Honoree Corder's Blog

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I love a good book. There are so many great books out there, and as writers, it’s hard to choose which ones to pick first. That’s why I created this list of Books to Help Writers Start the Year Strong! I want to help you achieve your ultimate potential as a writer, and these books will certainly send you on your way!
Here they are:
Write. Publish. Repeat. By Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant and David Wright


Teaches you the concept of the funnel – something to draw people in, but leads to something else readers will want to buy.




Also includes a Call to Action teaching you about subscriptions, new book sales, and marketing in the back of your book.


This book shows how book sales are governed by business principles that haven’t changed in 50 years … and aren’t going to change anytime soon. Teaching you to frame your writing as a business, not just as an art.
How to Make a Living with Your Writing by Joanna Penn


You’ll learn how to make money off of more than one book, online marketing, and other income sources for writers.




Also includes a Companion Workbook so you can answer the questions in the book for yourself!


Joanna also provides great tips on self-publishing in print, ebook, and audiobook. I love that she includes an overview of how she makes a living from her writing, so you know you can too!
Prosperity for Writers by Yours truly


It includes what you need to develop the mindset of a prosperous writer, as well as some practical tools (things you can do).


There are actually 5 books in this series (including 3 with my author buddy Brian Meeks) so be sure to check them out!


Write Faster, Write Smarter  series by Chris Fox 


These books help you get your ducks in order!




Helping writers find their “rhythm” and establish a writing habit that actually fits into their life!


The strategies mentioned in these books are specific and well-outlined. Chris is a professional who shares his learning with others, which I think is super cool.
The Miracle Morning for Writers by Hal Elrod, Steve Scott & me


The book seriously changed my life–the Life S.A.V.E.R.S. are a must for starting off your day on the right foot. This book has the added expertise of the prolific and wonderful Steve Scott (who also writes as SJ Scott).




This book leads you through the steps of creating new success and writing habits within 30 days that become a part of who you are– there is also a great support group on Facebook!


Hal, Steve and I account for all lifestyles and schedules in this book, so even if you’re a committed non-morning person, give it a try!(There are also 13 other titles in the series.)
Become an Idea Machine by Claudia Azula Altucher 


It will bring you out of your comfort zone by forcing you to come up with ideas. She suggests 10 a day!




Works your “idea muscle” and allows for more and more ideas for books. Once you master creating ideas, there’s no excuse!


Creating ideas every day is amazing for your writing! It will open up the door to new book ideas, readers, and release you from the fear of failure because you know how to create new ideas all the time.
The  Dear Writer series by Becca Syme


Becca is a successful writer (fiction and nonfiction) and she really knows the potholes and pitfalls to avoid, so you can be more successful faster!


I know, I know, that’s a lot of books (you’re welcome). Truth be told, this is only a short list of books I recommend for the end of the year. If you’d like to see all of my favorite books, you can go here.

More Good Stuff…
Your prosperity begins and ends with what you think, say, and do–or in this case what you do, read, and listen to, so try these on for size:

~Prosperous Reading:  How to Use Your Book to Market Your Book by Tim Grahl
~Prosperous App: I recommend Blinkist for consuming books in 10-15 minutes (it’s my new favorite app!) .
~Prosperous Listening: The GSD Mode episode “How to Become a Successful Author” features yours truly!

BookBub!
Do you like BookBub? This site is crazy awesome and notifies you when books go on sale (think 99 cents). I have an Author Page with BookBub and if you follow me there, they will send you a personal note when I have a book sale. It’s that easy! Click the box below and hit the “Follow Me” at the top right of my profile.

Not receiving these posts in your inbox yet? If you’d like to receive more articles about writing and making money as a writer – and how to become a prosperous, full-time writer go here .

Last time I shared about “front matter” and in this post, we’re talking all about what to include in the back of your book to encourage author-reader engagement.

Traditionally included in the back matter is:

“End of Book Stuff”: Also called “author notes,” I was inspired to start including these notes from one of my author besties. Sharing about why you wrote your book, what inspired you, and even perhaps what was happening while you were writing it are all insights your readers want to know.Quick Favor: This is your opportunity to ask your readers to leave a review if they enjoyed the book. This simple request is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get positive reviews for your book.Gratitude and Acknowledgements: Be sure to thank anyone who helped you in researching, writing, editing, and designing the book. (If you included this in your front matter, then don’t repeat it here.)Glossary: You can include definitions of words that important in your book, and you’ll want to sort them in alphabetical order. Bibliography and Reference List: Not 100% necessary, but this can be a nice touch, depending upon your subject matter. This is your comprehensive breakdown of sources cited and has already been attributed in the book. Be sure to follow a Manual of Style, and your editing team will help ensure it is all correct. About the Author/Author Bio: Tell about yourself in congruence with your style and sense of humor. This is a great place to mention your backlist and any upcoming titles. Include links to your website and a list of your most frequently visited social media handles.

