"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books and share information and resources.
April 1, 2007 Volume 4: Issue 5
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com
By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Feature Article by Judy Cullins
4. Resource Links
5. Writing Article By Michael LaRocca
6. Free Products, Services, and Downloads
7. Classes, Workshops, Groups, and Events
8. Announcements/Requests
9. Guest Article by Gerri D Smith
10. Reciprocal Links
11. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the April 2007 newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the website and newsletter, I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for visiting the website and subscribing to the list. To the regulars out there, I'm very glad to see you back for another issue. This month we have three wonderful articles as well as more great resource links.
As it is April 1st, I want to take a moment and tell you about someone I admire, Scott Sigler. His first novel, EARTHCORE, was the first "podcast-only novel", it was the first original podcast content to be published in print, and was the first podcast for sale on Apple’s iTunes as a full audiobook.
Today, Scott's second novel, ANCESTOR, goes on sale at Amazon.com. He's putting on a major promotion to have fans of this second podcast-to-print novel make their voices heard by buying a copy at Noon EST; yes, on April Fools' Day. He is no fool, however, as he hopes to show the big publishers the power of the small press and of podcasting.
If you have a chance, visit http://scottsigler.net/ where not only can you find links to listen to ANCESTOR and his other novels for FREE, you can also download a FREE PDF eBook of ANCESTOR, all in the hopes that you'll enjoy it so much, you'll want to support him by purchasing a copy at Amazon.com.
By the way, Scott is not a self-published author. Both EARTHCORE and ANCESTOR were published by Dragon Moon Press, a small press publisher from Canada. However, I consider him to be in the same ranks as self-published authors because he recorded the audio himself and made it available on his own website. This has helped make podcasting and podiobooks what they are today; they are not just a new form of entertainment, but another vehicle for an author to be promoted and eventually be published.
If I may continue to heap praise on podcasters who have been published recently, I'd like to tell you about Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl. Her podcast, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, at http://grammar.qdnow.com/, was recently published as an audiobook by Audio Renaissance. This new audiobook download, GRAMMAR GIRL'S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS TO CLEAN UP YOUR WRITING, can be purchased from iTunes and from Audible.com, at http://www.audible.com/GrammarGirl/. It features many great tips for writers to help tighten up their work.
So Scott and Mignon, I wish you both the best of luck, and keep the great work coming!
If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you’d like to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request, please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at: editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.DanShaurette.com
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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a resource for all authors. Obviously, I want to help you succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors asking what they can do to promote their books in the newsletter.
I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said, the best I can do is one of the following.
If you are interested in writing an article about your experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article, I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to promote yourself and your book.
If you would like to send me an ARC copy of your book, eBook format preferred, I would be happy to review it and interview you. The interview would most likely be what gets published in the newsletter, but reviews of recommended books may also be published. Please note, I have already been presented with some works to read, so please query me first before sending your books. I'd rather return a book than form a slush pile.
If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location, dates, and contact info. will be presented.
If instead you are just interested in placing an advertisement in the newsletter for your book or website, I'll ask for some patience. I am re-evaluating various plans for advertising in both the newsletter and the website.
Currently there are places for you to list your books, websites, and even join our banner ad exchange. You can also feel free to post in our forums and tell us about yourself and your books. As soon as I figure out a new model for classified ads in the newsletter, I will let you all know. Thank you for your patience.
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3: FEATURE ARTICLE by Judy Cullins
Top Ten Things to Think About Before you Go With Print on Demand
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Is Print on Demand all you think it is?
You, like many other authors who don't want to go the long hard road with traditional publishing, and who like the low cost and seemingly easiest and best way to publish a book, Print on Demand Publishing looks good. They print one book at a time when it's ordered. But, think again. After many years of authors coming to me saying they did not make money going with a POD, and my research noticing the poor payoffs from Print on Demand, as an author's advocate, I say, think again.
