How to Write & Publish a Bestselling Book

The previous article in this series talked in greater detail about traditional book publishing---what it is as well as the pros and cons of the approach.

In this article, we'll dive into the second of three main forms of book publishing: independent publishing. 

Independent publishers consist of both hybrid and vanity publishers (sometimes also referred to as indie publishers, small press publishers, or professional publishers). They make up the many publishing houses that are not part of a larger conglomerate and do not operate under a traditional model.

There are a lot of them---so many, in fact, that they make up nearly half the market share of the industry. Many of them operate wonderful businesses with integrity, yet far more do not. It’s therefore important to know what questions to ask and what red flags to be on the lookout for.

Hybrid Publishing

Hybrid publishing is a model whereby an author pays a publishing house to do the publishing...

Not all book-writing roadblocks are easy to clear. 

(But some are easier than others.) 

There's a saying: "Silence can be deafening?"

Now, I happen to love silence (having 5 kids will do that to a person).

But when it comes to writing, silence is NOT golden.

In fact, it's the enemy.

Silence puts me in my head, which isn't always where I need to be...especially when I'm writing from my heart. 

The key for me to access the emotions that both want and need to be on the page is music. 

As much as I love Eminem (and I do), that kind of music doesn't work. 

The lyrics are simply too distracting. 

And if I'm not careful, they stealthily enter my subconscious, and when I ultimately read back what I've written, I'm confused why, "mom's spaghetti" is mentioned when I exactly zero profound memories that involve my mom's spaghetti. 

It occurred to me the other day that perhaps my playlist might help you to get into the zone and unearth the thoughts feelings...

If change scares you, this episode is for you!

Monica Ortega grew up afraid of a lot, but she didn't know just how afraid she was until she started traveling. When she realized she wasn't alone in those fears, she thought, "There's a space [in the market] for that." 

In this engaging interview, we discussed:

• How You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero helped her changed direction and start hosting her show
• The scariest thing she's done so far while traveling (100 episodes in and 6 years later)
• Her rule about trying new things (there's a lesson for all of us here).
• Which of her pivots has been the most challenging
• Monica's top 2 tips for making connections when traveling or moving
• The pros of indie publishing when it came to her book, The Power of Pivoting
• How to identify a "through-line" in a business that seems discombobulated (boy, did this one resonate with me!)

ABOUT MONICA

Monica Ortega is a professional on-camera host, author, speaker, and actress. She...

“Anyone who’s ever made anything — whether that’s impact or a material thing of significance — has failed massive amounts of times.”

-Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini became a household name in 2002 as the runner-up in Season 1 of American Idol. From there, he's starred in multiple Broadway shows and, in 2015, began appearing in Diet Dr. Pepper commercials as "Lil' Sweet."

But the road to success has not always been an easy one.

Through the ups, down, and complete direction reversals that the public is often not made aware of, Justin ended up in unexpected territory, fascinated with the ins and outs of what allows entertainers, influencers, and entrepreneurs to be confident in moments when they're feeling anything but.

It's been a journey that led to the creation of his Core Confidence program and his soon-to-be-released book, Unshakeable Confidence.

In this incredible conversation, Justin and I discussed confidence -- that...

"Just edit as you go," they say. "It will keep everything clean and save you tons of time on the back end."

I don't know who "they" are in this scenario, but they're wrong! 

Have you declared (with lukewarm confidence) any of the following?

"As soon as I iron out the details of this chapter, I'll move on to the next."

"I'm just stuck on whether or not this metaphor makes sense."

"I'm trying to decide whether the content in chapter 2 makes sense; then I'll move on."

"Chapter 4 should perhaps be chapter 2 and chapter 3 should perhaps disappear altogether. As soon as I figure that out, I'll continue on."

While your intentions may be the best of the best, if you are editing (or strategizing chapter order, or debating content, or researching proper comma use) as you write, you are doing yourself a disservice. Here's why:

1. In 99.978% of cases, editing as you go (or telling yourself that you are) is a form of procrastination. 

2. In the other .022% of cases, editing as you...

Cory Goodrich is an actor, songwriter, singer, painter, and (most recently) author. Her memoir, Folksong: A Ballad of Death, Discovery, and DNA launches on January 11, 2021.

In her first appearance on the Authors, Creators, and Visionaries podcast, we discussed the undeniably divine chain of events that led to our meeting, to me having the privilege of editing her manuscript, and ultimately, to Finn-Phyllis Press (my publishing house) acquiring her memoir for publication.

This story is truly an example of the way that the universe works in our favor when we are able to take action and then surrender, be patient, and see what unfolds. If you are even a bit skeptical this principle (and I have been!), I invite you to listen to this episode with an open mind and a curiosity about what might be waiting for you to slow down long enough that it can catch up to you.

YOUR STORY IS TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO SHARE!

Despite what you may think, you don't need...

Did ANYTHING good happen in 2020?

It's the question that seemingly everyone is asking right now, and I had the unique opportunity to chat with business strategist Mike Young about our unexpected (but greatly appreciated) lessons learned this year.

Among these lessons:

>> What you say to yourself matters - how you describe or qualify your “failures” or missteps is crucial. 

>> When starting a new offer, you’ll always have an imposter-syndrome feeling because you don’t know how it’s all going to play out. The solution: DO NOT over-promise on your offer. 

>> It’s difficult to OVER-communicate with people you are close to.

>> You have to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there (plus my newest secret weapon in this area)

>> The value of monitoring your energy as you determine what you DO like at any given point in time. 

>> Continue to explore your passion in order to...