dare to dream

Tweetchat with Lolly Daskal

With the launch of Dare, Dream, Do just 30 days away, I am grateful for media opportunities. Cave Henricks and Shelton Interactive, both affiliated with my publisher Bibliomotion, have been tremendously helpful in this regard, as has Weaving Influence, who kindly introduced me to Lolly Daskal who has nearly 300,000 Twitter followers -- no that is NOT a typo. Each Tuesday (8-9pm ET) Lolly hosts the Lead From Within (#leadfromwithin) tweetchat, drawing thousands of people to tweet. 

Because I'm a bit of a newbie, and perhaps you are too, here's how a tweetchat works. 

At the appointed hour (Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 8 pm ET) visit tweetchat.com. After you sign in with Twitter, you can enter the hashtag for the chat (#leadfromwithin.) When you use tweetchat.com, you will be able to easily scan the fast stream of tweets during the hour.

Get ready for questions and answers. Lolly will post ten questions during the hour, designated by Q1, Q2, etc. The questions for my chat with Lolly will center on daring, dreaming, and doing. For example, Q1 is Why is it important to dream?  If you want to answer a question, begin your tweet with A1, A2, etc. The tweetchat application will automatically add the hashtag #leadfromwithin to your tweets, enabling the other participants to find and read your tweets easily. 

You might feel overwhelmed. Feel free to observe. The pace of the chat is fast. If you’re new to Twitter, especially, you might feel dazed by the bombardment of interaction and information. Read what you can and join in if you are comfortable.  

Share and encourage others. One thing I love about Lolly’s tweetchat is the way that participants affirm others’ insights and ideas. People regularly retweet one another, adding encouraging words like “+1” or “Yes!” Many ideas are repeated multiple times. Join the fun and retweet others; you can also retweet questions, to make sure people see them and you can retweet answers.

If you’re a power tweeter, ration your tweets. A friend of mine discovered that there is a limit to how many tweets you can send each day when she sent 112 tweets in an hour and got locked out of her account 45 minutes into the chat. If you think you may do this, slow down. You want to reserve some tweets so you can continue the conversation during the after-hour.

Stick around. The minutes after the tweetchat, the after-hour, are a great time to socialize, make connections, and continue the conversation. Don’t rush away at 9 o’clock; stay around if you can and enjoy the magic and serendipity of meeting like-minded people.

If last week was any indication, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 8 pm ET will be fun. 

I'd love to have you join us.

***

Have you ever participated in a tweetchat?

With the advent of Twitter and Facebook, have you noticed that you think more in sound bites than you used to?

If you were to promote a book, what would be your favorite medium?

***

P.S.  Lolly generously wrote a blurb for the book.

“Whitney Johnson maps out a masterpiece for women that is filled with wisdom, strategies, fascinating stories, and all that matters most in life.  She takes us on a journey as we learn to express our dreams, embrace our powers, and expand our hearts.  Dare, Dream, Do is an incredible book.  I want to give this book to every woman I know.”

Q Up Your Dreams: Quotes to Get you Daring and Dreaming

At four months prior to the launch of Dare, Dream, Do, Rusty Shelton, one of the publicists associated with Bibliomotion, said, "Whitney, you need to come up with a campaign, like Tony Schwartz' brilliant Take Back Your Lunch."  Sure thing, I thought.  I routinely scatter marketing ideas like dandelions to the wind. 

But then nothing.  For weeks. Nothing. 

In the interim, I'd become enamored with Pinterest, thanks to Emily Snyder's fantastic cubicle decor.  But still nothing.  Until I began to rely on and collaborate with people like Becky Robinson.  As she and I were brainstorming one morning, the idea came.

I love quotes.  I continually retweet and repin them. They inspire me.  In Dare, Dream, Do, one of my favorite chapters includes quotes that encapsulate my beliefs, a chapter which never would have been written w/o contributor/editor Melissa Stanton's urging. Why not compile my favorite quotes related to dreaming, ask Aarean Jergensen to graphically render them, and upload them to Pinterest?

Becky then said, why not also create an ebook, one with quality images that can be downloaded, printed, and framed so that we have visual reminders of daring and dreaming?

Now that the book is complete, I'm squealing with delight and I want my friends to be the first to have it.  Leave a comment below, and I'll e-mail you a copy. 

All of this wouldn't be happening without your well-timed words of encouragement, your tremendously rich commentary, and the stories of your dreams; you are like strawberries, sunshine and sweetness, and I am deeply grateful.

If you find yourself wanting to help share this message, something that would be extra helpful is to use this link and send it to your friends encouraging them to Dare, Dream, Do via Facebook.  Your friends will be eligible to win one of several prizes, including an autographed copy of the book, as well as participating in my very first Dare, Dream, Do (U)niversity correspondence course, during which a handful of us will work through (via phone and e-mail) my 3-part model for achieving your dreams.

