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As a published author who has attended numerous writers groups and writers conferences over the last decade, I’ve heard lots of excuses about why people don’t write. Some of them I’ve even heard coming from myself! For fun, I came up with a list of 101 excuses why people don’t write that book they say they are always going to write. See what you think.

1. No one will want to read it anyway.

2. I’m not good enough.

3. I don’t have time to be creative.

4. I have to take care of everybody else first.

5. I’m just too busy to go on book tours.

6. The sun is in my eyes.

7. Starbucks has run out of coffee.

8. I don’t know what to write about.

9. No one will understand me.

10. I don’t think I can handle success.

11. I don’t think I can handle failure.

12. If my parents had encouraged/would encourage me more, I could do this.

13. If my spouse/children/teachers/friends would encourage me more, I could do this.

14. Writers are naval-gazers.

15. I like money too much to become a starving artist.

16. It takes too long to learn to write well.

17. I don’t like criticism.

18. There’s a ballgame on.

19. I don’t like to read.

20. My twitter followers need me to tweet about what I had for lunch.

21. See #1 on the list (it’s worth repeating).

22. The spell-check on my computer is set to British English.

23. I don’t want to have to promote my own book.

24. I don’t really have anything to say.

25. Everybody says I should write a book, but I don’t believe them.

26. See # 7.

27. I want to save on electricity.

28. I can’t find the pencil sharpener I used in 3rd grade.

29. The back of this envelope isn’t big enough.

30. I can’t afford the gasoline to drive to Starbucks.

31. There are no comfortable chairs in my house.

32. It’s too cold.

33. It’s too hot.

34. My facebook friends need me to post something every 5 minutes.

35. I work fulltime.

36. I’m already better than all those bozos writing today.

37. If I can’t have fame and fortune, I don’t want to bother.

38. Writing is the get-rich-slow-or-not-at-all plan.

39. 99% of all writers get their work rejected by publishers.

40. I’ll do it when I have more time to devote to it.

41. I’ll do it when the kids are grown.

42. I’ll do it after my divorce is final.

43. I’ll do it after I am independently wealthy.

44. I’ll do it after I get everything finished with the house.

45. I’ll do it after everybody I want to write about is dead.

46. I need my down time.

47. Most of the writer’s I know are mentally unbalanced.

48. I’m too tired.

49. My neighbors are too loud.

50. Is that a dog barking?

51. I need to go out to get a drink with my neighbors.

52. I have a cut on my finger.

53. My back hurts.

54. My ghostwriter has disappeared.

55. Sarah Palin has already said it all.

56. John Grisholm doesn’t answer my emails.

57. Oprah’s show has ended, so my book won’t be a book club pick.

58. I don’t have anything to wear to the Academy Awards.

59. My cat won’t get off my lap.

60. repeat # 6.

61. I need to wash my car.

62. Somebody’s got to make a living.

63. The coffee shop doesn’t carry my brand of tea.

64. My writer’s group is full of critics.

65. Writer’s conferences are a racket.

66. I have a cramp in my big toe.

67. It’s that time of the month.

68. My bowling team will think I’m a sissy.

69. I won’t have anyone to sit next to at the National Book Awards.

70. I’m shy.

71. I need to make a list of excuses for my blog readers so maybe they’ll laugh and maybe even buy my books.

72. I can’t afford to live in New York City where all the famous writers live.

73. I don’t have time to find an agent.

74. Creativity is over-rated.

75. I’m sleep-deprived.

76. Hemingway killed himself.

77. I don’t have enough self-esteem.

78. I’m a woman.

79. I’m a man.

80. I’m not white.

81. I’m not a person of color.

82. I’m thirsty.

83. Time to eat.

84. I need to see who wins American Idol.

85. I secretly find myself boring and have absolutely nothing to say.

86. Virginia Woolf drowned herself.

87. I don’t want to become an alcoholic.

88. I don’t want to give up drinking.

89. I’m much better than a lot of writers out there; they’ll be jealous.

90. I don’t like competition.

91. The publishing companies only want stories about vampires.

92. No one is getting published these days.

93. I ran out of my medication.

94. If I had had a better childhood, I could do this.

95. My therapist is on vacation for the next two months.

96. I have to write the next great American novel.

97. I’ve never read a great American novel.

98. see # 83 and repeat.

