How My First Published Work Almost Hit the Dump Truck

My first published work (and coincidentally my first bestseller) came about by way of accident.

What do I mean by that?

Just this… I didn’t set out to write a book

I was sitting at home one evening in December 1993 completing a review of the meticulous notes I had compiled in the lead up to launching a new business.

As I closed the ring binder and prepared to consign my accumulated data to the dump truck I stopped in my tracks.

Hey, I thought, there’s book in here somewhere, there’s an extra income opportunity, there’s an opening to make money from writing, there’s a way to create a residual income stream, and what’s more, I can earn all of this extra income at home.

Busy though I was in the early days of my new enterprise I set about my extra income idea by drawing up a plan of action to transcribe the recorded research into a how-to or self-help manual for the benefit of others about to embark upon what I had just achieved.

This inspiration to earn extra income at home could only be accomplished in my spare time (what little there was of it) but because the material was in both date and chronological order I started out with a valuable edge.

How to structure the text though, how to convert my expertise into a meaningful volume, how to develop its presentation into a format that would appeal to the publishing industry, how in fact to locate a publisher: these were some of my dilemmas in my plan to earn extra income at home.

Five months later I put the finishing touches to my first draft and sent copies off to four niche publishing houses (something I’ve never done since nor would ever do again because it’s bad form) and to my astonishment received two offers of intent of interest to pursue the project.

I appeared to have hit the jackpot and I wondered why

It didn’t take me long to figure that out. Happily, my text coincided with the emergence in the early 1990s of world wide government initiatives to stimulate indigenous economic growth by encouraging start-ups in the area of small to medium size business enterprises.

I decided to opt for one of these offers of publication which proved fortuitous because I was immediately teamed up with a highly experienced commissioning editor who taught me how to craft my raw text into what had been concerning me all along: the production of a meaningful volume.

“Starting Your Own Business” was published in October 1995, sold out of its first edition in December of that year, and was reprinted in January 1996.

It has gone from strength to strength ever since and disposals continue to rise year-on-year justifying my plan to earn extra income at home.

As I write this piece in November, 2005, “Starting Your Own Business” (now in its 4th edition and heading for its 5th) Ranks at No.10 out of 872 competitive titles on Amazon.co.uk…

I tell you all of this not to impress but to let you in on the secret of how my tutorial “Secrets to Churning Out Bestsellers” came into being.

Subsequent success in writing for profit in my spare time prompted me to delve deeply into the reasons why my work always seems to be on target.

It couldn’t all be down to luck. Sure, serendipity stepped in at the outset but there had to be more to it than that.

I began to evaluate what I was doing right, where I was going wrong on occasion, what I thought I knew and what I had still to learn from my peers.

The result of my painstaking research is “Secrets to Churning Out Bestsellers”. This creative writing course encapsulates the power-packed tried and tested strategies that work for me and other accomplished niche non-fiction authors; strategies that will work just as well for you.

http://1st-creative-writing-course.com

Where to Look for Your Next Writing Project When You're Stuck for Ideas

When my first book “Starting Your Own Business” was published way back in 1995, I thought that was it. I reckoned I’d never write another one.

But I was wrong

This book has enjoyed many reprints, multiple editions, and proceeded over the years to generate another seven disparate titles from the same topic.

Two years ago I completed the first draft manuscript for a commemorative 4th edition marking a decade in print.

It was accepted by the publisher and hit wide bookshelves in the autumn of 2005.

With updated content and several topical new chapters added, the ball
started rolling all over again and in the process attracted a new breed of readers.

With that project out of the way, I was stumped where to look for the next.

I dug deep within myself and asked what else do I know about?

I know how to start, manage and expand small businesses; I know about advising anyone on how to run an internet business from home, shop or office;
I know how to instruct others on the subject of writing for profit, but what else do I know?

Then it dawned on me…

I also know how to enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling retirement.

And so I embarked on my new task, researched the topic, completed the text, submitted a proposal, and as a result “Your Retirement Masterplan” (ISBN 1857039874) was published in October 2004, became an instant bestseller, and one year on is still ranking at No.2 out of 3356 competitive titles on Amazon.co.uk.

But I didn’t let the matter rest there

I set about drafting a fresh proposal for a sequel “How to Earn Money in Retirement”.

It too was accepted for publication in April 2006 by How To Books (ISBN 1845281128).

And so it goes on…

Ongoing success in having my proposals accepted prompted me to pursue another topic that has been close to my heart for many years: mindpower.

The problem was I could never find a proven niche into which I could fit it with a reasonable chance of publication – but now I had discovered the perfect fit.

My proposal for “Maximizing Mindpower to Enrich Your Retirement” has just been accepted by the same publisher and will be available online and offline during the second quarter of 2007.

The moral is persistence…

Dig deep within yourself. You know much more than you think you know.

If you have been struggling to break into authorship, take heart…

Persist and you will succeed.

http://1st-creative-writing-course.com

Marketing Your Books Can Be Fun And Profit Making

Marketing your writing output can be fun, exciting, creative and profitable.

It can also prove very frustrating and expensive if you do not know how to evaluate cost effective methods of viral marketing - offline and online.

Over the years people have come to know me for my ability to develop low cost and no cost strategies for marketing and promoting a business, product or service; strategies that have realized handsome returns over the years.

Here is a recent example of what I mean…

Just as I was checking the proofs for my next book “How to Earn Money in Retirement”
I received a telephone call from a leading London PR consultancy inviting me to address 500 newly-retired couples at a seminar to be held in Essex, England, on Thursday 24 November; all potential customers of their client the world wide builder Bryant Homes.

The invitation came my way because the first book in this series “Your Retirement Masterplan” is a runaway bestseller (No.2 on Amazon.com out of 3157 competitive titles) and also because one of the partners in the consultancy chanced to hear me speak in a recent BBC radio interview.

So what do I get out of this unique marketing opportunity?

The client buys 500 copies of “Your Retirement Masterplan”

I earn 10 percent in royalties from this bulk book purchase

I get to sign 500 copies individually

I get the opportunity to pass around my business cards

I get to address the retirees in a 20-minute talk on the third age adventure

I get the opportunity to promote my next book

I get 500 potential new customers for my future books

I get an all-expenses paid trip to the venue

I get a substantial appearance fee

I get exposure from local television covering the seminar

This is the quintessence of viral marketing and not only does it cost me nothing, I also make a profit out of the deal.

Put on your thinking cap and come up with examples of similar ways you could market your produce for free and make money at the same time.

If you would like to learn more about creative writing and promotion, visit the website featured in the resource box below where you review the entire range of my online activities.

Jim Green is an online entrepreneur and established author with an ever-growing string of niche bestselling non-fiction titles to his credit.
http://how-to-products-xl.com