Top Ten Things to Think About Before you Go With Print on Demand
1. Notice how many other authors and books are listed on the POD web site.
Like a brick and mortar bookstore, your audience won't go to the Print on Demand site looking for your specific book. In fact, the people who go are other authors like you. They don't want to buy your book, they visit because they think this is a simple way to be on a web site where one can sell books. So who will buy?
2. Notice that when you do get listed you get only a few hundred words to describe reasons people should buy your book.
That's not enough to compel your visitor to buy your book. Without a doubt, the authors that make real money are the ones who put up a book web site. Talk about simple. You can create a three-page book sales letter site that when marketed, will bring only the prime prospects to it. The ones who are already your targeted market. These kind of sites cost less than $550. That's a low investment for a big pay off.
3. Print on Demand Publishing Means Printing
These companies aren't really publishers just because they take your book and create digital copies for you. They are printers.
If they are printers, then they are really charging too much. And, they have control of your book and can charge you 40-50% commission before you get copies of you book. If you go Print on Demand, it's much better to go with a POD printer such as Deharts.com where you maintain full control of the book. You or your fulfillment person takes delivery of the books and distributes as you need. Your coach advises to print only the number you can sell in three to four months. Now, you have more cash flow to spend on promotion, publicity, and marketing.
4. Research the POD company well.
Has it been in business for years and has a solid track record?
If they go out of business, your book goes out too. The list of Print on Demand sins is long. An example: One popular POD company may be cheap, but you cannot talk to a real person for customer service. Automatic or email service is no service. Recently, one really fine author researched 10 of them and was totally confused. I asked him what were the prices and service promised? Over $3000 for some. He wasn't sure what he got for that. Many companies charge little to publish, but require extra money for editing, proofs, art work, and marketing kits. These marketing kits will not payoff for the author.
Beware of what you spend because like other publishers, POD people will not market your book well enough for you to make big money.. I advised this quality author to create a small web site or add a sales letter to his branding web site. Then, check out the internet and use free article writing and submitting to high-traffic web sites (advanced article marketing) to bring people to his web site.
5. Check the quality offered by the POD company.
If your cover is amateur, your book won't sell. Be sure to have a cover designer help you. If you didn't get feedback on all the parts that go into a quality book, don't expect the POD company to fix it. Be sure you include an order page, a testimonial page, and a copyright page. Get help from a book designer for this. Although it seems like a lot of steps, when you choose a pro to assist along the way, you will save thousands of dollars in mistakes as well as a lot of wasted time.
6. Open yourself up to learning more about internet marketing.
Did you know not everyone out there will want to distribute or sell your book? Bookstores don't like POD books because they are higher priced than traditionally published, mass-produced books and if they don't sell, can't be returned.
It's natural to fear something you don't know much about. Yet, the only way to take a so-so success to outstanding is to market your book on the web. It's a learn by doing thing. You can take a teleclass, get a mentor, hire a coach, or just copycat other pros who are doing well.
After the traditional route not working, and the POD route with too little payoff, like me, you can find a new path that will work for your quality book.
Your coach was a newbie six years ago, and kicking and screaming, she bumbled her way to learn how to put up a quality web site that sells books. Mentored by pros and her computer/technical assistant, she learned a natural, organic way to market books. Writing and submitting articles. This article marketing has paid off, and today she still maintains thousands of daily visitors and book sales to match.
7. Think about problems that will come up with this technology.
Complaints from others reign huge. Problems with submitting your document--your system and the POD system aren't compatible. Problems with the rights of the book. Remember, this book will be with thousands of others listed on the site. That's not good odds yours will sell well there. Email service will make you tear your hair out sometimes. Get advice before you go this route from a reliable source before you jump.
8. Study the contract. Make sure you retain the rights. Check the length of the contract. Make sure you can get out of it if you need to. Many authors simply give up after a year from frustration, and let their book die.
9. Think about editing, proofing and what you will get for your money. Most POD companies do not edit. They merely print your book as is. These flaws when printed point to you as an amateur. If you do pay $100 or so to get 25 corrections, remember, you will probably pay a lot more after that because more corrections are needed. It's best to use a professional editor and even a book designer ahead so your book showcases its quality. You'll save money in the long run and raise your confidence you are on the right path.
