Author Brand/Who Cares?

 by Bakingdom

Authors who want to break into publishing must ask themselves:

1. What kind of people hold the same beliefs, purpose, and energy as I do?
2. What about my work will reside within the hearts and minds of my readers?
3. What about my work will attract partners and support?
4. How will readers respond to my work?

In other words, Who will care and why?

In a previous post called What's Your Brand, I talked about what I learned in Janet Conner's "Plug In" telecourse about "Spiritual Branding."

According to Janet, "A spiritual brand is so much more than words; it is a powerful force that radiates the belief, purpose, focus, and energy you hold for and around your work."

She urged all course members to zero in and focus on their spiritual brands.

Why?

Because by doing so, we would attract customers and partners who hold the same beliefs, purpose, and energy in the world.

Our spiritual brand, Janet said, must articulate clearly what we do, express why our work matters, and show how the world would be a better place because our work is in it.

Here is what I came up with in response:

My Brand Statement

by Mikey a('-'*)

Everyone has the capacity for spiritual and emotional freedom.

Through my novels--which synthesize heart and mind, science and spirituality--I inspire people to activate their gifts, retire their excuses, and stand in their own authority.

As more people release their greater potential into the universe, a greater consciousness will be forged for the benefit of all.

###

Next, Janet encouraged us to decide what we wanted our readers to say in response to our work.

Here's what I came up with:

My Readers' Walk Away Impressions

 by AlicePopkorn

Through my novels, readers will feel encouraged to step away from conditioned responses and follow their intuition and internal guidance to step into their own life stories.

My stories will open their eyes to sources of inspiration outside of the status quo to help them negotiate the complexities of their lives.

###

With my brand statement and readers' walk away impressions firmly in mind, I can zero in on who my potential readers are and find a way to meet their wants and needs.

That's where my author platform comes in, a subject of many future posts, I'm sure.

For more information about Janet Conner and her telecourses, go to Writing Down Your Soul.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Versatile Blogger Award.

Rosi Hollinbeck, at The Write Stuff , just awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award.

She said she learns a lot from my blog about blogging and writing. 

This is such a compliment, because that's one of my main purposes here at Enter the Between, to share what I've learned so far about blogging and in my ten-plus years of writing fiction.

So much of what I know about both blogging and writing came from other writers, who so generously shared what they knew.

We need to stick together as a community, forge alliances, and promote and mentor one another.  What goes around, comes around.  A good deed is never wasted. 

Thank you so much, Rosi, for doing your part in promoting a fellow writer.

Rosi is a pre-published writer and works almost entirely on children's books, stories, poems, and articles.  She spent many years teaching high school English and is in love with words, books, theatre, and related subjects.

Her children's short story, Helen's Home Run, just won first place in The Foster City Writer's Contest children’s division.

Congratulations, Rosi.

Now, as part of my commitment to sharing what I know and as a thank you for stopping by, I want to share some writing/media resources put together by Janet Conner, author of Writing Down Your Soul and presenter of the Plug In Telecourse.

Facebook

• How to use facebook
• How to set up a fanpage

Google

• Google Alerts

Tools for key word research 

• Key Words

Fun Blogs for Writers

• Vibrant Nation for women over 50
• Red Room
• She Writes

List of Blogs by Writers

• The Internet Writing Journal
• Writing White Papers 
• Squidoo/Best Writing Blogs

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Plug In With Janet Conner

What makes writers happy, besides working on their craft, of course, is connecting with other writers to delve into the unknown and explore each other's minds for fresh ideas. 

Add to that a team of experts and inspirational speakers and you've just kicked up the happiness factor a notch or two.

So you can imagine my reaction when I read about Plug In, The Intersection for Writers and Other Creatives, a twenty-week, eleven class teleseries inspired and led by Janet Conner, author of Writing Down Your Soul.

Janet Conner, a writer I'd recently friended on FaceBook, posted a notice about "Plug In" on my FB page, which immediately sparked my interest.  I followed the link to her website Writing Down Your Soul, and saw that her Plug In course was to start February 8. 

Wouldn't it be awesome to be part of that course, I thought and then moved on to other things. 

Little did I know that I'd end up taking the course and thereby step into the Intersection, where new and powerful spiritual practices merge with craft.

So, what do Plug In participants do? 

At Writing Down Your Soul all is explained, but, in the mean time, here is a partial list.

As a participant, you will:

• discover what is blocking you and release it
• dramatically improve the level of your craft
• clarify your purpose
• get your message to your audience through social media, blog, etc
• begin to build your platform
• learn about publishing options
• harness Focused Attraction to magnetically attract all you need

And what do Plug In participants receive?  Again, here's only a partial list.

