by kathilipp | Aug 9, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I was having a conversation with an acquaintance recently who was convinced that she had a book that was going to change the world. It was a literary masterpiece and was going to turn the publishing industry on it’s ear.
The only problem? She hadn’t written it yet.
You see, she was a stay at home mom (although her kids are in school from 8 – 3 from September through May,) and she is just so busy.
- She volunteers as a room mom.
- She is on the PTA.
- She is on the steering team of her MOMs group.
- All three of her kids are involved in sports.
- Two of her kids are involved in a theater group.
- Her entire family is involved in various church activities.
So the life-changing book is going to have to wait until she has more time.
I hear this almost anytime someone asks me, “So, what do you do for a living?”
Everyone wants to write a book, but nobody has the time.
What I want to tell people who are convinced that they must write a book is that they are never going to see that happen unless they stop working for other people and start working for themselves.
- Don’t Answer Your E-mail (or at least some of them.) Just because someone sends you a piece of e-mail doesn’t mean you need to read it. When I subscribe to a newsletter or an email group, I don’t use my main e-mail address. I have a free yahoo account for all those things I am interested in reading, but, if the week is busy, I don’t feel bad if I just delete the whole list of e-mails. None of them are waiting for a personal response from me. This saves me time in sorting through my own e-mail box of things I have to respond to. (And hey, If you ever want to change the address of where you receive my e-mail newsletter, or even if you want to -gasp- stop receiving my emails, there is a link at the bottom of each one that tells you how to do that.
If you receive a lot of the same kind of e-mail, you may want to have a form letter. When people ask me how to become a speaker or author, I have a standard e-mail I send – not because I don’t care about the person, but because if I gave a personal answer to each and every one, I would never respond to anyone.
- Agree in Advance on What You Say Yes to My husband and I talk an awful lot about what we will say yes to when it comes to time spent outside of pursuing our own goals. Want to take me to coffee to talk about marketing your book? Meet me at Starbucks. Need me to bring you a meal because you broke your ankle? I’m your girl. Want me to help you move? Dude – I’m 43 years old. Be a grown up and hire a mover. Make sure you have someone to hold you accountable so you don’t say yes, when what you really mean is, “I don’t want to, but I don’t want to hurt you feelings by telling you no.” If you can say, “My husband (mom, friend, accountability partner, boss,) and I agreed I wouldn’t say yes to anything that wasn’t (part of my job description, related to photography, discussed in advance).
- When Your Kids Say Yes, that means You Say Yes You are not a bad parent if you kids are not signed up for every activity that the school, community center, church offers. Just say no.
Question for You: have you done anything recently to create time for yourself and your goals?
by kathilipp | Aug 8, 2010 | Me, The Husband Project, Uncategorized |
As you probably know from the kind of books I write, I am pretty crazy about my husband.
But, just like every other marriage, unless I am intetional about letting him know it, I can sometimes forget that little fact.
I have certain things that stress me out in our relationship:
- Traveling Together
- Directions while traveling
- Traveling with kids
(Do you see a pattern here?)
It can be hard to remember all the reasons that Roger rocks my world on a regular basis.
So instead of silently pouting and waiting until it all gets better, (because really? I was the one with the attitude this weekend…) it’s time for my campaign to let Roger know that I love him.
So here are three simple things I am going to do to improve my relationship with my man, today.
- Leaving a Post-it Y’all know I have a deep affection for my office supplies. When I can combine my love of all things form Office Depot with my love of my man, it’s a beautiful thing. So I’m going to let Roger know – via sticky note – one of the reasons I love him.
- Make Him a Treat Baked goods always make Roger feel loved. I have time today to make him something (OK – so it will probably involve a mix, but still…) but if I didn’t, there is no reason I can’t get him something from Safeway.
- Brag on Him It takes about two seconds to think of something great about Roger – but that does little good unless I share it. Sometimes, I need to share it with Rog, but it is way more effective to let someone he knows how much he rocks.
So today, I want you to join me in a love-a-thon. Will you do one thing to let your man know he rocks? tell us what you did (or are going to do) and I will enter you into a drawing for one of my favorite marriage-enhancing books:
Red-Hot Monogomy by Bill and Pam Farrel.
Make sure you let me know know what it is, here on the blog, by Wednesday, and I will enter you into the drawing.
by kathilipp | Aug 3, 2010 | Shameless Self-Promotion, tips and ideas, Uncategorized, Writerly Wednesday |
Author/Speaker Marketing Boot Camp Saturday August 21st in San Jose, CA
A couple of times a year I get the very fun task of teaching the Author Speaker Marketing Boot Camp for CLASS. (Christian Leaders Authors and Speaker Services.) This seminar is held all over the country, and now, it’s in my hometown.