The image above is in the back matter of my book, You MUST Write a Book: Boost Your Brand, Get More Business, and Become the Go-To Expert.
It’s crucial for the long-term success of your book that you optimize both the front matter and the back matter. If you have any questions, by all means, leave a comment below and ask away!

​​​​​​​If you haven’t already, grab a copy of You Must Write a Book and the companion guide.

Last week, I promised to share how to engage your audience with some additional content in your book. You know the first few pages of a book, usually numbered in lower-case Roman numerals? 

That’s called the “front matter.” Although some readers skip right over it, it can do some heavy lifting when it comes to author-reader engagement. 
Traditionally included in front matter is:

Frontispiece (the black and white mirror image of the front cover), 

Title page (print the title and author name as it appears on the cover and the spine).

Copyright page: also called a “colophon,” it’s on the reverse of the title page, containing technical publishing information such as edition dates, copyrights, typefaces, ISBN, as well as publisher and printer names.

Dedication page (optional): a page where the author names the person or people for whom they have written the book.

Table of contents: the list of chapter headings and subheadings (optional) along with the respective page numbers. 

Foreword (optional): an introduction written by another person, usually coming before the preface.

Preface or Introduction (optional): an introduction written by the author.

Acknowledgments

What’s missing from this list is a critical piece of front matter that can simultaneously maximize and multiply future engagement with your reader. You’ll add it right in those beginning pages of the book, and in just a moment, I’ll tell you why.

First, let me tell you what it is.

Among these pages, I add a single page with a “special invitation” or “reader bonus,” in internet marketing circles, what’s known as a “shy yes.” The special invitation is meant to grab the reader’s email address, in exchange for something they’d really like to have (and ordinarily have to pay for), such as a: 

~bonus chapter–something that didn’t make the book, but would also be helpful, 

~a free checklist or a reference list, or

~even a free copy or two-free chapters from another book, which is what I’ve given you an example of, above. (Go ahead, try it out!)

The options are endless!

I usually place mine right after the Table of Contents and before any Foreword (or if there’s no Foreword, then the Introduction). The page doesn’t have to be specially designed (in other words, it can just be text), and should be simple. 

You go here: insert URL to get: insert BONUS.
The image above? Yeah, that’s in the front matter of my book, Tall Order! Organize Your Life and Double Your Success…in Half the Time!

Both are business books. Usually, someone who reads Business Dating reads Tall Order! (and vice versa). Even as you’re writing your book, you can be thinking about how you can engage with readers–and email is the very best way to have contact with them–through their Inbox.

Spend some time defining what you want to add to your front matter, and I’ll be back with some insight into what goes into your back matter next week!

A question I get most often is How do I actually write my book? In other words, how do I identify the best contents for my book (and get it written)?
After you’ve decided on your main subject, you identify your desired outcomes, commit to writing the book, and get a resource to guide you.
Then, before you can write effectively and efficiently (and after you identify your avatar), your best bet is to create your outline.
Outlining your book creates the book’s construction, chapter by chapter, and allows you to fill in the subject matter in an easy (or at least easier) way. An outline really makes it almost effortless to get your knowledge out of your head and on paper.
Outline your books in three steps:
One. To identify the contents of your book, imagine you’re having a conversation with your ideal reader. Identify the questions they are most likely to have, write them down, and put them in a logical order.
Two. Turn the questions into chapters. Each chapter represents a sub-topic of the main subject of the book.
Three. Finalize your outline by including 3, 5 or even 10 points to cover in each chapter.

Once you’ve finalized your outline, your best course of action is to schedule time in advance to write. You’re an expert on the topic of your book, and the writing part should be fairly effortless–just answer the questions as you would if someone were sitting in front of you. Make sense?

Today’s Action Item: Start your outline by identifying the questions you get most often.



***RESOURCES***

~Harness the power of collaboration to supercharge your audience and income! Kirsten Oliphant, host of the Create If Writing podcast, just released her new book! Grab it here: Creative Collaborations: How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships without Being Smarmy
~Use Instagram for your book business! Here is Social Media Examiner’s Ultimate Instagram Marketing Guide.
~MyBookTable is the easiest way to add your book to your website and sell it through online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. How can you add it to your author website? Learn more here.
Not receiving these posts in your inbox quite yet? Get everything you need to finally get your book written. Just go here .

The real truth: Whether you independently (self) publish your book, or you’re signed by a major publisher, book marketing and book sales are almost the sole responsibility of the author.

Why?

Because the publisher’s job is to publish a book professionally. To ensure the quality and content are top-shelf. To publish on time. Not to market or sell books.

