Write Your Book and Get Published with Michael Bowker

Ep 060: One thing that we hear all the time from our clients – “You know what? I could write a book!” And we will add, our clients are great storytellers! They've lived many interesting lives and can weave their experiences into story ideas that are very compelling. BUT many of us have never written before! Where would we start? What are some things that novice writers do that get us stuck? What things SHOULD we know before we go down this road? Well, that's the premise for this show..."HOW TO WRITE YOUR BOOK AND GET PUBLISHED!" Our next guest is an award-winning investigative journalist and novelist, he is the author of 21 books and more than 4,000 articles. He also served as the senior speechwriter (wrote 232 speeches) and consultant to a guy who served two terms as Mayor of Los Angeles.  Additionally, he was the Executive Editor of one of the largest business magazines in the US, and for several years he worked as the Publishing Director for a series of health books.  He has successfully negotiated publishing contracts in 15 countries. He is also the co-founder of Sixty Degrees Publishing. Our guest enjoys sharing his passion for telling stories about the sometimes inspirational, sometimes illegal, but always compelling things that people do. His newest novel, GODS OF OUR TIME: A Paris Love Story, recently won the Best International Novel of the Year award from the Book Publicists of South California. He has written for the L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, and Reader's Digest, and he and he has been featured on CBS, NBC, ABC, 20/20, the Oxygen Channel, HBO, and more than 150 radio stations nationwide. He has worked as a freelance writer and editor for several years and now serves as CEO of Sixty Degrees Publishing, which offers an author-friendly environment 'where art and literature meet'.  He loves working with authors to help them write, publish, and promote their work. Please welcome Michael Bowker to The Retirement Success in Maine Podcast! Chapters: Welcome, Michael Bowker! [3:00] What are the right steps to take when starting your writing journey? [15:55] What things lead novice writers to get stuck? [20:25] What if I have a great story in my head, but I can’t develop the skills to write? How can I get my story told? [27:20] What if my writing has some commercial success? What does a publicity tour for writing look like? [35:43] What is the process of turning a story you’ve written into a television series or movie? How is ownership of your work affected? [43:47] How do we go about writing our own life (or someone else’s) story? [49:36] How will Michael find his personal Retirement Success? [57:49] Ben and Curtis discuss the episode. [1:01:52]