WRITER GET NOTICED: A Strengths-Based Approach to Creating a Standout Author Platform by Colleen M. Story -- Stop feeling invisible and start attracting the attention you deserve! ***Interview with the Author -- Review -- Giveaway***
Writer Get Noticed!
A Strengths-Based Approach to Creating a Standout Author Platform
by Colleen M. Story
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 310 pages
Genre: Non-fiction Writing/Publishing
Publisher: Midchannel Press
Release date: March 2019
Tour dates: April 8 to 19, 2019
Content Rating: G
Stop feeling invisible and start attracting the attention you deserve!
Have you been writing for years, but feel like no one notices? Have you published your stories, only to gain a handful of readers? Do your marketing efforts feel like shouting into a void?
Veteran writer and motivational coach Colleen M. Story helps you break the spell of invisibility to reveal the author platform that will finally draw readers your way.
There are more books out there than ever before, and readers have many other things vying for their attention. A writer can feel like a needle in a haystack, and throwing money at the problem rarely helps. What does work is creating a platform that stands out, but in a sea of a million platforms, how is one to do that?
Writer Get Noticed! takes a new approach, dispelling the notion that fixing your writing flaws and expanding your social media reach will get you the readers you deserve. Instead, discover a myriad of strengths you didn’t know you had, then use them to find your author theme, power up your platform, and create a new author business blueprint, all while gaining insight into what sets you apart as a writer and creative artist.
Writers need readers to achieve their highest potential. Find your way to stand out, and let it lead you to the writing career that fulfills all your expectations and more.
In this motivational and inspiring book, you’ll learn:
- Why simply improving your writing skills won’t take you where you want to go.
- How discovering your strengths makes you a more effective writer and entrepreneur.
- What you really want from writing and why that matters.
- How to use the three-brain decision-making system to build a more successful author platform.
- What truly motivates you and how to use that to propel yourself forward.
- How to use the “find your author theme formula” to write a theme that fits your creative style.
- How imposter syndrome can stall your progress, and how to overcome it.
- Why risk-taking is critical to writing success, and how to make better decisions about the risks you take.
To read reviews, please visit Colleen M. Story's page on iRead Book Tours.
Why did you entitle this book “Writer Get Noticed?”
One of the things writers struggle with these days is getting readers. There were over one million books self-published in 2017—and that’s only the self-published ones. The competition is stiff on the market, and it’s only getting stiffer with each passing year.
On top of that, people have a lot more things vying for their attention than they used to. Yes, they can read a book, but they can also play a video game, watch a movie, check out cat videos, head out to a concert, and so much more.
How can a writer get her book noticed? It’s a challenging task for anyone, and many writers end up really discouraged when their books languish on the market without much attention.
Writing is a solitary activity, but we do it in anticipation of having readers, and when we don’t get them, we can lose our confidence and motivation to keep writing.
Writer Get Noticed! helps writers build author platforms that work for them, so they can start getting the reader feedback they need.
What was the most difficult part of writing this book?
Actually writing this book came quite easily to me. I’ve been writing for over 20 years, and I’ve experienced the challenges involved with building a workable platform. Now that I’ve finally figured it out, I was eager to share what I’ve learned, so the writing flowed pretty smoothly.
I’m also grateful to the other writers who shared their stories in this book. I’ve featured them all on my blog, Writing and Wellness, and was honored when they agreed to share their stories in this book as well. Hearing how other writers are using their unique strengths and talents to create standout author platforms can help those reading the book to open their minds to new possibilities for themselves.
How have you built a writing career for yourself?
I started out as a copywriter for a corporation. It was a great beginning, as I wrote all sorts of materials for them, including magazine articles, brochures, research-based reports, catalog copy, commercial scripts, website copy, training manuals, and so much more.
After a little over three years, I left the company and set off on my own. I’ve made my living as a full-time freelance writer ever since. I write for clients in the health and wellness industry, and then I work on my novels and nonfiction books on the side.
I’ve been fortunate enough to build a writing business that now allows me to divide up my time about equally between freelance and personal projects. That means I can have some fun while still keeping the lights on!
If you could give advice to the writer you were when you first started writing, what would it be?
