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Month: February 2022

Clarifying your vision for writers

What would you like to achieve with your writing business? Yes, it is a business. First and foremost, you must think of yourself as a professional before accomplishing anything else. So beyond that, what would you like to achieve with your writing?
Many coaches encourage their followers to create a vision board. Do you have a vision board for your business? If so, what do you have on it? Maybe you aren’t the type to have a vision board. Perhaps you would rather create a dream book. Whatever you choose to make, the concept is the same.

Here are some basic steps to create your vision board or dream book:
Step one decide what you want. I know this seems easy, but this is the first step many people overlook. Do not put money on your vision board. Sure, you may want more money, but you need to be very specific about how much money you want. Nobody cares about a suitcase full of printed paper. If they delivered a million dollars to you today, you wouldn’t be excited about the paper or the ink. No, you would be excited about what you would do with that money. I suggest you put those things on your vision board instead of pictures of cash.
Ask yourself a few questions. Where would you go if you had all the money in the world? How would you dress? What would you drive? Would you hire a driver? Would you take commercial airlines, or would you own your own jet?
What kind of car would you like to have? I want you to be very specific. What is the make, the model, and the color? The more specific you can be about your goals, the better you are. Picture what’s your life would be if someone handed you that suitcase full of a million dollars. Don’t be pessimistic and wonder how much taxes you would have to pay on an imaginary million dollars. I know a few people that would focus on the taxes instead of the gift. Don’t be that person! Even if you had to pay half of it to the I.R.S. it’s still more than you had before you were given the gift.
I know in my case, I have a virtual assistant on my vision board. I need a virtual assistant who can help me with some busywork. I also have a picture of the Grand Canyon and another picture of kayaks. I want to take my family kayaking down the Colorado River.n
Think of the things you would do and the things you would like to have. Think of the people you would like to help. How much money would you donate to charity if you had all of the money in the world? Get a picture of that charity’s logo and put it on your vision board.
So what’s the difference between a vision board and a dream book? Well, that’s simple. A vision board is made up like a bulletin board with pictures of your goals. Some people would rather take a notebook and cut out all of the things they desire and paste them into the notebook and make a dream book out of it as a scrapbook of sorts. Either way, the concept is the same. The more you think about, dwell on, and work towards your goals, the more apt you are to achieve them.
How does this help an author? Decide what you want to accomplish with your business and put those things on your board. I have the New York Times bestseller logo on my vision board. Am I there yet? No, I will be. I don’t know how long it will take, but I will be there. I see it every time I walk through my kitchen and see my vision board. I see it every time I sit down at my desk because I have another vision board across the top of my desk. Every time I fire up my computer, I also see it because it is the home screen. I will accomplish it because I’m working towards it, and I won’t give up until I do.
Is there a specific publishing house that you would like to work with, but there’s no way at this point that you think you can get there? Copy of their logo and put it on your vision board. Would you like to go on a speaking tour throughout the US? Find a picture of someone speaking on stage, paste your face on their face, and put it on your vision board.
I have one last tip about creating your vision board. Make sure everything you put on your board is in a positive light. Don’t put anything negative on your vision board. I know it sounds strange and what difference could it make, but I’ll tell you it makes all the difference in the world. Don’t put get out of debt. Instead, put financial freedom. It means the same thing, but it has a less negative connotation.

Can a local writer build a big enough audience to attract Hollywood? I did.

Can you publish independently and build a large platform that attracts the attention of a traditional publishing house? I did.

Can an indie author make six figures a year? Yes!

This go-to guide will show you how I built a business so large that a publishing house came to me and offered to buy reprint rights to three of my books. I got the chance to tell them “no” for one of the books. I made too much money.

Have you ever been able to send a rejection letter to a publishing house? It’s a lot of fun. Trust me.

How To Build A Bestselling Author Platform

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If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

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Monday Motivation: The Power of Meditation

If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

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Thoughts Are Things!


There’s a wise old saying that says, “for as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” What does that mean, exactly? It means you become what you think about regularly. Your consistent thoughts become your actions, and your actions change the reality around you. I know this sounds like a bunch of hoodoos, but I promise you there’s science behind it.

If you study Neuroscience, you’ll find out that every time you have a thought, whether negative or positive, your brain will send out neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that will change your physical state. So, if you’re thinking negatively, your brain will send out stress hormones like cortisol. If you’re thinking about the positive things, your body will send out serotonin which gives you the feeling of bliss.

What difference does it make?

That’s the scary part. It makes a huge difference. When your body is overfilled with cortisol, it starts shutting down from the inside out. Cortisol has a specific purpose. It is supposed to go along with the fight-or-flight mechanism to help us in times of crisis.

