Showing posts with label Nina Amir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nina Amir. Show all posts

Change the World One Book at a Time by Nina Amir: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Monday, January 05, 2026
Change the World One Book at a Time by Nina Amir

A longtime friend of WOW, Nina Amir, is launching a tour for her latest book: Change the World One Book at a Time. This book can give writers a new way to look at the power of their writing as well as introduce activists to a way to promote their cause. Join us as we celebrate her launch and learn what it means to be an Author of Change. Don't forge to enter to win a copy of this eye-opening book.

But before we get to that, here's more about her book:

Writing has the potential to effect change. One look a tthe world makes it clear that creating change is more critical now than ever. Yet, writers face a roadblock: lack of guidance through the process. Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words provides a handbook to help them achieve their mission.

In Change the World One Book at a Time, Nina Amir details how to produce books that serve as potent tools for transformation. A variety of books have been published about how to become an author, however, none have focused on providing strategies specifically geared toward writers who want to inspire and motivate change. These writers need a better-than-average manual on how to write and publish. This nonfiction reference book will provide activists, coaches, healers, clergy, speakers, leaders, writers, and anyone who wants to write a book that makes a difference with a comprehensive guide to understanding the change process, building engaged communities around their missions, and writing books that move readers to action.

Publisher: Books That Save Lives(January 6, 2026)
ISBN: 1963667298
ISBN-13: 978-1963667295  
Print length:  232 pages

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Nina Amir

Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is an 19X Amazon bestselling hybrid author. She supports writers on the journey to successful authorship as an Author Coach, Transformational Coach, and Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC ® )—the only one working with writers.

In addition to her most recent book, Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, Nina wrote three traditionally published books for aspiring authors—How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, and Creative Visualization for Writers. Additionally, she has self-published a host of books and ebooks, including the Write Nonfiction NOW! series of guides. She has had 19 books on the Amazon Top 100 List and as many as six books on the Authorship bestseller list at the same time.

Nina is an award-winning journalist and blogger, as well as a successful nonfiction developmental editor. Some of her editing clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books.

To further support writers, Nina created the Nonfiction Writers’ University, where members access a huge archive of resources, such as courses, ebooks, and interviews with writing and publishing experts, and receive monthly group Author Coaching. Additionally, she created the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge and Author of Change Transformational Programs. Nina also founded the Inspired Creator Community, which provides group transformational (spiritual and personal growth) coaching around the topic of creating what matters.

Find the author at:

--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: What influenced you to write a book about penning books that will change the world?

Nina: For many years, I was involved with the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference. I saw how many different types of writers wanted to produce books that created change in lives or the world. And I realized how much information they needed to succeed.

Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words was inspired by that experience. I decided to write a book that would provide those writing for change with the education they needed—in the form of a book. And the founder of that conference, literary agent Mike Larsen, encouraged me to write a book on the topic.

While I’m not an activist, I always wanted to write books that change lives—books about personal and spiritual growth. All my books have include discussions related to change. And my books help others write books that change lives.

WOW: Do you believe all genres can have an effect on the world and on the people who read those books – fiction as well as non-fiction?

Nina: Yes, I do. But I believe authors of fiction and creative nonfiction face more of a challenge
when it comes to inspiring and motivating readers to change. That doesn’t mean they can’t do so, but they will have to work harder on their craft to accomplish that goal.

Nonfiction is well suited to offering plans, research, strategies, and other things that move people to do something different. Look at how many nonfiction books exist with the words “how-to” in their titles; they all provide information on change. 

WOW:  Can you share a book that changed the way you looked at the world?

Nina: Interestingly enough, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
changed how I looked at the world. It is considered fiction, although it's a philosophical, inspirational novel that blurs lines with self-help and spirituality. It tells a story about reality, miracles, and becoming your own messiah through the adventures of two barnstorming pilots. It opened my eyes to metaphysics big time, and that topic became a passion of mine.

In the nonfiction realm, God is a Verb by the late Rabbi David Cooper, also changed how I looked at the world—or at least God. And it introduced me to the mystical study of Kabbalah.

WOW: What is your advice for someone who has a message they want to share, but they don’t feel they are a writer? 

Nina: If you don’t feel you are a writer, you can get help. You can hire a ghostwriter, if you have the funds. Or you can write a “messy first draft” and then hire a great editor to clean it up for you; this type of collaboration can prove very successful with the editor even doing a little ghostwriting for you. Of course, you can speak your book; then have an editor edit the transcripts.

I’d also encourage anyone who doesn’t think they are a writer to change that thought. (Coach hat coming on here…) As long as you believe you aren’t a writer, you will feel challenged to write. So, tell yourself you are a writer…or are becoming a writer, and then start writing. If you write, you are a writer.

WOW: What about those who aren’t sure their idea is “big enough” to qualify as changing the world?

Nina: As for an idea not being “big enough” to change the world: if you produce a book that changes one life, that starts the ripple of change. One life impacts another life.

Change doesn’t have to be huge. It can be a tiny movement—like the fluttering of butterfly wings that creates wind all the way across the globe.


"If you produce a book that changes one life, that starts the ripple of change. One life impacts another life."


WOW: What an amazing way to think about our writing out there in the world. Can you tell us about the journey to get Change the World One Book at a Time out into the world?

Nina: It was a long one! I had the idea about 15 years ago. A few years after that, I partnered with someone to create a course based on the idea. That person claimed to have rights to the book, so I had to hire a lawyer and buy them from her. Later, I had an agent pitch the idea, but he never sold it. I began pitching the book after that. I even hired my literary attorney to pitch to the bigger houses for me. In the end, I pitched to a publisher that had voiced an interest in the book when my agent was still representing me; she was still interested. Then the COVID pandemic hit…and two years or so passed. In early 2024, I reached out to the publisher again. On December 31, I signed a contract for the book. There was one more hiccup, but here we are year later…and the book releases tomorrow—January 6, 2026.

WOW: So many words popped in to my mind when I read the story of this book. I think I'll go with tenacious. You, Nina, are an incredibly tenacious writer. What is your writing process?

Nina: I come up with an idea. Then I create a table of contents. I might mind-map all the content out so I know what is going in all chapters or I’ll create subheadings for the chapters so I know what sections will be included.

If I want to traditionally publish the project, I work on a book proposal. I use that as a business plan and creative plan for the book, as I wrote about in The Author Training Manual. When I feel the idea has strong legs to stand on, I write the sample chapters. Once the book is sold to a publisher, I write the rest of it quite quickly.

If I plan to self-publish, I go through all the same steps, except I begin writing and do so until the manuscript is complete.

Sometimes, I still book my blogs—the reverse process of blogging books. I wrote about this in the second edition of How to Blog a Book.

WOW:  Is the craft of writing your primary topic/genre or do you do other types of writing?

Nina: I set out to write about Jewish spiritual and mystical topics. But my first agent asked me to “get published” by writing about what I knew best—writing and publishing. As time went on, I changed my view on the initial topics I wanted to pursue; they become nondenominational or about general personal and spiritual growth.

My current agent is pitching a book that is personal growth. Like those other topics, it comes out of religion (sort of) but is meant from anyone who wants to change—specifically to change their personal stories.

