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Guest Author: Dr. Wayne Dyer
Are You a Writer?
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How can you get your message out to the world?
People ask me about writing all the time. How does it work? How can they get their message out to the world? On the recent Hay House I Can Do It!® cruise,
I spoke to the Writer's Workshop which was one of the programs given on the ship. What a great group of eager, empowered, and energetic people! I told them that it
all hinges on what Abraham Maslow taught me many years ago when I was a young doctoral student. He told me to put forth what I wanted, my work, my message,
and then detach from the outcome.
This is true for any life work because the work itself must be what is satisfying and fulfilling for you. Writing is challenging work because it's so easy
to get consumed with how it's going, what's going to happen to it, who's going to like or not like it. You want to get all of that stuff out of your head
and just let the work flow. If you incarnated to be a writer, if that is your passionate calling, then you'll be getting messages from Source, from Spirit,
leading you in that direction.
If you are thinking these thoughts and being guided to write, remember that you incarnated to be a writer, not necessarily an editor. Your first job is to
write and not to apply a critical eye to your work without first letting it pour forth. Writing is like anything else—the more you do it, the better
you get at it, the easier it comes and the less concerned you'll be about what's going to happen to it, where it's going, what it sounds like, whether it's right.
After my four decades of writing, I have a practice that works beautifully for me. I just let the ideas flow through my heart. I don't write with a machine.
I write with a pen and a paper which is what is most comfortable for me. I just let it flow, and I have a wonderful editor who's been with me for 32 years.
I let her take care of all the details.
To get started, forget the details and let your ideas come out on paper. Get your passion on the paper. Let the passion that you feel come through. You won't
be able to stop and it will be the best writing you ever did. Detach from the outcome. Forget about whether it's going to get published, whether it's good or
not good, whether it's the right thing. There is no right in this. Let it come; be an instrument of flow. It's the practice that makes it work out.
If you told me you had a lousy backhand in tennis, wouldn't I tell you to go out and hit 1000 backhand shots this week? Keep doing what you love to the best
of your ability. Stop judging and get out of your own way. I always tell audiences when I talk about writing: Writing isn't something I do, writing is
something that I am. I am writing—it's just an expression of me. Is that how it is for you?
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Dr. Wayne W. Dyer is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development.
His latest book is
The Power of Intention, Gift Edition.
For more information about Wayne, please use the buttons below.
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From the Desk of: Reid Tracy
A Future of Possibilities
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"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
—Dr. Wayne Dyer
Technology is rapidly changing the entire landscape of the publishing world. Many publishers are treating these changes with a "business as usual"
attitude while others are taking this unique opportunity to reinvent their entire business and philosophy. I am in the latter category. This is the
most excited I have been in years about the new developments taking place for Hay House and the publishing industry and I'm looking forward to many
new ventures ahead.
Oftentimes, we get stuck in our old habits and business practices that have worked for us for so many years. We get too comfortable doing the same
thing over and over again. My personal challenge is trying to change the way I look at our business. I have been at Hay House for 23 years. I have
the advantage of experience, but at the same time, I have the disadvantage of falling into the habit of doing things the way I have always done,
rather than look for ways to improve upon past processes.
We are starting to make dramatic changes in the way we run our business at Hay House. It can sometimes be very painful, but necessary. Most times,
it's incredibly rewarding. This month, we've completed our first enhanced electronic books—Wayne Dyer's
The Shift and Louise Hay's
You Can Heal Your Life. We've recently partnered with Vook (a leading mixed-media digital producer), and the new developments in this area
have been astounding. These new e-books contain audio and video enhancements that will expand our reader's experience beyond anything they've imagined.
And this is only the beginning.
The above quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer speaks a lot to us as we face opportunities to make changes in our lives. I believe that now is that time for Hay
House and the publishing industry to look beyond past habits and the old way of doing things and wake up to a future of possibilities. I hope you
recognize the opportunities that await you when you change the way you look at the challenges in your business and in your life.
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Reid Tracy is the president and CEO of Hay House, Inc., the largest publisher of self-empowerment books. He leads Hay House's
Speak, Write & Promote and
Writer's Workshops, which are held from coast to coast several times a year. Read his latest publishing tips
and insights on his
Facebook page.
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Cheryl Richardson on Platforms
How to Build Your Audience
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What's the best way to build your platform? We use the term platform as a metaphor for the stage you stand on and speak from, the place and method
that allows you to relay your message to others. If you're truly committed to changing lives, you need to start by sharing your work with the world.
When you do (and do so effectively) you begin to build an audience for your work. A platform is key. When attempting to attract a publisher for your
book, for example, it's the first thing they look for—a developed platform. This doesn't mean you need thousands of fans on Facebook or a million
people on an email list (although that would be great!), it means that you recognize and are committed to building a following for your work.
