Category: My Books

Making Progress on My Marketing Book

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1016743 by Hazel Bregazzi http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Hbregazzi” width=”187″ height=”274″ class=”alignright size-full wp-image-2741]In two days we have transmogrified three-quarters of a page of notes into nearly nine-thousand words, making up the first two chapters of Commonsense Zero-Cost DIY Marketing for Authors.

It’s going to be a real push to launch the book on January 1st as I had hoped.

I’m not certain I’m going to make it. I am certain I’m still going to try.

Getting Ready to Prepare to Plan to Begin to Think About Writing My Next Novel

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

[image: anodyne]The website said the first Jake Calcutta mystery anodyne would be released August of 2012.

Some of the delay has been life getting in the way. Some has certainly been procrastination.

The majority of it has been me driving myself to write a better book.

Through the Fog is a fun read. I’m working on (read thinking about) a sequel. But it’s not the serious mystery that will make people think I’m Chandler reborn.

… more … “Getting Ready to Prepare to Plan to Begin to Think About Writing My Next Novel”

Is Theory Enough?

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I’ve studied humanistic marketing methods extensively during the past decade. What I’ve learned changed my life, not just my business.

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1024629 by Mikhail Lavrenov http://www.sxc.hu/profile/MikLav” width=”440″ height=”283″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-2280]

In 2006 the company I worked for shut down, just as my Best Beloved came home from 4 months in the hospital after a near-death experience. After struggling for 4 years we gave up the home we were renting in order to house-sit, in part because we could no longer afford to pay rent and utilities. From that poverty, we’ve come to making a decent living in 2013. I’ll define “decent living” — we pay all our bills on time these days, we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary with a loooong weekend in a bed and breakfast on the coast of Lake Michigan, and we’re planning a 3-month trip to Ireland some time in the next 18 months.

We don’t live an extravagant lifestyle, but we’re no longer poor, even by my humble standards.

Here’s what I haven’t done yet: applied that marketing expertise to selling my own books.

… more … “Is Theory Enough?”

Will This Book Be Right for You?

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Most authors think marketing is a scary deep dark hole. I think it’s filled with rainbows and possibly unicorns, so I’m writing a book to see if you can learn to be as goofy about it as I am.

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/857803 by Jose Bernalte http://www.mrkstudios.com/” width=”440″ height=”197″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-2169]

You’ll be disappointed to find that Commonsense Zero-Cost DIY Marketing for Authors will not be a step by step marketing guide. Like all my books it’s a why to rather than a how to.

But it will include lots of information like

… more … “Will This Book Be Right for You?”

Another Little Purple Book: “You Don’t Want a Job” Launches Friday

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

You Don't Want a JobThis Friday, July 27th, I kick off the virtual book tour for my 10th book, You Don’t Want a Job: Why Self-Employment Reduces Your Risks & Increases Your Rewards. It’s the latest Little Purple Book even though it’s orange.

I’ll be posting links to all the tour stops as they go live and I hope you’ll join my hosts and me.
… more … “Another Little Purple Book: “You Don’t Want a Job” Launches Friday”

Your Effortless Business: Get Yours Today!

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

[az]1475022204[/az]Your Effortless Business, written by Frances Schagen and published by Little Purple Books (an imprint of Someday Box) is available on Amazon.com.

H’ray, Frances!

Kindle and Nook versions will be available within a week.

From the back cover:

Your Effortless Business is when things happen in a predictable way which allows you to put forward your best effort.

Your Effortless Business is when friction is minimized. When you are free to give it your all. When you can continually get better. When the people around you help you and bring out the best in you.

Your Effortless Business is when you play your heart out, then throw yourself onto the bench spent and happy at the end of each day.

Publishing Progress: Your Effortless Business & You Don’t Want a Job

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Responses have started coming in from my survey of friends who are self-employed. They’re sharing their personal stories for my book You Don’t Want a Job, to be released on February 29th.

… more … “Publishing Progress: Your Effortless Business & You Don’t Want a Job”

Double Book Release: Leap on Leap Day

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Sucker for a flash gimmick, that’s me.

I’m working on another Little Purple Book, You Don’t Want a Job. At the same time, I’m working with the first new LPB author Frances Schagen on her own book Your Effortless Business.
… more … “Double Book Release: Leap on Leap Day”

The Book

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

I’m conducting a little experiment with my videos. Clearly, most people watch the videos and, despite a direct request for this information, never comment on what else they’d need to get their book written. People don’t watch a video and think about writing.

After chatting with one of my prospective clients yesterday I realized I need to take my own advice. Rather than writing a book about the mechanical stuff, I need to write the why. It needs to help aspiring writers analyze their reasons for writing a book so they’re writing the right book, and have enough fire to make them do the work.

You can learn the mechanics anywhere; as my geek friends say, Google is your friend.

Only one place you can learn your why: your own head. I can help with that. I hope the book does just that.