Melody Biringer is a self-confessed startup junkie and among her list of 20 businesses that she has started in the last 30+ years is a publishing empire called CRAVE. CRAVE guides have now been published in countless cities all over America and are now moving into Europe, with Amsterdam its first guide. Melody wanted to create a business that would let her work and live anywhere (while people queued up to give her money). A career based on schmoozing. This she has achieved big time. And now, to add to her impressive list of titles comes a book crammed with secrets, tips and downright honesty about how she has done it. Craving Success: a startup junkie’s path from passion to profits is quite simply, brilliant. I read it from cover to cover on a Sunday – yes it is THAT good. Melody is knee-tremblingly frank not only about her successes but also about her failures. Believe me, you need to listen to this interview and to check out her blog at www.startupjunkie.com

Listen to her inspiring interview here

What an excellent book.

Here is a book on the sticky subject of actually making a living as a writer. Hard hitting, tough talking, this book is frighteningly frank but also crammed with brilliant ideas, out of the box thinking and what boils down to over 100,000 words of common sense.

If I were to have written this book, it is exactly what I would have written.

Chapters include:

• Talent
• The job (about 100 pages in this section so watch out folks)
• Getting connected
• Engagement
• Putting up or shutting up (love this one)
• Courses
• Print on demand and self-publishing
• Resources

My only criticism is that the book needs more subheadings and an index. It is so packed with gold that readers need signposts and places to stop and take a breather.

So, let me give you a taste of some of the ideas this guy, Neil Nixon, has:

• You could be writer in residence in a prison
• Get funding for a book by hooking up with a charity or NGO
• You could earn money from performing what you write
• And that writers need paying in ‘strokes‘ if they are to stay motivated (that’s a Transactional Analysis theory btw).

In addition, this book has lots of super case studies and tons of lateral thinking ideas and oodles of practical steps you can take. If you are serious, and I mean really serious, about making writing your day job you need this book.

The author, Neil Nixon, is a serious writer. He set up the UK’s first full time university programme in professional writing and, if I were back at the beginning of my career myself, this would be the guy I would want to train with.

OK, eulogy over. I think you get my drift. This is GOOD.

PS – if you are still serious about making a living as a writer then please let me also recommend my friend, Lesley Morrissey’s, ebook on how to market your business in 30 days. Serious writers not only need to market their own businesses, but if they can also turn their hands to writing compelling copy for third party clients, this can be a source of lucrative work too. How to Market Your Business Better in 30 Days is packed with great ideas – and all for just £17.

A few years ago, Carolyn Vines was writing her memoir about being a black woman living overseas when she woke up one morning with the title Black and Abroad in her head. Later, this became the name of her blog too, and her website, even her Twitter name. In the beginning this happened by accident, but then, with the book due to be published, she contacted a book marketeer called Don McCaulay and discovered she had got many things absolutely right. Her work with Don led her to fine tune her marketing strategically with Don’s help. Later she went on to discover her book had become a business too. This fascinating interview will inspire any author to think about the Three Bs from the outset – blog, brand and business – and not simply the book.

You can listen to my interview with her here

Writers are always on the look out for ideas.

Yesterday, I reminded you of the value of attending conferences – and how you can go ‘quote spotting’ to collect cool quotes from the presenters.

Today, I’m going to re-remind you that one and add another – new books. When a book is freshly published its appearance makes good news. Not only could you write a book review, but you could also interview the author or write a feature based on the premise of the book and interview the author and mention the book in the article.

Last month I went to the Women’s Business Initiative in Den Haag to hear a talk by Melody Biringer, the brains behind The Crave Company and her latest publication ‘Crave Amsterdam’. Expatica asked me to cover the event for them, so I did, with pleasure.

Read on to see how I did it and to glean some great tips for entrepreneurs, authors and publishers.

It is always great to be invited to write for other people’s magazines, websites and blogs. In fact, since the Book Promotion Seminar I spoke at last month, being a guest writer at least once a week is now part of my marketing plan.

This week I am one of three experts, Lesley Everett, Mindy Gibbins-Kline (and me) to write for Andy Lopata at Fresh Business Thinking magazine. We all wrote about the importance of branding and my own piece details the seven ways you can write your way to stardom and riches.

