Should CEOs Write Ebooks?

Should CEOs write ebooks? This is a question I get asked a lot – and sometimes people think it’s a question of writing one or the other – an ebook or a print book.  I think the answer depends on your ultimate goals, the subject matter (of both your book or book idea and the ebook) and your reasons for wanting to write an ebook.

Ebook  readers are growing in popularity
These days, with ebook readers becoming so popular, I think every author should look at ebooks again, even if they turned their backs on them before. And ebooks give authors the opportunity of re-purposing or reviving previously written material…

Ebooks can add add passive streams of income to your writing business

I believe ebook marketing can not only give you an additional stream of passive income (maybe not enough to make the payments on that jag you’ve been eyeing… but perhaps enough to put gas in it every month…)

But even more than that, I think writing an ebook is also a good marketing strategy.

And here’s how writing ebooks can hep you sell more books, build your credibility and add to your expertise in your market…

Let’s say you’re writing a book to help… I don't know... your reader do something.  And it's something they need to learn how to do right now... So whether it's get past a gatekeeper, become a better leader, learn effective sales techniques... your book promises a big benefit that the reader will get by reading it.

Here's an example: When I was suddenly put in charge of our company's fundraiser for the United Way, the planning committee had already chosen doing a golf event,  My problem?  I don't play golf (that's right. I'm admitting it, right out here in front of God and everybody.  In fact, I'll go one step further - I'll never write about golf again either! You couldn't pay me enough money to say yes...)  But, getting back to my point.  Since I'd never golfed, and had no idea what was involved in setting up and running a golf event, and I wanted to know what I needed to know fast and easy.

So what did I do?  I Googled it.  And found two golf books - one on Amazon, and one on a website that I could download.  I remember the book was almost $100 - and I paid it without a second thought, because it gave me the information I needed to know when I needed to know it.

And that’s where ebooks offer such an interesting addition to your marketing method.  Because you can mention your printed book in your ebook – even give your reader a link to order it from Amazon… Or you can give her a link to your Website, to sign up for your newsletter.  Or to your online catalog page, where you offer other ebooks, printed books or additional products for sale.

And that’s just the beginning… Why not add a “tell a friend” button, or invite her to let people know about your ebook through twitter, facebook, or one of the many other social networking sites available today?

Here’s something you want to pay close attention to though – make sure your ebook is formatted correctly, and that it’s written for the Web – which requires a different set of rules than writing for print.  Or if you're publishing it to be read on an Ereader or iphone, again, make sure it's formatted correctly - because otherwise you're just going to piss your reader off, and they'll go away unhappy - or ask for a refund.

Make sure it’s easy to read, that the paragraphs – and the length of the book itself – are short.  Make it interesting and full of valuable information.  

And don’t forget to promote your Website, your other books, etc. in every ebook you write…

Are You Making These Mistakes with Your Media Releases?

As an author, or potential author, there is going to come a time when you will need or want to write a media release about your book.  This article is about the biggest mistakes people make when writing a media release.  Since being able to write effective media releases is an important part of any writer or author’s marketing and publicity campaign, you need to know what to do – and what NOT to do.

There are some people who try to make it seem like writing a media release is somehow a “big secret” – or they’ll try to tell you that you need to hire a professional to put together a good publicity campaign.  And that’s just not true.

On the other hand, just like any other type of professional writing, there is a structure and strategy to writing media releases – and if you don’t know them, you can wind up making some big mistakes.  And again, that’s the point of this article!

So let me ask you something:

• Does the thought of writing a media release (also known as a “press release” or “news release”) to promote yourself or your writing business make your mouth dry, your stomach turn over and your hands shake?

• Are you worried about how to do it, what to say or who to send it to?

• Do you wish the floor would just open up and swallow you whole rather than try to promote yourself and your writing business?

Well, then stay tuned, because that’s why I’m writing this next series of articles for you. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll understand exactly what to do, how to do it and why – in short, you’ll come across as the consummate professional – and increase your chances of getting publicized.

