Christine K. Bailey: Published Author & Freelance Writer

I’ve been writing for a couple of decades now and until the last year I always saw writing as a solitary experience.  And while that is the case – in the end writing is always the lone writer finally putting the words on the paper and polishing them to a high sheen – writing doesn’t always need to be lonely work.  Over the past year I’ve found two different groups of women writers who have not only taken the loneliness out of writing; they’ve helped me discover new ways to improve my craft and expand my writing abilities.  As a member of these two groups — LitSisters (comprised of fiction authors CL Coons, Audrey RL Wyatt, Terri Weeding and Robin Kramme) and Arizona Authors and Adventurers (comprised of travel authors Jackie Dishner and Teresa Bitler) — I have found myself collaborating on a regular basis.  We meet and communicate regularly to work on joint projects; create marketing plans; critique each other’s work and pitch ideas for blogs, magazines and even books.  We’re also there (in person, by phone and via email) to cheer one another on — offering much needed moral support and serving as sounding boards for everything from plot changes to dealing with the challenges of being a mom/spouse and a writer.  I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am now – writing full-time working on my novel and writing about Arizona and the Southwest, if it wasn’t for these incredible women and the amazing support group we’ve created together.

Do you have a writers’ group that you rely on?  How do you support one another?

I remember when the 1st edition of my travel guide first came out, one of the most frequent questions others asked was “how did you do it?”  I laughed because I knew what they meant: “What did it take to write a whole book?”  Many were writers themselves and they wondered what it would take for them to write a book-length manuscript.  I laughed because I knew that in the 9 months I had to write the manuscript, I tried everything I could to avoid actually having to sit down and write it.  I tried reading about writing, talking about writing, making writing schedules and worrying about writing.

In the end, it came down to the same, single fact:  in order to finish the book, I was going to have to sit in my chair and write it.  Not finishing it wasn’t an option, this was my dream after all, and that meant I had to plow through and do something I had never, ever done before – write almost 90,000 words for a single book.

I did it.  Night after night, after working an eight-hour day and spending time with my husband and little boys, I sat in my office chair and wrote the book, one word at a time.  It was the most exciting and frightening experience I ever had.  But, I finished it.

So, now as I find myself once again working on another book, this time the 2nd (and almost completely re-written) edition of my travel guide, I catch myself trying to avoid the inevitable: writing.  But, today, after much hand-wringing, I finally sat down to write the first chapter.  For two hours, I put one word in front of the other until the string of words turned into a coherent thought (we’ll worry about editing after the writing part is done).  And you know what, it felt fantastic!  I remembered why I loved writing so much and tomorrow, I’ll sit down and do it again.  Because, the only way to write a book is to…well…write it.

So, (you, writer) sit down and write! If you sit in the chair often enough eventually you’ll have your book.  Don’t worry, you’re in good company. ;)

10 STEPS TO GUEST BLOGGING SUCCESS

by Jackie Dishner

We’ve been telling stories as a society before we could read and write.  The petroglyphs scattered across the Southwest are only one set of reminders of our strong desire to share our experiences.

Whether it’s a shared anecdote between strangers, a familiar family tale repeated at the dinner table or a good book passed on to a friend, people connect and re-connect through stories.  These stories reverberate throughout our collective past and will continue long into the future.

Certainly, the way we share our stories is changing radically — through text messages, on Facebook, via Twitter and through e-Books, Web sites and on YouTube.  However, our desire to tell them, hear them and share them remains.

Good marketing tells a story, too. It paints a picture of your company and describes the experiences your customers are likely to have.  The strength of your story is evident in the way your customers flock to you.  But, it’s also evident in the stories they tell about you.

Are they saying what you want others to hear? If not, what are you doing about it?  Are you changing your message; crafting a better tale, both internally and externally through customer service training, better Web site content and and more customer-friendly sales and marketing copy?  Are you telling people not just what they want to hear, but the truth about what it means to do business with you?  When your customers get to your store or your Web site or call your toll free number (even more, when the arrive at your Facebook fan page, choose to follow you on Twitter or read your blog) do they experience the story you promised?

