True Crime Stories Archives

Dictation Demystified

Do you cringe when you hear the word “dictation?” There’s no need to be intimidated by the word or the process. When someone says the word “narrate,” does that set off alarm bells? I doubt it. There’s a really simple reason behind this example.

“When you change the way you look at the world, the world you look at will change.”

– Wayne Dyer

The perception around dictation is more intense for some people so they find themselves becoming intimidated by the concept. Instead, I suggest you look at it as narrating.

Tips For Narrating (Dictating) Your Next Book:

Outline your book first by making a list of topics you would like to cover. Then choose one topic to “talk” about.
Label this recording with the topic title. This will make it easier for you when you to to arrange your recordings into a readable book.
Google Docs and MS Word both offer a talk-to-text option. This is a simple and free way to get your thoughts down on paper.
**Do Not Watch The Screen As You Dictate!** The whole point of this exercise is to get your thoughts down, not to edit as you go. If you watch the screen, you will find yourself stumbling around in your speech and trying to edit as you go. Instead, hit record and start talking. Edit later!
If you don’t want to use talk-to-text options you can record your story and send it to a transcriptionist to type it up for you. Again, don’t worry about editing here.
After all of this is said and done, now you can send it to an editor who will work on your punctuation, grammar and sentence syntax.

If you are struggling to try to find time to sit at the computer and write your book, then perhaps narration is the best option for you. I know it has made a drastic change in my writing projects.

5 Things Successful Writers Do Differently

#1 They Don’t Wait To Be Picked!

Remember those days back in school when you weren’t the first person to be picked for a ball team? Do you really want to put yourself back into that situation? No! But, we do it all the time. As writers, don’t get into the trap of believing that you have to be “picked” by a traditional publisher to be a successful writer.

#2 Successful Writers Read

Study the most successful people in the world and you will find they are all committed to a lifelong study of business and personal development. Nowadays, you don’t even have to sit down to read a paperback book. I am constantly studying. While I’m washing dishes, I have my earbuds in listening to a seminar. While I’m driving I will be listening to an audiobook. You don’t have to wait until you have time to sit down with a cup of coffee to read and learn. The important thing to remember is to study.

#3 They Control And the Let Go

I know that sounds odd, but here’s the deal. They control the only thing they really have the power to handle and that is their reactions and their mindset. They can’t control someone else’s behavior, but they control their own. They let go of everything else.

As a writer this an important trait to acquire. People are going to be rude to you when you release a book. Someone is going to leave an occasional nasty review on Amazon. While some people praise you others are operating out of narrow-minded jealousy. Let them go. Control your reactions to these people and let them go.

#4 Forget Everyone Else and Focus on Themselves

Successful writers study the market trends, but they don’t fall into the trap of comparing their work to other writers. How can you compare apples and oranges? Every writer is working from their own ideals, mindsets, and beliefs. No two writers are alike, so don’t compare. Just focus on becoming a better writer today than you were yesterday.

#5 They Don’t Let Fear Stop Them

Successful writers are just as afraid as you are. They have the same anxieties and shortcomings, the difference is they don’t let that stop them from sharing their work with the world. Be courageous and bold. Jump in and swim even when you are afraid and I’ll see you at the top!

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova is launching an online course for her fellow authors.

For Newbies:

This course will focus on helping aspiring writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing. Synova will be looking for BETA testers for this course soon! If you’d like to learn more, hop on over to her Facebook Group and join in. The first ten people to sign up for this course will receive a 75% discount! You don’t want to miss the launch day!

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

Write Your Biz Book in 90 Days Without Writing A Word!

Sounds impossible, right?

It’s absolutely possible! Every entrepreneur, life coach, and professional speaker knows they need a book to boost their business, but very few want to take the time to write a book.

It does not take a year to write a book. In fact, I can show you how to not only write your book, but also get it published in 90 Days!

To make it even easier, I am going to show you how to write your book without actually writing a word!

Think about it…..NONE of the influencers write their books.

Synova’s Sizzling Tips for Using Your Time Wisely

So many people complain about a lack of time, but I contend we all have the same 24 hours a day. It’s more about how we spend those hours.

There are 168 hrs/week. If you spend 40 at work, 56 hrs sleeping, and 7 hrs at the gym you still have 65 hrs left. What do you do with them? How can you make the most out of it?

#1 Say NO!

Don’t try to please everyone by taking on all their chores. Let them find someone else, or Heaven forbid let them do it themselves.

#2 Plan Ahead

Plan your day the night beforehand. Make a list of the top ten things you need to do and follow the list.

#3 Drop the time wasters

Don’t spend hours on Facebook scrolling through your newsfeed. Don’t sit and watch TV for three hours before going to bed. Find something more productive to do .

#4 Com University

How many hours a week do you spend commuting? Why not create your own Commute University. Studies show you can get an entire college education in your car on your way to work! Pop in a seminar, audiobook or podcast & learn on your way to work.

#5 Delegate

What are you currently doing that someone else could handle? Delegate the tasks that take up all your time so you can be free to work on your goals.

#authorcoaching #timemanagement