The 4 Best Strategies For Savvy Self-Publishers

The 4 Best Strategies For Savvy Self-Publishers

By Nikki Woods

My 12-year-old son has crowned himself King of the Checker Board. When you face him you have to be ready because he is always a step ahead of his competition.

I think about him before I launch each project because I’m reminded of how important it is to be strategic if I plan to be successful.

RELATED CONTENT: 4 Reasons You Need A Business Plan For Your Book

If you’re planning on making your self-publishing experience far above average, here are four strategies that can help:

1. Examine the latest available options and determine which best suits your needs.

Determine your goals and vision for your book. Ask yourself specific questions to help provide clarity and the best way forward in your pursuit. Think about the following:

• What dream do you have for your book?

• What dream do you have for your writing career?

• What exactly would make your book a success in your own eyes?

• Is this a long-term goal or a short-term goal?

• Do you see this a sprint to the top or a well-plotted journey that could take years?

• Who is your ideal reader?

• What kind of books does your ideal reader buy?

• Where are most of those books sold?

• Will you print on demand, digitally publish (e-book), or offset print?

• Will you do everything yourself (including all the technical aspects of publishing), or hire professional help for a complete finished product?

2. Begin today.

As a self-publisher, you are competing with hundreds of authors, blogs, books, posts, tweets and updates on the internet. You have to stand out to get discovered and shared by your potential readers. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Grow your platform. Developing a community of loyal followers takes time. Build your author platform, as a large, loyal platform often translates into book sales.

• Be yourself. Discover your own genuine voice. Don’t try to imitate someone else’s writing voice.

• Target a large market. In identifying your market, pinpoint a group that is focused and easy to reach.

• Get the word out. Think about blogging regularly for your website, sharing useful resources, pitching to national news sources and other popular blogs.

3. Put forward your best.

Your book represents you and your brand, so it is important to get it right. Seek quality editors, designers and printers. Present the most professional product possible: a good, professionally edited book; a striking cover which speaks to your genre; a compelling ad that fascinates your audience; a killer opening that will hook readers who sample; clean formatting to keep readers in the story; and a price readers won’t think twice about. In addition, update your book regularly if you choose to publish on demand.

4. Get on Amazon.

Readers search on Amazon and buy more books there than anywhere else. Keep these tips in mind in getting your book Amazon-ready:

• Get a Bestselling Author for your Forward. Having your book listed among bestsellers, especially on Amazon, will be a big boost to getting discovered in searches.

• Use keywords that are popular with your genre to maximize hits on your book.

• Utilize CreateSpace, as Amazon rewards authors who self-publish with this tool.

• Become a bestseller in your niche. While online marketers offer assistance with this, get references and be wary if the marketer promises that bestselling authors with promote your book.

RELATED CONTENT: 8 Better Ways To Pitch Your New Book Project

You can be a success at self publishing your book but only if you’re intentional and vigilant through out the process.

It’s your move! Keep Writing!

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Multi-media personality, Social Media and Personal Branding Coach, Motivational Speaker and Voice-over artist, NIKKI WOODS is the senior producer of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the most successful syndicated urban radio show in history reaching more than 8 million people on a daily basis. 
www.nikkiwoodsmedia.com

10 Tips to Make Your Blended Family Work For You

Blended Family Week: 10 Tips to Make Your Blended Family Work For You

BY: Stacey Taylor - 18 Sep '14 | Blended Families

***As originally posted on www.blackandmarriedwithkids.com***

Remember the Brady Bunch?  When the show came on it played that much too familiar song that went something like… “Here’s a story of a lovely lady… and a man named Brady … and that’s the way they ALL became the Brady Bunch… ” In that perfect square with that perfect house and all six kids coming together in harmony.

Every episode ended in a resolution to whatever problem went on for that day.  No matter what, the Brady’s worked it out didn’t they?

And so my fantasy perception of the blended family began.  Little did I know that REAL blended families come with problems and issues, and other parents, and extended family and non biological kids, etc.  After all, the Brady’s never seemed to worry about finances, custody, child support or bitter ex’s did they?  I never saw Marsha, Jan and Cindy’s real father.  They rarely even spoke of him or Peter, Greg and Bobby’s mother.  Were they dead?  Who knows.  What we know now is that blended families are a lot more complex than we ever imagined.

