I think every writer at some time or another faces the inevitable sitting in front of a blank screen not knowing what to write. Before I started this new direction of adding writing to my career profile I was terrified that I would not know what to write and would very quickly run out of things to say. This fear was so deeply held that it was over six months after completion before I realised that I had written a book.

I will give you the process of accidentally writing a book (it took me less than ten weeks) in another series of articles but for the moment I will show you four habits, tools and exercises that have blown writer’s block out of the water for me and could easily do the same for you.

But first let’s put this into perspective. As I said initially I was worried about whether I would be able to write enough for 500 words a week for a blog. A year later I am writing on average 2,000 words a day for various projects without it making much impact on my day. I wrote a 20,000 word info product in a weekend and now my problem is not having enough time in the day to get all the things I would like to get written.

In this report I will give you four key elements that are calculated to blow out all forms of writer’s block. With a few days practicing and you will be easily putting down several thousand words a day without breaking a sweat.

1. Consistency

Anything you set up as a habit gets done. Take something as habitual as brushing your teeth. The chances are it would have to be a very unusual set of circumstances for you to forget to brush your teeth as part of your morning routine. By making writing part of your daily routine your unconscious mind will prepare you for it and long term you will miss it if it doesn’t happen.

Here is how I developed the writing habit. I just decided as part of my routine whenever I got into the office I would spend the first five minutes on my writing projects. I deliberately picked five minutes because I knew that however busy I was for the day I had could not have any excuse to miss five minutes writing. After a few days and as I was getting used to the five minutes writing segments I extended it to ten, then twenty minutes. Now I am so used to writing being part of my day that I am no longer as rigid.

2. Clear Goals

I have played around with a number of different types of goals about writing and have found two that work really well. The first I used to get huge amounts of writing done and the second to complete specific pieces of work. These I would call means and end goals respectively. Let’s deal with each separately.

A means goal would be something like I am going to spend the next five minutes writing. You will notice as a goal this is just describing an activity. This sort of goal for me is great for building up large amounts of writing for a piece of work. Typically I will say to myself something like I will write for five minutes on my book four times today, when I get in, before I go to lunch, as soon as I get back from lunch and again just before I go home. I am more likely to keep to this than one twenty minute chunk. And if I get some extra done on top of this then that is even better, but if not I still know I am progressing with my plan. There is another reason I plan for five minute chunks of writing but I will come back to that in a moment.

An end goal would be something like in the next half hour I will write a 700 word article on (x). This sort of goal is great for specific writing pieces that need to be completed.

The reason you are setting goals at all is so you can get a sense of moving forward, completion and reward at every stage of writing your book. Writing 40 000 words is a daunting task when you are starting out, but writing for five minutes is in the reach of everyone. 40 000 words is just a number of five minute writing sessions.

3. Mind Mapping

One of the biggest reasons for writer’s block is not knowing what to say next. Then the most obvious solution is to know what you are going to say before your finger hits the keyboard. If you get into the habit of planning out what you are going to say you can never be faced with the white screen of doom.

When you go through my info product creation videos you will find a specific process to planning and mind mapping that you can use for books, reports and articles. Certainly after a little practice you will get so good that you can see the mind map in your head and have no need to write it down before you start. But initially however short the piece I would suggest drawing the map before starting. This also has the advantage that you can walk away from it half way through and come back to it later.

I often have piles of scribbled mind maps that have come to me at odd moments of the day piled up on my desk. Each one of them I can turn into a report or article with minimum thought because all the thought that was needed went into it when I drew the mind map.

It is impossible to suffer from writer’s block if you know the order and sequence of each paragraph and the key points you have to get across in them. This is what a few moments mind mapping will give you.

4. Write Fast

When you write fast you are turning off your critical faculties. You stop trying to self edit and there is no room for self doubt. The other added advantage is you start to write closer to the way you speak i.e. naturally. It may sound counter intuitive but as a general rule your writing improves with speed. If you are not a fast typist think about using voice recognition software.

All the typical reasons why people get writer’s block are bypassed when you start to write fast. You don’t have the time to be self critical, search for big fancy words or be judgemental about your work as you are writing it.

Take on these four ideas and you will find you are churning out huge amounts of good quality material in minutes. For example this article took a total of seven minutes. Three minutes mind mapping and four minutes to write. I will spend another couple of minutes proofreading and deciding on a title. This article is a little over a thousand words. Now imagine what would happen to your writing projects if you did just 1000 words an hour (and I think you can comfortably do two to three times that) for a six hour day. It would only take you ten days to write a fairly sizable novel.

