Tag: Money

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Writing Wisdom from James A. Michener

Do you daydream about becoming a famous writer earning a big paycheck from a profusion of royalties? Well, don’t give up on the dream, but I’d like to pass along several tips I’ve gleaned from James A. Michener – author of Hawaii, Texas, Centennial, and many others. I’ll share some of them with you this week, and the first tip will come out tomorrow.

They will not be in an order that Mr. Michener proposed, but in the order they cross my mind. Oh, and don’t think in terms of instant success – that rarely happens. However, the story you want to write is important, but learn to write well so that others will want to read it. Learn to …

Write Creatively.

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That’s Hard to Believe!

A friend – I’ll call him Jim – called and asked me to meet him for coffee.

After taking a sip, Jim got right to the point. “How long is it supposed to take to get a book published?”

He seemed a little aggravated. “What’s up, Jim?”

“I’ve tried to contact several publishing companies, but most don’t accept phone calls. Other online services won’t give the information I need unless I answer a ton of questions, and even then, the answers are conditional. I finally got someone to talk with me, but I wasn’t happy with the answers. Will you tell me straight up, how long it will take for you to publish my book, and what it will cost?”

“Okay, Jim, here it is. If you have the document complete and edited to your satisfaction before giving it to me, I can have it completed and back to you for review and approval in less than a week – perhaps in 3 days. If you do not request changes, I can have the manuscript uploaded into the Amazon/KDP system within 24 hours after your approval. It then will enter Amazon’s 72-hour review; however, it often takes around 48 hours. Altogether, from the time we start the process, your book can be ready for purchase in less than two weeks. And the cost? P&L Publishing and Literary Services’ fee of $750 gets you a print book of up to 500 pages and an eBook. A book cover is included at no extra charge. Is that straight up enough for you?”

“Wow! That’s hard to believe!”

Blogger’s note: we published his book. And by the way, he did …

Write Creatively.

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Write 18 and Sell 3, or Write 2 and Sell Hundreds?

I spoke with a man several years ago who had written 18 books. I was impressed with his productivity and his diligence, until he inadvertently revealed a bit of information he meant to keep hidden: He had sold only 3 books, and feeling dejected, was giving them away.

One of the men in our writers’ guild had written 2 books. But guess what? He had sold over two hundred books within 2 years, and many orders were coming in.

What was the major difference?

The first man didn’t know his audience … if he even had one. He wrote for the love of writing, and there is nothing wrong with that, and just expected people to buy his books. But if a writer wants to sell books ……

The second man had targeted an audience for each book. He wrote both books with that specified group of people in mind. Therefore, it’s accurate to say that he wrote to those people, and his sales verify it.

The following is what an acquaintance said about establishing an audience. “Your target audience is the group of people who would be the most helped or entertained by your book. Your readership might extend past your intended target audience, but the target audience is who you intentionally aim for.”

So, write for the love of writing. Write what you are about passionate about. But also be sure to identify your target audience for each book you write. And make sure you …

Write Creatively.

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One Last Reminder …

P&L Publishing and Literary Services is offering a $100 discount as a Valentine’s Day special.

If you are writing a book – or are ready to publish one – contact us on our “Get In Touch” or contact page and tell us you read this blog. You’ll be surprised at how little it costs to publish a book and how quickly we can do it for you. Contact us on or before Leap Day (February 29, 2024) to receive this offer. That’s only 5 days from now, so don’t forget.

Feel free to share this blog with your friends. They might be glad you did.

Write Creatively

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Learn from Others, but Be Yourself

Babies learn about speech by listening. They learn to talk by imitating. They get good at conversation by practicing. Is there a lesson here for writers? I think so.

We learn about writing by reading. We learn to write by imitating. We get good at it by practicing. Does that sound too simple? Well, if I could reduce it any further, I would.

