Turn your book into a movie: 16 treatment tips by Kenneth Atchity

By Kenneth Atchity

Making a book into a film can cost producers anymore $1 million to $200 million, so this is clearly a major investment.

Talk to a story editor from any production company, studio, or agency “story department,” and they will tell you the weaknesses they see in novels submitted for film or television.

The story department’s report on the book’s potential for translation to film, referred to as “coverage,” is their feedback to the decision-making exec. It can make or break it for you — and it kills countless submissions.

The sad thing is, most writers will almost never even get as far as a coverage of their novel.

That’s often because of the book’s “treatment.”

What’s a treatment?

A treatment is a relatively short, written pitch of a story intended for production as a motion picture or television program. Written in user-friendly, informal language and focused on action and events, it presents the story’s overall structure and primary characters. It presents three clear acts and shows how the characters change from beginning to end.

You can write a better treatment if you know about the typical weaknesses story editors find as they prepare each option’s “coverage” (see my book, Writing Treatments that Sell). When you address these common weaknesses, you give your story a much better chance in the rooms where people decide whether, and how much, to spend on putting your story onto the screen.

Then you can use that treatment to market your story to Hollywood.

16 treatment tips that will help you turn your book into a movie

Here are 16 things to know about what your treatment needs to include.

1. Make sure your primary characters are relatable (that’s also called sympathetic).

If we can’t relate to them, we don’t feel for them. This addresses the comment: “I can’t relate to anyone in the book.”

2. Trim the number of characters way back so the treatment’s reader isn’t boggled by the immensity of the cast. 

Also, keep the treatment focused as much as possible on the protagonist (and his or her love interest and/or ally) and antagonist. Comment: “There are way too many characters, and it’s not clear till page 200 who the protagonist is.”

3. Build a strong protagonist in the 20 to 50 star age range, one we want to root for. 

Comment: “We don’t know who to root for.”

4. Make sure your hero or heroine takes action based on his or her motivation and mission, and forces others in your story to react.

Comment: “The protagonist is reactive, instead of proactive.”

5. Offer a new twist in your story even if it’s a familiar story to avoid the comment: “There’s nothing new here.”

6. Write it so the story editor reading your treatment can see three well-defined acts: act one (the setup), act two (rhythmic development, rising and falling action), and act three (climax, leading to conclusive ending).

Comment: “I can’t see three acts here.”

7. Make sure the turning point into the third act of your story is well-marked with a major twist that takes us there.

Comment: “There’s no Third Act…it just trickles out.”

8. Create a well-pronounced theme for your story (sometimes called “the premise”) in the treatment, so that the reader (audience) walks away with the feeling they’ve learned something important.

Comment: “At the end of the day, I have no idea what this story is about.”

9. Be sure there’s plenty of action in your story. 

Action means dramatic action, of which there are two kinds: action and dialogue. Action is obvious:

She slams the door in his face.

The bullets find their target, and he slumps in his chair.

The second plane crashes into the Pentagon.

But good dialogue is also action:

“Would you do something for me now?”

“I’d do anything for you.”

“Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemingway, “Hills like White Elephants”)

10. Sprinkle character-revealing dialogue throughout, enough to let the reader know what your characters sound like—and that they all sound different.

Comment: “There’s no dialogue, so we don’t know what the characters sound like.”

11. Make sure the plot is hidden not overt, dropping clues act by act so the audience can foresee its possible outcomes.

Comment: “At the end, the antagonist lays out the entire plot to the protagonist before he’s killed.”

12. Ruthlessly go through your treatment and remove anything that even hints of contrivance.

The audience will allow any story one gimme, but rarely two, and never three, before they lose their belief. Everything needs to be grounded in the story’s integrity.

Comment: “The whole thing is overly contrived.”

13. Make it well-paced, with rising and falling action, twists and turns, cliffhangers ending every act, etc.

Comment: “There is no real pacing.”

14. Be able to pitch your story  in a single punch line (aka “logline”), and put that line at the beginning of your treatment in bold face:

She’s a fish out of water—but she’s a mermaid (“The Little Mermaid,” “Splash”).

He’s left behind alone. On Mars (“The Martian”).

An inventor creates an artificial woman who’s so real she turns the table on her creator, locks him up, and escapes (“Ex Machina”).

This is also called “the high concept,” which means it can be pitched simply—on a poster or to a friend on the phone.

Comment: “How do we pitch it? There’s no high concept.”

15. Make sure your story feels like a movie, which includes taking us to places we’ve probably never been, or rarely been.

A movie transports us to locations we want to feel, like Antarctica, or the Amazon jungle, or a moon of Saturn, or, in movies I’ve done, a brothel in New Orleans (The Madams Family), the experimental lab of the inventor of the vibrator in Victorian England (Hysteria), a mountain cabin during a blizzard (Angels in the Snow), or the Amityville house in Long Island (Amityville: The Evil Returns).

Comment: “There are no set pieces, so it doesn’t feel like a movie.”

16. Get someone who knows the industry well to read your treatment and give you dramatic feedback on it before you send it out.

Comment: “The writer shows no knowledge of movies!”

Of course anyone with the mind of a sleuth can list films that got made despite one or more of these comments being evident. But for novelists frustrated at not getting their books made into films, that’s small consolation.

If you regard your career as a business instead of a quixotic crusade, plan your novel’s treatment to make it appealing to filmmakers–and to avoid the story department’s buzz-killing comments.

Read more

Connecting the World in film - Ken Atchity on My Addiction Books

Ken, as usual it’s a huge honour to host you on M.A. With all that’s happening in our local film industry, I thought it good to do an interview on America’s interest towards filming in S.A.

Filming in South Africa appears to have blossomed exponentially within the past two to three years. I think for me, being an absolute outsider in the industry, it appears that interest has deepened since the release and success of District 9.  What is your take Ken?

I think the interest has always been there, and in direct proportion to the SA Government’s film incentive program. Filmmakers throughout the world choose locations not only for their natural beauty and appropriateness but also because a goodly portion of the film’s budget is covered by local governments wanting to attract the business. That’s why so many films are being made in Canada, Louisiana, Georgia—and Bulgaria.

