Friday Fun: 3 Random Things Seen & Heard This Week

by @thewritermama on January 27, 2012 · 5 comments

in Christina Katz apearances, News for and about writers, creative confidence

I’ve never been a person who gathers up things that are “fun” and puts them in a blog post.

But now I’m wondering, why not? There is so much positive to partake of right before our eyes on a regular basis. Isn’t some of it blog-worthy?

Let’s try it for a few weeks and see. Cuz that’s how I roll. :)

Who Needs a Good Laugh?

Let’s start with the artistically absurd. Want to see what my husband and daughter were watching on the Internet while I was in NYC last weekend? It’s a show performed in 1996 that merges Star Wars and Les Miserables.

The fun part, for my family, is that my husband is a big SW fan and he produced Les Mis at Wilsonville High School last year. Our daughter, Samantha, played one of several Little Cosettes. She was singing this in the backseat of the car when they picked me up at the airport. If you watch long enough you will see Han Solo singing a tune to “Greased Lightning,” as well!

P.S. If you are drinking something, you might want to take pause because this is pretty funny. At least, it cracked me up.

Celebrate People Who Are Thoughtful & Kind

Something caught my eye on Twitter a week or so before the Writer’s Digest Conference. The fine folks at WD were buzzing that the somewhat controversial Mr. Barry Eisler would be speaking at the conference. Someone in the ethers piped up and said, “And Christina Katz will be there too, right?” And that just made my day. I have nothing against Barry Eisler, of course. As it turns out, he may ruffle feathers online and in the news, but in person he is completely unassuming and friendly.

But back to the guy who wanted to make sure I was still coming. Turns out his name is Karl Sprague and you can learn all about him in his blog. I appreciated that Karl posted this poem by James Michener on his “about” page.

Karl says, I strive to be what James Michener described as a “Master in the Art of Living.”

Master in the Art of Living

A master in the art of living

draws no sharp distinction

between his work and his play,

his labor and his leisure,

his mind and his body,

his education and his recreation.

He hardly knows which is which.

He simply pursues his vision

of excellence through whatever

he is doing and leaves

others to determine

whether he is working or playing.

To himself, he always seems

to be doing both.

-       James A. Michener
I think you can learn a lot about a person quickly by noticing what they appreciate. In this case, I think we can learn a lot about what Karl is all about because he is so generous in sharing his appreciation. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you want people to get to know you and enjoy knowing you, share a little more with us about what you appreciate and we’ll pay closer attention.

Make Good Things Happen

Okay, forget “fun” for a sec. I knew there was one more point I wanted to make at the end of my talk on Micro-publishing at the Writer’s Digest Conference. And this is it. Bottom line is this: you are either one of us: a person who makes good things happen. Or you are one of the others: a draining, whining, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately energy vampire.

Now, obviously, it’s not nearly this black and white. But honestly, sometimes, for me, it is. I can spot a person who has decided that I owe them a favor a mile away. I can see them coming at me before they are even coming at me. This is probably because I could not always tell and have been duped several times. I was so busy being generous with absolutely everyone that I was not using good discretion. My bad. I had to go back and analyze the difference between genuinely delightful people and those who put on that front so they can advance their own agenda. And I get it now. I’m not likely to forget either. (I have a lot to say on the topic of practicing good professional boundaries in The Writer’s Workout, specifically chapters 115, 297, 334 and 359.)

So, back to Karl’s blog. I love this post Karl wrote about his experience from the 2011 Writer’s Digest Conference where he describes in detail, nay, even analyzes the friendly leadership qualities of a person he’d met at the conference. That person is George Davis. I’d noticed him online as a positive force to be reckoned with last year and I was not even at the conference. I didn’t get to spend much time with George this year. But that’s not the point. I can tell that he and Karl and Barry are going to go far. Why? Because they are people who make good things happen. And if you focus on nothing else in your writing career, making good things happen would be enough. Because it all comes around eventually. And those who give the most good, reap the greatest rewards, each and every day.

Happy weekend, everyone!

