Need help with social media?
You’ve gotten the message that your business needs to master Web 2.0, become active on social media sites like Plaxo and Bebo, start posting on Twitter, syndicate online, produce lenses on Squidoo, author a blog, keep up with Digg and Newsvine. You know it will improve SEO, and monetize your expertise. But how are you supposed to do all that and still run your business? Check it out:
www.Expertizing.com.

Would your company be more profitable if it got out of its own way? Collaborative Networks International is a Boston-based leadership and organizational strategy firm that specializes in developing collaborative leaders and top teams so they can ‘get out of their own way’ and lead. In this economy, a dysfunctional leader or suboptimal team is a liability. Get CollaborativeNetworks.net on the case ASAP, and watch your ROI zoom.

Valerie Young

Lisa Tener

This week we feature IAW contributor Valerie Young on No Time To Go After Your Dream and IAW contributor Lisa Tener on The Secrets of Compelling Writing.

Next week, we feature Fern Reiss' special report, Getting People To Your Website: 25 Simple Tips for Top-Notch Search Engine Optimization.

Ethical Aspects of Drug Development

Dr. Judy Stone is an infectious disease specialist, internist, pharmaceutical researcher, and author of Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide.

Book Dr. Judy Stone as a speaker for your next meeting or conference

Email Dr. Judy Stone

Be our featured speaker

Ellen Zagorsky Goldberg is a professional model, registered nurse, and mother of four who loves to help pregnant women and new moms feel and look great.

Book Ellen Zagorsky Goldberg as a speaker for your next meeting or conference

E-mail Ellen Zagorsky Goldberg

Be our featured expert

Meet Jack Perconte. Jack is the author of two new books - The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete, as well as other books on baseball and sports.

Read more

Be our featured author

The Publishing Game:
Find an Agent in 30 Days
Fern Reiss

“Brimming with publishing wisdom that will help you get the agent and publisher you want—fast.”

— Michael Larsen, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency

Read more

Book Fern Reiss as a speaker for your next meeting or conference

E-mail the author

Feature your book here

Self Help / USA

— Nancy Stampahar

Numerous life examples reveal that the power of choice turns adversity of every sort into opportunities for increased happiness. Included in this illustrated book are simple exercises for both personally and professionally achieving one's happiness.

Read Nancy Stampahar's query

Feature your query here

Attend a talk with IAW Director Fern Reiss:
If you'd like to hear Fern in person in 2009, she will be speaking at:

• Keynote, Colorado Independent Publishers, Denver (25-28 March)
• American Society for Journalists and Authors, New York (24-26 April)
• Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Conference, New York (17-19 May)
• Independent Book Publishers’  University, New York (26-28 May)
• Book Expo America, New York (28,31 May)
• Private consults, Europe (July & August)
• Publishing Game Workshop, Jerusalem (July 28 and August 4)

Please contact us to book her for your event or conference, or to book a private consultation on writing, publishing, or publicity while she's speaking in your town.

Follow Fern online:

• Twitter
• Facebook Writing & Publishing

If you need some personal input on your writing, publishing, or publicity dilemma, consider a consultation with IAW Director Fern Reiss. Fern consults to clients all over the world via telephone; the charge is $300/ €200 per hour or $1500 / €1000 for six sessions for publishing consultation and $1500 / €1000 per hour (non-profits: $1200 / €800) for Expertizing consulting. Sign up at PublishingGame.com/
consulting.htm or www.Expertizing.com.

17 February, 2009

Welcome to our new members in Australia, India, and the United States.

This week, IAW contributor Valerie Young of ChangingCourse.com shares how you can turn your dreams into reality in five minutes a day.

No Time To Go After Your Dream – Valerie Young

You've already made up your mind that there has to be more to life than careers, cubicles, and commuting. Yet, the prospect of making a major life change when you're already feeling caught between a “clock and a hard place,” feels overwhelming. Here are five simple steps even the busiest person seeking a major career change can take to get the process rolling:

1. Turn griping time into planning time.
   How much time do you spend every week blowing off steam about your lousy job? Instead of wasting precious time complaining about what you DON’T want, use the time to create a clear mental picture of what you DO want. Then make a plan for getting from here to there. Five minutes a day spent working your plan will move you far closer to your goal than 15 minutes of griping.
    