In this short series of articles I’m going to show you why so many authors – even when they’re selling loads of books – are broke and how you can turn this around to make massive financial gains from a single book.

Although this stuff is ideal for an author who’s already making decent sales of an existing published book, I’d suggest brand new authors pay attention too – because setting all these things in place before you write your book will enable you to really add power to the process from day one.

The Wrong Way: How Average Experts Try To Get Wealthy & Why They Invariably Fail

Right – the potential income of any business can all be tracked using The  Product Pipeline – or as I like to call it – The Money Funnel… Here’s how the average expert (coach/consultant) tries to make a living…

The obvious lack of anything in between what they do for free (ie marketing) and what they’re attempting to charge for (typically a high cost service that requires them to swap time for money on a 1:1 ratio) means they’re missing massive opportunities to generate income and operating a risky ‘sell or don’t sell’ business model.

Next I’ll show you how most authors try to make their living (and why most authors aren’t wealthy authors)…

Photo by Sean McGrath

You should be able to say “yes” to every single point on this list…

• There are at least 3 popular magazines for my book’s potential readers.
• There are industry statistics clearly showing a market (of at least 100,000 people) exists for my subject area.
• My book solves a problem or addresses a need my market actually has.
• The market isn’t saturated with lots of books that already promise what my book promises and in exactly the same way.
• The people in my market actually buy and read books.
• There are already other big-selling or best-selling books that hit a similar market to me.
• There are definitely people who want it and/or need it.
• It solves a problem or facilitates an achievement.
• It is unique but still fits neatly into an existing/popular/mature category.

If your book has passed with flying colours so far then in the next article – we’ll see if it has bestselling potential.

If you couldn’t say yes to all of the points on the list above then look here for more tips, ideas and help.

Now that “self publishing” is becoming a more acceptable (and often more lucrative) way for people to get their books in print, unscrupulous vanity publishers are changing their name to take advantage of unwitting authors.

In this exposé we’ll look at the differences between self publishing, vanity publishing and mainstream publishing and help you choose the right approach for you.

Does This Post Make You Angry? Please Don’t Comment Unless You’ve Read This First…

Now, just for the record, I’ve got nothing against publishing service providers charging authors for their services. If you’re a talented editor, cover designer, writing coach, typesetter or ghost writer and somebody needs your help then that’s great! A fair and honest exchange of value has taken place and I totally believe that people should be paid fairly for the value they provide.

Also, I’m sure there are companies operating a paid-for-publishing model who are providing an excellent service and whose authors are delighted to be with them. So if you know of one let me know because I’m always open to being pleasantly surprised!

For lots of fiction, poetry and very niche subjects – including your own life story – paying to get published may be the only way to get your first book in print with minimal knowledge. Just be aware that if you couldn’t get your book published by a proper publisher – there was probably a good reason!

Finally – I know the term “Vanity Publishing” has a lot of stigma attached and if you’re an author who’s paid then I understand why you’d also prefer it if you can say, “I didn’t use a vanity publisher – it was a subsidy/collaborative/cooperative/self publisher!” But I believe in calling a spade a spade – so please don’t take offence or get defensive until you’ve considered all the alternatives!

Sneaky Tactics Employed By Dodgy Vanity Publishers

I do have a problem with vanity publishers who pose as mainstream publishers by calling themselves a collaborative publisher, subsidy publisher, cooperative publisher or self-publisher and then charging authors over-the-odds prices for their often shoddy (or even more often – non-existent) work.

Here are a few real examples of the kind of thing I hear time and again from authors (I’ve not included names here because most of this has been said to me in confidence)…

“We corresponded for about 3 months or more with them asking to see more and more of the book (a novel) in question, just as a conventional publisher would. Finally they said they weren’t prepared to take it on in total due to financial constraints at the moment, but if I were prepared to contribute a “modest sum” they would go ahead. I knew straightaway then that it was a con, but phoned them anyway out of curiosity. Their idea of a “modest sum?” £2,800…..needless to say I told them where they could poke their publishing deal….”

“I was invited to join a publishing programme, where for just $7,000, I’d end up having a chapter in a book amongst some really big names in the self-improvement field while learning all about how to get published. They even said I’d get my name prominently on the front cover alongside these big names. It seemed like a no-brainer to me so I used some of my redundancy money to pay for it. It was only when I got the final book back that I realised what a fool I’d been. It was obvious that, except for the one or two ‘big name’ authors, they’d simply cobbled together a load of mediocre articles from amateur authors – making the book pretty close to useless. What’s worse is – the only way I could make any money from the sales of this book was by buying my own copies to sell direct or using their affiliate link to sell directly from their site. I wouldn’t get a penny from sales on Amazon or in bookstores either. It was little more than an expensive MLM programme and I doubt I’ll ever get my investment back. I feel like such an idiot for falling for this but I’m too embarrassed to warn people that it’s a scam because it will damage my reputation.”

