Marcy McKay

Life Coach + Author

How to be a Writing, Publishing, Marketing Rock Star

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Writing is hard work. It takes time, patience and practice to take a story inside your head, then put it on paper in a way that readers find compelling. On top of that, marketing is a totally different skill set, but it’s mostly left up to the author, whether you’re traditionally-or-indie published. Overall, the publishing process can be confusing, every-changing and downright scary.

I love learning from others in the industry. Insiders who are generous enough to share their mistakes, their successes and everything in between, so that the rest of us can be on the fast track of knowledge. That’s why I’m excited to share … [Read more…]

Why Do You Love Stories?

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A crazy, cool thing happened to me during my recent book signing at Barnes & Noble in Lubbock, Texas. I was autographing a copy of Pennies from Burger Heaven for a woman — a complete stranger who thought my story sounded compelling enough to slap down cash for it. (which was wonderful).

Her young son stood by her side, while they waited. His black hair stuck out every which way, and he had mischievous eyes. He looked about four or five — like the kind of kid that if everyone is walking left, he’d be running right. I liked him immediately. He was playing with some of the pennies I’d scattered across my table for decoration (clever, I know).

While I wrote, he asked me, “Why do you write books?”

I didn’t look up. “Because I have to. Stories form in my head and they don’t go away until I write them down.”

“I don’t know how to write yet, but I love stories like that.”

“Oh yeah. Why do you think we love stories so much?” His answer pierced my heart …

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Audiobooks: A Narrator’s How-To Guide for Authors

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Have you ever wanted to take your eBook or paperback (fiction or nonfiction), then turn it into a Audiobook?

Of course, you have. You can hear Reese Witherspoon or Hugh Grant in your head, narrating your story as you write it.

ACX.com (owned by Amazon) has made it easy for authors to create Audiobooks. It’s another way to monetize your product; plus, the Audiobook industry is a huge, growing market.

The good news is the process is pretty much free for the author (I didn’t spend a dime). The bad new is ACX (Amazon) sets the Audiobook price, but then the author and narrator split the profits 50/50.

In honor of Pennies from Burger Heaven now being available on Audiobook… [Read more…]

How to Overcome Fear to Achieve Your Goals

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In honor of the one-year anniversary of my release of Pennies from Burger Heaven, I want to talk about achieving your goals. It took me 20 freakin’ years to become a published author, sixteen of those where I wrote every. single. day. I completed four novels like that.

What do you want?

Do you want to get out of debt? Do you want  to start a business? Do you want to write a novel?

We all know the basics of goal setting:

*Write down that goal, then break it into small, actionable steps.

*Consistently work toward that goal. The more often you do, the faster you’ll achieve it. Everyday is best, but do the best you can.

*Think positive thoughts along the way.

I also want to prepare you for the dark side of trying to achieve your goals, when you truly put yourself out there. I’m talking about BIG goals, the kind that takes your breath away because you want it with everything inside you, but aren’t sure you can pull if off.

If you’re trying to make your dreams come true, then…

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Turning Failure into Success

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turning-failure-into-successFailure. It’s part of life, but even after 50 years, it still doesn’t seem to be any easier to swallow the bitterness as it’s shoved down my throat.

That really is the wrong attitude. I just said, ‘it’s part of life’, but clearly, I still dread it.

We’d all be much better off if we learned… [Read more…]

Pitching Pennies at the Austin Film Festival

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pitching-penniesI attended the Austin Film Festival this past weekend. My screenplay of Pennies from Burger Heaven made it to the second round of the AFF contest, with over 9,100 entries (read that post here: From Novel to Screenplay). It’s a huge honor, which granted me admission to special workshops and panels just for those who placed in the competition. Incredible!

I also entered the AFF pitch competition where I gave a 90-second pitch about Pennies to judges. I’ll tell you up front, I did not achieve my goal to make it to the finals again (I did that in 2005), but please don’t stop reading.

This post isn’t about writing. It’s about … [Read more…]