Said Ralph Waldo Emerson, "“Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself.”

Thank you for everything.

***

P.S.

Didn't Aarean Jersgensen do a fantastic job on the quotes?

What is your favorite quote on the Pinterest page?

Any "dream" quotes you'd like to see graphically rendered? 

***

P.P.S.  Here's one more blurb.

Whitney Johnson has written a book that will inspire you to write your own story and invent your own dreams and in Dare-Dream-Do, Whitney provides a roadmap to help give your dreams life.  As a big believer in the power of dreaming, I recommend this book to help you take your dreams from possibility to a reality you never knew existed. -- Maxine Clark, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Bear, Build-A-Bear Workshop

Annie Bourne: Before You Publish, Do These 5 - no, 6 Things!

Dear Whitney,

You are about to publish your book. What an accomplishment! I can’t wait to read Dare Dream Do, and hope to catch a glimpse of the galleys before your publication date on May 8.  I'm also delighted to share with you what I learned in publishing my first book. These tips are by no means comprehensive, or even the best, but they are gems I discovered and will carry them with me into marketing The Second Secret of Edwin Hoff. My only major recommendation has to do with timing:  Please do these things BEFORE YOUR PUB DATE. Once your book comes out, you will be tumbling forward, responding to readers and inquiries and book clubs -- with little time to spare, or think. 

1.   Build a bank of 30 blogs. You already write and tweet very helpful content for your followers. Consistent blogging - one a week - is one of the best ways to sell books. I learned this post-launch and from others’ successes. Apparently, a blog will impact book sales for 3 days while a tweet apparently shows impact for a few minutes. I wish that, pre-launch, I had built a bank of well-written, short pieces that I could post, once or twice a week, to build consistency. Whenever a current idea moves you, you can of course blog about it. But while you are busy with other post-publication demands, it would be fabulous to have a bank of blogs on hand to establish consistency and maintain it. A “Blog Bank” should be mandatory on every pre-pub checklist.

2. Write the outline of your next book. In the course of submitting The First Secret of Edwin Hoff to publishers, my agent also sent it to a book-to-film agent in Hollywood. We were delighted that he saw in the main character potential for a series, and asked to see The Second Secret. So, in the lull between submission and publishing, I wrote the outline for my next book. We sent it off; he said he’d like to see the manuscript; and then the outline went into a manilla folder to wait while we were consumed with the launch of “Edwin 1”. This was lucky timing for two reasons:

First, I had learned things to apply to “Edwin 2”. These lessons came out of another manilla folder full of rejection letters and emails from agents and publishers. I scoured them for consistency. There was some, particularly around the concept of “traditional plot structure.” What’s plot structure? Exactly. So I googled, and studied, and learned. My personal goal for Edwin 2 is a tight, driving, traditional thriller plot structure that still surprises. On pub day for Edwin 1, my best efforts for Edwin 2 were outlined and in the folder.

This was a good thing, because readers’ responses really affected me. If they had been bad, it could have made me stall. But they were surprisingly positive. And this cut the gas line completely. How would I live up to their expectations? How did I even write the first book in the first place? Edwin 1 evolved through so many revisions, where on earth did I start? How could I create another book I loved that much again? See? Dead halt. So I didn’t start writing, and didn’t start writing, until one day, three weeks ago, it was time to follow my one writing rule: Apply Ass to Chair.

Then I reached into my drawer and found something wonderful: the outline. Yes, much will end up under the red pen. Much will be sent to clipboard purgatory, cut and never to be pasted again. But I have a place to start - it’s a running start - and a goal built on lessons learned at my most advanced point as a writer. And for that, I am ever grateful. Because it is hard, and not fun, to create under the burden of expectation. So build yourself a runway for your next effort when you have space to think, analyze, learn and improve, and before the expectations from the first - for good or ill - can befall you. Edwin 2 is coming along faster than I’d hoped, and is a lot of fun to write.

3. Tech Up. Before you start needing to use twitter and facebook and your web campaigns effectively, learn the tools at your disposal for doing so efficiently and for monitoring them. Set up your analytics. Learn how to save time and be more influential. I’ve retweeted this article.  Have I read it? Yes. Absorbed it? No. Followed its advice? Nope. This remains on my “to do” list. This too should be on the mandatory pre-pub checklist. Please, geniuses on the web, create a service that does all of this for us poor scribes. Free us up to write. (Actually, someone is....stay tuned, writing friends, for something good soon comes our way....)