When we fight off a bear, our body doesn’t care if it digests food, so it stops. It also doesn’t care about cleaning the toxins out of your system, so your kidneys and your liver will stop functioning as well!

Not only that, your cells stop their reproduction process. Every moment of our lives, our body regenerates itself from the inside out. Our cells die and reproduce constantly. This process is also shut down because your brain thinks it doesn’t matter if you’re dead. That’s true if you’re fighting a bear, but unfortunately, we stay in a constant state of stress in our modern society.

This constant state of upheaval will cause massive amounts of health issues. Think about it. What kind of toxins are in your system because you’ve stayed stressed out for years? What type of health problems could we avoid if we found a way to release the tension in our bodies?

A man named Norman Cousins was dying of a deadly disease. The doctors gave him no hope, but he had an idea. I don’t know where it came from or what inspired him to do this, but it saved his life. In 1964, he was diagnosed with a deadly connective tissue disease. When the doctors couldn’t do any more for him, and he knew the only thing he faced was a terribly painful death, he decided to take it into his own hands.

He had been studying biochemistry and how emotions can affect the body. When all medical hope was lost, he decided to take massive doses of vitamin C and combine that with something unique. He created something he called laugh therapy.

Now I know what you’re thinking. It sounds ridiculous, but if you were dying and only looking forward to a slow, painful demise, wouldn’t you try anything too? So he decided to have the nurses read him the comic strips out of the newspaper. Then he would watch comedy videos continuously. He spent as many hours as he could laughing as hard as he could. It was painful to laugh, but he continued the process, knowing that he was filling his body with good healing hormones every time he laughed.
Norman Cousins walked out of the hospital, cured of his illness to the astonishment of his doctors. He wrote a few books and didn’t die until the ripe old age of 75. It had been a full 26 years after his brush with death.

Now I am not advocating that you forgo going to the doctors when you have illnesses or for depression and anxiety. I am encouraging you, however, to add a little bit of laughter and happiness into your daily routine. While you may have to deal with some health problems, a positive attitude will always help you through it better than a negative one will. So, today I ask you, what are you thinking about? (Yes, I know it’s a preposition at the end of the sentence, but it’s necessary—laugh grammar nazis of the world. The point of this article is you need to laugh more! )
Scientists have told us that we have 100,000 thoughts a day or more. They also say 75% of those are negative. I can’t imagine going to the doctor’s office and asking her to give me 75,000 shots of cortisol, can you? It sounds insane, but we are doing this to ourselves every day! No wonder everyone is sick. Now think about this, what if you purposely made yourself think of positive things as many times as possible during the day?
I encourage you to find ways to increase the joyful moments in your day. Whether it’s putting a picture of your child on your computer or pictures of your dream vacation, maybe it’s watching comedy videos when you get home from work. Whatever it is, insert more joy into your life. This year, the theme for Synova Ink Publishing is “learning how to live again.” Let’s all learn how to enjoy the journey in 2023.

Youtube Video “Thoughts Are Things”

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-Synova

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The 10 Commandments of a six-figure author

There are many strategies to make six figures as an author, but there are ten core principles that any successful writer must follow to achieve this type of success. Now, I will share them with you.

 #1. Create a quality product

 First and foremost, you get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. You do not get paid for books. You get paid for bringing value. So if you release a hundred cheap, low-quality books, you won’t make six figures. Everything You release must have a standard of excellence, especially if you are an independently published author. People tend to discount mistakes in a traditionally published book with little thought. But if they find an error in an indie book, they make a big deal of it. Why do we have this double standard? I don’t know? I know that it is a real problem, and you must watch this. Nobody’s perfect but make sure everything you publish is well written and edited to the best of your ability.

 

#2. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur

Most successful authors think of themselves as entrepreneurs. They don’t think of themselves as only a writer. They think of themselves as a business owner. I am an author, but I am also a speaker, a businesswoman, a podcaster, a YouTuber, a blogger, and a marketing junkie. I’m sure I could add more, but you get the point. I am officially an entrepreneur. I write books, yes, but my business is Synova Ink Publishing. As an entrepreneur, I have a written business plan for Synova Ink Publishing, and every so often, I will refer back to it. If I am not furthering my goals, I will find another path. The key is I think of myself as a business owner.

 

#3. Know your target audience

Every successful author out there knows their target audience. You can’t be everything to everyone. You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s okay. You must find the people interested in your type of work and market to them. Don’t advertise to the masses. You’ll waste a bunch of time and money and won’t see very many results. The point is to find your target audience and focus on them. Provide value to them and forget the rest.