After all, as writers, that's what we want. We don't just want to get published. That's never enough. We want to change lives.
How do you start? First start by opening your heart and your mouth. Tell people how you can help them. Share the wisdom and resources you've gathered
and let people know how they, too, can change their lives. Never underestimate the power of starting right where you are and simply sharing your
message with those close to you—family, friends, colleagues, strangers. Use social media. Create a Facebook Fan page. If you don't know how, ask
a teenager for help. Using Facebook is like breathing to them. They know exactly how to do it. Share bits of wisdom, experience, and insight with
followers, whether you have three, three hundred, or three thousand. Give people the best of you!
Approach professional associations and offer to give a free speech. Then direct people to your Facebook Page. Start a support group and invite clients
to join you (and ask them to bring friends). Once you're comfortable speaking to a small group, you can expand from there. As your speaking chops get
strong, you'll find that being on stage becomes a terrific marketing event. When people like you, they'll invite you to speak to their groups.
These are just a few ways to begin building your platform. Make it fun and watch your community grow. Before you know it, you'll be helping lots of
people and building a foundation of fans who are excited to read your writing!
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Cheryl Richardson is a New York Times best-selling
author whose latest books include
The Art of Extreme Self-Care and
You Can Create an Exceptional Life, co-authored with Louise Hay. She headlines the Hay House's
Speak, Write & Promote and
Writer's Workshops. To connect with Cheryl, visit her
Facebook page.
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Guest Author: Michael C. Chase
Born to Be a Speaker
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Michael Chase always wanted to be an author and speak in front of a live audience. After he attended a workshop in Boston last year, his dreams
came true. Are you listening to your dreams?
On Saturday, the second day of the Speak, Write & Promote Weekend Workshop, best-selling author Cheryl Richardson and Hay House CEO Reid Tracy
teach public speaking. They announce that on Sunday morning they'll randomly choose 4 people out of the 130 in attendance to give a seven-minute talk.
This exercise is designed to help us learn the proper formula (and gain the necessary confidence) to speak in front of a crowd.
And for a chance to be one of the lucky four chosen, all you have to do is simply raise your hand. Hearing that, my friend Julie turns to me and says,
"You're doing it!" I shrug off her comment and mumble, "We'll see," while in my mind I think, No freakin' way.
At 8:30 Sunday, I arrive at the event center with the sensation that this is going to be a special day. After saving a chair with my backpack, I decide
to make a quick pit stop in the restroom before things get started.
As I'm washing my hands I think, Hmm, more mirrors, maybe I need to give myself one more pep talk. But before I can toss myself an extra
affirmation, a man walks through the door, slows down, and stops. Squinting, he looks directly at me, points his finger toward my heart, and declares:
"Good luck today." With the slightest hint of a smile and the tone of an old Jedi Master, he repeats: "Good luck today."
My heart is now racing like a caffeinated greyhound, because I know exactly what he meant—I have to raise my hand. My mind starts right
in: Your dream is right in front of you! This is the ultimate job interview! You have a chance to present to Louise Hay, Reid Tracy, and Cheryl
Richardson! I know I'll kick myself for the rest of my life if I don't do this, but, honestly, it isn't even about being chosen so much as having
the courage to put my hand in the air. Just doing that would be enough.
The recommended formula for giving a talk is simple: the presenter has seven minutes to tell the audience who he or she is, share a compelling story,
and then give a call to action for making the world a better place. Only four people will be chosen. It's totally random.
After anxiously watching three solid performances, my math skills kick in as I realize: Three down, one to go. The moment Cheryl hands Reid
the microphone to choose the last speaker, I know it's me ... because I finally realize the mind-blowing truth: My dreams wanted me just as much
as I wanted them! They have been calling out to me every single day, and all of the so-called coincidences during this time have actually been
moments of grace and the universe saying, "I'm here. I'm ready for you!" Knowing this, there were only three things left to do: take a deep breath,
raise my hand ... and simply say, "Yes."
Within seconds, Reid and the microphone are directly in front of me. Yes, my inner voice roars, Yes! Jumping to my feet, I feel
nothing but pure, energetic bliss. There are no nerves, no jitters, not even the slightest concern that I'm about to give the most important
performance of my life.
Looking into the crowd, I see wonder in everyone's eyes. Throughout my time onstage, I continue looking their way, simply letting them know that I'm
totally confident and that I was born to be a speaker.
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Michael C. Chase is the founder of
The Kindness Center. His first book
am I being kind was published by Hay House in April 2011. Join us at Hay House's upcoming
Speak, Write & Promote: How to Be a Mover and Shaker event. Learn more tips on how to be a mover and shaker on the
Facebook page.
