10 QUESTIONS A WRITER SHOULD ASK ABOUT 2012

WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? There are very few people that have succeeded in achieving greatness on a trial and error basis. Every road to success starts with acquiring knowledge about what you are targeting to do and so is writing. You have to assess the new things you’ve learnt from all the writing you’ve done throughout 2012 and this will be very helpful in the future especially in making decisions and adjustments. If you didn’t learn anything then don’t expect to achieve much in the next year, but you can put this at the back of your mind and learn as you progress.

HAVE I ACQUIRED NEW CLIENTS?

THE FOUR “F”s THAT WILL HELP YOU TURN THE IMPOSSIBLE INTO POSSIBLE.

You’ve had a dream or a goal of achieving something great, and along the way, you find yourself in a position where it has become impossible to achieve. What you decide to do is what most people do, QUIT. But ask yourself one question: What is so special about the others that have achieved greatness in their lives? There are four “F”s that can answer that question and we shall discuss them briefly:

6 WAYS TO GUARANTEE THAT YOUR FIRST BOOK IS PUBLISHED

You have struggled for weeks or months and spent sleepless nights trying to write a good story. You’ve had it edited a couple of times and you rewrote it over and over, but after all that effort, you find yourself stuck with your manuscript. You’re unaware about what to do with it and how to put it out there for millions of readers to enjoy a splendid story. The drawers won’t complain for as long as you keep it in their but trust me, there is no feeling that is better than seeing your efforts paying off.  I remember a year ago, I was in the same situation but I didn’t give up. I knew what I wanted and had to strive for it. There are good author friends that will give you the first encouragement and advice, for my case, it was Jenifer Brown, author of IN JENS WORDS.  Others will just tell you how they would have helped you if they had any way of helping but can’t. Well, you don’t have to take a year to have your first book published like it was the case for me. Here are six ways that will guarantee that your first book is published:

1.      LOCAL PUBLISHING HOUSES:

When you’re a writer, you have to know that the saying “Charity begins at home” is most applicable to you. Never underestimate the relevance of local publishing houses because they are familiar with the setting of your story. However, this has a disadvantage of high costs for publications and limited readership for African publishing houses. In case you wrote your book in a foreign setting for example you staged the story in Glasgow in England, and you’re targeting a big audience of readers, read further for other options.

2.      LITERARY AGENTS:

These are people who dedicate their time in looking for stories that will compete favorably in the growing book market so that they forward them to publishing houses that take only solicited manuscripts. Take some time to look for an agent that will do all the donkey work for your manuscript but have it in mind that every literary agent has a specific genre they are interested in. If you’re a fiction writer, you have to look for an agent that represents fiction books because if you query a non-fiction literary agent, your book will be rejected without question. For help regarding agents, you can subscribe to the Writer’s digest newsletter which has a column called Guide to literary agents, where you will receive monthly updates of new agents seeking books to represent. If you receive many rejections telling you that your book cannot be represented by the agencies, it’s not because your story is bad, but a couple of other factors that we shall discuss in the next issue. 

3.      PRO PAYING MARKETS:

Another option you can opt for is selling your story for cash. There are many publishing houses and e-zines that will want to buy your book if they find it suitable for their readers and pay up to twenty cents per word (20c per printed word). Some will buy the copyrights while others will be kind to help you retain them so you have to first read their terms thoroughly. In case you want to monetize your writing quickly this is the best option for you. Check out Lee Masterson’s Science fiction marketing list, for pro, semipro, and low paying markets.

4.      VANITY PRESSES:

This is the best option if money is not your problem because you won’t suffer any rejections. Vanity publishing houses will help you publish your book with a personal touch. They will provide everything from editing to the last step of publishing. Bottom line is, everything will be done for you, but at a cost. An example of such houses is Dorrance publishing house.  

5.      SELF PUBLISHING HOUSES:

It is undoubted that self publishing has helped numerous writers put their work out to the public and pay them loyalties depending on the house the writer chooses. This is the best option if you are budget tight and don’t plan on spending on having your manuscript published. They guide you through the self publishing process and the outcome is a published eBook by the author themselves. However, the disadvantage with this option is that most publishing houses will not allow you to sell you book anywhere other than their store, so you will have to put in a big effort in marketing your book. For self publishing services, you can visit www.amazon.com , www.smashwords.com and others.

6.      FREE PUBLISHING HOUSES:

There are houses that edit, publish, market and distribute your book to numerous stores worldwide at absolutely no cost.  Yes, for free. An example of such a house is Publish America (www.publishamerica.com) and others that we will update you later with.

Don’t let your manuscript sleep in the drawers and piles of old papers that no one will ever touch. Put it out there and never know, you might be the next best selling author in your genre of writing. Wish you all the luck in your endeavors.   

THE FOUR KEYS TO SUCCESS

There's one common thing in life that everyone adores, 'SUCCESS' . Be it in business, academics, sports or any other field that a person is involved in. I would never want to be talked about as a failure and I imagine that nobody does, therefore I'll share these four things that will make you successful in anything you want;

1. SET A GOAL: 

Some people call it a dream, other call it an objective but whatever term used, it still has the same meaning. Set yourself a goal that will drive your actions. Its not that hard. All you have to do is think about what you want to accomplish and be convinced that its what you want whatsoever. For example: Everyone would feel happy if they were rich but not everyone wants to get rich. Why? If you want to get rich, set yourself a quantifiable goal with in a specific period of time, say "I want to own a business worth $1000 before December 2013. That will be the goal you're working towards throughout the year 2013. Without this first step, never bother to ask yourself why you fail.

2. THINK:

After being clear of what you want to accomplish, the next step is to think about what will get you there with the resources at your disposal. Be creative and open minded in your thinking. This will help you get the best strategies you'll use to accomplish your goal. Would the world have computer technology  if Bill Gates didn't take time to think about how to make an extraordinary device that simplifies man's work? I don't think so. It might be your turn to be as successful as he is and all you have to do is THINK CREATIVELY. I wouldn't patronize you if you don't have the time to think for yourself. Let other people think for you. Ask the professionals and people that have succeeded in accomplishing what you want to accomplish. With their advice you'll have gotten the means of attaining your goal. Media is also another way of getting ideas by using the Internet, radio and T.V programs. You'll get many options, for example, in ref to (1) above, you'll find that Service provision is the most lucrative branch of business while others will refer to sale of goods. It will be upon you to think and decide which one is best for you in relation to the resources at your disposal.

3. TAKE ACTION NOW:

By now you know what you want to accomplish and what you will do to accomplish it. Don't postpone anything to tomorrow. You have to live the present and start working upon reaching your goal now. There's a saying that 'Yesterday was history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift, that's why they call it present', so relish it and use it while you still have the chance to. If you've decided to provide services, start with the resources you have and don't wait to have a full store of items. With the right management, one photocopier can turn into a printing press.

  

4. DETERMINATION:

You're almost there, but I'm sorry to be letting you know that this is where most people stumble and skid away to failure. There are lots of difficulties that will come your way as you work towards success and trust me, they can knock you really hard that you won't have the guts to carry on with the fight. But whenever you feel defeated, get back on your feet and continue fighting. There are also many people that will tell you that you won't make it once they see you working upon your goal. They'll joke, laugh and spit insults at you. But don't worry, you'll have the lion share of laughter when you succeed.  

I wish you all the best of success in your endeavors.