In this age when you can pick yourself and build a platform in no time, this is the question we are all wondering: Can self-publishing actually be done well?

Can you create a compelling book without going through the traditional gatekeepers?

The answer is yes, you can.

Is it easy? No way.

But you absolutely can self-publish a beautiful-looking book that people will read — if you do it with the right help.

Photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives (Creative Commons)

Self publishing has never been easier. And if you will resist the urge to cut corners and save a few bucks, you can create an excellent product you can be proud of for the rest of your life.

Before we begin, first things first:

Is self-publishing right for you?

There are substantial benefits and hurdles to both traditional and indie publishing. Before you decide which route to go, be sure to weigh your options:

• If you do it yourself, you’ll have total freedom, but you’ll also have to front the costs. The plus side of is you get to keep most of the revenues.
• If you go with a publisher, you’ll compromise some of that freedom, but you’ll get a lot of professional help. The downside is you share the profits with the publisher.

My decision was fairly easy, because my novel fell in the current “No Man’s Land” of being too “edgy” for Christian publishers and too Christian for mainstream publishers. My only options were to change things about my book that I didn’t want to, or self-publish.

So, I went to work.

If you decide that indie publishing is right for you, here’s my advice:

Write the best book you can write

I worked on my book for six years, and I’m glad I didn’t hit the “publish” button sooner.

Just because it’s easier than ever to self-publish doesn’t mean you should do it too soon. In fact, the ease should make you extra cautious to wait until the right time.

Writing a book is like having a baby — once it’s birthed into the world, there’s nothing you can do to take it back.

Hire the best freelance editor you can find

I know. You’ll want to skip this step. You’re a better writer than the person I’m talking to. I would faint at your staggering literary genius. I know. I hate to bust the Pulitzer Prize daydream I just sent you into, but come back to reality for a second.

The harsh truth is this: You’re probably not as good of a writer as you think. (I certainly wasn’t.)

Stay with me now — I’m not saying you’re not a great writer. I’m sure you are. I’m saying you could be a much better writer. And that your book will be a much better book with the help of a completely unbiased, knowledgeable, and sometimes vicious, cold-hearted editor to rip your ruinous phrases, ideas, and clichés from you.

So unless you’re the next J.D. Salinger or have a very generous, talented, and experienced friend, please don’t skip this step. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

I found my editor, Andy Meisenheimer, through The Editorial Department. I am genuinely embarrassed to imagine what my book would have been without his help.

Be warned: There are as many predators out there as there are good editors.

So do your homework and check references.

Hire a good designer

Do you know why self-publishing has gotten such a bad rap? Because people do shoddy work — both in writing and design.

Don’t let your cousin design a cover for you that looks like clip art. Make no mistake: People will judge your book by its cover. Whether you like it or not. If your work doesn’t look professional, no one will take it seriously.

If you need help, follow TheBookDesigner.com. I learned half of what I know about indie publishing from this guy. Dig through his site, and you’ll be well on your way.

Decide: Will you go print, digital, or both?

I suggest both.

Of course, only doing an eBook is about 20 times easier (and cheaper).

If you do go the digital route, you should pay a professional to do the eBook formatting for you. Plus, there are a ton of people and companies online that do it. Uploading eBooks to major retailers is way easier than you might think.

For print, I recommend two options: CreateSpace or Lightning Source.

CreateSpace is easy to work with and has great customer service, not to mention their direct affiliation with Amazon. However, the print quality of Lightning Source is far superior to CreateSpace. They also have matte and hardcover options available (opposed to only gloss lamination that can look less professional and peel off over time).

Even though it was extra work, I ended up going through Lightning Source because of the better print quality (they also have much better royalties).

Either is a good choice, and both will get you automatic print-on-demand distribution through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

A third alternative: You might want to look into other subsidy (or hybrid) publishers who do some of the work for you (for a hefty fee), but I would be careful.

There are a few subsidy publishers out there that seem good. I almost went with one before deciding to do it on my own. However, ultimately what swayed me from doing so was their less-than-positive reputation and cost.

