http://guruknowledge.org en-us http://guruknowledge.org N/A daleking@guruknowledge.org Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:04:31 -0400 20 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1794/1/10-Ways-to-Build-Your-Author-Platform-Online-Get-Published-Sell-More-Books-and-Be-an-Online-Superstar/10-Ways-to-Build-Your-Author-Platform-Online-Get-Published-Sell-More-Books-and-Be-an-Online-Supers.html  When I ventured into the publishing world like an eager puppy in 2003, agents and editors asked me the same old tired question: “What’s your platform?” As one agent told me, “You need to have an audience of thousands that want to buy your book.”   daleking@guruknowledge.org (Stephanie Chandler) Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1665/1/How-To-Make-A-Fortune-From-Online-Freelance-Writing/How-To-Make-A-Fortune-From-Online-Freelance-Writing.html Online freelance writing is a very attractive business model for infopreneurs. While it does require some effort to get started and attracting your first clients, it is easy to sustain your business for as long as you enjoy writing. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian) Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1664/1/How-To-Be-A-High-Paid-Web-Writer/How-To-Be-A-High-Paid-Web-Writer.html It's a dream job for any infopreneur. But many infopreneurs are scared of the competition - because it has destroyed the market with ridiculously low pricing wars. Web writers are creating articles for $2 apiece. Or blog posts for less than a buck. And some sections of the market are conditioned to expect everyone to do the same. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian) Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1481/1/The-Final-Powerful-Secrets-To-Infuse-Your-Brain-With-The-Write-Idea-Part-3-of-3/The-Final-Powerful-Secrets-To-Infuse-Your-Brain-With-The-Write-Idea-Part-3-of-3.html This is the third and final article in a series with brain-tempting tips that will enable you to make your dream of authoring a book become your reality. Leaders today have a book. The best business decision you can make is to write a book as it provides you instant credibility.Here are the final powerful secrets to infuse your brain with the write idea. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Glenn Dietzel) Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1480/1/More-Powerful-Secrets-To-Make-Your-Brain-Get-the-Write-Idea-Part-2-of-3/More-Powerful-Secrets-To-Make-Your-Brain-Get-the-Write-Idea-Part-2-of-3.html  This is the second in a series of articles providing you with specific strategies for putting your brain to work for you so you can author your first book, and your second, and your third, etc. You get the idea. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Glenn Dietzel) Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1479/1/Ten-Secret-Ways-to-Make-Your-Brain-Get-The-Write-Idea-Part-1-of-3/Ten-Secret-Ways-to-Make-Your-Brain-Get-The-Write-Idea-Part-1-of-3.html Once you have an idea for a book and a plan for how to get it written and marketed, it's time to put your brain to work with some writing exercises. Here are 10 different tips to help your brain get the ‘WRITE' idea: daleking@guruknowledge.org (Glenn Dietzel) Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1476/1/How-To-Make-Your-Readers-Continue-To-Swallow-The-Bait-Page-After-Page/How-To-Make-Your-Readers-Continue-To-Swallow-The-Bait-Page-After-Page.html We all know that the way you say things is often just as important as what things you say. Expert authors know that they must be careful with the words that they choose. Everything that you put before your readers must not just be engaging, but it has to keep their eyeballs glued to the page and their hearts pounding with every idea. You are giving them the secrets to make their dreams come true! Who could stop reading that?? Who would WANT to stop reading that?? daleking@guruknowledge.org (Glenn Dietzel) Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1475/1/A-Powerful-Yet-Simple-Strategy-To-Increase-The-Sales-Of-Your-Book-Ten-Fold/A-Powerful-Yet-Simple-Strategy-To-Increase-The-Sales-Of-Your-Book-Ten-Fold.html As a successful author interested in building a business off your book, you must understand the difference between features and benefits. Features are tangible and benefits are intangible. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Glenn Dietzel) Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1460/1/10-Simple-Steps-for-Writing-Better-Articles/10-Simple-Steps-for-Writing-Better-Articles.html Yesterday while I was writing about a "secret writing tip" that has made my writing easier and faster (“Make a List”), I ended up with a list of 10 steps I go through each time I write an article.That's how powerful the "Make a List" technique is for writing. You can actually create additional articles while writing the first one. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Patsi Krakoff) Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1456/1/Book-Marketing-Tips---How-to-Build-Your-Email-List--Sell-More-Books-in-6-Months/Book-Marketing-Tips---How-to-Build-Your-Email-List--Sell-More-Books-in-6-Months.html Article marketing is the best book sales lead generation technique on the Web today. Unfortunately, many authors writing articles on the Web fall short in their book marketing efforts. They simply can’t get people to visit their websites to buy their books. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Dan Janal) Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1449/1/8-Ways-to-Use-a-Blog-to-Develop-Content-for-Your-Book/8-Ways-to-Use-a-Blog-to-Develop-Content-for-Your-Book.html 1. Participate in the blogosphere: Read and comment on other blogs in your field. This is a prime way to build readership of your blog. It is also a way of getting fresh content for both your blog and for your book. To check out other blogs in your niche: use www.blogsearch.google.com, www.technorati.com, or www.google.com. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Patsi Krakoff) Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1448/1/Marketing-Your-Book-with-a-Blog-10-Tips-to-Attract-more-Buyers/Marketing-Your-Book-with-a-Blog-10-Tips-to-Attract-more-Buyers.html Books and blogs seem to go together like butter and toast. It doesn’t matter whether you use your blog to develop content for your book, or you create the blog for marketing the already finished book. Some people have started calling this powerful combination “blooks,” books that are derived from blogs. But they only work well together when you implement these important tactics. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Patsi Krakoff) Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1424/1/Learning-to-Love-S--Msales--Marketing/Learning-to-Love-S--Msales--Marketing.html The Marketing-Phobic Author’s Guide to Profitable Book Promotion (Excerpted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2006. www.wellfedsp.com). daleking@guruknowledge.org (Peter Bowerman) Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1423/1/Is-your-Books-Back-Cover-Selling-for-You/Is-your-Books-Back-Cover-Selling-for-You.html How to create powerful and compelling back cover copy that sells books! (Adapted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2007. www.wellfedsp.com). Note: The following guidelines for the layout of your back cover are for non-fiction, where my expertise lies. Needless to say, fiction, where you simply need to entrance someone with a good story line, would be different. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Peter Bowerman) Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1422/1/How-to-Make-your-Book-Title-a-promise/How-to-Make-your-Book-Title-a-promise.html Got a Non-Fiction Book? Tell Your Reader What’s In It for Them! (Adapted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2007. www.wellfedsp.com). NOTE: the following suggestions apply to non-fiction works. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Peter Bowerman) Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1418/1/Dale-King-Interviews-Peter-Bowerman/Dale-King-Interviews-Peter-Bowerman.html Today, I'm interviewing author, Peter Bowerman. Peter is the author of the 2000 award-winning Book-of-the-Month Club selection, The Well-Fed Writer, and its 2005 companion volume, The Well-Fed Writer: Back For Seconds, a triple award-finalist (both self-published; www.wellfedwriter.com). daleking@guruknowledge.org (Dale King) Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1417/1/Eight-Reasons-Self-publishers-Fail/Eight-Reasons-Self-publishers-Fail.html Common, easy-to-avoid mistakes. Self-publishers make them all the time, and as a result, make the publishing process far more difficult than it needs to be. No, steering clear of these blunders won’t guarantee riches beyond your wild imaginings, but it’ll clear some of the more typical stumbling blocks from your path. Mistake #1: You wrote an unnecessary book.   daleking@guruknowledge.org (Peter Bowerman) Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1416/1/How-to-Turn-One-Book-Into-a-Full-time-Living/How-to-Turn-One-Book-Into-a-Full-time-Living.html “The only reason to self-publish is because you can’t land a publisher.” Call me crazy, but I disagree. For me, self-publishing was the first choice. Why? I wanted to keep control of the project and timetable, keep the rights, and, most importantly, keep most of the profits. How did it turn out? Well… A Full-Time Income   daleking@guruknowledge.org (Peter Bowerman) Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1336/1/eBook-Writing---6-Steps-To-Exploding-Your-Profits-With-The-Perfect-eBook-Topic/eBook-Writing---6-Steps-To-Exploding-Your-Profits-With-The-Perfect-eBook-Topic.html 