International Guild of Professional Consultants and Coaches

If you are already writing a book (or plan to start one soon) make sure that you tell everyone you know about your plans. When you do this, you create your own system of accountability. Family and friends who know you are on the path to authorship, both consciously and unconsciously assist you. Word-of-mouth marketing makes a wonderful grassroots publicity plan.

The average person has a minimum of 150 people in his or her sphere of influence. If you doubt this, make a list of the people you would invite to a large wedding or to the opening of your new business. Include friends, family, coworkers, industry peers, the children and parents of friends, and people you know from professional organizations, your children's school, your church, and even from your college days. Without too much effort, you will soon develop an extensive list - maybe more than 150 people.

This list represents your personal sphere of influence. These people want to know that you are writing a book, want to be among the first to receive autographed copies, and want to tell people within their own spheres of influence that they personally know an author.

Your sphere - especially your inner circle - will ask you endless questions about your book: "What is it about?" "How long is it?" "When will you be finished?" "Where can I buy a copy?" and most importantly, "How's it going?"

Such questions will force you to think things through and develop solid answers. You will feel compelled to keep your nose to the grindstone, which is a good way for a working author to feel.

Outlines are another helpful technique. If you haven't already written one - no matter where you are in your writing process - it is never to late to write an outline. Outlining does not cramp your creativity nor impair the free flow of language.

An outline helps you see the beginning, the middle, and the end of your book. A good outline becomes the road map to your destination of a completed work. As you travel, you may find a shortcut or a more scenic route you wish to take - that's great! The purpose of your outline is to help you, not hold you back.

Even if your book is complete, outlining what is already written is a great litmus test of whether or not your book flows in a logical order and if it addresses all the points you wanted to cover. Outlines do not have to be lengthy, unless you find it helpful to fill in all the details. Neither do outlines have to be a complex configuration of upper and lower case roman numerals, letters, and numbers.

A great way to create your outline is to identify the main subjects you wish to cover, in the order you want them to appear in your book, and title each subject as one of your chapters. Designate a file folder, a section in a pocket folder, or a portion of a three-ring binder for each chapter and place all your back-up and research materials in the appropriate section.

As you write, print chapters that you can put into a folder and carry with you. If you are not typing your book yourself, get printouts from your most recently dictated material. Always keep a piece of your book in a portable format.

If you take your book with you, not only will you find little segments of time in which to cumulatively accomplish great amounts of editing and writing, but you also will maintain the all-important spiritual connection to your book, as well. When your work-in-progress is a part of your day, every day, it takes on greater importance in your life. You will find that your commitment to complete your book increases when your book becomes a living, breathing dimension of your daily existence.

The list that follows gives you additional ideas to help you stay on track to complete your literary masterpiece.

Tips For Staying On Track

&� View your typed pages in the "page view" setting of your word processing program. Set your page margins and your spacing so that your work looks like a book as you view it on your monitor.

&� Join an online writer's group. You will instantly have a daily source of tips, advice, and moral support.

&� Include writing as a scheduled activity on your calendar. Commit to a pre-designated number of writing hours and then hold yourself to your commitment.

&� Set deadlines. Schedule the completion of a number of pages or a chapter and then live by your schedule. Reward yourself when you met your deadlines.

&� Call yourself a writer. Think of yourself as a writer. In other words, "fake it until you make it!"

Helpful Links for Writing and Editing:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/members.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://thesaurus.reference.com/