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4 Must-Knows for Your Author's Website - Inventing Reality Editing Service

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Published on February 02, 2018 04:45

Use book to generate coaching/consulting jobs

As an author, you��re an ideal person to offer coaching and consulting services centered on your books.

Businesses and individuals need expertise they don��t have and spend billions every year on coaches and consultants to receive it. As a coach, you work closely with an individual or a small group to give them know-how, inspiration, and guidance through a project. As a consultant, you advise a company or professionals.

The first step in setting up a coaching/consulting business is to determine what you will consult about. If you write nonfiction, that��s easy �� you coach and consult about your book��s topic �� finance, design, marketing, rock climbing, skiing, drawing, whatever you wrote about. Of course, some of these fields lend themselves more to coaching (rock climbing lessons are for individuals or groups of people interested in learning the hobby) while others are more on the consulting wavelength, such as finance or marketing.

Next, you��ll want to set your fees. Consultants can earn a lot of money, based on their experience and their reputation. The more you have of both, the higher the fee you can charge. Before establishing your price, review what other consultants are paid. Compare their skill set and experience to yours and charge accordingly. As demand for your services grows, you can raise your fees. Warning: Don��t undercut the competition so much in pricing so that you run yourself out of business. Estimate what your expenses will be and make sure your price is above that number.

After that, you must market yourself so you land jobs. Start by building a website that focuses on your coaching/consulting business. On that website, emphasize your expertise, your ability to identify and diagnose problems, your teaching skills, how you��re good at coming up with new, successful ideas, and how you work as a catalyst of change. Your books can be a page on the website. In addition, have business cards and social media platforms set up for your consulting business. Your author��s website also should include a page about your consulting business.

When marketing your consulting business, you have an advantage in that people who need your services already are looking for you. The challenge is to help them find you and to convince them that you can best meet their need. To accomplish this, you��ll want to employ target marketing, in which you aim your promotions specifically at such businesses and their leaders. This can be done in multiple ways:
�� Social Media �� On Twitter and LinkedIn, tweet and post blog entries you write about the field you consult in. Your blog entries should include links to your consulting business and related books you authored. Every day attempt to gain followers and connections on these platforms. You also can promote your books via these posts and tweets, but you primarily are promoting your coaching/consulting services.
�� Networking �� You��ll also need to get out and talk with people. They might be other professionals at business-related gatherings such as local chamber of commerce functions or national conferences or by being a public speaker at various events.
�� Advertising �� Be wary of advertising in magazines and professional journals; there usually is a low return on investment. Only do so when the ad will reach your target audience and once you��ve become established with steady income and are looking to upscale the quality of your clients so that you can demand a higher fee for your services.

As your consulting business takes off, you��ll want to develop repeat customers. During the rough times, they��re the ones who give you the money needed to keep going. Achieving this means giving more than your all for the first several clients until you succeed in creating a loyal base.

Throughout your career as a consultant, you��ll need to stay up to date on your field. New technology and innovation lead to constant change in every profession. You have to stay abreast of it and the trends and fads. After all, you don��t want to sound dated when you consult, and most businesses are looking for a consultant to bring to them the most current information and methods so they can themselves can keep up.

Finally, be forewarned that you may need certifications or a special license to be a coach/consultant. Some states require that you register yourself with them as a consultant or that you be certified or licensed to coach or consult in your field. Not doing so at worse can be against the law, at best you won��t be hired because businesses or professionals won��t recognize your expertise without the certification or license.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on February 01, 2018 04:45

Watch for agreement in correlative conjunctions

One common grammar issue occurs when using a structure consisting of two parts: the correlative conjunction.

A correlative conjunction connects two equal grammatical items. Examples of correlative conjunctions include: either...or; neither...nor; and not only...but also.

Notice that a correlative conjunction consists of two parts. Because of that, if a noun follows one part of the correlative conjunction, then a noun must follow the second part. To wit, He will order either pizza or nachos. The noun pizza follows either and the noun nachos follows or.

Two agreement problems can arise when using correlative conjunctions.

Verb agreement
The noun following the second part of the correlative conjunction must agree with the verb that comes after it. So, if that verb is plural, the noun must be plural. For example:

Every game so far this season, either the running back or the wide receiver is the leading scorer.

In the example, wide receiver is the noun following the correlative conjunction��s second part, or. The verb is comes after that noun. Since is is singular, the noun must be singular; you wouldn��t write wide receivers. If you mean for the noun to be plural, then the verb also must be plural, as in:

Every game so far this season, either the running back or the wide receivers are the leading scorer.

Note that the noun following the correlative conjunction��s first part (running back/either) can be singular. All that matters is the noun following the correlative conjunction��s second part (wide receivers/or).