Moreover, any promises of getting your book into brick-and-mortar stores are very unlikely with these types of publishers. And why pay them to do something you could do yourself (if you’re willing to learn)?

Make it easy to find you and your book

There are millions of books out there and more self-published ones hitting the market every day. How will yours stand out? You’ll need some marketing assets.

Here are a few that I used for my book:

• Book website
• Personal blog
• Personal Twitter handle
• Book Facebook page

With so much noise, you’ll want to show people that you’re serious about your writing.

Going the extra mile of creating some of these properties online will make you look more professional than the competition.

Sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor

For a day. Maybe a week, if you’re as tired as I was.

And then, you’ve got to figure out how to promote the thing. And after that, you start all over with your next book.

Like I said, it requires some blood, sweat and tears. But you can do it. And if you do it right, you’ll be pleased at the end.

There’s no thrill like holding your own hard-earned work in your hands. Now, it’s easier than ever to do; you don’t have to wait to be picked. You can start publishing your work today.

And maybe that dream of a Pulitzer isn’t as far off as you thought.

What self-publishing tips would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments.

*Photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives (Creative Commons)

Sometimes, you stare at that blank screen and simply can’t get focused. There’s so much to do — so many opportunities and obligations. It’s easy to get lost. It’s easy to get distracted.

But if your words are going to make a difference, you are going to have to focus.

Writing is integral to everything you do online:

• You write tweets and Facebook updates.
• You write captions for your photos.
• You write blog posts and newsletters.

To draw an analogy, your website is like your body, and your writing is like your voice. It’s the most important tool to getting your message heard.

So why is writing so hard — especially online?

Photo credit: Kevin Rawlings (Creative Commons)

Writing requires concentration

And not just short blips of concentration.

If you actually want to get something decent written, you’re going to need to stay focused.

You’ll have to ignore your email and social networks, your cell phone, and the television.

And just write.

Writing requires discipline

You have to go back and read your work. You have to edit. You have to reread it again.

You have to keep slicing and dicing until you’ve created a masterpiece.

Then, you have to do the hard work of shipping — of releasing your work into the world. And tomorrow (or later today), you have to do it all over again.

Sometimes, you realize what you’ve written is awful and unsalvageable, and you need to start over.

This is all part of the grisly process.

Writing requires time

Good writing cannot be rushed.

When we’re used to most tasks taking five minutes or less, writing can feel like an eternity.

But this is part of the beauty of it: writing takes time. This is one thing that cannot be thrown into the microwave and zapped to completion.

Writing is difficult, but good.

If you’re missing any of the three key ingredients (concentration, discipline, or time), you’ll find yourself fighting a losing battle when you try to get something written.

So how do you actually create space for this to happen?

A simple solution

When it comes to writing, my productivity philosophy is simple: Keep it distraction-free.

First, forget what you think distraction-free writing means. This isn’t about forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do. It’s about using your energy in short bursts to create your best work.

I use the Pomodoro technique. The idea is to pick a task and set a timer for 25 minutes. Focus only on this one task. When the timer rings, take a five minute break, and then do another 25-minute block.

If you don’t want to commit to the Pomodoro technique, try the basic idea: focus on only one thing while writing, and that is writing. Shut off any other distractions and just do the work.

What about distraction-free writing tools?

I combine the Pomodoro technique with distraction-free writing software. The options vary widely, but the marks of a good distraction-free writing tool are:

1. It has a full-screen mode.
2. You like using it.

Even WordPress has gotten in on the distraction-free writing fad: They added a full-screen mode for the post editor a few months ago. If I’m just writing a quick blog post, it’s my go-to solution. Otherwise, here’s what I use elsewhere:

On my Mac and iPad, I use a great app called IAWriter (for Mac or iOs). I like it because it has very clean typography, absolutely no text formatting tools, and a “focus mode” where only the sentence you’re currently working on is in black (the rest are in grey)

On my Windows machine, I like OmmWriter. OmmWriter is cool, because it provides an audio experience as well, with sounds that remind me of wind gently blowing through chimes. It’s very zen and can really help get me in the writing mood.