10. Be sure you can sell this book before you spend time and money with Print on Demand.
Hind site is expensive. Most authors charge into the Light Brigade writing a book they want to write. Too bad, because they needed to make sure a ready audience needed and wanted the book first. When an author writes a book for a preferred audience, the book will be well organized, engage its readers each paragraph of each chapter, and will be well recommended by their 24/7 sales team--the ones who finish the book and love it.
Avoid disappointment and heartache of low book sales. Most authors want someone else to promote the book. They don't know which way to turn to get reliable but reasonable services and books to help them on their journey.
Before you leap, ask yourself, "What will I really do to market this book?" If you won't do anything, then keep your book as an eBook that doesn't cost to share.
Now that you know what to check before you choose Print on Demand, you'll be better armed to make the right choices.
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Copyright © 2007 Judy Cullins. Reprinted with permission.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small businesses who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is the author of 11 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Advanced Article Marketing - Nine Mistakes and How to Solve Them. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," and "Business Tip of the Month," at http://www.bookcoaching.com and over 226 free articles.
Email her at judy@bookcoaching.com or
Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Info & Orders: 866/200-9743
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4: RESOURCE LINKS
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New Writer's Ezine - Inkwell Newswatch (IN)
http://www.fwointl.com/in.html
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Inkwell Newswatch (IN) is actively looking for fresh, new content on the "how-to" of writing. No matter what you specialize in, whether it be script writing, poetry, business, journalism, novels, legal, we'd like you to be involved. For full details please email: submissions@fwointl.com SUBJECT: "Writer Overview", and send some details within the body of the email about yourself, what you do and what "how-to" article(s) you'd like to write for us. Not to fear, we'll get back to you as soon as humanly possible. See our guidelines:
http://fwointl.com/LMPmail/link.php?id=calls
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5: WRITING ARTICLE by Michael LaRocca
Voice in Narrative and Dialogue
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One of the nice things about being an author is that we can break any rule we want. (I just did.) It's part of our job description. Language changes through usage -- definitions, spelling, grammar -- and authors can help it do this. But on the other hand, we have to have some sort of agreement on the language or we won't be able to talk to each other.
When we as authors break a rule or two, it's not because we're ignorant. It's because we have reasons to break them. That's one of the joys of writing.
Having said that, now I'm going to explain some rules. There are two types of writing in your novel. There is your narrative and there is your dialogue. The rules for the two are not the same.
For example, comma use. In dialogue, it's not so difficult. Put in a comma wherever your speaker pauses in his/her speaking. In narrative, you have to consult the style guides and hope that you and your editor, working as a team, can sort it all out.
NARRATIVE
A cop thriller like my VIGILANTE JUSTICE has a simple set of rules for the narrative portion. Third-person, straightforward writing, light on adjectives and adverbs, easy to read and grammatically correct. Sentence fragments are acceptable if communication is achieved, and you'll note that I use them often in this article. Why? Simply because it's more effective that way.
To a degree the genre will help you identify what's appropriate. For a cop drama, write in the dry style of a journalist. For horror, a bit of hyperbole may be acceptable in the most dramatic sections. For romance (not my genre), you can probably use lots more adjectives (swollen, heaving, throbbing, etc.) than you'd normally dare.
When I wrote RISING FROM THE ASHES, the true story of Mom raising my brother and me alone, I tried to adopt a "childlike voice" early in the narrative. As the character of Michael the storyteller grew older, I abandoned that childlike quality. (An entire book of that would get old fast anyway.)
When I wrote AN AMERICAN REDNECK IN HONG KONG, the humorous sequel, I once again used first person narrative. But the narrative of RISING is first person only in that it uses "I" instead of "Michael." Michael is only a camera. It still follows all the rules of "conventional" narrative. In REDNECK, I threw most of the rules out the window.
