TOM BIRD'S WRITER'S ROUNDTABLE
Birdwise News from Tom Bird Seminars
Volume 9 Issue 7, July 19, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE:
- The Bird's Word
- SSC / IIWP
- Summer Teaching Schedule
- Tom to Offer a Free Teleseminar
- Looking for Testimonials and Endorsements
THE BIRD'S WORD
Dear Fellow Author,
If you are wondering what it is that you should be doing with your writing, who it is that you should be contacting, or whatever, the only action that would work to your benefit at this time, since the market has drawn to a halt until after Labor Day, is focusing on either the writing or your material or the review of it.
This is the time to take advantage of the down time in the industry to produce the material you will be submitting to literary agents, in an attempt to acquire representation, or through your representative to publishers in the fall. Since the informal shutdown of the industry has been a standard for decades, it would be wise, in planning out your upcoming years of writing, to save at least July and August, and possibly at least the later half of June, for the composition of new material.
Please keep the feelings of others in mind, as you turn yourself to writing as well. As you may have already experienced, those around us, who may not understand our passion for writing, may not understand how you could possibly derive so much happiness and satisfaction from an activity that doesn’t somehow include them.
It’s pretty easy to get over this problem though. Simply make these persons a part of your solution for getting your writing fix. Of course, that doesn’t mean actually having them participate in either the writing or the review of your book. That would be completely counterproductive and potentially destructive for both of you.
What I suggest is to offer them suggestions on how they can be assets. Even if what you suggest is to be left alone during certain hours of the day, you will be allowing them to fulfill the role of an asset and in return they will feel a part of what you are doing.
It has also been my experience that passionate, active writing oftentimes changes the parameters of the world around you. When either myself or one of my students jumps into a writing project, things just seem to go crazy. I can’t really explain why this is the case, but I have definitely noticed a positive correlation over the years between when a person takes to writing and the stuff around them starts hitting the fan.
Even though this may not be a comfortable byproduct of writing, I personally believe that in some manner it is a compliment to your efforts as a writer, which is so powerful that it is somehow changing the status quo around you, and isn’t that we’re here on this Earth to do? To change things for the better? Even if something has been working well, maybe the insights derived from what one of us writes can allow something to function at a much higher level. That’s the challenging news. Of course, the good news is that this chaos usually resides quickly.
There’s one last point I want to make before moving on, please keep in mind that no matter how obsessive and thus bothersome writing may appear at times, we are blessed to be writers. For, obviously, the Great Spirit has in some way, shape, or form blessed us with a message of laughter, hope, entertainment, or information, if not all of the above, and He/She has deemed us worthy of delivering it.
I hope this letter finds you doing well and, even more, I hope if finds you writing.
Until next month…Tom
SSC / IIWP
A few newsletters ago, I mentioned that I would be kicking off a new individual, consultation arrangement for students referred to as The Summer Consultation Course. In that note, I also mentioned that I would be initially doing so on a trial basis.
Well, I’m happy to state that the SCC has worked so well and been such an asset to both myself and my students, that I have decided to continue offering it. Of course, for obvious reasons, I’m going to have to change the name as we change seasons. So I’ve decided to officially rename The SCC the IIWC, which stands for The Intensive, Individual Writing Course.
Since this is still a relatively new program, we still haven’t gotten a description of it up on my website. However, if you would like to know more about how the IIWC works, feel free to give my office a call 928-203-0265. Either my assistant, Shawna, will be able to answer your questions, or, if you would like, she will set you up with an appointment to speak to me personally.
SUMMER TEACHING SCHEDULE
I still have a few classes I will be teaching this month before shutting down my traveling until late September. Here are the listing of where those classes will be how and how to register them.
July 20-21 – Sage Ways, Sante Fe, New Mexico, 505-271-7029
July 22-23 – University of New Mexico, Albq. New Mexico, 505-277-2527
July 26-27 – University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, 702-895-1022.
TOM TO OFFER A FREE TELESEMINAR
Tom Bird will be interviewed by Planned Television Arts Senior Vice President David Thalberg (and frequent guest instructor with Tom in Sedona, Phoenix, and Atlanta). Tom will tell us how to completely write a book in 45 days or less.
Tom Bird is recognized as one of the nation's most highly respected authorities on both writing and publishing. The author of 14 books, Tom sold his first work at the tender age of 26 to Harper & Row, at the time the third largest publisher in the industry. Bird's career as a mentor/lecturer and author began at such a young age after he developed a unique set of methods which enabled him overnight to literally go from big league publicist to best selling author. Since that time, Bird has shared his innovative methods with over 50,000 students, many of whom go onto become successful authors, through over 2500 teaching appearances at over 100 different colleges and universities, over the last 22 years. As well, he has shared his insights in a variety of other ways as well, with his work being featured on dozens of talk shows such as Johnny Carson, David Letterman and through features and reviews in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, The Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Examiner. Further information on Bird can be found on his website http://www.ambassu.com .
Tom will discuss:
*How to get rid of writer's block forever
*How to go from finished manuscript to having your book on the shelves
in as little as three weeks
*How anyone, if he or she feels so inclined, can complete a book,
working two hours a day, in no more than 45 Days
*How to make the publishing industry work for you instead of vice versa
Here's how to participate:
Wednesday, July 20: 2:00-3:00pm (EDT)
Please call 580-474-3600
Then press in the code: 222089#
LOOKING FOR TESTIMONIALS AND ENDORSEMENTS
I'm in the middle of doing a third edition of my book Right From God. If you have used my system and met with good results, I would love to hear from you. if you would like to write either a testimonial or an endorsement. I will be going to press in two weeks. So if you are interested, the sooner you can get whatever it is that you would like to share with me the better. For an example of what a testimonial would look like, please follow the link posted below. Or, if you would like to do an endorsement and you would like to see what I have in mind before you submit one, I've enclosed a few below.
To read some sample testimonials, go to http://www.ambassu.com, then choose “About Tom Bird” then, from the right-hand menu bar, click on “Endorsements from Students.”
Here are some sample endorsements:
“Please make note that I have completed my book – target date was October 7, 2002. The book was actually completed in August.” Deborah M., U.S.A.
"With a highly contagious, 'go for it' attitude, Tom Bird and his informative series of books are an excellent guide and best friend for the author-to-be."
Rick Porello, author, The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia
“I finished the novel at 135,000 words by the end of December. And, a month to the day later, using your ‘get an agent’ wisdom and methodology, I successfully signed with a west coast agency – can’t tell you how excited I am! And you’re right; the book wrote itself, once I let it. And, Tom...it’s good!”
Mike Henle, Las Vegas, NV, author of Through the Darkness...One Man's Fight to Overcome Epilepsy
“My schedule is a little fuller than I anticipated, but I love it. After the book had been out about four months, the tide turned, and I no longer had to bang on doors, send e-mails, or make phone calls to book dates for book signings or talks. Word of mouth traveled fast, and people and organizations began vying for my time! Yesterday, I met Rosie O'Donnell and gave her a book (who knows where that may lead). And a member of one of my spiritual groups was a producer with the Oprah Show for seven years. He LOVES the book and is doing everything he can to help me get the book on Oprah. I can hardly keep up with the correspondence from readers and keep getting asked, ‘When is the Workbook coming out?’ I am currently working on it and expect it will be out next year. I don't know how this happened, but ‘Letting Your Heart Sing’ made its way into a women's prison, and they have started a Bliss Group there and are using the tools in my book to change their lives, so that when they get out, they do not have to return to a life of crime.
Instead, they can live the lives they were always meant to. I can't tell you how much joy and gratitude that brings me. So, Tom, in ways you can't even imagine, the work we did together continues to transform lives everywhere. I refer people to your web site constantly, so don't think I’m not thinking about you, I am. And I can't thank you enough for helping me fulfill my deepest heart's desire: to share my stories in such a way as to inspire others to follow their heart's desires, so that they too can experience the indescribable joy that comes from letting their heart sing.”
Deborah Tyler Blais, author, Letting Your Heart Sing.
