DOING THE BEST FOR YOUR BOOK

DOING THE BEST FOR YOUR BOOK                  C. Leslie Charles

It isn’t enough to simply write a book, you need a plan.  Sometimes the plan doesn’t take shape until the work is almost done, or even completely finished.  Like so many things in life, it all depends.

NEW BLOG focused on my 1st DRAFT of my book...

Life is a Creative Journal

Not a Guided Tour

In May of June of 2002 I took a 3-day workshop that C. Leslie Charles created and presented with a team of published NSA-Professional Members at the NSA Headquarters in Tempe, Arizona.

I had taken a general HOW TO WRITE A BOOK workshop south of Atlanta that one of Leslie's co-authors presented for the Georgia Chapter of the National Speakers Association.

Between those 3+ months I had drafted the following book in this blog.

Here is the form and my answers that Leslie gave us to use as a plan for our books to help us promote them to agents and/or publishers.

These are my answers to Leslie's questions.

VISION

What is the intent behind this book (credibility, positioning, income stream)?

help people take control of their lives

share enjoyment of life

share ways people can enjoy their lives more

share ways people can enjoy traveling more

How do you perceive this book (a nice yet minor book, extension of expertise, a life’s work)?\

creation of new speaking topic

creation of new workshops, seminars, speeches

VENUE

What is the best publishing choice for your book (self-publishing, major house, alternative source)?

my own publishing company

major house

Are you willing to commit to the process (time to write, edit, rewrite, hone, market, promote)?

yes, daily commitment (write, work on book project(s), exercise, read, relax, eat, meditate)

VOICE

What is your format forte and what are you not good at (hire this out)?

being creative

working hard

finishing projects I become committed to

helping people

speaking

leading fun workshops

Are you willing to “do what it takes” for your book every step of the way (write, edit, rewrite, hone for aesthetics, market, promote, spin-off products, gimmicks, media)?

I have demonstrated this for 7 to 8 weeks

my key is to continuously generate assignment lists to work on towards the total project

VALOR

Are you willing to make the best decisions for this work every step of the way (vision, patience, money)?

yes

How will you sustain your effort over time and maintain the proper attitude in the face of adversity?

keep working at it daily

celebrate my progress

share the results with new friends

make new friends

VALUE

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your writing?

I need a purpose in my life

I need projects to work on

My projects need to have substance, aesthetics, design, excitement, fun

How can you translate these lessons into your everyday life?

live purposefully

live with purpose (look for book by same title on my bookshelves)

share

learn to ask for help

learn to listen more

learn to focus on other’s needs

VICTORY

How will you celebrate your success?

take more trips

share more experiences, stories, learnings

share monies earned

How will you pass on what you’ve learned to other writers (especially new/budding ones)?

articles

workshops

breakout sessions

speeches

FINAL RESULT as of May 23, 2014?

I have written over 100 articles, given many workshops, breakout sessions and speeches including some of the content of this DRAFT of LIFE IS A CREATIVE JOURNEY.

Alan