If you want to be a author, you have to be a speaker (and the other way around). Every publishing house is looking for an author with a platform and want someone who knows how to market their own book. (The days of multi-city book tours and over-paid publicists are a thing of the past.)
If you want a better chance of getting a book published, learning how to market the book, your message, and yourself are critical.
Plus, this workshop is a whole lotta fun.
So if you want to hang out for the day, learn the business side of being an author and speaker, and meet a whole bunch of great writers who are actually doing the whole publishing thing, this is the place to be.
For more info, check out CLASS for the details.
by kathilipp | Aug 1, 2010 | The "What's for dinner?" Project, The Get Organized Project, tips and ideas, Uncategorized |
Everyone I’m related to knows of my deep, abiding love of all office supplies. Sharpies and labels and Post-its – Oh My!
But now I have discovered a whole new obsession in life – Home Depot is the New Office Depot – on steroids.
Since I have been clocking a lot of time in the kitchen for my new book The “What’s for Dinner?” Project I have found a new, invaluable tool for all things culinary – Blue Painter Tape.
While I believe in the classic uses (check out 3M’s great website for some great decorating ideas,) here are six reasons I am now an evangelist of blue tape in the art of cooking:
1. Identification We are big believers in the green bags and storage containers that keep fruit and veggies fresh longer. The only problem? You can’t see what’s in them.
So as I wash and store my fruits and veg, I label the containers with the contents so I know what’s what. I notice that I am more prone to actually cook at home if I actually know what I have lurking in the fridge.
2. Freezer Meal Labels This is also a great technique for labeling your freezer meals. For each batch, I use a different color of tape, so I can tell right away which meals to use up.
3. Use it up or die (of food poisoning) trying My whole family is obsessed with pita pizzas (see my very loose recipe on how to make them here.) They are cheap and yummy and low in fat – a win – win – win.
The only problem? We never knew the vintage of the half-opened marinara sauce containers in our fridge. Now I label anything I open with the date that it was opened (and when you ask why I don’t just write on it with a beloved Sharpie it’s because sometimes it get’s all slippy slidey).
This is not only saving us room in the fridge, I know it’s saving us money. We are not opening up new jars of sauce just because we are unable to identify the age of the three jars that are already opened.
4. Combo Packs OK – don’t laugh. I know this problem doesn’t come up very often – combining slow moving liquids.
But, when you are can’t stand the ANTICIPATION (he he) this is a great way of not having to spend your afternoon waiting for ketchup to drip.
Plus – AGAIN – saving room in the fridge is a beautiful thing. (Obviously, this is a huge issue in my life.)
5. Seal a Meal (or a packet of crispy noodles…) Sealing up opened packages. Not very fancy, but the good thing is you can open it and close it several times and it keeps resealing for a long time.
I’m sorry if it looks tacky (no pun intended) but if it keeps my Chinese noodles nice and crisp – I don’t mind it at all…
6. Posting Recipes (but not on the internet) Finally. If you are like me, one of the main ways I find new recipes is by trolling the internet. I use to stick the recipes up on my fridge with a magnet but the only problem was that the fridge in not located near where I cook. So finally I got smart and taped up the recipes on my cabinet.
I never wanted to do it with masking tape (it can leave goo behind), or packing tape (it can peel paint) but the blue tape is a lot like a Post-it – tape-style.
So – here are my questions for you:
1. Do you have any uses for the magical blue tape that I have yet to discover?
2. Do you have any weird or odd uses for other things in the kitchen when you are cooking? I would love to consider using them in the book…
Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Kitchen_g272-Refrigerator_p91061.html
by kathilipp | Jul 29, 2010 | Me |
As I keep mentioning (because let’s fact it, I’m still pretty bitter,) we have gone from being the techie-st house on the block to the 1970’s.
Remember when, back in the 70’s when you only had four channels coming into your house. We’re back to that.
I don’t think you realize what I’m saying here.
No Project Runway.
No White Collar.
No Mythbuster.
No nuttin.
I would love to say that I’m using the extra time for memorizing Greek translations of the Old Testament, or going to Pilate’s.
But I need some fun stuff to watch on the internet.
So my question for you is: What is a can’t miss must watch. Please let me know the videos, sites and blogs that you can’t live without.
Give a girl some love here.
Oh – and we gave up Tivo. You see how bad it is around here…
by kathilipp | Jul 28, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I think words are really, really powerful.
(If I didn’t, I should probably get a different type of work, no?)
I constantly remind my kids of this fact when they use words in a careless way.
So when I started to hear my classic tank top being referred to as a “Wife Beater”, I started to boil. But here it wasn’t my kids who were calling it that – it was fashion designers.
When I started to see the term show up on store websites and in fashion spreads in my favorite magazines, I couldn’t believe it. How did this become a phrase that we don’t even think about the meaning behind it anymore.