We started 2014 off with hype around parts of the new Avengers being shot in Johannesburg, with the balance of interest moving towards the story about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt coming to stay close-by for a few months. Does America have a new found interest towards filming in SA?

Again, the answer lies in the government’s incentive program.

If you look at one of our latest films, Konfetti and our own actress Casey B Dolan, who just won the Best Actress award at the Julien Dubuque International Film, it’s clear that local South African films are being nominated for notable awards. What does this mean for our local film industry?

It adds to its credentials, though awards aren’t as important to us as the financial and physical conditions of the shooting location.

From my point of few, it appears as if Australian actors have saturating the American film industry. If you think of Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Jai Courtney, the dearly departed Andy Whitfield and our favourites Chris and Liam Hemsworth – do you think South African talent could be looking at similar exposure?

It could be, if your government continues supporting film-making, thereby introducing your talent to the world market. That’s how the Australians broke into the global awareness—so many films were being made there, and it was economically feasible to hire local talent in addition to the stars we drag along from Hollywood. Now some of those stars—like Jackman and Kidman and Crowe—are from Australia. No reason why SA shouldn’t follow the same pattern.

Based on everything that’s happening right now, where do you see the future for South Africa’s film industry?

It’s bright if the government stays with it.

You harbour a close relationship between novel-to-film adaptations. Do you ever see yourself investing time and energy towards one of our local published authors whose work might hold international appeal?

 Absolutely. If the story truly stands out as high concept from a global perspective. Or if it comes with development funding to enable us to do our thing in putting the film together on the global scale.

How has getting noticed in the film industry changed over the past 10 years?

 It really hasn’t. It all starts with a great story, then depends on an excellent director who appreciates it and excellent actors who bring it to life.

What does local talent – actors, authors, screenwriters, directors etc need to do to get noticed by the American industry?

Do excellent work in films that have guaranteed distribution from major global distributors. Local distributors are of little use in this regard.

Something I always wanted to know – What is the difference between a screen writer and just a writer?

A screen writer writes just for the screen.  Writers is a general category that includes novelists, screenwriters, poets, children’s, and textbook writers among others.

Can an author write a screenplay? Has any author ever written a screenplay which was produced?

Authors regularly attempt screenplays, though they’re usually the worst possible ones to adopt their own work. Yet it’s happened repeatedly. William Faulkner himself, for example, wrote the screenplay for “The Sound and the Fury.”

A while back you did an interview called Turning Writers into Filmmakers. You stood firm behind the norm that writers should write good male leads, since majority of the viewership will always be female. Since the success of films like, Twilight ( and yes, I know not everyone would agree- but the fact remains that this film is what started the latest hype, even if it is among the Young Adult genre), Hunger Games, Buffy, Electra, Lara Croft and the latest The Divergent Series, these days it appears as if woman love female heroines equally. Do you still stand firm on that norm?

I stand firm on it only because it ups your chances of getting a deal since there are far more male stars available for roles than female stars who can carry a movie.

What does the success of YA adaptations mean for the existing film market?

It means we’re always looking for successful YA novels to translate into film.

Ever since the completion of the Twilight series, it does appear as if new YA films are struggling to remain as popular. Apart from the Hunger Games and maybe Divergent the balance of the releases appear to have fallen flat, what do you think is the reason for that? 

I think people are spoiled by excellence. Twilight did well enough but it wasn’t as excellent as Hunger Games, nor was Divergent—and none as good as the Harry Potter books, not to mention Lord of the Rings.

Ken, as usual it’s been a huge honour to pick your brain on local trends in the market. Thanks so much for setting aside some time and sharing your views. 

Reposted from My Addiction Books by Nadine Maritz

 

An Interview with Hollywood Literary Manager and Film and Television Producer Dr. Kenneth Atchity

iStudioi Interview

Dr. Ken Atchity, Chairman of Atchity Entertainment International, Inc. (AEI), is a self-defined "story merchant,” with more than forty years experience in the publishing world, and over fifteen years in the entertainment industry. He is a writer, producer, teacher, and literary manager, responsible for launching dozens of books and films.

Ken looks for great storytellers in order to turn them into bestselling authors and screenwriters, utilizing AEI’s The Writer’s Lifeline, Inc., which consults with authors in need of a bridge to the professional world, and Finish Line Brand Launch Management, a new division of AEI, which partners with business-minded authors to reach maximum markets in all media.

Known for his “outside the box” thinking, Ken has produced nearly thirty films for his clients and has sold numerous books in all categories, including 15 bestsellers.

Ken’s films include Joe Somebody (starring Tim Allen; Fox), Life or Something Like It (starring Angelina Jolie; Fox), The Amityville Horror (NBC), Shadow of Obsession (NBC), The Madam's Family: The Truth About The Canal Street Brothel (CBS), Gospel Hill (Fox), and Hittin’ the Bricks.

Films in development include Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not! starring Jim Carrey, with Chris Columbus (“Narnia”) directing (Paramount), Demon Keeper, with Sam Fell (“Flushed Away”) directing (Fox), and 3 Men Seeking Monsters, with Mark Steven Johnson (“Ghost Rider”) directing (Universal).

Additionally, AEI produces reality shows in partnership with Renegade (“Blind Date”), and has several shows in development for its brand clients. AEI has associate managers in 29 countries, and nearly every state in the U.S.

Ken actively works with his authors to help them maximize revenue from their book royalties and film revenues. Based on his experience with launching Noire, Ripley’s, Demon Keeper, The Thrillionaires, and Dracula: The Un-Dead, Ken now provides brand franchising partnership services for selective clients. These services permit the integration, evaluation, and launch of brands in all media to build ongoing multiple pillars of revenue.

In addition, Ken’s years of experience as a writer, editor, professor, manager, and producer have allowed him to form a wide network of international relationships and contacts, creating the most productive and positive team approach for his clients.

Ken completed his undergraduate work at Georgetown University (A.B., English/Classics; Winner Virgilian Medal), and his graduate work at Yale (M. Phil., Theater History; Ph.D. Comparative Literature). Ken is a regular at Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing University, and speaks at writers conferences throughout the world.

We caught up with Ken in Los Angeles and had an opportunity to speak with him about his fascinating career.

iStudioi: What brought you into the world of literary management?

