Hit 2009 Hard.

This is the final week of 2008. Every year I look at the final 10 weeks of the year and it seems an eternity until Christmas. Then in a blink they're gone. Two of my kids have birtdays in those last 10 weeks. There are holidays, family gatherings, dance recitals, more family gatherings, snow storms, more family gatherings...and family gatherings.

So as I stand on the edge of 2008/2009 I take a deep breath and prepare to jump in to the new year.

This year I'm hitting 2009 hard. I have a few goals personally and professionally. The final quarter of 2008 has been a preparation time. I feel as if I've been stretching back in to a giant rubber band. All I have to do is lift my feet and the tension of the rubber band will be too much and I will be slung in to the new year.

Spiritually January is a month of prayer and fasting in our church-and I am participating.
Emotionally January is a month where I'm spending more time reading for pleasure.
As Tiffany January is a month where my husband and I are focusing on building stronger relationships in our family [us and our kids].
Financially January is a month I'm working hard to reach specific goals.
Professionally January is a month where I will jumpstart the year with webinars, articles and public speaking. I've never attempted all 3 in one month-so it will be an interesting challenge.

Everyone wants to make New Years Resolutions but few people take the time to prepare for them. Determine what you'd like to accomplish in 2009 and make January your foundational month. For writers I have a mentorship program that lasts 3 months. The first month is $40, months 2 and 3 are $30 each. You receive "Intro to the Writer's Life" and "Creating a platform" [which together retail for $50].

If you'd like a one hour brainstorming/goal setting session it is only $20.

If you need free then read back through my blogs from January 2008 forward. See what ideas you can glean from them. Go to the library and borrow "Writing the Breakout Novel" and "On Writing" by Stephen King.

If you got gift cards then look at my suggested reading list and see what you can find to build your writing business this year.

But determine to do something. Not a New Year's Resolution-but a foundational shift in your writing business.

My first goal for 2009 is to double our readership that subscribes to the blog by the end of January. You can help me with that by telling a couple of writer friends about this blog and asking them to join.

I'd also like to visit 20 different blogs in January. If you'd like to host me on your blog contact me through my website contact page and we'll get it set up.

Make January 2009 YOUR year. We'll have a number of great announcements in 2009 and I look forward to sharing them.

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your writing business this year. It is my pleasure to share.

And do you have a question? Send it to me via my contact page and we'll talk about it here.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

Don't let yourself use the tired excuse.

I'm tired.

No, really...I'm completely exhausted. After 4 days of running all over the place. After two weeks of snow. After a car accident and something breaking on my car today [Please God, not the axle] I'm tired.

All I want to do is curl up in bed and fall asleep.

But Monday morning brings a business call.
Taking the car to the repair shop.
Work on my latest book proposal [the 5th since September...still waiting to hear on the other 4]
Blog postings
Articles to write.
Work for two clients.
Power points to write.
Homeschooling.
House Cleaning.
Grocery buying.

What about you? Do you have a to-do list as long as mine? Maybe yours is even longer.

Find something to do to advance your writing. Don't allow the final week of 2008 to end with you regretting your inaction. Write 100 words on your manuscript. Outline one scene on your book. Write a bit of dialog. Connect with another writer. Find out about writing classes. Sign up for my mentoring or find another mentor.

Do something to complete 2008 strong.

I won't allow this blog to be your excuse either. I'll pop my head back in one more time this year and then Monday, January 5th I'll come in to share with you more about coaching, special opportunities for high school students who struggle with term papers and ideas to make 2009 the year you broke out. Whether your breakout is from unpublished to contracted [or published] or if your breakout is a second or third print run. Maybe it is to get an article in a periodical.

Begin to think about what 2009 should look like to you. Then get ready in 2009 to execute your dream.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

Getting a Late Start

I'm getting a late start on my day. The midwest is in a major freeze. I'm wrapping up projects so I can take off Thursday and Friday guilt free. And Christmas is nearly upon us.

I asked a month ago what questions people had for a white paper I was writing about keeping your writing business strong. I had very few questions come in. So after much thought and consideratoin I've decided that this year I will give you "Writing Career Coach: Part 1 Creating a Platform.

So, to all of you who have subscribed to my blog that product [with a retail price of $15] will appear in your email box in about 15 minutes.

For those of you who DID send questions-I haven't forgotten you. I will also send you a free copy of the white paper when it is done.

I'd like to thank you again for your commitment to improving your business by joining me daily on this blog. It is my honor to share with you three times each week. I hope that I have made a positive impact on your life and business.

I will be back next week to share tips to get you ready for 2009! Until then, remember what is important and spend time with those you love [and those who love you].

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

Who cares, as long as I get mine!

...honestly, is this the attitude of people today?

