Getting Book Published
The Unsupportive Husband: The Role Of Self-Help Books To Getting The Career You Want
Author: Dr. Tamara Mann, Ph.D.
“In sickness and health,” “til death do us part” – all very powerful words in marriage vows. It’s a common refrain that successful marriages take a lot of work. There are so many components to keeping both people happy with each other, namely good communication, very little drama when it comes to making financial decisions, right?
What do couples do when person A in the relationship wants to make a decision that the person B doesn’t agree with? Option 1 is for person A to do it anyway and risk alienating person B if the decision turns out to be the wrong one. Option 2 is for person A to forget about it altogether and completely acquiesce to the desires of person B. And, of course, option 3 is the great compromise where both parties get a little something out of the deal. Anyone who’s spent any time at all in a long-term relationship has experienced this scenario countless number of times.
The situation gets a little more complicated, however, when the decision in question has to do with making a major career decision. The tricky part here is that the move could be something that person A is really excited about and wants to go through with it even though the decision could potentially be life-changing. What if the spouse doesn’t want life to change? And when you take the gender-neutral rules out of the equation, that familiar book (you know the one about women and men being from different planets) taught us that men seek to solve problems for women when a lot of times women simply want to be supported not directed. So if person A is a woman and she has a male spouse he may be pretty unsupportive of her big career move, particularly if it’s risky or represents any sort of paradigm shift away from what she used to do for a living.
In these tough economic times when so many people are losing their jobs, are underemployed, or simply unhappy and unfulfilled in the jobs they have, it’s vitally important to take the time to get absolutely quiet and still and to listen to your own voice. Not every decision you make is collaborative just because you’re married, because at the end of the day you’re the one who has to live your own life. So what’s a gal to do? Eat right, get enough zzz’s , and add a healthy dosage of good ‘ole self-help guide medicine, that’s what. Because it takes real guts to change course in one’s life, you’ve got to keep that steady stream of positive messages in your head to get strong mentally. On the computer? Use the search term “life coach” and you’ll find the latest intimation of motivational speaker chat whenever you need it. Want to get your daily dose of positivity to carry around with you in old-fashioned form? Let’s take a closer look at a few of the really good motivational books out there, two old school and two newer ones.
Think and Grow Rich. This is a real classic. Published back in 1937, the author Napoleon Hill deftly lays out the secrets to turning away from a life of poverty and towards a life of wealth and success. Hill studied and shares through his writing the techniques and mindsets shared by countless number of uber successful people in a variety of industries. The work has been reprinted a lot over the years and the 21st century version is offered as well. If you’re looking for what many consider to be an original blueprint for achievement, this book (and, in fact, there’s a whole series of related materials) is a great place to start.
Another book that is considered a well-respected cornerstone of people in the market for personal improvement and continual success in life is Steven Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (published in 2004). Covey takes his readers on a journey filled with illustrative stories about the power of managing one’s life and the powerful importance of embracing interdependence. The book is about how to go about living a principled life in order to achieve success and personal happiness.
If those books are old-school personified, Do You! Twelve Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success by Russell Simmons is a 21st century definitive motivational guide that was published in 2007 and continues to be sold worldwide today. The multi-millionaire music and television entertainment producer, a mega mogul by anyone’s definition, Simmons generously shares key anecdotes from the past 20 years of his career that illustrate the laws of success he’s followed that have made him what he is today.
For those of you who are moved by a more spiritual frame of reference, consider Dr. Michael Beckwith’s The Life Visioning Process: An Evolutionary Journey to Live as Divine Love. One of the co-founders of The Secrets, made popular by The Oprah Winfrey television series, Beckwith’s book (published in 2008) guides readers towards the critical brainstorming phase of figuring out your life’s purpose, what you’re supposed to be doing as a career. A hallmark of this book is the guidance that it offers readers to stripping oneself from the victim mentality and offers solutions towards living a life of empowerment.
Think you don’t have enough time in your life to realistically read all of these books? Get the audio version and listen to them in your car. The point here is that we may be in the year 2010, but there’s nothing new about the need sometimes for a married woman get a little help from someone other than her husband to stand on her own two feet…and still stay married by doing it ethically, morally, and spiritually consistent with your values of course! Whether it’s finding a life coach online, reading the time-tested words of some of the best 20th century coaches, or gleaning the secrets of our favorite new-school sages, there’s an effective message out there for anyone who needs to hear it. All you have to do is look for it.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/the-unsupportive-husband-the-role-of-selfhelp-books-to-getting-the-career-you-want-2003459.html
About the Author
Dr. Tamara Mann, Ph.D. the author of A Girl’s Worth, a motivational fiction story for adolescent girls, a former elementary school teacher, who has researched the components of effective learning organizations and writes commentary on school reform issues, is a marketing consultant and women empowerment coach and is the author of pinkprosperitycentral.com She began her career as a former NBC page and conducted NBC studio tours.
Tagged with: career changers • self help • unsupportive husband
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You have two choices. One, submit it to a series of editors and try to sell it to a publisher (the traditional route). Two, self publish. If you want to become a successful author you must go the traditional route. Self-publishing has its uses, but in almost never produces a best selling book.
