From clueless to Oprah
“Do you have a book in you?”

I once read a book by psychiatrist David Burns (author of Feeling Good and many other books) in which he confided that he was a nerd in college and couldn’t get a date to save his life. He liked girls, but was too awkward to approach them. So he decided to approach the local lothario (look it up if you don’t know the word; you’re going to be a writer, dammit!) who seemed to be able to get any girl he wanted. Burns figured that he would hire a chemistry tutor if he were having trouble in chemistry classes, so why not hire this guy (who always needed money for his lifestyle) to be his “dating tutor.” Well, the guy taught Burns what he knew and coached him and pretty soon Burns was getting dates regularly.

I identified with that story since I was painfully shy and awkward when I was younger. But I didn’t get any coaching. I just suffered the frustration of loneliness (and horniness, but let’s not go there). Anyway, since I read that story, I have become an advocate of learning and getting coaching from someone who has succeeded at something I want to accomplish.

What does this have to do with you and getting a book published? Read on.

Are You Clueless or Frustrated About Getting Your Book Written or Published?

I was clueless when I began, 35 books ago, but eventually I figured out the whole process. I did seek out the advice of a colleague I knew who had edited one book and he told me I would never get a book published since I didn't have a Ph.D. He was wrong, obviously, but luckily I didn't believe him. You’ll always meet naysayers (sometimes in your own brain), but you can’t let their doubts and skepticism stop you from pursuing your dreams and following your passion.

Still no Ph.D., 35 books and counting. I guess he was wrong.

I did have some frustrations being clueless. Sometimes I couldn’t sell a particular book idea I was passionate about, even though I’d already been published. This perplexed me. I thought once you got published once, you were in the club. You were in like Flynn. But no, not necessarily. Oh well, I was doing okay, so what the heck.

Then I made the leap from writing books for professionals in my field (I was trained as a psychotherapist) to writing books for the general public (called “trade books” in the publishing industry). There’s a lot more money on that side of things and the impact your work makes is bigger. I got an agent, which you need for those kinds of books. I got some trade books published. Then came the call from Oprah. I got on with one of my books and that book (Do One Thing Different) did pretty well.

At the time, I had an agent that I didn’t like very much. She was constantly losing the stuff I would send her. She would not call me back for weeks even after she would promise to call. Stuff like that. Anyway, I figured after my Oprah appearance that I would have my pick of agents. But after sending out five queries to five agents, three of them never responded. One turned me down (it wasn’t a “good fit,” equivalent to “I’m washing my hair on Friday night so I can’t go out with you.”). And after some conversation with the other one, we decided mutually we weren’t a good fit. That was frustrating and perplexing.

I decided I would actually have to knuckle down and figure this whole thing out. Why had I succeeded when I had? Why had I failed when I had? How could I get the agent that I wanted?

I’m a bit of a bulldog when I decide I am going to learn or master something and the bulldog went to work. I read every book I could about the publishing industry; how books are acquired by editors and publishers; how it all works; how people succeed; the common mistakes they make and so on. After reading about the 40th book on this subject, I remember sitting on the couch and saying to my wife: I got it. I know exactly what I did wrong and I know how to get an agent.

I had already done my research and found the one I really, really wanted. I put together my approach, sent her an overnight letter and package and the next day my phone rang. The agent identified herself and asked me if I had found an agent yet. I told her she was the only one I had approached because I really wanted to work with her. She said she would be “happy to represent me” and thus began a relationships that resulted in several of my next books being sold for many thousands of dollars each.

Well, I’ve done the same thing with every aspect of the writing and publishing process, as well as the speaking industry. I have figured this stuff out and make a really good living doing what I love, contributing to others (and having a hell of a good time).

My passion benefits you; I let you in on insider secrets to getting published

Many people who publish books jealously guard their knowledge. They seem to feel that if other people succeed, it will threaten their success somehow. I’m not like that. Not only am I a former hippie who bought all that new-age stuff about abundance and not living in scarcity, but I happen to think that if you develop your own unique voice and style, no one is really your competition. And I think that everyone has something unique to offer. My teacher, Dr. Milton Erickson, used to say, “You are as unique as your fingerprints.”

I also get a kick out of mastering something, then teaching and empowering others to save them some frustration and move them along a similar path more rapidly than I went. And people began to seek me out when they saw that I had succeeded and ask me how they could follow the same path into getting published. I told the secrets and system to a few people, but in a piecemeal fashion. It worked for them, often faster than it had worked for me.

Since I figured this stuff out, I have coached many people to write books and get them published. If you write and publish a book, you are more likely to get speaking offers if you have that ambition as well.

The thing is, it didn’t just work for me, it works for others too

Other systems may tell you they can produce results, but can they point to actual books that they have coached into existence? Here are some books that have been published from my coaching just in the past several years [There are a lot more, I just didn’t want to clutter up the page]:











Click the play button below to listen to one of the my students , executive coach Laura Crawshaw, talk about how the coaching and instructions she got from me helped her land a book contract. Make sure to listen to it. It’s a real hoot!

