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So You Want to Write a Book?

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Author: Jill Koenig

The most successful book publishing phenomenon of our time is without a doubt the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The Chicken Soup book sales have totaled more than 100 million copies. But did you know Mark Victor Hanses and Jack Canfield's book was rejected by more than 140 publishers? I will share with you some strategies from my podcast interview with Diane Eble, author and book coach.

According to a survey by USA Today and the Association of American Publishers, 82 percent of all Americans plan to write a book someday.

Just about everyone talks about writing the book, but very few have actually set a goal with an action plan and a deadline.

Perhaps this is because they don't know where to start. The fact is, there are many ways to write your book and make it available for purchase to the public.

You can self-publish, you can seek a traditional publisher and you can even create your own downloadable ebook. Each method has it's own advantages and disadvantages. We'll cover this in more detail in upcoming articles and podcasts.

The key is for you to pinpoint what you are trying to accomplish, and why. Why do you want to write a book? Once you have decided your outcome, and answered a few other crucial questions, you can then decide which approach is best for you.

Do you know the story behind Chicken Soup for the Soul?

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield spent 3 years collecting uplifting stories from their peers. In 1992, they began sending their manuscript to publishers.

In the first 30 days, they received 33 rejections and THEIR OWN AGENT FIRED THEM.

All totaled, 140 publishers rejected the book.

Hansen and Canfield then went to a book publishing conference (now the BEA) and went booth to booth. They were turned down by another 134 publishers. They left a copy of their manuscript with a publisher who read it and agreed to publish it.

They were more than $ 140,000 in debt from their project.

They continued on long after most other people would have quit and given up.

What differentiates Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield from other authors?

Their GOALS. Their determination. Their persistence.

Here were their Goals for Chicken Soup:

1993: First Goal 1 1/2 million in 1 1/2 years 1995: 5 million original Chicken Soup 1996: 10 million books 2000: 50 million books 2020: 1 Billion books

Lofty goals for a book that they were told nobody wanted.

You must believe more in your vision than any rejection you encounter.

Hansen said, "Writers create babies called books and then orphan them."

Most people give up at the first sign of rejection.

"Focus more on your GOALS than your obstacles. Focus more on your GOALS than on any rejection you encounter." -Jill Koenig

Hansen and Canfield had this advice after they continually succeeded in reaching their goals:

Hansen's advice: "Find great Mentors. Surround yourself with well chosen mentors and it will dramatically change your life!" Get a Coach.

That's great advice. A great coach can keep you focused on what you need to do to reach your goals.

The Chicken Soup series has sold more than 100 Million books and counting.

Most authors will tell you:

10% of the work is writing the book.

The other 90% of the work is marketing, promoting, selling and advertising.

So be prepared to keep working on your book by marketing it long after you have finished writing it. Wise authors can make more on licensing and other streams of income from their book besides royalties. But you've got to learn how to do it. You've got to set goals. You must create a plan and set aside the time for making it happen.

En route to writing my own books and creating my own tools intended to serve others, I talk to hundreds of entrepreneurs, authors, coaches. I wanted to make certain I share with you the BEST of what I learn from their experiences. So I developed a new series of podcasts where I interview people who are pursuing their goals and sharing with you the lessons they have learned along the way. These podcasts will undoubtedly help you achieve your goals more quickly.

In my recent podcast, I interviewed Diane Eble, an author and highly sought after book coach and you can listen to Part 1 of the free podcast here: http://www.GoalGuru.com/podcast

It has been reported that 6 million people have written a manuscript. Most manuscripts don't make it to print. Most manuscripts are sitting in a nightstand or filed away, never to be seen again. Most people never master their TIME to the point where they can puruse what they truly want.

So if you have a goal to bring your book to the market, I urge you study the podcasts and get started towards making your dream a reality.

I believe there is a book inside you.

I want to read your book.

I want you to share your gifts with the world.

If not now, then when?

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

Jill Koenig's Last Articles :

Lessons from My Interview with Dale King, founder of GuruKnowledge

Time Strategies of a Self-Made Millionaire

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How Comedian Dave Chappelle Turns Failure Into Success