I’d tell her to start building her platform right now. My mistake was to wait until after I got a publishing contract to start working on it. I didn’t really understand what platform was then or how to go about creating one.
Now I know that it takes years to really build up a readership for your work, so it’s best if you start as early as possible, even before you have a book published.
For writers who are confused about platform, aren’t sure how to start, or who have a platform that’s not bringing them results, Writer Get Noticed! can help.
What are your plans for future projects?
I’m excited about several new things I’m working on. I continue to build my two websites for writers—Writing and Wellness and Writer CEO—and I’m speaking at several writing workshops and events this year.
I just finished my first complete draft of my next novel, which is entitled The Beached Ones, so I’m eager to get into the edits for that. I’m also writing a story for a musical, and building a new online workshop, so it’s a busy time.
I’ve got an idea for a new nonfiction book as well, but I’m holding off on that for the moment. I need to catch my breath after finishing this one!
I was excited when I saw this book. I’ve just started the ‘By Authors for Authors’ Blog. What a great post to add there, as well as here. But then I looked at it sideways; there are so many books about writing. I did a blog post a few years ago about knowing who you’re learning from. So, I did what any good blogger would have done, I signed up to do a review and read the book. I’m glad I did.
This is not your typical book about writing. The Author isn’t telling you to avoid those pesky verbs or the difference between you’re and your, although she encourages you to keep learning as you go. This book is for those writer’s who have dealt with publishing and found themselves thrown into marketing that they know little about. It’s also for those who are burned-out, frustrated, and maybe even giving up, although I think all of us could grow by reading Writer Get Noticed. I started off doing the exercises, but with our recent move and so many changes, I no longer had enough time to do that. I will be going over it again soon, because I think I could learn a lot about myself by doing so.
Colleen Story’s exercises will help you to see why you write, who you write for, and what your final goal is. She shows us how to pick ourselves up and move forward from wherever we are. Once we’ve done that, she takes us through setting up and building our platforms, helping us to avoid common mistakes, and to keep moving when times get tough. She keeps us focused and talks about her own path through a system that was new to her when she first began to publish. New or not, the current system often causes writers, experienced and new, to stumble.
I would recommend Writer Get Noticed, to anyone frustrated with writing and the path they are on.
Colleen M. Story is on a mission to inspire people from all walks of life to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment. Her latest release, "Writer Get Noticed!," is a strengths-based guide to help writers break the spell of invisibility and discover unique author platforms that will draw readers their way. Her prior nonfiction release, "Overwhelmed Writer Rescue," was named Solo Medalist in the New Apple Book Awards, Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book, and first place in the 2018 Reader Views Literary Awards.
With over 20 years as a professional in the creative industry, Colleen has authored thousands of articles for publications like “Healthline” and “Women's Health;” worked with high-profile clients like Gerber Baby Products and Kellogg's; and ghostwritten books on back pain, nutrition, and cancer recovery. Her literary novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, an Idaho Author Awards first place winner, and New Apple Solo Medalist winner, among others.
Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers.
Buy the Book:
Interview
Colleen M. Story
Writer Get Noticed!
One of the things writers struggle with these days is getting readers. There were over one million books self-published in 2017—and that’s only the self-published ones. The competition is stiff on the market, and it’s only getting stiffer with each passing year.
On top of that, people have a lot more things vying for their attention than they used to. Yes, they can read a book, but they can also play a video game, watch a movie, check out cat videos, head out to a concert, and so much more.
How can a writer get her book noticed? It’s a challenging task for anyone, and many writers end up really discouraged when their books languish on the market without much attention.
Writing is a solitary activity, but we do it in anticipation of having readers, and when we don’t get them, we can lose our confidence and motivation to keep writing.
Writer Get Noticed! helps writers build author platforms that work for them, so they can start getting the reader feedback they need.
What was the most difficult part of writing this book?
Actually writing this book came quite easily to me. I’ve been writing for over 20 years, and I’ve experienced the challenges involved with building a workable platform. Now that I’ve finally figured it out, I was eager to share what I’ve learned, so the writing flowed pretty smoothly.
