Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan’

Sponsored by Teresa LeYung-Ryan — author of Love Made of Heart: an immigrant daughter’s journey to self-forgiveness (the book is used in college composition classes); author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW;  as editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying themes and archetypes; read Coach Teresa’s blog at http://writingcoachteresa.com

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B. Lynn Goodwin’s WRITER ADVICE – 7th Annual Flash Prose Contest.  Short Fiction/Memoir, 750 words max. First Prize: $200, Deadline: April 18, 2012.  Guidelines  www.writeradvice.com

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Cheering for all writers!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story.

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

Story Consultant/Editor/Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan celebrating brilliant story-tellers.

All three writers transport Reader to another place another time masterfully: Carol Sheldon (Mother Lode the novel); Mary Jo McConahay (Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest the memoir); and Woody Allen ( Midnight in Paris the screenplay).

How these Authors pull Reader into their story worlds:

Carol Sheldon puts Protagonist Jorie in a blizzard, with no town lights in sight, and it’s almost impossible to steer a steady course with the buggy. . . . One wrong move and the gelding could slip into a ditch . . . .  I need to get to the sheriff’s.  I need to get there soon  . . . .

By the way, Carol Sheldon will be at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA on Sunday March 18, 2012 at noon!  http://carolsheldon.wordpress.com/ Yours truly Writing Coach Teresa gets to interview Carol on stage at this event!

And, Carol Sheldon will be performing her 15-minute play Three Old Ladies Talk About Sex for Fringe of Marin Festival of New Bay Area One-Act Plays and Solos at Dominican University Campus in Meadowlands Assembly Hall (San Rafael, CA). Carol is in Program I.   Five dates in April 2012 to choose from.    http://www.fringeofmarin.com/performanceschedule.html

Mother Lode by Carol Sheldon page 1

Mary Jo McConahay hooks in prologue with:   . . .  I never imagined someday my dream clothes would be loose khaki pants, my dream shoes canvas boots.  But something happened when I hit my twenties.  Visiting Mexico City . . .  I saw an exhibit about the Lacandon Maya Indians . . . The year was 1973 . . . .

Maya Roads: One Woman's Journey Among the People of the Rainforest by Mary Jo McConahay

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Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen - movie opens with over 3 minutes of visuals and music only (no human voices)

Woody Allen dedicated over 3 minutes of visuals and music only (no human voices) to show us his story-world –  Paris in day light; Paris in rain light; Paris in night light; the music evokes a sense of longing.

Protagonist Gil’s first words:  “This … is unbelievable!  There is no city like this in the world.”

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To each one of my clients — past, present, future:

Please review your manuscript. Hook Reader with story-world and what your protagonist wants.

Cheering for you and all writers and readers!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story.

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

2012 March 24 in San Francisco “Meet and Speed Date with Agents, Acquisition Editors, and Publisher”

signature event of  Women’s National Book Association–SF Chapter

Meg Waite Clayton–keynoter at luncheon (optional)

More info and registration: http://wnba-sfchapter.org

Lynn Henriksen chairs event

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Mary E. Knippel, Tanya Egan Gibson will coach registrants on how to pitch 8:00-9:00am.

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WNBA colleague Ann Steiner, Ph.D.MFT, CGP (author of Starting and Sustaining Groups that Thrive: Workbook and Planning Guide) highly recommends Dr. Paul Watsky’s workshop March 23-25, 2012.  Dr. Steiner says:

Would you like a weekend devoted to exploring the challenges and rewards of practicing your creative art?

This workshop provides a safe place to deal with such common emotional obstacles as identity, follow-through, isolation, motivation, negative self-talk, and rejection.

This weekend workshop is offered by the Jungian analyst and San Francisco poet, Dr. Paul Watsky. Please forward this announcement to interested colleagues and contact Dr. Watsky directly if you have any questions.

When: Friday evening, March 23rd – 25th

Where: Inverness, CA

Workshop Size: Limited to Twelve Participants

About the Workshop Leader

Paul Watsky, Ph.D., ABPP is a licensed clinical psychologist with over thirty years’ experience in his field, an analyst member of the CG Jung Institute of San Francisco, and a widely published poet, whose debut collection, Telling The Difference (Fisher King Press) was published in 2010. Before becoming a psychologist he taught English literature full time as an Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University, and has continued to teach and lecture through the public programs of the CG Jung Institute and various other organizations.

