NaNonFiWriMo is for Nonfiction Writers
71 days left until NaNonFiWriMo 2013! Time is ticking! I hope you have been enjoying August’s focus on lesser-known bloggers in our “All About You” month. Please help us create a buzz for NaNonFiWriMo! You will receive a virtual token of appreciation by helping us spread the word. Thanks!
Tokens of Appreciation Awarded to these Bloggers
Leaving comments on the WNFIN.com writing prompts:
- Val Hudgins – 1
- Melanie Martilla – 1
Featured bloggers respond to my questions:
- Melanie Marttila – 1
- Marc Nash – 1
- Kirra Antrobus – 6! Here, here, here, here, here, and here.
- Maribel Steel – 1 (forthcoming link)
- Anne Kimball – 1 (forthcoming link)
Social Media shares:
- Marlene Cullen – 1
- Kiril Kundurazieff – 6
- Denise Wakeman – 1
- Brian Klems – 1
- Anne Kimball – 1
You and your blog or social media handle can be featured here, too. Want to help us generate some buzz for NaNonFiWriMo 2013? Thanks for helping us help nonfiction writers!
Today’s Sub-Theme – Standout Bloggers
Our eighth sub-theme in August’s “All About You” theme is standout bloggers. This is our second entry in standout bloggers. On Monday, we featured Kiril Kundurazieff. Today, it’s Nina Amir’s turn.
Today, your job is to write an essay, or an expanded profile, on standout blogger Nina Amir.
Recap: List of Featured Bloggers
In this space, we will keep a running list of all the bloggers we are featuring in August.
August 2 – Women, God, and Faith: Kirra Antrobus, Maia Duerr, Rachel, Rachel Barenblatt, and Katie Orr.
August 5 – Food Bloggers: Michael Lee West, Tara Kuczykowski, and Robyn Stone.
August 7 – Braniacs: Melanie Martilla, Marc Nash, Val Hudgins, Claudette Young, and Meena Rose.
August 9 – Photojournalists: Darlisa Black, Veronica Roth, Alik Sumin, and Arnoldo Romero.
August 12 – Inspirational folks: Maribel Steel, Beryl Ayn Young, Rachel Macy Stafford, and JoAnn J.A. Jordan.
August 14 – Dad bloggers – Michael Stelzner, Aaron Brinker, Brian Klems, and Oren Miller.
August 16 – Mom bloggers – Sam Kemp-Jackson, Jamie Meteer, Anne Kimball, and J.D. Bailey.
August 19 – Standout blogger – Kiril Kundurazieff
August 21 – Standout blogger – Nina Amir
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts
I’d like to be clear by stating that Nina Amir did not ask me to profile her in today’s prompt. If you get to know Nina as I have, you’ll see that she’s not the type of person to toot her own horn, though she has every right to do so. Nina has been terrific in giving me ample creative latitude in my writing prompts this year. I gratefully appreciate that, as that is how I work best – – unfettered, unrestricted, and completely uninhibited.
What follows is a comprehensive list of questions for today’s featured blogger to think about. These questions are also intended to open doors of curiosity of nonfiction writers who are attempting to complete today’s prompt. My questions do not paint a complete picture of the blogger, but they do offer clues that will help the writer build an expanded profile, or an essay about Nina Amir.
It is one thing to write a report about dead people. Kids do it all the time in history class. It is far different to capture the highlights of those who are living. As a nonfiction writer, your job is to visit the websites, read the blogs, and form your own perception about today’s featured blogger (and all the other bloggers featured in the month of August). And then – write! What are you waiting for?
Creative Idea Gal’s Softball Questions for Today’s Blogger
My questions for today’s featured blogger is like a writing prompt within a prompt. The featured blogger is strongly encouraged (but not required to) answer my questions. It is best for the featured blogger to answer the questions on her own blog and post that permalink here on WNFIN.com.
Thank you so much to Melanie Marttila, Marc Nash, Kirra Antrobus, Maribel Steel, and Anne Kimball for already answering my questions!
(1) How did you come up with this tagline “inspiration to creation”? Did you always consider yourself to be an inspiration to others?
(2) Who came up with the title “human potential speaker”? What does it mean?
(3) Your last name becomes a clever acronym that clearly identifies the main service that you offer. When did you come up with this acronym?