Almost 2,100 blended families form in the United States every day and 68% of re-marriages involve children from prior marriages according to TheBondedFamily.com

Blended families come with a lot of layers and its not gonna be a “Brady” experience for everyone. One of the main things that I think that should be the focus when families connect themselves together through marriage are the kids.  The children are going to be the only people in the whole situation who have no choice.  They don’t get to choose who their mom or dad marries.  They don’t get to choose the children that come along with that marriage.

When my husband and I chose to blend our families we were hoping it would be a piece of cake, but realized that we had to put in work.  All we were certain of is that we loved each other and that we wanted it to work.  My youngest son adapted pretty quickly to my new marriage and our new life in a different state and was comfortable from the beginning, but my oldest son…not so much.  For him it took awhile.  What we understand now is that younger children do adapt better in these situations.  Here are 3 of the steps that we took for our blended family.

Decide on what the child should call the new parent

I don’t think you should force a kid to call another man/woman by mom/dad.  If everyone is cool with it, then by all means make it happen.  We gave ours a choice.  One son calls my husband dad sometimes.  The other refers to him as dad, but calls him by his nickname that we all use.  Not a big issue for us.

Have a conversation with the child’s other parent

My husband and my sons father get along great.  I believe that is because they had a necessary conversation about discipline, respect and expectations for our son in the beginning.  They were on the same page so there was never any drama.  Allow the other parent to have some say so.  Discuss it and work it out no matter what.

Make your child understand that the new parent has authority

Sometimes as single parents we may tend to be a little more lenient on our kids.  Or maybe you are more strict.  When a new parent comes in some kids may think of them more as a friend/enemy but not as an authority figure.  Younger children adapt easier than older ones but if you let them know upfront the adjustment will be easier.

On the flipside of this blended family puzzle, after 10 years of marriage my husband’s 15 year old son came to live with us and that was another tricky situation, because he was definitely an older child.  When I agreed that he could come, I didn’t know how it would work out, but what I did know is that I love my husband and that I was going to do my best to make him feel comfortable and at home. Here are 7 more suggestions that we chose to do that helped him and could help you to make it through the transition into a blended family.

We never made him call me mom.

I never tried to be his mom.  I took care of him and exacted discipline as if he was my own yes, but never tried to take his mother’s place.  I think that’s a touchy issue for most kids and other parents as stated earlier.  Sometimes he called me mom and sometimes he called me Stacey and I was ok with whatever made him comfortable.

Give them their own space.

We did not make him share a room when he got here.  If you can, give them their own space. It has got to be hard to move from everything you know into a new place with different people.  A private space like their own room will give them a safe place to relax and adjust.

Lay down the rules on day one

When kids come from other households they are really coming from another culture or another way of doing things.  Make sure they understand what is acceptable and unacceptable in your household and do that from the start.

Allow them the time they need to adjust

Simple.  Give them time to adjust.  Don’t expect complete and total assimilation during those 1st few weeks/months.  Rome was not built in a day.  Time is essential.

Be patient

Nothing in life is perfect.  Expecting children to NEVER act out sometimes is delusional.  I don’t mean out of control behavior, but being allowed to express themselves emotionally.  Be patient and choose your battles.  Don’t make a big deal out of everything.

Never bad mouth the other parent

NEVER!  This will only breed resentment and hatred.  Also remember that no matter how you feel about the other parent the child loves that person.  Dont hurt them by allowing your mouth to spill out things that the child really has nothing to do with.

While trying to write this post, my stepson (only referring to him as that for the sake of this article.  He is my son) who is grown now and lives on his own, came over just to talk as he often does and I love that.  It lets me know that through everything that he appreciates and respects me.  I believe that in the end its all good.  My biological sons also love and show respect to my husband.  They also are grown now and all of them are respectable, well rounded young men.  I think we did good.  Either way if it can work out for me, then it can also work out for you.  If you can figure out what is going to work best for you and your family and keep everything in the best interest of your kids, you can’t go wrong.  All blended families differ much like a fingerprints, no two are exactly alike.  Remember that when taking anyone’s advice.  The important thing is to be a team and work together to eventually make the transition into a blended family a smoother one.

