Creating Change: From Passion to Publication (Part 1)

I most love to read and to edit books and articles produced by writers with a desire to create change in the world on some level. Most of them feel a deep sense of personal purpose–call it soul purpose. Writing a book or even a series of articles helps them fulfill that purpose. Their passion fuels them as they take steps to heed the call to make a difference via their written words.

Author and agent Michael Larsen shares my desire to help such writers get their work out into the world so they can, indeed, fulfill their purpose. That’s why I’ve asked him to provide the next two blog posts, which discuss how to create change by going from passion to publication.

Creating Change: From Passion to Publication
By Michael Larsen

The world desperately needs solutions to the problems it faces. If you want to create any kind of change, from the personal to the planetary, how can you go from passion to publication? Here’s how:

Feed Your Passion

Writing about change starts with a driving passion for helping people with their personal development or being a catalyst for change in your community or beyond. Your passion and belief in the need for change will enable you to meet whatever challenges you encounter.

Choose Your Goals

Using agents of change who have made a difference, such as Al Gore and Ralph Nader, as models will help you clarify what you want to accomplish and how to do it.

Find Out What You Need to Know

Learn enough about your subject so you can write about what the change is, why it’s needed, its effects, and how to bring it about. Events; organizations; experts on the subject; the communities of people you know online and off; and print, broadcast, and electronic media will help you acquire the knowledge you need.

Develop the Craft of Combining Vision, Passion, and Information

• Be active in social media that relate to your subject.
• Post to blogs on your subject.
• Start a blog of your own.
• Write articles, letters to the editor, and fan letters to authors and other authorities on your subject.
• Review books on your subject.
• Create videos and podcasts to help spread the word.

Using the Web will also enable you to test-market ideas as you build visibility, credibility, and communities of people to help you.

The next post will tell you how to transform your passion into a book.

About the Author

Michael Larsen is a literary agent and consultant to nonfiction writers. He and his partner Elizabeth Pomada are co-directors of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference. He is the author of the third editions of How to Write a Book Proposal and How to Get a Literary Agent, and coauthor of the second edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work.

www.larsenpomada.com

The Eighth San Francisco Writers Conference / A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / President’s Day Weekend, February 18-20, 2011 / Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel on Nob Hill / Keynoters: Dorothy Allison & David Morrell / Pitch your book to agents and editors from both coasts / More than 50 breakout sessions / 100 presenters / Indie Publishing Contest / www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / blog: http://sfwriters.info/blog / free MP3s at www.sfwriters.info / open to anyone: a day of in-depth classes on Monday, February 21^st