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Balboa Press Author Spotlight
Nancy Levin Writes for Her Life
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Our staff caught up with Nancy Levin,
Hay House's event director who published her first book,
Writing For My Life... Reclaiming the Lost Pieces of Me with
Balboa Press earlier this year. It is a poetic journey that will touch your heart.
Q: Nancy, you describe poetry as a tool of self-discovery. What did you discover in Writing for My Life?
A: The works in this book are the stepping stones that transitioned me through the struggle of leaving a long marriage. Although I have written in journals since I was 11 years old, poetry during this time of my life really became a concrete way for me to mark and track the passage through this time. It was a journey to reinvent my own life, let myself be vulnerable and find my authenticity to live my life again. My poetry became the map that helped me find my way through this difficult process of separation and delivered me to the next chapter of my life.
Q: In the Hay House Writing Workshops, we learn that one of the keys to get everyone talking about our books is the author's willingness to be vulnerable. Is this even more true for poets?
A: I write about what I know-my experiences-and I go where that takes me. I've noticed that the people who resonated with my book didn't necessarily go through a divorce. Some of them are happily married. But because it's so personal, they can relate to it. You can't really take this book at face value. It has no choice but to get inside you. That's what poems do so beautifully. They take you back to a time when you felt a certain way and they capture a snapshot of that essence.
Q: What was your experience in getting this book to press?
A: I decided to go the route of self-publishing. What I loved about doing this book with Balboa Press was the quick turn-around. I finished the manuscript in December and had the book in my hands in January. That doesn't happen in traditional publishing. This book, because it was so immediate to what I had just experienced, it was very important to me to get it out quickly. I didn't want to wait a year and already be past all of these experiences. So for me, self-publishing was my best option.
Here's an excerpt from the poem "hour-glass: a last love poem" from Writing For My Life:
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...for months
i have been nowhere
and everywhere
wheeling my home behind me
into the havens of others now i need to land safely
inside the space of my own
i was starving to death
before hunger finally saved my life
waking me to desire
and now you are
free from the wanting more
than i could give
and i will love you
beyond the wound
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Nancy Levin has worked extensively in
the fields of personal growth, health, and spirituality, producing innovative and experiential events. Nancy received her MFA in Poetics from Naropa
University, and her writing has appeared in numerous publications. Learn more about Nancy at her
Website.
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Find out more about the newest Balboa Press authors or details on self-publishing at
www.balboapress.com.
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Your Writing Life is a quarterly newsletter for all who have a passion for writing, speaking and taking your book,
your product and your business to the next level.
Subscribe Now »
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Writers ROCK!
Welcome to the Premiere Issue of Your Writing Life
Whether you are a novice writer or published author, this empowering and
instructional newsletter will offer the tools you need to bring your message to the world. Get advice about writing from your favorite authors and learn inside tips on
how to polish your words, publish your book and build a platform that will reach a worldwide audience. Subscriptions are free.
Sign up now to make sure you receive the next issue.
Our mission at Your Writing Life is to provide you with the information you need and want to help you on your path to writing, publishing, and promoting your work.
So, talk to us! Let us know what you'd like to see in this newsletter. If you have any topics you'd like discussed or any questions we can help you answer, please
send us an email.
Write Away!
Donna Abate
E-Letter Editor
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Affirmations for Writers
My writing is deeply fulfilling.
I create easily and effortlessly when I let my thoughts come from the loving space of my own heart.
My talents are in demand, and my unique gifts are appreciated by those around me.
I am at ease speaking in front of others. I have confidence in myself.
My innate creativity surprises and delights me.
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Marianne Williamson
On Writing From the Heart
"Only write from your own passion, your own truth. That's the only thing you really know about, and anything else leads you away from the pulse."
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I love Hay House and all the books you publish. I know that my book will be cherished by other Hay House readers like me. So tell me, how can I get
Hay House to publish my book?
The best way to start on the path to getting your book published by Hay House or any other publisher is to read and heed all submission guidelines.
Editors take great time and effort to create clear, easy-to-read, and user-friendly submission guidelines and keep them updated on a regular basis.
If you want your editor to be your friend, read these guidelines carefully and follow the directions explicitly. Editors have a special pile for
letters that say, "I read your guidelines, but I'm sending you this manuscript and/or book anyway..." And it's not the pile that goes
on the publisher's desk!
Here are several ways to start your journey on the road to getting published:
- View Hay House's submission guidelines.
- Get tips on polishing your writing and publishing your work on these Hay House Facebook pages:
Writer's Workshop and Reid Tracy.
- You can learn how to write a book proposal and get more advice from experts by attending one of our Hay House
Writer's Workshops.
- You can work with a team of editors, marketers and designers who will answer all your questions and lead you on your journey to self-publishing at
Balboa Press.
