Once a month I let Mom Peep talk. Here’s her Taylor’s Tips Newsletter for July. Enjoy, while I take in some sun.
TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…
So, you want to be a published author. A writer who sells stories to magazines, writes devotionals, pens a great novel.
But they say you need a “platform,” and a well-written piece of work. You realize, like me, that you have a lot to learn and a long way to go. Should you give up now and say the heck with it? Should you discount the passion and drive you have inside? Should you curl up and let your talents wither away?
Take it from this guy:
The answer to each of those questions is the same: no.
Should you give up now and say the heck with it?
Charlie Bear was a mess when we adopted him. He threw temper tantrums, ferociously guarded his food, and didn’t like to be touched. But he had Potential (make that your new P word as you work on your Platform!). Start small and add to it weekly. Join Twitter, or Pinterest, or any of the social media sites. Layer your platform step by step.
Should you discount the passion and drive you have inside?
There was something about Charlie Bear when we first met him. He tolerated, and even liked, my husband stroking his soft fur after he jumped into my husband’s lap. They became passionately connected to each other. What are you passionate about? What drives you to write? Hang onto that when life threatens to get you down, like when you’ve received a non-acceptance, or an agent or editor isn’t picking up your book. Remember your gifts.
Should you curl up and let your talents wither away?
We could have easily given up on Charlie Bear the first couple of weeks. He snapped and growled at his tail. He didn’t like me touching him at all. And he attacked our big dog Rex, grabbing him by the throat. Poor Rex didn’t know what to do with this spunky monkey of a dog invading his golden year space. But Charlie Bear had talents: he made us laugh. He had good qualities: he loved my husband with joy and helped him get through a trial in his life. And Charlie Bear even helped me when I had to deal with loss and pain. Now a dog with just a few remnants of those early years, he’s settled into his life as a wonderful companion. What about you? Are you going to give up on you? Sure, you have things to work on…we all do. But there’s Potential for a blossoming Platform. A novel structured well enough to sell. Short stories formulated with P MS to a T. You have talent. You have gifts. Like Charlie, it just takes time to grow into the you that you are destined to be.
Look in the mirror and tell yourself I CAN DO IT. I CAN BE A PUBLISHED WRITER.
Then pick a word for your year (mine is COURAGE) and go after your dreams.
Fourth of July is here! Fireworks. Barbecues. Chilled Lemonade. Laughing Children. Grinning adults. Games. Fun!
While enjoying the summer, I’m also hard at work on my novel about a young couple, a little baby, and forty-nine days. If you glanced at a cover for the book, which would appeal to you more:
49 Days (numerical)
Forty-Nine Days (spelled out)
or something else?
What does 49 days make you think of? Wonder? What questions are in your mind? Thanks for your input. You can reply via email to bj@bjtaylor.com or comment on FB. Thanks!
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This review is from:P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell (Paperback)
“B.J. Taylor’s friendly, conversational style makes reading this information-packed book a delight. Having experienced the same fears and rejections that intimidate other writers, this award-winning author freely shares the winning formula she now uses to write personal-experience stories that get published. I appreciate her concrete tips, step-by-step instructions, and numerous examples. The successes of writers who’ve followed her advice prove that the method works. I can hardly wait to implement her suggestions on my next manuscript.”
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Portland Book Review for: Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love, and Second Chances
By B.J. Taylor
Inspiring Voices, 214 pages
Charlie Bear: Unexpected Love Dividends
“Hon, do you think the day will come when we don’t have any pets?” B. J. Taylor asks her husband when they lose their second cat in a few months apart. His answer, “I don’t think so,” is probably common for all animal lovers and it isn’t surprising that soon they decided to add a small dog to the golden Lab, Rex, the only pet left at their home. What is surprising that while looking for a dog like a Yorkie they spot a the photo of young Shih Tzu/Terrier mix rescued from the street and both fell in love with his cute appearance and decided to give him a trial. Was this a right decision?
‘“I need a home and someone to love me.’ How could someone not love this dog?”
Charlie Bear is adorable, but has a lot of behavioral issues. B. J. and her husband are responsible pet’s owners concerned not only with animal rights but with proper animal behavior as well. Would B. J.’s place be a good home for Charlie Bear? Can he trust his new owners? Read the book to find it out. Short “Charlie’s monologues” are funny and provide an additional charming aspect to the story.
It happened the first time to Mom Peep in middle school when she ditched class, pushed open the side door facing the street, and trotted over to a Burger King to buy herself lunch. Trouble was, it was a closed campus. You weren’t supposed to leave at all during the day.
Three day suspension. Missed classes. She brought home heavy school books and had to study all day.
What did she learn? That skipping out of school didn’t mean she could skip out of school work. A hamburger in exchange for time at home with a set of books just didn’t equal out.
She was suspended the second time ten days ago when she sent out her Taylor’s Tips Newsletter to just over 500 people. (Mom Peep says: Thank you! to all of you wonderful people who have signed up to receive the unobtrusive email once a month.)
She sent six separate emails to small groups. Then Verizon sent her an email.
Your account has been suspended for violating the policy of sending more than 500 emails in one hour.
