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by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock Writing can be an extremely solitary activity. Yet, I believe that the most successful authors work in community with others in order to achieve their results. Tips for Writing in Community Clients. Author first get ideas for their first or next book from clients who have problems or challenges that can�t be solved conventionally. As clients ask questions, authors gain insights into what still needs to be written or explained in a different or unique way. Listen for clues from your clients when they say, �I�ve been looking for a solution, but haven�t found one,� or better yet, when they say, �Why don�t you write a book?� I got my idea for  Blog2Book when several prospects came to me and said that they had been writing blogs for years and suspected that they had enough content for a book, but didn�t know where to start. I not only helped them write their own blog-to-book, but I wrote the book on it! Writing groups. Writing groups are those that can share b...

by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock My mother taught me that when you receive a gift, you must write a thank you note. In fact, I was not being allowed to play or even leave the writing table until my thank you notes were written. Mother�s advice still holds true: it�s important to say �thank you,� especially once your book is written. You needed the help of others during this experience, and your �Acknowledgements� page should honor all those who supported you in this journey. Who should you thank? Consider these who may have contributed to your book. Possible Acknowledgement List Work colleagues and staff.  Did you have members of your staff conducting research, re-reading your manuscript, or providing valuable feedback?  Clients.  Did you learn invaluable lessons from your clients? Did you use some of their experiences in your book to illustrate key points? Mastermind groups.  Did your peers cheer you on and encourage you during this process?  Editor.  Writers ar...

by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock Authors make a difference. We change the world, one word at a time. Nonfiction authors write books about innovating human resources, creating positive organizational cultures, helping poorly performing schools, raising awareness for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST), helping individuals navigate their careers, leading meetings that matter, building confidence for women, using powerful questions, developing a deeper faith, coaching and developing others, supporting a spouse through terminal illness, using positivity to achieve major life goals, working through forgiveness, presenting for humans, and empowering leaders.  They also help us learn how to see the holy in the humdrum, live richer and fuller lives, create compassionate organizations, and network beyond bias. That�s a lot of good that is going out into the world. And think of the impact of 100 authors. If each author distributes just 100 books, and each one of ...

by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock It�s summertime. Vacations. Picnics. Days at the lake.  Thoughts tend to drift toward leisure activities, knowing that �back to school� season is just around the corner. So, is summertime a good time to write? Or is it the time to replenish and restore one�s soul? It depends. It depends on your needs, and it depends upon your goals and aspirations. For some, summertime is the perfect time to get those big tasks completed before the craziness of the fall begins. I know in my work as a speaker and consultant, the fall was always my busiest season, so the summer was the perfect time to wrap up longer-term projects like writing. For others, summertime is the signal for slowing down and smelling the honeysuckle. After all, in order to work hard one must be in top form. That means having an opportunity to relax, de-stress, and refuel so that you can be ready for the balance of the year. Whatever summertime means to you, be intentional. If you need to rest, then...

by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock Your book is completed, and now it�s time to plan your launch. If you�re not considering a virtual launch event, you�ll be missing out on an easy and powerful strategy to ensure that more of your prospects learn about your book and your content. Additionally, planning a launch event will also help you in preparing content that you�ll use to share your book�s message when you speak for conferences and programs. What is a virtual launch event? Typically, it�s a one-hour webinar with 45 minutes of you presenting the book�s content followed by a Q&A session. Less frequently, it is a Q&A format with a host asking you the questions you�ve prepared in advance, coupled with your key content, again followed by Q&A from participants. The content of your presentation is not information about your book (in other words, it�s not �salesy�); but rather, it is the content that is in your book. You�ll want to share enough information to whet the appetite of your p...