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On Sale Until January 31st: My Build Your Author Platform Workbook

by @thewritermama on January 26, 2012 · 0 comments

in Author Platform, Build Your Author Platform Workbook, Christina Katz Books, Platform development for writers, Prospering in the gig economy

Your author platform is as totally unique as this snowflake.

This is a special offer I made to my newsletter subscribers earlier this month and now I’m making it available to all, but only until January 31st.

You don’t need to spend a small fortune to cultivate your author platform, but you do need to think like an author. An author is the composer of a literary work or works, and platform development can and should begin long before a writer is ready for authorhood.

Most writers who are producing regular writing are ready to start thinking about their platforms. But often writers don’t realize that platform development is just as creative and synergistic as writing itself. In other words, you can enjoy creating, developing, and expanding your platform, just as much as you enjoy the rest of your writing career. In the long run, no two author platforms look alike.

I am all about teaching writers to understand their strengths and put them at the center of their writing careers. I teach writers how to discover their strengths and let their strengths lead. This dramatically simplifies the platform development process and puts you, the writer, in charge of the platform growth process.

Don’t give your writing career away. There are no funnels, no systems, no formulas involved in the way I teach platform. The way I teach platform it begins and ends with you. You don’t need me to have a successful platform…you need you.

The Build Your Author Platform Workbook was featured as a self-study course in the September 2011 Build Your Platform Premium Kit from Writer’s Digest, so you know it’s high quality. On January 1st the right to the material reverted back to me.

Now I can offer this 8-week workbook to you for only $29.99. The price will return to $39.99 on February 1st, so order now!

Learn more about the Build Your Author Platform Workbook here.

(Oops! The button was not working but all fixed now.)

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There Has Never Been A Better Time To Be A Writer

by @thewritermama on January 25, 2012 · 7 comments

in Attitude of gratitude, The Writer's Workout

After attending the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York last weekend, I discovered I am not the only one who feels this way about writing careers right now.

Why is this the best time ever to be a writer?

Because writers have increased choices for how to publish. Because we have increased choices of how and where to seek assistance. Because we have so many easy, inexpensive career-building tools at our fingertips. And because it has never been easier to locate and make the most of everything we need to succeed in the short run and the long run.

What’s missing from this success equation?

Discipline. Focus. Clarity.

Basically, if you don’t have these things, you’re sunk. Just as so many options offer us more, more, more, these same choices can bog us down, make our head’s spin, and turn us into formula-following sheep because it’s easier than thinking for ourselves.

Your writing career comes THROUGH your writing. This means writing goes at the center of your career. Not anything else. Please don’t ever forget this.

As a writing career coach, I recognize the burden of responsibility that comes with the times, especially for writers who have not yet found their writing and publishing momentum. And, of course, that’s why I spent two years writing The Writer’s Workout. (Learn more)

I wanted to start a writing revolution. I wanted all writers to have a shot at the opportunities that are available to writers today, not just veteran writers.

Of course, I can’t leave veteran writers out. There are plenty of tips for veteran writers in TWW for focusing and streamlining your writing career so you can better navigate the new gig economy, as well.

If you are new around here, welcome! There truly has never been a better (and perhaps more challenging) time to be a writer. But we’re up for the challenge, right?

We know how to ground, center, and focus our attention to succeed.

For those of you who attended the Writer’s Digest Conference, if you turn to page 190 of The Writer’s Workout, you’ll find some helpful suggestions for grounding and centering all that you learned at the conference. Any writer can use this tool on any given day to ground and center their attention and start making solid career-building strides.

Thanks for coming by. I’m glad you are here but I don’t want to be your new guru. I just want to offer you helpful resources so you can pick and choose what’s best for you and your creative confidence and go along your merry writing way.

If you live in Portland, Oregon and you would like to hear more about why there has never been a better time to be a writer, I hope you will join us this weekend at the Making It In Tough & Changing Times Mini-Conference. Not too many spaces left though! Contact jessicapage at spiritone dot com for more info or visit Jessica’s website.

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Please, please, please learn and use permission marketing

by @thewritermama on January 17, 2012 · 13 comments

in Permission Marketing, Social media for writers

I have a chapter in my new book, The Writer’s Workout, on permission marketing. It’s chapter 198 and it’s called, “Get Permission.”

