Freelance Writer | Editor | Designer | Marketer | Social Commentator

● Laura@WriteMarketDesign.com ● 602.518.5376 ● Phoenix, Arizona ●

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Editing and Design Solutions for SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS Speakers, Authors, and Coaches

Write Now! A Coaching Program for First-Time Authors

If you’ve been thinking about writing a book for some time now, you probably have lots of very good reasons for why you haven’t done it yet. Time. That’s a big one. Who has time to sit down and write a book, for crying out loud!?? Skill. You may have a great idea...but you’re a little lacking in the confidence department when it comes to actually writing a book. Planning. You have a great idea, and you’re even a pretty good writer...but you still aren’t quite sure how to get the ideas out of your head and into the form of a book. Panic. There’s just too much to know and you’re not sure you’ll ever be able to put all the pieces together to write your book.

Guess what. It’s time to Write Now! Get ready to kiss all your excuses bye-bye.

 

What is Write Now!? It’s a 6-month coaching program for first-time authors. Unlike those weekend seminars you’ve attended, this program will walk you through all the steps of creating your book, from concept to self-publishing, if you choose. Includes monthly follow-up coaching calls. Just $888, prepaid, or $175 per 3-hour session. Second Wednesdays, beginning September 16, 2009. It's going to be intimate — just 12 participants — so make sure to register today!

 

CLASS CALENDAR

Write Now! Class dates - winter 2009/10

 

September 16 — WHY ARE YOU WRITING? Identifying your expertise, subject, and audience; building a platform before you even begin.


October 21 — THE WRITING PROCESS: Creating your outline; breaking your material into chapters; writing.

  

November 18 — THE EDITING PROCESS: The importance of editing; how to self-edit; how to hire an editor; proofreading.

 

December 16 — MANUSCRIPT PRESENTATION: Book title; chapter titles; headers & footers; TOC; index; page numbers.

 

January 20 — THE BUSINESS OF YOUR BOOK: ISBN, copyright, printing, and distribution.

 

February 17 — MARKETING: Utilizing your platform via blogs, articles, media releases, TV, radio, social media, and SEO.

 

Are you finally ready to get serious about writing your book?

 

Program Outline

Month One
Why Are You Writing This Book?


  •  Ö Determining your expert subject matter areas

  • Ö Determining who your niche audience is

  • Ö Researching whether the market is already oversaturated

  • Ö Deciding what to write

  • Ö Why timely is good – but timeless may be better

  • Ö A little controversy can be a good thing

  • Ö Building a platform before you even begin writing

  • ÖThe value of mindmapping

  • Ö Your book proposal**

ÖHow committed are you?

**  While not directly related to why you’re writing, it is highly advised that you create a book proposal, regardless of whether your goal is to self-publish or secure a traditional publisher. Writing a book without a proposal is like starting a business without a business plan. Your proposal pulls together your vision, your budget, your marketing...your entire project plan.

 

Month Two
The Writing Process


Ö Creating a writing schedule

Ö The prewriting process

Ö Drafting your outline

Ö Writing the first draft

Ö  Getting past writer’s block

Ö  5 C’s of quality copy

Ö Breaking your material into chapters

Ö Getting input from others

Ö The necessity for revision

Ö Talking your book

Ö When to call it done

Month Three
The Editing Process


Ö Striving to be better than the rest

Ö The importance of fact-checking

Ö Using reliable information for your research

Ö The importance of sourcing your info

Ö The absolute necessity for editing & revision

Ö Editing vs. revising

Ö How to self-edit

Ö How to hire an editor

Ö SpellCheck and proofread!!!

Month Four
Manuscript Presentation


Ö Determining your title and subtitle

Ö  Determining your chapter titles and subtitles

Ö  Storyboarding

Ö  Inserting graphics and illustrations

Ö Securing endorsements

Ö The importance of formatting

Ö Headers and footers

Ö Table of contents

Ö Index

Ö Page numbers

Ö Front matter and back matter

Ö Book cover design

Ö Interior layout

Month Five
The Business of Your Book


Ö Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

Ö Protecting your book: copyright

Ö Identifying your book: ISBN & bar codes

Ö Building a Web site

Ö Printing

Ö Distribution

Ö Print-on-demand

Ö Vanity presses

Ö Contracts and rights

Month Six
Marketing


Ö Utilizing the platform you’ve created

Ö Blogging and other social media

Ö Article marketing

Ö Media releases

Ö TV and radio

Ö Hiring a PR firm vs. hiring a book promoter

Ö Online marketing and SEO

Ö Print resources

•  Local newspapers

•  Regional magazines

•  Organization & association newsletters

•  Alumni magazines

•  Industry magazines

•  National magazines & journals

Ö Companion eBooks, workbooks, and audiobooks

Ö Multimedia and info products

Ö Teleseminars/webinars/workshops

"As an aspiring author, I just finished Write Now!, an outstanding six-month class
taught by local author, editor, and designer, Laura Orsini. This is not
a how-to-write-a-book course, but a how-to-build-a-platform course,
so that when the book comes out, you have a ready audience. 

 

"I learned so much about new technologies and social networking applications." 

— Beth Kozan
 www.bethkoz.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 
 

LAURA ORSINI | Freelance Writer| Editor | Designer| Marketer| Social Commentator
Laura@WriteMarketDesign.com • 602.518.5376 • PO Box 40273, Phoenix AZ 85067