KJA: When I left the academic world to produce movies, I realized that managing stories and storytellers was my strength. When I discovered literary management, I had found the promised land and my mission: to bring talented writers across the river to their professional destiny.

iStudioi: What types of literary projects do you find most commercially appealing?

KJA: I have a broad range of tastes and a passionate love for all kinds of commercial stories. My number one criterion is excellence and the other number one criterion is the market. A great story with a market—that’s what I look for.

iStudioi: What is that makes a great story?

KJA: A great story is a story that moves the reader—to delight, to action, to thought. It has strong characters and a strong beginning, middle, and end.

iStudioi: How can you tell whether a story is best as a book or film?

KJA: Ideally a great story can be both. Then it’s just a question of where to begin the marketing process.

iStudioi: What to you tell your emerging manuscript and screenwriters as they begin to prepare that next great book or film project?

KJA: Talk to us first to make sure you don’t waste a year or more of your life on something that has no current market.

iStudioi: Are some books better for self-publishing?

KJA: That depends on a number of factors, starting with the author’s (a) financial resources and (b) ability to connect with the book’s market. If both (a) and (b) are high, then self-publishing (through an established imprint that services entrepreneurial writers) may very well be more lucrative. If (a) and/or (b) are on the low end of the spectrum, then self-publishing is not the best way to go. Aside from that generalization, find a consultant like our Writer’s Lifeline company, who can advise you professionally.

iStudioi: Is there a rule for determining whether a film project is more appropriate for a studio as opposed to being produced as an "Indie."

KJA: If a story is original, it’s probably not for a major studio. Because of their corporate ownership and the immense cost of their films, studios in the last few years have gone to acquiring stories that have underlying property value­—such as Broadway plays, high visibility novels, well-known comic books, etc. The exception is a screenplay that has a major director and/or star firmly attached. All else, in today’s filmmaking world, has become “Indie.”

iStudioi: Tell us how you envision your representation in the world of literary management.

KJA: We keep an open mind, and an eye on rapidly changing events to allow us to protect our clients’ interests. Amid the turmoil of the changing channels of delivery, one thing remains constant in the story marketplace: the worldwide demand for great stories and important information, which makes creating and owning intellectual property an even more stable opportunity than owning and developing real estate. We feel that the important thing for authors is to pursue the right strategy, so the tactics will fall into place to make it all happen.

I WILL APPEAR AT RICK FRISHMAN’S AUTHORS 101 MAY 28, PRIOR TO BEA

"Top Publishing And Marketing Experts Reveal Tools and Techniques to Get Your Book Published and Double or Triple Your Income as an Author or Publisher."

Author101 University is coming May 28, 2009 to NYC

Space is limited and this event will sell out, register early to insure your attendance!

Join Mark Victor Hansen, Rick Frishman, Brendon Burchard, David Hancock, Alex Carroll, Marie Forleo, John Willig, Jill Lublin and more... (read more below to see why you won't want to miss what they have to share with you)

Are you curious about what publishers like Adams Media, Harper Collins, Wiley, Random House,and Simon & Schuster are looking for? What is the best way to get your manuscript read when you're an unpublished author? Want to know the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing book proposals? You'll be engaged as these top pros share their expertise, reveal the inner workings of the publishing industry, and discuss various approaches to common marketing and publishing challenges. We've scheduled Author101 University just before Book Expo to make it easy for those of you who will be attending both events.

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Some of the key topics that will be covered include:

• How to write and present your book proposal to an agent so that your book can be sold to a publisher
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• What do you need to do to make your book a best seller
• How to create "hooks" for yourself and your business that will make you virtually irresistible to every media outlet and make coverage for yourself a virtual certainty
• How to get rich and become famous by being a guest on radio shows - without spending a dime on advertising
• How to create promotional materials (media kits, etc.) that will have the media running to you for your opinion every time a story in your area pops up
• How to promote yourself using low cost means on-line to catapult your sales and exposure into the stratosphere
• How to quickly and easily create an automated process to capture leads and sales and upsell and cross-sell these people with a minimum of effort
  

What You'll learn

How to create "hooks" for yourself and your business that will make you virtually irresistible to every media outlet and make coverage for yourself a virtual certainty.

How to get rich and become famous... being a guest on radio show,,, without spending a dime on advertising.

How to create promotional materials (media kits, etc.) that will have the media running to you for your opinion every time a story in your area pops up

How to promote yourself using low cost means on-line to catapult your sales and exposure into the stratosphere.

How to quickly and easily create an automated process to capture leads and sales and up sell and cross-sell these people with a minimum of effort.

How make any book you write or publish an Amazon best-seller with a system that has been PROVEN to work

If you'd like to learn the secrets of getting your book published or how to turn your book or publishing business into a money machine, this course is for you. Keep reading to find out more.

You'll get more out of this $399 seminar than any event this year offered at any price in the publishing industry. Check out our guarantee below!

SPACE IS LIMITED - ONLY $299
VIP PASS $149 INCLUDES PREFFERED SEATING, SPECIAL ACCESS TO AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS, FREE DRINKS AT THE EVENING COCKTAIL PARTY, AND AUTHOR 101 2008 14 CD SERIES - A $200 VALUE

Click Here to Register Now!

or... Register Yourself and bring a Friend for FREE!

Register yourself and a friend and save!!
Only $299 plus a $50 reservation deposit refunded at the event.

Special Limited BONUS
For a limited time, use the code luckybird to SAVE an additional $100!

Money Back Guarantee - If after you've attended this event, you feel that you haven't received value worth many times your registration fee, just ask for and receive a full refund. We know from past experience that the information you will receive is this good. But don't take our word for it, take a look at just of few of the many testimonials we've received from our previous events.

Who is eligible to Attend...

Anyone who wants to increase their revenues as an author or publisher. exposure in the media. If you're an author, speaker, consultant or publisher, this event is tailor-made for you. If you're not one of these and have a product or service to promote you'll be equally well-served.

This power packed, cash generating bonanza of a seminar will blast your sales through the stratosphere. Remember our money back guarantee - If at any time, for the rest of your life, you don't think this seminar is worth at least 10 times what you paid for it, you get your money back … no questions asked.

Why you should Attend

It's simple... If you're an author or publisher who wants to be successful, there's no other place to be, for so low an entrance fee, to get access to these presenters and the information they'll be sharing with you.