For Information and Registration please call: 415 346-0253

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Speaking of creative art . . .  Mary E. Knippel’s book The Secret Artist – Give Yourself Permission to Let Your Creativity Shine is scheduled to debut by late Spring 2012!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story.  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

Author / Story Consultant / Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan -- photo by Cyberspace Guru Linda Lee

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan Enjoyed Helping Talented Writers / Registrants at San Francisco Writers Conference

Did we meet at SFWC last week?  Here’s your chance to broadcast the themes in your projects.  I enjoyed meeting all the authors at Independent Editors Central at San Francisco Writers Conference at the Mark Hopkins.  I took notes during our time together.  Please tell my colleagues and fans about your next step with your book or project — by submitting comments to this blog post.  How? Click on the blue title bar of this post, scroll down to get the boxes, fill in boxes and click on “submit comment” button.

Thank you, Mary E. Knippel, for orchestrating the program and to all the wonderful volunteers who kept everyone on schedule on Friday and Saturday!

Thank you, Elizabeth Pomada & Michael Larsen, Barbara Santos & Richard Santos, Laurie McLean, Linda Lee, every volunteer, every SFWC advisory board member and sponsor, SFWC organizational team, Patrick and his team, all fellow co-presenters, speakers, registrants, Mark Hopkins team, and everyone (online, in-person) who played a role in making the conference the most delightful event of the year!

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Christopher Eng from Hawaii with memoirist Birgit Soyka (To Drink the Wild Air) from San Francisco thrilled to hear from Story Consultant and Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan that they can turn their massive books into multiple books (create series; and also cross-market)

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Shannon Johnson, nurse! ( Sunnyvale, CA) receives cheers and advice from Story Consultant Teresa LeYung-Ryan at SFWC Independent Editors Central--photo by Tara Farquhar

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"Kenneth Ogilvie's mystery shows how protagonist's desire for revenge transforms into desire for truth and becoming whole," says Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

More photos in the 2 previous posts and 2 following posts.

Sincerely

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com
author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying themes and archetypes.

Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

Coach Teresa, what happened on Friday Feb. 17, 2012 at San Francisco Writers Conference?

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here . . . this is what happened from my POV. Please tell me and my colleagues your point of view by submitting comments to this blog post.  How? Click on the blue title bar of this post, scroll down to get the boxes, fill in boxes and click on “submit comment” button.

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Elisa Sasa Southard arrived at my home before 7:00am and off we went.  I had packed chicken meatball/naan breakfast roll-ups for us. We were inside the Mark Hopkins before 8:00am. Thank you, author Birgit Soyka and Tessa Bertoldi, for helping us distribute session hand-out material and keep track of time at our 9:00am-9:45am presentation “Blowing Up Your Balloon: Writing a Tagline That Will Sell You and Your Book”

Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan and Elisa Sasa Southard promote SFWC everywhere--even on Go-With-Sasa's automobile

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Audrey Fairchild & Julaina Kleist & Jordan Bernal gracious reps at SFWC--photo by presenter & Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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SFWC Heroes make conference a huge success--photo by Story Consultant & Writers-Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Elisa “Sasa” Southard & Teresa LeYung-Ryan 

Blowing Up Your Balloon: Writing a Tagline That Will Sell You and Your Book

Attend this session if you want to:
•    hook agents, acquisition editors, readers, media attention
•    make your name synonymous with the themes you write about
•    have fun building your writer’s platform

YOUR NAME: _________________________________________________________

Before Talking Tagline: _{_______________________________________________________________________________________}

AFTER crafting your personalized “talking tagline” from this workshop: ____________________

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Elisa “Sasa”’s definition of talking-tagline: “A one-sentence pitch that transforms every encounter into a marketing moment.”

Coach Teresa’s definition of platform: “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.”

