“Thank you so much for attending my presentation at the BAIPA conference. One hour was not enough for the resources I wanted to give all of you.”

“How does one person stand out in any industry? Building relationships is one key to success. For you, the writer, another key is to know how to translate the themes from your life to your writing and articulate those themes as community concerns. I want to see you realize your dreams.”

1. YOU ARE AN EXPERT/AUTHORITY OF YOUR EXPERIENCES. You, the story-teller, have the power to entertain, enlighten, and heal the world (one reader at a time). How do you attract the readers? By knowing what the themes are in your stories and making your name synonymous with those themes/messages. [for examples . . . read on.]

2. YOU ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR BOOK. “Reach out, not stress out” to: build your platform/brand; market/promote yourself; gain recognition through your circles of influence. Your book is an accessory of you. When people connect with “what you have to say” on an emotional level, they will most likely be talking about you with their circles of influence.

SOME EASY AND FUN WAYS TO MAKE 1 AND 2 WORK TOGETHER:

* I will write book reviews for my favorite authors and sign my reviews with my full name and blog or website address.

* I will learn how to create a compelling plotline by identifying the themes in my story. See how published authors drive their thesis statements, and then examine your project. Study from the books you’d read again and again. [ Martha Alderson is Teresa's plotting coach www.BlockBusterPlots.com There are 3 plotlines, according to Martha: Action / Emotional / Thematic Significance ]

Examples [What are the themes in Teresa's novel Love Made of Heart ?]:

* struggles and courage of an immigrant family.

* mental illness and the burden of stigmas.

* family-violence is terrorism at home.

* forgiveness in others and in self.

* I will thank people who have inspired me, supported my goals, mentored me, believed in me, AND, I will tell them about the status of my writing project. Be concise. Then once or twice a year I will give them an update.

* When I meet people, I will introduce myself with my full name, and, if I’m asked “What do you do?” I will respond with a talking-tagline [Elisa Southard is Teresa's talking-tagline coach www.breakthroughthenoise.com ]

Examples [How does Teresa build her platform? Articulating the themes in her novel by adding Elisa's "talking-tagline action verbs"? ]:

* Through my stories, I give voice to the struggles and courage of immigrant families.
* Through my writing, I advocate compassion for mental illness and help dissolve the stigmas.
* Through my book, I help survivors of family-violence find their own voices.
* Through my book Love Made of Heart, I show that “forgiveness in others” begins with self-forgiveness.

[See how Teresa crafts each statement to focus on one theme at a time? If she's talking to someone who has introduced him/herself as an outreach coordinator at Community Violence Solutions, which theme would Teresa focus on?]

* I will go where published authors go, learn from them, foster relationships, and share my findings with colleagues. [Check Teresa's calendar-of events at www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com ] Teresa believes in “Pay it forward” as in Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel Pay In Forward. When someone does something nice for Teresa, she does something nice for three other people.

* I will attend community / library / bookstore events and blog about the experience.

* I will post a question on my blog and invite my friends to post comments. I will also ask my friends to forward my request to their friends. Make the task easy for people; give them step-by-step instructions; test the procedure yourself before asking someone else to post comments. Learn more ways to build fame through blogging [ http://askmepc-webdesign.com Linda Lee is Teresa's cyberspace coach.]

* I will identify the organizations that advocate my messages/themes and post my comments on their blogs and also post those same comments on my own blog.

* I will Google my own name and see “who am I” today in the cyberspace world; then every month (as I continue to take action building my platform), I will see the great progress I’ve made.

* I will help my writer-friends by telling them about the April 16, 2009 event where they can dine with and learn more about identifying the themes in their writing from Teresa LeYung Ryan and other published authors at the “WNBA Authors Showcase” Go to: www.wnba-sfchapter.org for more info.

Cheering for all hard-working writers!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan who says:

“Reach out, not stress out.”

Career Coach for Writers

and

Manuscript Consultant

• polish your manuscript by identifying the themes and archetypes;
• market yourself to agents and publishers;
• map out your career.

Teresa edits women’s fiction, mainstream fiction, memoirs, children’s and young adults’ fiction, and short stories.

Some comments from her clients:

“Teresa is not only a lovely writer and a wonderful person, but also an enthusiastic, inspiring, and thorough mentor. Her far-reaching knowledge, networking expertise, and organization ensure that an aspiring writer will have the strongest foundation possible to launch him/herself on a successful career.” Pat Windom

“Teresa, . .because of you, the story has grown. You make me dig deeper and it brings more life to the story.“ E. Hartshorn

“Teresa, . . . I even see myself succeeding and being put into print and making money with my writing ability.I am so grateful to you.” D.Warner

Teresa LeYung Ryan is:

• Member-at-Large at Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter;
• Past Co-Chair of Group Mentoring at California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch;
• Past President of California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch;
• a 2004 recipient of the Jack London Award for her services to California Writers Club;
• Speaker and instructor.
  

Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart to advocate compassion for mental illness and to help survivors of family violence find their own voices.

In Love Made of Heart, protagonist Ruby Lin is forced to look into her past when her mother shuts down her own painful world.The story explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the choices we make when our hearts are broken, and the choices we make when our hearts are healed.

• archived at the San Francisco History Center;
• recommended by the California School Library Association;
• recommended by the California Reading Association;
• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes.

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com