If you're a new or established author, this event is for you. (EVEN IF YOU"RE JUST THINKING ABOUT WRITING A BOOK - THIE EVENT WILL TEACH YOU MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT POSSIBLE ABOUT PUBLISHING.)

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Think about it this way - WHAT COULD YOU LOSE IF YOU DON"T GO TO THIS EVENT?

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Register yourself and a friend and save!!
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Special Limited BONUS
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Meet Your Presenters...

Mark Victor Hansen, Master of Ceremony and Mega-Best Selling Author

Worldwide name recognition. International speaking engagements. A constant shower of accolades from celebrities and millions of fans worldwide. The resources to lead a life devoted to philanthropy and goodwill. It's the fairy-tale life of a wildly successful best-selling author, Mark Victor Hansen - and he'll show you how to achieve, starting from scratch, just like he did.

Just 20 years ago, Mark was bankrupt from a failed business. With no money and even fewer resources, he found the determination and energy to create the king of all publishing empires most people only dream about. As an unknown speaker and author, his first book, Stand Up, Speak Out & Win, sold 20,000 copies in just 12 months. And his first best-selling series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, has now sold more than 100 million copies in 39 languages worldwide.

He, along with his co-author Jack Canfield, have also licensed more than 100 audio books, derivative products and retail merchandise items in just the past decade alone.

His tremendous success is due to one of the publishing industry's most unique business models - combining powerful book marketing strategies, lucrative licensing systems, popular seminar programs and a speaking calendar that's virtually unrivaled anywhere in the information industry.

Now, in this fascinating and powerfully inspiring opening session, Mark gives you the formula and inspiration to accomplish all he has and more. You'll get an insider look at the nuts and bolts of launching a successful career as an author. Also, you'll hear from other authors who have followed - and profited from - Mark's advice. Mark will expand your vision of how large of a worldwide information empire you could build ? starting with your very first book.


Rick Frishman, Public Relations Expert and Best Selling Author


Rick is a sought after lecturer on publishing and public relations and is a member of PRSA and the National Speakers Association. Rick is the co-author of GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work with Jay Conrad Levinson and literary agent Michael Larsen (Writers Digest Books), as well as co-author of GUERRILLA PUBLICITY: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars.

Rick is also the co-author of National Bestseller NETWORKING MAGIC and his latest books, "Bestselling Book Proposals" and "Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents," part of the Author101 Series.

Rick will reveal ...

• Why publicity is 100 times better than advertising.
• Working with a PR firm for maximum effectiveness if that's the route you choose to go.
• Creating a line of back-end products to maximize your income as a publisher on a limited budget.
• The 6 words every author wants to hear, but very few do...
• How to become an author in 5 easy steps and in less than 90 days.
• Getting on Oprah: how do you do it and when you should go after it.
• Real life stories about the "legends" in the business and what you can learn from them.
• Understanding the differences between retainers and "pay for placement" PR and why it's important to you.
• What does a publicity department do for you at a publishing firm and what that means for you.
• Designing a press release that will generate results and get the media to pick up the phone and call you.
• How to get published in the traditional manner and not get taken advantage of...
• Tips and techniques to generating "back of the room sales" to maximize your revenue at speaking engagements.
• How agents work, what they do and why you need to get them on your side.
• Understanding the pluses and minuses of radio, TV and other media sources.
• How to create a press kit that will get you noticed and get you coverage.
• Maximize your effectiveness when you're in front of the media to increase your chances for success.
• When to use radio infomercials and how to maximize your book sales using them.
  

Rick Frishman, founder of Planned Television Arts, has been one of the leading book publicists in America for over 30 years. Working with many of the top book editors, literary agents and publishers in America, including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Wiley, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books, he has worked with best-selling authors including Mitch Albom, Bill Moyers, Stephen King, Caroline Kennedy, Howard Stern, President Jimmy Carter, Mark Victor Hansen, Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, Hugh Downs, Henry Kissinger, Jack Canfield, Alan Deshowitz, Arnold Palmer, and Harvey Mackay.

Rick has also appeared on hundreds of radio shows and more than a dozen TV shows nationwide including OPRAH and Bloomberg TV. He has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Selling Power Magazine, New York Post and scores of publications.

He is the co-author of ten books, including national best-sellers GUERRILLA PUBLICITY and NETWORKING MAGIC. Along with media personality Robyn Freedman Spizman, Rick also co-wrote the popular four-book series AUTHOR 101™ and recently they teamed up for their highly acclaimed book entitled WHERE'S YOUR WOW? 16 Ways To Make Your Competitors Wish They Were You! (McGraw Hill, March, 2008).

Rick is Publisher at Morgan James Publishing in New York. In 2008 "MJ" published over 150 books. Morgan James only publishes non fiction books and looks for authors with a platform who believe in giving back. Morgan James gives a portion of every book sold to Habitat for Humanity.

Rick continues to work with many of the top editors, agents and publishers in America including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books.

Brendon Burchard, How to Explode Your Business Through Nonprofit & Corporate Partnerships

Brendon Burchard is the author of the life-changing book from HarperCollins entitled Life's Golden Ticket. He is also an in-demand life coach, leadership speaker and business consultant who is revolutionizing the way entrepreneurs do business by teaching them how to partner with nonprofits and major corporations.

By creating and leveraging innovative nonprofit and corporate partnerships, Brendon has sold three major books, quadrupled his speaking engagements, doubled his product sales, launched a half-million-dollar seminar series, tripled his client list, won corporate sponsorships, and appeared on ABC World News, CBS, NPR, Oprah & Friends and over 65 major radio stations across the country. His sponsors and promotional partners have included Wachovia, Sony Pictures, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Kiwanis, Junior Achievement and other major Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofit organizations. And now he's doing to teach YOU his secret partnership strategies for selling your books, growing your business and giving back in ways you've never even imagined.

