“co-author guide” · 1 ©kozik rocha, inc. thegratitudebookproject.com appreciation station...

“CO-AUTHOR GUIDE”Everything You Need to Know About

How to Submit Your Entry

The Gratitude Book Project® Team

Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude

©Kozik Rocha, Inc.

What is The Gratitude Book Project®

and Why Should You Care?

To find out more about The Gratitude Book Project® and how you can joinin the movement as a supporter or a co-author visit TheGratitudeBookProject.com.

The Gratitude Book Project® started out as a seedling of an idea that quickly grew into a blossom that has become a whole blooming garden! A company mission to guide “would-be writers” to “published authors” turned out to be

an ideal partnership with the subject of gratitude. It’s a great way to get started in writing while celebrating the art of appreciation.

The first edition, Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude, brought more than 300 people together to share their thoughts and experiences about the power of gratitude in their lives. In keeping with the spirit of expressing appreciation and giving back, proceeds from national sales were—and continue to be—do-nated to charitable organizations.

From initial concept to Amazon #1 Best Seller in only three short months, The Gratitude Book Project® took on a life of its own. Before the first copy ever rolled off the presses, co-authors and those who missed out on the project were already asking for additional publications dedicated to the people and events in their lives deserving of special recognition—leading to Celebrating Moms & Motherhood and The Best of Pets. For The Gratitude Book Project team there was no turning back.

Silent or unexpressed gratitude won’t hurt—but gratitude out loud and in mo-tion can be a life changing event. An entire network of like-minded individuals from around the world have come together as part of this project and made it clear that gratitude is alive and well and here to stay!

Readers and co-authors everywhere have made a commitment to themselves and each other to ask and answer a simple yet profound question everyday—“What am I thankful for?”

©Kozik Rocha, Inc.

CONTENTSWelcome: Appreciation Station ........................................................ 1

Introduction ......................................................................................... 2

Submission Guidelines ......................................................................... 2

Submission Deadline ........................................................................... 3

How Do I Submit My Entry? ................................................................ 3

What Happens Next? ......................................................................... 3

Key Points to Remember .................................................................... 4

Writing Ideas & Examples ................................................................... 4

Essay/Story: Define What Gratitude Is........................................... 5

Dialogue: Share a Conversation ................................................... 7

Lists: People, Things, Lessons .......................................................... 9

Still Stuck? ........................................................................................... 11

Guideline Reminders ........................................................................ 11

Composing Your Bio .......................................................................... 12

Bio Guidelines .................................................................................... 12

Bio Examples ...................................................................................... 12

Stay in Touch ...................................................................................... 13

Deadline Reminder ........................................................................... 13

How to Submit Your Entry…Recap .................................................. 14

Final Thoughts .................................................................................... 14

©Kozik Rocha, Inc.

1©Kozik Rocha, Inc. TheGratitudeBookProject.com

Appreciation Station

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” —G.B. Stern

Welcome to the 2013 edition of The Gratitude Book Project®: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude. As a co-author in this book you have chosen to be a pivotal part of keeping gratitude in mo-tion—not just during the traditional season of thanks—but throughout the entire year. You

have also just become an honorable member of a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to putting the power of gratitude to work in their own lives and those around them each and every day of the year.

The first edition of this book was a whirlwind of a project that went from concept to Amazon #1 best seller in only 3 short months with over 300 contributing authors coming together. They shared their thoughts and experiences on the subject of gratitude in general, gave personal thanks to people and circumstances and in short, inspired us beyond our wildest dreams. In fact, they proved the theory that gratitude expressed out loud and often is a life-changing practice.

In keeping with tradition for what has become a series with a life of its own, national proceeds from book sales will continue to be donated to charitable organizations—not only as a means of giving back—but as our way of expressing our gratitude for the blessings in our own lives.

Many participants in The Gratitude Book Project® series have fulfilled their dreams of seeing their names in print for the first time. Dozens gained the confidence they needed to write their own books. Some have completely broken out of their shells, created meaningful and successful businesses and improved on those already in existence. Whether you are a returning co-author or joining us for the first time, we look forward to hearing your success stories and as always, welcome your amazing and inspirational ideas.

In the following pages you will find all the information you need to submit your entry and some guide-lines and examples to help you create a professional and inspiring piece.

We are excited to see your submissions and look forward to another great edition and a year filled with gratitude expressed out loud and often. As always, do not hesitate to reach out with your questions or concerns at [email protected].

Gratitude—Full Steam Ahead! We are grateful to have you on board!

Sincerely,

The Gratitude Book Project® Team


Introduction

Your author guide contains all the information you need to compose and submit your entry to The Gratitude Book Project®: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude. Please read it thoroughly.