• eleven 90-minute live teleclasses including 5 with guest experts
• two private sessions with Janet
• gifts from all guest experts

As Janet says at Writing Down Your Soul:  This twenty-week, eleven class teleseries is unique. It is the first in-depth exploration of The Intersection. And it is designed specifically for creatives--writers, speakers, artists.... It merges new and very powerful spiritual practices with your craft, infusing your work with access to limitless creativity and guidance. The result? You create a unique message that cannot help but find its expression in the world. All you have to do is Plug In to the incredible power of The Intersection.

Last Monday, in a post called Journal Treasures/Standing in the Doorway, I shared a journal entry that I'd written on January 3, 2000 (just before starting my first novel), about standing in the doorway and looking in on a gathering of writers.

I wrote about how their minds didn't seem connected to their bodies, how they appeared unaware of their surroundings, and how time seemed to stand still. I longed to step into that room and join them, but instead I turned away to do what was required of me at that time in my life.

Well, on the evening of February 8, during my first Plug In experience with 26 other participants, representing a variety of creative expressions, I felt as if I'd finally crossed the threshold and entered that room. 

Janet talked about how she discovered The Intersection and what happened as a result.  She talked about the power of intention, and she introduced special guest, Gail McMeekin, author of The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, who, in turn, shared one of her Gateway Secrets.

The 27 Plug In participants are as yet disembodied voices, but I expect by the end of this series, we'll know each other well.  In the mean time, I can think of no better way to spend 90 minutes on alternate Tuesday evenings than learning, sharing, opening up, and plugging in.

As you know, the name of this blog is Enter the Between, A Writer's Journey, and it's purpose is to share a journey, often full of angst with the occasional sprinkling of joy and victory. 

In contrast, Janet's Intersection is full of light, inspiration, and hope, peopled with allies and mentors.  It's about positive thinking and aligning with success.

A nice change, wouldn't you say?

And just so you know that I'm taking this course seriously, I'll share my first "Play Book" assignment.

My Intention Mandala.

To learn more about the Intention Mandala, go to: The Lotus and the Lily: Intention Mandala, or to Jumpstart 2010 With A Conditions Mandala.

Oh, and guess what I'll be posting about every other week until the end of June?

You got it.

So stay tuned.

Big Ambitions for 2011

I have big ambitions for 2011.

I need fresh ideas for my blog--posts that both share my journey as a writer and also inform. 

I've been blogging for over six months.  I should be a pro by now.  Ha.

Where to begin?

Here comes the "big ambitions" part.

To keep the creative juices flowing, I plan to make use of:

• The 4 A.M. Breakthrough approach.  In his book, subtitled Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction, Brian Kiteley writes, "Writers should trust that they have trained their instincts well and not think at all.  Practice makes for better instincts."  His book aims at "demystifying the process of writing" and his exercises are meant to help make the writer realize "it is possible--and even fun--to write fiction."  Exercise 1:  Write a fragment of narrative in paratactic style. 
• The Daily Writer, by Fred White, subtitled 366 meditations to cultivate a productive and meaningful writing life.  Regardless of genre, he says, with writing "you are wielding that most powerful, mind- and spirit-enhancing tool that civilization has ever invented, the tool of language, and you are doing so in ways that illuminate people's lives, sometimes improving their lives in practical ways, while at the same time aesthetically delighting them."  Exercise for January 1: Compose an allegory, keeping in mind that each of your characters represents an abstract trait.

• Writing Down Your Soul, by Janet Conner.  According to Janet, "There is a voice inside you.  There is a Voice inside everyone.  Whether you hear it or not, the Voice is there.  Whether you acknowledge it or not, the Voice is there.  Whether you ask it for help or ignore its guidance, the Voice is still there.  Waiting.  It is waiting for you to stop, if just for a moment, and listen.  The Voice is always there, guiding you, encouraging you, loving you."  This book is about connecting with that Voice.  Step one:  Show up.
• John Truby's The Anatomy of Story, 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller.  In Truby's own words, he will:  "Show that a great story is organic--not a machine but a living body that develops; Treat storytelling as an exacting craft with precise techniques that will help you be successful, regardless of the medium or genre you choose; Work through a writing process that is also organic, meaning that we will develop characters and plot that grow naturally out of your original story idea."  Starting point:  Developing your premise.

• Romancing The Ordinary, A Year of Simple Splendor, by Sarah Ban Breathnach.  I've already gone through this book twice in previous years.  I've found that her daily passages offer ideas that grab me and get me writing.  January 1, Truth or Dare.  "Can I challenge you to a dare?" she asks.  "Today, stop praying for anything other than the life you have!  Join me as we tear up that list of resolutions.  You don't need them anymore.  All you have is all you need.  But more than that, all you have is all you could possibly want.  If you don't believe it, stick close by me this year and I'll prove it."

I have my Mead Composition books ready.  I've purchased a box of my favorite pens (Precise Needlepoint Rolling Ball V5).  All await.

Oh, and I also plan to revise at least two of my novels, start an exercise routine, and spend more time working on my yard and with my family.

Wish me luck.