My next steps:
•    Go to http://BreakThroughTheNoise.com and watch Elisa’s TV clip about talking-taglines.
•    Go to http://WritingCoachTeresa.com click on “Coach Teresa’s Blog” and bookmark it.
•    I shall ____________________________________________________________

Elisa Sasa Southard & Teresa LeYung-Ryan’s session—crafting your talking-tagline & building writer’s platform & fanbase

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Elisa Sasa Southard & Teresa LeYung-Ryan show how using talking-taglines & building writer's platform are as fun as keeping balloons in the air--photo by Tessa Bertoldi

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Elisa Sasa Southard & Teresa LeYung-Ryan attract writers who want to create their talking taglines and build their platforms and fanbases--photo by Tessa Bertoldi

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Elisa “Sasa” Southard wears 2 hats:

•    As author of Break Through the Noise, 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message, she helps writers turn personal skills into marketing talent http://BreakThroughTheNoise.com

•    As creator of Big City Travel Skills Project, Sasa helps young travelers turn into smart and savvy adventurers

http://elisaonassignment.com/

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Teresa LeYung-Ryan also wears 2 hats:

•    As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she coaches writers on making their names synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues they write about.

•    As editor/story consultant, she helps writers polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes and archetypes

Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes.

http://writingcoachteresa.com

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testimonials from Elisa Sasa Southard & Teresa LeYung-Ryan's USE Your Talking Tagline to Build Your Writer's Platform session at SFWC

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story consultant & writers' platform-building coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan and Birgit Sokya (author of To Drink the Wild Air) are colleagues at Women's National Book Association

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Author & SFWC Marketing Director Barbara Santos works out details with Mark Hopkins staff

presenters Elisa Sasa Southard and Teresa LeYung-Ryan and historical novelist Pamela Tartaglio

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At lunchtime, the room’s energy fell to deep sadness when Elizabeth Pomada told us that Shirley Fong-Torres (who delighted us last year at SFWC) died a few months after the 2011 conference. Shirley was only 64. I am so sad for her family. Blossom branches in a huge vase on the SFWC stage reminded us of Shirley’s vibrance.

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Lisa See’s keynote speech was most inspiring.  Lisa said when she reads a book she reads the beginning, then the ending, then back and forth until she reaches the middle; then she’ll read the ending again. Coach Teresa here . . . to remind my clients . . . Before you rework the beginning of your novel or memoir, review your ending.  Lisa’s reading m.o. is a helpful trick for writers. As Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson says: “The beginning foreshadows the ending.” “The ending dictates the beginning.”

Read fabulous story-teller Lisa Lee’s books!

Julaina Kleist with Lisa See (author of Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, On Gold Mountain, Dreams of Joy) and BookShop West Portal Neal Sofman at SFWC -- photo by story consultant & writers' platform-building coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan (presenter, author)

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Cyberspace Genius Linda Lee empowers writers at SFWC--photo by Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan advises prescriptive nonfiction author Jodi Lobozzo Aman of New York to buy domain names that are synonymous with her themes

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author Margie Yee Webb chats with SFWC advisory board member Harvey Pawl while Barbara Santos works out details with Mark Hopkins rep-- photo by Coach Teresa

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Alexis Masters and Margie Yee Webb author of Cat Mulan's Mindful Musings spread joy at SFWC--photo by Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Alan Rinzler’s keynote speech at 5:00pm gave us a glimpse into 50 years of the publishing world. Fascinating!  Alan was the acquisition editor who believed in Claude Brown’s 1,400-page manuscript when no one else at the publishing house did. Alan helped Claude edit the book to 400 pages  Manchild in the Promised Land: A Modern Classic of the Black Experience.

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SFWC presenters Teresa LeYung-Ryan & Nina Amir & Mary E. Knippel

Stephanie Carroll & Anna-Marie McLemore & author-- scholarship benefactor Victoria Hudson & Lisa Mattson--photo by Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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I saw Scott James aka Kemble Scott!  Scott is an inspiration and generous mentor in the publishing arena.

actor Will Southard & Elisa Sasa Southard of GO-with-Sasa celebrate SFWC--photo by Writers' Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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actor Will Southard & author Elisa Sasa Southard 2012 Feb 17 photo by Story Consultant Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Sincerely

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com
author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying themes and archetypes.

Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

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Coach Teresa invites Laura Bean and her wonderful art students at Academy of Art to broadcast their themes here.  How?  Click on the blue title bar of this post, scroll down to get the boxes, fill in boxes and click on “submit comment” button so that thousands of  Coach Teresa’s fans will see your name, URL, and read about the themes in your art works. (your email addresses will not be revealed)

Warmly,

Laura Bean

 

print edition ISBN: 978-0983010005

You can sneak preview the 2 exercises for Day 1 of my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days by going to Amazon’s page for my workbook; look for my bookcover then “Click to look inside”

 

 

 

 

Listed below are 2 events — free and open to the public.