Usually I keep the focus of this blog focused on marketing your own business but sometimes as I'm reading things in the industry and I get furious. Today I was reading about the News Guild and their strike with the AP. One line in particular made me furious.

"The Guild said it had opened with a 10 percent wage increase proposal, "but has indicated flexibility at the bargaining table."

I am a writer and I understand the need to make a living and it is hard as a writer sometimes to sell an article for $80 and try to make a living on those but LET'S BE SERIOUS.

Yesterday I found out a friend was laid off from the job he's worked at for 39 years. He was the 3rd person in a single group of friends to lose work in the last month. Then I heard from a newspaper journalist who lost her job after years with the paper.

And the people working for the AP look around and say "Hey, I think I'd like a 10% pay increase."

Now, I'm not an idiot. I know this is a negotiating tactic and they were responding to a rate freeze proposal from the AP, but we need to stop being so obsessed with being able to upgrade every year and realize that there isn't a magic money tree.

I am working on a product that I'll give FREE to subscribers that talk about ways to keep your writing business strong in a down economy. That is because the reality is THINGS ARE CHANGING. The change could be temporary but certain things will never be the same. We can't say "Hey, I want it this way."

It's not viable.

I minored in college in history and I have been frequently reminded of the enclosure acts enacted by Feudal Lords in the middle ages. These acts forced many serfs to face the end of their way of life but it led to the rise of the middle class-and the death of feudalism as an economic system.

That is a pretty brief summary, but it serves to make my point. [If you're interested read more about it in a western civ book...one that isn't revisionist.]

We have decided that we want change without the pain. It won't happen. We can't keep bailing people out by printing worthless currency...just ask Germany.

We can't continue to demand huge salaries for people who aren't working...just ask France.

We need to look realistically at economic situations, recognize that change is necessary and sometimes painful.

And, as smart people, we need to look for the opportunity in the changes. It is the innovators who will find blessing in this tough time.

Otherwise you'll be the people asking for scraps when the market corrects itself again...

Friday I'll be back to my usual, chipper self. Today I had to unload.

I'd love to hear your feedback-just use professional language please.

And if you want that special report I'm writing then click the subscribe link to the right. I will only email it to subscribers.

If you'd like to read the entire article that started this rant, click the quote above. I've linked directly to it.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

About a book

Do you ever wonder how highly successful people are able to accomplish so many things? One way is that they have assistants to help them but that doesn't account for all of it.

I learned in the 8th grade one way people to it-double dipping.

Many times double dipping has a negative connotation, but I think that needs to change if we are going to become more productive people.

Take the topic of today's blog. I called it "About a book". That is a very deliberate title because I'm going to review a book in this blog. Before I do, however, I wanted to share with you how doing this can help you become a better writer.

When I heard that Thomas Nelson was offering a new blog book review program I went to check out the selections. As you know, I am not a person who does book reviews. I am always looking at what is going on in the industry so I was interested to see what books they had.

Then I saw it.

"The Kingdom of the Occult" by Walter Martin.

What!! Yes. A book on the Occult by a Christian publisher.

And here is the double dip. When I went to their website I was outlining a book. The plot required a great deal of information of the Occult in order to be accurate. [My fiction writing is suspense/thrillers]. When I saw that I could receive this book for FREE and I only needed to give an honest assessment I jumped at the chance.

I was able to:

1. Research my novel [which I had to do anyway].
2. Gain exposure for my blog through Thomas Nelson.
3. Receive a great reference book on the topic of my novel FOR FREE.
4. Have material for a blog. [smile]
5. Potentially get google hits from people looking for this particular book.

So look at the opportunities that are passing your way. I am able to do 5 things at once. Many writers read books and do reviews because they love books. That is great but I can go to the library and get books I enjoy. When I need to research, however, I want to mark that baby up. And I did that with this book.

So now, I hope you will stay to hear my honest assessment of "The Kingdom of the Occult" by Walter Martin.

ISBN-13:978-1-4185-1644-4

I wasn't quite sure what I'd think of the book "The Kingdom of the Occult". Typically topics like this are either creepy or overly simplistic. What I found in this book exceeded my expectations. I found a book full of scholarly research in to various facets of the Occult from UFO cults to Satanism, Paganism to the New Age. This book was footnoted and provided detailed overviews of Occult practices by chapter and even showed debate within various cults.

I was surprised by the sheer volume of information and the heavily footnoted references. Since I was reading this as research for a novel I'm writing, having this information laid out systematically made this a valuable reference tool.

This is also useful for individuals in missionary and evangelism because of the strong Biblical foundation of the work. There are charts, maps and headers that make this easy to read and easy to return to.

