Writer-Reminders
.... the
ezine for sidetracked writers.
Feb. 14, 2006 -
A Valentine's Gift for You
Thought for the Week - Guaranteed Formula for Success
A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope,
and said, “Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula
for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000.”
“Sir,” JP Morgan replied, “I do not know what is in the
envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I give
you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you
ask.”
The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the
envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a single
sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a mere glance, then
handed the piece of paper back to the gent. And paid him
the agreed-upon $25,000.
-----
Before I tell you what the paper said, how much would
the guaranteed formula for success be worth to you?
What if you knew exactly what to do? Would you do
it?
-----
So what did the paper say?
1. Every morning, write a list of the things that need
to be done that day.
2. Do them.
Wow! We are almost 1/4 of
the way through the year. Can you believe it?
Have you achieved 25% of your goals for the year (I know
I haven't)?
Ready to get your website up in 2006?
Need an inexpensive domain name or website? http://www.OrganizedWebsite.com (Click on Build a Website > WebsiteTonight)
Would you like some help working through the
30-day plan in The Organized Writer? We've put
together 30 days of email messages to help guide you
through the 30 days. Each day you'll get a short
introduction, an assignment to work through, and a
checklist for the day's lesson. You can get the lessons for only $8.95 or combine it
with The Organized Writer ebook and save $4. 30 Email Lessons
For freelance writers...
Dispelling the Poor Man's Copyright Myth
Tonya Evans-Walls of LiteraryLawGuide.com has just launched a new podcast /
audio broadcasting service all about legal issues for writers and authors.
She even discussed the Poor Man's Copyright Myth and how mailing yourself a copy
of a document does not work to register the date of your copyright. Listen
below by clicking on the speaker icon or
visit her site here.
For authors and publishers....
Getting Finished
I got a great email from Brenda this week
mentioning how she has four books in the works -- but can't seem to get them
finished. And I started to wonder what keeps us from getting done? Here are a
few of the brainstorming ideas I had:
You really don't like the next step of
the project (this is what happened with the print version of The Organized Writer. I just
don't want to reformat and proof the book again!) A solution here is
to hire someone to help you or even barter for someone else's services.
You might fear what could happen next.
For example, if you finish a manuscript, and start submitting it,
you could get rejected. Or it could be accepted and suddenly you have
to go forward with the project. Acknowledge your fear, but think
through how you would handle it. When you have a plan to address your
potential fears, they become a lot less scary.
You suffer from the bright, shiny
object syndrome (Alice Seba
was the first one I heard use this phrase, and it means that you are
constantly spotting new ideas that look so much more interesting than the
one you are currently working on). I know this is a big issue for me.
New projects are so much more fun and exciting than trudging through
finishing an old one. But if I'm constantly doing new stuff, nothing
ever gets finished!
You don't know what you need to do
next. Have you actually thought about what your very next step
should be?
You don't have the resources or
information you need to complete the next step (so your next step is
really to get that information). For example, you may need to get an
agent. But your next step is to get contact information for reputable
agents. Always ask yourself, exactly what do I need to complete the
next step?
You'd rather not make a decision. Sometimes
deciding can be difficult or even traumatic. What if you decide the
wrong way? Actually, though, not deciding is a decision of its
own. Strive to always steer your boat and not get swept down the river
by the current!
Your mother/ brother/ father/ friend
have told you it won't work and you are wasting your time. The
people around you can have a powerful on the thoughts that run through your
head. It's time to redirect your thoughts to what you think is
possible. You may even need to find a friend who can offer a
sympathetic ear (and tell you how wrong they are).
You need a cheerleader.
Sometimes just having someone to cheer you and encourage you can be enough
to get past your current obstacles.
These are just a few of the ways
procrastination rears its ugly head. You can find out more in these books:
"Julie, I am sending a quick note to thank you for your well measured and extra-ordinary website. You have
a tremendous amount of information at a very reasonable cost. I subscribed to your free site and, for the
first time in forty years of writing, found a planner that works for me.
I felt so guilty for receiving so much information free from your
site that I have now ordered and downloaded the e book. I have found that you have struck a cord among so
many writers regarding procrastination and simple organization. Keep up the good work.
-- Raymond Freeman
M T W T F S S
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Declutter (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Read (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. Assess (30 seconds to 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Write (at least 5 minutes)
Weekly Checklist
For freelance writers: Use this weekly checklist to find, write and send a
query every week this year!
Monday
__ Make notes on a new idea.
Tuesday: Accounting Day
__ Post your accounting records.
__ Pay bills.
__ Follow up on outstanding invoices and queries.
Wednesday
__ Find a new market using links below.
Thursday: Errand Day
__ Make copies.
__ Return books to library.
__ Make deposit at bank.
Friday
__ Finish query and submit.
__ Match your query to the market.
Saturday Weekly Review
__ How was this week?
__ What's up next week?
__ Review your Projects list in your planner and check the
status.
__ Jot the next action steps for your projects on next week's
calendar.
__ Backup your computer files.
__ Virus scan your computer.
__ Update windows software at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
__ Update Microsoft(R) office software at http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/default.aspx
Sunday
__ Relax and enjoy!
__ Do something fun today!
Thanks for visiting Writer-Reminders! If you have comments,
success stories, or suggestions, reply to this message or e-mail
me at :julie@writer-reminders.com
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