Now it’s true: if you have a large platform, traditional publishers will garner you some PR, get expanded distribution for your book, and even place your book in some hard-to-reach places.

But at the end of the day, for the book to become a true best-selling and best-earning) book, you (the author) will need to market, market, market.

The good news is you can professionally publish it yourself, and you can make money from your book. The best news is that with a creative, intentional book marketing plan, you can not only earn substantial royalties from the sales of your book, you can also turn your book in to multiple streams of income.

Oh, and one more thing: book marketing is fun! Connecting with readers, sharing your knowledge and expertise–all fun! So, create a book marketing plan consistent with the vision and goals you have for your book and get your book out there! You and your book deserve it!

If you’d like help designing your book marketing plan, I can help. I provide Strategic Book Coaching to a limited number of authors each year. Email Assistant@HonoreeCorder.com to availability and pricing.

It’s pretty cool to be an author. You become the most interesting person at a luncheon or a cocktail party. Why? Because almost everyone wants to be an author (or thinks it’s pretty amazing to be one).

If you want to stand out,
have a book to hand out!

Not only do you get to say, “I’m an author!” when someone asks what you do for a living, there are several other benefits that come after you publish.

You become an expert ( the expert!) in your field. Saying you’re an expert isn’t enough. Having a book removes all doubt.

You can raise your professional fees. No matter what you charge now, being an author makes it easy to charge more.

You will be quoted in articles, publications, and yes, even other books. Yes, your book is the gateway to boosting your brand and gaining even more recognition.

You can turn your knowledge and expertise into multiple streams of income. Among them: speaking, consulting, coaching, teaching courses, and so much more.

Your readers can become your fans, clients, and friends (not necessarily in that order). Sometimes, they become all three!

It takes a lot of planning, work, and yes, writing to finally see your name on the cover of your own book, yet I bet you won’t find an author anywhere who wouldn’t encourage you to take the plunge. Including me.

In fact, I believe every professional should write a book! That’s why I devote a large chunk of my time to helping them do just that. Is it your turn? Are you ready? I’d love to help!

Where are you in the process of writing your book?

There’s no quick fix or magic bullet for writing. You have to sit yer arse in a chair and write. However, I do have some great resources to make your writing faster, easier, and better.
This is the first in a series of posts I’m going to write to give you my best strategies and ideas for writing a book, a blog, or even an email … and not being stressed about it. I’m going to share things you can do, start doing, stop doing, and consider. You can consider each of them part of a huge menu (think: Cheesecake Factory), and you get to choose what makes sense and sounds good for you.
I’m going to start with listening. Listening to podcasts revealed to me a community of people who were writers of all kinds: fiction, non-fiction, prolific, aspiring, bloggers, freelancers, scriptwriters and more. Here are podcasts I think are top-shelf:


The Self-Publishing Formula Podcast (Mark Dawson, James Blatch)


Authority Self-Publishing (Steve Scott, Barrie Davenport)


Wordslinger Podcast (Kevin Tumlinson)


The Writer Files (Kelton Reid)


The Author Hangout (ShawnManaher)


The Author Biz (Stephen Campbell)


The Sell More Books Show (Bryan Cohen, Jim Kukral)


The Creative Penn Podcast (Joanna Penn)



You probably won’t listen to every episode, but I suggest you give a listen to every one of these podcasts at least once a month (more if you’re closer to the beginning of your writing career). You might not like them all, but give each one a try. Where can you find the time? Here’s when I listen:


Doing housework (laundry or dishes, anyone)?


Working out


Driving


Walking


Shopping at the grocery store


During my Miracle Morning



The most amazing thing about these podcasts is, if nothing else, you’ll hear your fellow writers share their best ideas. There’s something about listening to other people do what we want to do that can spur us on to our own success.
Until next time, happy writing!



More Good Stuff…

~Focus made easy. I listen to the app “Focus @ Will.” There’s science behind it. It’s amazing. Try it!
~Think you don’t have time to write? I promise you do… Brian Meeks and I co-authored  The Nifty 15: Write Your Book in Just 15 Minutes a Day . This could be just the “beautiful kick in the behind” you need!
~The  You Must Write a Book LIVE Coaching Course  takes the guess-work out of crafting, writing, publishing, launching, and marketing your book. Find out more here.
Not receiving these posts in your inbox yet? If you’d like to receive more articles about writing and making money as a writer – and how to become a prosperous, full-time writer go here .

