my book.”

One beautiful soul told me recently that her belly actually looks pregnant, “I’ve gained weight in different places before and this time it’s all in my belly. One of my sons even asked me if we were going to have another baby. I know it’s my book. I’m pregnant and I need to give birth!”

What is that about? My guess is that these folks have a deep passion and need to write their books, but something in them is holding them back. They may be afraid of:

“Playing big” and being visible
Being ridiculed for what they say in their book
What may come up when the write the book (emotions, memories, etc.)
Not being good enough
Success
How their life may change when they become a published author.

They stuff these fears and feelings with food, rather than write the book and let the feelings and ideas out. How courageous is the pregnant-looking woman who came to me recently determined to birth her book!

One of the things I love to help people with is to move past such blocks and into a place of personal power–owning your wisdom, living your passion, and writing. Then I can teach them how to write a book and help them complete it.

Now, I never thought of book coaching as a weight loss business, but I am looking forward to seeing if it works.

I’d love to hear from you. Do you think you gained weight by not writing a book? Have you lost weight by writing your book?

Now, for the big announcement:

Join my new weight loss pro….I mean book writing program and you could have a first draft in as little as 60 days.

60% Discount Before Nov. 15

I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you…I have a special offer for those of you interested in my 2010 Bring Your Book to Life Program. The 2010 class officially begins on February 10 (teleseminar version) or January 29 (live in Narragansett RI).

For those who sign up by Nov. 15, you receive a whopping 60% early bird discount, plus you can start with your first private consultation with me (included with the program). You’ll receive the e-kit (book and workbook) right away and get a head start on your book writing before our first class date.

That gives you plenty of time to start to organize your book with the step by step tools I’m providing you and maybe even start to write chapter one or two before class even starts. Find out more about the Bring Your Book to Life Program and then e-mail me to get your 60% discount.

I make no guarantees about the weight loss, but I do guarantee you’ll find it fun and empowering. And, while I can’t predict your results, you can see how some graduates have made out when you visit the link above.

When Should I Write?

October 14, 2009 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

I write all times of day, but you need to find your own rhythm

My private clients and book-writing students often ask me if there’s a best time to write. Yes, there often is, but that perfect time varies from person to person. If you want to find out the best time for you, try early morning, mid morning, mid-afternoon and evening. See which seems to be your most creative time.

Do you have to write at the same time every day? Many people find that writing at the same time each day makes them more productive. Honestly, since I write so much, at all times of day, I find I can write just about any time of day as long as I’m not too tired. But, if you don’t write all day long, it can be most powerful to write at the same time each day. That way, your creative mind and muse get in a creative groove.

Morning tends to be a powerful time to write, because the mind isn’t cluttered. You’ve just been sleeping and you’re close to that creative sleep/dream energy, full of symbolism and layered meanings. Perfect.

Evening can be productive, too, if you can put aside your concerns of the day–work, meal planning, conversations, people–and clear your mental and emotional slates for writing.

Some people feel peak energy mid-day. If this describes you, go for it.

What about writing in the middle of the night? A student in my Bring Your Book to Life Program found herself waking up in the middle of the night to write. She enjoyed the flow of ideas, but she paid for it the next day when she dragged herself to work. This happened several days in a row. What to do?

As we spoke, it became clear that her jam-packed days made it hard for her muse to settle down and write. She often didn’t have the time and, when she did make time to write, she felt rushed. Once she made time for her muse during the work day, set some boundaries, and took a few items off her plate, she didn’t need to wake up in the middle of the night to write her book.

In tonight’s book writing teleseminar, one student asked how she can consistently get into the space for her writing to flow. Writing at the same time of day can help that. So can creating a ritual for writing. What ritual might get you into a creative, inspired state?

Share your comments: What time of day works best for you and why?

Ask your questions, too.

Are You Getting the Word Out?

September 10, 2009 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

lisa cropped head — Check out my Bring Your Book to Life Program

I was the first one up in my house this morning. That’s unusual. I bounded out of bed and ran to the computer before anyone could wake up, reflecting on last night’s teleseminar, which I hope you had a chance to hear.

Morgana Rae interviewed me about writing and publishing a book right now in this market: how do you get started? Is anyone getting publishing contracts nowadays, or should you just self-publish? When is it better to self-publish anyway? People asked lots of great questions. The call reminded me how important it is for us authors to be out there in the world.

It isn’t necessarily comfortable. It’s much easier to sit here and blog at my desk than try to learn a new conferencing technology, put myself on the line, answer questions, risk looking silly (which I’m sure I did when I tried to figure out whose mikes were on and when I got so focused on figuring out whose hands were up that I missed a question).

It ain’t always pretty being out there. But writing a book is about being out there in the world, playing big, making an impact, reaching more people. And often you’ll look polished, but you’ll still make mistakes here and there. And that has to be okay, too. If you want to be a successful author, you need to give yourself permission for those mistakes, those silly moments, and say, “That’s okay. I’m playing big now and it comes with the territory.”