*Note: You will fill out the “real” submission form online*

Here are the elements you’ll be submitting:

»» The full name used to sign up to be in the book*»» Your primary email address*»» Your daytime phone number*»» Your full name as you would like it to appear in book»» The 4-word title of your submission»» Your 200-word submission»» Your 30-word bio »» Agreement to the permission-to-use statement

* For administrative use only; will not be printed in book

Submission Guidelines

As you are creating your entry keep the following information in mind:

»» Your title must be 4 words or less

»» Your bio must be 30 words or less

»» Your entry must be 200 words or less

»» Your essay must be an original piece of work that has not been previously published (previously posted blog or ezine articles are okay)

»» Keep a copy of your final submission (you will not be able to review it or make chang-es once we receive your essay)

*Note: You will fill out the “real” submission form online*


Submission Deadline

»» Your Entry is Due 30 Days from the date of your Welcome Email.»» You will receive reminders by email so you don’t miss your deadline.

We have hundreds of entries to prepare for publication and thank you in advance for helping us to stay on track and organized

How Do I Submit My Entry?

After you have gathered the above information, composed your 4-word title, your 30-word bio, and your 200-word entry, please go to the following site to fill out your submission form: http://gratitudebookproject.com/365days/1st-submission

*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*

You will cut and paste (or type) your entries into the submission form.We are unable to accept them as attachments or in any other format.

What Happens Next?

»» Your submission will be proofread and lightly edited if required (this is primarily to check for typing, spelling errors and to maintain total word count)

»» You may be contacted by phone or email if we have questions

»» You will receive a confirmation email that your entry has been received and on-going updates regarding:

»y Anticipated distribution and release dates»y When and how to order additional copies»y How to keep gratitude in motion»y Notable media coverage


Key Points to Remember

»» 4 words is the maximum allowed for your title

»» 30 words is the maximum allowed for your bio:

»y If you don’t have a professional website, your Facebook, Twitter, or email contacts are good alternatives»y Evergreen contact information is best»y There will be a final testing of URLs prior to printing. Any URL that is not valid by

October 1st will not be included»y You are not required to list contact information but you must include a bio unless

you are submitting an “anonymous” entry»y Bios should be written in the 3rd person

»» 200 words is the maximum allowed for your essay (you can have more than one entry but you may not combine them to extend the word count on a single entry)

»» Essays, stories and dialogues are okay (poetry is not; see Writing Idea Section for more information)

»» Lists are fine but be mindful of formatting issues. Each entry appears on its own page (date) and your bio will appear at the bottom of your entry. (i.e. if you want to list 100 things you’re grateful for, each thing could not have its own line)

Writing Ideas & Examples

Some of you may be wondering why we would put a 200 word limit on such an all-encompassing subject as gratitude. In part, we wanted a lot of people to have the op-portunity to participate and to become published authors.

Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude mimics the popular daily thought calendars so many of us have in our homes and offices—something modest in size and content but meaning-ful in message.

And of equal importance, we don’t want our contributing authors to be overwhelmed by the project—but rather to enjoy the process and finish up knowing there is plenty more to be said on this subject. Plus, we’re all about making things EASY at Kozik Rocha, Inc.! 200 words goes pretty fast. Here’s what it looks like:


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Following is a list of the types of entries we are looking for and some writing prompts to help get you started on your essay:

Essay/Story: Define What Gratitude Is

»» The writing prompt is “What are you grateful for?”

»» Some authors like to use a gratitude quote at the top of their essay as a jumping off point

»» Set the stage

»» Tell the story

»» End with a punch

The Women Who Walked Before Me

I am grateful for the women who paved the way for me. Each connected to my soul and contributed a piece of her wit and wisdom.

I speak of my grandmothers and their sisters. Known individually as Alma, Louise, Madge, Aylene, Geraldine, and Hazel, they were all women of great strength and grace. They shared Southern roots and a unique combination of Dixie charm with unabashed truth telling. All born in the second decade of the 20th century, they lived full lives, even though three left our world too early and three have continued past the turn of the century.

Provoked by the right things, they stood for what really mattered in a changing world and cared for others as only Southern women can. Baking pies for new neighbors, hem-


ming dresses for friends, or needle-pointing pillows for church bazaars, they harnessed their gifts to benefit those around them. Their actions spoke louder than their words, and I do my best to follow their lead.

I’m grateful for their gifts of strong roots and blazed trails. When my future granddaugh-ters reflect on what they are grateful for in their lives, I hope they think the same of me.

—Julie Edge

The Sunset Years

I’m grateful to be in my “sunset years,” although I never liked that term. Perhaps it’s be-cause of what I heard from parents and other elders, lamenting that they were in their sunset years. I had the idea that this meant old!

I love sunsets, especially the brilliant ones I often witnessed in New Mexico while grow-ing up, so it makes sense that there has to be some beauty to the term.