“I sent her my manuscript and she sent me a contract and price list straight back. There’s no way she could have looked at the title – let alone made a judgement on whether my book would be viable or not. She was obviously only interested in taking my money. It’s a wonder people of this ilk manage to stay in business at all.”

“A poem I wrote and submitted to an online competition was chosen to be in an anthology collection of poems. I was so delighted and proud until I read on and realised it would only find its way into the anthology if I agreed to pre-order at least 10 over-priced copies – $49.99 each! – sight unseen – of the book. This is a really cruel and clever ploy to part genuine people (trying to get published) from their money.”

We Don’t Use The V-Word!

Debs met a book coach (who we now know just uses this as a front for her vanity press) at the London Book Fair in 2009 because she said she’d like to discuss working with us.

A little way into the conversation Debs discovered this so-called book coach had been kicked out of the IPG (Independent Publishers Guild) the previous year for trying to sell her “Co-Operative Publishing” deal from the stand!

So Debs, always one to say what she means, said, “So you’re really just a vanity publisher aren’t you?”

This person (who shall remain nameless – because she’s definitely the type to sue) pulled a face and replied, “Eee-ugh – you used the ‘V Word’ – how could you? We don’t like to use the ‘V Word’ in our business!”

Debs persisted and said, “But if you’re expecting authors to pay you to get published then that’s exactly what you are – unless I’ve missed something?”

Seeing she was getting nowhere fast the book coach simply went for what she really wanted and said, “Look – you send authors our way and we’ll pay you 50% – how’s that sound?”

Dirty Money? No Thank You! Debs ended the conversation and relationship with this person right there.

What Vanity Publishers Promise…

• You keep exclusive rights – that’s because they want your money not your book!
• You get complete control over the cover – in most cases that’s because they don’t plan to do any work on making it better. Plus – if the author is not a designer then giving them the freedom with the cover is almost always a bad idea!
• You get to buy your books whenever you need them – yes – but typically at a markup on what you’d get if you went direct to the printer yourself
• They’re better, cheaper, fairer etc than their competitors – I know it’s a vulgar expression but – “you can’t polish a turd” – comes to mind here! They’re still going to be a better version of a bad idea!

What They Typically Do (or Don’t Do)

• Put themselves between you and the same Print On Demand Printer used by almost all of their competitors – so they can make a mark up when selling you your own books.
• Make the process of getting ISBNs sound more difficult than it is so they can sell them to you at a profit even though you’ll never properly own the book’s ISBN number this way.
• Nothing in the way of editing (unless you pay them more than a proper editor would cost for less than a proper editor would do) or proofing before sending your book out to the paying public.
• Nothing in the way of design or proper typesetting – again unless you pay over the odds for them to outsource the work to a third-rate designer in third world country and keep the profit for themselves.
• Put your book in their own bookshop – but everyone knows sales are made on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the other proper bookshops – so this serves you how?
• Promise to give you “marketing training” – which is usually just rehashed stuff that doesn’t need to be done and doesn’t actually work. They almost certainly don’t care if you sell any books now that they have your money in their pocket.

Before I share some of the coolest, quirkiest and craziest ways to unleash your awesome creative potential I’d just like to share some golden rules for getting into your most creative state…

5 Golden Rules for Being Creative

1. Get into a positive state – this is a fun thing to do so smile, keep your chin up, breathe deeply and become curious about how creative your mind can get
2. Don’t edit yourself while you’re being creative – just as with writing a book the edit comes later so capture every idea that pops into your head!
3. Do a short sharp creative blast – 15-30 minutes is ideal – don’t stop to analyse the ideas until the creative dust has settled
4. Don’t “try” to be creative – the more you relax and treat the process as a fun and rewarding game the more readily ideas will pop into your head
5. Get both sides of your brain activated and warmed up for more creative potential – I’ll show you how to do this next…

Right – now that’s out understood I’m going to begin by introducing some simple, but really effective creativity approaches. Some of these you’ll have heard of and others might be new but first I’d just like to tell you a little bit about how your brain works…

