| A big part of my job as a book marketing | | | | very least give it a darned good kick-start. |
| specialist is to help people create something they | | | | Once you've developed your TOC, you'll want to |
| can actually market: a finished book. Many of us | | | | go through it and create a "to do" list. Regardless |
| have ideas aplenty but not a clue how to get | | | | of what genre your book is, you will always have |
| them down on paper. | | | | a to-do list. Whether it’s getting |
| I don't believe in writer’s block. (I can hear | | | | endorsements, doing research, or getting |
| the gasps of disbelief already.) Listen: If you hire a | | | | approvals for quotes or excerpts for your book, |
| plumber to come to your house and fix a | | | | this to-do list will become yet another item that |
| problem, do you expect him to say, "Sorry, I | | | | will help propel your book toward completion. |
| can't figure out what your problem is. I think I | | | | Once the to-do list is done, set it aside. Now you |
| have plumber’s block"? Probably not, and if | | | | should have your completed TOC with a vision of |
| he did, you'd toss him out and call another guy | | | | the entire book and a growing list of items that |
| faster than you can say Drano. Not that plumbing | | | | will need to be handled for the book to get done. |
| can be compared to writing, but if we follow the | | | | Now the real fun begins. |
| proper steps to get the job done, I find that | | | | Some books on writing will tell you to set aside a |
| writer’s block melts away, the drains are | | | | day or two a week, or an evening here and there |
| unclogged, and the words start flowing like water | | | | to get your book completed. I disagree with this |
| from a faucet. But what are these "steps"? Well, | | | | theory, and here’s why: You need to stay |
| a big part of my job as a book marketing | | | | dialed into your topic. When I was working on an |
| specialist is to help people create something they | | | | upcoming book, I would often put the project |
| can actually market: a finished book. Many of us | | | | aside for days or weeks at a time, promising |
| have ideas aplenty but not a clue how to get | | | | myself to schedule time "as soon as I could." Well, |
| them down on paper. | | | | that rarely happened. What I found is that if I set |
| Unlike other professions, authors operate under a | | | | aside some time every day to do something on |
| whole different set of rules. We often can't just | | | | the book, I got it completed a lot quicker. |
| sit down and pound out a story, and those who | | | | The more you keep your hands in your project, |
| do have created their own formula for doing so. | | | | the more it will stay at the front of your mind |
| We see this huge story with all sorts of directions | | | | and on your radar screen, and the more energy |
| we want to take it, we see the cover, we see | | | | you will invest to finish it. I won't tell you to set |
| the characters, we see the market potential. | | | | aside hours of your time each day -- in fact, you |
| Then we see Katie Couric or Oprah smiling and | | | | don't even have to set aside an hour. Take 15 |
| holding up our book for the whole world to see. | | | | minutes, or even five -- whatever your schedule |
| Then we glance back down at our monitor and | | | | permits. If this seems like a ridiculously short |
| see a tormenting blinking cursor and blank screen. | | | | amount of time, consider this: You now have your |
| And we are again reminded of what a failure we | | | | to-do list and your outlined TOC! . If you are short |
| are. We have all these stories and nothing on | | | | on time one day, pick a quickie item from your |
| paper. We are idea generators. We have zillions of | | | | to-do list and get it done. If you have more time, |
| them running through our minds, but none of | | | | then pound out a chapter or two. The idea behind |
| them on paper. Unless you make your money in | | | | creating the to-do lists and a TOC is to not only |
| a think tank, operating this way probably isn't | | | | give your project a structure, but to also |
| getting you any closer to your goals. | | | | eliminate any and all excuses for getting it done. |
| When a project looms before us, it’s like | | | | Don't feel like writing today? No problem. |
| this big elephant -- huge, overwhelming and ready | | | | There’s probably a mountain of research |
| to stomp us flat any minute. There’s an | | | | just waiting to be traversed. Get the picture? |
| old saying: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite | | | | But let’s say you can't even get through |
| at a time." The same is true for writing. You finish | | | | the TOC. "My book has too many layers," you |
| a book, one step at a time. But to create these | | | | lament. "Too many back stories, tons of stuff |
| steps, you first have to break down your book | | | | going on. I can't possibly be expected to filter it |
| into manageable, bite-size pieces. This can be | | | | down into a neat little TOC." Yes, you can, and |
| accomplished by creating a TOC (table of | | | | you must. If your book has no focus, your book |
| contents) that can guide you through the book. | | | | will have no focus. It’s as simple as that. |
| My reasoning behind this is as follows: You'd never | | | | But it doesn't stop there -- if your book is all over |
| think of driving from California to New York | | | | the place and you do actually manage to get it |
| without a map, right? Well, how can you expect | | | | done, you'll never be able to keep a reader |
| to finish your book without one? Your TOC is | | | | interested because you will be the only one who |
| your roadmap, guiding you through your book. If | | | | will get it, and what’s the point of that? |
| your chapters don't have individual headings, then | | | | What you'll need to do in this case is find the |
| write a 2-3 sentence description of what the | | | | "core" of your book or the focus of your story. |
| chapter encompasses. Don't get too elaborate on | | | | Ask yourself this: What’s the one thing this |
| this. Remember, it’s not going in your | | | | book cannot do without? What’s the one |
| book; it’s just a brief descriptor. Once the | | | | thing this story circles around? That’s your |
| TOC is outlined, you'll have a vision of your book | | | | core. If you're still coming up with three or four |
| from start to finish. | | | | things that your story circles around, you |
| A few things that creating this TOC will do for | | | | aren’t focused enough and neither is your |
| you: It will show you any gaps in your story that | | | | book. Find that one thing and build your story or |
| might need to be fleshed out, and it will give you | | | | book around it. |
| a sense of completion, of seeing the book or | | | | If you follow these steps, your book will get |
| project actually done, and this is a serious | | | | finished quicker than you could have ever |
| psychological turn-on for most authors, because | | | | imagined. And the once-dreaded writer’s |
| we often live in a world of half-completed | | | | block will go from a stumbling block to a building |
| projects. Sometimes this step alone can propel an | | | | block. |
| author enough to get their book done, or at the | | | | |