TOM BIRD'S WRITER'S ROUNDTABLE
Birdwise News from Tom Bird Seminars
Volume 9 Issue 3, April 17, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Note from Tom: Good News
- A Very Typical Yet Exciting Situation and a Lesson For Us All
There is just so much happening, so much good news popping up, and I have so much to share that I decided to do at least two editions of our newsletter this month. The first, which follows, focuses on some good news and a very important lesson.
A VERY TYPICAL YET EXCITING SITUATION AND A LESSON FOR US ALL
I want to openly state that of all the many benefits my teaching has given me, possibly the greatest has been the perspective it offers on how people deal with what is going on around us all, and illustrating for me how to deal with certain circumstances, what works, and what doesn't. This, of course, leads me to the story of Eileen Boris.
You may know of Eileen, who has been featured in the last few newsletters. She is the author who used her contacts to get the Dalai Lama to do the Foreword of her book, for which over 50 agents expressed an interest in representing.
I just received word this morning that the book Eileen had been working on sold to several foreign countries spanning the globe, and it doesn’t even appear as if the US rights have sold as yet—which depicts a phenomenal success on her end. Congratulations, Eileen.
However, as phenomenal of a story as Eileen's is, it is typical of all those who succeed in any field at any level. Let me detail the infrastructure of her success in a series of lessons below, which you hopefully will be able to put to use with your writing and in your life.
To begin with, Eileen responded to an internal urge by pursing her writing. Like most of you, she had been wanting to write for a long time. Like most of you as well, she started out slowly by taking a class or two, attending a retreat, but it wasn't until lately that she gave her whole heart and soul to it. Responding with all the action-based faith that she did, made all the difference.
From my perspective, faith is a highly sought after but a highly-overrated commodity. First of all, the expression of it is usually totally dependent upon an underrated outside source, desperation, which most of us react inappropriately to by running. This is where Eileen responded differently, a telling reaction which made all of the difference.
It was at the end of last summer when she contacted me with the news that her world was changing. To continue with her position as a an international peace and negotiations mediator, which has served her for so long and for so well, she would have to venture into some very trying areas of the world, including Iraq, where her safety could not be guaranteed. Most persons, when faced with such a dilemma, would bemoan the situation, reacting out of self pity, remorse or anger—not Eileen. Even as trying as this situation was, Eileen responded—as opposed to reacted—by sanely viewing this transition as a necessary change and opportunity that she had been seeking for a long time. That is when she decided to make her book her calling, a source into which she would pour her whole soul.
However, she realized that, up to that point, there had been some problems with her writing and with her sharing her work, which she did not have the expertise nor objectivity necessary to put her finger on. So she attended one of my intensive retreats in Phoenix where the necessary adjustments were made in her approach. This gave her the perspective she needed to see her work for the influence it could have and to free the flow of it once again.
I worked with Eileen over the next few months in polishing her approach and material, during which time she never once backed away from embracing her internal belief of what her work could be and what it could do for her. Over and over again, I remember her stating with authority, "I will do whatever I have to do to get this book to sell," and never once did she let herself down. She wasn't afraid to actively wish for success and to devote herself to doing whatever was necessary to achieve it. Never once did she back away from any of my suggestions or instructions. She trusted that she was in the right place, at the right time, with the right person, doing what she was supposed to be doing. It was that attitude on her end that initially thrust open the door of life allowing it to come streaming through.
First, her book began to flow once again. Then she was provided with an enlightened perspective that would make a huge difference. From that. came her idea about getting the Dalai Lama involved. The momentum that was created carried her through to her choice of just the right literary agent for her, who not only sensed Eileen's potential, but made the most of it as well, as was evidenced by what I read about her on the PublishersMarketPlace.com website this morning.
March 3 – Foreign rights; Non-fiction
German rights to Dr. Eileen R. Borris's FORGIVENESS; THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM, with a foreword by the Dalai Lama, presenting true stories of victims and survivors of the Holocaust, Rwanda genocide, incest and rape victims, etc., in which both abused and abusers discuss their dramatic journeys to give and receive forgiveness; to Pendo Verlag in Germany, in a pre-empt for their launch list, in a good deal, by Barbara J. Zitwer Agency in association with Vicki Satlow Literary Agency. Portugese rights to Dom Quixote.
March 24 – Foreign rights Non-fiction
Rights to Dr. Eileen R. Borris's FORGIVENESS: THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM, foreword by the Dalai Lama, presenting personal stories of people who have suffered great abuse and journeyed from anger, hatred and revenge to forgiveness and peace of mind, to Campus in Brazil, in a nice deal, with an auction underway in Japan (by The English Agency), by the Barbara Zitwer Agency.
April 12 – Foreign rights, Non-fiction
Dr. Eileen Borris's FORGIVENESS: THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM, about learning how to forgive, including stories from people all over the world traumatized by abuse, to East West in Japan, and Wydawnictwo Purana in Poland. By Barbara J. Zitwer Agency, in association with Hamish Macaskill at The English Agency in Japan, and Ana Milenkovic at Prava & Prevodi Literary Agency in Poland. At LBF, rights were sold in Germany, Brazil and Portugal.
Legend: “nice deal” = $1 - $100,000 “good deal” = $101,000 - $250.000
“significant deal” = $251,000 - $500,000 “major deal” = $501,000 and up
What sets you apart from Eileen?
Nothing, unless, of course, you are not giving 100% of yourself over to what moves you. How do you know if you are holding back? Openly and honestly approaching the following questions will provide you with the answers you need. Hold on tight, this is going to be one thriller of a ride.
- Are you making excuses about why you cannot give all of yourself to your calling or making excuses why you can't write or shouldn't write or how you're not worthy to write?
- Are you allowing life to control you or are you controlling your life?
- Are you doing with it what you want? If not, why?
- You are the only one holding you back, and if you are not moving ahead with the speed necessary, why are you not doing so?
- Do you respond to situations that affect you from the outside world or do you react? If you react, they are controlling you. If you respond, you see the influences, like Eileen, as creating opportunities—kind of like God speaking to you through the influential activities outside of you that effect you the strongest.
- How do you speak about your writing? Is you whole heart into it?
- Do you speak about it from the perspective of possibility?
- Have you decided, like Eileen, what you want from it, and have you committed to that vision with your actions?
- What else could you be doing to further your dream - not tomorrow - but right now? Do you need your writer's block unplugged, do you need to get some guidance on a query letter to get it sent out, do you just need to get started? What?
- And when are you going to take those actions? The longer you wait to do so, the more power and momentum the excuses you may have been using to hold you back will gather and the more difficult taking any step in the future will be.
- Are your actions reflective of the importance of your dream?
- Are you acting upon any positive guidance you have received to this point?
- Are you actions taking you closer to your dream or further away from it?
- What are you going to do now, right now, to make a difference?
What are you waiting for? Do it!
My best,
Tom