I guess that would be like overdosing on 500 chewy rawhide bones in a day. Anyway, she could receive emails, but she couldn’t send for 24 hours. Wow. That hurt.
She called (the man commiserated but said there was nothing he could do), she sent them an email using a different account (they never responded…robots on that end she says), and she railed at the fact that her hands were tied for an entire day.
I tried to tell her you can’t overload the system. I don’t gorge myself on too much kibble at one time or I’ll upchuck (oops, sorry for that visual). And I can’t run around in a tizzy or I’ll get dizzy and my tongue will hang out.
But she doesn’t listen. She’s a rebel sometimes and likes to push the edges. Like when a New York policeman told her not to walk through a barricaded street. She did it anyway to get to the parade. Geesh.
So now she knows about Verizon’s policy. Did you know about it? Oh, sure, she can look into a different way to send her newsletter. But some of those ways cost money and Mom Peep is thrifty. So she’ll toe the line and play by the rules. After all, it only takes once, right, to learn a lesson?
Charlie Bear here…I was gone for a while, but I’M BACK!
An unabashed flaunt of my own self on the cover of a book. Now isn’t that precious? Seriously, this would make a great father’s day gift – hint hint – for dads out there (and I do love my own Dad Peep). And it’s in hardcover, which isn’t available at Amazon or anywhere else.
Have you ever written a book review on Amazon? Did you know you can, even if you didn’t buy the book on their site? Or maybe you get those emails that say…please rate your purchase of….blank, blank?
It’s kind of like this:
You tasted something. You liked it (hopefully), and now you want to tell the seller what you think about it. If this little girlie (Mom Peep’s Aubree) was asked, I think she’d say YUM!
You could say YUM on your book reviews too, or maybe not. Most reviews of books say something about:
♥ the content of the book (helpful, enlightening, entertaining?)
♥ the author’s writing (riveting, engaging, conversational?)
♥ what it did for you (moved you, educated you, touched you?)
Feel free to add other thoughts, like whether you’d recommend the book to others. Some reviews are a few sentences and some are two or three paragraphs. Write what you feel called to write.
Mom Peep says it’s best to look for the good in something…and there is always good in something, don’t you think? Like in me. Just yesterday I was sitting calmly on the arm of the recliner when I felt the need to jump off and start spinning and snapping at my tail. Sends my Peeps into a tizzy. But when asked about me, they talk about what a wonderful dog I am and then mention that I’m still working on “issues.” Aren’t they the greatest?
So that’s a few ideas on writing a review of a book you read. Is it important to do? You betcha. Why? Cause the writers of books rely heavily on reviews to help other readers know how you liked it. Maybe you can write one the next time you read a book?
As for me, I just finished a package of Happy Hips Jerky Treats. My review: YUM!
P.S. Mom Peep wants to say thank you to her Taylor’s Tips Newsletter subscribers who are reading this a second time. Mom knows that some folks don’t read Facebook posts, or do Twittering, but they get emails. And the other way around. So thank you for allowing her to send it different ways. ; o )
There are men and women out there who are fighting for all of us so we can remain free. Free to go where we want to (within the law, of course), free to do what we want to (again, within the law), free to eat what we want, sleep when we want, think what we want.
Freedom. Let’s not take it for granted. I think we would truly miss our freedom if it were taken away. Let’s not let that happen.
Charlie Bear here with some news from Mom Peep. She apologizes if you already read this from her Taylor’s Tips Newsletter, but she likes to send it out via FB and Twitter too. Here it is!
TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…
Dear Friend,
The P MS to a T book is hot off the press! Seriously…it just got here a week ago. But now I’m in a quandary.
The winning formula has helped many writers learn how to write short stories that sell. They’re making money! But how do I get the word out that the book is available? I just attended a writers conference and sold out in a day. I’m bringing them to my next conference in two weeks. How do I tell others who aren’t at those conferences?
I have to ask for help. But that goes against the bones in my body. Why? I don’t know. Because I feel like I’m imposing? Asking for a favor? Putting you on the spot? All of those. I have to swallow my fear and reach out. So I’m doing that right now. I’m asking for your help. (A footnote: Thank You to all the wonderful folks who have already helped me. You’re the best!)
I’m not asking for your help to sell more books (I would give the book away for free if it didn’t cost me money to make it). I’d just like to ask for the favor of passing the word around. It might help your writer friends to make this:
If you want, you can forward this post, or to make it super easy I’ve listed a few ways you can pass on the information by cutting and pasting any of these into an email or onto a Twitter post, on Facebook, or wherever you like. I would be so grateful!
Thought you might like this new book. PMS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. Amazon and Barnes & Noble
People are selling their writing and making money! They’re in Chicken Soup and other markets with their short stories. We can do it too if we follow the formula in this new book: P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. Amazon and Barnes & Noble
I don’t usually do this, but I’m forwarding this link to a new book that just came out. I’m thinking of getting it. P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Sold out in 24 hours: P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
I know the author who wrote this. P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble She just put it up for sale.