Rules for distraction-free writing

Are you ready to begin? To finally write something without the constant dings and buzzes of our world? Here are some rules to guide you:

1. Don’t edit while you write. Worry about cleaning things up later — just get everything out that you can, while you can.
2. Don’t format text. Leave the bolding, italicizing and subheads for later. Just write.
3. Don’t stop until you get to the end. If I’m writing a blog post, I try to write a full draft before my session is done. If you’re writing a book, maybe that means writing to the end of a chapter or sub-section. You get the point.

When I adopted a distraction-free writing practice, I saw my writing improve in quality and speed. The same can happen for you too, if you concentrate, make the time, and show a little discipline.

The only thing stopping you from writing is you. So give this technique a try for a week. And see what happens.

Distract yourself from the distractions and just write.

What do you think? How do you avoid distraction and just write? Share your thoughts and techniques in the comments.

*Photo credit: Kevin Rawlings (Creative Commons)

But how do you actually do this? How do you create a community that wants to hear what you have to say?

Photo credit: Rachel D (Creative Commons)

If we ask Seth Godin, he would say you need to communicate a message that is personal, relevant, and anticipated.

So what does that look like?

Here are three important steps to building a killer tribe:

1. Be personal

If you want to reach other human beings, act like a human. Sounds simple, right? But a lot of people turn into robots when they get on the Internet or step into the spotlight. Either they become complete jerks, or they turn into formal ambassadors of snobbery.

So be different. Talk like a person, be accessible, show your scars. You don’t have to be super-vulnerable or expose personal aspects of your life; just don’t be someone you’re not. Be you. And amazing stuff will happen.

I like what Chris Brogan says about this:

Your goal is to move your ideas through a platform to encourage a human interaction.

People like connecting with other people. If you allow people to feel comfortable, they will open up and be themselves. As they do this, you will earn permission to speak.

2. Make your message relevant

People don’t care about what matters to you; they care about what matters to them. If you want to attract an audience, you need to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about how you can help people. Godin says this about tribes:

[W]hat people really want is the ability to connect to each other, not to companies.

A tribe helps people find each other; it “gives them a story tell and something to talk about.”

Nothing builds an audience more quickly than generosity. This works for the blog that gives away an eBook, the band that you offers a free download, and the artist who releases a free, daily comic — not strings attached.

All of this is not actually free. It costs the artist something. And it earns her something: trust.

When you are willing to help people get what they want, they will return the favor. (Caveat: this is NOT why you do this, but it is a fortunate byproduct.)

The best way to do that is to find a niche with a worldview, and speak directly to it. Exclude all others and focus on this one specific group, making each person feel as special as possible.

3. Ensure your message is anticipated

Every day, someone delivers a newspaper to my house. I have never asked for it, paid money for it, or read it. Not once. Nonetheless, day after day, someone feels compelled to drop a little plastic bag full of today’s news on my driveway.

The mindset is this: If we show up and interrupt you long enough, eventually you’ll pay attention. This is called spam, and it does not work. It’s an outdated strategy that belongs in the age of Mad Men, not Modern Family.

If people aren’t anticipating your message, they will just tune you out. So you have to first earn permission, then speak directly to the tribe, and finally deliver on your promises.

This can happen as frequently or infrequently as you want. The non-negotiable is you show up when you say you will — no more, no less. If expectations change, you need to clearly communicate them and give people a clear way to opt out at any point.

For example, contrast the newspapers I get with the Amazon order I just made. I can’t wait for that package to arrive! Any subscription service or important message is like this. It’s expected, and as such, it’s taken seriously.

What this means for you

If you will do this — the hard work of respecting people’s time and permission — you will earn the right to speak about whatever you want.

You may find that people are no longer tuning you out, but showing up regularly to hear what you have to say.

This is the paradox: When you make your platform about other people, they’ll make it about it you.

Respect begets respect. Generosity is often reciprocated. Being resourceful is a great attention-getter. Honor these principles, and you’ll never have to worry about getting someone’s attention again.

Isn’t it about time you found your tribe? Share your own tribe-building techniques (or questions) in the comments.

*Photo credit: Rachel D (Creative Commons)

In a world full of choices, the way you stand out is not by adding to the noise, but by exposing your own uniqueness.

