Lessons Learned from
a First Time Author

Imagine being introduced as an author …

Joining the likes of JK Rowling, Steven King, even Shakespeare. Well maybe that's a bit of a stretch ... you never know!

Celebrating the arrival of my first book!

Learn more about the process in a few short hours!

Writing a book is a dream of many.

It is on your bucket list. Maybe you've written an outline. Yet you haven’t really taken the steps to find out what is involved.

You talk about it with friends, colleagues, you see other books out there on the same topic and wonder ... why not me?

You have the passion, the subject matter expertise, yet something isn’t clicking.

Let’s change that today!

In this information packed session, you will walk away knowing:

The difference between being an author and a writer

Ways to market your book

Legal questions to consider

What publishing houses are looking for

How books are licensed and what that means

Should you choose self-publishing (Amazon) or a traditional publisher (I’ve done both)

How much it will cost you to write/publish a book

And what action step to next!

Meet Diane Darling

Welcome, I’m delighted to meet you.

My phone rang on the morning of December 4, 2001. “Would you like to write a book?”

It was McGraw-Hill calling. Yes, they called me!

Publishers are looking for people who have a compelling topic. That could be you. However, they need to know who you are and what you have to offer.

Needless to say, I said yes and my book is now in nine languages - which is totally weird since I can only read the English version.

Hear what I learned from working with a global publisher as well as self-publishing.

My situation was writing non-fiction. Some of this can be true for children’s books, fiction, technical writing and other forms. However, I want to be honest that my experience was in the business space not poetry or something else like that.

Five Core Topics

What You Will Learn

Getting Published

What publishers look for?
How long it takes to go from pen to published
Why are you writing a book?
Should you work with a literary agent?
Crowded space - such as productivity - and why that’s a good thing

Writing

Difference between an author and writer
Ways to overcome writers block
When to bring in an editor, proofreader, and other team members
Tools, apps, timers

Legal Considerations

Who owns your content
Getting permission for quotes, images, and more
Ways to avoid plagiarism and how to credit other works
Contract items you can negotiate

Marketing, Sales & Publicity

When to start marketing your book?
What to include in your sales plan?
Ways to work with a publicist
Social media channels, building an email list for your book and more!

Financial Considerations

Can you afford to take time off to write?
Budget items to consider - you’ll get a template budget in the course you can edit
What to hire out and where to find them without breaking the bank

EXCLUSIVE INVITATION

Join me for the inaugural cohort on Saturday, March 26th starting at 12 pm EST.

We’ll have two 90-minute sessions so you are not rushed and you’ll meet others who want to write a book.

I’ve done this workshop in-person many times … now I’m taking it virtual.

Since it is the first time I am taking this to an online format, you are getting a discounted rate.

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Pricing Plans

Early Bird

$97

(up to February 28th)

Regular

$147

(regular price)

Last Minute

$197

(after March 24th)

The course will be recorded so you can revisit the sessions afterwards.

Is this course for you?

You’re interested in learning more about writing a non-fiction book
You want to go from post-it notes to manuscript in a short amount of time
You’re worth a few hours of time to learn the business of publishing
You’re curious about how to juggle this pull to be an author and well … life
You want to make a decision or be willing to know this isn’t for you

This course is not:

Grammar, proofreading, or technical aspects of writing
Place to solicit others in the group for your business

My Books in Spanish, Vietnamese, & Thai

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will the course be recorded?

Yes ... having said that, I encourage you to attend the session and listen to the recording to catch things you missed the first time. That way you can pay attention to the content, take some notes and then fill in anything you want to revisit.

What if my topic is in a crowded space - such as entrepreneurship or productivity?

Fantastic question and I have a happy answer. Books with lots of competition are more likely to do well. Why? There's a market for them. Romance novels, cookbooks, crime thrillers are top sellers. It's good news to have competition.

I'm told I have great information, however, I'm not great at writing? What should I do?

Join us for the course. You'll learn how to share your story!

What have I forgotten? Ask me!

Something else you want to know? Just send me an email ... Diane@DianeDarling.com

Lessons Learned from a First Time Author