I’ve heard it said, “Learn from the best, but don’t copy them.” I agree, but I modify it this way, Read, study other writers, and learn all you can. But when it’s your turn to publish your work, don’t copy someone else. Be yourself.

Years ago, my dad said, “My mentors at the writer’s guild told me that I have to write what people want to read. And I have to write it a certain way or I’ll never sell much. What do you think?”

I didn’t want to give advice that conflicted with his mentors because there was some truth in their statements. But they missed an important piece of the puzzle.

After a minute or so, I responded. “Dad, they have great advice if your goal is to make a paycheck. But my advice is to write your passion, about what’s in your heart and mind. But write it well! Learn from them, polish your style, but be yourself.”

How did he do? A few years later he told me that his books sold very well, and he was happy for the freedom of expression I gave him.

So, learn from the best, but don’t try to copy their style. Be yourself, and …

Write Creatively

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Editors are an Unnecessary Expense … or Are They?

Often, what someone tries to convey in writing isn’t what the reader perceives. Also, the writer sometimes makes errors that his or her own mind glosses over. That’s why, after the document is completed, the author needs to become objective. So edit it: read it, and rewrite it . Make sure you take the time to revise it and make the story say what you want it to say. Edit the document to the best of your ability, then be willing to ask a knowledgeable friend to review the manuscript for you. But often close friends and family members don’t want to hurt your feelings, and that can color their judgment.

Marie called. She was distraught because she asked for and received advice from numerous friends about how to proceed. However, the advisors conflicted with each other and deepened her confusion. After we answered her questions and helped her understand what was involved, she hired our P&L Publishing and Literary Services editor who helped the message flow smoothly.

Editing takes time because the editor objectively reads every word. Depending on the genre, size of the book, and the level of editing the author requests, the process can take several days to a month. A good editor will not hurry because he/she wants to assure that your book is excellent. With that in mind, P&L’s highly experienced editor endeavors to complete the job within two weeks. Check P&L out at https://plpubandlit.org/.

The following statement may not surprise you, but you might not often think about it: A well-written book generates more sales than a poorly-written book. Therefore, give a lot of thought to editing. If you are good at it, you can save money. Otherwise, a good editor can help you make the sales, and therefore, earn you money. For a few more ideas, order our book, Publish Your Book the Easy and Inexpensive Way. (https://www.amazon.com/Publish-Your-Book-Easy-Inexpensive/dp/B0BVT8KWN2)

Write Creatively

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Set Your Imagination Free

On Monday morning, the teacher gave the economics class the assignment: “You have until Friday morning to write and hand in a three to five-page article about a dime.” Many of the kids thought it was a silly topic, but it shouldn’t be too hard. But one boy just couldn’t figure what in the world there would be to write about, and went to the teacher to protest.

“What’s there to write about? It’s just a thin, little old dime. How could I possibly get enough information for three pages?”

“Well, George, let me ask you a few questions.

  1. Why is it called a dime?
  2. What’s it made out of?
  3. What’s on the edge of the dime?
  4. Who’s image is on it, and why was he chosen?”

That was enough to get George started. But he ran into another problem, and three days later approached the teacher after class.

“Teacher, I might be in trouble. I thought about your questions and looked up a lot of info, but a whole lot of other ideas popped up that I had to include.”

“What’s the problem, George?

“You gave a limit of five pages. I tried in every way possible, but I just can’t cut the page count lower than ten.”

The teacher smiled because she had succeeded in helping another student learn how to use his imagination. “Well, don’t tell anyone in class, and I’ll let you get by this time.”

So, as you write, do not limit your thinking to what you know. Climb out of your self-imposed or culturally-imposed intellectual prison. Practice writing from various points of view. Practice replacing adjectives with verbs. Practice replacing narrative with action. Look up information about writing. Study various writing skills. But most importantly, be fully informed about your topic. Writing is complex, but it can be easy.

You get the point. As you broaden your writing ability, you’ll deepen your message, and you’ll be able to …

Write Creatively