Let’s get started by talking about the biggest mistakes that people make when writing a media release – because if you’re making them too, I can pretty much guarantee your media release is going to be thrown in the trash can and won’t even be read!

Biggest Mistake #1: When you’re writing a Media Release, don’t call it a “press release” or the media will know you’re a novice, and chances are, they’ll drop it in the trash can without even reading it.  You can call it a “Media Release” or a “News Release” if you want.  Press Release was the term used by the media before the internet got involved.  Now that “electronic” media is used these days, you need to know – and use – the proper lingo.

Biggest Mistake #2: Use mixed case. NEVER SUBMIT A MEDIA RELEASE IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS. As you can see, it’s much more difficult to read that way, and as we know from writing on the Web, writing anything in uppercase letters is the electronic equivalent of screaming at your reader.

Also, make sure you always follow the rules of grammar and style. Errors in grammar and style affect your credibility. Excessive errors will cause your media release to be rejected. If you’re not sure what style a particular media source uses, you’ll want to get familiar with it before submitting your media release.

With a little online research you can find out everything you need to know before you send your next media release.  You can also find stylebooks at your local library, bookstore or Amazon.  For example, the Associated Press Style Book is updated every year.  http://www.apstylebook.com/ and it’s used in most journalism and adult writing courses.

Biggest Mistake #3: Don’t add html language or links in your media release. Most of the time, online distribution services don’t allow links (except in the resource box, of course.) Which means if you include them, your media release is going right into the trash can, not the distribution list.  Also, if the service does allow links, only put links that are relevant and give the reader valuable information. (See the link I gave you in in Mistake #2?)  Remember – your media release is NOT a sales letter.

Biggest Mistake #4: Not putting enough information in your news release. If you can say everything you need to say in only a few sentences, then chances are you don’t have a newsworthy story. (*Note: You may hear that your news release should “never” be more than one page long.) I have found that a media release should be as long as it takes in order for you to tell your story.  So if that means one and a-half or two pages, then that’s how long it should be. Do your best to keep it short and sweet, but don’t take out important information just to make it fit on one page.

Include a summary paragraph for online submissions. Some online news services request that you include a one-or-two line summary of your press release. This is because some distribution points only receive your headline, summary and a link to your media release.  Which means, when you’re submitting to online services, not including the summary paragraph may reduce the effectiveness of your media release. (On the other hand, a summary paragraph usually isn’t necessary with print, television or radio media.)

Biggest Mistake #5: Not formatting your media release in the right way.  Like everything else, there are “industry standards” when it comes to writing – and even submitting – your media release.

If you’re not sure what the industry standards for a media release are, then stay tuned, because I’m going to go through them all for you.

“What kind of CEOs want to hire a ghostwriter?” is a question I received during a mastermind coaching call the other day, and if you're a CEO who wants to write a book, you may be wondering about this too.

In my experience, they are CEOs who:

• Know they have a book inside them, but feel ’stuck’ ‘frustrated’ and like they ‘lack the creativity required to take the book from idea to paper’.  In fact, in many cases, after talking with the CEOs I’ve had the fun and privilege of working with, I’ve learned that some of that comes from the stress they’re experiencing in their professional lives.  In many cases, they are faced with tight schedules, long hours, and often the bar for achieving specific goals is set very high with very little room for maneuvering. So is it any wonder that many CEOs feel stifled or like they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies?
• 
  
• Are at the height of their careers, and look (to the rest of the world) as if they’ve got everything going for them.  But in some cases, that’s exactly the problem! Where’s the challenge?  The excitement, the struggle to achieve a goal or climb the next mountain – something to test themselves against – just isn’t there anymore, and so they’re left feeling a little… flat.
• 
  
• Are tired of all the constraints, the feelings of being caged in and of being undervalued. In many cases, they are starting to think about adding a new specialty or make a transition in their careers, and feel like authoring a book would be a great way to do it (and they’re right)…
• 
  
• Want to find new streams of passive income into their professions, either with new or different services or adding additional products – and who know that being the author of a book gives them additional status and credibility… They also know their book can open doors because of the additional publicity and media attention they’ll get, and build the expert status they deserve…

Now it’s also true that some of my clients are a little self-conscious, or embarrassed  or a little unsure of how the whole process works when they first get in touch with me.  But that’s perfectly normal – it’s always a little unsettling to go into uncharted territory for the first time.

