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Part 2 of a four part series by Brad Stauffer
How to Leverage the
New World of Publishing
There's never been a better time Part II: Creating the Content What's burning inside that is ready to get out? Finding and welcoming the writer within you, and letting your story, expertise or inspiration be known, can get you clients, help build your business, as well as be extremely fulfilling. In the first article of this series, you learned that anyone can be a writer. With today's technologies and opportunities, you can more easily get known through writing. If you're "not a writer" and willing to change your perspective about it, you can move forward using techniques, tools and resources to get it done. You have a story within. You can be a writer! This second Expert Series article will consider our writing brand and motivation, as well as publishing mediums, easy entry points and next steps. Get Clear and Get Here Did you know that you were born branded? Our DNA plus life's experiences and learnings help create our own personal brand. The more you know about your brand, the easier your writing will be. A personal brand helps you get grounded on who you authentically are and why you do what you do. It's a way to stay clear on your goals, both personal and business. Knowing your brand is a step to creating a structure for your passion and dreams, therefore a structure for your writing. Here's how I define a personal brand: "A personal brand is an innate and Getting clear on your brand is an extended process that I won't cover in this article. However knowing your brand includes knowing your purpose and examining your life experiences and passions, which is just the beginning. To start discovering your brand, take some time to "R.E.A.D." (I'm not fond of about acronyms, but this one came together easily.) Reflect, Examine, Acknowledge and Dream.
The last piece on "getting clear" is about understanding your motivation around writing. My web marketing friend Lorrie Thomas always reminds her audiences to "stop shoulding" on themselves. Even though writing to get known is a good thing, we don't want it to be a "should." When we're trying to be motivated from the position of "I should write," we're just not going to be too passionate or committed. I've talked to many speakers, coaches and authors that say "I should have a blog!" And yes, that's a good thing (we'll talk more about that later), but when we write under a "should cloud" it's just not inspiring or fun. Instead, it's a project that goes on the to-do list. I see too many two-year old blogs with one post. And to be totally transparent, my own blog was dormant for a couple of years before my second post. It was only when I really "owned" that I was a writer, that it became a passion instead of a "should." Setting the Stage So we have welcomed our writer within, faced our fears, grappled with our grammar gremlins and beckoned our brand. Now what? It's time to start writing, so let's set the stage. Writing comes from inspiration, and you also want to know how to create the right environment and gather the best tools to be creative and productive. Designing the time, space and support will help you stay inspired and on track. Time When do you like to write? Are you a morning, afternoon or evening (or all-nighter) person? Do you write best when it's a scheduled time-slot or just when you're inspired? Space How do you like to write? On your laptop, old IBM typewriter, or a yellow pad? Inside your home, out in the garden or your local library? On the weekends or during the week? Here or there? Support What do you need around you? Inspiring images, beautiful scenery, plenty of sunshine? Your journals, notebooks and research? Caffeine and sweets? Set yourself up to really dive into your writing. For me, I need to feel inspired and "in the moment" and I've learned that I can also create the moment. (If I always wait for it, it'll take me two years to blog again.) Inspiration can be created by acknowledging what works for you. Yet, sometimes it's just about getting started and jumping in. That's what works for me: I just need a keyboard and a bottle of water, and I start typing. A couple of months ago, I updated my Facebook status saying I didn't know what to write about in my blog. In response, my former boss Jeff Kline wrote on my wall: "Just write, don't think." It worked. About our expert: Brad Stauffer is a certified coach, speaker, trainer, writer, publisher and business owner. His companies, Stauffer Media and On the Mark Branding provide publishing consulting, and branding and marketing services for publishers and solo-entrepreneurs, respectively. He is co-founder and co-trainer of Inspired on Demand, a business development program for coaches, and other solo-biz owners. Brad was also co-owner and publisher of choice Magazine and now serves as their business coach and publishing consultant. He is a certified coach through the Coaches Training Institute, and is a Certified Dream Coach® and Certified Dream Coach® Group Leader through Dream University, and has earned his ACB designation with Toastmasters International. Currently he is President of the Western Publishing Association, and a member of the International Coach Federation and ICF-Los Angeles. Contact: Brad@StaufferMedia.com http://www.StaufferMedia.com Feedback is welcome at ExpertSeries@choice-online.com Visit choice, the magazine of professional coaching Website
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