"How to Explode Your Business through Nonprofit and Corporate Partnerships"

Brendon's presentations are known for two things: energy and content. Be prepared toss out your old business model as you learn:

• Why nonprofit and corporate partnerships are the most important and effective marketing strategy for building your platform, brand and business
• How to position yourself so that nonprofits and major corporations will spend thousands of dollars on promoting YOU to their members, customers and communities
• How to identify "perfect-fit" nonprofit and corporate partnerships and how to write the perfect partnership proposal to stand out and win the deal fast
• How to incorporate your partnership platforms in marketing materials, loan requests, book proposals, sponsorship requests or any document that can build your business
• What you MUST do to win partnerships and sponsorships and the four things you must NEVER say to a potential partner
• How to leverage your platform to quadruple your sponsorships, speaking engagements, product sales, press appearances, and event attendees
• How to build extraordinary wealth and give back to your community through your partnerships and sponsorships
  

This is your chance to learn from the leading authority on major organizational partnerships in the world today. Brendon simply owns this topic and he walks his talk. As a lifelong volunteer, he has served as an advisory board member to several nonprofit organizations and he donates a portion of his royalties to three of the largest nonprofits in the world serving our children and communities: YMCA, Kiwanis and Junior Achievement. As a former corporate executive, his clients have included Accenture, JC Penney, eBay, Best Buy, Nordstrom, Levis, Walgreens, Gateway and Federal Mogul. Now, for the first time, he's sharing his partnership strategies with YOU at this must-attend event! Learn more about Brendon and his work at www.partnershipseminar.com.

David Hancock, Founder of Morgan James Publishing

David L. Hancock, Morgan James founder, was named a Finalist in the Best Chairman category in The 2006 American Business Awards. Hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” by the New York Post, The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.

David was selected for Fast Company Magazine's Fast 50 for 2006 for his leading creative thinking, significant accomplishments and stands to have a significant impact on the next 10 years. He has revolutionized book publishing - from the author's standpoint. His Entrepreneurial Publishing™ model enriches authors as well as his company.

Actively working with his authors to help them not only maximize revenue from their book royalties, but also build new business and increase their revenue substantially through follow-on sales to their readers.

One of David's core values is having strong and mutually beneficial relationships. "We've spent years developing many of the key business relationships that allows us to get our books in bookstores and the widespread Web coverage we've been able to achieve. We intend to stay constant in our pursuit of positive relationships with people in all facets of our business, and we see that as a strategic advantage."

David is the Founder of The Entrepreneurial Author University and Founder of The Ethan Awards, the only international, all-encompassing entrepreneurial author awards for business authors. David has also authored too many books to list them all here but they include The Entrepreneurial Author, Guerrilla Marketing for Mortgage Brokers, and The Secrets of Master Marketing.

Alex Carroll, Best Selling Author, Radio Interview Expert

Bestselling author Alex Carroll is one of the world's leading experts on radio publicity. The numbers speak for themselves. He has done more than ONE THOUSAND radio interviews, captured well over $4,000,000.00 in free radio airtime, and generated $1,291,000.00 in orders directly from listeners … all without spending a DIME on advertising and rarely leaving the comfort of his own home.

Here's what you'll learn from radio publicity expert and best-selling author Alex Carroll … veteran of 1,031 radio interviews and $1,291,000.00 in direct-to-consumer book sales

• How he often makes TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS A MINUTE on the radio … and how you can too
• The secret responsible for selling 60 Million copies of one book.
• 4 Ways to get radio interviews and why only one of them is really effective
• 3 keys to landing interviews on the Super Stations (ones with HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS and EVEN MILLIONS of listeners)
  
• How to get booked as a guest even if your topic is boring
• 7 reasons why radio publicity is better than TV, hands down
• Why a station's wattage and market rankings are TOTALLY MEANINGLESS
• Getting credentials to get you on the air, even if you're a nobody
• How to create a press kit that will make producers BEG to have you as a guest on their show
• How to get the radio station's receptionist to work for you, FREE
• 3 secrets to getting invited back as a repeat guest over and over again. VIRTUALLY NO ONE DOES THIS
• The 2 best days of the week to do interviews and why
• A simple gimmick that costs LESS THAN A NICKEL, that can TRIPLE your responses OVERNIGHT
  

Did you know that American radio stations need more than 10,000 guests PER DAY to fill their shows? If you have something to talk about, they need YOU!

Can you save people money? Save them time? Make them rich? Tell them an amazing story? Make them laugh? Teach them something new? Get them arguing about a controversial topic? Enrich their lives?

If so, you can tap into the ever-flowing fountain of free radio publicity. Sell your book, seminar,website … anything! And what's even better … you can do radio interviews from any phone, anytime, anywhere.

Alex will also share

• The ONE SECRET that will get you more radio interviews than ANYTHING ELSE. It's SO SIMPLE and yet SO FEW people do it.
• How to use OTHER PEOPLE'S PUBLICITY to get YOU booked as the guest
• A very simple trick to get the host to ask you the questions you want to talk about. It works MORE THAN 95% of the time.
• A clever way to get the radio host to keep promoting you, WEEKS AFTER YOU'RE GONE
• The secret to getting your interview scheduled in a PRIME DRIVE TIME slot
• Two reasons why taped interviews should be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS
• The one thing hosts want from guests MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. It's not what you might think
• Three subtle, BUT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL keys that send listeners SCRAMBLING FOR THEIR PHONES at the end of your interview
• How to get huge amounts of PERMANENT FREE ADVERTISING on a radio station's website
  

Numerous major radio hosts have lauded him as the most popular guest in their history. Some have cancelled Hollywood Celebrities just to make room for him. Dozens have had him back on their shows again & again.

He'll show you exactly how to extract a mother lode from the radio publicity gold mine. It doesn't matter whether you're an author, speaker, businessperson, activist, politician or promoter … YOU TOO CAN GENERATE A FORTUNE in radio publicity.

Sharpen your pencils … Alex Carroll will give you SO MUCH valuable information IT WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN.


Marie Forleo, “How To Use S&M to Turn Your Book Into a Bestselling, Money Making Machine That Reaches Millions!”

Marie is one of the most diversely successful female entrepreneurs today. As a best-selling author, speaker, online-entrepreneur, Nike Athlete & Master Trainer, and dancer/ choreographer, Marie has defied conventional wisdom and achieved phenomenal success across multiple industries. She is the Fox News online relationship expert as well as the author of the bestselling Make Every Man Want You: How To Be So Irresistible You’ll Barely Keep From Dating Yourself! published by McGraw-Hill and currently translated into five languages.