Activating Both Brain Hemispheres for Heightened Creativity

“You have two brains: a left and a right. Modern brain scientists now know that your left brain is your verbal and rational brain; it thinks serially and reduces its thoughts to numbers, letters and words… Your right brain is your nonverbal and intuitive brain; it thinks in patterns, or pictures, composed of ‘whole things,’ and does not comprehend reductions, either numbers, letters, or words.”
The Fabric of Mind, Richard Bergland, eminent scientist and neurosurgeon

While scientists are still no closer to exactly how we are creative they have been successful in finding out where we’re creative. And that’s on the right side of your brain… I won’t go into loads of detail here (fascinating as it is) because I just want you to be able to benefit from this knowledge right now. Here’s a summary of what happens where (most of the time) in your brain…

• Left Brain (affects right muscle movement): Sequential, Detail, Words, Logical, Numbers, Measurement, Recall (Past), Grammar, Patterns, Literal Meaning, Content, Name Recall, Time Awareness, Components, Science, Maths
• Right Brain (affects left muscle movement): Simultaneous, Holistic, Pictures, Intuitive, Shapes, Motion, Imagination (Future), Intonation/Emphasis, Accents, Abstract Meaning, Context, Face Recognition, Spatial Awareness, Objects, Art, Music

Take a look at the following chart…

A great foreword and critical praise from people who have credibility with your audience is an essential part of the selling process. Some people will go as far as to pay for this (though I don’t recommend it) because the right endorsement and association can mean the difference between mediocre and massive success.

Here’s what Simon Hazeldine, a master of getting great forewords, and the author of four books with us, has to say…

I was recently asked “How on earth did you get someone like Dr. Joe Vitale to write the foreword for your book Bare Knuckle Selling?” For those of you who haven’t come across Joe Vitale yet, he is widely regarded as one of the top five authorities in the world on marketing and is the author and co-author of so many best-selling books that I wouldn’t know where to start!

If the person asking the question was expecting an insightful explanation into my carefully considered and implemented strategy he was about to be disappointed. ”Erm… I just asked him – and he said yes!”

In truth that was all I did. I sent Dr Joe a copy of my manuscript, explained the benefits to him of writing the foreword (some additional exposure) and asked him if he would write it. I asked him… and he said yes! I’ll repeat that – I asked him… and he said yes!

Hmm… could this strategy work again? When I had finished writing my second book Bare Knuckle Negotiating I thought about who I would like to write the foreword. As a big fan of the BBC television programme ‘Dragon’s Den’ I thought that getting one of the Dragons to write the foreword would be perfect. So flushed with my success with Dr Joe Vitale I decided to go dragon hunting!

I researched the various Dragons and decided that the gritty Duncan Bannatyne (who according to the Sunday Times rich list was the 398th richest man in the UK with a personal fortune of £168 million) would be the best fit with my no-nonsense bare knuckle approach. So how do you get someone who is worth £168 million to write the foreword for your book? You guessed it – you ask.

I quickly got hold of Duncan’s PA, Kim, and asked to speak to Duncan to ask if he would write the foreword to my book. I didn’t manage to speak to Duncan but via Kim he asked to see a copy of Bare Knuckle Selling and the manuscript of Bare Knuckle Negotiating. Yes it was that easy… or was it?

After following up a couple of weeks later I was told that Duncan was very busy and would consider writing the foreword if he found the time. A few weeks passed and I still hadn’t heard anything and we needed to go to print. I followed up again.

Unfortunately Duncan hadn’t found the time and was unlikely to, and I was told it was a no go. After the initial batch of Bare Knuckle Negotiating was printed I decided to have another go. I sent a copy to Duncan and asked him if he would re-consider writing the foreword if I sent a draft of some ideas he could adapt. Within a few days the reply came back – yes! – along with a copy of the foreword for inclusion in the book. I had bagged my dragon!

You can now see the strategy… I asked him and he said no. I altered my approach and asked again and he said yes! I asked one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the country to write the foreword for my book… and he said yes!

We have all heard the expression “If you don’t ask you don’t get” and the biblical quotation “ask and ye shall receive”. This strategy (if something so simple could be called a strategy) is simply to ask. Ask, ask, ask.  Ask for the order, ask for the help, ask for the support, ask for the money, ask for the date, ask for the appointment. Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask. It is that simple. Ask and you will receive. You might have to ask a few times, and in different ways, but the secret is to ask.

Simon has since secured an endorsement from Michael Dell for his third Bare Knuckle book, Bare Knuckle Customer Service and high praise from Brian Tracy for The Inner Winner. A man who practices what he preaches!