2. Keep your goal front and center.
   Get out your calendar and set a target date for when you want your new life to begin. Besides being a great source of motivation, knowing how much time you have until "DDay" lets you create a realistic plan for hitting it. Next, find creative ways to keep your dream literally, in your face. As you come across images or quotes that reflect your dream, place them around your workspace, in your daily planner, on the refrigerator – any place you're sure to regularly "see" your destination.
    
3. Buy with an eye to the future.
   If your dream involves working from the comfort of home, you probably won't need all those business suits overrunning your closet. Resolve now to make do with the work wardrobe you already have. When you do take the leap, you can donate your business attire to an organization like Dress for Success that assists men and women just entering the job market. Spend the money you've saved instead on things you'll need for your new career or venture – like courses, buying or upgrading a home office computer, purchasing equipment, inventory, and so on.
    
4. Avoid the nay-sayers.
   Erma Bombeck once said, “It takes a lot of courage to show someone else your dreams.” Erma knew that most people – especially those closest to you – tend to discourage change of any kind. Unfortunately other people's skepticism, like the flu, can be contagious. And, unless you've built up your immune system, these dream killers can knock you for a loop. Don’t look for support from pessimistic family or friends. Instead seek out people who can give your dream the support it deserves.
    
5. Do what you can – but DO SOMETHING.
   As one Chinese proverb reminds us, moving a mountain begins by lifting one stone. To keep from being overwhelmed – yet still make headway – break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. Then, no matter how hectic your day, pledge to take at least one small step. Before you know it you’ll have turned your dreams into your life.

This week, IAW contributor Lisa Tener talks about how to improve your writing.

The Secrets of Compelling Writing – Lisa Tener

Sometimes I’m tempted to tell a novice writer that I’m not sure I can help them. Thankfully, I’ve usually held back from this glib statement. Lucky for me, because several of the people I’ve almost turned away learned a few of these secrets to compelling writing and…guess what? Their writing became good—very good...

Members can read the rest of this article on our website.

Next week: Stay tuned for a special report by IAW director Fern Reiss on Getting People To Your Website: 25 Simple Tips for Top-Notch Search Engine Optimization.

Social Media Marketing – Sally Falkow

If you missed IAW contributor Sally Falkow's article last week on Social Media Marketing it’s not too late. You can still find out:

• Why the jump in social media amongst internet users affects your business—and how to take advantage of it
• Where the largest growth in audience was in the morass of social media
• Which age cohort was the most involved
• How you can figure out where your audience gathers online
• Why knowing that Google’s new search parameters includes news, images, videos, and blog posts makes it imperative for you to reevaluate your online digital content
• What one syndication tool you can no longer avoid—for any business
• Why one quick search result will do more to improve your business than any single other thing you’re doing—and how to maximize its results

Members can read the feature right now.  (You can also read/hear all our back articles, audios, and reports in our Member Archive.) 

New Members:
If you missed any of the articles, audios, or reports below, you can still read and listen to them in our Member Archive. 

(Not a member yet? Sign up now to enjoy these special reports and audios.)

New: Book Expo America will stay in New York City for the next four years and after this year, decrease to a two-day show… Reed just closed Book Expo Canada… Amazon fourth-quarter earnings were up 18%; full-year earnings were up 36%... Social media site Bebo, widely used in Europe particularly Ireland, has dismissed rumors that they’re about to be sold by AOL… The U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission approved a one-year implementation delay for new lead-testing rules for manufacturers of products, including books, for children 12 and under, calming the frenzied scramble of publishers taken unawares by the sudden new requirements… Facebook stirred up a storm of protest when it announced its intention to keep intellectual property rights to content (such as articles posted to groups) after you terminate your account with them; the company later apologized, saying it had ‘miscommunicated’ its intentions.

Members can read more by clicking through to:
PartyLine Media Leads and
Wooden Horse Magazine Update.

Get the teaser of the MarketingSherpa Social Media Benchmark Guide at www.marketingsherpa.com/exs/SocialMM09excerpt.pdf?10046 which reveals:

• The most effective social media tactics are the least measurable
• Social media specialists are most likely to accomplish social media goals (duh)
• While two-thirds of marketers claimed they were knowledgeable about social media, they have not ever used social media in campaigns (uh oh)

(Folks, if you’re looking for affordable social media/Web 2.0 expertise for your business, Fern’s Expertizing.com is now running three- and six-month campaigns to increase traffic to your website and for Search Engine Optimization. See www.Expertizing.com).