Yes, doing this will exclude the masses. But it will also afford you an opportunity to find your tribe — the group of followers and fans you were meant to connect with.

Photo credit: Grace (Creative Commons)

The only way to connect with an audience

When it comes to communication, there are so many options, so many opportunities, so many forms of media. What do you do?

How about the one thing most writers are unwilling to do — the one thing they absolutely dread?

Be specific.

Be particular. Play favorites.

Explore the details of your surroundings, and share them.

Write not for the masses, but for the individual. Forget popularity, and be just plain weird.

When you write for everyone, you write for no one. (Yeah, you should tweet that or share it on Facebook.) Exclude everyone but those who are most important to you.

This is the only way to truly connect with an audience.

A writing exercise

If you struggle with this, here’s a quick exercise that might help:

Focus on one thing — anything — and write about it.

It can’t be many things. Just one thing. Pick it. And focus. Write about it, and nothing else.

Is it the way your dog’s hair sticks up in a certain place?
The funny thing your kid said the other day?
Your morning routine?

Whatever it is, get it into your mind, and hold it there. Now write.

As you do, you will find there is great freedom in limiting yourself. You may come up with more ideas than you ever imagined, now that you’ve finally put a “frame” around your art. There is unlimited creativity when you choose to restrict your options.

It’s counter-intuitive, but it works.

There is a cost to this kind of writing

When you do this, something suffers: You lose the opportunity to be all things to all people. And that’s okay.

Yes, you will eliminate a myriad of other topics on which you could’ve written. You’ll exclude a lot of people, too. But that’s the point.

People don’t want to read something for everyone. They want to read something for them.

I want to read something for me. You want to read something for you. That’s how people are — we’re very selfish readers.

So write for that one person for whom this will matter. Give her a name, if you like. Put her picture on your desktop. Write for her and only her. She will appreciate it — trust me.

The paradox of specific writing

There is a paradox to this. When you stop writing for the masses, embrace your weird self, and focus on being specific, something odd happens: You reach more people. More than just your tribe. More than that one person for whom you’re writing.

Why is this?

Because when you write for a specific niche, readers connect with your writing. It resonates so strongly with them that they share it with others. And it spreads.

This is why musicians and artists and authors become runaway successes and are shocked by it — because all they were doing was writing for someone specific, maybe themselves.

So don’t be surprised if when you narrow your focus, you actually end up broadening your audience. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

What’s your experience writing something specific?

*Photo credit: Grace (Creative Commons)

And here’s my worst struggle yet: staying focused.

But this discipline is a non-negotiable for a writer. It’s essential for anyone who is serious about doing great work.

I don’t care if you have to trick yourself into it. If you’re going to do stuff that matters, you will need to find a way to stop chasing shiny objects, sit down, and get something done.

That’s all there is to it.

Half-finished paintings don’t make it into museums.
Half-drawn blueprints don’t make for well-constructed buildings (or any building at all).
And half-finished manuscripts don’t make for much of a story.

Truth is: you can’t create compelling art if you don’t stay on track.

Getting your work done is essential to making an impact. You have to finish. Staying focused is how you do it.

In any type of creative work (especially writing) you’re going to need discipline to get you to the finish line. Here are a few tricks that work for me:

• Block out time to be creative. Most professionals agree that writing in spurts longer than four to six hours is unhealthy and unproductive. Instead, write less, but more frequently.
• Reward yourself with breaks. I recommend writing for an hour or two. Then give yourself a 15-minute break away from computer, notebook, whatever, and just have fun. Go watch TV, eat lunch, or take the dog for a walk. Just do something to switch your brain off. Make sure you make it it as restful an activity as you can. (Sorry, checking email and reading Twitter doesn’t constitute as a “break.”)
• Turn off all “noise” while you write (including social media and other techno gadgets). Write without distractions — as much as you can.
• Don’t edit as you go. (Don’t edit on your breaks, either.) Schedule blocks of time to edit at later. You need to just get some words down on paper (or screen).
• Be spontaneous. Don’t write what you think you should write. Write what inspires you, what you feel. This may fly in the face of what you think it means to “stay focused,” but give yourself some room to be creative. Brainstorm, free-write, fail. It’s okay to have fun.
• Set a goal and meet it. John Grisham used to get up every morning and write one page per day. That was his goal. Some days, he exceeded it. Other days, he just scraped by. But the point was he set a realistic, attainable goal. If done every day, he knew he would eventually have a book. And he did. Setting and meeting small goals will build your confidence and do more for your writing career than you realize.