WOW: If you could give writers one piece of advice what would it be?

Nina: Pursue personal growth or development. The only thing standing in the way of you becoming a writer or an author is you—your old stories, beliefs, mental chatter, fears, etc. The way to succeed as a writer and author is to get out of your own way by undertaking personal change. Become the type of person who can write and publish a book; that identity comes with the habits and mindset of a successful writer.

"The only thing standing in the way of you becoming a writer or an author is you—your old stories, beliefs, mental chatter, fears, etc. The way to succeed as a writer and author is to get out of your own way by undertaking personal change."

WOW: What’s up next for your writing?

Nina: My literary agent currently is pitching a book of mine about telling sacred stories—stories that help us fulfill our potential. This book includes writing exercises but is not for writers per se. It is for those wanting to stop allowing their old personal stories to hold them back and craft new ones that help them create a desired future.

Additionally, in 2026 I hope to revise and release two of my self-published Write Nonfiction NOW! guides and my first traditionally published book, How to Blog a Book. And, I want to submit a few proposals for other book projects.

WOW: Thanks for sharing with us and giving us a new way to look at the effect our writing could have on the world. Have a great tour!

Change the World One Book at a Time by Nina Amir Blog Tour

--Blog Tour Calendar

January 5th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir - the day before its January 6 launch! Read an interview with the author and enter to win!

January 6th @ Shoe's Seeds & Stories
Want to make a writing resolution for 2026? Don't miss the review of Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir.

January 7th @ Create Write Now!
Author Nina Amir stops by to ask the big question: Are you Ready to Write a Book that Changes Lives?

January 8th @ Lisa Haselton Book Reviews & Interviews
Meet nonfiction author Nina Amir and learn more about her latest book Change the World One Book at a Time.

January 9th @ A Wonderful World of Words
Do you have a cause close to your heart? Nina Amir tells how you can Strengthen Your Cause with Community and shares an excerpt from Change the World One Book at a Time.

January 10th @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Want to look at writing through new eyes? Check out Nina Amir's latest book Change the World One Book at a Time.

January 12th @ Kaecey McCormick
Learn more about author Nina Amir in today's interview.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/

January 13th @ All Things Writing
What Makes Writing for Change Different? Think about your writing in a new way with Nina Amir, author of Change the World One Book at a Time.

January 14th @ Hook of a Book
Hook of a Book is spotlighting Nina Amir's latest book Change the World One Book at a Time. Stop by and enter the book giveaway.

January 15th @ Words by Webb
Jodi has thoughts about who she thinks would benefit from Nina Amir's Change the Word One Book at a Time

January 16th @ What Is This Book About
Attention writers! Do more than just put words on paper. Learn more with an excerpt from Nina Amir's Change the Word One Book at a Time.

January 19th @ Chapter Break
Want to change the world? Author Nina Amir explains why every activist should write a book.

January 22nd @ Knotty Needle
Judy reviews a book that could change the way you think about writing: Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir.

January 23rd @ Weekend Care Package
Author Nina Amir is planning the perfect weekend - pop by to find out what she's putting in her Weekend Care Package.

January 26th @ Hook of a Book
What's the secret to writing a change inspiring book? Nina Amir, author of Change the World One Book at a Time reveals the answer in today's guest post.

January 28th @ Writer Advice
Prolific non-fiction writer Nina Amir stops by with thoughts on being an Author of Change.

January 31st @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Meet Nina Amir, the author of several books, and learn more about her latest: Change the World One Book at a Time.  

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win Change the Word One Book at a Time by Nina Amir. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends January 18th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!

Change the World One Book at a Time Giveaway
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Creative Visualization for Writers by Nina Amir -- a blog tour and book giveaway

Monday, September 19, 2016
Some days creativity feels like a geyser that will never cease. Other days it feels like a tiny trickle of
creek after a long hot summer. Nina Amir has some ideas on how to keep your creative juices flowing.

Her latest writing craft book, Creative Visualization for Writers: An Interactive Guide for Bringing Your Book Ideas – and Writing Career – to Life, helps you nurture your creativity. Say goodbye to tedious assignments and say hello to fun activities--over 100--that will give your writing a boost.

This book also helps you develop Author Attitude by setting goals, increasing productivity, refusing negativity and more. Creative Visualization for Writers will help you take the steps needed to become a successful writer.

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (October 18, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1440347182
ISBN-13: 978-1440347184

Creative Visualization for Writers is available as a print book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Creative Visualization for Writers, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes next Monday, September 26 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:

 Nina Amir started as a journalist. She has a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology. After working as an editor and writer for a variety of regional magazines, a national corporation in New York City, and a small consulting firm, she started my own freelance writing and design business.

Working on other writers’ manuscripts sparked her desire to write a book of on topics she felt passionate about: personal development and practical spirituality. More than publishing a book, she wanted to build a business around those books.

Setting out to learn all she could about the publishing industry she got involved with the San Francisco Writer’s Conference and started the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge (now known as National Nonfiction Writing Month). In April 2012, her first book How to Blog a Book was published, became an Amazon bestseller almost immediately, and has remained one ever since. The Author Training Manual was published by Writer’s Digest Books just two years later and was a bestseller before any books passed through the register on Amazon. In addition she’s self-published several more ebooks, all of which have made it onto the Amazon Top 100 right away. In fact, she’s had as many as four books on one Amazon Top 100 list at the same time!

Nina Amir's website: http://ninaamir.com/

Nina Amir's blog: http://ninaamir.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninaamir

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NinaAmir

-----Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Creative Visualization for Writers combines writing and drawing. How do you feel these two activities complement each other?

NINA: The point is to find ways to help writers tap into their ability to create—to write—even if they don’t seem complementary.

Most of us realize that our brain has two sides that process information differently. The right side of the brain focuses on visual information. The left side of the brain focuses on verbal information.

As a writer, you may use your left brain—the language center—more than your right brain. Yet, the right brain is regarded as the more creative part of the brain.

But creativity is enhanced when you actively use both sides of the brain. For instance, it’s easier to ideate (and even write) if you call upon the right side of your brain. Drawing or coloring, meditating or visualizing, creating mind maps or time lines of your project, or singing or dancing help you tap into your creative energy and get the ideas and words flowing.

You’ll experience more creativity when you actively use both sides of the brain—when you write, draw, visualize, feel, and analyze. Thus, writers benefit from adopting a whole-brain approach to their work.

Also, when your writing project leaves you feeling stressed, unclear, and overwhelmed, drawing and coloring offer a means to relax and focus.

WOW: The book is divided into five sections: self-exploration, goals, creativity, visualization, and focus. How did you decide on these five themes OR which section is your favorite?

