Featured Author Archive

Unspoken Word: Love Longing & Letting Go is a collection of 100 of my poems – the fourth in a series of poetry books I have written. It touches on the essence of what it takes to be a conscious human being – reflection, receptivity, wonder, longing, deep feeling, gratitude, love, humor, and the full enjoyment of the present moment. Here is what people have said about it:

The First 20 Amazon Reviews
Testimonials #1
Testimonials #2

I chose to self-publish my book. I hired a good friend of mine who works with self-published authors. She designed the book, worked with me on the cover design, and coordinated all of the behind-the-scenes efforts to get the book ready for publication. And that included the Kindle version. I had neither the time, skill, or interest to do this on my own. Well worth the expense ($3,500).

My writing routine is a curious one. It has many facets to it and is always evolving. Writing early in the morning is my favorite time of day and a way to stay connected to my subconscious. 4:00 am is my favorite time to write, but I don’t always wake up that early. How many hours per day? It varies. I also like to write in cafes. Sometimes, when I am driving, I get inspired and speak what is coming to me into a voice app – which I may or may not listen to afterward. On the weekends, especially, I like to write in bed. I probably write 5-6 days per week, but it is not scheduled like a dentist appointment. I try to find the right balance of spontaneity and being organized. Also, I find great value in posting excerpts of what I am writing on Facebook to see what kind of response I get.

Stepping back from what I write and looking at it through the eyes of others. Sometimes, I get intoxicated by my own creative process.

Two ways: I licensed the illustration for Unspoken Word from an extraordinary artist/illustrator in England – Tim Gainey. I saw one of his images online and then contacted him. My other approach is to collaborate with a designer friend of mine. We talk about the feeling and content of my book and he comes up with a few book cover designs. Then we go back and forth until the final image emerges. And sometimes I post various cover designs on social media and ask people for their opinions.

Four.
1) A Code to Live By (a book of a father’s wisdom for his two children)
2) Once Upon a Timeless: Bedtime Stories for Waking Up (a book of moments-of-truth stories from my own life)
3) Applied Creativity (a book about the creative process)
4) My next book of poetry.

My plan? After I put the finishing touches on Once Upon a Timeless, I will begin writing A Code to Live By. After that, I will decide what’s next.

I do quite a few things in this regard – some obvious, some not-so-obvious. Over time, I have realized that the tooth fairy is not going to market my books and I need to get way more intentional about my process for getting the word out. How is it working? So so. Here’s what I do:

• Enroll friends and fans around the world to help me get the word out
• Provide these friends and fans with promo copy, links, and photos to make their social media efforts easy
• Ask friends to read a sampling of my manuscript (or the whole enchilada) and, assuming they like what they read, send me a testimonial
• Publish excerpts of my book on my Facebook page (including two of my FB groups)
• Publish excerpts of my book on my FB poetry group and poetry blog or storytelling blog
• Create a book website: example #1… example #2
• Ask musician friends of mine to choose their favorite poem/passage from my book and write a song about it – then include their song on my book website
• When my book is published, send an announcement to my email list, along with selected links
• Post excerpts and book promos on my Medium blog
• Seek out podcasters to interview me
• Post daily on my FB poetry group (not just my stuff, but poets that inspire me)
• Do live poetry readings (with musician/artist friends of mine)
• Give books to “influencers” and ask them to help me get the word out
• Read selected poems of mine at the temple I belong to in Catskill, NY (the Rabbi has designated me as the “Poet in Residence”)
• Collaborate with a friend of mine on spoken word videos
• Send books to selected publications and request book reviews
• Ask my social media followers for their ideas
• Brainstorm with friends

This is something I need to pay more attention to. I have done only a little of this. Yes, I read my reviews. I have yet to get a bad review. When and if I get a bad review, I will pay attention to what they say, get slightly depressed, and then move on. PS: Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by 144 publishers. Famous book rejections.

Print. I like the feeling of a book in my hands. I like to underline and write in the margins. I also like audiobooks. I do not like ebooks. (I already spend way too much time online).

It’s a toss-up between Rumi and Hafiz. Favorite book would be The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks. The Tao Te Ching is close behind. The last book I read was The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I have read it twice so far. It’s a masterpiece – especially for anyone interested in the creative process.

Something to do with AI. Maybe upload your manuscript and then, in a few minutes, see several designs for your book and query letters sent to book reviewers, publicists, podcasters, media, and others. Or maybe this already exists.

Find an affordable publicist that I trust and have chemistry with. Create an audiobook version. Get my book reviewed in several publications.

• Trust yourself
• Go beyond your doubt and imposter syndrome
• Get in touch with your vision of what you want to write
• Develop a writing rhythm
• Enroll your significant other (if you have one) in your project so they don’t see your book project as competition for their affection
• Get feedback from people you trust (not just your friends)
• Commit to writing in a much deeper way than you have ever done before
• Do it for love – not money
• Practice!
• If you need a writing coach, contact me.

Who? Or what? Both are important to me. On the “who” side of the equation, it’s either me or my long-time teacher, Prem Rawat. And when I say “me”, I’m referring to the part of all of us that reflects on life or has something of value to share with others. The “what” is mainly about the innate thirst for the divine, the sacred hidden within the seemingly mundane, love, letting go, and the magic of life.