These are just a few ways to stay focused. I’m sure there are more. If you’re like me, you may have to bribe and cajole yourself into doing it, which is fine. Do whatever it takes. Just get your butt in the chair and do something.

Once you start, you’re far more likely to finish. So get started now. It’s time to focus.

How do you stay focused writing?

Recommended resources:

• 10 Online Tools for Better Attention and Focus [The 99 Percent]
• How to Stay Focused on Writing [eHow]
• 11 Ways of Staying Focused [David Cheong]
  

For years, I practiced. I wrote when I felt inspired, but never shared anything. I was afraid to call myself a writer and would often sabotage my work. All the while, I was avoiding one painful truth: I was kidding myself. I wasn’t really writing. I was just practicing.

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks (Creative Commons)

The pointlessness of practice

Every writer has work she is afraid to share. It may be a manuscript, an essay, or an unpublished blog post. She thinks it is both terrible and wonderful at the same time. It is probably both.

Here’s the truth: Until the world sees it, it doesn’t matter.

Do you know what practicing without a deadline will get you? Nothing. No book deals. No audience. No money. And although writers don’t write for accolades, I believe many hope their words will move people.

You have something to say, and there is someone who needs to hear it. But if all you ever do is practice, that won’t happen.

One of my favorite writers on the craft of writing, Marion Roach Smith, says this about writing with intent:

Writing is good, honest work. And it cannot be reduced to generic writing exercises and pre-fabricated prompts. And ask yourself these questions: Have any of those ditties ever gotten you published? Has scribbling from the right side of your brain, or getting in touch with your angel’s feather, or keeping morning pages put you where you want to be as a writer? After reading one of those books of exercises, or subscribing to yet another web-based, prompt-list newsletter, have you actually finished that letter to your child that you long to give her? I doubt it. I suspect that those manners of nonsense have instead stolen what little time you had for writing.

Listen, you only have so much time. You can either spend it trying to make your words count, or you can spend it practicing.

Marion recently told me about a writing course she teaches that is full of people recovering from writing prompts. They are disillusioned and frustrated. Do you know what she tells them? To stop practicing, write what they know, and share it.

The right kind of practice

I don’t have anything against practice, so long as there is a point to it.

For example, I like to run. I go for a light jog maybe two or three times a week. When I feel like it.

For years, I told myself I would run a half-marathon — someday. I downloaded practice sheets from the Internet and started rigorous training schedules. And I would fail every single time. Year after year.

Why? Because I wasn’t serious. I hadn’t yet committed.

One day, I registered for a race. Then, it was different. I had a deadline. I spent some money. I wasn’t ready, but I decided to start anyway. I no longer had the luxury of convenience and as a result, I had to show up and train every day.

While training, I ran at least five times a week with an average of five to six miles per run (and more, as the weeks progressed). Some days, I felt great. Others, I was as sore as can be. Regardless, I got up and ran, anyway.

When race day came, I was ready. In fact, I was in better shape than I had ever been. All because of a deadline. Because I did the right kind of practice — the kind where you’ve got some skin in the game.

How this applies to writing

I did the exact same thing with writing. I talked about it. Dreamed about it. I even wrote about it in my journal, setting arbitrary goals. But it didn’t become real until I started doing it.

I recently received an email from a writer who’s struggling with time management. He told me his days are consumed with urgent tasks; when he has time to write, he no longer feels inspired. “What should I do?” he asked.

Here’s what I told him (and what I would tell you): Write anyway. Act like a professional. Treat this like a job, not a hobby. Until you do that — until you start training for something — you’re only kidding yourself.

Of course, you don’t have to do that. If you’re okay with your words never getting read and never seeing your work published, then by all means, continue. Otherwise, it’s time for a change.