Stacey Taylor aka "The SistahChick" is the 40+ SuperChick behind TheSistahCafe.com, Sistah Buttah, and OurNaturalKids.ning.com. She is a writer, blogger and Social Media Maven with a passion for natural hair and her community. Through her online presence she promotes generational self acceptance for women & children alike. Since 2009 Stacey has used her blog to share her love for Atlanta's thriving social scene, natural hair and her successful life as a wife, mother & entrepreneur. Stacey is an Indiana native currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and kids.

4 Signs You're Not Trusting Your Instincts

**As seen on http://www.valorieburton.com/blog/ March 8, 2015**

A few days ago, I felt moved to post this on Facebook:

“You know truth when you see it. Your spirit knows. Stop doubting and over analyzing. Trust your instincts.”

It is a simple truth, but one we often need to be reminded of.  If you’ve ever second guessed yourself only to remember later why you should not second guess yourself, you understand why being reminded of the power of trusting your instincts is so important. I believe our instincts are a divine gift – a sixth sense, the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It isn’t always explainable, but it is always powerful.  

This week, I want to remind you to trust your instincts on that decision you are making, that relationship you’re contemplating, or that conversation it’s time to have.  Pray about it. Listen, not just with your ears, but with your spirit. And muster the courage to act on it.  If you don’t, you’ll likely regret it – just like you have before. 

We often don’t trust our instincts because of past mistakes. But if you are truly honest, you might just realize that in those past “mistakes,” your instincts were not wrong. They were ignored. Telling yourself the truth is the first step to getting unstuck.  Often, the truth is that we had a nagging feeling about the relationship, but moved forward anyway. We didn’t really want to take that job, but we didn’t have the patience or boldness to go for what we really wanted.  We didn’t feel at peace about that decision, but let someone talk us into. If you had followed your intuition, the outcome may indeed have been different. Consider these four signs that you’re not trusting your instincts, and this week, make a commitment to pay attention:

  

1.You have that nagging feeling.

You know the feeling? Don’t do that. Something’s not quite right. The timing is off. Pay attention to those divine nudges in your spirit.  If you don’t feel at peace about something, don’t move forward.

2.You’re busy asking everyone’s opinion.

If the right decision isn’t necessarily the popular decision (especially if you are an approval addict), it can be tempting to seek other opinions. Wise counsel is good. People pleasing is not. Get off the phone, stop asking for opinions, and get quiet. Notice the answer that presents itself when you listen to that still, small voice.

3.The truth makes you uncomfortable.

You can either deal with it now or deal with it later. Sometimes your instincts lead you in a direction that stretches you beyond your comfort zone. And that will always make you UN-comfortable.  That nagging truth might be inconvenient, but the sooner you acknowledge it, the better off you’ll be.

4.You are overly-logical.

Don’t get me wrong. Logic has its place. We must be strategic. But sometimes the pivotal decisions in life are not the most obvious.  They are leaps of faith.  You won’t always be able to figure it all out ahead of time.  Take it one step at a time.

  

My challenge to you:

Get quiet. Trust your instincts.

Valorie Burton is a bestselling author, speaker, and life coach dedicated to helping people get unstuck and be unstoppable in every area of life. She is the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and has served as a Certified Personal and Executive Coach to hundreds of clients in over 40 states and ten countries. - See more at: http://www.valorieburton.com/

How Women Network Differently Than Men

HOW WOMEN NETWORK DIFFERENTLY THAN MEN

BY LORNA VAN STRAATEN

*AS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON HTTP://SMALLBUSINESSBC.CA/*

POSTED:

JULY 28, 2014UPDATED:FEBRUARY 12, 2015

“Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.”- Robert Frost. 

Women networking events are commonplace these days. Women attend these events in droves, and express excitement about the opportunity to connect with other women in business. But, why are these events so successful? And how do women network differently than men?