It’s now more important than ever to deliver on that promise and successfully fulfill your story — excellent customer service, fast response time or quality products — because it’s now easier than ever for your customers to share their stories about you — good and bad — across every media outlet (social & mainstream) they have access to.

Are your customers talking about your company in a positive way?  Are you?

Take a minute to review your company Web site, marketing materials and media efforts — do they accurately reflect your company’s story and is it one worth repeating?

Here are three books that will change your outlook on how you live and work.

Whether you’re an employee at a small non-profit or a wannabe business owner, these three books will help you step outside the proverbial cubicle and make your life your own.  Each book asks you to answer challenging questions about who you are and what you want for your life.  Some aspects may seem contradictory, but as with any philosophy, you need to pick the pieces that work for you.

Have you read any of these books?  If so, let me know what you think?  If not, be sure to check them out!  There’s a link to each book in the right hand column of this blog.

One of the things I ask any new client is, “Who is your perfect customer?”

The response is often, “the paying kind.”  They’re right, to some extent, a paying customer is a pretty darn good one; however, it doesn’t make them perfect.

The perfect customer is one who loves you, your business, your products and services; they seek new ways to work with you; tell everyone they know how great you are and have an open line of communication with you about how you can better serve their needs.  And, of course, they pay you well and on time because they value and respect what you do for them.

So, how do you attract your perfect customer?

Be true to yourself and your business; let your passion shine through; showcase your talents; and let your personality out of the box.  There are people who want to work with you.  And not with anyone else.  They’re attracted to your business philosophy, customer service style and level of expertise.  They want the solutions you provide, in the way you provide them.

But, do they know who you are?

When they visit your Web site, read your newsletter, follow your blog or see your ad, your perfect customer should be able to recognize your solution as the one they’re seeking.  Your content and messaging needs to reflect your personality and style and effectively communicate everything they need to know about you and your company.  If your message is muddled or if your content sounds too much like another consultant or business, your perfect customers will pass you by.

What you’re saying and how you’re saying it will attract certain kinds of people.  Are they the right ones?

What are you saying to attract your perfect customers?

Read four tips on how to start and build your freelance commercial writing (FLCW) business; check out the December article for the Main “Meat” Course of Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed E-Pub.

For more great FLCW tips, suggestions and resources, check out Peter’s Web site at www.wellfedwriter.com or Steve Slaunwhite & Ed Gandia’s The Wealthy Freelancer.

I am excited to make the following announcement (the first of many this year!):

I am pleased to announce my partnership in LitSisters Publishing, a boutique publisher specializing in high quality fiction by women authors. Each partner is an acclaimed author in her own right and, together, the partners bring over sixty years of business, marketing, PR, R & D, and entrepreneurial acumen to this new era of publishing. We have taken our destiny into our own hands and are excited to empower other women authors on their journey to publication and beyond. LitSisters is currently producing our 2010 list. Please check in with us later this year for information on submission opportunities for our 2011 list. For more information, please find us at www.litsisterspublishing.com. Further, we invite you to join our LitSisters writing community – open to all writers – at www.litsisters.com. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates, tips and news.

2009 has been a fabulous year.  Thank you to all of my clients and colleagues who have helped make it so.  I look forward to working with you again in 2010!

• Writing articles for the wedding & event planning industry
• Managing content and design for monthly newsletters and email campaigns
• Researching and writing more than 100 pages of sales content
• Writing brochures, marketing collateral and sales letters
• Developing, researching and writing content for Web sites
• Researching and writing white papers, Wikipedia pages and sales proposals

2009 was also a year for collaborating with fellow writers!  And I know that where I am today has much to do with their support and inspiration.  After the first of the year, I’ll be posting information about some of these projects we’re already working on and will be launching in 2010.  For monthly updates, feel free to subscribe to the “company” newsletter (sign up on the right).  In addition to updates, the newsletter will include tips and suggestions for making the most of your marketing! I’m learning new things every day, so you’ll find information you can use about building communities, networking, marketing, and using the Internet to develop your platform as a writer, freelancer and/or business owner!