I used what one author referred to my as "conversational" tone to maximum effect in REDNECK. This fellow author felt like he wasn't so much reading my book as just listening to me tell some stories over a few beers. That's exactly what I wanted.
When I wrote the sequel to REDNECK, another bit of humor called WHO MOVED MY RICE?, I chose to keep that same narrative style, which I'd spent three years perfecting in my newsletter.
In RISING, while I was the "first person" character, I wasn't really the book's focus. In REDNECK and RICE, I am. Center stage, in the spotlight. Using more of a "dialogue" style in what should have been "narrative" allowed me to focus the reader's attention on the first person to a greater degree than simply describing him ever could. You may love me or you may hate me, but you'll know me and you'll laugh at me. Or, in the case of RICE, you'll feel my frequent confusion. I had to write that from "my perspective" because it was often the only one I understood.
If you want to see such a technique used to maximum effect, I recommend A MONK SWIMMING by Malachy McCourt. (I read it after writing REDNECK, by the way.) It's about an actor who gets drunk and does very bad things to himself and his family, and it's amazing just how much I laughed out loud reading it. Doesn't sound like a funny subject, does it? It's not, and yet it is, thanks to his unconventional narrative style.
To tell you the truth, I don't even think McCourt "wrote" that book. I think he just said it all into a tape recorder and transcribed it later. It reads that much like "a guy at the pub telling a tale." If he used the grammar checking function in MSWord, I bet it underlined every sentence. And, bright fellow that he is, he ignored them all and didn't change a word.
If you're going to use a more conversational tone in your narrative, don't think that means you just write something down and don't have to edit it. You still have to organize your thoughts, and that means rewriting. While your style may be unconventional, you have to make the ideas easy for the reader to follow.
(I'm not entirely serious when I say McCourt just spoke into a tape recorder, and even if he did that doesn't mean the rest of us can get away with it.)
In the case of narrative, you have the choice. If you want to spotlight the storyteller to maximum effect, you can go with first person and let the storyteller's narrative and his dialogue read the same. If you'd prefer to "move the camera" back a bit, make the narrative conventional in contrast to the dialogue. As a rule, this reader likes contrast, because he gets bored reading the same thing over and over again unless the style is really special. Or perhaps you can find a point somewhere in between.
Every story has a way that it should be told for maximum effect. Maximum effect in the author's eyes, of course, since it's a subjective thing. Keep it in mind as you write. Make the call, stick to it, change it if it's not working. It might even be okay to be inconsistent, but only if you do so deliberately. Just keep stuff like "ease of reading" and "maximum effect" in mind and be creative.
DIALOGUE
Have you ever read a book where the dialogue reads like narrative? I hope you haven't. But as an editor I've seen such things, and they're very ugly.
Do you know why they're so ugly? Because they remind the reader of the one thing an author does not want to remind the reader of. Namely, that every character on the page is a puppet under the author's control.
As readers, we put that thought aside so we can enjoy reading. "Willing suspension of disbelief." If the author ensures that the reader can't suspend disbelief, the book will not be read. Stilted dialogue is one of the quickest ways to make that happen.
I've decided that writing dialogue is the hardest thing we do. It's certainly not something we can go look up in a style manual like Strunk or Turabian.
What are the rules? "Make it sound real." But with the corollary, "not too real because people always say um and er and crap like that." Oh yeah. That explains everything! End of my article, right?
Nope. I'm still writing it.
Ideally, the greatest of the great creators of dialogue will have every character "speaking" in a voice so distinctive that he/she need never identify the speaker. Okay, that's enough fiction. Back to reality. None of us are writing dialogue that well, are we?
People use a lot more contractions in speech than in writing. They're faster. More sentence fragments, too. People very often use the wrong version of lie/lay or who/whom in speaking. (I never use "whom" in speaking or writing because I want to see the distinction scrapped, but that's another story.)
The dialogue portion of VIGILANTE JUSTICE isn't difficult to describe. The hero is a self-destructive cop named Gary Drake. He is based on a real-life cop, my little brother. So his dialogue was easy because, in my mind, I always heard Gary speaking in Barry's voice.