99. I don’t like writers.

100. Is there an app for this?

Now add your own number one excuse for not writing that book, poem, article, screenplay, or other creative endeavor:

101. ——————————

Are there any excuses from the list that you particularly resonate with? We all make excuses. But let’s face it, excuses are boring, and my guess is that you really do have something to say. So why don’t we collectively bury all those excuses in a cyber box in our cyber backyards and get on with it, shall we?

Susan Gabriel is an author of fiction for adults and children. Her latest book, Seeking Sara Summers, is gaining acclaim in diverse circles. More info at http://www.susangabriel.com. Gabriel works and plays in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Stacie Vander Pol has done exhaustive research to uncover the self-publishing firms that sell more books, pay the highest royalties, and provide the best overall value for writers. Company profiles include: Sales Results ranked from Poor to Excellent. Amazon royalties, bookstore royalties, and publisher website royalties. Distribution channels including online registration, Books in Print registration, and wholesaler access. An Overall Value rating factors in the cost of publishing with sales results and royalty payments. Trade discounts available for stocking in stores. Timeline to expect. Book Pricing – who decides the price for your book. Cost for Author Purchased copies. Author Rights and Contract Cancellation policy. Hundreds of examples of top-selling books published by the firms profiled are presented. A head to head chart makes it easy to compare firms in one

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CreateSpace uses it. Lulu.com uses it. So do AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, and almost every other self publishing company in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. What is it? Lightning Source, the printer and distributor at the heart of the “print on demand” industry. For the work those companies can’t handle themselves, it’s Lightning they most often depend on. So, why pay a middleman? In this follow-up to his groundbreaking book “Aiming at Amazon,” Aaron Shepard explores how to double your profit by working directly with Lightning. If you’re serious about making money with POD publishing, this book can show you the way. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is a foremost proponent of the new business of profitable self publishing through print on demand, which he has practiced and helped develop since 1998. Unlike most authorities on self publishing, he makes the bulk of his living from his self-published books — not from consulting, speaking,

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We are well into this new year and, as you look at the calendar in front of you and envision filling it with opportunities for you and your book, it is likely that publishing conferences, expos, and trade shows are high on your list of things to do. But attending these kinds of events can be daunting—especially if you don’t investigate what they have to offer before deciding to attend, or if you are not adequately prepared once you are there. The most sage pundits will tell you to be a sponge, ask questions, take business cards, take notes, take your time, follow up, and always say “Thank you!” and mean it. Good advice. But which events are “right” for you? How do you decide which ones hold the most value?

Which Should You Attend?
Any publishing event can be worthwhile and exciting, but the first step is for you to evaluate what you want to get out of it. The first reason you should attend is to learn. Begin by researching possible conference/s, trade shows, and publishing events. Look through writer’s publications (Writer’s Digest, Poets and Writers) or reference guides (The Encyclopedia of Associations is excellent) and pick the shows you think you might like to attend. Then talk to others who have attended. Check the Conference website and note the Purpose and Who Should Attend sections. Does it seem like a fit for you, your book? Also check the Exhibitors List. Do the majority of them interest you? And last but not least, if you want to meet editors, agents, or publishers, will the ones that suit you be in attendance?

Go? Don’t Go?
After you have narrowed down your search, dig in deeper and ask: “Does the criteria fit me, and what I want at this time for me, my book, and my education in the independent publishing industry (not two years from now…NOW)?” Then think about the “return on investment” for you to attend, given the outlay of money, time, and energy. Do you have the budget (i.e., for registration, special events, after-hours events, speeches and workshops, accommodations, travel, per diem)? If you can answer all of these with “yes,” then you are ready to hit the road!

Advance Preparation
Unless you are going for the sheer joy of being around the literati and squeezing in some good schmooze time, decide what you want to accomplish. Make a checklist.