NINA: I felt that each one of these areas was important to making writing dreams real. I believe personal development is what helps us achieve anything in life. We hold ourselves back more often than any external situations. If we aren’t writing, we may need to explore or thoughts, mindsets, habits, etc. That’s where self-exploration comes in. Without goals, I think we flounder around through life. Goal setting gives us a map to follow toward the goal of successful authorship. Creativity is the foundation of writing. We want ideas! We need to solve problems and find solutions. And we need to know how to turn creativity on at will…not wait for inspiration to hit. Visualization could be seen as an outcropping of goal setting, but it goes farther. It’s a tool used by many people, including athletes, to convince themselves that they can achieve their goals and dreams. A clear vision of successful authorship, for instance, feeds your ability to bring that vision to life. As for focus, without it, you can’t write. We live in a highly distracting period of time. We need to learn to train our minds to work like laser beams. We can do this with affirmations, visualization, and constantly training our mind on what we want—not what we don’t want. Coloring pages that contain images of what we desire, coupled with the repetitive writing and repeating of self-affirming statements, helps us focus…and manifest our dreams.

The last section on focus also was born out of a desire to tap into the adult coloring book trend. But my publisher and I did not want to produce a coloring book. We both felt writers were way to busy to sit around coloring! But we agreed that they would color if it helped them focus on their goals and dreams and bring them to life. (The same for the affirmations.)

As for which section I like most…I’d have to say Self-Exploration. I’m passionate about personal development. That’s why I became a Certified High Performance Coach. I think personal development is the missing piece in Author Training and Coaching. I strongly believe it is the key to successful authorship.

WOW: Do you feel this book is just for the writer in us or can it carry over to other aspects of life?

NINA: Oh, it definitely carries over into every area of life. You could apply the exercises and concepts to your finances, relationships, health, or anything else! And I do regularly.

WOW: Why did you decide to write Creative Visualization? Were you drawing on your own needs and experiences as a writer or the needs and experiences of your mentoring clients?

NINA: I drew on several things. First, I strongly believe we all need to utilize the tools included in the book in our lives—all areas of our lives. I’ve used affirmations, meditations, visualizations, goal setting, and more since my early 20s. I find my personal growth efforts and use of “woo-woo” strategies, like vision boards, has helped me become the author and coach I am today.

I’m a big advocate of planning—you’ll notice this in both How to Blog a Book and The Author Training Manual—and seeing writing and publishing as a business. This is the “hard” side of becoming an author.

I work with a variety of writers and authors, as a coach and trainer. But sometimes the education and support they receive through my Author Coaching and Author Training are not enough. These aspiring authors need a “softer” way of achieving goals. They need new habits, clear goals, ways to train their mind, and the energy to move to completion of a project. They need courage and influence.

You can teach someone almost anything, if they are willing to learn. But the deciding factor on whether or not they achieve their goals comes down to their ability to understand themselves and what holds them back—and to change. They need to become the person who can fulfill their dreams.

So, I wanted to move away from the hard business books for writers and provide them with a companion to my other titles—one that would provide a softer approach. And I believe Creative Visualization for Writers provides a fabulous foundation for the strategies in my other two books.

But take note that The Author Training Manual also mentions goals, visions, and development of the right attitude or mindset. Creative Visualization for Writers just takes the concepts further.

As a side note, I got the idea for the book from the adult coloring book trend. But I wanted to give writers something more useful than a color book.

WOW: Do you think there is one particular skill or attitude that every writer has to cultivate if they want to become successful?

NINA: I often talk about the need for Author Attitude—willingness, optimism, objectivity, and tenacity.

But this leads back to the one skill writers need: the ability to master their mind.

Whether you need to turn on creativity in a moment, stop yourself from feeling not good enough, turn your fear of rejection into the courage to contact an agent, or sit down and write daily, one thing will help you in every situation. Your ability to master your mind.

You have to learn to turn your negative thoughts into positive ones and shift limiting beliefs to unlimited ones. Doing so will increase your self-esteem and self-confidence and help you discover the willpower to change your habits.

You achieve your current level of success with your current habits. To achieve a new level of success, you need new habits.

No one likes to change. Therefore, we often have to work with our thoughts and beliefs to make change happen. That’s where affirmations, visualization, and personal development help enormously.

I see it time and time again. An aspiring writer never finishes a book or publishes successfully because she is afraid, doesn’t think she can, gets overwhelmed, or doesn’t have the energy to get to “done.”

As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right.”

WOW: Our readers are well acquainted with your books on writing craft. But you also have a fictional WIP. Can you compare the process of writing to non-fiction and writing fiction?

NINA: Well…I have a novel; it’s true. It’s not done.

But I would never approach the process of writing a novel in the way I did when I wrote that one—given what I know now.

I believe all books—fiction or nonfiction—should be born out of an idea, first, and a business plan, second—if you want it to have a greater chance of the book selling well.

But in addition to creativity, to write a novel you need a great imagination and the ability to tell a story.

Now, in nonfiction, you also should be telling a story—and possibly using anecdotes and vignettes—but you don’t have to make the story up! That takes imagination.

Memoirists must write like novelists in terms of style, and this can prove a different process than writing straight nonfiction. But, as we’ve learned, putting your imagination to work on a memoir, which is nonfiction, is not a good idea.

But in both genres, you must have an idea and the ability to carry it out. That takes an Author Attitude and more!

WOW: Tell us about compiling the exercises in Creative Visualization. Where did all the exercises come from? Did you do research into what types of questions and activities would increase creativity?

NINA: Some of the exercises are ones I use. In fact, I brainstormed relentlessly to create exercises for the book—over 100 of them.

I love creating workbooks and exercises. And the majority of those in the book are my own or based on my experiences or experiences of those I know or with whom I’ve worked.

When it came to creativity, I did, indeed, do research. And many of the exercises were born out of that research.

I also researched the topics of the other four sections, and this generated additional ideas for exercises.

WOW: Anything else you would like to add?

NINA: I’m extremely proud of this book. It melds my understanding of the writing and publishing process with my passion for helping writers get past the blocks they place in the way of their success. It’s a lovely blend of all that I have learned in career as a writer and author and in my quest to learn what makes people succeed at any endeavor. It provides the best of what I have to offer as an Author Coach and Author Trainer and a Certified High Performance Coach.

Plus, it’s a beautiful interactive journal. There’s so much fun in the pages and possibilities for introspection and dreaming. And it’s pretty! I love the illustrations—all of which can be colored.

I hope writers will take advantage of Creative Visualization for Writers and find that it helps them make their writing dreams and career real.