She’s appeared in The New York Times, Shape Magazine, on The Rachel Ray Show, ABC’s 20/20, CNN.com, Forbes.com, HSN and has done countless interviews on radio and TV. Her newest programs, under the brand Rich, Happy & Hot™ are designed to give entrepreneurs the tools, inspiration and kick-in the pants needed to turn their passions into profit and use their creativity to change the world... all while enhancing their relationships and personal well-being.

Through her dynamic training products and coaching programs, Marie educates and inspires with a rare mix of humor, wisdom, and razor-sharp insight. She is well known for her down to earth, tell-it-like-it-is style. With a cult-like following, Marie is on mission to help you experience the freedom, fun and fulfillment that’s possible through creativity and unbridled entrepreneurship.

With Marie you’ll discover:

• The most important “mindset shift” authors need to make in order to make money in publishing (miss this one and your bank account will suffer – guaranteed)
• Which online tools and strategies are ESSENTIAL to making your book a smashing and profitable success.
• The single biggest mistake most authors make that kill their ability to get publicity and profits!
• Surefire methods to turn readers into lifelong, raving fans that happily buy from you again and again!
• 3 essential things your book website MUST have in order to be marketing smart and media savvy! (Miss this and you’re leaving thousands of dollars on the table)
• Simple and fun social media strategies every author needs to know in today’s tech savvy world
• How to use simple and easy video to effortlessly attract tons of traffic, readers, clients and even media!
  

And of course, loads more. Get ready for a mind-blowing presentation that will turn your publishing dreams into a wildly fun and profitable empire!


Jill Lublin, Best Selling Author and International Speaker

Praised as a modern-day Dale Carnegie for how to be influential, Jill Lublin authored the bestselling book Get Noticed…Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself (McGraw-Hill, June 2008). She is also the coauthor with Rick Frishman of two other national bestselling books, Networking Magic which rose to #1 on the Barnes and Noble charts for three weeks, and Guerrilla Publicity, the PR bible. Jill is the founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. and hosts the TV program, Messages of Hope, and the nationally syndicated radio show, Do the Dream. In addition she has created two audio programs, three DVD training videos, and a workbook.

Jill is a popular international speaker who teaches powerful publicity, networking, and how to be influential techniques. As the CEO of the strategic consulting firm, Promising Promotion, Jill has trained companies in innovative techniques to improve bottom line results. In the past twenty years, she has worked with ABC, NBC, CBS, and other national media, and knows what the media wants.
Jill has been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Day, Fortune Small Business, Inc, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and on ABC and NBC radio and TV national affiliates.

John Willig, President and Founder, Literary Services, Inc.

Celebrating his twenty-ninth year in publishing, John Willig has worked as an executive editor and marketing director for academic, professional and trade publishers. During that time, John worked closely with authors such as Henry Mintzberg, Philip Kotler and Jim Collins and acquired Mr. Collins' first book Beyond Entrepreneurship, the precursor to Built to Last and From Good to Great.

In 1991 John founded Literary Services Inc. to work exclusively with writers to maximize the potential of their book ideas and aspiring careers. Since then he has managed hundreds of projects in the business, personal growth and other non-fiction categories including the Wall Street Journal bestsellers More Than a Pink Cadillac and Survival of the Savvy.

He is a graduate of Brown University, member of the Author's Guild and participates at many industry events.

John Kremer, Book Publishing expert

John Kremer is an expert on book publishing and marketing. Besides being the owner of a publishing company (Open Horizons in Taos, New Mexico), he is the editor of the Book Marketing Tip of the Week newsletter.

As a book promotion expert, John is the author of a number of books on publishing and marketing, including 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers (6th Edition), The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High Impact Marketing on a Low Impact Budget, and Celebrate Today. He has also designed the Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, Book Publishing Reports on CD-Rom, and Book Marketing Mini-Book series.

Lloyd Jassin, Attorney and Author

Lloyd J. Jassin is an attorney and author whose special focus is on publishing, entertainment and intellectual property law. He has been widely quoted in a variety of news media, including BBC Radio, Publishers Weekly, Poets and Writers, The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. He was admitted to the bar in 1991, after serving as Director of Publicity for the Simon & Schuster Reference Group / Prentice Hall. Before forming his own firm, he was an intellectual property associate with Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, a distinguished intellectual property firm. Prior to that, he worked in television syndication and licensing with Viacom International. He earned his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is admitted to the NY and NJ bars. His pro bono activities include serving as Chair of the Executive Committee of The Center for Independent Publishing, and as counsel to The Independent Book Publishers Association. He is also a VP of the Media Coalition, and coauthor of The Copyright Permission & Libel Handbook (John Wiley & Sons).

Ken Atchity, Literary Agent

"Story merchant" Kenneth J. Atchity is founder of Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., which represents authors (fiction and nonfiction) in all media and produces their film and television projects; of The Writer's Lifeline, Inc., which consults with authors in need of a bridge to the professional world; and of Finish Line Brand-Launch Management, a new division ofAEI, which partners with business-minded authors to reach maximum markets in all media.

Known for "outside the box" thinking, Ken has produced nearly thirty films for his clients and has sold numerous books in all categories, including 15 bestsellers. AEI's most recent films include "Gospel Hill," "Hittin' the Bricks" (for AEI's client Noire), "The Madam's Family" (CBS), "Life or Something Like It," and "Joe Somebody." .Films in development include "Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not!" starring Jim Carrey, Chris Columbus ("Narnia") directing (Paramount), "Demon Keeper," Sam Fell ("Flushed Away") directing (Fox), "3 Men Seeking Monsters," Mark Steven Johnson ("Ghost Rider") directing (Universal). AEI produces reality shows in partnership with Renegade ("Blind Date"), and has several shows in development for its brand clients. AEI has associate managers in 29 countries, and nearly every state in the U.S.

Ken's over forty years experience as a writer, editor, professor, manager, and producer have allowed him to form a wide network of international relationships contacts that allow him to create the most productive and positive team for his clients' works. "We keep an open mind, and an eye on rapidly changing events to allow us to protect our clients' interests. Amid the turmoil changing channels of delivery one thing remains constant in the story marketplace: the worldwide demand for great stories and important information, which makes creating and owning intellectual property an even more stable opportunity than owning and developing real estate. The important thing for authors is to pursue the right strategy, so the tactics will fall into place to make it all happen."