Thursday, February 16th, 2012 at 5 p.m.

San Francisco Writers Conference Presents a Free Public Reading

Lisa See reads from Dreams of Joy in the California Room at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco

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Saturday, February 18th, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.

San Francisco Writers Conference Mass Booksigning!

Thirty presenters will sign in the Room of the Dons at the Mark Hopkins. Books for sale at the onsite bookstore manned by BookShop West Portal.  Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan will be autographing books.

I cheer for artists!  Special cheers fro Laura Bean and Chandra Garsson!  Check out Chandra’s new film Art & Gift 2011.

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

• As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she works with clients one-on-one to show them how to make their names synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues they write about.

• As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes and archetypes.

 

• As speaker and teacher, Coach Teresa delivers her signature workshops to help writers before and after publication.
• Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes; recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association. Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their families.

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan‘s motto:  “Work on the craft and build your writer’s platform and fanbase at the same time. Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams.”

 

 

Coach Teresa, Should I Buy Illustrations for My Book?

Hi Teresa ,

I want to thank you for having spoken at the Redwood Writers Club January 2012 meeting.  I regret that a prior engagement did not allow my remaining for the question-&-answer period. Were I able to remain, I would have hoped to ask this:

I recently completed writing and revising my first science fiction novel,   I have begun discussions with an editor and would like to know if it is too soon to acquire my intended illustrations.  I already have people committed to do this.

I very much appreciate any comment you are able to make.  Again, thank you for the valuable advice at the RW meeting.

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Dear Author (I will reveal  your name and URL if you wish),

First, congratulations on having completed your novel!

The publisher of a book is the boss when it comes to what illustrations are used and who creates them.  Of course if you are the publisher, you have final say. If you’re selling rights to a publisher, negotiate a contract that makes you happy.

The owner of the ISBN of a book is the publisher.

Example:  The publisher of my first book (Love Made of Heart) is Kensington Publishing Corp. NY.  My contract with Kensington (John Scognamiglio was the acquisition editor) dealt with my selling them the rights to publish my book and Kensington paid me an advance. My agent (Stacey Glick) negotiated the contract for me.  Even though the Publisher/Author contract  stated “Author to give input to cover design,” I didn’t have final say. The art director (Lou Malcangi) at Kensington had purchased art work from a photographer to produce the cover (Kensington and the photographer entered into a contract. I had no role in that contract).

Seek advice from a literary attorney.  Seek advice from folks at Bay Area Independent Publishers Association and  Northern California Publishers & Authors.

Honor each contract; prevent conflicts by understanding what rights you are selling or buying.

To participate in this blog post, submit a comment by: clicking on the blue title bar of this post, scrolling down to get the boxes, filling in the boxes and click on “submit comment” button — so that thousands of my fans will see your name, URL (your website/blog address if you have one), what themes/subject matters/issues hook you, and, what themes/subject matters/issues you want to spotlight.

I wish you joy, light, and a dancing heart.

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers. As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she coaches authors before and after publication. As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts. Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. http://writingcoachteresa.com Read her blog.

Coach Teresa, how do I, a children’s book author, build my writer’s platform?

My answers will help writers of all genres, so, please read on.  The specifics I’m naming target buyers of children’s books.

I’ll spotlight Deborah Taylor-French.

First, what is a writer’s platform?

Definintion of a platform.  “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.” (page 1 of my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days)

Deborah writes mysteries for children 8 to 13.  How does she build her fanbase? Deborah says: “Younger readers do not yet have e-readers nor will they go looking for me on the Web.  My goal this year is to find and agent/publisher for my series.  I know schools and parent-child book groups would be good to connect to, but how to do it in an effective manner?”

Deborah Taylor-French already has a fanbase–through her associations at  California Writers Club, her circle of family and friends, and her resourceful blog Dog Leader Mysteries http://dogleadermysteries.com that has posts in these categories:

• About Deborah Taylor-French
• Book Reviews on Amazon
• Books for Dog Lovers
• Books For Kids
• Give A Dog A Chance
  • Want a Dog? Go Local
• Welcome

I see that Deborah has 1,229 (and counting) fans reading her blog.