For my other characters, I had to find some other voices. For example, the voice of Doctor Garrett Allison is, to me, that of Michael Jordan.
That's right, people. When I write, I literally hear voices in my head.
As a beginning writer, and not a very good one, I read some advice somewhere saying you might want to cut photos out of magazines and use them when writing your physical description, in case you can't form a mental picture of your characters. I've used this technique, and with some modification I've extended it to voices.
As an author, you should always play to your greatest strengths while working to improve your weaknesses. I know many authors who think visually, and I envy them. One author told me that when he writes, he literally sees movies in his head, then just has to type them really fast because that's how they're playing. Lucky him! My novels first come to me in snippets of dialogue. Every character has the same voice at that stage. (My voice, of course.)
Tight dialogue is one thing I enjoy when I read. Here are the characters at some sort of verbal showdown. I know them, I know their motives, I can read between the lines and know what's being left unsaid. I can just feel the tension in the air. I'm not so much mentally picturing bulging veins and angry glares as I am just feeling the spoken words.
I also have an excellent memory of voices. Like a dog remembers scents or an artist colors, it seems, I can remember voices. If I hear an unfamiliar song on the radio but I've ever heard that singer before, I can tell you who it is. I can tell you that the guy who did the voice of Gomez Addams in the original Addams Family cartoon is now doing one of the voices in the Tasmanian Devil's cartoon series. I can spot an actor like Andreas Katsulas no matter what species of rubberized alien he's playing, because I recognize his voice, although really that's no great challenge in his case.
(For the record, if you've read THE CHRONICLES OF A MADMAN, Ahriman looks and sounds like Andreas Katsulas. Clyde Windham is Dennis Franz. Wendy Himes is some girl who sold me some horse feed about 15 years ago.)
But just "hearing" the voices (if you're able) isn't enough. The words themselves will be different depending on who's speaking them, even if they're relaying the same information.
In VIGILANTE JUSTICE, Gary Drake doesn't use a lot of words. He almost never describes his own feelings, and if he does he always feels guilty about it. He speaks with a Southern drawl. He tends to use a single swear word, and that word is "fuck." Marjorie Brooks, on the other hand, mentions feelings and uses whichever swear word is the most accurate, except that she never says "fuck." Doctor Allison doesn't use as many contractions as the rest of us do. These are things I kept in mind as I wrote their dialogue.
Who remembers Mr. Spock? His speech sounds like written language, very grammatical and correct, and that's deliberate. He's a scientist, he's logical, and for him language is a tool to be used with as much precision as possible. That isn't just a different style of dialogue; it helps define his character.
In THE CHRONICLES OF A MADMAN, Ahriman used fewer contractions than the rest of us and he avoided sentence fragments. He probably even knew the difference between who and whom or lie and lay. That's because he's intelligent, you see. It kinds of goes with the territory when one is evil incarnate.
During an edit I did of a sci-fi book, I saw that the author wasn't using contractions in dialogue. I made many suggestions that he change the dialogue of the humans to use those contractions, except when military officers were giving orders, because order-giving officers tend to be more "serious" and "thoughtful" than folks just being regular folks.
I also suggested to this author that he change nothing about the "stilted" speech patterns of his aliens. English isn't their native language, you see, and one thing I've noticed from living in China is that the locals don't use nearly as many contractions as I do. So I thought that added realism. Plus, the contrast should help the readers keep everybody straight even if they aren't consciously aware of why.
I remember in one edit where I read some character saying, "I am an historian." Oh, I hate that phrase. I hate anyone ever putting "an" in front of a word that begins with the consonant "h." It's terribly pretentious and arrhythmic. As I kept reading the book, I quickly learned that the character in question was terribly pretentious. Nobody else in the book was throwing "an" in front of "h" words. It was a deliberate contrast on the author's part, and it worked quite nicely.