Marilyn Allen, Literary Agent

Marilyn Allen is a literary agent and partner in the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency. Prior to that she spent 25 years doing sales and marketing for various publishing houses. Her responsibility culminated in Associate Publisher and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Harper Collins. Prior to that, she had directed sales and marketing teams for Penguin Books, Simon & Schuster, and Avon Books.

Through the years she created many innovative marketing campaigns and managed a host of successful author brands including Dr. John Gray (Mars and Venus), Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Barry Sears (Zone), Dean Ornish, Star Trek, NBA, The Simpsons and worked with many best selling writers including Stephen King, Ken Follett, Mary Higgens Clark and Barbara Kingsolver. She spearheaded the nationwide Diet Coke/ book sample promotion and created out-of-the box campaigns with such non-traditional partners as Mattel, Atlantic Records, and PBS. She is an impassioned advocate for innovation in the marketing and selling of books.

Ms. Allen currently represents many authors including New York Times bestseller Regina Leeds, the work-from-home gurus Paul and Sarah Edwards, Julie Fast, Karon Karter, Liz Palika, Julie Jason and Kevin Boyd. She focuses in the areas of nonfiction; health, parenting, sports and business. She has taught publishing courses at NYU and for Gotham University. She frequently conducts publishing seminars and gives speeches at writing conferences.


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2009 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL RETURNS TO ALGONQUIN HOTEL

The 2009 New York Book Festival will again hold its annual awards celebrating books worthy of further recognition from the world's publishing capital on Friday, June 5 at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan.

Entrants to the festival competition are eligible to attend the awards ceremony.

The 2009 New York Book Festival will consider large publisher, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children's books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/zines, e-books, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction, horror, photography/art, romance and biography/autobiography works.

A panel of judges will determine the winners based on the following criteria:

1) The story-telling ability of the author.

2) The potential of the work to win wider recognition.

Entries can be in English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, French or Italian and must be published on or after January 1, 2001. Our grand prize for the 2009 New York Book Festival Author of the Year is $1500 and a flight to New York for the awards and our day festival on June 5-6, 2009.

TO ENTER: Click on the "ENTER THE COMPETITION" link at www.newyorkbookfestival.com and follow the directions to get an entry form. Forms may also be faxed/e-mailed to you by e-mailing us at NewYorkBookFest@aol.com. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee via check, money order, credit card payment or PayPal online payment of $50 in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.

The 2009 New York Book Festival is produced by JM Northern Media LLC, producers of the Hollywood Book Festival, DIY Convention, Beach Book Festival and New England Book Festival, and is sponsored by the Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Westside Websites and Shopanista.

BOOK WRITERS: WHAT’S A GOOD AGENT OR REPRESENTATIVE?

“What's a good agent?" is a difficult question to answer. Authors’ representatives work strictly on commission and are, as a result, mainly interested in highly commercial "properties." Authors’ representatives often help new writers, but most deal only with writers they regard as solid commercial prospects or extraordinary literary talents. Most representatives nowadays ask writers to query before sending the manuscript. This doesn't mean they won't read your work; it means they don't want to read subject matter that doesn’t fit in with their own marketing. Since they work on speculation and commission, they have to deal with several (or many) writers at a time, and are more inclined to devote their energies to promoting a potential best-seller. They're usually interested in working with an author who produces continuously. Someone who writes two short stories a year will not be worth taking on. Authors’ representatives may urge new writers to handle their own submissions of short stories, poetry, and children’s books. And authors’ representatives may or may not help you sell articles.

Some reputable agents now charge reading fees, deductible from future commission (AEI does not). Authors’ representatives receive a commission on everything they sell for you, ranging from 10 to 15 percent, and will nearly always negotiate a contract that will more than justify their commission.

A literary manager like AEI performs the same marketing functions as an agent, but also serves as a producer when your work is filmed.

Other tips about authors’ representatives:

• Where the representative lives is not important. How often the representative goes to New York, and how many New York publishers the representative deals with, is important. It’s difficult to be an effective authors’ representative without regular personal contact with the New York publishing scene. Don’t be afraid to call the publishers direct for a reference to the representative you’re considering—or to ask a prospective rep to give you editing and publishing references you can call.
• Independent representatives may be more open to new clients than large agencies or management companies, and may work harder for them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask a representative for credentials and track record. The best criteria for choosing a representative are the representative’s previous sales. If a candidate won’t share his or her list of clients, don’t deal with that representative.
  

If you decide to let someone represent you, it's a good idea to trust your representative with the marketing for six months. Then ask how it's going. A representative's knowledge of market can be invaluable. But keep in mind that if you have a good book, getting a representative won't be difficult and you won't need a representative to work miracles. Calling your representative more than once a month will quickly put you on his or her “life is too short list.”

Although it’s not as true today as it once was, many new writers were published for the first time through their own marketing efforts, not through a representative's. Finding someone who believes in your work as much as you do-enough to go out there and sell it-is rare indeed.
Many writers swear by their reps. Many swear only at them.

Few agree about them. If you don't feel the need for someone to stand between you and the publisher, you don't need an agent or manager. If you decide to use an attorney, make sure the attorney has had direct experience with publishing contracts. A literary attorney can negotiate the contract for you as well as an agent or manager.

One way of getting a representative is to make the sale yourself, then call the manager or agent to represent you in the contract negotiation. Few reps will turn down this opportunity, even at a reduced commission, and you've automatically become "represented." Agents or literary managers are especially useful for working out package deals which include screenplays, TV
scripts, and foreign rights. Large publishers often prefer to deal through reps (though a few still deal directly with the authors), and most major U.S. publishers will deal only through reps. Jeff Herman’s The Writer’s Guide to Agents & Publishers [click here to order] offers extended discussion of authors’ representatives and rights.

[excerpt from A Writer’s Time, Chapter 6, “Publishing in Time”]

© Kenneth Atchity 1986, 1995, 1999

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DRACULA: THE UN-DEAD DUTTON CATALOG COPY BOOK APPEARS 10/13/09!

Visit the Dracula the Un-dead website..