Read the piece here and take a look at the entire newsletter while you are there, sign up too. It is packed with great advice. In fact, why don’t you offer to write for Fresh Business Thinking too?

As someone who has run my own business for over 20 years I learned a long time ago that networking is a fundamental part of my business. I have seen first hand how giving is one of the best ways to grow my client list.

Here, in this month’s column at The Hague Online, where I am Writer in Residence, I share the story of a fascinating scene that unfolded in front of me while I sat on the London Underground last weekend, when I attended a super Book Promotion Seminar.

Click here to see how many opportunities lie in wait for those who give.

Arvind Devalia was one of the presenters at the book promotion seminar. He has sold thousands of copies of his book Get the Life You Love and Live it and has boosted his business many times because he recognises the value of giver’s gain. Here, in his recent blog post, you will see the story of how he once donned a red wig in aid of Sport Relief and gave away free coaching sessions. And how, in exchange, he received tons of free publicity, a column in a local paper and sold masses of books. Read all about that here. Arvind is an author, coach, speaker and internet entrepreneur.

Do you have any stories of how you have given something away and received much more than you expected in return? Please share those stories here.

What does your business card look like? Is it memorable? Does it say what you do? Does it show what kind of a person you are? Does it fit with your brand? It should do. My business card has a photograph of me on it (that’s so people remember who I am); it has my motto on it too: ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’ (that’s so people know what motivates me); it has my name and address and website (for obvious reasons); it is branded with the same colours and the tree logo that I use on my website (to brand me) and finally, on the back it has a list of things that I do (to show what I do).

A business card is just a rectangle of cardboard but is a very powerful tool. It is also the one thing many of the people you meet will take home with them and, you hope, refer to at a later date.

A better business card

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could make your business card even better, even more powerful and memorable? Best of all, wouldn’t it be cool if your card could be useful too?

I know several authors who have made business cards that look like bookmarks. Add a few tips to your bookmark and it becomes more useful still. But, the trouble with bookmarks, in my world anyway, is that they get lost inside unfinished books.

An even better business card

About eight years ago I met networking guru, Andy Lopata, and when I asked for his business card he handed me a slim, envelope-sized booklet called It’s Not Rocket Science that gave me 12 networking tips. Years later, that booklet is still on my desk. Andy and I have stayed in touch and done much work together including work on his bestselling book And Death came Third.

Inspired by Andy’s book I created my own booklet, called So, You Want to Write a Book? My book contained 10 tips for writing a book, which made it useful. It had my photograph on it, my branding, a list of my services and a page of glowing client testimonials. Now, this was a business card and a half. I began to give it away at my workshops and keynotes instead of a business card. Today, that same booklet can be read online on my website, for free. Take a look here.

One step at a time towards greater things

A booklet may be your best business card. It’s a book, albeit a small one, and any author will tell you that the day they published their first book was the day the world began to see them as an expert in their field. Of course, if you write a bigger book you share more of your knowledge and will be considered even more of an expert, but a tips book is a great place to start. What’s more, you can even sell your tips booklets and make some money from them too.

My friend and client, Barbara Rogoski, runs a business called Authentic Matters. Her recent tips book, called Reiki Works! 55 practical ways Reiki brings healing to all stages of your life was her first step towards publication. Creating it gave her the confidence to move towards bigger and better things.

Not only has she created her tips book but she has also contributed a chapter to a brand new book, out last month, called How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth. Selected from thousands of entries, Barbara’s piece about the meals for the homeless service she set up in The Hague sits alongside work by Al Gore and Tony Blair. Now, Barbara has a tips booklet and a full-sized book to her credit and is working on a full-length book of her own.

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Are you ready to improve your business card?
   Are you ready to write a tips booklet?
   Are you ready to contribute a chapter to another book?

These three steps will give you the confidence, the kudos, the experience and the expert status you need to move towards writing a full-length book.

If you would like me to advise you on how you too can take the first steps towards publication then you know where to find me. Jo@joparfitt.com

Have a good month

Jo