The Difference Between Good and Great

The Difference Between Good and Great

by Suzanne Falter-Barns

What makes some people perform brilliantly and attract excellent results — and others just get along? The key is passion. This article helps you find what you can do to ignite your own passion and success.

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Ever notice how some people have all the luck? They seem to attract clients and business effortlessly, and win awards without even trying. Even the media seems to seek them out.

So what makes them the anointed ones ... and not you?

The difference is passion.

Passion is what makes us get up in the morning, excited about what we're going to do. It's what pushes us through tasks we'd rather not do — and propels us through those that are ordinarily intimidating.

Passion is something bigger, too. It's a healing essence that makes whatever we do seem guided, and so very attractive to others. Things that are passionately created are truly magnetic—we all want a piece, so we, too, can be healed.

I first became aware of this on a speaking tour I did in Florida a few years back. At the time, I spoke at a New Age bookstore/tea salon in Key West, FL called Kindred Spirit.

This wasn't a must-do stop on the circuit of major bookstores. When the owners invited me to speak, they didn't even have a location yet for their store. Still, there was something about Kelly and Karen, the owners, which resonated with me when I met them at a conference.

They had a certain intensity, the air of women on a mission. It was clear they would have exactly the space they wanted, and it would be great. Not only that, I would do an event with them, and that would be great. The Powers That Be were clearly whispering in their ear.

When I got to Key West, my hunch was confirmed. Every inch of this store held things that were beautiful and unique, each artfully arranged. Karen had hand-painted fresh, original calligraphy on the walls, and they had composed their space so you could wander at will, finding treasures at every turn. There was even a tiny antechamber, beautifully decorated, where you could have a reading with a remarkable psychic. Lace-covered tea tables here and there waited for you to sit down, relax, and have superb cup of tea. The effect of being in Kindred Spirit was that my travel-jagged soul was immediately soothed. This store had the ability to heal people.

That healing comes from what some call the essence. It's an immutable standard for your work that comes from within, a refusal to deliver less than exactly what your soul told you to create. And this takes considerable work.

When I met Karen and Kelly, they were coming off of weeks of 12-hour days putting the finishing touches on their store and holding their first event. They had that slightly insane, but critically important vision you get that pushes you forward, and forward, and forward, until you do create exactly what you want. They had passion, pure and simple.

And please note that such work is not just a non-stop string of blissed out moments of creativity. There are many times when you just want to go home and climb into bed. There are just as many when you lie awake worrying. Still, there is something sacred and holy that pushes you forward, whether it be the essence or your own hands-on interpretation of God or Spirit.

Not surprisingly, all of Key West turned out for my talk at Kindred Spirit; the event was electric! All, I say, because people wanted that healing at the heart of Karen and Kelly's hard work.

So how do you summon up the essence? For Karen and Kelly, it was just a matter of finding the courage to leave their jobs and follow their hearts. And that's true for all of us. If you can listen to your inner voices, you'll find that back there behind the voice of doubt is your own private cheering squad.

They want you to go for the gusto and begin your dreams; they want you to live your dreams—and they'll make it more possible than you may believe. I say anyone can summon up their passion. First they have to find the courage to begin. Then they simply have to dig in and find that gift they're blessed with, and move on to share it with others.

May you be as moved as I've been by the healing work of all creators, great, small, famous and unknown, who are driven by nothing more than their desire to deliver what they feel. And may you discover the same within yourself.

©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC.

For information on how to find the time, energy, and money to live your purpose in life, check out Suzanne's free E-zine, The Joy Letter. Sign up at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html and receive our valuable report, 35 Guaranteed Time-Savers. And find even more tips and tools at the Blast of Joy blog http://selfhelpsalon.typepad.com/blast_o_joy.

BookMarket.com Gift Shop Now Open

Well, I just opened a small gift shop at CafePress.com. You can access it at http://www.cafepress.com/bookmarket.

It currently has t-shirts and other apparel as well as a few book bags featuring the cover design for my new 6th edition. I'll be adding more products later.

Let me know if you'd like any apparel with my beautiful face adorning it :))

By the way, my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, 6th Edition comes off the press right before BookExpo. I'll be shipping orders as soon as I return from BookExpo on May 22nd. Yippee! Yeah! Wazoo!!!



I'll be wearing my new 1001 Ways golf shirts at BEA. Watch for me there!

Website Makeover Magic

I've just come across a great program for putting up a really snazzy website in just a short time. It's called Marketing Makeover Generator. You can click on that name now to sign up for a $1.00 week-long trial. And, if you like all that it does, you can keep going for a dollar a day. That is magical, given all it can do.

As soon as I get back from visiting my wife, I'm going to start making over my web site with their help. It ought to be magic!

Enjoy it now. Click here: Marketing Makeover Generator.

Author 101 University

Author 101 University is the place to be if you're an author, publisher or aspiring author. You'll hear 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.

The amazing Mark Victor Hansen will be the MC of the event. They will also have 5 other speakers -- and a Publishing Panel of publishers, agents, and editors that you can meet and talk with. This is going to be an amazing event and it is going to sell out fast. Your registration fee also entitles you to attend the after-event cocktail party -- where you'll have the opportunity to meet and network with the speakers at the event plus the industry experts from the Publishing Panel and all the other attendees.

The Author 101 University is priced at an incredible low price of $299. Space is very limited so please don't miss out.

Go today to http://www.author101university.com and get the details.

Book Marketing for Novelists Seminar

I've created a new web site just to promote my Book Marketing for Novelists seminar in Washington, D.C. on May 17th. Details at http://www.novelbestsellers.com. Check it out. And tell your friends.