And that’s one of the reasons my clients appreciate my strict rules about confidentiality and protecting their privacy.

And usually about halfway into our first phone interview, I can feel them start to relax – especially when they’re able to ask questions about my process of working with them on their book, and learn that I work my schedule around theirs… or when they find out that there are several different methods we can use when we start putting the book together – and that they get to choose the method they’re the most comfortable with.

They’re usually relieved to find out that, thanks to my proprietary and proven approach to ghostwriting, they will have a completed, ready to go manuscript within three to six months, that’s been designed to work around their often hectic and unpredictable schedules…

Isn’t it time for you to join these CEOs who have gone from feeling stuck and frustrated to experiencing the satisfaction, excitement and joy of personal and professional achievement?  If you’re ready to become an author of your own book, and you’ve decided to make it happen in 2010, then give me a call… and let’s see if we can work together to make your book a reality.

How to work with a Professional Book Ghostwriter Part 3

Here’s the third installment in my ‘How to Work with a Ghostwriter’ series.  These articles will give you the lowdown on what you need to know and do – before you hire a ghostwriter. If you missed “How to work with a ghostwriter Part 1 or Part 2, just click the links.

Okay, so by now you know that these articles are designed to help you write a remarkable, entertaining and truly memorable book – by walking you through the planning and organizing steps you need to take before you start working with a ghostwriter.  The more you do at this stage of the process, the better your book will be, and the smoother the writing process will go.

On any given topic, there is already a dominant story that exists. So it’s important that you look at, and understand that story. In other words, who else has written books on your subject? You need to know as much about the competition as possible – but you’re not here to judge, or negate someone else’s work.  Instead, you want to look for these three things:

1. The history. The story you’re going to tell (and again, it doesn’t matter if your book is fiction or non-fiction) has to connect the dots for your reader. Your  book needs to provide a clear and contextual beginning, middle and end – so that your reader feels connected and like they’re a part of what’s going on.  Without this, your reader will feel an emotional disconnect – and you’ll lose them.
2. The larger meaning. Just like explorers of old, you need to discover what information in your topic is out there, what your reader expects to find in your book and then figure out how you can deconstruct it, recombine it, reinvent it – so your reader learns something new, and sees the new, bigger meaning in what you have to say and share. Information alone has lost it’s value, because there’s so much of it and it’s so readily available. Your goal is to write a book that has real meaning and relevance to your reader – and because of that opens them to the possibilities of what could be.
3. Where your thoughts, ideas and message fits in the scheme of things. Every society – every culture has its own rules and customs. From the time we were children, we were taught to look at things as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘black’ or ‘white’. We also instinctively look for those invisible connections – how one thing connects to another, in a logical sequence of events, so that they ‘fit’ together. Your readers expect this, and for your book to be accepted, trusted, enjoyed and shared – you have to show how and where your book fits in the grand scheme of things.

How to Work with a Professional Book Ghostwriter Part 2

So in my last post, How to work with a ghostwriter part 1 (click the link if you haven’t read it and want to), we started talking about some things that were necessary for you to get ready to work with a ghostwriter… and you might have been surprised to learn that I wasn’t talking about things like writing samples, fee agreements and project scopes.

As your ghostwriter, it’s my job to help you write a kick-ass book that stands out from the crowd and catches the heart and mind of your readers.

And in my experience, the best way to do that is to help you prepare for writing that book from the very start – before we even meet, in fact.