----------Blog Tour Dates

Monday, September 19 (today!) @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview with Nina Amir and a chance to win Creative Visualization for Writers!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Wednesday, September 21 @ Pen & Pro$per
Stop by for advice from Nina Amir, author of several writing craft books, including her latest Creative Visualization for Writers.
http://penandprosper.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 23 @ Create Write Now
Learn what makes a writing guru tick in today's interview with Nina Amir, author of Creative Visualization for Writers.
http://www.createwritenow.com/

Tuesday, September 27 @ Building Bookshelves
Looking for a book that could rejuvenate your writing career? Read today's review of Creative Visualization for Writers and enter to win a copy.
http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves

Thursday, September 29 @ Santa Fe Books
Looking for a great book on writing craft? Read today's review of Creative Visualization for Writers by Nina Amir. You'll be adding it to your "must read" list.
http://www.booksantafe.info/blog

Friday, September 30 @ Choices
Need all the details on Nina Amir's latest book? Don’t miss today’s showcase of Creative Visualization for Writers.
http://madelinesharples.com/

Monday, October 17 @ Lisa M. Buske
Read a review of Nina Amir's Creative Visualization for Writers today -- release date is tomorrow!
http://www.lisambuske.com/blog

Wednesday, October 19 @ Beads and Books
Creative types of all kinds – not just writers -- will enjoy Creative Visualization by Nina Amir. Stop by for a review!
http://www.beadsandbooks.com/

Thursday, October 20 @ Writers Pay It Forward
Learn more about writer Nina Amir and how you can practice Creative Visualization for Writers.
http://writerspayitforward.org/blog/

Friday, October 21 @ Android After Forty
Don't miss one of your last chances to enter and win Creative Visualization for Writers by Nina Amir.
http://www.AndroidAfterForty.com

Wednesday, October 26 @ Beverley A. Baird
Stop by for a review of a writer's book you shouldn't miss: Nina Amir's Creative Visualization for Writers.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

Thursday, October 27 @ Dorit Sasson
Does your writing need a boost? Creative Visualization for Writers could be just the thing you need!
http://doritsasson.com/blog/

Monday, October 31 @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Memoirists need creative visualization too! Learn more about Creative Visualization for Writers from Nina Amir and enter to win her newest book.
http://krpooler.com

Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Get Involved!
If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

*****BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST*****

Enter to win a copy of Creative Visualization for Writers! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget Monday, September 26. Also, stop by the blogs to enter into the tour-wide Rafflecopter giveaway. Winner will be announced on Friday, November 4.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!
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Blog to Book Contest Finalists: Vote for the Winner!

Monday, June 22, 2015
Have you ever wondered about how publishing houses come to their decisions about which books to publish and which to reject? Have you ever thought that if YOU were in their position you would make different (better) choices? Well, today you have your chance to look over our mini-slushpile and select a book idea that you think has a chance of succeeding in the big bad world of publishing.

Last week our Blog to Book Contest started. We had a wonderful turnout and received dozens of submissions of blog ideas that could be developed into a book with the help of Nina Amir's book How To Blog a Book. Even if you didn't submit an entry you still have time to join in the fun. You can vote in the survey below for which of the ten finalists you think has the best idea. The winner of the contest will receive a copy of How to Blog a Book (Revised and Expanded Edition) as well as a 15 minute consultation with author Nina Amir. Perhaps this time next year we'll be hearing about a new book that had its beginnings in the Blog to Book Contest!

The Finalists:

Dating for Hybrids (self-help)
Dating for people who don't fit stereotypes, who are their own individuals and would rather get to the point than play games. Flirting rocks, lying sucks and who cares who did the chasing?

At the Beach: Life's a Beach (meditation)
A series of blogs on the soothing aspects of living by the sea. Twenty-four blogs, many sunrise and sunset meditations, waking up and going to sleep at the beach, also time at the center of the day, being out by the water—with children, as young single people, or as retirees—musings, seashell collecting, Lots of photos available.

Tulip House (historical fiction)
The story of a woman who came over to America right before Germany invaded Holland. Tulip House is about family heritage, new beginnings and how one family lives out their new life in America passing on traditions of their homeland. This story is about a granddaughter's and her grandmother's love of tradition, family and of course, tulips and flowers!

Consumed with Passion (romance/cooking)
Short romance stories in which the characters enjoy a memorable meal together—be it a candlelight dinner, a picnic in the park, or a sumptuous champagne brunch. Each story accompanied by the full menu, easy to follow recipes, serving suggestions and (where applicable) wine pairings.

Life Derailed (memoir)
The story of how I survived my husband's brain tumor and brain infection.

Asymmetrically, Seyfert (science fiction)
Just when you thought you had encountered every conceivable alien, along gallops Seyfert, bringing with him disturbing physical features, high intelligence, quiet confidence, unparalleled dignity and masculine grace. His story is contained in a 75,000 word novel with 111 chronological flash fiction and short stories with humor and thought provoking touches. The novel and the stories each have their own beginnings, middles, and ends. In addition, each major character has his/her own arc throughout the novel. One of the major characters is Lucinda-Lucretia-Louise (L-3), a holder of dual PhDs, who, with perseverance and humor, faces and conquers her own professional and personal struggles, not that dissimilar from highly-educated Terran women.

Worker Bees (women's biography/history)
Unknown women who changed their local world around the beginning of the 20th century—women who were steamboat pilots, tailors/real estate barons, librarians and suffragettes. The worker bees, not the headliners. I think blogging will raise interest in them as well as help me to know which ones other women might be interested in reading about.

Reluctant Reader (parenting)
Targeting the parents of a child that is struggling to learn how to read. I would use my experience as the parent of such a child, along with what I have learned by reading information sent to me by online experts, and information I have gathered from conferences.

The Historic Romance of Savannah (travel/history)
The 22 squares that make up the city of Savannah, Georgia will form the nucleus of this blog...and later a book. These well-researched stories (one for each square) involve people who lived in Savannah but whose lives played out nationally and internationally, covering a stunning width and breadth of life experiences. For instance, a young girl from an isolated island of Rhode Island who marries a Revolutionary War general, moves to Savannah and becomes a supporter of Eli Whitney who invents the cotton gin, forever changing the cotton industry, and the South. Also, a young man who escapes the Haiti Uprising in 1790 for Savannah where he protects a family secret while becoming a successful businessman and raising a family full of dramatic life stories.

Intuitive Writing, Intuitive Living (writing how-to)
For my doctoral dissertation, I researched in part how intuition functions for working mothers. I would like to build on that research and to expand upon it for a book exploring how women can succeed both as writers and have more fulfilling lives. Using a blog to build this book seems like a smart and relevant approach because I could use a blog to introduce using intuition piece by piece, and in the process develop a cohesive book.

Cast Your Vote for the Winner!
Click here to vote: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07eb6ikjnsib6txw7a/start
Please only vote once. Your vote will remain anonymous.


Thanks to everyone who participated in the Blog to Book Contest and a big thanks to Nina Amir who decided to celebrate the release of the revised and expanded edition of How to Blog a Book by offering our writers/readers a chance to win a copy and a 15 minute consultation. Learn more about the blog to book process and Nina's other writing books (The Author Training Manual, Authropreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book, The Write Nonfiction Now! Guide to: Writing a Book in 30 Days and The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified) by following her @NinaAmir.
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Blog to Book Contest - Win a Copy of How to Blog a Book and a Phone Consultation with Nina Amir! Share Your Blog to Book Ideas

Wednesday, June 10, 2015
80,000 words. That's the average word count for a novel. Can you imagine writing, editing, polishing 80,000 words? It seems like an overwhelming task but people do it. What's their secret you may wonder? Ask 20 authors and you'll get 20 different answers.

Author Nina Amir has developed a plan that will give you structure, writing in manageable chucks and feedback from readers before the book is published. Nina Amir outlines the perfect solution in her book How to Blog a Book (Revised and Expanded Edition). Blogging a book can be the ideal road to publication for writers of all types of books: fiction, craft, recipes, self-help, memoir and more. Some books that started as blogs include:

  • Julie and Julia
  • Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip
  • Fail Nation
  • Escape from Cubicle Nation
  • Rules for My Unborn Son
  • ProBlogger
  • Stuff White People Like
  • PostSecret
  • My War: Killing Time in Iraq
  • Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair
  • The Handbuilt Home
  • The Reluctant Entertainer

Blog to Book Contest:

Do you have a book idea that will work as a blog turned book? Share your idea with us and you could win a copy of the newly released second edition of How to Blog a Book as well as a 15 minute phone consultation with Nina Amir! See submission guidelines below.

