How long has it been since you last published a book? It is not uncommon to want to get it right the first time around. How do you get it right?
One of the best ways to get it right is to rely on a mentor who is already publishing successful books. They are often writing and publishing samples that can be used as templates for your own work. They can bring an element of the unknown to your writing, giving you valuable feedback on your references, editorials, nailing the marketing campaign. No matter who you rely on for structure and inspiration, you need to take precautions to ensure your book is both unique and compelling.
It is best to work closely with a mentor, especially if you are financially strapped. They can help you avoid many of the mistakes that can setback your entire career. They can also analyze your work and suggest improvements, both for the story and the plot. Doing this will ease your stress and give you more confidence for submitting an officially bound book.
Creating a Realistic Structure
Your mentor can also help you create a realistic structure for your story, removing some of the mechanics that can be found in most manuscripts. Those who are submitting for money may need to be careful to present a loose structure where possible, to increase the chance of success. Those who want their stories to be unique need to focus on plot, concept, and ending. mentors are great at highlighting the “unique” part of your story.
Where most people go wrong with their writing is that they focus too much on the “me” and not the “we.” We must include the “we” in our equation, along with our great vision, creativity, and effort. Our mentor must care for the characters, realms, and storyline in the same way that an artist or director cares for the visual elements of a film. Was the mentor in Hollywood responsible for choosing the equipment and shooting locations? Was he the one who suggested the angle that was used to shoot the film? Was he aware of the background music? Was he involved in the Editing of the film? Was he the one who suggested the perfect credits sequence?
Answering the All-Important Questions
All of these questions are important and require answers from a mentor. We must include them in our answer because their insight and experience have shown them to be more capable than most of us can be. Additionally, I feel it is best to keep in mind that a mentor is just that… a mentor. It is important to develop a trusting relationship with a mentor, one where we trust that they have good intentions and are simply trying to help us. fault-finding is not a mentor’s job. It is a path to be taken and handled properly or otherwise, we risk losing our investment in that interim. At the end of the day, if we are the stronger emotionally, then we walk away with pride knowing that we stood our ground, our vision was authentic, and you helped us to do it.
Being Clear on Your Objectives
To be clear: A mentor is a person who has published or will publish information to help you or others. Such information may include articles, blog posts, ebooks, and other written content. Yup, you read that right! Your PI’s need content! You do not have to worry about taking notes or having an office. You do not have to pay rent. You are not burdened with administrative tasks. Mystery shopping is not a job, it is a business. It does not require travel expenses, overtime, or long hours. You do not have to attend training classes. In short, being a mystery shopper is not “just” a hobby, it is a business. One that I know personally pays very well and personally benefits both of us.
Because one of my most serious concerns about mystery shopping is the safety of our clients, I try to read between the lines whenever I am asked why a client should do things a particular way or why something is the best idea. I try to determine if the client is in fact the personality that they claim to be. An easy place to go wrong is when clients begin to criticize aspects of my assignments. It is okay to say, “that’s not my job.” You can always tomorrow improve an aspect of an assignment.
Moreover, if you critique other businesses and their clients equally as you critique yours, you will soon see a pattern matching all your clients and their businesses. Your safe side will always tell you that keeping a score on the assignments is more important than the fun part. And you can bet that the safe side will be right about 90% of 90% of the time. because that is what those who are scoring the assignments. will say.