I’m also grateful to the other writers who shared their stories in this book. I’ve featured them all on my blog, Writing and Wellness, and was honored when they agreed to share their stories in this book as well. Hearing how other writers are using their unique strengths and talents to create standout author platforms can help those reading the book to open their minds to new possibilities for themselves.
How have you built a writing career for yourself?
I started out as a copywriter for a corporation. It was a great beginning, as I wrote all sorts of materials for them, including magazine articles, brochures, research-based reports, catalog copy, commercial scripts, website copy, training manuals, and so much more.
After a little over three years, I left the company and set off on my own. I’ve made my living as a full-time freelance writer ever since. I write for clients in the health and wellness industry, and then I work on my novels and nonfiction books on the side.
I’ve been fortunate enough to build a writing business that now allows me to divide up my time about equally between freelance and personal projects. That means I can have some fun while still keeping the lights on!
If you could give advice to the writer you were when you first started writing, what would it be?
I’d tell her to start building her platform right now. My mistake was to wait until after I got a publishing contract to start working on it. I didn’t really understand what platform was then or how to go about creating one.
Now I know that it takes years to really build up a readership for your work, so it’s best if you start as early as possible, even before you have a book published.
For writers who are confused about platform, aren’t sure how to start, or who have a platform that’s not bringing them results, Writer Get Noticed! can help.
What are your plans for future projects?
I’m excited about several new things I’m working on. I continue to build my two websites for writers—Writing and Wellness and Writer CEO—and I’m speaking at several writing workshops and events this year.
I just finished my first complete draft of my next novel, which is entitled The Beached Ones, so I’m eager to get into the edits for that. I’m also writing a story for a musical, and building a new online workshop, so it’s a busy time.
I’ve got an idea for a new nonfiction book as well, but I’m holding off on that for the moment. I need to catch my breath after finishing this one!
Thank you for being with us today.
Keep scrolling for my review for Writer Get Noticed.
For iRead Book Tours
A JB Bookworms with Brandy Mulder Review
Writer Get Noticed
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was excited when I saw this book. I’ve just started the ‘By Authors for Authors’ Blog. What a great post to add there, as well as here. But then I looked at it sideways; there are so many books about writing. I did a blog post a few years ago about knowing who you’re learning from. So, I did what any good blogger would have done, I signed up to do a review and read the book. I’m glad I did.
This is not your typical book about writing. The Author isn’t telling you to avoid those pesky verbs or the difference between you’re and your, although she encourages you to keep learning as you go. This book is for those writer’s who have dealt with publishing and found themselves thrown into marketing that they know little about. It’s also for those who are burned-out, frustrated, and maybe even giving up, although I think all of us could grow by reading Writer Get Noticed. I started off doing the exercises, but with our recent move and so many changes, I no longer had enough time to do that. I will be going over it again soon, because I think I could learn a lot about myself by doing so.
Colleen Story’s exercises will help you to see why you write, who you write for, and what your final goal is. She shows us how to pick ourselves up and move forward from wherever we are. Once we’ve done that, she takes us through setting up and building our platforms, helping us to avoid common mistakes, and to keep moving when times get tough. She keeps us focused and talks about her own path through a system that was new to her when she first began to publish. New or not, the current system often causes writers, experienced and new, to stumble.
I would recommend Writer Get Noticed, to anyone frustrated with writing and the path they are on.
About the Author
Colleen M. Story is on a mission to inspire people from all walks of life to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment. Her latest release, "Writer Get Noticed!," is a strengths-based guide to help writers break the spell of invisibility and discover unique author platforms that will draw readers their way. Her prior nonfiction release, "Overwhelmed Writer Rescue," was named Solo Medalist in the New Apple Book Awards, Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book, and first place in the 2018 Reader Views Literary Awards.With over 20 years as a professional in the creative industry, Colleen has authored thousands of articles for publications like “Healthline” and “Women's Health;” worked with high-profile clients like Gerber Baby Products and Kellogg's; and ghostwritten books on back pain, nutrition, and cancer recovery. Her literary novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, an Idaho Author Awards first place winner, and New Apple Solo Medalist winner, among others.
Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers.
Find more at her motivational sites
Writing and Wellness and Writer CEO, on her author website, or follow her on Twitter.
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends April 26, 2019
Great review, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome <3
Delete