(4) The topics that you’re qualified to speak about are many. Have you ever considered speaking to an audience of high schoolers or middle school children who are interested in writing or publishing? Do you think kids under 18 would benefit from your real-world advice about how to self-publish?
(5) Your speaking roster is impressive. With so many past bookings under your belt, I bet it would be easy for you to fill your calendar giving speaking presentations all over the place. Has it gotten easier for you to fill your calendar with speaking engagements?
(1) It appears that this website, Pure Spirit Creations, offers coaching services. Isn’t this just like NinaAmir.com? What is the difference?
(2) Your PureSpiritCreations site opens in a new window with a blog that says “As the Spirit Moves Me.” Tell me about this blog?
(3) Many of your publications offer people the option to buy accompanying workbooks. When I think of the word “workbook,” I think of the drills that my second-grade daughter has to complete. She must practice her contractions and consonants over and over. You, however, make it look cool, even indispensable, for people to use workbooks in order to get the full value of what you are trying to say. Where did the whole workbook idea come from? How long have you been writing workbooks?
(4) Your offerings of books, booklets, e-books, and workbooks are scattered across different sites. It is quite surprising to see that you offer so much of value, but don’t make those offerings more visible or obvious. Would you consider streamlining your sites to better highlight your books for sale?
(5) Your style is so very different than others in your field who do nothing but brag about how wonderful they are, how they are award-winning, and how we as aspiring book authors would be lost without them. You are incredibly approachable and easy to talk to. Why do you suppose your approach to life and business works? Do you think you might be leaving yourself a little too open? Why or why not?
(6) I had no idea you wrote a cookbook or had a line of greeting cards! It seems to me that you are full of resources, information, and helpful tips, but you are not presenting this information as clearly as you can. Do you think your blog readers are missing out on the many things you offer?
(7) There are many podcasts listed on your site. It appears that the last one you did was in 2010. Do you have plans to create more podcasts either in 2013 or 2014? Do you have the equipment to do them yourself or do others do them for you?
(8) You offer six different types of coaching. Is it ever confusing to keep track of so much coaching? Do you ever think about possibly focusing on just one type of service instead of continuously expanding yourself?
Nina Amir
(1) What is the benefit of listing your press releases on ExpertClick.com? Have you received leads from using this service? Is it worth your time?
(2) What is the difference between Purespirit Creations and Copywright Communications and NinaAmir.com? Does it ever feel overwhelming keeping up with those three sites? Have you ever considered consolidating those three sites into one?
(1) This is by far the most exciting of your sites. Did you invent the concept of blogging a book? If not, who did? How come you are so well known for this topic?
(2) The concept of booking a blog is just as exciting as that of blogging a book. Both are incredibly clever concepts that are useful to any nonfiction writer. Which of these do you see people doing most often? The blogging or the booking? Do you get a lot of success stories in your in-box?
(3) What is a rebirther? What is a voice dialogue facilitator? Why do you think you need to obtain a certificate in life coaching?
(4) The story of how your blogged posts became a book and how Writer’s Digest came into the picture is important, inspirational, and informative. However, it’s not easy to find on your blog. Would you consider highlighting your beginnings a little clearer?
(5) Your virtual book tour resources are amazing. Did you set up your virtual book tour yourself? How did you choose which bloggers would participate in your tour? Did your tours result in increased sales of your book?
(6) Your education sources are very interesting. However, it appears that all of your sublinks go directly to your many products on your different sites. If that is the case, why refer to it as education, rather than products?
(7) You allow people to list their blogged books on your site. Do you ever visit peoples’ sites to make sure that they are really blogging a book? Do you plan to feature any of these people and their blogged books in forthcoming editions of your book?
(1) This blog, My Son Can Dance, is the most different out of all of your other blogs and websites. Why did you feel it was important to highlight dancing boys as a subject matter?
(2) You are writing a book with the purpose of mentoring young boys in dance. How on earth are you managing your time writing this book and doing the 100 other projects you are working on?
(3) Your Summer Intensive Handbook seems as if it would benefit a lot of people who have boys who dance. Would it not make sense to list all of your publications into one comprehensive source rather than spreading them out to limited audiences across multiple blogs and sites? Is there a benefit to limiting the audiences of your books, booklets, podcasts, and videos?
