Becoming a published author is a transformational journey of massive learning and tremendous growth and having a Book Coach and Editor to help you along the path is invaluable. This professional and experienced book buddy supports, guides and helps you to develop your manuscript to make it into the best book it can be and make sure you never give up, or duck out!
At the November AuthorCraft event, at the Institute of Directors in London, Wendy provided an entertaining and interactive book coaching session, to demonstrate the power of three, critically important book coaching questions.
Wendy started her session with a quick quiz using three questions, about three famous authors, whose personal stories each had a relevant message for new writers.
- Write for your chosen niche; Michael Morpurgo, who won the J.M. Barrie Award 2016 for his contribution to children’s literature. Since the 1970s, he has focused on his niche with 140 published titles to his name, the most famous being War Horse.
- Make your manuscript stand out; J K Rowling, who was rejected 12 times before being published by the Bloomsbury Group. However, it is claimed that she was discovered because she used a colourful manuscript binder, which attracted the attention of eight-year-old Alice, who demanded more than the sample chapter from her father, the commissioning editor.
- Never give up; Paul Beatty, who was rejected 18 times before being published by an independent husband and wife team and won the 2016 Man Booker Prize with his American satire, The Sellout.
Wendy’s three critical, book coaching questions for all WRITERS who want to become published AUTHORS are:
What is your purpose? Your purpose for you and your purpose for other people, what will you benefit from writing your book and what will other people benefit from reading your book?
Who are you doing it for? Who are your ideal readers? Research and know them really well so you can write for them. Be specific about their age and gender, their habits, where they live and where they go on holiday? Wendy suggested giving names to your ideal readers and making a Vision Board of images to represent them, to help you write specifically for your target audience.
Why you rather than someone else? What is it that will make a person buy your book rather than the books on either side of it on the bookshelf? What is your USP and your special offering that no one else has provided yet?
Plus one bonus question:
What is your call to action for your readers? What is the one thing you want readers to do as a result of reading your book; or are there several actions they can take; what are you giving them that will help solve their problems and pains; and what is it that you have, that they want?
When you have 100% clarity about these answers, writing your book will flow effortlessly and the results will be magical. If you’d like help to identify and resonant with your book purpose, passion and commitment, please contact Wendy; for help, support and guidance on your personal journey from being a writer to a published author. Visit her website www.wendyyorke.com or call her on + 44 (0) 783 1930 786.
AuthorCraft is a professional network for authors, who meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month, except August and December, at the Institute of Directors. For more details of their next event, visit www.authorcraft.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @AuthorCraftNews