It’s time to stop practicing and start training. To quit screwing around. It’s time to write for real.

This is habit-forming: start small and build. Begin with a blog. Then a guest post. After that, submit a few pitches to websites and magazines. Before you know it, you’ll have a portfolio, maybe even a book in the works.

Perhaps without even realizing it, you’ll be doing what you’ve always wanted: writing for real. As you do this, you may find yourself questioning you’re identity less. You may discover that you are, in fact, a writer. Not someone who talks about writing or dreams about it. But someone who actually does the dirty, nasty, wonderful work of writing.

What do you say? Isn’t it about time you started writing for real? If you want to make it official, declare it on Facebook or tell the world on Twitter: Tweet

*Photo credit: woodleywonderworks (Creative Commons)

Photo credit: Photos.com

In life, there are always excuses:

• “The dog ate my homework…”
• “I was dropped when I was a baby…”
• “I don’t have enough time…”
• “The boss won’t let me…”
• “Nobody understands…”
• “I’m scared…”
• “It costs too much…”
• “How will I pay the bills?”
• “That’s just a good idea…”
• “I could never…”

All of the above are fine reasons to not act.

That is, unless you’re talking about your dream, your passion — the thing you’ve been put on this earth to do.

Unless you’re talking about the very thing that keeps you up at night, the reason you got out of bed this morning, the obsession that drives you to do work that matters.

In which case, you have no choice. You have to find a way to do it. You have to figure out how to get to your dream.

But the problem is that excuses abound and resistance is all around us. We are being held back.

How do we actually move forward? How do we overcome the rationalizations and find the path to our passion?

The solution is both simple and hard: GET OVER IT.

Find a way to do what you were created to do, anyway. Find a route around the obstructions. And start doing it, whatever “it” may be: writing, starting a business, moving overseas, whatever.

Bottom line? It’s time to start.

Here’s how it works

Get up early.
Stay up late.
Persevere.

Don’t quit.
Press in.
Work harder.

This won’t be easy. And if you do it right, it could cost you everything. But it will be worth it.

So get started. Move.

No looking back now.
It’s all or nothing.
This is the real deal.

Do you have what it takes? Are you willing to go the distance? To give up your excuses and really make a difference?

Here’s how you begin

First, tell the truth.

No more lies, no more stalling. No more giving reasons to not do what you were made to do.

No one is holding you back, but you.

You have more opportunity that you realize. More chances to succeed than you know. Time to believe it.

Second, do something. Anything. Just start moving. You’d be surprised how real and legitimate excuses step aside as you make room for your dream.

By the way, if you need help launching your writing dreams, check out my new eBook.

Oh it’s such a drag, what a chore
Oh your wounds are full of salt.
Everything’s a stress and what’s more
Well, it’s all somebody’s fault.

—O.K. Go

For further motivation, read this article: Your Big Idea Is Not Enough.

And if you’re visiting this blog for the first time, check out the about page and find out how to get free updates.

So, what’s really holding you back? Share your excuses in the comments. And then, let them go.

Photo credit: Henry Bush (Creative Commons)

Before you write your first book, you should publish at least a dozen magazine articles. Maybe more.

Until you cut your teeth on a few shorter pieces, you’re probably not ready for the challenge of writing an entire book.

So how do you get started?

Well, believe it or not, the hardest part of getting published in a magazine isn’t the writing.

The hardest part is getting noticed.

The problem

A lot of freelance writers make a big mistake. They come up with a writing topic that would make for a good article for a magazine or website. And then, they spend way too much time on the idea without ever getting feedback.

They waste hours or even days writing the piece.

Then, they try to find someone to publish it. And they fail miserably. 

This is backwards thinking. It assumes you know your audience better than the publisher does. (Even if you do, this attitude won’t get you very far.) It’s better to start with a few loose ideas and contact the publisher before moving forward with the piece.

The whole point is just to get on their radar. Which is the most difficult part. If you can do that (and be taken seriously), you’re in.

Relationship and conversation are more important than good ideas and great writing. At least, at first.