I recommend this book in the strongest possible terms for its wealth of information, its Quick Facts summary at the conclusion of each chapter, for the 18 page index and 21 page bibliography. If anyone wanted to know more on this topic this is the first place I'd send them. Not only is it dense with material but it cites the sources to allow for further study.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

NaNo Lessons

This year I again participated in NaNo [National Novel Writing Month] and again I did not "win" by finishing a 50K novel in 1 month. What is funny is twice I've written books of more than 60K in under a month. It seems something about the deadline and visibility does something to me.

This brings me to the topic of today's blog. I'd like to share some lessons I learned about my own writing that may help you with yours.

I encourage you to never see something as failure. Everything is a learning experience that will redirect you. Just as no tragedy can destroy you as long as you find a way to come out better on the other side.

So why don't you look at things you HAVEN'T accomplished that you set out to do. See what it taught you. Then use that to become more successful next time.

1. Writing under deadline is harder than writing without one.

I already knew this since I write articles regularly for publication. I find that I can write 8 articles in a single day and then shop them around. However, if I have 1 article on assignment [which was sold on an idea rather than a full MS] it can take me hours to get a few paragraphs written.

2. When you ARE writing under deadline, don't get distracted.

This is the mistake I made this year. I had the entire book outlined. However, as I was writing the NaNo novel I also started researching another book. Normally this is how I keep my creativity flowing. Having the deadline, however, gave me an opportunity to procrastinate and be distracted. So, I didn't finish the book-and I didn't finish my research.

3. Keep moving, even if failure seems imminent.

It is tempting to get overwhelmed and give up when it's clear you won't be able to hit your goal. That doesn't mean you quit all together. You need to keep with your daily word count goal. While publishers don't like the "better late than never" attitude in contracted authors, since you're not really under contract now KEEP AT IT AND FINISH. It's better to be done December 20th because you kept going than it is to give up and end up with another partially finished MS.

4. Don't edit now.

Let your book flow out. It may feel like total junk but keep going. My first drafts are full of notes to myself. [for example I'll put "Make sure reader feels pressure to find the coins."] Those notes will help you edit and build up your story when you go back and do revisions. Those words tell you the tone and feel you had during the creative process. These elements are the "work" portion of writing. You need to focus on the creative portion on the first draft.

So, while I didn't reach my NaNo goal I did reach another one-to always provide you with relevant information that will help you grow as a writer and build your writing business.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
Read devotions for the Christian Writer every Tuesday at Writer's Rest.

More on blogger's block

A great comment yesterday on my blog.

I talked about how to get rid of writer's block, but how do you get rid of blogger's block?

I faced this very issue last weekend as I started thinking about what I'd like to teach this week. I've spent so much time working on a current fiction proposal that I didn't have any idea what to share with you this week.

I started thinking about what happens when I have writer's block and yesterday's blog was born.

So the title yesterday wasn't so much the topic as it was my dilemma. What more to share with you.

So when you start to run out of new material for your blog here are some ideas.

1. Go back to the fundamentals.

What is the purpose of your blog. On the Writing Career Coach blog I focus on teaching all of you how to build your writing business. That is my central purpose. I need to keep myself updated on the best ways to help you build your writing business-by building my own first.

So, by going back to the foundation of my purpose I find new material and remember things to help you-like yesterday how to push through writer's block.

2. Read other blogs.

I never suggest stealing information from other bloggers [although you can always quote my blog if you give attribution and offer a link]. What I do suggest is read two or three similar blogs and see if something they say sparks creativity.

3. Comment on other blogs.

This ties in to number two. Sometimes you read something on a blog and you want to comment on what was said. Maybe the person had a great idea. Then talk about it on your blog [always link back to the original blog and give attribution]. Sometimes you'll see me comment on something another blogger said, or an article I read. This is a great way to share information-even if you don't have writer's block. I always encourage you to leave a comment on the person's blog saying "I thought your idea was interesting and I talked about it on my blog today." Blogging can be lonely work. There are days you wonder if anyone cares about what you're saying. These little pieces of recognition can encourage another blogger-and spark interest in your blog.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.

Blogger's Block

This time of year the chaos of holiday shopping, family gatherings and general stress can contribute to writer's block.

Just as in any job, we can't put off our writing simply because we don't feel like putting in a day at the office, so what are some things you can do when writer's block strikes?

1. Read

Take some time to not only read a good book but read things that will help you with your specific project. I am using the holidays to complete research on the book I'm plotting right now.

2. Research markets

In addition to reading and research take some time to find out what the various markets are looking for. I write a fair number of articles in addition to my books so I take this time of year to find markets that I'd like to write for.

3. Edit

What are the things you've been working on? Pull a couple down and mark them up. Even if you don't feel creative enough to make the corrections you can find them.

4. Learn to push through

Sometimes you have no other choice than to push through the writer's block and find the words buried deep.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.