Since writing Prosperity for Writers, I’ve had occasion to ponder, process and discuss the many reasons why some writers prosper more than others. This is the first in an undetermined number of emails that will break them down, point-by-point and step-by-step. Ready?
Writers who prosper know how much money they need to make. I’ve already talked about that here, so take a moment to review and let’s keep going.
Prosperous writers treat income with respect, and know exactly where it’s going before it comes in. Dave Ramsey says,  Give every dollar a name . While I’ve never gone through Dave’s programs, I know about them in depth and agree with his philosophy. Do you have a name for each dollar of your income? If not, here are some prosperous writer action items for you to embrace:


Tithe: As I discussed in Prosperity for Writers, I believe the best way to convince our subconscious minds of anything (in this case that there is more than enough) is to take an action that proves it. You decide what percentage of your income you’re going to give away, and to where. I recommend 10%, but if money is tight, start with 1%, 3%, or even 5%. This process is magical as are the results. Action: the minute you receive money, or on a weekly or monthly basis, give a percentage away before you …




Save: The same percentage you’ve decided you’re going to give away is the exact same percentage you’re going to save for yourself. Choosing even 1% of $5,000 will give you $50 in your savings account. And so it begins! You’ll love how the amount of money you have in reserve builds and grows (and collects interest)! Action: move your pre-determined percentage into your savings account, and then pay your …




Expenses: What is your Monthly Nut? Those are your fixed expenses. Why on earth are expenses number three instead of number one? Because giving away money and giving yourself money outrank your expenses. It seems counter-intuitive, but it works. And I promise you, it’s what prosperous writers are doing. Action: pay all of the bills you can with the money you have on hand, and then move some money for your …




Desires & Fun: Have something you really, really want? Try an old-fashioned strategy that is incredibly sound: save up for it. Open a separate account just for your desire and save the same amount you’re tithing and saving toward it. Once you’ve accumulated the amount of money you need, use it to purchase what you’ve got your eye on. Paying cash for things is great because you won’t go into debt (therefore paying much more than the actual cost of the item), and you’ll appreciate it because you’ve had to build your waiting muscle. Nothing wrong with that, I promise you.


In addition, having fun with your money shows your subconscious mind that money equals fun. And your subconscious mind loves fun! Once you’ve conditioned it that more money equals more fun, you’ll make, find, and attract more money than ever before.
Determining where your money is going to go before it comes in allows you to take control of your money in a way you may not have done so before, which is exactly what prosperous writers do . These action items will work if you work them. You’ll have more money, accumulate more money, and make more money than you ever have before. Commit to consistently work with these steps (stay with them! keep going!) for the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be back with what’s next.
When you start to get positive results, I’d love to read them in the comments below. And remember: #BOLO!
Until next time, here’s to your writing abundance!
Not receiving these posts in your inbox yet? If you’d like to receive more articles about writing and making money as a writer – and how to become a prosperous, full-time writer go here.
(Do you know the top ten differentiators in business? Find out how Honorée stands out from the crowd on her latest business blog, here)
I am on a mission to inspire and motivate people to turn their vision and dreams into their real-life reality, sharing leading-edge processes I’ve created for myself and my executive coaching clients. I write about business growth and personal development, including shedding limiting beliefs, dreaming big and living the life you truly want. If enjoyed this article, then join my free newsletter and you’ll get a free copy of my networking book, Business Dating: Applying Relationship Rules in Business for Ultimate Success.
Website: HonoreeCorder.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Honoree
Twitter: twitter.com/Honoree

I hope this finds you well and having a terrific year so far!

I hear a lot of faux info regarding writers and making money, and I thought I’d do a series addressing them one by one. Let’s start with:

Myth #1: You can’t make any money from a book.

I hear this one a lot. Almost every aspiring author I speak to has been told (by at least one well-meaning neighbor, aunt, or colleague) that making money from a book is a fool’s errand.

My answer? Incorrect.It is entirely  possible to make money from a book, as well as make money as a result of a book (i.e., using a book to generate fees from professional services, coaching, speaking, consulting, and so much more).

Also, you don’t have to choose: you can generate income in multiple ways.

I’ll give you three examples:

Me. I earn a six-figure income from my books, and I earn a separate six-figure income as a result of business activities I engage in through my books (see my signature, below).

Hal Elrod. My business partner in The Miracle Morningbook serieshas turned his income-generating book into multiple streams of income.

Michael Anderle.This is a fiction writer whose publishing company earns (reportedly) seven figures a month. As of this writing, he’s ranked #31 overall in the Amazon store. Not bad for being a guy who just wanted to earn $50,000 a year from writing books and move to Mexico.

And the three examples above are just three of many. 

You absolutely can earn money from a book–your book–and I say with this certainty. But here’s the fine print: your book has to be a quality product, published professionally, and marketed unceasingly. Unsurprisingly, just like any other business or product.

What’s your biggest question about crafting, writing, publishing, launching, or marketing your book? I’d love to know! Leave your question in the comments.

*Want to write a new book, re-publish a previous title, or learn how to market your book creatively? Schedule a discovery session with me to see how I can help. Just email assistant@honoreecorder.com.