The solution

Instead of cold-pitching your ideas to publishers, do something better: Build a relationship.

But before you do that, do your homework. Study the publisher’s guidelines. Read sample pitches, if they’re available. Email friends or colleagues who have gotten their work published with them. Find out what works.

Then, try it out.

You may only get one shot at this. Better make it count.

The process

• Present your ideas in a way that is a clear “win” for the publication. It’s not about you wanting to get published; it’s about how you can serve the publisher. Show them that.
• Explain how your piece will be relevant to their readership. Talk about why your voice is uniquely suited to reach their readers, how it will further the vision of the publication, etc. In other words, do a little bit of selling (they’re thinking, “What’s in it for me?”)
• Offer samples of other pieces you’ve done. Have something to show them — anything. Just don’t show up empty-handed. This is how they know you’re not wasting their time. (I often send editors a link to my portfolio.)
• Be courteous and to the point. Say “please” and “thank you.” Include a signature with contact info. Use short paragraphs. Cut out any unnecessary words. Act like a professional.

This works for magazine, trade publications, and even websites. And it can all be done via email.

The epiphany

To be honest, this process kind of surprised me. I thought the process of getting published in a magazine would’ve been more glamorous or complicated. Maybe including a handful of phone calls and legal debates with a few martinis thrown in for good measure.

As it turns out, content is not king. Relationship is.

If you want to get published, start making connections with publishers, so that when the ideas come, they’ll actually pay attention to your work.

When that happens, you won’t have to worry about pitching your work anymore. You’ll just be emailing an old friend.

By the way, this “secret” applies to book publishing, too. Having the right connections (with the right content) is essential. The good news is you can start small — with a magazine article or guest post on a friend’s blog — and build from there. Good luck.

How to get your writing noticed now

If you liked this post, you should check out my two new eBooks (the content for this article was excerpted from the second one):

• Every Writer’s Dream is a quick eBook about how to build a platform and get noticed so that you never have to pitch your writing again. In it, I explain how to use a blog (or any asset) to reach your tribe and build your brand.
• Before Your First Book is a brief guide to getting noticed by magazines, websites, and other publications, so that you can start building a writing portfolio. It’s about how to “fake” your way into success, so that you don’t have to worry about cold calling and query letter writing.

Ready to get started? Get both of my publishing eBooks for $4.99, and get started building a platform today. Find out more here: How to Get Published without Trying

See how this works

Want to know more about how this works? I recently did an exclusive interview with my friend Don McAllister about writing, publishing, building a platform, and more. The interview went well (lots of great questions and discussion). We’ll be sharing the transcript soon. Be sure you’re subscribed so you get the update.

*Photo credit: Henry Bush (Creative Commons)

Jason Fried

Jason Fried of the software company 37 Signals once posted a tweet, saying how sad it is when business surveys set “satisfied” as their highest metric for success on a customer survey.

What a  “low bar,” he lamented.

I’m inclined to agree. But not just for business. For life and everything we do.

What an indictment this is. Against our malaise, our work, and our lives.

How often do we give up when we should persevere? How often to we opt out and say “no” when life gets a little tough? How often do we settle for mere satisfaction when truly abundant life awaits us?

Certainly, we can do better than just “satisfied” — right?

Satisfaction is keeping us from our best work

I believe it was Steven Pressfield who said in an interview that if you do something long enough, if you get serious about any craft (including writing), there comes a time when it begins to “kick your ass.”

When you break down and cry, because it’s just so hard — that’s a great place to be. Because you’re beginning to treat your work with care. You’re beginning to act like a professional.

This is when the real work begins.
When you feel anything but satisfied and just want to give up.
This is your first step towards mastery.

Having a little discontent is good. It’s okay to be unsettled, to want more, to strive for the seemingly unattainable. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, the place where faith is required, and how true artists spend their whole lives.

Don’t avoid the dissatisfaction. Live in it. Move through it. Keep wanting more.

The other extreme

Of course, there is the other side of the spectrum — the life of the perfectionist. Where nothing ever feels good enough, when no one could ever please you, when your desires are unreasonable and your appetite insatiable. Make no mistake: that’s no way to live.