And check this out, from Bill Sinunu, another author whose book cover appears above.

Writing and publishing systems all laid out for you step by step

Since I wanted to get on with my own work (I write a new book every year and travel to speak about three times a month), I don’t really have time to coach people one on one very often.

So, I have created an online course that will give you my complete system for writing a book and getting it published. You can learn this system at your own rate and go over the material again and again until you master and absorb every element in it.

As I travel around, more times than I can tell you, people come up to me and tell me they want to write a book. But every once in a while, I meet those people again some years later and they still haven’t written or published their book. When I asked them what has stopped them, they tell me things like:
“I don’t know where to start.”
“I don’t have anything original to say.”
“I don’t have time.”
“I’m afraid I’ll write the book and I won’t be able to get it published.”

Of course, when you learn this system, it will still take a lot of work to succeed, but much less than it would have without this hard-won knowledge I am passing on. And with your first book contract, you could make back your investment many times over. And the system will help you get over all these barriers and fears that have prevented you from getting your book written and published.

Click the Sign Me Up Now! box to claim your Writing and Publishing System and buy now:



The roadmap to writing your book and getting it published (with instant access)

If this is your dream, I have put a bundle together for you. Get access to this comprehensive online systems for a great price; less than $400. You could make that back when you get your first book contract.

There are helpful forms, audio recordings, worksheets and handouts that you will get instant access to when you buy the system (you can download them right away). And you will learn the systems over the Internet at your own rate and pace. I’ll talk you through each step and show you slides summarizing all you need to know. You can go over the material at your own rate and as many times as you need to over the months you will have access to the course. If you’re like me, once you decide you want something you want it right now. When you buy this system you will get instant access to all the materials.

COURSE COMPONENTS

• HANDOUTS, TEMPLATES AND WORKSHEETS (Downloadable as PDFs and Word files)
• MOVIES/SLIDES WITH STEP BY STEP TEACHING AND GUIDANCE (Online; watch it again and again)
• AUDIOS (listen on your computer; or transfer to CD or iPod to listen on the go)

This course is chock full of content and step by step instructions

What's in the system? Here's just a partial list:

• Learn how to create a compelling proposal to sell your book
• Discover how to leap to the top of agents' and publishers' book submission stacks
• Learn the top strategies to radically increase the odds an agent or publisher will accept your book
• See how to use the best strategies for finding an agent and which agents you absolutely must avoid
• Learn how to create a clear and targeted focus that makes your book much easier to write and sell
• Learn how to get motivated to write your book
• Learn how to write fast and well, even in the midst of a busy life

Click the Sign Me Up Now! box to claim your Writing and Publishing System and buy now:

And wait, in addition to the Ginsu Knives, there’s more!

Plus the course contains hundreds of dollars worth of bonuses such as:

• Book Proposal Template: Use the same form I use to get $10-50,000 for each of my books. Fill in the blanks with your own information (a $250 value)
• Query letter template: Another fill-in-the-blanks form for contacting agents (a $50 value)
• Short Audio (11 minutes) about how to expand your platform to make it more likely your book will sell (a $15 value)

Click the Sign Me Up Now! box to claim your Writing and Publishing System and buy now:

Here’s a head start for you; some free instruction and guidance

I will be making a series of videos to supplement the course and help you get your book written and published. I just made them on my computer with my web cam, so they are not sophisticated, but they have great content.

Here are two to start you out, whether you buy the system I am offering you or not.

This one is about when you need an agent.

This one tells you why you should never write your book before you sell it.

I’ve taken the risk out of buying for you; Money-back guarantee

Click the play button just below to hear me talk about why this system is available at no risk to you.

You can have access to the Writing and Publishing system for three months after you purchase it (you can have the worksheets, handouts and audios forever). If, for any reason, you are not 100% satisfied with the program, you can get all your money back if you let me know within the first three days after you buy it. I've never had anyone ask for their money back after learning this system, so I am confident you will get more than your money and time's worth. And think of what you might be missing if you don't act on this opportunity now. Instead of holding that book you've always wanted to write in your hands one day, you could be letting that dream and possibility pass you by.

Act now or forever hold your dreams

Of course I couldn’t have gotten all those books written and published if I didn’t take action. I was clueless but I did know that nothing good happens if you don’t go for it. I once got a fortune cookie once that said: “Man must sit in chair for very long time before roast duck fly in.” I laughed in recognition of what many of us do. We sit on our behinds and dream rather than take action. Let me tell you, it will take a long time for your dreams to come true if you sit in the chair waiting for them to happen. So instead of putting your dreams on hold, bring yourself one big step closer to them.

Click the Sign Me Up Now! box to claim your Writing and Publishing System and buy now:

Not sure yet? Sign up for helpful email tips about writing and selling your book(s). Just click on this link, it will launch your email. Then just press send. No need to write anything in the subject line or body of the email (you will need to confirm you really want to receive the emails, though). You can opt out and unsubscribe at any time easily.
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