Have you seen this new book? P MS to a T: the winning formula for writing nonfiction short stories that sell. It’s available now. Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Thank you soooo much for passing the word around! And if you feel like it, let me know that you did so I can email to you a big smooch of a kiss on the cheek and a warm hug. And a HUGE and grateful THANK YOU!
P.S. If you are a writer who purchased the book at the OCCWC this past weekend, I would be extremely grateful if you’d write a review on Amazon. That would be utterly fantastic of you! SMOOCHES to you, too!
Hugs and love, and blessings on your work.
Follow your dreams… B.J.
What’s Going On:
Northwest Christian Writers Renewal May 15-16, 2015 in Redmond, Washington (near Seattle). My workshops: Writing for the Guideposts Contest and Making $$$ Selling Inspirational Short Stories. I’ll have the P MS to a T book there and can’t wait to help more writers have it in their toolbox for writing stories that sell. www.nwchristianwriters.org/renewal
Charlie Bear here. Do you ever miss something? Like you get so busy that something slips by you? Do you ever feel behind?
Mom Peep says it happens to her a lot. Me…not so much. I do the same things every day and I surely don’t miss a meal, or a nap, or a snuggle in Dad Peep’s lap.
So when these things happen, and she misses something important, she leans.
Like this…see how the flowers are leaning one way?
And then how they are leaning the other way?
We know why they do that, right? It’s the sun. The beautiful tulips lean toward the bright comforting light, the sustaining warmth that caresses them. Every day Mom Peep spins the tulips around. (She’s worried they’ll lean right on over and touch the table top! I said no, but she doesn’t listen.) Then every day the tulips lean toward the light again.
I think they’re onto something. Do you ever feel the need to lean? Mom Peep has learned that leaning on another’s shoulder for warmth, asking for comfort, a listening ear, helps her SO much.
Award-winning author B.J. Taylor has loved writing most of her life. In grade school, English was her favorite subject, and spelling bees were her specialty. As a teen, she kept a personal journal and hid it under her mattress.
Now a multi-published author, she’s even written novels in a genre she calls “dog-lit.” She tells people to think of it like chick-lit, except the stories are for dog lovers. This genre is a natural blending of B.J.’s passion for writing and her passion for helping dogs to find forever homes. Her desire is to promote the spirit of keeping one’s canine pets, not only during the good times, but also in challenging circumstances.
“Many times we have to PUT certain things into practice in order to keep our cool under pressure when we rescue a dog or bring home a dog from a shelter,” she says. “They all need the same thing: Patience, Understanding, and Training.”
B.J. also knows a thing or two about patience, understanding, and training as a writer. And she uses those qualities when turning personal experiences into stories that sell. She serves as representative for Guideposts, Angels on Earth, and Mysterious Ways magazines.
On Friday, May 15, at the 2015 Northwest Christian Writers Renewal, B.J. will meet with writers in group appointments. If you would like to show her your work, please follow the guidelines concerning what she would like to see and what she’s not looking at right now.
At the Renewal, B.J. will also present two workshops:
1) Writing for the Guideposts Contest: Learn how to craft a well-constructed Guideposts story, how to properly submit, whom to submit to, what to include, and when to send it in. Two of the twelve writers chosen to attend the 2014 Guideposts Writers Workshop were in B.J.’s class at a writers conference and learned her tips and tricks. The next contest year is 2016, and there will be thousands of entries. Don’t miss out on the knowledge, experience, and secrets B.J. will share as the winner of her own coveted spot in the 2004 Guideposts Writers Workshop.
2) Making $$$ Selling Personal Experience Short Stories: Want to know the formula for writing inspirational stories that sell? B.J. Taylor’s writing has appeared in many publications. Numerous writers have learned B.J.’s secret formula, submitted to Chicken Soup and Guideposts, and are now published authors too. Would you like to make money in your writing career? Then come to this workshop.
B.J. has been published more than forty times in Chicken Soup for the Soul as well as in Guideposts, Angels on Earth, John Gray’s Mars and Venus in Love, Writer’s Digest, Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes, and many other publications. Her latest book is Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love, and Second Chances. B.J. also compiled her own stories, plus the riveting stories of others, into Sunny Side Up: Inspirational Stories for Tough Times/Women/Dog & Cat Lovers. In addition, B.J. has authored a resource for writers, The Complete Guide to Writers Groups That Work.
Whether you want to find out more about writing inspirational stories, dog-lit, winning the Guideposts contest, or any number of other topics, you can learn a lot from B.J. Sign up today for the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal.
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Diana Savage, a graduate of Northwest University and Bakke Graduate University, sold her first article when she was still in college, and she’s been writing ever since. Now the principal at Savage Creative Services, LLC, she is also director of the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference. Her latest book is 52 Heart Lifters for Difficult Times.
Charlie Bear here again to say THANK YOU to Diana Savage for her lovely blog post on Mom Peep. Mom Peep has a surprise in store for the people at the conference. Shhh…I don’t want to give it away.
Diana Savage, a graduate of Northwest University and Bakke Graduate University, sold her first article when she was still in college, and she’s been writing ever since. Now the principal at Savage Creative Services, LLC, she is also director of the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference. Her latest book is 52 Heart Lifters for Difficult Times.
Taylor's Tips 