One way I talk myself out of the discomfort and into inspiration is by reminding myself of my vision and goals–why is it so important to get my message out there? What’s it going to do for my audience? What will it do for me? For my community and the world? Those questions get me back in the game and connecting with the radiance within me, within all of us.

Here’s some more radiance in case you missed yesterday’s call:

1. Join me and Lisa Almeida for an information-packed interview on How to Write Your Book and Grow Your Business at 2pm eastern today.

2. Find out about–and register for–Bring Your Book to Life. This program will take you through the entire process to write a book successfully in record time and with a certain ease. We’ll be making a special offer on my call with Lisa, so listen for the discount code & sign up by midnight tonight!

3. Listen to my interview with Danielle Hampson on Mind Your Business radio, where I share how other authors are using their books to grow their businesses, some of the decisions you need to make, and how the current market affects those decisions. I think the interview will be archived at the end of the week so listen today!

Listen to Your Writing Coach on Positive Living Radio

March 5, 2009 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

I just got off the phone with Patricia Raskin. We were planning my monthly spotlight appearances on her show Positive Living which you can hear Sundays from 12-2 on WPRO Providence (99.7 FM, 630 AM or live streamed). We have six fun and informative 7-minute interviews planned:

Patricia Raskin, Host of Positive Living

March 8: Join the internet revolution and put your writing online.

April 12: Learn my 5 step system for Writing in the Zone.

May 10: Learn how several of my clients have transformed their lives through writing (a preview of my seminar on May 13 as part of Aspire Magazine’s Inspiring Women Speaker Series: Express Yourself in Writing and Transform Your Life).

June 14: Learn the steps you need to take–and the decisions to make–to become a published author.

July 12: Learn how to beat writer’s block.

August 9: Learn 5 of my best tips for becoming a better writer.

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday on the radio or by streaming internet broadcast.

Thinking About The Power of the Written Word

November 16, 2008 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

I had been asked to participate on a panel for the Rhode Island Birth Network‘s Second Annual Fall Forum (which took place today) to discuss empowered decision making around birth. Erin Goodman invited me on the panel to share my birth experiences: a c-section in the hospital followed by an empowering and completely natural home birth six years later (at the age of 43).

Other panelists included a nurse, two doulas, a medical doctor, another mom and a hypnobirthing instructor. Listening to the panelists I felt moved by each person’s passion, perspective and knowledge about one of the most miraculous and awe-inspiring of human experiences.

When Deb Erickson-Owens spoke about the lack of hard data around common medical birth practices (only 1 in 5 interventions is actually evidenced based–most of it’s used because it’s familiar to medical staff–it’s not because research shows it’s better to do it that way!), I thought, “More people need this information!”

Dr. John McGonigle spoke about how awesome an experience birth is–and that such an awesome experience can naturally produce a certain amount of fear, and even terror. He explained that current medical training sets doctors and medical staff up to be ready to leap into action–much like an army is ready to leap into action during a war. But that readiness is fear based, and not necessarily what’s needed in a birth situation. Sometimes patience, waiting, being still, trusting is what’s required. He advised expectant parents to look for a birth team who were able to remain calm and centered during birth–and not steeped in fear, in the crisis mode that is common to many medical staff today. Surely there’s a place for rushing into action, but there must be balance.

Dr. McGonigle’s metaphors seemed right on target, and the poetic way he spoke of pregnancy and birth brought the awe, beauty and naturalness of childbirth back into a discussion that has too often become medicalized, as if it were an illness.

Leah DeCesare spoke about the different phases a mother, baby, couple and family go through in the year following a birth. She brought home the importance of understanding these phases and getting support to work through them.

As each person spoke, I couldn’t help but wish that they would all write articles, books even, on their particular take on the subject. The rich views in the room, and the powerful perspectives, all seemed to be messages we desperately need right now in our culture.

And as I thought about how I wished they’d each write (alot) about the subject, it brought back to me the power of the written word, which has brought forth and seeded new religions, new types of government, new ways of doing just about anything, enlightened ways of being, ways to be happy and healthy…and perhaps it could transform how we birth in this country (which has the worst mother/baby outcomes of any developed country–and worse than many undeveloped countries, as well).

Not everyone with a powerful idea or viewpoint writes about it. But those who do tend to reach so many more people with their ideas. So, what are you passionate about? Are you willing to put pen to paper and pass it on to others in a powerful way?

Check out the Rhode Island Birth Network’s New Blog

Why Write a Book

Why Should You Bother (when the cards are stacked against you)?

About Liberation from Limitation

Envisioning a Greater Opportunity

How My First Book Almost Died in Infancy

Find Opportunities

What’s Your Story?

On Looking Crazy from the Outside

How Vanessa and Chris Leveraged Their Books to Grow Their Businesses

8 More!

Here’s some new inspiration:

Inspired to Get Going?

Write a Book!

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And you?

[bctt tweet=”5 Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic ” username=”LisaTener”]

Back to You, Personal Growth and Writing Your Book

Write a Book!

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