Gail Richards's Articles in WRITING & SPEAKING

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Marketing Virtual Assistant Services to Authors
Although objectively I know there are far more authors in need of virtual 'author's assistant' services than there are trained virtual assistants to meet their needs, the first question I hear from someone considering adding to their virtual skills to work with authors is: "How do I know I can find clients if I invest in getting additional training to work with authors?"
The Top Seven Reasons Publishers Reject Nonfiction Book Proposals
Publishers are deluged with manuscripts and book proposals, and must review thousands each year in hopes of finding the few that will become high-quality, best selling books. What authors don’t know is that publishers reject most of these after spending less than one minute reviewing them.
The New Financial Realities of Book Publishing
Especially if you self-publish, you will want to set up a financial model. While no one can tell you with any certainty how many books you can expect to sell, you can be precise about what you will spend to get an idea of how many books you must sell to break even and then turn a profit.
Ten Things Rookie Authors Do To Mess Up Their Non-Fiction Book Success
First time authors just don’t know what they don’t know. Learn and be better prepared to maximize your potential for book sales and publishing success. Here are the top ten things we find that are most likely to sabotage that first book effort:
Book Proposals – Strategies to Get Yours to the Top of the Stack
If you decide a traditional publisher is right for you, then you will need to create a world-class book proposal. The book proposal is a business plan for your book. You are attempting to convince a publisher of two things: that this is an idea on a topic that will sell and that you have the credibility and marketing connections to make the sales happen.
Return On Investment of a Non-Fiction Book to the Author
A soft cover book, perhaps 6” x 9” or other industry standard size for a trade paperback would be priced retail anywhere from $12 to $30 for consumer distribution, up to $50 for a professional book, and even higher for a textbook. An add-on CD might be $20, and a book plus CD package might sell for $40 minimum.
Book Marketing Plan – Don’t Write a Word Without It
Your marketing plan provides an opportunity for you to consider the strategy you will take to get your book to your audience. Regardless of who publishes your book, the primary responsibility for marketing it successfully falls to you as the author. Generating your marketing plan before you write your book will help ensure that your book content, cover, publishing, and distribution all work together and support your marketing efforts.
Ten Powerful Strategies to Write a Nonfiction Bestseller
Many people not only want to author a book, but they want the book to be commercially successful. If you want to write a book that is a best seller, there are things you need to do in the creation of the book.
Do You Need Permission to Use That Quote in Your Book?
As you write your own book, you may find you want to use material that has been previously published. You might want to cite a research study, or use a quote from a famous person. In some situations, you are free to do that, but in many others you have to request permission from the organization that published the information or from the person who you want to quote.
The Seven Deadly Sins for Non-Fiction Writing
Even the most compelling writing and subject can fail if you let the small irritations get in the way of that connection with your reader. Make your writing worth reading and take it from good to great by avoiding these seven pitfalls.

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Sustainability Quotes

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."
- Derek Bok