About the Book:

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (June 25, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1599638908
ISBN-13: 978-1599638904

How to Blog a Book teaches you how to create a blogged book with a well-honed and uniquely angled subject and targeted posts--and how to build the audience necessary to convince agents and publishers to make your blog into a book.

Inside you'll find:
  • Basic information on how to set up your blog and the essential plug-ins and other options necessary to get the most out of each post
  • Steps for writing a book easily from scratch using blog posts
  • Advice on how to write blog posts
  • Tips on gaining visibility and promoting your work both online and off
  • Tools for driving traffic to your blog
  • Information on how to monetize an existing blog into a book or other types of products
  • Profiles with authors who received blog-to-book deals

Author Nina Amir explains how writing a book in cyberspace allows you to get your book written easily, while promoting it and building an author's platform. It's a fun, effective way to start writing, publishing, and promoting a book, one post at a time.

About the Author:

Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs as an Inspiration to Creation Coach. She moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

Amir holds a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology, has edited or written for more than 45 publications producing hundreds of articles and had her work published in five anthologies. She has self-published nine short books, including the popular workbook How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self. She is the former writing and publishing expert on the popular radio show, Dresser After Dark, hosted by Michael Ray Dresser, which has approximately 80,000 listeners per month. Amir also speaks and writes about self-improvement, human potential, and practical spirituality. Visit her website at NinaAmir.com, and her blogs WriteNonfictionNow.com and HowtoBlogaBook.com. Follow her on Twitter @NinaAmir.

Book to Book Contest Submission Guidelines:

To win a copy of the second edition of How to Blog a Book as well as a 15-minute phone consultation with Nina Amir, please enter by submitting an idea you think would be an ideal subject for a book written using the Blog a Book style.

Submit: Send your blog-to-book idea to blogtobook@wow-womenonwriting.com with "Blog to Book Contest" in the e-mail subject line. You may submit up to five ideas.

Deadline: The contest closes Wednesday, June 17 at 11:59 PM EST.

We will announce the 10 semi-finalists on Monday, June 22. Stop by to find out if you're a semi-finalist as well as to cast a vote for the winner! Good luck!
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Brainstorming How to Make the Most of My Book

Saturday, March 07, 2015
It’s only March but already 2015 has been big writing year for me. In addition to writing and turning in two books, my first book, Ancient Maya, is out from Abdo. That’s the plus and it really is a big one, but until recently I was seeing on the short term advantages.

All three books are work for hire. Once the final manuscript is approved, I’ll collect my check and that will be that. There’s no long term gain except for the by-lines that need to convince a royalty-paying publisher to take on my work.

At least, that’s what I thought until I read Nina Amir’s Authorpreneur. Another Muffin blogger, Jodi Webb, asked me to read the book as part of the blog tour. I agreed because I thought it would give me a solid blog post, a big deal when you blog 5 times a week, and I might learn something.

I actually learned quite a lot. If you’ve read Authorpreneur, then you know it is all about building your income by building an entrepreneurial enterprise around your book. In doing this, you not only make income based on the book itself (royalties or work-for-hire) but on a variety of things that build on your expertise as a writer and the writer of THIS particular book. Amir suggests that we do this through supplemental books, classes, workshops and more.

Why am I writing about this if Jodi has already written a post about the book?  Because Amir's suggestions have changed how I look at my book. Instead of just putting it on my shelf (how pretty!), I’m brainstorming other possible opportunities based on my expertise.  This possibility has been open based on every other sale that I've ever made but after reading Amir's book, I've been motivated to do something about it.

According to Amir, I can write and speak on the Maya and writing. Here is the list that I’ve brainstormed so far.

E-books:
  • A book of late grade school/middle grade writing activities with a Mayan theme.
  • A book of classroom activities using Mayan art to teach literacy, critical thinking, and history.
  • A book on how we use history, archaeology, linguistics, chemistry, genetics, and forensics to learn about the Ancient Maya. Might feature expert interviews.
  • A book on what life is like for modern Mayan peoples.
  • A book about how, based on their own preconceptions, early historians and archaeologists got so much about the Maya wrong.

Lectures/Workshops:
  • Researching Nonfiction: How Much is Enough, Gathering Sources and Understanding What You Read
  • Writing to Reader Interest and Reading Level
  • Rewriting Based on Editorial Feedback
  • A classroom experience based on each of the books above.

Social Media:
  • Update Site (almost done)
  • Pinterest (working on my Maya board)

After reading Amir’s book, I’m beginning to understand how short-sighted my approach to my writing has been. Yes, I write daily. Yes, I get my work out there and I make sales. That's great for the short term but I'm selling my expertise short.  Amir has given my ideas about how to capitalize on my sales.

If you'll excuse me, I have a plan to outline.

--SueBE

Find out more about Sue's writing on her blog, One Writer's Journey.
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The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified Mini Review Tour

Wednesday, March 04, 2015
& giveaway contest!

There are a lot of writers out there trying to get a book published--and without much success. So where do you start? If you're writing a nonfiction book, your first step should be a book proposal. Oh no, not a book proposal. While that's the attitude many writers have toward book proposals we really should be saying "Hooray! A book proposal!" Because for most authors it's the book proposal that sells their idea to the gatekeepers: agents and publishers.

Nina Amir wants to change our attitudes about book proposals by providing us with an easy-to-follow manual: The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified: An Easy-Schmeasy Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Your Book. So take a deep breath, turn to page one, and start creating a book proposal that will sell your dream.

Ebook: 46 pages
Publisher: Pure Spirit Creations (July 9, 2014)
ASIN: B00LNR8HKO
Twitter hashtag: #NinaAmir

The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified: An Easy-Schmeasy Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Your Book is available as an ebook at Amazon and Smashwords.

Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Tuesday, March 10 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:


Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs as an Inspiration to Creation Coach. She moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

Amir holds a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology, has edited or written for more than 45 publications producing hundreds of articles and had her work published in five anthologies. She has self-published nine short books, including the popular workbook How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self. She is the former writing and publishing expert on the popular radio show, Dresser After Dark (www.dresserafterdark.com), hosted by Michael Ray Dresser, which has approximately 80,000 listeners per month. Amir also speaks and writes about self-improvement, human potential, and practical spirituality.

Find out more about the author by visiting her online:

Author Website: http://www.ninaamir.com/

Blogs: http://www.writenonfictionnow.com/ and http://www.howtoblogabook.com/

Twitter: @ninaamir

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InspirationToCreation and http://www.facebook.com/ninaamir

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaamir

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ninaamir

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NinaAmir/

BOOK REVIEW
The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified: An Easy-Schmeasy Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Your Book

Review by Jodi Webb

After reading The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified, I'm looking at book proposals in a whole new way. In the past they seemed like a chore to do before sending your book out to an agents or publisher. Nina makes you see that, aside from being a helpful tool for agents and publishers, a book proposal can be a helpful tool for YOU, the writer. Do you have a dozen book ideas rattling around in your brain? Which one to work on first...how will you decide? It's easy. Writing book proposals will help you judge the marketability of your ideas as well as strengthen any weaknesses you may find in your idea BEFORE you begin writing.