The “George Bailey” way of looking at the world — questioning your significance — is not good for anyone. Because your life is probably better than you think. You have more of an opportunity to make an impact than you realize. The trick is to do something with it.

Don’t just wallow.
Work towards something that matters.
Leave a legacy.

Our choice to give in to mere satisfaction or press into a more inspiring life is just that: a choice. It hinges on our ability to see beyond our own myopia, believe our lives have purpose, and do something that makes a difference

If you do this, we all win. Because the whole world benefits when you give it a gift. And what is that gift? YOU. The whole messy thing. No cut corners. No mere satisfaction. All of you.

This applies to everything

When you are satisfied, your work suffers. So do your relationships and craft. Because “satisfaction” is just another word for status quo.

And no one ever speaks up when things are good enough.

Make no mistake: “good enough” will always erode people’s confidence. It will lead to divorce, losing all your clients, and a legacy no one remembers. Sure, nobody will complain now, but trust me: little by little, you’re losing this fight.

If you’re going to do epic stuff, don’t wait till people complain before you change things. Then, it’s too late. You’ve already lost.

Always be pushing.
Always be tweaking.
And always be obsessing over making something better.

This doesn’t mean you don’t ship. You still have to put something out there. You still have to hit publish and release your work into the world.

But it means the things you build, the words you write, the work you do, better not suck.

This is the stuff of weirdos — how the “crazy ones” live their lives — and the only way you ever have a hope of doing something that matters.

So, how’s your business? Your marriage? Your work? Your life?

Are you satisfied? That’s not enough. (It never was.)

If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.

—C.S. Lewis

By the way, many of you kind folks bought a copy of Every Writer’s Dream over the weekend. Thanks to the 200 or so of you who did. You can find out more about it — and get your copy — here.

I thought about this today, when I heard about the death of former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno. And I thought about the art we create, the lives we lead, and the stories people will tell about us.

Photo credit: daveyin (Creative Commons)

Although I’m not much of a college football fan, the story of one man’s mistake and the legacy he will leave resonated with me. It made me take notice of how I’m living my life and the importance of a single decision.

I don’t know how people will remember Paterno, but I fear he will go down in history for how his career ended.

Today, I made my debut on The Huffington Post with this article: A Lesson on Legacy from Joe Paterno. Here’s an excerpt:

Joe Paterno, the former Penn State football coach, died today at the age of 85. His life was full of impressive accomplishments, including two national championships, five victories in major bowl games, and the record for most victories for a major-college coach. Unfortunately, he may be most remembered for a child sex scandal for which he was fired in November of 2011.

In writing the piece, I came across a quote from an interview Paterno did with USA Today: “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was.”

I thought that was interesting. So while still trying to honor the man’s memory, I wrote about what we can learn from his life (failures and all).

Paterno was a humanities guy. He studied English at an ivy league university and loved the Aeneid. He saw his work as that of an educator. He had an impressive love for literature, which affected his outlook on life.

Interestingly, his story very much follows that of a classical hero with one tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall.

There is a lesson here worth noting. For all of us who consider ourselves artists and heroes of our own stories — people who want to do work that leaves an impact — we need to understand something:

Sometimes, tragedy befalls us. Sometimes, bad things happen. How we respond to what life brings is what forms character and defines legacy.

Perhaps not coincidentally, I caught the film Frida on TV today — which tells the amazing and painful story of the 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Her life was riddled with both physical and emotional suffering.

It left me thinking about the tortured lives of artists and how what we’re remembered for is not completely in our control. Nonetheless, it’s our responsibility to be faithful with our gifts, speak up for those without a voice, and trust the outcome.

Did Paterno do everything right? I don’t know. Should Frida have left her womanizing, lying husband for good? I can’t say for sure. But looking at them both makes me want to be sure I do all I can with what I have.

[T]here is a greater lesson to be learned by this man’s life and from any hero who falls. The lesson is this: You cannot delegate influence. You cannot defer your story to another. It is yours and yours alone.

Read the rest here.

Have you ever made a tragic mistake, because you trusted others to do the right thing?

*Photo credit: daveyin (Creative Commons)