1. Make a plan – What sessions do you want to attend, what exhibitors do you want to visit, what after-parties, if any, will you attend, what speakers do you want to hear, do you just want to network? Make a plan but make it organic so it can change.
2. Take care of yourself pre-conference. Don’t run yourself down before attending. Shows are exhausting enough.
3. You can’t do it all. Expect that. Then expect a miracle.
4. Make appointments, if that is your goal, well enough in advance to get on people’s calendar.
5. Study the showroom floor so you know how far Exhibit Area A is from Exhibit Area D. Map out where you want to be, then you can wander in and out of Exhibit areas and not get caught in the morass of noise, presentations, and activity.

Once There
Obviously, your arrival time depends on the size of the show and whether or not you have to travel to get there. If it is the former, and, if you can, get in a day early just to get grounded. Know how to get to the venue. Driving to Book Expo of America on LA’s Highway 101, in the wrong direction, during rush hour, can jangle a person’s nerves. Once there, check your ego at the door. No explanation needed here. On the Exhibit floor, check your plan and the Exhibit floor plan; change it according to your interest level, so you can leave time for chance encounters. For planned meetings, never be late and whether orchestrated or not try not to monopolize anyone’s time, nor they yours. Your time is your currency; spend it wisely, as you can always connect with them at a later date. While you have them in your clutches ask lots of questions, then listen. Oh, and leave “I know” out of your vocabulary, just for these few days (“I know” it is tough!). Get their business card. Either immediately, or after each 5 interactions or so, find a spot, sit, and make notations, promises, etc. on the back of each card. This will pay off immensely for you in the long run.

Remember that you are there to learn, not to sell yourself, your platform, or your book. That said, have your platform (your 30-second elevator pitch), business card, galley, manuscript, book at the ready in a professional looking bag. If you are going to pick up material, give-aways, or galleys, make sure you have carts or bags that you can carry or pull easily. Over-zealous and over-loaded attendees look like sherpas and don’t make a good impression. Also, get your badge scanned, or give a vendor your business card, only if you really want all that material (please, save a tree).

If parties are on your agenda, get invited and go. Take any and all invitations from publishers, if they interest you. If you drink, be moderate unless Gluttony is the name of your book, then have at it!

Say “Thank you!” to everyone from show room staff, News Room personnel, folks working the booths, concierges, publishers, editors, and peers, and mean it.

Show up, wander, and engage the energy on the floor. And most importantly have fun!

Follow Up
Once you are back home, spread out those cards that you collected, and cull them. Find the most pertinent and contact those people first. Keep it short. Remind them of your encounter, what each of you promised, and when you will or will expect them to deliver. If someone contacts you, respond, even if you are not interested. Be clear and concise in your communication and expectation. Do not be flip.

Now, feel great about what you have just accomplished. You experienced something new. You learned. You made valuable contacts (and they met you). And you are building lifelong friendships in an exciting industry in which you are passionate.

Lin A. Lacombe is Past President and Vice President, Marketing of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA) and past VP Women’s Nat’l Book Assoc..  A literary publicist and President of Communications Consultants in Sausalito, CA, she is a speaker on her one of her favorite topics:  “Your Book: From Passion to Publicity.” Email llacombe@earthlink.net or http://www.frompassiontopublicity.com

Photo by Petr Novák, Wikipedia. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Every writer needs a good collection of books and some software in their writer’s library.

Each writer will have his or her own favorite writing books. Numerous books on writing are available for various stores and online. Writers are free to choose whichever ones work for them.

Anyone that wants to be a writer needs some of the following books in his or her library:

A good dictionary, like the Merriam-Webster Collegiate
A good Thesaurus

The Chicago Manual of Style

If you write journalistic articles, or web content, a current Associated Press Guide to Newswriting.

If you write academic writing, a current MLA and APA may need to be in your library.

All writers should also consider a copy of Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

For those writers that wish to write Science Fiction, consider an old book, The Engines of the Night by Barry N. Malzberg (It is an out of print book, but you may be able to find a copy.)

The best thing any writer can do to help them learn their craft, it to READ in the genre you want to write.

On a personal note: A program called WordWeb Pro is a very helpful program which I use often.

Also, consider subscribing to Merriam-Webster online. For $29.95, you have access to a number of dictionaries, a thesaurus, and an encyclopedia online. You can sign up at Merriam-Webster Online.