CONCLUSION
I suppose the point of all this is, remember the difference between narrative and dialogue.
In the case of narrative, you're simply trying to describe what happens. There is a famous quote of some sort that says, "Great writing is like a window pane." Stick to that maxim unless you feel you have a good reason not to. If you've got what it takes to make your writing style superior to the conventional, and if your story allows it, let that style be an asset of your writing. Otherwise, just stick to the rules until you master them.
In the case of dialogue, you're trying to write something that sounds like what the characters would actually say, but a bit more organized because "real" speech can be boring. Give every character his/her/its own voice.
Am I joking when I say "its?" Not entirely. THE CHRONICLES OF A MADMAN contains a short story, written in first person from my dog's viewpoint. But then again, I would never call Daisy an "it."
There's a stylistic decision you can make in narrative, by the way. I always refer to animals as "he" or "she." Some authors always use "it."
In dialogue, you can let some characters always say he or she, and let others always say it, to contrast the feeling with the unfeeling. (My heroes never call an animal "it.")
In the end, the goal is always the same. Make your writing as easy to read as you can. Keep that in mind, and always keep learning, and you won't go wrong.
___
Copyright © 2007 Michael LaRocca . Reprinted with permission from http://www.ArticleCity.com/.
Michael LaRocca, author of WHO MOVED MY RICE? You can't eat grits with chopsticks.
http://www.chinarice.org/
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6: FREE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, and DOWNLOADS
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WRITEBOARD.COM - Free online collaborative writing website
Writeboards are sharable, web-based text documents that let you save every edit, roll back to any version, and easily compare changes. You can use Writeboard to write solo or collaborate with others. In many ways, Writeboard is like a private blog that can be edited like a wiki page. Since it is online, it can be accessed from any computer. You can also export a Writeboard into your word processor for later inclusion in a larger document.
http://www.writeboard.com/
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7: CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, GROUPS, and EVENTS
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April 15, 2007 @ 3:00 PM - Manhattan, NY
Shirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled poet and author of five books by age 23, will participate in New Voices Bookstore's grand opening by giving an inspirational talk and holding a book signing.
Location: 424 E. 9th Street in New York City.
For more information or to contact Shirley, visit http://www.shirleycheng.com
April 15, 2007 - Manhattan, NY
As mentioned above, the Grand Opening of New Voices Bookstore is here. This is the first bookstore dedicated to self-published authors. We want to sell your books. We are not only a bookstore, but a place where authors can gather for their book readings, book signings, and poetry improv.
Location: 424 E. 9th Street in New York City.
For more information, contact:
New Voices Bookstore
Promotions Dept.
67 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, N.Y. 10005
1-877-456-7139
correnti@myway.com
http://www.newvoicesbookstore.com/
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8: ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS
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SUITE101.COM - Hiring Freelance Writers
For writers, Suite101 is the leading Web publishing site based on the firm belief that proven expertise and excellent writing skills should matter in the online world as much as they do in the print world. Excellent writers deserve the recognition, pay and audiences that their experience warrants - we're here to make that happen.
http://www.suite101.com/freelance_writers/
For readers, Suite101 is an eclectic online magazine featuring a heady blend of fresh opinions, candid recommendations and savvy commentary from more than 300 expert writers committed to getting, grabbing, and growing a readership of connoisseurs, devotees, enthusiasts as fascinated by the topic as they are.
http://resourcesforwriters.suite101.com/
Suite101 is celebrating 10 years on the Web and in January 2007 launched its new publishing platform offering skilled writers a variety of interactive options when it comes to topic coverage, publication frequency, format and share of revenues.
http://www.suite101.com
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9: GUEST ARTICLE by Gerri D Smith
Creating Effective Leadership Skills With A Positive Self Image
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The mental picture you carry around with you, the way you think, and the way you feel about yourself all create your self-image. Creating and maintaining a positive self-image serves a useful purpose that makes you aware of how well you know yourself. Each of us at one time or another dreams of being successful in our chosen field or business. Yet, there are many others who aren't too sure of their goals or even too sure of themselves.