1.Figure out what you are passionate about because of you aren’t passionate about your subject you’ll be more apt to give up on it. Even if you write your ebook quickly, you will be marketing it for a very long time if you are serious about making money on the Internet. So you need passion to sustain you. A good example of this is Scott Peck who wrote The Road Less Traveled. Peck committed to giving one radio interview a day for years. info@theebookcoach.com (Ellen Violette) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1335/1/eBook-Writing-5-Steps-To-Building-A-Solid-Foundation-For-Outrageous-Profits/eBook-Writing-5-Steps-To-Building-A-Solid-Foundation-For-Outrageous-Profits.html Figure Out What You’re Passionate About To write an ebook you must be passionate about your subject. It’s difficult to stick to something if you don’t love what you’re doing. Not only that but when you are passionate, you don’t have to “sell” your ebook, you can just share your passion and enthusiasm and your ebooks, products and services will sell themselves! info@theebookcoach.com (Ellen Violette) Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1266/1/eBook-Writing-5-Mistakes-That-Will-Torpedo-Your-Success/eBook-Writing-5-Mistakes-That-Will-Torpedo-Your-Success.html 1.Wanting Your eBook To Be Perfect Before Releasing It: If you think your ebook isn’t good enough and you are afraid to release it, you’ll keep reworking and editing it and make sure that you never make any money!   info@theebookcoach.com (Ellen Violette) Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1218/1/GET-quotEXPERTquot-ATTENTION-BY-WRITING-WHAT-YOU-KNOW/GET-quotEXPERTquot-ATTENTION-BY-WRITING-WHAT-YOU-KNOW.html Writing articles as an expert in your niche or specialty can help you become more credible as well as more visible. A well-written article on a subject of interest to your target market will get their attention, demonstrate your expertise, and increase your name recognition. queries@getclientsnow.com (C.J. Hayden) Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1187/1/Five-Top-Techniques-That-Improve-Your-Writing/Five-Top-Techniques-That-Improve-Your-Writing.html As writers, you have a message to share and a story to tell. You want to accomplish that as clearly as possible. When I see patterns of unclear writing, I recommend using the following Five Top Techniques to change them. When you apply them consistently, you'll see instant improvement in your writing. editor@barbaramcnichol.com (Barbara McNichol) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1186/1/Writing-Book-Proposals-That-Publishers-Read/Writing-Book-Proposals-That-Publishers-Read.html You’ll find lots of books on the bookstore shelf about how to write book proposals for traditional publishers. They’re often written by agents who sell to acquisition editors. But what advice would those editors give about writing a winning book proposal? editor@barbaramcnichol.com (Barbara McNichol) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1185/1/Author---Edit-Thyself/Author---Edit-Thyself.html As writers, we can get caught up in an idea or feel particularly attached to a word or phrase. Our writing can suffer as a result. When editing your own manuscript, dare to be brutally honest with yourself. To help you, here’s a list of tips and techniques for steering clear of common pitfalls and strengthening your manuscript along the way. editor@barbaramcnichol.com (Barbara McNichol) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1184/1/The-Match-Game-Finding-the-Right-Editor/The-Match-Game-Finding-the-Right-Editor.html Setting out to find the right editor for your manuscript puts you on the road to feeling confident you’ve got a good match. You want to feel comfortable that your editor understands what you’ve set out to accomplish so you can “polish” it together. editor@barbaramcnichol.com (Barbara McNichol) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1183/1/Ghostwriting-One-Size-Never-Fits-All/Ghostwriting-One-Size-Never-Fits-All.html In ghostwriting, as in custom tailoring, never expect a one-size-fits-all approach. Here’s how I define this term: I do most of the wordsmithing; you (the author) get all the credit. As a work-for-hire arrangement (versus a shared-risk or royalty-based agreement), a ghostwriting approach works well if you have the ideas, want the credibility, but fall short in terms of time... or talent... or patience. editor@barbaramcnichol.com (Barbara McNichol) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/917/1/10-Tips-For-Writing-A-Winning-Resume/10-Tips-For-Writing-A-Winning-Resume.html Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective employer's mind and door so that you can proceed to the next step in the process - the big interview! RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIES Here are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their own resume, or who is having someone else write one for them. These tips and strategies are an abridged version of what is contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit". Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/916/1/7-Secrets-For-Beating-Writers-Block/7-Secrets-For-Beating-Writers-Block.html Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block". It is a well-known phenomenon that just about everyone has faced at one point in their lives. I used to suffer from writer's block, big time! Thus, I know through personal anguish and suffering, that it is definitely not a pleasant experience. Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/915/1/Resignation-Letters-Dont-Let-Yours-Backfire-On-You/Resignation-Letters-Dont-Let-Yours-Backfire-On-You.html It turns out that "tips and templates on how to write resignation letters" is the third most sought-after information at my Writing Help Central Web site. So, when I looked into the subject more closely, I was surprised to find that there is not a lot of guidance available in guide book form on how to write a proper and appropriate resignation letter. In fact, a recent visit to the world's largest bookstore www.amazon.com revealed that there are no "how to" books available there that deal with the art of writing resignation letters. Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/914/1/Go-With-The-Flow-Write-With-Transition-Words-and-Phrases/Go-With-The-Flow-Write-With-Transition-Words-and-Phrases.html One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day writing is poor logical flow from one idea or point to the next. This usually takes the form of a bunch of seemingly unrelated phrases thrown together with little or no sense of sequence, continuity, or relativity. Although the overall subject may be obvious, the words to describe it seem to be scattered on the page like an almost random set of unconnected thoughts. On a regular basis, I see letters and reports in which each phrase seems to be independent of the one before and the one after, when in reality, there is an actual sequential and/or logical flow. Consider the following three sentence example: Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/913/1/7-Ways-To-NOT-Sabotage-Your-Admission-Essay/7-Ways-To-NOT-Sabotage-Your-Admission-Essay.html I got seriously involved in the college admission essay-writing business shortly after I published my eBook on recommendation letters, Instant Recommendation Letter Kit, a couple of years ago. People who bought that book for help with their recommendation letters soon started asking me if I would review their admission essays and/or personal statements for them. In some cases, I was asked to write their essays and/or statements from scratch. Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/912/1/6-Tricks-To-Squeeze-Your-Letters-Onto-One-Page/6-Tricks-To-Squeeze-Your-Letters-Onto-One-Page.html Anyone who has read any of my articles on the subject of letter writing or resume writing will know how important I believe it is to minimize the number of pages, preferably limiting them to one page whenever possible. And, we all know how tacky it looks when we put the finishing touches on a letter and it overflows onto the second page by one or two lines. Very unprofessional! Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/911/1/Little-Known-Pitfalls-of-Traditional-Publishing-Industry/Little-Known-Pitfalls-of-Traditional-Publishing-Industry.html As many small-time authors and self-publishers have discovered the hard way, the traditional book publishing model is fraught with problems that conspire against an individual author/publisher making a decent living from their work. The traditional model normally involves two basic choices: 1) use a commercial publisher, or 2) self-publish. Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/910/1/How-To-Write-Thank-You-Letters-With-Class/How-To-Write-Thank-You-Letters-With-Class.html When I first started tracking the information preferences of people visiting my Writing Help Central Web site I was surprised to find how many folks were seeking information on how to write thank you letters. In fact, "thank you letter" information and sample templates are the third ranked destinations at that Web site. Shaun Fawcett (Shaun Fawcett) Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/873/1/eBook-Writing-Secrets---5-Ways-To-Write-Your-eBook-Now/eBook-Writing-Secrets---5-Ways-To-Write-Your-eBook-Now.html Writing ebooks is a MUST if you are going to have a successful Internet/information business because an ebook lifts you above the competition, gives you expert status and credibility, and increases your bottom line. Not only that, but ebooks can be leveraged