Free Book Marketing Teleseminar

Mahesh Grossman of Author Team will be interviewing John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, on how to market your novels.

Time: 7:00 p.m. Central Time (5 Pacific, 6 Mountain, and 8 Eastern)

Date: Thursday, April 20th

To sign up for this teleconference, go to http://www.promoteyournovel.com.

Learn:

** The 3 most important actions novelists can do to promote their novels.

** The 4 marketing resources every novelist should know about.

** The 5 biggest publicity mistakes novelists make.

** How to do a book tour that creates real results - and sales!

Free Life Coaching Sessions

I don't know how long the following offer will last because the person offering these free life coaching sessions could get overbooked. But here is what one reader has sent me:

Hi John, here is a free offer your readers may be interested in as it is a win/win for all concerned. Thanks for all the great work you do, Ed.

Offer free life coaching sessions to promote your book.

An experienced, reputable life coach is building her client base by offering 2 free, life coaching sessions to the purchasers of selected books. She has used this free life coaching session with several publishers and found it successful for all concerned. If your book would benefit from having a life coach work with your readers to seat the ideas, this might work for you.

You would offer 2 free, life coaching sessions via phone (client pays for call), with the purchase of your book ($150 value). You could put the offer on your website, or use other ways to incorporate it into your book sales offer.

There is no charge to make this offer, and there are no hidden catches, or obligations to people taking advantage of the offer. Regular life coach fees apply ($75 hr) to anyone staying on after the 2 free sessions, but no commitments are required.

The Life Coach is Theresa Smith, and you can go to http://www.brightmoment.com/coaching.htm, or call Theresa at 201-568-0019, or email tsmith@brightmoment.com. for more information. References are available upon request.

This can give you a no cost, reputable, way to add value to your book and increase the value realized by the reader.

Any readers who would like to give this a try, contact Theresa above. I'd be curious if anyone tries this offer and what effect it has on sales of their books. Let me know.

Thanks to Ed Smith for the tip. You can sign up for a free daily email One Minute Motivator at his BrightMoment web site: http://www.brightmoment.com.

Daughter of the Yellow River -- Amazon promotion

If you ever thought of doing your own Amazon.com bestseller campaign, then you might want to check into the campaign now being done for Diane Lu's Daughter of the Yellow River. Why? Because she has so many participants, including people mailing to their lists as well as dozens and dozens giving away free reports, audios, etc. to buyers of her book. Her list of movers and givers could be contacted to help you as well, especially if your book is on relationships, health, self-help, business, motivation, or related topics.

I don't generally participate in these Amazon.com bestseller campaigns. I think they've been overdone, but I do know their power in getting attention for your book online. So I still encourage authors to do a campaign at least once in the life of their book, no matter how new or old the book is.

Anyway, to check out Diana Lu's offer, see website no longer active.

Diana's book went from an Amazon.com ranking of 304,648 on Tuesday to a rank of 8,366 on Wednesday afternoon. Her campaign began on Tuesday and goes through Thursday.

The Little Red Book of Sales Answers

If you want to see how an Amazon.com bestseller campaign is done well -- with an incredibly wonderfully designed web page to make the sales pitch, then you've got to check this out today: http://www.trainone.com/special/april4.

Why today? Because I'm not sure if this page will be up after that time. And you'd miss out on a great sales page that you should model.

Plus, you'd miss out on a great book. Jeff Gitomer is a wonderfully succinct author who provides practical information that anyone can follow.

I wasn't solicited to be part of this Amazon Bestseller campaign. I just happened on to it via one of my RSS feeds. And I'm glad I did. I bought the book. Will you?

I'd buy the book just for the book. I know it will be good. But the bonuses are a nice added touch, especially since they are ones that I've not been offered before.

Brokeback to the Future -- The Possibilities

If you haven't seen this movie preview yet, you have got to watch it. Just wonderful. Really funny, especially if you've seen one or both movies. Well done. Creative. And has money-making or attention-grabbing potential. Watch it and open your mind to new possibilities.

If you created something like this, you'd have the viral hit of the week. This movie preview has been viewed millions of times. What if your book was simply mentioned at the end in the credits? Think of the exposure. Think of what the audience you could reach. Think of the click-throughs.

Book Marketing for Novelists Seminar: May 17th in Washington, DC

I used to think that my general book marketing advice was enough to help most novelists sell their books. While I still believe that is true, I have found that many novelists are not at all prepared to do what is necessary to make their books to bestsellers. They can't figure out how to apply my general advice to their specific needs. Well, that's something I can do — and have done. Now I'm ready to share it with authors.

On Wednesday, May 17th, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., I will be giving the most comprehensive and detailed seminar ever produced on how to promote novels. This seminar will knock your socks off if you're a novelist or aspiring novelist. This is a can't-miss event. If you are a novelist, come. If you are a publisher, send your novelists to this event.

The cost is $300.00. Now some people might call that expensive (and it is compared to most books and many seminars), but it is cheap when you consider what many authors spend willy-nilly trying to market their books. It always shocks me what authors are willing to spend money on — so many useless things — when they could be investing that money in something really useful. It's even cheaper when compared to what it costs NOT to become a bestseller.

Sign up at http://www.bookmarket.com/orderform.html or by calling 641-472-6130. Please note that I will be out of the office from Thursday through Saturday attending the Colorado Independent Publishers Association seminar, but will be back on Sunday to answer phones and take sign-ups.

— John Kremer, author, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

P.S. — People who sign up for this seminar will get a free copy of the new 6th edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, hot off the press!