For the past several years, Cathy Goddard of Lighthouse Visionary Strategies, top 10 finalist in the 2013 SBBC Awards, has run women’s mentor groups in Whistler, BC and the Sea to Sky Corridor. Her groups bring together women entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs (women in senior decision-making positions in companies) into handpicked groups. In the safety of these groups women are encouraged to set business goals, design strategy and explore their business challenges. With the mentoring and input from other group members women work to advance their business skills and results. Lighthouse Visionary Strategies has recently added business men to the groups, uniquely qualifying Cathy to comment to the issue of whether or not women network differently from men?

Cathy offers several observations based in her experience of women vs. women networking in business: “I do believe that women network quite differently from men. Men generally go into networking opportunities with more clarity of what they want to achieve and with focus solely on their professional needs. 

On the other hand, women often take a selfless approach and are more apt to consider what they have to give others. They also tend to seek advice for both personal and business requirements…whether recommendations for a hair stylist or a graphic designer. 

One other differentiator I’ve noticed is that women hesitate to ask for what they want, whereas men are more comfortable making direct demands.”

While both men and women run successful businesses, there are differences between the sexes that do affect how day to day business is conducted. These differences are also evidenced in how women like to network with each other, and what they get from it. As Robert Frost noted, running a business is challenging and often lonely work, especially so for women who are often emotionally wired for connection.

A large component in networking is the process of women creating connections with each other.

Four Differences in the Way Men and Women Network

1. Men are Assertive and Linear

Many men networking are often linear in approach. Who is at the meeting who is related to their industry, who can they meet or connect with that can help position them or move them ahead in their chosen field. Men approach others that will be customers or clients of their business, or will act as a supplier. They are more assertive in their approach, and according to Cathy Goddard, less afraid to ask for what they want. 

2. Women Connect on Multiple Levels:

I run a small women entrepreneur/mompreneurs networking and business training group called Mom CEO Academy in Squamish. While many of the women are interested in learning more about business and how to improve their own, they also want to share the personal challenges they face in running both a business and maintaining family at the same time. A large component in networking is the process of women creating connections with each other.

Women connect to each other through children, family, business challenges, successes and a desire to mentor upcoming business women. In a women’s networking group, women feel safe to express how they FEEL about their work/life challenges and look to other women with similar experiences for support and advice. 

3. Women are Wired to Connect

Women are wired to connect and can be natural networkers. They often play a primary role to support and nurture in the family setting. In watching women at a networking event, you see that they are asking questions, coaching and encouraging. In my experience women want to see other women succeed. While they do acknowledge competitors, they prefer to build capacity over competition. In some cases I have also seen women try to work with their competitors, finding ways in which the two businesses can align to mutual benefit.

4. The Queen Bee is Not a Networker

According to Drew Gannon blog for the The Fiscal Times “How Men and Women Differ in the Workplace”, men in business exhibit more behaviour like aggressiveness, and show skill in delegating and managing up, but women leaders are typically judged as more supportive and rewarding. Women also rank higher in persuasiveness and assertiveness, compassion and team building.

This is not to say there are not competitive and non-supportive women. There are women who will model their business personality after what are considered traditional masculine attributes. Such women have been written about as having the ‘Queen Bee’ syndrome. Queen Bees are women who will not promote or support other women working with them. Competitive and unwilling to mentor other women beneath them, the Queen Bee can be cut-throat. 

As Caroline Turner, author of Difference Works: Improving Retention, Productivity and Profitability through Inclusion commented in a feature on Forbes.com, “Among negative things said about women is that they are catty, sabotage each other or simply do not extend a hand to other women through mentoring. Some commentators have suggested that women’s failure to support other women is one reason there aren’t more women at the top.”

I have experienced women in business that exhibit competitive and hostile behaviours, however, over many years of networking with women have found this to be the exception not the norm. Women are generally still fighting to define their place in the world of business. By connecting and networking with peers they are validating their important role and also beating the loneliness that can come from being a woman in business.

Lorna Van Straaten Consulting works to ‘Connect Entrepreneurs with Opportunity’. As a Social Media Maven for the Over 40’s set, she works with small businesses entrepreneurs to establish or improve their online presence. On any given day you will find her working on websites, social media, copywriting, blogging and introducing other business people to her global Nucerity business. Lorna also runs the Squamish chapter of Mom CEO Academy, connecting mompreneurs and business women together in business training.

Find her on Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.