Agent in the Hot Seat this month is Rita Rosenkranz, here to tell us what's hot and what's new, and the best way to get that publishing deal…

Members can click here for more.

Whether you’re a business traveler or an armchair traveler, here’s what’s going on in the writing and publishing world for writers in Australia.

Members can read more at Spotlight.

(Interested in sharing what’s going on in your part of the world? Become an IAW ambassador.)

Author Profile

Each month, the International Association of Writers sends a newsletter featuring our latest authors to bookstores, libraries, bloggers, reviewers, literary agents, publishers, and bookgroups worldwide. The author listings also run in several locations on the website, and each week we feature one of the authors in our newsletter. Here’s how to make the most of your IAW Author listing:

• First, select the category carefully. Bookstores, libraries, bloggers, reviewers, literary agents, publishers, and bookgroups may be looking for authors in particular genres and categories, so be sure the category you choose accurately describes your niche. (You can choose from a variety of fiction and nonfiction categories.)
• Don’t forget to upload your photograph.
• Your short biography will be displayed along with your author profile, as well as in several other places on our website, so be sure it is interesting and describes your expertise accurately.
• Remember that in today’s economy, traditional sources of book and author reviews (such as newspapers) are disappearing; so more and more bookstores and libraries are looking to the IAW for review information. Don’t miss out on this easy way to market yourself and your books.

Next week, we’ll look at posting your Featured Book listing. Stay tuned!

The more members we have, the more clout we have with journalists, booksellers, literary agents, librarians, etc. Want to help make others aware of the International Association of Writers? Here are some ways you can help:

• Become an Ambassador from your geographic area, or become a web ambassador and mention us on listserves and writing forums online.
• List us as a favorite on Digg.com or Delicious.com.
• Email a friend or colleague to tell them about us.
• Add this to your Facebook or Twitter Status line: “Looking for publicity as a writer or small business? Check out AssociationofWriters.com”.
• Remember—sign up three friends or colleagues, and get a free one-year extension on your membership!

Prepare Yourself for Networking Events in 6 Steps
by Marianne Korten

How can you prepare yourself to book results at business networking events? Many participants do not prepare at all and just spend the hours chatting. You can make a difference by being focused, prepared and confident.

Read the article here. (This article is accessible to both non-members and members.)

(Want to see your syndicated article here? Members can post to our Syndicated Articles Directory; articles from the directory may be chosen to be featured here. Non-members:  Join now and you can post your articles, too.)

Q: “I hear Book Expo America is going to two days next year. Isn’t this the el primo event of the year for publishers? What’s happening to the publishing industry?!”

A: Good question. It’s too early to call, but there’s speculation that this year’s Book Expo might be the end of an era, and that we’ll be seeing a downsliding in other aspects of the show, in addition to its length. The industry is definitely changing—and at light speed. Stay tuned…

Members can post their Talk Out questions here.

“A few days after I posted my speaker profile on the International Association of Writers’ website, I began receiving inquiries from meeting planners who wanted to book me for high-paying speaking gigs. The International Association of Writers rocks!”
— Linda Gradstein, correspondent, National Public Radio

“I’m loving the site—thank you!”
— Kristin J. Eckstein, producer, ArtsImagine.com

Members send your kudos & we'll print them in a future issue.

Wow, a writing conference in one of the top 10 foreign travel destinations (according to Condé Nast Traveller Magazine): The San Miguel Writers' Conference & Workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, north of Mexico City (20-24 Feb).

The 10^th annual Bethesda Literary Festival, 17-19 April, in Bethesda, Maryland, United States.

The largest literature festival in the Nordic countries: The Norwegian Festival of Literature in scenic Lillehammer, about 2 hours drive north of Oslo (26-31 May).

Read the entire Calendar. (Members—post listings at no charge.)

Copyright © 2009 International Association of Writers

If you received this newsletter from someone else, and you'd like your own complimentary subscription, sign up here.

To change the address at which you receive this newsletter, click here.

To send us an e-mail, click here.

If you can't read this newsletter in your email program, read it online at www.associationofwriters.com/Archive/NL_2009_02_17.php.

The International Association of Writers | Newton | Massachusetts | 02459 | USA