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How to Escape Lifetime Security and Pursue Your Impossible Dream: A Guide to Changing Your Career: Excerpt

By Kenneth Atchity

The never-satisfied mind

I was taught to be a perfectionist, but in a practical way. One hundred percent is the goal, but we aim for it with the foreknowledge that we're human and will never reach 100%, or if we do, we’ll maintain it only temporarily.

Yet 100% is a better goal than 88%, because if 88% is your goal you'll never hit 90%. So 100% is a better goal as long as you understand that goals are, almost by definition, unreachable because the enterprising goal-seeker will have set a second goal by the time he accomplishes the first. If your goal is to finance a $30 million film, by the time you've closed your deal for $28.6 million you'll be so busy planning your $75 million dollar film you won't be upset that you "fell short" by $1.4 million.

But the 100% standard is used by the Accountant as a superb sabotage mechanism. The Accountant uses the argument of "quality vs. quantity": "Yes, I know you could rush to production with this new Visionary script. But a million things can go wrong with it down the road and it's better to troubleshoot them all before you make an enormous laughingstock of yourself with an equally enormous liability. Let's do a quality job." So the Accountant proceeds to supervise an endless troubleshooting expedition that tunes, fine-tunes, and re-tunes the script to the point that it's no longer recognizable; or until someone else goes public with the same story. "But I want it to be 100% perfect," it argues when the Mind's Eye scolds it. "We'll settle for 98%," replies the Mind's Eye, realizing that such a compromise is required if we're going to reap the benefits of the Visionary's great idea and escape from “development hell.”

Without losing the spirit of the quest for excellence, the perfectionist, also known as “the judge” or “the critic,” must be tamed if you are to accomplish your goals, objectives, and dreams. How do you know when to stop fine-tuning? You don't. Rewrite can go on indefinitely. You set a deadline, beyond which you will cease fine-tuning and begin pre-production.

Buy How to Escape Lifetime Security and Pursue Your Impossible Dream: A Guide to Changing Your Career on Amazon

5th of 5 installments, from How to Escape Lifetime Security and Pursue Your Impossible Dream

If You’re Going to Invest in Yourself You’ll Have to Steal Time for Your Dreams

continued from previous post

Tips on time and work management

Rate everything that crosses your desk 1, 2, or 3. Then make an agenda for the 1s immediately, and immediately delegate the 2s to someone else. Put the 3s in a drawer designated the "3-drawer," setting aside a few hours once a month to go through it and see what's still important enough to deal with. You'll discover that most of the contents of the 3-drawer are even less important then than they were. Napoleon supposedly had all his mail dumped before the bags were opened, on the premise that the important news would have reached him already and anything he neglected that should not have been neglected would make itself known. I¹m sure that Josephine quickly found an alternative method of communicating with her Emperor.

Postpone procrastination! Anthony Robbins says, "The best way to deal with procrastination is to postpone it." Procrastinate with everything except your dream. To make that happen you need to--

As much as possible, solve each problem as it occurs. Postponing the solution automatically increases the total amount of time needed for it. Opening a letter, then stacking it somewhere, is counterproductive. If you know from the envelope that the letter isn't important, toss it in the nearest wastebasket and don't even take it into your den.

Selective pruning

Mencius: Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.

Just as the vitality of a tree can work against the tree unless an experienced arboriculturist is engaged to prune the weaker branches, dreams can be dangerous unless you understand their peculiar fertility. As work creates more work, one dream breeds another, usually grander than the one before. Success has ramifications, breeding all kinds of activities; and, unless you recognize that and infuse "regrouping" time into your success agenda, you'll suddenly find yourself "too busy" to be successful again.

I’ve often been accused of being “an enthusiast.” If you’re a dedicated writer, so are you. But enthusiasts must protect themselves from their enthusiasms. To accomplish this, I suggest the following.

• · Hold a monthly "drop" meeting with yourself. The object of the meeting is to select activities that can be dropped for a month, with a promise to reevaluate their importance at your next meeting. I go through my project files monthly and force myself to table or discard the weaker ones, thereby constantly improving the quality of the projects I work on. As you become experienced in the Type C life, you'll recognize that one of its strangest characteristics is the necessity of killing the little monsters--that once were bright dreams--nipping at your heels. The smaller dreams must now be pruned away so that the bigger ones can thrive. Of course it's even better to kill them off before they begin, as Albert Camus said: "It's better to resist at the beginning, than at the end."

• · Don't feel bad about the discards. Celebrate them. More than sacrifices or disappointments, they are symptoms of your disciplined progress. Just because you can do something, after all, no longer means that you must or should do it. That was the old you, dominated by the Accountant, before your Mind's Eye opened to engage you in an entrepreneurial career transit.

• · When evaluating new projects, keep in mind the sign that psychologist Carl Jung had framed above his desk:

Yes No Maybe

"Maybe" is crossed out as well as 'No" to remind us that it's the "Maybes" that devour our time and dream energies. If the answer to an incoming idea or request isn't definitively "Yes," it's definitively "No." Never Maybe. Maybe kills countless ambitions and splendid plans. "We are what we pretend to be," says Kurt Vonnegut's narrator in Mother Night, "so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."

You may also find it useful to go through the following checklist:

• · Is this a good idea (or opportunity)? Yes or No.

• · Is this idea directly connected with my dream? Yes or No. If the answer is No, pass it along to someone else "with no strings attached.²

• · Does this idea fit into my present agenda? If not, is it such a good idea that I should revise my agenda to accommodate it?

• · Is the world ready for this idea?

• · Am I ready to spend years making it real?

It's extremely important to consider both internal and external "timing" when it comes to evaluating new ideas and opportunities. Many of us waste time on good ideas whose time has either come and gone, or won't be coming for too long a time to make its present implementation productive. Of course, thanks to the predictably unpredictable impact of chaos on our lives, we can never be certain about timing. But we can be certain about our gut reaction to the checklist.

So long as you live, be radiant, and do not grieve at all. Life's span is short and time exacts the finalreckoning.--Cepitaph of Seikilos for his wife (100 B.C.)

Buy How to Escape Lifetime Security and Pursue Your Impossible Dream: A Guide to Transforming Your Career on Amazon

Read If You’re Going to Invest in Yourself You’ll Have to Steal Time for Your Dreams from the beginning.