Many publishers want documents in Word 97-2003 Document. If you happen to have Microsoft Office 2007, you have to option to save as Word 97-2003. It seems the Word 2007 has its own extension that some people may have trouble reading with older versions of Word.

Robert Medak built a website where he offers his services, and maintains five blogs. He also maintains two blogs for AllBook Reviews,
and does marketing for AllBooks. Robert created a social networking site for freelance writers at Ning.com. He keeps it an invitation only site to keep spammers out, he has been plagued enough with spammers in other writers’ sites where he is a member. He also maintains a critique group at Yahoo Groups called “critiquings”. Robert created a course for writers at Writers’ Village University (WVU) which he has facilitated, he has facilitated other courses at WVU. He also helped establish a Creative Writing Workshop at WVU.

Website: http://stormywriter.com or blog, http://rjmedak.wordpress.com/.

“Keep in mind Jim, this is the best business card you’ll ever have.” That was my first lesson as a new publisher and it has served me well over the years. When my first book “Handbook to a Happier Life” came back from the printer, I called my friend Terri Lonier, author of the “Working Solo” series. Terri was the only successful small publisher I knew at the time. I was in a panic. Here I sat at my desk, looking at the pile of books UPS had just deposited along my office wall. I took Terri’s suggestion to heart, and began to freely give books away.

Sometime back I was at a mid-Atlantic Publisher’s Association Meeting and mentioned this to a small group I was sitting with at lunch. Most looked at me at if I had lost my mind or perhaps did not “get it” that I was suppose to sell the darn things. They began giving me a lot of reasons why I should be selling every copy I can, after all, I’m a publisher right? There is this tendency among small publishers to hold-on tightly to their books. Sometimes, I believe, to tightly. My suggestion is to loosen up and give your books away with joy and expectation. Holding on to tightly to your books will cost you potential sales in the long run.

When “Handbook to a Happier Life” was brand new, on a lark, I sent 20 copies to the presidents of several big network-marketing companies. The result was a glowing testimonial from the president from one of the companies, along with an order for 250 books. Was it worth the cost of giving away the 20? You bet it was!

At the Mid-Atlantic Publisher’s Luncheon, I asked the group at my table what they would do in the following situation: A newly signed distributor calls you and wants you to send them 400 copies of a book so that they can give them away free. What would you do? Everyone at the table, by now convinced I was a nut, said “No way!” “Make them buy them.” “You’re getting ripped-off!”

When I told them my experience, their position changed, you see, I said “Yes” to the 400 freebies. After all, they were at that time, taking up space in my garage, collecting dust. The net result was, that distributor, that year, sold 75,000 copies of “Handbook to a Happier Life.” I like to think giving away books is planting seeds, you never know which ones will spout or when.

Many professional speakers gladly give away their $12 paperback book (for the cost of a $1.50) and receive bookings worth thousands of dollars from it. Others obtain high price consulting contracts using the book as a door opener.

If you learn to loosen your grip on your books you may be pleasantly surprised at the result. It is a cosmic law that you cannot give without receiving. Plant your books wide and far and then watch them spout.

Jim Donovan is a successful author, speaker and book coach, who guides authors through the entire process of writing, publishing and selling their books and helps them achieve the success they desire.

Are you tired of waiting for your bottom line to change? Don’t wait any longer; take your profit line into your own hands. Join the list of authors who finally wrote their book and profited from doing so?

Would you like to receive a growing monthly income from a book you wrote? Where would you go on vacation with the additional income stream your book created for you?

Most people are inspired by the possibility of their appointment book filled with cream of the crop clients paying top dollar for their services as an expert author.

