“What if you are missing out on opportunities without even realising it?”
~ Debra Hilton
The Story of An Author and Her Ghost
In 2020 while Melbourne was experiencing one of the harshest lockdowns in the world – I worked on a book with an author, who has become a friend.
With most of my books I am a true ghostwriter – either by contract or happenstance – but Veta is a woman with a clear mandate (as stated in her book) of Taking a Hand and she invited me to write the Foreword for her book. Her reasoning was twofold:
- She found working with me helped her, not only to complete her manuscript, but also to think about her topic; and
- She wanted people to see that there were more ways to write a book than simply sitting down during your free time and slaving away at it.
This post is not about how wonderful I am to work with as a ghostwriter… it is intended to help readers see the unexpected opportunities this book has created for Veta.
Unexpected Opportunities Galore!
Veta’s book Take Six: Essential Habits to Own Your Destiny, Overcome Challenges, and Unlock Opportunities was published in August of 2021. In November, she shared some of the amazing opportunities that she has already had as a result of her book including:
- TV & Radio appearances on major US channels (this is one of those gifts that keep on giving because the more you do, the more you get invited to do – with or without a publicist);*
- Articles (by and about Veta) in Legal journals and other influential publications;
- Invitations to appear on podcasts and panels;
- Request from a major listed company to give her book to all employees and deliver a training;
- Invitations from ‘people of influence’ to attend events, network, and speak;
* I shouldn’t need to say this, but if you hope to get invited to do more radio and TV interviews, make sure that you are the kind of guest who is easy to interview and provides value to the target audience. Don’t be monosyllabic, salesy, or ‘difficult’ to interview and keep in mind the purpose of whatever show or segment on which you are invited to appear.
A couple of years ago, I witnessed the ‘Interview from Hell’ in which the guest at a live on-stage interview replied with monosyllables and conversation closers. It was funny in a perverse kind of way, but I doubt if anyone attending that session will ever invite this person back.
What Happens Next?
It’s too soon to say exactly what opportunities will emerge from all this publicity, but the visibility is gaining momentum, and my guess is that this is just the start.
One of her goals (which she stated in her book) is to be invited to a seat on the Board of Directors of a listed company, she hasn’t (yet) received this invitation but she’s starting to realise that it’s just a matter of time before it happens… And when it does, she will credit her book for opening those doors faster than she expected.
Veta has already had conversations with people who were on her ‘wish list of contacts’ before her book launched in August this year and she is making certain that when opportunity knocks she has the qualifications and credentials ready to take advantage of it.
She is now a strong advocate of authorship as a powerful tool for breaking glass ceilings and creating visibility for anyone who wants to get noticed. As she said, “I wanted to write a book to mentor people and encourage them to strive towards their dreams, I had no idea how it would open doors for myself… And the journey has just begun.”
How Did All This Happen?
Veta was fortunate to be accepted as a “Forbes Book author” – meaning that her book bears the Forbes Book imprint, and the power and force of Forbes marketing platform is behind it. Forbes Books doesn’t just publish books by anyone who is willing to pay for the privilege. They have strict criteria which a prospective author needs to meet, but after being accepted, you do have a prestige platform to publish from.
However, you don’t have to publish via Forbes Books to create many of the opportunities Veta has enjoyed. You can create them yourself if you are either willing to hire a reputable publicist or prepared to do some serious and strategic leg work yourself.
The point is that Veta put herself and her ideas and expertise out there and (as promised) that is now creating an abundance of new opportunities.
Purchase Take Six
You can purchase Veta’s book on Amazon. It’s called, Take Six: Essential Habits to Own Your Destiny, Overcome Challenges, and Unlock Opportunities – and it’s a strategic guide to getting clarity and creating momentum in your first or subsequent career. Reviewers have said that it not only helped them move up the career ladder, but it also helped them think more creatively about the next act of their life.
You can buy Take Six on Amazon…