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Marketing Tip of the Month
Timely Posts = More Followers
When was the last time you talked to your followers and community on Facebook, Twitter or other social sites? If you only remember to chime in
when you have something to sell, pitch or promote, you'll lose your audience quicker than the Real Housewives start their bickering.
A good rule of thumb is to post at least one message a day and try to answer any questions your followers post as quickly as you can. When you
engage your social media fans and followers daily, you'll have a lasting community that will be there when you need them most.
Visit our Facebook pages:
Writer's Workshop
Speak, Write & Promote
Reid Tracy
Hay House
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Nouns Gone Bad
The dream of an editor is to polish all copy so it shines brightly whenever anyone reads it. And the quest of a writer is to keep your editors happy!
Here are inside tips from the razor-sharp and talented Hay House editors at our Carlsbad, New York and global offices:
Today's Tip: Let Nouns Be Nouns
Sometimes writers will go to extremes to get the attention of their editors. They will go beyond just writing. They decide to create their own words.
The most unusual we've seen are those standard nouns that are suddenly forced to go down the path of destruction and become a verb. When language becomes:
"He languaged his ideas." When source becomes: "The power that sources you." Or when incentives become: "The products that will
incentivize you." By steering clear of words that aren't (yet) in the dictionary, you'll keep your message clear and concise for all readers.
Let's affirm: I have an expansive vocabulary that will bring my powerful message to my readers.
If you have any grammatical violations or writing faux pas you'd like us to address,
send us an email.
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The
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has been considered the last word on words for more than a century. Earlier this year, the wordsmiths
behind the OED revised more than 1,900 words and added a few new ones. Now you can polish and color your prose with the inclusion of these latest entries:
wags:
This is an acronym pronounced as a word rather than letter by letter standing for "wives and girlfriends." It is a byword for
the female partners of male professionals (in football and in other spheres), and often connoting a glamorous or extravagant lifestyle and a high media profile.
muffin top:
This revision adds the figurative definition, which has nothing to do with the flat rounded yeasted variety known as the English muffin.
This refers to the protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers.
couch surfing:
a colorful slang and colloquial term defined as the practice of spending the night on other people's couches in lieu of permanent housing.
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Speak, Write & Promote: Become a Mover & Shaker
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Led by Cheryl Richardson and Reid Tracy, this exciting weekend workshop is designed to give you a framework that
will birth a successful public career. The program includes lectures, interactive exercises, and live coaching where Cheryl and Reid will work with
individuals to demonstrate key points.
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The Writer's Workshop
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The Writer's Workshop will give you the combined wisdom of more than 50 years of writing and publishing experience, including workshops with author
Cheryl Richardson, a #1 New York Times best-selling author who has written five books that have sold over a million copies
combined. Also presenting are Lisa Fugard, whose critically acclaimed novel, Skinner's Drift, was named a New York Times
notable book; Hay House Chief Operating Officer, Margarete Nielsen, who created campaigns that launched more than 30 New York
Times best-selling books; and Hay House President/CEO Reid Tracy, who transformed Hay House from a publisher of three books in
1988 to one of the largest independent publishing companies in the world and the leading publisher in the self-help industry.
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The Muse and the Inner Critic: Take Your Writing to the Next Level!
Lisa Fugard - On Demand Seminar
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In this empowering On Demand Seminar, Lisa Fugard, acclaimed novelist and writing expert, teaches you the best strategies for working with your
muse and inner critic so you can gain momentum with your writing. Whether you’re passionate about writing but don’t know how to get started, or
you want to overcome writer’s block, Lisa will help you take your writing to the next level.
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Get Inspired to Create
Here are a few inspiring books to help you recharge your creative batteries and keep your words flowing:
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A Daily Dose of Sanity: A 5-Minute Soul Recharge for Every Day of the Year
Alan Cohen
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This collection of inspiring, poignant, and humorous real-life stories, coupled with uplifting insights, will show you how to keep your head on
straight and your heart open no matter what you're doing, where you are, or what you're writing.
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Attitude Is Everything for Success: Say it, Believe it, Receive It
Keith D. Harrell
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When you realize the impact that certain words have on your life, you can choose powerful language rather than depleting, defeating terminology.
And when you speak those empowering words, you'll gradually start to create the quality of the life you desire.
Yes, words alone are the guide to success.
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Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words
Kim Rosen
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Can someone really be saved by a poem? Yes! Poetry, the most ancient form of prayer, is a necessary medicine for our times: a companion
through difficulty, a guide when we are lost; a salve when we are wounded and a conduit for writers to an inner source of joy, freedom, and insight.
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Laughter Is Good for the Writing Soul
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She answered, "If I tell you, it will defeat the purpose."
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A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.
She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.
"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."
A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.
"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"
"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."
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