Have you already made your career choice? Do you already own your own business? Is it the best choice for you? Are you utilizing all of your creative, positive, and effective leadership skills? Do you have an active plan for reaching your career or business goals? Do you know everything there is to know about your business or special field of interest? How high is your positive energy level? Did you know that people burn physical energy three times faster with negative thinking then with positive thinking?
Questions like these are meant to challenge your thinking, lend inspiration, and direct your personal or business growth to the highest level you can reach. After being in the hard, cold, and sometimes lonely business world for any length of time, be it a year, or a decade, every now and then each of us could use a bit of real positive inspiration, and aspiration.
It may help to periodically review or identify your needs, skills, and goals. And as soon as you condition your mind to develop positive, mental and spiritual energy, you won't have any problem creating good feelings about yourself or your life's goal or purpose. With positive, mental and spiritual energy, you'll have a strong cushion of faith to fall back on when life hands you a challenge.
Being able to look inward for the strength and energy necessary in stressful situations is vital for positive thinking, feeling and acting. Building a positive self-image that will help you handle the many hassles in both your business and personal life may include these essential qualities:
- Learn to accept your faults, imperfections, and mistakes by constantly focusing on your good points.
- Eliminate worry, fear, and negative thinking.
- Turn impossibilities into realities by visualizing what you want to happen, then acting to make it come true. Then see yourself already there and your goal already accomplished.
- Keep thinking, You can get whatever it is you want, if you believe that you can.
- Improve your physical, mental, and emotional strengths by not dwelling on your weaknesses.
- Give your subconscious mind positive goals and successful images to work with.
- Try not to hold resentments toward anyone or anything.
- Learn to see the other persons view.
- Get to know yourself and maximize your strengths, remember your successes and the times you have done well.
- Remember to thank God for all that you have and all that is to come.
Continue to acquire and develop your knowledge. Success can only be achieved by what you accomplish. Plan to saturate your thoughts and your life with positive energy. Success comes from self-discovery, self-improvement, and a positive self-image.
How is your self-image working for you?
___
Copyright © 2006 Gerri D Smith. Reprinted with permission.
Gerri D Smith, author and entrepreneur, desires to motivate and encourage women business owners and entrepreneurs to discover the best of everything life offers. If you liked this article, subscribe to an inspirational newsletter with more articles just like it. A free resource that unlocks the doors to your personal and business success and more. And it is Free.
http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com
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10: RECIPROCAL LINKS
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ADD YOUR BOOK LISTING & AUTHOR BIO:
This is a marketing feature you don’t want to miss:
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com/books.php
WRITE, SELF-PUBLISH, AND PROMOTE YOUR PRINT OR EBOOK
Judy Cullins shares up-to-the-minute information on book writing, publishing and marketing the easiest and cheapest ways--the Internet. Tips, Recommendations, and great resources to help grow your book.
To receive this monthly no charge "The Book Coach Says..." or "Business Tip of the Month" ezine by Judy Cullins, 20-year book and internet marketing coach, go to http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml or put "subscribe" into an email to judy@bookcoaching.com. Dan Poynter says, "It's totally worth your time."
http://www.bookcoaching.com
SOULENGRAVINGS.COM - Horror Fiction and Poetry Ezine
A Tangled Script of Intangible Soul Engravings
This Ezine is constantly evolving and is seeking submissions of horror or dark fantasy fiction and poetry (preferably 3,000 words or less). Multiple poetry submissions are accepted. They pay $20 USD for fiction and $10 USD for poetry via PayPal.
Send your submission to masterengraver@soulengravings.com with the subject of "submission". Visit the website for more details.
http://www.soulengravings.com
SHAURETTENET: The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
- Is This Thing On? Podcast - http://is-this-thing-on.net
All of this and more at: http://www.Shaurette.net
YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE!
Contact Dan Shaurette for more information at editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
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11: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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© 2002-2007 Self Published Authors All Rights Reserved
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