To go the traditional route you must learn how to market your book. That means learning how to produce a proper manuscript and create a professional looking submission package. That is actually much easier then it sounds.
Get a copy of the Writer’s Market. If you are submitting fiction get their Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market edition. A new one is produced every year. The first part of the book is a complete explanation of how to prepare your work for submission. Most of the book is a list of markets where you can submit your work.
Warning: this is a long tedious process, don’t get discouraged. It is the only way for you to become a successful author. Good luck.
You have chosen the most difficult thing in the publishing business – getting a children’s book published.
Let me describe for you the current nature of the children’s book market. I just finished ghostwriting two children’s books for a very major sports figure – already sold to a very major NY publisher. The first is with artist now and due out in Spring. I am currently working on another one with others to follow. This information was given to me by a Senior Editor at the publisher I write for …
40% of children’s books published today are by celebs like Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis etc.
40% are written by existing, established children’s authors like Eric Carle.
15-20% are reprints of children’s classics like Curious George.
That leaves at best 5% for new authors.
And that percentage is being cut into by adult authors like Carl Hiaasen and Mary Higgins Clark entering the childrens’ market recently.
To that, add the fact that most of the large publishing companies are backlogged with children’s books they have under contract but havent gotten out yet.
As a result, most A list publishers aren’t even reading childrens’ books right now, which means agents arent either. Agents only read what they can sell.
There is very little room to break into the children’s market. Only books that are extremely exceptional and have huge appeal stand a chance. Forget any holiday related books – the selling season is too short to make money.
Take a walk through any major childrens’ book department and you will confirm what I am telling you. Getting a childrens’ book done is almost impossible – and getting an advance for it is virtually out of the question anymore. Unless you fall into one of those categories above. I am fortunate to have the backing of a very major sports star to get me in the door with kids books. I write adult novels, but believe me I have tried with kids books before and failed for exactly the reasons I list here. Ghostwriting has gotten me in through the back door, and now I will be able to sell some of the children’s books that have my name on them. For now, someone else’s name is on the cover. Someone whose name sells books – big time. Don’t ask me how you can get a ghostwriting deal for a major sports star … I really backed into this. It was a gift from Heaven really and it is a blast working with this person too!!! My mantle is now covered with sports memorabilia worth a fortune!! Presents.
That is the nature of the beast. You might get a copy of Writers Market and search for some small publishers who are reading childrens’ books, but searching through the agents section, you will see that almost NO agents are reading childrens’ books. Try for some small publishers that read without going through an agent. Expect a lot of rejection. Develop a really thick skin and learn to advocate for yourself.
Always remember that before you send anything to anyone, check them out. Preditors and Editors, Absolute Write Water Cooler’s Bewares and Background Checks, Writers Weekly.com and Writers Wall are all great sources and totally free – although if they help you, it is nice to contribute a donation. Someone has to pay for running the sites. If you do not see information on the publisher or agent in question, write to Dave K at Preditors and Editors, Victoria Strauss or James Macdonald at Absolute Write or Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly. They are happy to pass along any info they have to help you.
As for self publishing it – it will get you nowhere. Self published books dont make it to bookstores. Childrens’ books are impulse buys. What is out on the tables for kids to see is what sells. Kids don’t shop at websites for things like books. They have to hold them in their hand and nag Mom to buy it. The only way to achieve that is through a good traditional publisher. Good luck. Pax – C
First, write the book. Then revise it several times and find someone willing to critique it for you (preferably not friends/family members). Then revise again. Agents and editors want to see a completed work, not an idea.
When your book is finally ready to be submitted, you will need to look up submission guidelines for publishing houses. You can go to the bookstore and find books like yours, write down the publishers, then go home and check the guidelines on the publisher’s website.
You will probably find that most of the publishers are closed to unagented writers. Some aren’t, but most are. So you will need to decide whether you want to work with an agent or try on your own.
Agents represent you and submit your book to publishers they think will be a good fit, as well as negotiate contract terms and give you career advice. They are paid on commission, taking 15% of what you earn for any book they sell for you. To look for agents to submit to, try: http://www.agentquery.com
The site I linked also has information on how to write a query letter, which is a business letter you write to pitch your projects to agents. (Query letters are also needed when submitting to publishing houses, so you will need to learn to write one regardless of how you decide to start submitting.)
Any agent that asks for money up front is not legitimate. Any publisher that asks for reading fees or editing fees or charges you in any way is either a vanity press or a scam. Vanity presses and self publishing companies will not get your book into stores, and very few self published books sell more than about 50 copies, most to friends and family.
See if your library has a copy of the book “Writer’s Market.” That will provide you with lots of information on the publishing business. The magazines “The Writer” and “Writer’s Digest” will also be helpful.
How to start on getting a children’s book published?
I have recently written a children’s book. I have no idea how to even start the process of getting it published. Any suggestions??
How does one go about getting their book published?
I’m starting a book, and have no idea when it will be done, but I was just wondering how I might go about getting my book published when I’m done.
Is anyone here a published author?
How did you go about doing it?
What are somethings publishers look for?
Do they change your book much usually?
Etc.
How do I go about getting a children’s book published?
I have an idea for a children’s book and would like to know how to go about getting it published…
How do I go about getting my book Published?
I just got done with my book but how do I go about getting it Published?