Pronoun agreement
In addition, pronoun agreement can be an issue. Remember that both nouns following both parts of the correlative conjunction must agree with the pronoun that refers to them. For example:

Either fresh roses or chocolates would win Laura��s heart, because they make girls go all gushy inside, he told himself.

Fresh roses and chocolates are both antecedents to which they refers. Both Fresh roses and chocolates are plural. So, the pronoun referring to them also must be plural.

A common reason for pronoun agreement errors is that one of the antecedent nouns is singular and the other is plural (Either fresh roses or a box of chocolates). In such cases, use different nouns so they either are both singular or both plural.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on January 31, 2018 04:31

5 Fantastic Science Fiction Novums

Science fiction stories typically arise from a novum, a scientifically plausible concept that is a ��reality�� in the tale. The novum might be an mechanical device like robot servants, artificial intelligence, or faster-than-light spacecraft; it also can be a hypothetical idea such as ��The Earth is a scientific experiment run by aliens to determine the meaning of life�� or ��The government outlaws books.�� The author then asks ��What if?�� exploring how the world with this novum is different than ours.

Among the problems of many novice science fiction writers is instead of introducing a new novum they rely on used furniture �� that is, they borrow novums from popular SF series. After all, how many novels have you read that use starships exploring the galaxy for the Earth-based Federation? Barely changing names to appear as if you are not appropriating �� a starcraft seeking M-class worlds for the Earth-centered Alliance �� still doesn��t cut it as original or fully using the potential that science fiction offers to examine our culture or humanity.

To help SF writers, here are some novums of potential near-future inventions from which stories could be built:

Drone hives
What if drones, which are ubiquitous is so many aspects of our lives �� taxis, security patrols, ambulances, weather/pollution monitoring, and more �� could dock on the side of a skyscraper called a hive, where robots maintain and program them for their various missions? How would this hive affect the lives of people in a city?

Epsilon Eridani colonization
What if a future interstellar expedition settled the asteroids of the inner dust ring orbiting this nearby star? What challenges would the colonists face in a system with no planets boasting an oxygen atmosphere and a star that is slightly dimmer than ours? http://ourstellarneighborhood.blogspo...

Iron seeding
What if to reduce global warming, the oceans were seeded with iron to stimulate plankton growth, as these organisms remove carbon dioxide (the main cause of global warming) from our atmosphere? How will the resulting increased acidity of the oceans affect ecosystems?

Quantum cloud
What if all of the information for our Internet was stored and manipulated on the quantum substrate of space itself? How does this change the way we access and interact with information?

UV exposure monitor
What if you could wear a patch that changes color to tell when you��ve been exposed to too much sunlight on the beach or whenever outside? Under what scenario would this become a necessity in our population?

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Editing client publishes her first SF novel - Inventing Reality Editing Service

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Published on January 30, 2018 04:45

Book client publishes novel set in occupied Japan

A recent editing client has published his first novel. LD Robison��s ��The Brass Rail�� tells how two generations, both tested and ravaged by war, lift the other up. At the end of World War II, most of the veterans who valiantly defended our country��s freedoms left the military and returned home. Some of these gallant men chose to remain in the service and �� along with those few who stayed in uniform because they had nowhere else to go �� found themselves in Japan. When war breaks out in Korea, a new generation of men and women arrive. As the war rages, a different dynamic arises in occupied Japan, one that will shape and mold the future lives of this new generation. This novel tells the story of their experiences, trials, disappointments, loves, wants and needs. It is available online in both paperback and on ebook.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Client publishes book about his battle with PTSD - Inventing Reality Editing Service

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Published on January 29, 2018 04:45

5 Great Quotations to Inspire Writers

��You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.�� - Saul Bellow

��Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.�� - William Wordsworth

��You can��t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.�� - Jack London

��I don��t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.�� - Pearl S. Buck

��I only write when I��m inspired, and I make sure I��m inspired every morning at 9 a.m.�� - Peter DeVries

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Inspiration: Who are you?

Four ways to write a great tweet that sells books

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Published on January 28, 2018 05:58

Suffering from writer��s block? Self-doubt about your t...

Suffering from writer��s block? Self-doubt about your talent? With Writing Affirmations: A Collection of Positive Messages to Inspire Writers, you can reclaim the pleasure of writing and pen the book you��ve always dreamed of through uplifting, meaningful phrases that can be read aloud or internalized weekly over the course of a year. Writing prompts and tips follow each affirmation, giving you the inspiration and motivation to keep writing.

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Published on January 27, 2018 05:10

8 Tips for Authors Making a Video

A poorly-produced video for YouTube or your authors website actually can harm your book sales and business more than help it, so you want to put in the time to get it right. Learning the craft of filmmaking will take a while, but you just have to know some basics to get started and come out with a good video.

