August 11, 2003 - Degree of Organization
Volume 2, Issue 27
The weekly ezine with a road map for
sidetracked writers.
"Be better writers today
than we were yesterday."
Welcome to our new subscribers, and welcome back, if
you've been here before!
Thought for the Week - Degree of Organization
How many times have we said to ourselves, If I could just get more organized....?
Have you noticed, though, that everyone is at least a little organized, some people are super-super-organized, and most of us fall somewhere in between? Where are you on the organizational spectrum?
I think nearly everyone can be MORE organized. You can always find another file drawer, another pile to clean out, something new to tackle and get organized. For me, a better question is, Are you organized enough? Do you get what you need to get done, when you need to get it done, with as little fuss as necessary?
This mountain is much easier to climb. It leaves you wiggle room to say this isn't perfectly organized, but it's close enough. It works for you. A professional organizer might do more, but this system is the best one for you.
If you start tripping over deadlines or a simple project takes too long, then you know you really need to GO (Get Organized). Otherwise, give yourself some room to work it out your own way. This newsletter is here to give you some suggestions, but I really want you to create your own definition of what organized enough means to you.
P.S. "Julie, I love your book. I have read (or at least opened) more than a trunk load of books about writing over the years. Yours is the first I have seen that gives readers so much in one place. For me, the Master List and putting that together was more than worth the cost."
-- David Stoddard
Motivational writer, trainer and publisher of the
Terrific Life Concepts ezine.
http://djstoddard.net
Have you thought about how your routine may change as school slides into session? Even if you don't have kids, back-to-school is the perfect time to get a new start to your writing. Something about new pens and new notebooks makes you itch to fill them.
It helps to start at least a week early and get your family into the swing of the new routine. We are gradually sliding into a comfortable morning that flows smoothly without everyone frantically running out the door. One suggestion: make sure everyone gets up early enough (and goes to bed early enough). If you have some extra time built into your morning, you'll get off to a much more refreshing start to the day.
Book Review: Best Bang for Your Book by Julia Wilkinson
When author Julia Wilkinson wrote her first book, My Life at AOL, she did what most authors do... they buy lots of books on marketing their book, start promoting, sell a few books, and then try a few other promotion techniques.
Every new author experiences the thrill of selling their book -- and some of the promotion ideas that don't sell anything. As Wilkinson says, "I did a lot of things. Some of them worked; some didn't. Looking back on the year, I thought, 'Gee, I wish someone had told me about what all these efforts would bring....I would have done some things before I did others.' I would have not done some things at all. I would have done some things sooner and more often."
So she set out to write another book -- with practical advice on how to market with real stories about what worked and what didn't, and most interesting to me, she surveyed authors to see what their favorite marketing tactics were and ranked them. She also includes links to some of the more unusual resources on the web (for example, Amazon's top reviewers).
If you're looking for an overview of some of the latest and greatest promotion tactics, with real-life stories to support them, check out the
Best Bang for Your Book by Julia
Wilkinson.
The school supply sales are starting. I have one last tip for you regarding office supplies. Have you ever noticed how expensive the colored file folders are? You can substitute the three-pronged colored folders, and they are much cheaper. I bought 12 for a dollar at the store.
Happy writing! Julie
Like Organized
Writer.com? You'll love the book.....
Check out the latest review of The Organized Writer, by Betty Winslow at
AbsoluteWrite.com:
"With intriguing chapters...and an appendix of 25 ready-to-use forms, this book is exactly what disorganized writers need to pull themselves out of the pit of disorganization they have fallen into."
M T W T F S S
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Declutter (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Read (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. Assess (30 seconds to 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Write (at least 5 minutes)
Weekly Checklist
For freelance writers: Use this weekly checklist to find, write and send a query every week of 2003!
Monday
__ Make notes on a new idea.
Tuesday: Accounting Day
__ Post your accounting records.
__ Pay bills.
__ Follow up on outstanding invoices and queries.
Wednesday
__ Find a new market using links below.
Thursday: Errand Day
__ Make copies.
__ Return books to library.
__ Make deposit at bank.
Friday
__ Finish query and submit.
__ Match your query to the market.
Saturday Weekly Review
__ How was this week?
__ What's up next week?
__ Review your Projects list in your planner and check the
status.
__ Jot the next action steps for your projects on next week's
calendar.
__ Backup your computer files.
__ Virus scan your computer.
Sunday
__ Relax and enjoy!
__ Do something fun today!
Thanks for visiting Writer-Reminders! If you have comments,
success stories, or suggestions, reply to this message or e-mail
me at :julie@writer-reminders.com
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Copyright 2002-2003 Finally Organized LLC. All rights reserved worldwide. This
newsletter is provided with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other
professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be
sought.
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Writer-Reminders and OrganizedWriter.com do not guarantee, approve or
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