4.  Make a Strategic Business Development Plan. Think like a deal junky. Who, beyond your friends and relations and business partners - and their friends and relations and business partners - are likely to enjoy your book. Build a plan to reach out to them. Maybe get in touch with them early; tell them what’s coming. Offer to speak or skype with them. Again, I must slot this in the “lessons learned” category, but you have time to do it now. As the publishing/marketing wave crashes overhead, it will be helpful to have tethered yourself to a strategy that lengthens the long tail of your book.

5. Make Author/Book Business Cards. Spend money on business cards. Put your book jacket cover on the front left third of the card, and your author name and contact info, including twitter handle, facebook pages, and author website on the right hand side. On the back, put quotes, Amazon rankings, logos of outlets where the book can be purchased. People look at, hold and collect business cards. But postcards are expensive, become clutter and get tossed. Anecdotally, I’ve found nearly a 50% sales effect per business card distributed. (I’m sure that number is overly high.) But today, for example, I gave out two cards. Shortly, Amazon notified me, at the request of one of the recipients, that she had bought the book. How fabulous! Which reminds me...

There’s an all important 6th...do this before pub date, and every day after....

6. THANK EVERY READER. Books are sold one at a time. They certainly are read that way. I am deeply grateful for each person who devotes their valuable time - part of their life - to read my pages. I really am. So, thank you, Whitney.  I hope you enjoy meeting Edwin.

Good luck with Dare Dream Do, Whitney. The book will be a smash!

Your friend,
Annie
writing as A.B. Bourne, author of The First Secret of Edwin Hoff, c. 2011 Watch Hill Books

P.S. I loved Annie's book which I do hope will become a movie.  You can visit her blog at www.abbourne.com and follow her on twitter @anniebourne. Or follow Edwin by clicking “like” on her Facebook author page.

Building a Business Model Around a Book

In Clayton Christensen's book The Innovator’s Prescription he explains that business model innovation is one of the core elements of a successful market disruption.  Meaning, that a simplifying technology may spark the disruption, but it is the business model that maximizes the reach of the technology.  Last month I wrote about what I've learned thus far in writing/publishing Dare Dream Do. This month, I'll share what I'm doing to wrap a business model around the book:

1)  Build a website (or online presence) -- It's not really true that if you're not on the web you don't exist. But it is. My online presence has historically been more of a stake in the ground with the simple www.whitneyjohnson.com landing page, and this here blog. With the launch of the book, it's time to have a proper homestead.  The problem is that just as I am not much good at a major remodel of a home, remodeling and expanding my website isn't my forte either.  I do have a pretty strong sense of what I want the site to do, but the design and technical aspects are out of the realm of my expertise.  Fortunately, I've got a good designer in Brandon Jameson, a good builder Eric Hackenberger, and Rusty Shelton for SEO optimization.  Stay tuned.

2)  Shoot a 2 -minute video trailer - As an online retailer, Amazon has the luxury (or call it a requirement) of hosting a 1 1/2-2 minute video trailer.  Happily, Jill Friedlander at Bibliomotion connected me with Dean Russell who shot the trailer, while my book manager Carolyn Monaco introduced me to Phoebe Ramler; and, no I didn't want to take the make-up off ever, I felt so lovely.  Meanwhile my friend Julie Marriott was kind enough to let us use her kitchen for the shoot. Dare Dream Do is meant to feel like we are sitting around a table drinking hot cocoa while sharing stories with treasured friends.  Julie's home and friendship captures that feeling perfectly.  The hardest part of the day was the first couple of takes. I got all wooden-y, trying to deliver a memorized script rather than just talking about why I wrote the book. I did finally loosen up; I hope that viewers will sense my enthusiasm for the topic.

3)  Write an e-book on how to run a Dare Dream Do circle/retreat.  I procrastinated on that one for several weeks. But alas, I have finally started, and do plan to hit my deadline of February 15.  I don't know yet whether this will be sold as an e-book or be downloadable for free on the website.  This will be about 10 pages long, and be a sort of lesson that will allow women to study the book together, either in one evening, or 2-3 evenings.  Because what women do is so often intangible and difficult to measure, my experience is that we dream best when we dream together.

4)  Organize my social media life -- "Are't you already a social animal?" my daughter would ask me.  It's true I am, but Becky Robinson, who was referred to me by JesseLyn Stoner, is helping me put some order around all my animal activities.  Like -- "create the daredreamdo facebook page"; then ask all of your friends to like your facebook page (please do); create a twitter page for daredreamdo. Working with Becky is a pleasure.  She's expert, has a tremendous ethic, and has an excitement for the book that goes well beyond money.

5)  Blurbs -- Blurbs, of course, are 3rd party endorsements from people who are not only willing to invest the time to read the book, but to share a small piece of their good reputation.  Asking for blurbs is a bit scary, especially from people you know and admire.  WHAT IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT?  But when you get one back, it's quite thrilling.  Here's one, for example, from Barbara Corcoran, NYC real estate mogul and investor on ABC's reality show Shark Tank. 