Still not convinced you get to do profitable things when you write your book? Here are some ways to gain profitable leverage when you write your book:

1. Write your book and grow your assets. Robert Kiyosaki author of Rich Dad Poor Dad says, “In simple terms, anything that puts money, or income, into your pocket is classified as a financial asset.” When you write a top selling book that puts money in your pocket every month, you can list your book as an asset on your financial statements.
2. Write your book and position yourself as an expert. As an author of a book, you can become the go to guy or gal in your field. Pull potential book readers in with free articles and tips to help them. People are always looking for good information, a whopping 85% of Internet users are looking for information. Supply them with good information and they will think of you (a trusted expert) when they’re ready to buy.
3. Write your book and expand your market. After publishing your book to the world, you enter a global market. You have the ability to reach out and touch someone across the globe. After you write your book, your customers may live in your neighborhood or across the world in another country. A book will extend your reach and profits to new markets.
4. Write your book and create an electronic product. Develop your book into an ebook. Technology has advanced making it easier and easier to electronically publish your own e-books. The profits from each sale on a per-unit basis can be 10X the royalties earned by your original book.
5. Write your book and develop an information empire. Now that you’ve finished your book, don’t stop there. You can create other products from it. Just divide it into chunks, sections and parts. Dividing your book this way will allow you to refine, repeat and repackage your information. You can keep developing your book with a website and a stream of follow-up products and even services to build your brand and your profits further.
6. Write your book and offer a new service in your business. You can use your new book to launch a new service in your business. Or you can simply use a book to leverage your existing services to new levels. With your book, you can consider starting a career in publishing, speaking or consulting in your field.
7. Write your book and start speaking for a fee. Travel the world speaking about your book’s topic. Does travel excite you? For some, it excites them to go to new cities or to a country they’ve never been before. Well, pack your bags! Writing your book opens the door of opportunity to go places you’ve never been before. Add speaking about your book’s topic to your list of services and watch even more new doors and opportunities for you open.

Are you excited about your increased bottom line waiting for you on the other side of completing your book yet? Don’t keep waiting for extra profits to come to you. You could be this time next year looking for that experience. Go ahead; write your book. Then get excited about the profitable things you get to do. Here’s to seeing your name in print!

Earma Brown is the author of Jumpstart Writing Your Book, a free mini-course to get started writing your book today. Grab your complimentary copy at http://www.writetowin.org/jumpstartyourbook.htm

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I recently caught a broadcast on my local NPR station from American Public Media about the troubled book publishing industry.

The most recent trend is that bookstores are ordering more books than they could ever sell because they are trying to compete with online book stores. They fear, according to the report, that if customers cannot find what they are looking for, they will go home and order the book online. Their fear is justified – after all, the average big box bookstore like Borders can stock approximately 100,000 titles while Amazon can list millions.

While book publishers may be rejoicing over increased orders, the orders are really a double-edged sword because the bookstores can return any books they don’t sell after 90 days.

To add to the problem, some bookstores are returning books before the 90-day window, waiting a week and then ordering more books. Now they have another 90 days to pay for the books and whatever they don’t sell they can return without losing a dime, according to the broadcast. More evidence that the publishing industry’s consignment model no longer works. Add to that decreasing book sales and you have a formula for disaster.

An article in  Yahoo News on the Book Expo of America held May 29 – June 1 in Los Angeles reported that more than 276,000 new titles will be published this year, according to researchers R.R. Bowker, but the Book Industry Study Group expects the number of books purchased to decrease.

So what is the future of publishing? Whether publishers like it or not, the future lies in digital content and print on demand (POD).  Publishers will be forced to print fewer copies of new titles just from the economics of their business model. They will have to turn to POD printers for the shorter print runs. While most traditional publishers do not embrace POD because of the higher cost per book and quality issues, the reverse is happening.  The cost per book is going down and the quality is going up.

Printing fewer books is in sync with the explosion of digital content on devices like the Kindle, Sony’s Reader Digital Book and the iPhone. With the Internet generation getting older, they may want to read more than an email or a text message and will prefer digital content over printed matter having grown up with computers and the Internet.

Just as the music industry went kicking and screaming into the digital age with the 99 cent per song business model (They are still kicking and screaming over it), the publishing industry appears to be on the same path, inundating bookstores with more books than the market can bear until they realize they need to change.

Anthony S. Policastro has been writing all his life first as a journalist, editor, and professional photographer and then as a freelance writer with his work published in The New York Times, Oceans, Diversion, and American and Popular Photographer magazines. He was also the editor-in-chief of Carolina Style magazine, a regional lifestyle publication similar to Southern Living magazine with national distribution. Currently he serves as the Senior Business Analyst for Lulu.com, the world’s largest online self publishing company with more than 1.8 million authors in 80 countries.