In the last post, I told you that one of the first things you need to get really clear on is your reader – the person you’re writing your book for.  And that may actually be one of the secrets to why I’m one of the ‘in-demand’ ghostwriters for doctors.  Because I help my clients create a kind of ‘persona’ that they’re writing the book for – and we keep that person in mind all through the writing process.

Let me tell you a little story to illustrate why this is so powerful.

I was working with a copywriting client of mine last spring – he charters yachts around the Greek islands.  And as part of his marketing plan, we created a downloadable special report for potential clients – it had several previously written how-to articles and tips for people who wanted to charter a yacht.  Anyway, one of the things I did was edit and update that report.  At the same time, I happened to talk to my sister, who was going to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary, and her husband was in the process of planning a trip for them – he was doing it all – choosing where they were going to go and what they were going to do, and making all the reservations – everything.

So of course we talked about them chartering a yacht, too.  So, when I re-wrote that report, I wrote it with my sister and brother-in-law in mind – someone who had never been to Greece and had never sailed around the Greek islands.  The report converted like gangbusters.

What does that have to do with you and your book?

Everything.

Because human beings are not plain, vanilla people.  We may be tied down with responsibilities – car payments, mortgage payments, kids to put through college,  and we may not always be leading the life we thought we’d be living, or doing all the things we wanted to do when we were young, or getting out there saving the world and making a difference… but that doesn’t mean we don’t dream about it.

People aren’t rational, logical, analytical creatures.  Each one of us harbors secret dreams and hopes and fantasies – and we’re all searching for experiences that lift us out of our every-day, ordinary lives – experiences that warm our hearts, kindle our spirits and spark our imaginations!

Which means that if you want people to read – and buy – your book, it can’t be a ‘me too’ clone with all the same information that’s in all the books written on the same topic! Your book has to be that spark that fires up your reader’s imagination… it has to give them hope or inspire them… And it doesn’t matter whether you’re writing a murder mystery or a romance novel, or a self-help book about business or leadership.

You want your book to lift your reader out of the mundane, to get them thinking and to see things in a whole new way…

Did you know that according to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are 172,000 books published every year in the United States alone?  For the first time since 2001, the United Kingdom is publishing more than in the U.S. with 206,000, and Canada put out 19,000?

And that’s not counting e-books, self-published or books for e-readers such as Kindle.

And it also doesn’t take into account how many manuscripts are written – and not published for whatever reason.

The point is, before you even start writing it, your book is up against a lot of competition – just to get it written and submitted.  And then, if you make the cut and your book is published, you’ve got even more competition to make it stand out from the crowd and get it noticed.

And here’s what you need to do, before you start working with a ghostwriter – whether it’s me or someone else…

Get clear on who you’re writing to…

Create a picture in your mind of one person – it doesn’t have to be a real person – although sometimes that helps.  It could be your spouse, your mother or a client,  Or an old friend from college.  Or your neighbor who lives down the street.  The point is, your book will be that much better if you use that person as your guide when you’re putting together your topic, and doing your research, or writing your book’s outline… It will help you to create a book that’s remarkable, that will be remembered – a legacy that remains long after you’re gone.

How to Work with a Professional Book Ghostwriter Part 1

Warning: ‘How to work with a ghostwriter’ isn’t going to be the ‘typical’ article that talks to you about asking a potential ghost for writing samples, explains why creating an outline is important or gives you a checklist of what you need to know about project scopes, milestones and fee agreements.

While those things are important, there are some other things you need to know first about how to work with a ghostwriter – things that will determine the ultimate success – or dismal failure – of your book.

Let’s start at the beginning – with your book idea.

It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on writing a fiction or non-fiction book – if one of your main goals is to get other people to see what you see – to write something that inspires and influences and makes your reader believe, care and even take action – then you need to start with the basics.

You need the  ability to tell a story – your story – in a way that grabs the readers attention and makes them want to keep reading – and makes them want to share your story with the people they know – is what’s going to make your book wildly successful.