Deborah is people-person.  Let’s show her off  “in person” in the community.  I want to hear her/see her  / be entertained by  her.

What if she were to create a 15-minute show for children?  An interactive talk about “Give A Dog A Chance” ?  And a 30-minute version?  Or even a longer version?

Who would Deborah pitch her fun presentation to?

Librarians!  School librarians!  Teachers!   Pet store owners!  Pet supply store’s community relations managers!   Folks at rescue organizations!   Event coordinators at community centers!

• create a fun program
• test it out on a group of fans
• pitch it to people who are more likely to say “Yes!” (See the definition of platform in action? Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.)
• ask rescue organizations to help publicize your events; you’re being an advocate for them
• add a “press room” to your blog so that folks know how to invite you to deliver your interactive talk to their organizations
• collect fans’ email addresses to inform them of your appearances

Agents and publishes want authors with big fanbases.  Fans buy books written by their favorite celebrities.

Start the exercises in my workbook.  Start now. If you don’t have my workbook yet, click on the book title here to go to Amazon and do Day 1′s exercises (for free).  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW.  When you’re at Amazon, click on the book cover that says “Click to look inside.”  The sneak preview for the print version and the e-book are identical.   Take a look at:

• WHAT is a platform? What you’ll need in order to fully benefit from this workbook
• Build Your Platform, Build Your Name, Stand Out in a Crowd
• What is the game and WHO are the players?
• How Does this Book Work?
• Day  1   Who Am I?  What I Have in Common with Super Famous People

You’ll have so much fun doing the 2 exercises from the pages for Day 1 that you’ll want to do the next exercise and the next.  Your platform is unique; there is only one YOU!

If you need one-on-one coaching, I’m here.  I help clients from west coast to east coast–in person, on Skype, via phone calls and emails.

To participate in this blog post, submit a comment by: clicking on the blue title bar of this post, scrolling down to get the boxes, filling in the boxes and click on “submit comment” button — so that thousands of my fans will see your name, URL (your website/blog address if you have one), what themes/subject matters/issues hook you, and, what themes/subject matters/issues you want to spotlight.

I wish you joy, light, and a dancing heart.

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (the fun workbook)

“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s platform!”

From Deborah Taylor-French via facebook:
“Wow! Thanks Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan for terrific answers to my questions. Your ideas pop and sizzle. I’m jumping on these to focus my efforts locally as I build my writer’s platform.”

Coach Teresa, do I really have to blog often to build my platform?

A gracious author emailed me a poignant question after today’s tele-roundtable discussions (sponsored by Linda Joy Myers and National Association of Memoir Writers http://www.namw.org ).

I will reveal her name if she wishes. For now, I’ll respond to Gracious Author’s concerns in a way that will hopefully help her and other hardworking writers to “reach out, not stress out, while building your platform.”

I’ll paraphrase  Gracious Author’s dilemma:

“Coach Teresa, you said we are experts of our experiences and to make our names synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues we write about.  I don’t want to blog about my traumatic experiences; and, I’m writing a genre that makes me happy. What to do?”

Remember my closing statement at the tele-roundtable discussions?

“You deserve to make your dearest dreams come true. Wear your 2 hats:  polish the craft; building your platform to help your fans find you.”

If a task doesn’t give you joy, do something else.

Who was the author on the tele-roundtable discussions who said she has written a happy story (growing up in the 1950s)? This author could be blogging about other books, movies, music, art, world events from that decade. Or focusing on that city/town/neighborhood.  Be the expert. Be the resource.

You love writing screenplays or plays?

Who are the screenwriters and playwrights you respect?

What are the themes in their projects?

What are the themes in your project?

What if I blogged about these writers who inspire me and about their protagonists?

What if I blogged about the writers who inspired the writers who inspire me?

Blog about the music or the setting or the historical figures in your work and the works similar to yours.

Example:  I have many books in my library that I want to read. Bastard Out of Carolina (by Dorothy Allison) is one of them. Last year I was a presenter at San Francisco Writers Conference.   A month before the event, I found out that Dorothy Allison was going to be a keynote speaker. So, I started reading her novel. What a page-turner!

At the conference I ran into Dorothy in the hallway and I told her what page I was on. I saw her again when she was on a panel about banned books (moderated by Barbara Santos). Dorothy Allison is someone I wanted to blog about.