 

#4. Have a marathon mindset

Successful Indie authors have a marathon mindset. They don’t just work on one book at a time and focus on that alone. They don’t put all their hopes and dreams into their first book and then never write another one. Every successful six-figure author out there has a series of books available.

 

#5. Building a mailing list

The money is in the list. You might think JK Rowling doesn’t have a mailing list. She might not, but there are millions of Harry Potter fans on a mailing list, and you can guarantee that her publishing house has them on a list. Now, if you are your own publishing house, you better have a list. Nowadays, traditionally published authors have to have their own list before reaching success. So go ahead and start building a list of email addresses. Start with your friends and family. I don’t care who it is. Start a list later on. You can narrow it down to your target audience. But start somewhere

 

#6. Think outside of the paperback

You need to think outside of the confines of a paperback book. There are ways to provide value to the marketplace as a writer beyond the paper. Of course, ebooks are available for those who like to read on their phones. There are audiobooks for those who prefer to listen in their cars. But there is even more available besides those three options. I’ll give you an example. 

I used to write about cold cases that needed more publicity for those of you who have just started following me. I worked with the victim’s family members to raise awareness about their case, hoping to bring in leads for law enforcement. So how did I do this? I realized that every cold case needed several things. I highlighted the story by writing an article for my blog. 

Then I made a series of YouTube videos about the case for my channel. I also had a podcast where I reviewed the cases and sometimes interviewed the victim’s family members. I also put their story in one of my case files books at the end of the year. So how did this help raise awareness about the story? 

Instead of the story being in one place, we ended up with a blog post, YouTube video, a podcast episode, a paperback book, an ebook, and an audiobook. So, I had taken the same story and recreated it six times. How many more people have I reached by saying the same thing six different ways? Think about this in your business. How many more people will see your story if you share it in different ways?

 

#7. Keep learning

William S. Burroughs once said, “when you stop growing, you start dying.” The more you learn and know, the more your business can grow and help more people. Trends are constantly changing, so you must keep learning about your industry. Now the trends in the fantasy industry aren’t the same for True Crime writers, and they are definitely different in the coaching industry. I don’t study the trends for Fantasy writers except for on the occasion when I am coaching a fantasy writer. I do constantly study marketing, personal development, and business. 

 

#8. Avoid burnout

I struggle with this. I will be honest with you. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the process that you forget yourself. Focus on organizing your projects and schedule in time for yourself. Learn to say no to projects and people that don’t serve your highest goals. It’s hard, but if you don’t take care of that beautiful brain of yours, you won’t be able to write.

 

  1. Find something bigger than yourself

When I started writing, I started writing things that I enjoyed. I quickly learned that this was not enough to keep me focused for the long run. Remember, we’re on a marathon here. Once I found my purpose, I got a drive within me to keep me going. When you’re working for something bigger than yourself, and you’re trying to make the world a better place, it pulls you through the hard times. It helps keep you focused and moving when you’re tired, when you’re sick, and when you feel like giving up. Find a purpose outside of yourself for your business.

 

#10. Networking

 No man is an island. We’ve all heard that saying, but we tend to be more reclusive as writers. We’re more comfortable in our own space, typing away hiding in our imagination. Unfortunately, that is not conducive to good business practice. Networking is vital when it comes to building a business. Find chances to network both online and in person. Don’t forget to cross-promote those writers in your genre too. By cross-promoting them, you actually open up their audience to you.

If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

For more free tips about writing check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook Group

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

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Redefining What’s Possible – Dream Bigger!

Are limiting beliefs holding you back as a writer? Do you still subscribe to that old notion that it has to be hard to write a book? In this video, Synova discusses some of the limiting beliefs she had to overcome to accomplish her goals.

Recommended Books By Synova’s Favorite Mentors:

Your Destiny Switch: Master Your Key Emotions, and Attract the Life of Your Dreams By: Peggy McColl

https://tinyurl.com/m684p7n2

12 Power Principles for Success By Bob Proctor

https://tinyurl.com/ted2mp

Schedule a Free 30-min coaching call with Synova using this link:

https://calendly.com/synovaink/30-min-coaching-interview-call

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The Benefits of Journaling For Writers (& Everyone Else Too)

You’ve probably heard that you should be journaling, but who has time and what’s the big deal? If you want to be a professional writer and you don’t keep a journal, I highly suggest you start, and I will tell you why. 

Tony Robbins has a saying that I absolutely love. He says, “success leaves clues.” If you study the most successful business people, writers, speakers, etc., 99% of them keep a journal. So if you want to be successful, it would make sense to do what successful people do, right? So why don’t we keep journals?