The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified breaks the book proposal down by section telling you what should be in each section and helpful tips like how long each section should be, what you shouldn't be saying and how the agent/publisher will be looking at each section. The book also recommends several other books that cover book proposals. This is short book that provides step by step instructions and makes an overwhelming job manageable.


----------Reviews and Giveaway of Authorpreneur

Wednesday, March 4 (today!) @ The Muffin
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, March 10 @ The Porch Swing Chronicles
www.L2hess.blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 11 @ Bridget Whelan
http://bridgetwhelan.com/

Friday, March 13 @ One Writer's Journey
https://suebe.wordpress.com

Tuesday, March 17 @ Writer’s Bucket List
http://www.writersbucketlist.com/blog/

Monday, March 23 @ The Lit Ladies
http://www.thelitladies.com

Wednesday, March 25 @ Writing It Real
http://writingitreal.com

Monday, March 30 @ Create Write Now
http://www.createwritenow.com

To view all our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar. Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Get Involved!
If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring  authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

Book Giveaway Contest: Enter to win a copy of The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget on Tuesday, March 10.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!
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Authorpreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book by Nina Amir - Mini Review Tour

Wednesday, February 04, 2015
& giveaway contest!

Don't give up your day job. At times, it seems like the mantra of writers. Of course we all dream of abandoning the 9 to 5 to immerse ourselves in a world of words. But is it possible? Does that world exist for people other than James Patterson, Sue Grafton and a few elite others?

Nina Amir not only believes that world exists but she wants to give everyone a map to help them find that world. Authorpreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book explains how, if you want to earn a living as an author, you have to think beyond the book. Not only that, think like someone who is more than an author. Think like an entrepreneur.

Ebook: 85 pages
Publisher: Pure Spirit Creations (October 22, 2014)
ASIN: B00OT67PPO
Twitter hashtag: #NinaAmir

Authorpreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book  is available as an ebook at Amazon and Smashwords.

Book Giveaway Contest:

To win a copy of Authorpreneur, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Tuesday, February 10 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:

Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs as an Inspiration to Creation Coach. She moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

Amir holds a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology, has edited or written for more than 45 publications producing hundreds of articles and had her work published in five anthologies. She has self-published nine short books, including the popular workbook How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self. She is the former writing and publishing expert on the popular radio show, Dresser After Dark, hosted by Michael Ray Dresser, which has approximately 80,000 listeners per month. Amir also speaks and writes about self-improvement, human potential, and practical spirituality.

Find out more about the author by visiting her online:

Author website: www.ninaamir.com

Blogs: www.writenonfictionnow.com and www.howtoblogabook.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ninaamir

Facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationToCreation and www.facebook.com/ninaamir

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ninaamir

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ninaamir

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NinaAmir/


BOOK REVIEW: AUTHORPRENEUR

Review by Jodi Webb


I am good with words. I am not good with numbers, money, business plans. I suspect in that way I am similar to many writers. Nina Amir's book Authorpreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book addresses that shortcoming in many writers by providing a step by step map to transforming a book into a business that provides an author many opportunities to earn.

When I say "step by step" I am not exaggerating. Amir will provide an idea such as webinar. From there she will provide you with the names of several platforms you can use to set up webinars along with the positives and negatives of each platform. Then she provides both creative and technical directions on how to produce a webinar: how to transform your book/knowledge into a webinar and tips on technical issues such as when to hold a webinar, producing online registration pages, etc. I was amazed by just how much information was in this 85 page ebook! Even if you just adopt one of the ideas Amir provides you will be getting your money's worth. But don't think this book is all about online opportunities. Amir provides the same detailed attention to things just as speaking engagements and creating mini-books.

On the surface, this book lends itself more to nonfiction writing but with some adaption fiction or memoir writers will find information they can use. It will definitely have you evaluating your book in a new way. I recommend that all writers read Authorpreneur: How to Build a Business Around Your Book and see where Amir's ideas will lead them.


----------Reviews and Giveaway of Authorpreneur

Wednesday, February 4 (today!) @ The Muffin
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Thursday, February 12 @ The Lit Ladies
http://www.thelitladies.com

Tuesday, February 17 @ Writer’s Bucket List
http://www.writersbucketlist.com/blog/

Friday, February 20 @ One Writer's Journey
https://suebe.wordpress.com

Tuesday, February 24 @ Writing and Fishing
http://c-c-hall.com/

Wednesday, February 25 @ Lily Iona Mackenzie
http;//lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com

Friday, February 27 @ Renee’s Pages
http://www.reneespages.blogspot.com/

To view all our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar. Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Get Involved!
If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring  authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

*****BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST*****

Enter to win a copy of Authorpreneur! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget on Tuesday, February 10.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!
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Review and Giveaway of The Author Training Manual

Monday, June 30, 2014
Last week my husband painted our living room with nary a grumble. How did I manage this miraculous feat?

Well, I promised to go through my bookshelves and weed out some of the books. Like most writers I am slightly addicted to writer how-to books. Reading them, jotting notes in the margins, marking pages with Post-It notes. Because one of those books will contain the magical advice that makes me an award-winning author. Due to the deal I made with my husband I did donate a few of my writer books to a used book sale. But I couldn't part with Nina Amir's How to Blog a Book and her latest The Author Training Manual.

One of the best things about The Author Training Manual is that Nina manages to be both friend and teacher. One the one hand she'll telling you "here are the things I did wrong," "here are the things I thought" and most importantly, "here are the changes I made." As I read I'm saying, "OMG, I felt that same way! I did that same thing!" So you look at Nina, now a successful author, and say "Hey, if I do what Nina did I could become a successful author too!"

But Nina isn't all about being a friend. She's a tough teacher too (reminds me of a few nuns I had in years past). Happily, The Author Training Manual is very specific. She doesn't just tell you to check out the competition. She tells you step by step how to do it. Nina doesn't leave you to your own devices (writers do tend to procrastinate). Set deadlines! Answer these survey questions! Follow this book planning outline. It's like writer boot camp! Perhaps it is more accurate to call it an author boot camp. The Author Training Manual helps you to plan both how to create the best book possible and how to become the most effective author. It helps you plan in an orderly way while your book is still just an idea. In fact, it way help you decide which of your ideas should become a book.

The Author Training Manual is crammed with extras: planning exercises, sample book proposals, questionaires, and additional reading lists for each chapter. Trust me, The Author Training Manual is one book I will never get rid of--even if my husband promises to paint the entire house!

 About the Author:

Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs as an Inspiration to Creation Coach. She moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

Amir holds a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology, has edited or written for more than 45 publications producing hundreds of articles and had her work published in five anthologies. She has self-published nine short books, including the popular workbook How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self. She is the former writing and publishing expert on the popular radio show, Dresser After Dark, hosted by Michael Ray Dresser, which has approximately 80,000 listeners per month. Amir also speaks and writes about self-improvement, human potential, and practical spirituality.

