Natural Discipline
by Jennifer Paros
Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.
~ Julie Andrews
As writers (or creative people of any kind), we often contend with the need to be “disciplined”. And often being disciplined is about making ourselves do things - on a schedule with dedication. The portrait of discipline is painted with a sense of sternness and having to take a hard line. Though there are many examples of people who work happily, regularly, and effectively, if it seems too easy, commonly we no longer use the word, “disciplined” to describe them.
The notion of discipline reflects two root ideas. One has to do with learning and knowledge (disciple is related) and the other has to do with punishment. As creative people working each day, we decide what discipline means for us. That definition can determine whether or not we thrive.
When I was in art school, I swayed between approaching my work as an opportunity or a chore. Attention to fearful thinking or lack thereof determined my approach. The less I focused on fearful thinking, the greater my connection to discovery, learning, and opportunity, which led me to show up and be “disciplined”. With more active fearful thinking, I invested in the idea that discipline was something I needed to inflict upon myself. As time went on and the fear factor increased for me at school, this demanding dynamic took a toll on my body. more...
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Self-Help Writer Writes for Self-Help
by Noelle Sterne
What Kind of Writer?
I didn’t start out to be a self-help writer. My first love was poetry, and I actually published a handful of poems. Then I ventured into fiction, with a few more acceptances. Nonfiction, and especially self-help writing, was the farthest thing from my mind and computer.
But as I wrote more, with more rejections, blocks, and intermittent yeses, I couldn’t resist the impulse to write about my own writing problems. So I started doing how-to articles—how to break my sending-out barrier, how to keep up with Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, how to deal with jealousy of other writers, how to penetrate long agonizing blocks, how to swallow disgust at first drafts. Writing these craft self-help articles helped me in my own writing and, from the growing feedback, I was astounded and pleased to see that the articles helped other writers too.
At the same time, my study of spirituality increased (Louise Hay, Eric Butterworth, Joseph Murphy, Wayne Dyer, A Course in Miracles, Eckhart Tolle, The Secret, Abraham-Hicks). Attempting to apply the teachings to daily living, writing, and my professional work as dissertation coach and editor for doctoral candidates, I limped along, struggling with meditation, faith in the Unseen, seeing and believing beyond appearances. Again, to help myself apply the principles, I couldn’t resist the impulse to write spiritually-oriented self-help articles. Again, I discovered that I was writing first for myself.
These pieces eventually metamorphosed into my book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books, 2011). The book’s purpose, with many examples from my practice, clients’ experiences, and those of many others, is to help readers let go of regrets, re-label their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. more...
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Book Reviews
Editor's Pick
A Nearly Pefect Copy
reviewed by Kevin Lauderale
Struggling artist Gabriel Connois is floundering in Paris when a mysterious figure offers him good money for some quick copies of art done by Gabriel's ancestor, a well-regarded Impressionist, to fill his luxury hotel. Meanwhile, Elm (short for Elmira) Howells is a New York art dealer in her mid-40s. Her son died young, and she never really got over it. When she learns that a company in Europe is cloning dogs, she begins to wonder if the same could be done for humans. For her, there are no ethical problems: “She wasn't fiddling with nature; she was replacing what nature had stolen from her.” Gabriel is dating a woman from the Paris office of Elm's gallery, and their projects slowly begin to converge. Questions of what is “real” and what is a “copy” naturally arise, but this novel never gets bogged-down in ponderous debates. Even when dealing with Elm's tragedy, Amend keeps her story flowing and entertaining. more...
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Book Marketing 101 (and How Publicity Fits Into the Picture)
by Paula Margulies
When it comes time to market a book, many authors believe that certain aspects of promotion are more important than others. Some feel that Internet marketing is the answer to sagging sales, while others think that simply hiring a publicist will address their sales problems. Some focus mainly on items like book videos or blog tours, while others rely on repeated pleas to their social networking followers in the hopes of encouraging them to buy.
But savvy authors know that it takes an integrated marketing approach to succeed in today’s crowded book market. And, although many authors don’t want to hear it, the traditional rules of marketing apply to selling books, just as they do for other products.
So, what are the rules of marketing? Authors who have studied the subject (most likely in college) will recall that a marketing mix is made up of two components: a target audience and a marketing strategy.
Defining an author’s target audience is not too complicated. Authors can look at the books they’ve written and ask themselves: who would read this? Women? Men? Young adults? Children? Authors can also break down those broad audience categories by genre (mystery readers, fantasy readers, fiction readers, nonfiction readers etc.) and demographics/psychographics, including age, sex, religious and political preferences, economic status, etc., to help identify more precisely the different audiences to whom their books might appeal. more...