I know I’m just one person, but from now on when I see the phrase in a store, a magazine or a website, I’m going to start speaking up.
I’m speaking up for my friend who I don’t get to see anymore because she was so afraid that her abusive husband would follow her when she left that she doesn’t have contact with any of her old friends.
I’m speaking up for my daughters who need to understand and believe deeply that there is nothing acceptable or flip about any words related to a man beating a woman.
I’m speaking up for my sons who are some of the good guys and would never mistreat a woman – and won’t use the language that degrades any woman.
And stores are listening – they are so desperate for shoppers, they are paying close attention to the feedback their customers are giving them.
So, my question for you is: What’s your rant? What makes you crazy when you see it. Here is your soapbox.
by kathilipp | Jul 25, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Doc Martin
We have cut back on everything around here. No more cable, no more Tivo, no more ways to distract the brain while folding mountains of towels and underwear.
The one thing we have kept is a very basic subscription to Netflix. I love getting a DVD in the mail, but my favorite part is all the old TV shows you can watch instantly.
Oh the Joy.
I love this BBC series Doc Martin is OK for my entire family, funny when I can understand what their saying, and a better version of the American version Northern Exposure (which I loved as well.)
Ph
ilip Yancy’s Prayer
For a woman who spends a lot of time worrying about whether I’m praying “right” Phillip Yancy’s book is a get out of guilt free card. This is one of those books, like Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline book that I will read every year.
You
Yes – you! You all have been so much fun over the past few weeks. I love that you get cranky with me
on Facebook, hate waiting as much as I do, and can come up with 101 ways to use tomatoes.
Q4U: Tell me what you are thankful for and I will give one of my favorite readers (randomly chosen) Philip Yancy’s Prayer. Come on – share the gratitude.
by kathilipp | Jul 21, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I
get questions every single week from y’all about how to be a writer. My very first piece of advice is : Go to a writers conference. (I know that my very first piece of advice should be “Pray about it,” but after so many potential authors telling me, “God told me to write a book,” I’ve decided to skip that step.)
So here is one of my favorite conferneces, and bonus – I’m teaching at it, so you know we’ll have a good time.
Here is the official announcment (to make it official…):
CLASSEMINARS, Inc. announces a special conference book project for its annual CLASS Christian Writers Conference. The conference will be held in Abiquiu, New Mexico, November 10-14, 2010.
The unique opportunity for new and advanced writers to be published in a book is a first among Christian writers conferences. All attendees will work with a professional mentor to develop a story, article, or poem to be included in the book to be titled Out of the Overflow. WinePress Publishers, Enumclaw, Washington, will publish the book which will be available shortly after the conference.
Bruce Wilkinson, bestselling author of You Were Born for This and the fastest selling book of all time, The Prayer of Jabez, and one of America’s foremost Christian teachers, will be a featured keynoter at the conference which focuses on training writers in the craft of writing and connects writers with publishers and agents. The conference also features a spiritual formation emphasis to help attendees develop a deeper Christian walk and write more deeply.
For registration and other information, go to www.classeminars.org.
The conference will be held at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, located near Santa Fe.
by kathilipp | Jul 14, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Here is why I love summer:
This –
becomes this-
if you do this:
(The world’s easiest, best tasting bruchetta recipe.)
Bruschetta
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 cloves garlic sliced in half length-wise
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
4-5 medium, ripe tomatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped and drained in a strainer for 20 minutes
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Add together your basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Stir together to make dressing.
Toss with tomatoes and let sit for at least 15 minutes (can marinade overnight in the fridge.)
While marinading, toast bread and let cool. Rub the tops of the bread with the garlic. Place the tomato mixture on top of the bread slices.
by kathilipp | Jul 12, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I hate waiting so much.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
And I’m waiting a lot right now.
I’m waiting to hear back on a lot of projects, a lot of queries and a lot of programs.
I’m waiting to hear back from editors and publishers and event planners and teachers and a whole host of other people.
And I hate it.
I swore I would never pray for patience, (I’ve seen what happens when friends pray for patience – I don’t want none of that.)
But here’s the thing – when you start refreshing your incoming e-mail every 60 seconds to see if anyone – anywhere – has sent you an e-mail, t’s time to take a different approach.
So, I’ve actually started to pray for patience. I’m praying boldly for what I think is in God’s will in each of these areas, but I’m also trying to leave it at His feet and not sneak back and snatch it up.
I’m working on remembering this:
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
My job is to keep joyful, be patient and faithfully pray. That’s all I’ve got.
I was having a conversation with an acquaintance recently who was convinced that she had a book that was going to change the world. It was a literary masterpiece and was going to turn the publishing industry on it’s ear.