In my blog post What to Do Before Hiring an Editor for My Manuscript? under the section “Paying Attention to Language and Rules,” this is what I said about Dorothy.

In Bastard Out of Carolina, Dorothy Allison’s protagonist Bone is a girl.  Bone’s voice is convincing in dialogue and in internal monologue. Brilliant use of dialect.

Then, when author Vicki Hudson told me that she created “I Sent Bastard to School” Fund, I blogged to show support.

Your blog posts, book reviews, movie reviews, stage play reviews, comments on other people’s blogs . . . can be short.  Talk about how the themes hooked you or what you learned from the characters; then sign off with your full name and your mission statement (by Day 9 in my workbook, you’ll have your brilliant mission statement)

A blog is just one of the “venues” for your fans to experience you. Fans can interact with you through your blog (the way you can interact with me with this blog–by submitting a comment). A blog keeps count of number of visitors.

What other venues keep count of number of visitors/viewers?

Websites (a blog is an interactive website)

YouTube !  facebook!   Twitter!  Here’s my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

Name some more venues. . .

Gracious Author who is writing screenplays–perhaps instead of blogging, you’ll invest time creating one-minute videos of your articulating the themes in the screenplays that hook you; write a description for each video. Write reviews on Amazon; publish the same reviews on your blog or YouTube channel. You become a resource center.

More examples – why you want to help your fans find you:

Two years ago I went to see Carol Sheldon’s 15-minute play at Fringe of Marin One Act Plays. I invited friends. Carol’s play was delightful. I blogged about my theatre experience. Two weeks later, I received an email from a theatre goer who couldn’t find Fringe of Marin’s website but she found information about the theatre company from my blog!  She couldn’t find their website because there wasn’t one.  I am happy to say that Fringe of Marin has a lovely website now.

A week after beloved Effie Lee Morris (retired children’s librarian/visionary/advocate/author) died, I received an email from a reporter half-way across the country who wanted to talk to a family member of Effie Lee.   He said that even though he found many websites showing Effie Lee’s biographies and interviews, he couldn’t find anyone who knew how to contact her relatives. He found some of the information he needed through my blog posts; so, he emailed me to get more.  I was a resource.  I knew Effie Lee as the founder-president of Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter. She inspired the Friends of SFPL to create the annual Effie Lee Morris Lecture–to honor a children’s book author.

So you see how blogs connect people and serve as resource centers? Make your blog whatever you want it to be.  Julie Powell cooked one Julia Child recipe each day–that in itself was already an accomplishment.  Guess what? Julie blogged about cooking a Julia recipe each day.  Publishers found her.  She received a big advance to write the memoir.

Your platform-building style is unique. Developing a new habit though, does require effort/consistency.  That is why I designed a workbook with exercises for at least  21 consecutive days. The 22nd day is celebrations.

To participate in this blog post, submit a comment by: clicking on the blue title bar of this post, scrolling down to get the boxes, filling in the boxes and click on “submit comment” button — so that thousands of my fans will see your name, URL (your website/blog address if you have one), what themes/subject matters/issues hook you, and, what themes/subject matters/issues you want to spotlight.

I wish you joy, light, and a dancing heart.

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (the fun workbook)

Coach Teresa here.

On Sunday at California Writers Club–Redwood Branch, I met dozens of talented authors.  One author told me that because there are other folks with her name, she added her middle name.  Then, she Googled her name (with her middle name) and was surprised that there were even more people with that name than the number of people with her first and last name only.

I will reveal the name of this delightful writer soon.  She is using my workbook to create her mission statement so that her name will be synonymous with the themes/issues/subject matters that she writes about.

Your mission statement is the foundation of your platform.

Let’s dissect the definition of a platform.  “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.” (page 1 of my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days)

The last part “what you have to sell” — what you’re selling is your literary works or services.

The middle part “to attract targeted consumers” — the targeted consumers are the folks who read and buy the kind of material you write about.

The first part “Making your name stand for something” — identifying and articulating the themes/subject matters/issues that you write about.

Understanding what a platform is gives you a fresh look at your writing career.

And you’ll be ready to have more fun doing the exercises in my workbook. Day I exercises:  “Who am I?” and “What I Have in Common with Super Famous People” (take a sneak peek at Amazon’s “look inside” of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s platform!”

Your Platform is Unique; There is Only One YOU!

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW