Isn’t it time to take action and become a published author? I’m not talking to novelists and poets, I’m talking to business professionals who need “the ultimate business card.” The book you write is just that, the ultimate business card. It’s time to get that book off your wish list and into the hands of clients and prospects, and if you want to have a business managing your workers is important and using software like paystub can help a lot with this.

[tip]Forget what your high school English teacher said about your writing skills

Charles R. Schwab is dyslexic, yet he rose to the top of his profession AND wrote several books. You can hire a financial ghostwriter like me to make you sound like an English Major, but before we that can happen, you’ve got some work to do.[/tip]

Kickstart Your Business Book

“Kickstart Your Business Book” is a hybrid of mastermind group and hands-on workshops in Charlotte, NC led by yours truly. Working with five other business professionals, you will finish the course with:

• Defined business goals for your book.
• An Ideal Reader Profile and set of Reader Objectives.
• Key Messages, Themes and a “Voice” for the book.
• A “Goldilocks Chapter” of the book, which is a template/sample chapter.
• A detailed table of contents with which to begin writing the book by yourself or in collaboration with a professional writer.
• A primer on copyright concerns.
• Sufficient information necessary to:
  • Decide whether to seek a publisher or to publish independently.
  • Choose your book’s format and distribution channel(s).
  • Begin developing a marketing strategy for your book that could begin before the book is finished.
  • How to hire a team of professionals to help you finish your book.

[important]This series of workshops is NOT a “writing class” designed to make you into something you are not. Most business authors engage a team of experts (including a ghostwriter) to bring their books to fruition; this course will equip you to captain that team and keep it focused on YOUR vision, voice and table of contents. 

However, you will become a better communicator as a byproduct of this course. What you learn about using Key Messages and an authentic Voice to convey messages that meet your Ideal Reader’s Objectives will serve you throughout your career.[/important]

Your Path to Published Author

1/22/13: Business, Audience, Voice

• Setting your BUSINESS goals for the book.
• Developing the Ideal Reader Profile.
• What will your Ideal Reader be equipped to do after reading your book? These are Reader Objectives.
• Finding the right Voice for your book that will resonate with your Ideal Reader. This goes beyond what you learned in eighth grade about whether to write in first- or third-person.

1/29/13:  Key Messages, Themes and Table Of Contents

• Group feedback on 2/2 homework (Business goals, Reader Profile, Objectives and Voice).
• Define Key Messages and practice how to infuse them throughout the book.

• Using Key Messages to develop Themes and a preliminary Table Of Contents (TOC).

2/5/13 Goldilocks Chapter

• Group feedback on 2/9 homework (Key Messages, Themes and TOC).
• Defining and writing your Goldilocks Chapter.
• Copyright concerns.

2/19/12: One-on-one feedback sessions on your Goldilocks Chapter

On Tuesday 2/19, instead of a regular group meeting, each author will spend 60 minutes with me reviewing my feedback and suggestions and mapping the next version. Authors will submit their Goldilocks Chapters to me by Thursday, 2/12.

2/26/13: Go, Go, Go! 

• Revising and fleshing out TOC using key messages, themes and the revised Goldilocks Chapter.
• Software and other tools to consider using for your book project.
• What to place in body of the chapter versus sidebars and appendices.
• 45-minute primer on choosing the best book format, design and distribution channel(s) to meet your business goals, guided by SPARK PUblications.
• Generating pre-book buzz through: blogging, newsletters, social media, speaking engagements, podcasting, white papers/e-guides, etc. “It’s your content…reuse and recycle it!”

The Fine Print

[help]Limited to six participants, and one has already paid in full, leaving five seats. Overflow will form a new group.

$950 tuition as follows:

• At least $500 to confirm your seat. Since there are only six participants in this mastermind group, don’t delay. Overflow will form a new group.
• Tuition must be paid inn full by 1/14/13.

All workshops will take place at SPARK Publications office in Mathews, NC from 9-12am. The feedback sessions on 2/19/13 will be scheduled individually and will also be held at SPARK’s office.

No rain checks on missed sessions. I’m available for 1:1 sessions at $95/hour. [/help]
[tip]To reserve your seat, send me your contact information along with a check for $950 to: Minerva Holdings, Inc.  PO Box 44325, Charlotte, NC 28215

Or pay with PayPal: 

[/tip]