*****GIVEAWAY*****

Readers, worried you had missed out on winning a copy of The Author Training Manual during Nina's WOW Blog Tour last month? Well, you've got one more chance! Nina is giving away a copy of her latest! Just enter the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win! We will announce the winner in the form and follow up via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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The Places You'll Go, If You Really Want To

Thursday, May 22, 2014
My oldest son is hanging out in New Zealand, and when I mentioned this to a friend who’d recently returned from that same country, the first thing she said to me was, “You’re going there, right?”

Um…I hemmed and hawed.

I love grand adventures, and I’ve always wanted to see New Zealand. Plus, I’d have my own personal tour guide, one I could even boss around.

But it’s…well, it’s New Zealand. Three thousand miles away. Over all that water.

And I hate the idea of flying over all that water. To be honest, I’m not very keen on flying over land, either.

My friend shrugged. “Take a sleeping pill for the flight and go,” she said, “if you really want to.”

If you really want to…a simple enough phrase. But it was packed with far more application than a trip to New Zealand.

I’d been reading Nina Amir’s, The Author Training Manual, and thinking about my writing career. Specifically, I’d been pondering what I’m willing to do, if I really want to succeed.

Would I hop on a plane and head to a venue to sell books because my publisher thought I needed to go? Is my writing career worth facing my extreme fear of flying?

Maybe I wouldn’t have to fly all over creation. Maybe I could just go by car all over the Southeast, scheduling classroom visits and attending book fairs. But I have a terrible sense of direction. Left to my own driving instincts, I could end up in Mexico instead of Mississippi. Is my writing career really worth hours on the road, driving around in circles?

Maybe I could just go to my kitchen (in my pj’s!) and do Skype visits. That’s the kind of marketing that would be squarely in my comfort zone.

It might be putting the cart before the horse, considering the marketing pros and cons of a book that hasn’t sold yet. But I think it’s worth a little bit of pondering, to consider my writing willingness factor. If I really want to make a go with traditional publishing, how far am I willing to go?

For me, that means thinking about how I’d market a book. Your willingness factor might be completely different. It might be whether you can go and speak in front of crowds of people, or if you’ll go from sitting in front of a TV to sitting in front of a laptop to write, or whether you’ll go and spend the necessary money on editing or other means to improve your craft.

It all comes down to the same concept, whether you’re pondering a trip to New Zealand or your wished-for success as a writer: how far you will go depends on how much you really want to.

~Cathy C. Hall
Photo courtesy of Joey Hall
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Nina Amir launches The Author Training Manual blog tour

Monday, May 19, 2014
& giveaway contest!

Have you ever looked at shelves of books written by successful authors and wondered "What's their secret?" As writers we probably spend as much time puzzling over this question as we do writing. So, if you'd rather spend more time writing why not check out a book that will answer all your questions about author success. In The Author Training Manual, expert editor and book coach Nina Amir reveals the exact process successful authors have used to create business plans and proposals for their books and teaches you how to view your ideas through the eyes of acquisitions editors and literary agents.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, plan to traditionally publish or self-publish, The Author Training Manual provides you with the tools you need to achieve your goals and become the author publishers want. Inside you'll find concrete steps, evaluations, sample business plans, in-depth training activities, editor and agent commentaries, and much more--all designed to help you stand out, from the slush pile to the shelf.

Paperback: 248 pages (also available in e-format)
Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books (March 18, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1599631458
ISBN-13: 978-1599631455
Twitter Hashtag: #NinaAmir

The Author Training Manual is available as a print and e-book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookstore.

Book Giveaway Contest:

To win a copy of The Author Training Manual, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes next Tuesday, May 27 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:

Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs as an Inspiration to Creation Coach. She moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

Amir holds a BA in magazine journalism with a concentration in psychology, has edited or written for more than 45 publications producing hundreds of articles and had her work published in five anthologies. She has self-published nine short books, including the popular workbook How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self. She is the former writing and publishing expert on the popular radio show, Dresser After Dark, hosted by Michael Ray Dresser, which has approximately 80,000 listeners per month. Amir also speaks and writes about self-improvement, human potential, and practical spirituality.

Find out more about the author by visiting her online:

http://ninaamir.com/

http://ninaamir.com/blogs-and-columns/

https://www.facebook.com/InspirationToCreation

Twitter: @NinaAmir

-----Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: First, tell us a little about your writing and publishing experience.

Nina: I’ve been writing since I was a child. I got serious in high school. I revived the school newspaper, wrote a biweekly school-news column for the local newspaper, journaled regularly, and wrote short stories. I went to college and got a degree in magazine journalism and spent three summers getting experience, by freelancing for newspapers or magazines.

After college I worked for regional magazines outside of New York City for a few years. This entailed writing, editing and managing a variety of details for the publications. I then worked in Manhattan as an associate editor in the corporate communications department for Equitable Life Assurance of the U.S. From there I went on to manage four newsletters for a corporate communications consultant based in Oklahoma. I wrote, edited, and designed these publications as well as managed all the contributors. After that, I moved to Atlanta and began my own freelance writing business, CopyWright Communications. I did a variety of writing for publications, ad agencies and the like, including several years as the editor and writer of two medical newsletters, Same-Day Surgery and Clinical Laser Surgery.

While working in Atlanta, a friend asked me if I could edit his book. I remembered that my college professor told me I was trained to write a book, so I said, “Yes.” He then referred a friend to me, whose book went on to be picked up verbatim by Simon & Schuster and is still in print today; it has sold over 320,000 copies. That got my editing career going.

At some point along the way I decided to write a book of my own. I was told I needed platform. I already had my blog, Write Nonfiction NOW!, which was meant to support my business. I stepped that up. I began to learn more about publishing by immersing myself in the book publishing industry. I started the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge (National Nonfiction Writing Month), attended the San Francisco Writer’s Conference and then became a volunteer there, and eventually became an expert on nonfiction writing and publishing.

I landed an agent. Changed agents. Then got a book deal for my second book idea, How to Blog a Book. It’s been an Amazon Top 100 bestseller for over two years. My newest book, The Author Training Manual, which was my first book idea in this subject area, came out this year. Both were published with Writer’s Digest Books.

Of interest might be the fact that I did not set out to write books about writing and publishing initially! I was going to write books about practical spirituality and personal development, which I still plan to do.

WOW: What made you decide to write The Author Training Manual?

Nina: I discovered that there was a really precious moment at the end of writing a book proposal when were totally prepared to write your book. Plus, you knew you had created the best book idea possible and a marketable idea. Not only that, you had a business plan for yourself and your book.

I thought every aspiring writer should go through this process. So I bounced the idea off people literary agents and self-publishing guru Dan Poynter to see if they agreed. Everyone did. Dan told e that I was right—even indie authors needed to go through this same process prior to writing a book.

WOW: Tell us, is there a difference between a person who writes a book and a successful author? How can we ensure that we fall into the latter category?