into a whole Line of information products that can bring in thousands if not Hundreds of thousands of dollars or more! info@theebookcoach.com (Ellen Violette) Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/818/1/To-Generalize-or-Specialize-That-is-the-Question-for-every-freelance/To-Generalize-or-Specialize-That-is-the-Question-for-every-freelance.html To Generalize or Specialize: That is the Question (for every freelance writer)Using a photographic analogy to make a point about writing is a goodway to present one of the toughest decisions you will face as afreelancer: the choice between focusing tightly on a particular area(genre, style, subject, medium) or becoming a generalist who does alittle bit of everything. Most writers start out by dabbling in awide range of disciplines and gradually hone their skills in one or two. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/817/1/7-Ways-to-Carve-Out-Your-Niche-as-a-Freelance-Writer/7-Ways-to-Carve-Out-Your-Niche-as-a-Freelance-Writer.html As a freelance writer, would you rather use a wide-angle-lensapproach to clients and editors (all things to all people) or atelephoto (focus on one subject or genre)? Let's say you want to findyour special niche. Where would you start? Here are 7 suggestions: 1. Industry/Subject There are many advantages to being known as a specialist in aparticular subject or an industry, especially when that businesssegment is "hot."  One is your marketability. While clients are oftenwilling to invest in letting you learn on the job, they would muchprefer to hire a writer who knows their business. The ideal, ofcourse, is to keep building on what you have learned and eventuallyto be considered an extension of the client's staff.   bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/792/1/Dale-King-Interviews-Cheryl-Wright/Dale-King-Interviews-Cheryl-Wright.html Dale King: Today I'm interviewing award-winning Australian author,  Cheryl Wright. Hello Cheryl, how are you? Cheryl Wright: Hi Dale, I'm very well. Thanks for asking. Dale King: Cheryl, tell our readers how and when you got startedmarketing on the Internet.   daleking@guruknowledge.org (Dale King) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/790/1/Ghostwriting-is-Not-for-Sissies-Six-Lessons-Learned-the-Hard-Way/Ghostwriting-is-Not-for-Sissies-Six-Lessons-Learned-the-Hard-Way.html When I decided to become a ghostwriter, I was quite naive. I had been writing professionally for close to four decades and freelancing for most of that time. I had written 12 nonfiction books on a range of topics. I had developed a workbook and taught many people how to write nonfiction books. I had even written an e-book called So, You Want To Be A Ghostwriter? I thought I knew the score. Boy, was I wrong. Here are some of the things I have learned so far: bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/705/1/Do-You-Have-A-Book-Just-Waiting-To-Be-Written/Do-You-Have-A-Book-Just-Waiting-To-Be-Written.html Professional speakers are often asked if they will be selling their books in the back of the room after their presentations. A book enhances their credibility and commands higher speaking fees. Business leaders, subject matter experts, humorists, psychologists, and diet gurus are all expected to share their knowledge in book form. High-profile CEOs often write books to pass along their business philosophies and practices, to articulate their personal visions for their companies, or to share the hard-won lessons of their lives. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/704/1/A-Step-By-Step-Plan-For-Keeping-Track-Of-Everything-When-Youre-Writing-A-Book/A-Step-By-Step-Plan-For-Keeping-Track-Of-Everything-When-Youre-Writing-A-Book.html I was commiserating with a friend of mine about what how hard it is to keep all the research and drafts organized when you are writing a book. "You should see my office I confided," as I took in the files and piles associated with my latest project. "Oh, I know," she said. "My stuff is all over my table, the ten-foot island in the middle of my kitchen, and all of the steps leading down to my den. I can hardly walk around this room." I formed a mental picture of her kitchen and suddenly felt a lot better. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/701/1/Professionalism-and-Writing/Professionalism-and-Writing.html What does it really mean to be a professional writer? Years ago, I thought it was just a matter of being paid - something, anything - for a piece of writing. The first time I received a check for all of $50, I was sure I had made it. But the thrill didn't last long. For one thing, it was ages between checks. For another, after a while, $50 checks didn't seem fair compensation for what I put into article after article. And, finally, it took four-and-a-half years to fill a single portfolio. It was a very slow process and hardly a lucrative one. On the other hand, it was a fitting beginning to my career in many ways. I pursued every opportunity to write. I gave every project my all. I made very little money. And I questioned my sanity on a regular basis. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/694/1/7-Questions-to-Answer-Before-You-Write-Your-Nonfiction-Book/7-Questions-to-Answer-Before-You-Write-Your-Nonfiction-Book.html 1. Why do you want to write a book? There are as many reasons to write a book as there are books. Whether you are truly an authority on a subject or not, just put that subject between book covers, and people will assume you must be. If you do a good job of promoting your book, you may actually make money on it. Although writing books does not guarantee that you will get rich quick, or at all. When you know your topic and want to share what you know with others, a book is one of the best ways to do it. High-profile CEOs often write books to pass along their business philosophies and practices to the next generation of leaders in their organizations; to articulate their personal visions for their companies to significant stakeholders; or to apply the hard-won lessons of their lives to the broader context of business, society, academia, or government. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/687/1/7-Ways-to-Research-Your-Nonfiction-Book/7-Ways-to-Research-Your-Nonfiction-Book.html If you are writing nonfiction, chances are you will have to research. Here are 7 of the most effective ways to go about it.1. InterviewsThe first rule of interviewing is to find an expert. The second is to use every listening skill at your disposal. If you don't understand what you're hearing, ask for clarification. You are there to learn, not to show the other person how much you know. Summarize, in your own words, what you understood. The third rule is to continue to build your understanding and knowledge base with every question and every person you talk to. bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/680/1/6-Steps-to-Writing-a-Nonfiction-Book/6-Steps-to-Writing-a-Nonfiction-Book.html Almost everyone harbors a secret -- or not-so-secret -- yearning to write a book. Ideas range from memoirs to mysteries, from pamphlets to tomes. Books do not appear out of thin air; they are the product of much thought, planning, discipline, and effort. What follows are the 6 essential steps to take you from concept to completion of your nonfiction book: bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com (Bobbi Linkemer) Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/406/1/Do-You-Judge-a-Book-by-Its-Title/Do-You-Judge-a-Book-by-Its-Title.html As writers, we ensure that we use a great opening, that the content is spectacular, and each scene (in fiction) ends with a cliff-hanger. In short, we spend the majority of time tweaking our story. And of course, that’s the way it should be. But how much time do we devote to titles? It appears to be very little. I recently did an unofficial survey of both published and unpublished writers, and here’s what I found: Most believed: cheryl @ optusnet.com.au (Cheryl Wright) Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/405/1/The-Motivation-Factor/The-Motivation-Factor.html I’ve never been one for resolutions, mainly because I never keep them. But goals are a whole different ball game. Goals can be measured, they can be changed, but most of all, they can be extremely motivating. For as long as I can remember, I’ve set goals for myself. You could even call them deadlines. No matter the project or how cheryl @ optusnet.com.au (Cheryl Wright) Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/404/1/Marketing-Yourself---Or-My-Life-as-the-Queen-of-Promotions/Marketing-Yourself---Or-My-Life-as-the-Queen-of-Promotions.html Three years ago I was a total unknown; I wanted to change that completely, but didn’t know how. ‘Marketing’ my friends all said; I had no idea what they were talking about. Besides, I’m not the kind of person to get up in front of a crowd and start spouting my mouth off, nor do I enjoy ‘tooting my own horn’. And anyway, I didn’t have anything to sell; I didn’t have a book published. What was I going to promote? So I procrastinated, did cheryl @ optusnet.com.au (Cheryl Wright) Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/403/1/Writing-Articles-for-Publicity/Writing-Articles-for-Publicity.html If you’re looking for an easy but effective way to garner publicity, try writing articles. There are gazillions of ezines and websites looking for content; good, solid, well written content. And in my experience, most of them are happy to accept reprints. But how do you write articles, and go about getting your articles known? Firstly, you need to write cheryl @ optusnet.com.au (Cheryl Wright) Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400