Dare.Dream.Do is filled with great advice and energizing true stories from real women who are bootstrapping their way toward a dream.  Pick up this book and you just might find yourself living a life you’ve only imagined! This should be required reading for anyone with a forgotten wish, a pie-in-the-sky fantasy or a quiet dream hidden in their heart.  In other words, Everyone.

The countdown continues. It's only 93 days until May 8, 2012, she squeals.

Will you go to the Dare Dream Do page and Like?

Do you have a dream that is in search of a business model?

Anything you'd like to know about the process of launching a book?

My Dream of Writing a Book

A young bride on the day of her marriage gushed to her father, "Oh, Daddy, I'm at the end of all my troubles." To which he replied. "You're absolutely right.  But, "Which end?"

That's a bit how I feel with Dare.Dream.Do. We just finished the last round of copy-edits.  I've received the galleys. Now we need to launch.  Or as Seth Godin advises, "you need to ship."  Ship date is May 8, 2012.

{Insert exclamatory remark -- thrilled, terrified, overwhelmed, delighted}

This realization made my conversation with Jesse Lyn Stoner, a de facto member of my dare to dream team, especially timely.  As I was cataloguing for her what I need to get done in order to ship, she asked, "Why aren't you blogging about process of bringing your book to life?  A-ha moment.  Writing a book is one of my dreams.  Why wouldn't I write about the process? Talk about what I've learned to date?  Track what's next?  Analyze the process in real-time?  Terrific suggestion Jesse!

So here's what I've learned to date:   

1.  Start:  For much of my adult life, I've thought someday I'll write a book.  About what, or even when, I had no idea.  Given my perfectionist leanings, blogging was, in retrospect, the best way to start.  It's a low-end disruptive move. Other than my fear, there are no barriers to entry.  Having begun blogging in 2007, by late 2009 when Laurel Christensen dared me to write a book, I had started to find my voice.  If you don't believe me, go back and read some of my earliest posts -- they are rather wooden.

2.  Assemble a team:  Pulling together a team of trusted advisors sounds so benign, but when I look at the practice v. the theory, it's tough to do.  I am smart enough, however, to know I really couldn't have done this by myself, especially in the time that I had.  Specifically, any number of people will tell you I'm a good editor, including me.  So long as I'm not editing myself.  When I get really stuck, instead of typing, and deleting, writing in circles, I know I can send off a piece to Amy Jameson, for 15-minute look-see.  Even a few comments helps me get unstuck. She is worth every penny.

3.  Be impatient for small wins, patient for big ones:  When it came to hiring an agent, if Julie Berry hadn't intervened, I may have just gone with the first person who approached me.  At Julie's urging, I did the due diligence that my too eager self didn't want to do.  Once I decided to go this route, and reached out to colleagues like Cali Yost for introductions, it took months before finding the right agent. While I was waiting for this big win, I was looking for small wins, ones I could control.  More blogging, gathering stories.  As Rachel Esplin advised, my motto was don't be The Man from Song. 

4.  Know my dealbreakers:  I am willing to comply with pretty much any deadline/request a publisher/agent imposes.  But there were some dealbreakers.  For example, one gatekeeper, suggested I re-write the whole book talking at my audience, rather than with, a tone completely antithetical to how I think dreaming needs to happen.  We do this together.  Another suggested that I re-write every story to be in my own words.  That I also couldn't do because it would have meant my taking away the voices of the women to whom I'd committed to provide a space.  In other words, there was a lot of -- "I think you are absolutely wonderful.  But can you change your hair, your make-up and how you dress? Then we can date."

5.  Trust your instinct:  I knew I wanted to work with Josh Getzler.  He was recommended by Cali Yost; we had a wide-ranging, fascinating discussion when we first spoke.  I liked that he'd been the COO of the Staten Island Yankees and negotiated against George Steinbrenner. As Josh submitted the manuscript to lots of large publishing houses, he also submitted it to the start-up Bibliomotion.  Almost from the outset, I knew they were the right fit, in part because of their disruptive model.  I fought it.  I considered going the route of the household name.  Eventually I did trust my instinct.  And as one of their previously published authors said, "you have no idea how good you have it with Bibliomotion."  He's right.  They are phenomenal.

So -- here we are -- January 2, 2012.

I've just sent off galleys to request a few more blurbs; we recently taped the audio Q&A for Amazon; I'm in the thick of re-doing my website; and I'm prepping to do the video trailer in the next few weeks. 

The daring would seem to be just beginning...

What are your thoughts?

If you have wanted to write a book, any specific questions you have?

Anything about the process of dreaming?