STOP PANICKING!!!

I never cease to be amazed how otherwise intelligent people freak out over speculations!!

For more than a year we have been bombarded by our peers in the media with word about the dire situation in the economy. In fact, most of the people I speak to that are flipping out have actually had NO change in their situations. They simply fear they will because of what someone said....

I've seen it other places too. When budgets get tight one of the first things to go is customer service and marketing. The sales department might try to go in to overdrive offering countless incentives but there are no more free samples that offer an example of the product. The pyromarketing that is so effective suddenly is viewed as too expensive.

These are the worst possible things for us, as writers, to do. When you see sales slumping, cash advances declining and cuts in publishing companies the first response seems to be panic. I've had clients ask me to offer LESS thorough service in an effort to cut cost. I had a family member who worked for a company a few years ago that suffered a downturn in sales. The first thing to go was advertising.

These cycles come and go and the best possible thing to do during these times is to reevaluate your current business plan, make adjustments, learn and then come out stronger.

That is what successful businesses do. They don't panic when they see trouble around them. They adapt. That is why major corporations like the big three auto makers and national banking institutions are having problems. They are too big and locked in to too many habits and contracts to be able to nimbly adjust.

You are not restricted to this. That makes this a prime time to adjust, modify and experience EXPLOSIVE GROWTH!! My pastor gave the definition of a crisis as and opportunity for a decision. Your level of success will be a direct result of your reaction to what is happening and your adjustments based on that reaction.

So go to my suggested readings page and get a few of these books from your local library or click through the links to buy it now. Then read them and see how you can make this current crisis your opportunity.

And visit the Writing Career Coach website for products and coaching that will help you with this.

But whatever you do, stop panicking. That is reactionary. By Planning, rather than panicking, you will be in control of the impact of this situation on your family. And you might find this situation as the 'fertilizer that becomes the field where your dreams grow.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.

Naming free online conferences

I need your input!

In an effort to always increase the value for my readers I am going to be introducing a great new feature in the first quarter of 2009.

They will be 15 minute archived audio lessons. They will be posted once a week and will come with a free handout mailed directly to you the day BEFORE the lesson. All of this will be 100% free for participants. The only charge will be for the lessons if you want them AFTER the mailing goes out. They will be $2 and available through a digital download.

In these online lessons I'll cover some of the topics that I teach at writer's conferences and provide relevant information to help you develop your writing business and grow as a writer. Because of their business focus these will also be helpful to non-writers.

So what would you like to call this new feature? I'm open for ideas. Put your thoughts in the comments section. As an exercise put after the title what made you think of this title? Does it have keywords that would be picked up by search engines? Is it a play on words that would intrigue someone? Is it a title you could build off of? Does it relate to the theme of my blog? These are the things that we need to think of as we brand ourselves so practice on my brand.

I look forward to your ideas as well as sharing more details on the format, topic and launch of this new feature. This won't be an informercial, in fact, I'm currently doing research in a number of online resources and books. I will provide bibliographies in my handouts so you can dig deeper if you'd like. Not a bad deal for FREE!!

Have a great week and I'll see you in a couple of days.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.

learning from others in related industries

One thing about running a successful business is that there are so many different things that businesses have in common-especially when it comes to marketing-that it is useful to look at them to build your business. While there are some things that are specific to each industry [like for writers perfecting POV is something an author would need to know but an accountant might not]. Branding, however, is something that professionals in both industries will benefit from.

Therefore, as authors, we can learn a great deal from the music industry and how they have adapted to the recent innovations.

Consider for a moment the iPod and its impact on music [and more specifically cd sales]. While the Time Life Music collection still targets the generation who is accustomed to listening to CDs, the iPod is revolutionizing the way todays teenagers buy and consume music.

Authors are seeing similar online products in ebooks, digital downloads, Sony Readers, Amazon's Kindle and other related materials.

While originally the music industry sought to fight these changes [a la Napster] they eventually embraced the change and capitalized on it. Now I see websites big and small selling music by the song [99 cents per song and up].

Likewise MTV brought out the music video but now artists are using YouTube to deliver videos on demand for any person with internet access. With PDAs and Cell Phones now offering Wi-Fi technology-this is nearly constant.

I remember in jr high [around 1990] that the first ads were on TV for Satellite television. One of the characters for "Murphy Brown" [his name now escapes me] was trying to explain in 30 seconds that now you could watch your favorite movies WHENEVER YOU WANT!! This was followed by increased access to Pay-per-view.

So this brings us full circle...With these new technologies that allow instant access to a book in a Sony Reader, a website that offers instant access to your favorite author and a world wide web that offers instant information.

How can writers follow the lead of music and movies to build their marketing for the online generation?

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.