The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Embrace Change

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Change. Most of us don't like it. But like a caterpillar to a butterfly, it's essential to our growth.

Change. Sometimes we willing embrace it—like getting a new computer. Sometimes it’s forced on us—like getting downsized. Either way, it’s rarely easy. Why is that?

Because we prefer to stay in our comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable we are with what’s in our comfort zone. But like a caterpillar to a butterfly, change is essential to our growth.

I put off buying a new computer for more than a year, even though I knew full well I needed one. I put up with the glitches and the slow speeds because that was easier than the work involved in getting a new one up and running with all my special programs and my files transferred from my hard drive. (Transition made in late December 2024 and no, it wasn’t easy, though my IT-savvy son made it possible!)

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From the Archive – Marketing for Writers

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As promised, here is a list of posts about marketing for writers I’ve done that you might have missed if you’re new to my blog. Clearly, I don’t have as many posts on marketing as I do writing. That’s because I’m a writer, not a marketer. But like all writers, marketing is a task I need to learn and do.

“Do You Have a Strategy or Just a Plan?”

“How to Brainstorm a Marketing Plan”

“6 Lessons I Learned about Marketing Strategy from Playing Board Games”

“Marketing Your Book to Local and Regional Businesses”

“What’s a One Sheet? Plus a free downloadable template”

“Marketing, Keywords, and Publisher Rocket, Oh My!”

“Mind-Map Marketing”

Because marketing tactics change almost as regularly as a mother changes her baby’s diaper, I’ve kept these posts mostly limited to the methods rather than specific tactics. These will provide a basic information to help you develop your marketing skills during the holiday season and beyond.

From the Archive – Writing Skills

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I am a writer who consistently develops my writing skills.

I’m kicking back a bit this month to relax and get focused on my next book. At this writing, I still haven’t figured out what will come next.

There’s more than a decade’s worth of posts on this blog, and unless you utilize the search box in the right side bar, you’re missing out on some fantastically helpful posts.

With this post, I thought I’d offer a list of posts I’ve written geared toward developing your writing skills. And next time, a list on marketing.

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Thank You, Dear Readers

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With Thanksgiving next week, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers. You’re the reason I’m here writing blogs each month and weekly emails so I can help you on your writing journey, be it with writing tips or simply encouragement and motivation.

My first foray into the blogging world was with a site I called Glory and Strength. It was an outreach of my book Help! My Husband Has Sexually Abused my Daughter (the second edition is titled Carried by Grace). I don’t know what year that site began, but I published the book in early 2007, so I guess I started blogging in 2007 or 2008.

I’ve learned many things over the years and shifted my focus to writers. I’ve been blogging about writing since 2012 and love it. I started freelance editing in 2010, and somewhere around 2014/2015 began learning about book interior and cover design. I love doing it all.

But I can spend hours writing and not notice the time slipping by. Now that I’ve launched my 3rd fiction book, I’m searching for my next project.

TrainingAuthors.com named TheMotivationalEditor in the top 50 tools and resources for Chrisitian writers.

Last month, my blog TheMotivationalEditor.com was named in the Top 50+ Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024 on Shelley Hitz’s website TrainingAuthors.com.

Wow! Such an honor and I have you, my readers, to thank for that.

I love being able to share my knowledge and expertise to guide others. We’re on the same writing path; I’m simply a little ahead of you and glad to shed some light for you on the many aspects of writing.

I may take a break from blogging during December, though at this writing, I haven’t fully decided yet. My Tuesday Tips will still go out, and I’ll let you know there.

Thank you, all, from the bottom of my heart for making The Motivational Editor what it is. Without you there would be no reason for me to blog.

Happy Thanksgiving

How Much Do You Know About Your Ideal Reader?

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know your ideal reader so you can hit the target with your book

Updated November 4, 2024.

Knowing your target audience or ideal reader—today’s term is avatar—is important in many ways. As the term implies, you are aiming at a target, so knowing as much as you can about it will enable you to hit the bull’s-eye.

Often the message you hope to convey through your fiction or nonfiction dictates a lot about who the audience is. For example, I wrote Carried by Grace because I wanted to help women…who were Christian…with children…who had been sexually abused. Additionally, I narrowed the age range to mothers who were 28 to 40.

Before you start to write, gain as much clarity about your ideal reader as possible, all the way down to their needs and struggles (this is critical if you blog). People read to meet a need in their life. What need are you meeting?

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10 Email Ideas for Writers

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Let’s face it, coming up with email ideas to engage our subscribers is often a hurdle for writers, especially fiction writers. So today, I’ve got some ideas to share for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

5 Email Ideas for Fiction Writers

Share your writing process is one email idea.
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8 Steps to Overcome the Dread of Writing Emails

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8 steps to overcome the dread of writing emails

Writing mails can generate a sense of dread for many writers. Maybe they see it as marketing. It is, but it is essential to building a following and is much more than “selling.”

The typical questions include, What do I write about? How long should it be? How often should I send one? What if they unsubscribe? The list goes on, but if you don’t get past asking questions, you’ll never get any emails written.

Make the decision to write emails and the how and ideas will show up.

So let’s look at things you can do to reduce your apprehension and dread about the task.

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3 Simple Steps to Create Unforgettable Characters Workshop

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This live interactive workshop happens Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at 1:00 Central time.

3 Simple Steps to Create Unforgettable Characters

Characters that captivate the reader are essential to all good novels. This workshop discusses a 3-step method to build your characters as well as utilizing elements outside the norm such as cultural communication differences and temperament devices like Myers-Briggs and Keirsey. Then putting it all together into a character profile as a guiding document while writing.

Invest in yourself and grow your writing skills.

Register today.