I also discuss permission marketing in chapter 217, “Safeguard Your Rolodex.”

The other day, a gal I vaguely know popped on over to my page and posted her book promotion with a message to me to tell all my friends about it.

Now, this happens once in a while. Here’s how I usually deal with it: first I delete the post and then I unfriend the person.

I don’t take it personally, I just feel like my wall is my space and other people should not be treating it like it’s theirs.

But I didn’t do that this time. I’ve bought this person’s annual ebook a couple times, so instead, I just let her know I didn’t like it.

Bad idea. I should have stuck with my first policy.

She let me know in no uncertain terms that it was my fault she had posted on my wall because I had not turned my wall off.

I was like, You’re kidding me, right?

It got worse. I said I disagreed. She said these were the Facebook rules and anyone who had been online as long as she had knows what all the rules are.

I said what did I know, it’s not like I’m a expert on the topic or anything.

She let me know that everyone knows that book publication doesn’t make anyone an expert on anything.

At that point, I just gave up. She clearly didn’t care about our relationship—and I should have realized that from the moment she posted her promotional materials on my wall.

Which brings me back to my original policy, which is, if you post your stuff on my wall, I will quietly take it down and then unfriend you.

It’s not personal, it’s just my space, my rules, and a place where I treat people with respect and expect to be treated with respect.

When someone comes along with a different agenda, they kind of stand out.

I know I don’t have to DO anything. I can just let people do what people do.

But it’s my space. I’ll decide what I can live with and what is just annoying. I’ll also decide whose work I recommend and whose work I won’t recommend.

Do you think I will be recommending her work?

I don’t think so.

So much of recommendations are determined by whether or not people use good permission marketing or not.

If you have a copy of The Writer’s Workout, please read chapter 198 and then pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing. I don’t enjoy kicking people out of my space. And I really don’t want it to happen again.

A lot of people have not read Seth’s work. They don’t understand basic permission marketing concepts, and if they are going to write and sell books, they really should.

You do, right?

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Pssst! Seen & Heard Around the Web

January 16, 2012

Write, sell, learn, specialize, self-promote, micro-invest in your writing career, and succeed. In other words: produce your own success. That’s what I teach no matter where I go, what I do, and what I have to say. I have have had several new posts and buzz around the extended writing community lately…
Commit To Micro-publishing Something [...]

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Christina Katz Reads Chapter 119 From The Writer’s Workout: “Cultivate Confidence”

January 15, 2012

Yesterday, I said that my mission for 2012 is to help writers get back to writing so we can all feel more creatively confident and prepared for what lies ahead in 2012.
Need a pep talk on the subject? Here’s a short audio from The Writer’s Workout:
Chapter 119 From The Writer’s Workout Cultivate Creative Confidence
To order, [...]

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My 2012 Mission: Get Writers Writing & Feeling Creatively Confident Again

January 14, 2012

If you have read any of my new book, you know that it focuses on putting your writing at the center of your writing career, and allowing everything else to follow from there.
Yes, you need to learn more skills than ever to succeed at a professional writing career, but the writing must come first and [...]

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Lots of Big Thank-you’s & One Giant You’re Welcome Conference Discount!

January 11, 2012

I am at that point in my book launch where there are so many people to thank and I can’t keep up. (Just moan quietly if you know the challenge of whence I speak.)
So, I’m going to give it a shot here and offer a quick shout out to all the folks who have been [...]

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Cupcakes For Everyone! It’s The Global Launch Party for The Writer’s Workout!

January 10, 2012

Your assignment today is to track down a cupcake and eat it in honor of the publication of The Writer’s Workout.
If you don’t eat a cupcake today, I will feel very uncelebrated.
So please, grab some cupcakes, share them with your families, and have a cupcake toast in the general direction of the Pacific [...]

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Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10th, The Writer’s Workout Readers Are Invited to “Flash Class”

January 9, 2012

This coaching experience is reserved for folks who have already purchased a copy of The Writer’s Workout.
It’s not too late to get your copy and send me your receipt by email, so you can come. Order information for the book is here. Just email your receipt to: christina at christina katz dot com.
Please email your [...]

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