I focus mostly on non-fiction books for adults. At this Publisher’s Weekly blog, writers of children’s books will find lots of useful information — and some less useful, like today’s spoof.

There are several ways you can have a book written for you.

• You can hire a ghost writer. They will work with you to get your book written, using interviews, stuff you’ve written, and ongoing conversations. Cost: $5000 – $50,000 and up. Some “ghosts” want shares of advances and royalties. You still have to take care of publishing and promotion.
• You can hire a good editor to take stuff you’ve written and turn it into a book. Cost: $3000 – $15,000, depending on volume and quantity of information. Again, you take care of publishing and promotion.
• You can find people and organizations who package writing and editing with publishing and promotion. There aren’t many; prices start at $15,000.

Seems to me there is a gap in the market. I’ve decided to fill it. Here’s the rough outline of the deal:

• You apply to the program. (It’s not for everyone.)
• If I believe there is a fit, here’s how we work together:
  • I send you a short list of questions to get your thoughts focused.
  • We schedule interview time.
  • I and my team take the interview and other materials and build your book.
  • We go through a similar process with your cover.
  • When you approve the manuscript and cover, we go away.
• A few weeks later, 500 finished books show up at your door (or at the door of your fulfillment house, your mother, or whatever door you pick).

I charge less and do more than the other guys. I can do this because I lay out your options very clearly, and I use my trademarked BookProgram process. I’m not publishing a price here because it will vary, depending on your needs.

If this service is of interest to you, write to me to schedule an application interview.

I like Leo and Mary’s Write to Done blog. Here’s a recent post:

“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” - Spanish proverb
This, friends, is the linchpin: if you can create the habit of writing, you’ve got a wonderful foundation as a writer.
If you struggle to get in enough time for writing, or keep putting it off, or can never seem to write when you planned to write … you need to work on creating the habit of writing. More

Thinking about your book? Wondering how to get it out there? Come to my (no-cost) 30-minute teleseminar, “Your Book — Easier Than You Thought!”

It’s this Thursday, March 26, at 7pm Pacific.

I will show you…

• Why you need a book of your own;
• What having a book can do for your business;
• The truth about publishers–and publishing;
• What, exactly, it will take for you to have your
• own book;
• Joel’s simple secret to getting your book done.

I’m PASSIONATE about helping you get your book DONE and available!

The diamond is your friend

As more and more people are using Joel’s BookProgram to quickly write their non-fiction books, new questions arise every day. A recurring one: How can I approach the structuring phase for my book? For some, just knowing about the Title->Chapters->Subchapters is enough. They cluster, then outline.

• Think of the “shape” of your book as a simple diamond. The question that your book answers is at the top point; the support for the answer is in the wide part in the middle; and the answer is the bottom point.
• Think of each chapter in the same way–and then, each subchapter.
• Start with the question. Add the questions that need to be answered to answer the bigger question. Then conclude with the answer. Do this at each level.

Kelly Sonora of OnlineUniversities.com wrote me: “…We just posted an article, “100 Free Lectures That Will Make You a Better Writer” (http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/03/100-free-lectures-that-will-make-you-a-better-writer/). I thought I’d bring it to your attention in case you think your readers would find it interesting.”

Have you been longing for Amazon.com’s electronic book reader, the Kindle — and now, the Kindle 2? Me, too. But I haven’t been able to justify the $360 price.

Long no longer. If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you can download the Kindle app for free from iTunes AppStore. David Pogue tells all about it here; and whatever its limitations, for free, what’s not to like?

My new friend Betsy Burroughs has written an amazing book to help you get unstuck, to turn creativity into action, and to delight you. It is a short book that has seven “FocusCatalysts” — each is a simple and wonderful technique to help you do something. Get it and read about it here.

Your book will differentiate you. It will open doors for you that now stand closed before you.

Whether you are applying for work at a corporation or seeking clients for your professional practice, having a book with your name on it is the most powerful investment you can make in marketing your services.

For one thing, a book is a cultural artifact with disproportionate “weight.” Its significance as a marketing tool does not depend on its content, but rather on the simple fact of its existence. Of course yours will spell out your “special sauce,” and what makes you different from others. But don’t obsess about producing perfect prose.

For another, brochures are thrown away, but books are kept. The recipient may not read the book the day she receives it — or ever. But the book is there, on her desk, reminding her of her discussion with you.

Yet another point: If you write a book, you are an author. It is not a perversion of English to state that being an author gives you authority.

Picture coming to an interview and handing the interviewer a copy of your book. Won’t that get more attention than Yet Another Resume?

You probably have more time on your hands right now than you’d like to. Put it to work for you! You can write a book in a very short period of time. Let it have at least 48 pages, so that it will have a spine when you publish it; that distinguishes a book from a pamphlet or booklet. If you’d like my help, check out several offerings I have for you.