Here are several great filming and production tips to help ensure you make a high quality video.

Use good light when filming
If you don��t have any lights for filming, only make the video during the day. Indoor lights won��t begin to provide enough light to film at night. If you must film during the evening, add a couple of additional lights to help achieve the brightness of natural daylight. These need not be expensive; a couple of worklights available at a hardware store can get you started.

Discover your best angle
Always use your best side (left, right, front on) for speaking to a camera. The best time to determine this is when you��re practicing your very first video in front of the camera. Rehearse the video three times, each time using a different angle; preview the videos and then stick with the angle that looks best.

Speak loudly and clearly
Your voice must be louder than any background sound, such as music. That means no whispering or mumbling. Also, pronounce your words clearly.

Watch your background
If outside, don��t stand so that a pole or tree in the background sticks out of your head. In addition, make sure there are no mirrors are reflective services that can appear in your video��s background lest sometimes unintended material ends up in your shot, which can be distracting at best and embarrassing at worst.

Employ a backdrop
Anytime you film in a busy place, a number of distractions can appear in the background. If your video must be done in such a location, add a backdrop so that viewers will focus on you rather than passing bicyclists, flashing police lights, people trying to photobomb the video, and so forth.

Research special effects
A lot of people in the film and television industries decades ago perfected how to make certain special effects look realistic. Rely on their expertise rather than reinvent the wheel. For example, if you are a horror author who wanted to use blood in our video, like the pros, use food coloring not ketchup (which doesn��t look real).

Stick to copyright free music
If you use music in your video, be sure not to include copyrighted material. YouTube usually will remove it. There is plenty of copyright free music that can be used; to find it, just type royalty free music into a search engine.

Keep the videos short
Expect your viewers�� attention spans to be limited. Indeed, almost half of all viewers will tune out after just a minute into your video. Given this, keep videos to less than 10 minutes in length.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on January 26, 2018 04:00

Generate income from book via teleseminar

Especially if you��ve penned nonfiction, a great way to use your book to generate additional income is a teleseminar. This involves using a teleconference line or a live audio link via the Internet; it also is known as a teleclass.

There are plenty of good reasons to offer a teleseminar. First, it helps build your credibility as an expert in the field you wrote about. You didn��t just a book, after all, but now are sharing your expertise directly with individuals who are willing to pay to listen to you. Secondly, it helps build trust in you and your expertise. There��s no better way to develop trust than making a personal connection, and a teleseminar is a way to interact with your fans or those considering your services. Third, a teleseminar can help expand your client list. Promoting your teleseminar opens a new door for people to discover your books and services, and after participating in your event, at least a few likely are to join your mailing list if not purchase your services. Finally, a teleseminar can boost book sales. Some participants will purchase your book in advance of the teleseminar, but the real boost comes afterward when those you��ve impressed during the presentation decide your titles are worth the money.

Putting on a teleseminar largely involves five steps: selecting a topic; preparing your presentation; setting up the technicalities; promoting the presentation; and delivering the presentation.

Selecting a topic
Draw from your book but don��t just replicate what you��ve already written, at least not fully. Instead, springboard from it so that you provide new and interesting information. The topic should be one that your readers ask a lot about. You can come up with a topic by participating in discussion groups on your various social media platforms. What you write on the topic for your teleconference can become the kernel for your next book!

Outlining the presentation
Once you have a topic, outline how you will cover it during the call. Most teleseminars last about 45-60 minutes. During that time, be sure to include a welcome and a brief introduction of yourself at the beginning. Also include time for questions at the end. Just in case there are none, include some additional, supplementary material. At the end of the presentation, always thank everyone for joining you. Don��t forget to practice your presentation a couple of times before it��s show time!

Setting up the technicalities
You��ll need a conference line for making the call. Believe it or not, you can get free ones online. You even can find services that allow listeners to access the teleconference online via a webcast. Always test the line before going live. You��ll also want to ensure you have a way on your website for participants to sign up for, know how to access, and to pay for the teleseminar.

Promoting the presentation
Promote the event just as if it were a book release �� blog about it, post about it at each of your social media sites, send emails about it to everyone on your mailing list (Always use an attention-getting subject line in your invitations so it isn��t overlooked!), target media and bloggers with press releases about it.

Delivering the presentation
Be sure to speak clearly. Stay on track and avoid speaking off the cuff about tangents. Don��t go over the allotted time, as that��s disrespectful of your participants. At the end of the presentation, dangle more: When the teleseminar is over, offer for sale a special coaching program or other product that is exclusive to those who��ve participated.

Once the teleseminar is completed, take some time to assess what went well and what didn��t. Be honest with yourself and make adjustments for the next teleseminar so it��s even better!

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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