Tag Archive for book writing

Book Writing and The Power of Lets

chess pieces web“I was left to my own devices. Many days fell away with nothing to show.” What do these opening lyrics, from the song Pompeii by the British band Bastille, have to do with you and your book writing?

Read to the end my friend and you’ll find out!

My daughter and I were driving to Target for some shopping, listening as this song came on the radio. That’s the first time she pointed these lyrics out to me. She had unofficially adopted them as her theme song or motto.

I had to laugh!

Sometimes you just need to hear something in a certain way in order for it to have impact. I could see why she felt so in tune with these words.

Aren’t we all?

When left to our own devices, what do most of us do? Fritter away our time? Scan through our Facebook page? Post on Twitter? Watch TV? Oh, I like this next show too.

As much as we hate to admit it, most have very little personal initiative or discipline.

But when there’s a deadline, just watch us move! How fast does that house get cleaned when there is a special occasion, party or the in-laws are coming over for dinner? Or the boss?

How fast do we get our work done when we are motivated by something fun coming afterward? Or the threat of a pink slip?

But left to our own devices, many days pass with nothing to show.

Book writing is like this. Any writing for that matter. We need some sort of motivating factor, be it the carrot (something good is going to happen when we do) or the stick (some punishment will be forthcoming if we don’t).

Carrots and sticks. Deadlines. Doing for others. These are the things that motivate us.

What’s motivating you?

If you answered “nothing” then you need to change that, if you want to move forward. You need to find or give yourself a BIG reason WHY. What carrot reward can you get if you do the work and write the book? How about a lifetime of residual book royalties? How about fame and fortune? Or maybe you just help lift someone up. You give them the help you wish you had gotten so they don’t have to endure the pain you did by figuring it all out by yourself.

Sometimes, we just need someone to show the slightest bit of interest in our topic. We need someone to be on our side. We want someone to do it with us. We don’t want to be left to our own devices. WE WANT A CHEERLEADER! Someone to encourage us along the way.

One of the nicest words to hear is, “Let’s…”

It means someone want to do something with us. We don’t have to go it alone.

Let’s go to the park!

Let’s go on vacation!

Let’s go for a drink!

Let’s go for ice cream!

Napoleon Hill, author of the the best selling book, “Think and Grow Rich” referred to this as the Mastermind Principle. One of the key elements for success he found from interviewing 100’s of the wealthiest businessmen. Where two or more minds work in harmony

So I’m officially inviting you. Let’s get that book of yours written. Finally!
I’d be honored to work with you. And it will be FUN!

Life, like the game of chess in the photo above, isn’t meant to be played alone.

I’m in! Let’s play.

Let’s create productive writing days together and in the end you’ll have a great book to show for it.

by Bob Schwarztrauber

$5000 Fundraising Books

fundraising challenges

Discover A Fun Way to Fundraise

“Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.”  ― Marianne Williamson

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by Bob Schwarztrauber

I see people’s faces light up when they learn how many books I’ve published. But they get excited not for me, but because they see that I know something they want to know. That is: how to do it.

Most people at one time or another have dreamed of writing their own book. “I should write a book about it” is one of the more common phrases bantered about after someone has accomplished something extraordinary, or has endured something equally horrific.

But despite all the shelves being full down at Barnes and Noble, most people will never write that book. Mostly because they don’t know how to begin, or the steps to completion. They’ve been conditioned their whole life to the fact that book writing is for the elite, not for them.

But times have so changed. We no longer need permission from a major book publisher. We no longer need our work to be approved by scholarly men in suits and bow ties who sit behind desksat the publishing house stamping pass or fail on our dreams.

Today, for good or bad, anyone can publish their ideas, lessons, thoughts, ramblings, humor, information in a real printed book that others can buy from the biggest bookseller in the world, Amazon.com.

If you can type a Word document, if you can take a photograph, or if you can draw you can have your very own print book custom made, on demand, printed for anyone and everyone who wants to buy it. The marketplace, not some suit, will decide if they want your book or not.

Your “job” is just to get the information out of your head and onto paper. Will you deny the people who might learn, might benefit, might derive some pleasure from your experience, your perspective, your “way” of doing things?

One of the greatest compliments I ever got on a book was from a Canadian gentleman named Bill, who wrote, “YOUR WAY of explaining things Bob, does more for me than all the videos.”

While there were already dozens, if not hundreds of books out there teaching Photoshop, and Youtube has hundreds of video tutorials, I decided to write a book based on my understanding of Photoshop. And MY WAY of explaining things made all the difference to Bill. Likely others too.

I’ll bet YOUR WAY of explaining things could help someone as well.

That’s why we see SO MANY similar books, all doing well. Not everyone learns the same way. The combination of words you use might make all the difference to someone. But your playing small, your fear denies them the opportunity.

If you won’t write the book to improve your own financial situation, why not DO IT FOR THEM?

If you’re not comfortable enough to pour your own thoughts, and beliefs, and feelings into your own book, if you haven’t yet created a big enough “WHY?” to motivate you, consider creating a book for someone else on your first time out.

Once you have an understanding of how easy it can be to create a book, you might just be inspired to finally create yours.

Here is what I’m talking about. Create a FUNDRAISING BOOK to help your favorite charity.

Now more than ever, charities are feeling the pain of this economy. Donations are down. People grow weary of the same old fundraisers that just leave them poorer. Why not create a fundraiser that makes everyone richer?

To do this you simply have the members each submit one or two pages of the book (for example, their favorite recipes or tips, or tricks). Once you have say 100 to 150 recipes you have all the content you need to create a great cookbook. Compile them all together, add a snazzy cover and go out and sell this useful book to raise money for your charity. The profit margins are huge, and you know right off that every one who contributed will be a buyer, right? And their friends and family too. Cookbooks are a perennial best seller. You could create a new version each year and easily raise $5000 for your charity selling something useful (a book) that families can enjoy.

(Just as an aside, the Bible is one of the best selling books of all times and what is it?  A collectionof stories, a compilation, an anthology There’s no reason YOU have to write a whole book yourself, get some help if it makes sense to do so.)

Once you do this, and see how easy it is to create a book, I guarantee you’ll be itchin’ to get your own book done. And keep all the profits for yourself!

If you want details on how you can create a simple $5000 fundraising book for your favorite group, let me know and I’ll be happy to help you.

To paraphrase from the Bible, “Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see…”

You know stuff. Good stuff. Why not share it in a book?

YOUR WAY might just be the way that turns someones life around for the better.