(4) You get a lot of great feedback and comments from visitors to this blog. Not so much with your other blogs. Why is this blog so different? Why do you think this blog resonates more closely with your fanbase than other blogs?
Nina Amir
(1) Every single one of your blog posts stands alone as a rich resource for writers. Have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps you are giving away a little bit too much knowledge in these blog posts? In other words, if you tell people the exact roadmap to how to be better bloggers, how to publish, what to write about, etc., then why should they hire you? It’s great to give people the keys to success, but at what cost to you? To your business?
(2) Besides blogging your book, Author Training 101, have you blogged any other books on this blog? It seems to me that you have a comprehensive set of blog posts that could easily be turned into booked blogs, as per your own advice. Would you consider taking down some of your content, booking a blog, and offering that new book for sale?
(3) You have a graphic on this blog that describes you “as seen on” numerous other blogs. What does that mean? Is that like a press section or did you write guest blog posts for other sources? Do you list your guest blog posts somewhere on any of your blogs or sites? If not, how come?
(1) Perhaps the most important question related to this blog is why it exists in the first place? It appears as though you have all bases covered on Write Nonfiction Now. That blog is an extraordinary compendium of step-by-step information, details, and resources that should be on every writer’s list. It should also, logically, have housed your WNFIN – National Nonfiction Writing Month challenge in November. Why did you choose to create this separate blog even though Write Nonfiction Now already existed?
(2) How did you feel when Amanda Socci approached you in late December 2012 with a unique idea to offer you ten months of creative writing prompts to help this site contain live content year-round?
(3) Have you enjoyed the quality of Amanda’s creative writing prompts to date? Which ones have been your favorites and why? Do you feel that Amanda’s writing prompts have helped with the purpose of inspiring nonfiction writers to write or did the prompts miss the mark altogether?
(4) You created the NaNonFiWriMo challenge in 2007. Have you managed to market this program effectively in seven years or do you feel as if people are still unaware of its existence?
(5) What inspired you to ask professionals in the writing, blogging, and publishing industries to write guest blog posts for you to coincide with NaNonFiWriMo each year?
Nina Amir
(1) This is a gem that I found by clicking through from another one of your blogs, How to Blog a Book. Why is this separate link buried in one of your blogs? Why do you feel the need to create a separate domain for each of your projects? Isn’t that a lot to handle, remember, and keep track of?
(2) If the purpose of this site is to present a home study course for authors, would it not make more sense to list this under your umbrella of services? How does this home study differ from your other home study courses?
(1) You have taken your expertise and background in Jewish issues and spirituality and given them a new home. Why do you choose to write for the Examiner instead of your own blog? How do you benefit from writing for the Examiner? Are you familiar with the payment plan provided by the Examiner? Is their payment plan worthwhile to you? Do you own the rights to your Examiner articles or have you given them full copyright?
(2) What was your original inspiration to write for the Examiner? How often do you write Examiner blogposts? How do you manage so much writing on so many levels for so many different clients?
Nina Amir
(1) This set of blog posts on the Examiner seems as if it would be a perfect fit for the spirituality writing you do on your own sites and blogs. Why spread the wealth by going to a third-party who may possibly own all rights to your articles?
Writing Prompt 098
Prompt: Write a basic profile or expanded essay on standout blogger Nina Amir.
Writing Tips:
• Conduct basic Internet research.
• Answer these questions in your writing: who, what, when, where, why (bonus: how?).
• Write your profile as descriptively as you wish. More details make your writing juicier!
• Bonus: interview the bloggers by asking them questions by e-mail and posting their replies on your own blog. Makes for good reading!
If you complete today’s writing prompt in the form of a blog post, please upload it here! Nina Amir and I want to hear from you!
About the Author
Amanda M. Socci – a.k.a. Creative Idea Gal
Amanda M. Socci is the creator of this unique 10-month training program providing writing prompts to nonfiction writers. Amanda is a diehard creative and an aspiring book author, currently blogging a book on faith, A Slice of Faith, on a community website. Visit Amanda’s blog. Follow Amanda on her journey to book publication. Like A Slice of Faith on Facebook.
[…] Kimball, and J.D. Bailey. August 19 – Standout blogger – Kiril Kundurazieff August 21 – Standout blogger – Nina Amir August 23 – Standout blogger – Amanda […]