It probably won’t surprise you to know that this is one of the main reasons many authors want to work with a ghostwriter.  (Industry statistics show that almost 40% of traditionally published books are written with the assistance of a ghost.) Because while they’ve got a great idea for a book, many authors aren’t sure how to develop their idea into a commercially viable manuscript that has the potential to go viral – and to end up with a book that attracts hundreds – if not thousands – of buyers and readers.

Working with a professional ghostwriter can help you make that happen.

Finding Relevance, Meaning and the Right Mindset

When someone goes to a bookstore looking for a book, chances are they want more than just something to read.  They’re looking for an experience, something that sparks their imagination, grabs their attention, and validates their beliefs, experiences and  viewpoints.  In other words, your book has to be relevant to your reader.  Seth Godin (author of Tribes: We need you to lead us) said, “Great stories agree with our world view. The best stories don’t teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded of how smart they were in the first place.”

What publishers want

Most publishers will tell you they’re not looking for a brand new story that’s never been told before. They want a story that people know – but they want it told in a new and different way. So if you want a commercially successful book, this means don’t write a book about change, write a book about continuity that picks up where the old story left off, and shows what to do next.

Why your book idea needs to be relevant to your intended audience

If you want to write a successful book – one that is acclaimed and enjoyed and shared – you absolutely have to know who your audience is – before you start working with a ghostwriter.  Because in order to get people to read your book, you have to meet them where they’re at right now.   Here’s why:

In the last 10 years, ‘we’ve come a long way baby‘… and we’re no longer living in the ‘information age’. We, as a society, have moved beyond the place where all we want is information.  Today all the information is at your fingertips and readily available to almost anyone with a computer and an internet connection.  Not only is it readily available, most of the time, there’s too much of it, and not all of it is good, or truthful, or helpful or relevant.

In fact, once ‘information overload’ became an accepted condition in business and in our daily lives, we moved into another era. Today we’re living in the recommendation era.  As consumers we don’t trust ‘information’ any more, unless it comes from a source we recognize and trust.  People are ten times more likely to believe something if a friend, family member or colleague – someone they know and trust – recommends it to them.  Which is why social networks like FaceBook and twitter and LinkedIn have taken off like wildfire!

So as an author who is about to write a book, you can’t act – or write – as if it were ten years ago.  Society has changed, people have changed – and the way we do business has changed.  One of the best examples of this has to do with raw information. People don’t want information any more.  They want something more.  They want to find someone they trust, someone who is willing to take the time to go through all the information about a subject, and filter it -through their own experiences, their beliefs, their values – and distill it down, to its essence and then share it.

One of the biggest problems we, as a society have – is finding someone we can trust.

But we still, as a society, tend to trust authors.  If your name is on your own book, it sets you apart from the crowd.  People will sit up and take notice of you.  And more than that, they will trust that what you have to say matters.

So before you start working with a ghostwriter, you need to understand what you’re writing about and why and who you want to reach.

How to Brainstorm Your Book Idea

Whether you're a CEO who's in the beginning stages of plotting your book, or at the end, when you’re ready to create a marketing campaign, you may have heard that brainstorming is an excellent and creative way to get the ideas flowing.

But did you know that there are some logical rules to make your brainstorming more effective?

It may seem strange, to mix logic with creativity, but according to experts who swear by the brainstorming process, if you follow these 5 simple rules, you’ll jumpstart the creative flow and come up with more winning ideas more often.

1. Quiet your inner critic. Don’t try to edit or judge any ideas in the beginning.  The important thing is to get the ideas flowing, not trying to decide if they’ll work or not.

2. Go ahead  get a little wild and crazy. Go ahead – think outside the box – in fact, think outside everything.  Got a wild idea? Something a little crazy slipped in? Write ‘em down. That’s what brainstorming is all about  - and you may just be surprised by what you end up with.

3. Write it all down. Since writing is usually a solitary exercise, you may be doing your brainstorming all alone. That’s okay. Brainstorming works either way. But it’s important that you write down all your ideas, no matter what they are.