I think when we say journal, people get a mental image of the preteen girl and her little pink, glitter-covered diary. When I speak of journaling, I am not talking about the scribblings of a prepubescent girl. I’m talking about serious journaling for entrepreneurs and writers.

It’s a well-known fact that journaling can help you during times of crisis and trauma. It helps remind you of good times when things have turned bad. Mental health professionals recommend journaling to their patients and see massive results. It only takes 15 minutes a day to change your life. Still, for the most part, the majority of people don’t journal.

Today I want to tell you how journaling can help you become a better writer.

1. Helps Focus Your Thoughts:

Writing in a journal helps you focus your thoughts. A lot of times, people get overwhelmed at the thought of trying to write a book, and they can’t overcome it, and the book never gets written. If you take 15 minutes a day to write in a journal, you’ll find your ideas Will flow easier, and you won’t struggle with writer’s block as much.

2. Keep Track Of Ideas:

I also use my journal to keep track of the new ideas that pop into my head. If you have followed me for a while, you know that I have a tendency towards ADHD, and my mind goes a million places at a time. I will get great ideas while I’m in the middle of an important assignment for my business. I would follow these ideas down the rabbit hole and never follow through and finish the first project. I found that by journaling my ideas, I can keep them in a safe place but not get distracted by them. I will go back through my journals periodically and implement the ideas that I have stored there.

I also like to keep my gratitude journal entries in my notebook. Some people will separate their gratitude journals, their food journals, their idea, journals, etc. I placed them all in one. If it helps you to separate them all out, then I encourage you to do so. The idea is to store the information in a safe place. 

I use hard-bound journals, and I found a company that has beautiful ones. They’re usually gold, foiled, and gorgeous. I know all of you guys out there may not like those, so you can find ones that are more “Butch,” I’m sure. I call mine my “golden book of ideas.” I keep it with me everywhere I go.

Get Your’s Here:                                              Get Men’s Journal Here:

https://amzn.to/3gAJJzf                                https://amzn.to/34zc06O

 

3. Helps Writers With Character Development:

Journaling also helps writers flesh out their characters. It helps you build your backstory without boring the readers. Too many writers discover their characters along with the reader. Unfortunately, this leads to the bad habit of information dumping. I always tell people to start their books with excitement and chaos. Then you can sprinkle in the backstory later on. If you don’t know your character well enough, you will dump all of this information onto your reader. Journaling helps you flesh out all of those details so you can write a well-rounded character without boring the reader with unnecessary backstory.

4. Improves Communication Skills:

Studies show daily journaling improves your communication skills. As a writer, improving your communication skills should be a top priority. It also helps you work through emotions and be more mindful.

5. Reduces Anxiety:

Mental health professionals encourage their patients to use journaling to help reduce anxiety about upcoming events in their lives. When you write in a journal, it also decreases your anxiety about writing a book. I know that sounds strange because you’re still writing the book. People get overwhelmed at the thought of writing a book but think of it this way. What if you wrote for 15 minutes a day about the topic you would like to see in a book?

If you wrote for 15 minutes a day every day for a year, you would have a book written already! Sure, It would need to be formatted into book form and edited properly, but you have written a book. It literally takes the pressure off to simply write in your notebook versus the thought of writing a book.

Conclusion:

These are just a few of the reasons why you should be journaling as a writer. If those aren’t enough for you, Google it, and I guarantee you you’ll find enough reasons to start writing your own journal. I will give you a link to the company that I buy my journals from, I am an affiliate of Amazon, so I will receive a small commission. Commission. But I would not recommend them if I didn’t use them myself.

Happy journaling!

If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

For more free tips about writing check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook Group

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

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Synova’s 7 Storytelling Secrets – Patreon Only

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How To Find An Award-Winning Book Title (Live REPLAY)

A terrible title can destroy your book and keep you from reaching the world with your words. The title is like a reader’s first impression right behind the book cover. So, how do you come up with a title that will propel your book toward success?

Recommended Reading:

5 Reasons Why Writers Give Up On Their Dreams

https://atomic-temporary-128406418.wpcomstaging.com/5-reasons-why-writers-give-up-on-their-dreams/

If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

For more free tips about writing check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook Group

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

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Life’s Permission Slip

Are you waiting for permission to chase your dreams? You already have it! If you need validation download your own Universal Permission Slip.

Get A Copy of Dean Graziosi’s Book Here:

Millionaire Success Habits: The Gateway to Wealth & Prosperity

Millionaire Success Habits is a book designed with one purpose in mind: to take you from where you are in life to where you want to be in life by incorporating easy-to-implement “Success Habits” into your daily routine.

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