Okay – so know you know “The Secret” you’d probably like to know exactly how Simon (and other authors with great endorsements) asked – so here are some templates you can use as the basis of an email, letter or telephone call to someone you’d love to endorse your book.

Sample Emails Based On Actual Email That Successfully Led To Praise From Sir Digby Jones and Stephen R Covey

Email #1 – SUBJECT: Request for Help _________

Good Morning ___________

As you probably know, I’m about to have my latest book,_________, published. The book will give readers simple tips, tools and techniques to make the most of ___________.

If you could spare a few minutes to share your comments with me for use in my marketing efforts then that would be great.

My publishers can also include a link to your website at ___________ too if you like and also mention your website in the book.

Obviously you’ll need to see it before you can comment so if you’re keen to help then I’ll send you a draft (PDF file) free.

I’ve attempted to make your involvement as easy as possible, so if you are willing to help I will also provide a selection of sample testimonials for you to put your name to or adjust accordingly, if you feel that this is appropriate.

Simply respond to this email and let me know that you would be happy to do this and I will send you a copy to review, together with the sample testimonials if you feel that they would be useful.

I appreciate your support.

Kind Regards and Every Success
_____________

PS And remember, if I can help you in any way – just let me know!

Email #2 - SUBJECT: RE: Request for Help _________

Dear _________

Thanks for that, the pdf file is attached. If you could get comments back to me ASAP, that would be great. There are some guidelines and suggested testimonials below. If you would rather use those, please let me know the three that you are happy to put your name to and we will attribute one to you.

Please also include the wording for the credit you would like, together with the web address to be included with your comment.

Thanks again!

_____________

USEFUL QUESTIONS

When writing your own personal testimonials the following questions might help…
1. What information did this book reveal that you believe the book’s readers will not already know? 2. What networking/presenting principles did this book reinforce for you? 3. How do you envisage people applying this book’s information in their every day business? 4. What big benefit do you see this book having in the reader’s life/career? 5. What do you most like about the book?

SAMPLE PRAISE

You can use the following samples “as is” or you can simply use them for inspiration or the basis of your own testimonial. Please make 3 selections if you’re using it as-is.

“As a how-to guide, this book contains everything you may need to know. Brimming with straightforward strategies anyone can use to overcome the key fears associated with ___________ and _______________.”

“Anyone who’s ever wanted to be able to ________________ confidently can benefit from the down-to-earth knowledge in this book.”

“The one book on __________ I’d have if I could have just one.”

“A must-read for anyone who wants to get on in business.”

“Powerful, practical and solid advice on _______________ with confidence. Apply ____________’s knowledge and you’ll feel much more _________________”

“__________ cuts straight to the chase on what you need to do to make the most of the opportunities that come your way.”

“This book belongs in the collection of every self respecting ____________.”

“Here is a powerhouse book of tips, tactics and approaches for _________________ that simply work. A fantastic book.”

“It’s rare to find such honest advice in such an accessible format. This book will surely be a classic.”

“The information in this book just works. I knew there should be an easy way to ____________ effectively and this is it.”

“What a fantastic, straightforward and honest book. I’ll be recommending it to all my colleagues.”

“____________ is the buzzword in business these days and ____________ throws light on how to approach _____________ effectively and make the most out of it.”

“So many people fail to ____________________. Reading the tips in this book will help anyone overcome that obstacle and succeed.”

The Exact Email Simon Hazeldine Sent To Dr Joe Vitale

SUBJECT: Joe, I’d Like To Send You A Complimentary Copy of Bare Knuckle Selling

Dear Dr Joe

I was wondering if you’d be able to help me.

I’ve recently had my latest book, Bare Knuckle Selling: Knockout Sales Tactics They Won’t Teach You In Business School, published which shares my no-nonsense approach to professional selling, using NLP, hypnotic speech patterns and various other ‘tricks’ http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905430051

Being a big fan of your work I know how effectively you use hypnotic techniques, ethically, to strengthen your written communication and feel there’s an opportunity for synergy here.

So, I would like to send you a complimentary review copy of my book and, if you like it, would like to invite you to write the foreword. My publisher estimates initial sales to be in the region of 5,000-10,000 (UK) so would give you further exposure with people interested in sales and influence while I get the acclaim of having my book endorsed by a respected expert on all things persuasion.

If you could just let me know if you’d like to take a look then I’ll post you a copy immediately for your review/endorsement/foreword.

Warm Wishes
Simon Hazeldine MSc, FInstSMM

PS The Bare Knuckle connection will become obvious when you read more about my background prior to becoming a sales trainer.