Nina: Yes, there is. Anyone can write a book and publish it these days. That does, in fact, make them an author.

Each person has his or her own definition of success. In The Author Training Manual I ask readers to define success for themselves. If you think success is selling 100 book, then that’s all you need to do to become successful in your own eyes. In the eyes of the publishing industry, however, large numbers of sales equate to success. A bestseller outsells the other books in a category. To be called a successful author by publishing industry standards, therefore, you must sell an above average number of books or earn back your advance, which few traditionally published books do these days. The average book today sells about 250 copies per year; ebooks sell about 560 books per year.

To increase the likelihood that you become a successful author, you must, first, produce a marketable book—one that will sell. This means it is unique and necessary in its category. It also must have a large enough target market, and the readers must want or need it. Beyond that, you must have a great idea and good writing—or a good editor or ghostwriter. And you need what I call an Author Attitude.

WOW: You've worked with many successful authors. Did you find they have any traits in common that helped their career?

Nina: Yes…this goes back to Author Attitude. They all possess willingness, optimism, objectivity, and tenacity. They are willing to do everything it takes to succeed—even the stuff that doesn’t involve writing. They are optimistic even in the face of rejection, criticism, challenges, and the long road to publication. They are objective about their work and able to see it and themselves from the perspective of a publishing professional. And they have perseverance, persistence and determination—tenacity.

Successful people in any industry will tell you attitude makes a huge difference in achieving success. You can learn how to write. And you can learn how to produce a marketable book or do all the things necessary to become a successful author, such as building platform and promoting your book. And you can change your attitude. But with a bad attitude, and the unwillingness to change it, it’s unlikely you will improve your writing skills or embrace the tasks necessary to achieve the goal of successful authorship.

WOW: Have you found one step crucial to success that many aspiring authors forget or skip when planning their book?

Nina: Two actually…They don’t bother to do a market analysis or competitive analysis. These two steps help them hone, retool, revise, or re-angle their book—fiction or nonfiction—to make it the most unique and necessary in its category. That means the most marketable book possible. Marketable books sell. Marketable books get read.

To start a market analysis, go to Google and look for actual numbers to indicate the size of your market. To do a competitive analysis, go to online and brick-and-mortar book stores and look for the top 5 books that represent competition to your book. These should be books published in the last 3-5 years. Besides the normal details (number of pages, when published and by what company, price, format), look for details that will help you determine how your book is more unique and more necessary in the category.

WOW: We have so many options when it comes to publishing--do you feel self-publishing is a better choice because it gives an author more control or is it too much to handle for someone new to the publishing world?

Nina: I think most aspiring authors have no idea what it really means to self-publish. I think self-publishing is a great option for the right type of person—someone who wants to become an authorpreneur and start their own publishing company. This person has to like project management and want to invest their own time and money in their product, their book. If they want control of the project and product, great! If they want to earn more money, great! But they need to also want all the other things that go with it, like hiring subcontractors, buying ISBN numbers, reporting book sales to the IRS, and running a business.

WOW: Increasingly we're seeing authors that are developing books outside their "specialty". Instead of strictly writing murder mysteries or gardening books or...whatever, they're diversifying. They write murder mysteries, gardening books, poetry books, children's books. Do you feel it's easier to develop a long lasting career by diversifying or specializing?

Nina: It’s easier to brand yourself as an author by specializing. You might be able to make more money by diversifying. Diversity might mean more work for you…more blogs, more social networking sites…unless you can find an umbrella under which to brand yourself.

I do a lot of different things, but I’ve been able to brand myself under one umbrella. That said, I have one topic, boys in dance, that doesn’t fit anywhere.

I think authors should follow their passions and interests, but they should do some early planning if possible. Create a career plan. Consider how they want to be known as an author, what books they will write and if or how they will all tie together. Sometimes they do tie together even though they are divers—or they can with careful planning and thought. In The Author Training Manual I talk about spin-offs and branding. This is the place to create that career plan.

WOW: What do you want readers to remember after reading The Author Training Manual?

Nina: That it’s possible to become a successful author if you simply take a business approach to your book, but that this approach also is creative—and fulfilling. Creating a marketable book means you create a book that gets read, which means it has positive and meaningful impact on your readers. That is very fulfilling.

WOW: What are you working on now?

Nina: I’m working on one project that I can’t mention that I have to finish by the end of October and involves blogging.

I am working on three ebooks, one of which is mentioned in The Author Training Manual and was supposed to be published already (and will be very soon). It’s called The Nonfiction Book Proposal Demystified.

I have another ebook that will be released later this year on building a business around your book and one more on building a better blog that also will be released this year or early in 2015.

Additionally…if that was not enough…I have two book proposals I’m starting on for writing-related books. I hope to get around to a personal development or practical spirituality book or ebook in the not-too-distant future as well.

WOW: Well, I’m exhausted just looking at your list!

----------Blog Tour Dates

Monday, May 19(today!) @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview with Nina Amir and a chance to win The Author Training Manual!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, May 20 @ Women’s Writing Circle
Want to improve your chances of success? Learn five ways negative beliefs make it hard for authors to succeed from Nina Amir. Also enter to win a copy of The Author Training Manual.
http://www.susanweidener.com/

Wednesday, May 21 @ Words by Webb
Hear what an author who needs training thinks about The Author Training Manual by Nina Amir.
http://jodiwebb.com/‎

Friday, May 23 @ Selling Books
Don't miss an interview with Nina Amir about her latest book The Author Training Manual.
http://www.sellingbooks.com/


 Monday, May 26 @ Vickie S. Miller
Find out more about author Nina Amir in today's interview and enter to win her latest: The Author Training Manual.
http://www.vickiesmiller.com/blog.html

Wednesday, May 28 @ The Write Life
Nina Amir has a few tips on creating a successful book and a giveaway of The Author Training Manual.
http://thewritelife.com/

Thursday, May 29 @ Create Write Now
Are you ready to succeed? Then don't miss "Hack Into Your Mind for Author Success" by Nina Amir, author of The Author Training Manual.
http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog/

Monday, June 2 @ All Things Audry
Have you ever wondered where you could get some help creating a business plan for your book? Look no further! Nina Amir, author of The Author Training Manual, will tell all today!
http://www.allthingsaudry.blogspot.com

Tuesday, June 3 @ Chaos in the Country
Wonder what Nina Amir thought would be "must haves" for her latest book The Author Training Manual? Read today's review and interview to get a sneak peek.
http://www.chaosinthecountry.com/

Thursday, June 5 @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Don't miss Nina Amir's take on "author attitude"--what is it and why do we all need it? Also enter to win her latest book The Author Training Manual.
http://krpooler.com

Tuesday, June 10 @ The Lit Ladies
Don't miss a chance to learn more about Nina Amir, the woman behind The Author Training Manual and a chance to win your own copy.
http://www.thelitladies.com

Wednesday, June 11 @ Cathy C. Hall
Last chance to win The Author Training Manual by Nina Amir, a book to help you plan your success as a writer.
http://c-c-hall.com/

To view all our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar. Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Get Involved!
If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

Book Giveaway Contest: Enter to win a copy of The Author Training Manual! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget next Tuesday, May 27.

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