4. Check your cynicism at the door. The brainstorming process isn’t easy – and it can seem counter-intuitive to people sometimes, especially if they’re used to a more systematic approach. But brainstorming also has a place and can give you some really excellent new ideas. So give brainstorming a chance.

5. Set the timer. Not surprisingly, many authors work better when they’re under a deadline. So go ahead and pull out the kitchen timer and set a limit on your brainstorming time. Personally, I like 30 minutes, but you may find 20 minutes, or 45 minutes works best for you. For most people, keeping the brainstorming process to less than one hour works best – and keeps the ideas fresh.

And there you have it. Five simple rules for brainstorming your book idea or book marketing strategy.

How Book Ghostwriters Work

If you've never worked with a professional book ghostwriter before, you've probably got a few questions about how we work, and what the writing process is. 

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions that other CEO clients have asked - and if you don't see the answer to your question listed here, feel free to get in touch with me, and I'll be happy to answer you personally.

So, here's what happens.  First you get in touch with me.  (You can call me, email me, or leave me a comment on this site.)  We set up a time to talk about your book project, and what your goals are and what your timeline is, so we can decide if we're even going to be a good fit.

One of the things we'll talk about is how involved you plan to be in the actual writing process.  I've had clients who sent me a box of notes, reference materials, draft chapters and set up interviews, but I've also had clients who told me what they wanted their book to be about, and gave me some suggestions for where to find the information, and asked me to send them the manuscript when it was done. (I'm comfortable either way.  Of course, that was a book about golf, and it didn't represent the client's main business.)  

The main point I want to make about this is, it's your book. And part of my job as your ghostwriter is to make sure that it is your book from start to finish during the writing process.  And I'll do whatever needs to be done to make sure that happens - even taking into account your crazy schedule, handwritten notes or unfinished thoughts, or complete first drafts.

You should know that in most cases, you'll need to schedule some time for us to work together - the most critical times are when we're just getting started and towards the end, when I send you the final draft.  In order for me to 'get' your voice, I need to listen to you, talk to you and see examples of your writing style.

Most books take between three and six months to write.  It depends on the type of book, how much work has already been done and how much research needs to be, whether I'll be interviewing people, the length of your book, etc.

So if you're tired of thinking about writing a book, and you're ready to take the next step towards becoming a published author, feel free to get in touch!

Oh, and by the way?  I don't do books on golf any more. (Not even if you paid me a million dollars!)

Should you hire a ghostwriter for your book?

Being the author of your own book can help you achieve many goals... For example, it:

• Brands you as an expert in your field
• Lets you share your experience, knowledge and expertise
• Open doors to a speaking career
• Offer additional streams of income

Of course, actually finding the time to sit down and write your book could be a problem.  Going from idea to commercially viable, entertaining and informative manuscript is a time-consuming process.

In most cases, there are hours and hours (taking weeks or sometimes months) of research, fact checking, interviews, and putting the outline or mind map of the book together first.  And then after that comes the actual writing. 

And if you've ever tried to write your own book, and gotten stuck at some point, staring at a blinking cursor on a blank computer screen - or worse, started writing and just knew something didn't sound right - then you understand how difficult the process can be.

In fact, that's probably the first question you should be asking yourself.  Do you like to write? (It's okay if you don't, because I do! And I'm really good at it, which is also good for you!)

The second question you should probably ask yourself is, do you have the time to spend, day after day, month after month, hour after hour, slugging away at your keyboard, getting your book out of your head and down onto paper (or the computer screen, as the case may be)?

If your answer to either of these two questions is no, that's where a professional book ghostwriter comes in.

When you hire a professional book ghostwriter who has worked with other CEOs, you end up with someone who:

• Understands your time constraints, pressure and other commitments you have 
• Works around your schedule and yet keeps your book project moving forward
• Speaks your language and has the ability to write in your voice while keeping the reader and their wants and needs in mind
• Knows how to create an engaging and commercially viable manuscript in as short a time as possible
• Lets you do what you do best and they do what they do best