Category Archives:

gratitude. writing a book

 

Who owns that voice in my head?

by adminon August 10, 2012 in assume positive intent, author, book proposal, book publishing, change, getting published, gratitude. writing a book, negativity, publisher rejection, voice in my head with no comments

I received my first publisher rejection notice this week from the nicest man in the world. My book topic is too specific for the portfolio, however, the proposal was promising and I received some great new contacts to explore. Of all the rejections I may receive, this one will be the best.

My “look on the bright side” perspective is opposite  to how I interpreted not getting a call back from a friend of a friend who works at a publishing house. As the weeks slipped by, I slid from “she is busy” to “she isn’t interested” to “she hates me.” I was aghast when I noticed last night that my email had bounced back and not been delivered. Why did the voice in my head go to the dark side? Why did it move me to the darkest part of the dark side? Why didn’t I check my delivery failure folder? Who owns that negative voice in my head?


I own that voice in my head and am accountable for my perspectives, emotions, and actions. Negativity drains your energy and slows you down. It nudges you off course and blocks your creativity.  I am putting the following mechanisms  in place so this doesn’t happen again.


  • Check my delivery failure folder to make sure my email was received
  • Use more than one method of contact (email, phone, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Communicate when and how I will make contact again (“I will follow up/call you next week…”)
  • Record each communication and follow up date on my calendar
  • Increase the number of contacts to gain momentum and lessen the impact of each one
  • Assume positive intent
The last one is the most powerful and attacks the negative voice at it’s core. It’s an ongoing battle.

Phil

 

101 Reasons to Publish My Book!

by adminon May 18, 2012 in audience, book format, book proposal, business change, business writing, change, change management, goal, gratitude. writing a book, publishers, selling, writing process with no comments


I have enjoyed switching gears to the book proposal writing phase. It’s familiar territory (how many proposals have we written in our careers?) and doing research again is fun. I even went to a public library and signed out two books on winning proposals! 

Writing a proposal is like making a cake: each ingredient must be added in the right amount and in the right order for it to create something special. Experimentation is risky. 


Most advice contains the same sections and a lot of the same tips:



  • Overview – What is your premise and how does it satisfy a need?
  • Markets – Who will buy your book?
  • Competition – What books are similar to yours and why is yours different?
  • Author – Why are you the best author for this book?
  • Promotion –  What can you do to help sell your book?
  • Table of Contents
  • Sample Chapters
In the past, I would create a proposal framework and then fill it the sections sequentially, building the narrative. This time,  I dove into writing a draft as I was researching. This was a mistake because it missed the big picture and was less organized. After a day of “free-wheeling” I went back to a more structured and effective approach.


One hundred and one reasons for becoming my publisher is a stretch, especially since my goal is to convince one that my book will sell enough copies to make a profit. All other reasons are icing on the cake. 

Phil

 

Always Be Prepared For Adventure

by adminon May 11, 2012 in change, goal, gratitude. writing a book, mission accomplished, perseverance, preparation, Toronto Goodlife Fitness Marathon with no comments
Preparing for an adventure

There is only so much preparation you can do before it’s time to perform, and I was ready for the Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon: injury-free, didn’t forget anything, and at the starting line early.  The first 9 miles of the course was a breeze. I followed my plan including running “10 and 1” intervals, and controlling my starting speed (my nemesis). Then I felt a pin prick of a Charlie horse in my left calf, just like my first marathon six months ago.

Limping with 100 metres to go

I knew what would come next but felt confident because I had been there before and this time I didn’t have shin splints. Just like watching a movie for the second time, my legs atrophied in the same way: at 12 miles both legs got intermittent Charlie horses, at 16 miles both legs got them at the same time, and at 20 miles my legs seized and locked when I got them. When a leg locked I would slow to a limp and would have to smash it on the road to unlock it (like cracking the barrel of a shotgun). The first time this happened, Barb, my wife, saw me and came over to help, which was so caring. At 22 miles, both legs locked, which was like walking on electrified stilts. This pattern went on until I was 400 metres away from the finish line. Then, both legs went into spasms and both tendons pulled my toes underneath my feet (just like last time). When this happens your feet are twice as thick and a third shorter as you are forced to run on the tops of your toes. I don’t know why but an image of Fred Flintstone flashed across my mind. I hobbled across the finish line to cheers and shouts of encouragement. I had finished my second marathon in 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 12 seconds – 1 minute and 48 seconds faster than my goal and 21 minutes and 14 seconds faster than my first one. Mission accomplished!

Well, we do dress alike…



There are many lessons gained from any quest and two stand out about this one: perseverance and preparation. No matter what, you have to keep going and your preparation will pull you through. One of my favourite quotes is from Muhammad Ali: “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” It’s as true for this goal as it is for my goal to write a book.


Another lesson I learned a long time ago comes to mind: always appreciate and show gratitude for friends and family (and strangers) who help you along the way – thank you all.  There was a sign along the course that said, “If Oprah could do it, you can.” Thanks Oprah, I did.


Phil

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