If we look at the last third of our lives as the sunset years, we can be grateful for the bril-liant colors in our life and for the peacefulness that sunset brings.

So it is with us in the sunset years. And maybe that’s where the term comes from. It’s the calm, peaceful knowing that we can finally choose our way of life, whether it be with great energy, color, and excitement, or with quiet dignity and wisdom—or both.

To me, the gift of being over 60 (other than the senior discounts, of course) is that we are fortunate to have lived this long and can create a whole new life with more freedom and a greater sense of self.

Tonight, watch the sunset.

—Dolores Hagen


Dialogue: Share a Conversation

»» This is a recap of a conversation, an exchange or something you overheard

»» It can be something your kid, your dad, your bank teller, you or anyone said

»» Set the stage

»» Deliver the dialogue

»» Conclude with your thoughts or a statement of impact

Examples:

It Just Needed to Be Said

The year after my son, Chris, left for college, I got the best Mother’s Day message ever.

Usually he’s an articulate and somewhat verbose young man with a leaning toward purple prose and unusual, handmade greeting cards. But this day he called on the tele-phone to wish me happy Mother’s Day. He said, “I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve given me.”

I replied with some humility and an apology, “Oh, it wasn’t that much.” Like most moms, I felt I should have done more.

He continued, “You gave me everything. You gave me life. Without that, I wouldn’t have anything.”

I was speechless. Fumbling around for a reply, I managed a weak “You’re welcome” and a “Well, you sure know how to go right to the heart. You’ve got leverage for the next ten years, son.”

I added, “I’m very proud of what you’ve done with what I got started. What made you call and say this?”

“It just needed to be said,” he replied. “Bye, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”

He was back on course to his own life, leaving me in grateful tears.

—Veronica Weeks-Basham


Life Lessons from My Little Ones

I am completely grateful for the gift of seeing the world through the eyes of my children, who open me up to so much understanding…

Waiting, two girls in the back seat of my car, eyes squeezed shut, one curious, the other patronizing, listened carefully as I painted for them a challenge.

“Imagine you are in a small white room with no windows, no furniture, no toys, and no friends to play with. How do you create your own fun?”

Since the question was posed after a lengthy whining session from my older daugh-ter, whose demands were being completely ignored by her fanciful younger sister, she wasted no more time in letting me know exactly how she felt.

“There is nothing to do! I am alone and I am bored!”

I completely expected that from her, so I addressed the little one.

“What are you doing in the room for fun?”

“Ooh, Mommy! I am singing and I am dancing and I am playing hand puppets!” she giggled.

If we want to live an extreme life adventure, full of joy, connection, and success, we need to play full out, no holds barred. Take the world by the hands and just dance!

—Heather Meglasson


Lists: People, Things, Lessons

»» Lists are simple and straight forward

»» Start with a statement (i.e. Things I am grateful for…)

»» List your blessings or things you are grateful for

»» Add impact by bracketing with quotes about gratitude

Examples:

It’s Great to Be Grateful!

I am grateful for my beautiful bride, my better half, and the love of my life.

I am grateful for an incredible, supportive family that will always be by my side.

I am grateful for the wonderful friends whom I consider family.

I am grateful to have a roof over my head, food in the kitchen, and a bed to sleep in.

I am grateful to have the health, experiences, and wisdom to contribute to this incred-ible project.

I am grateful to have the sight to read it and the insight to learn from what others are grateful for.

—Tom Buford


Recipe for Gratitude

Sift three tablespoons of INSIGHT together with two cups of COURAGE, add a pinch or two of INTELLECT, and set aside.

Take eight ounces of FEELING and blend into INSIGHT and COURAGE until smooth, exu-berant bubbles form on the surface.

Lightly fold in the froth from much LOVE.

Crack six large, free-range SENSES one by one into the mix and continue to gently blend.

Finally, add a generous splash of RISK-TAKING and diced STAMINA.

Set aside for one hour in a warm soul before pouring into a body.

For the best result, continue to add LOVE and froth often.

Icing: Combine all achievable DREAMS, simple WANTS, and the juice of one NEED. Spread generously. Before serving, lightly dust all sides with CHEEKINESS.

Large portions of gratitude recommended daily.

Contains minimal calories and no superficial additives.

—Jennie Richter


Still Stuck?

Try these fast tips:

»» Read Reader’s Digest to get into the rhythm of short and sassy»» Ask your friends and family to share their gratitude stories with you»» Write first and edit later!»» Let your emotion come through»» Talk it out first. Use a tape recorder and then transcribe»» Start with a meaningful quote and build from there

Guideline Reminders

»» No poetry allowed»» Submit your information and your piece only once»» Submit only original pieces of work that have not been previously published (Previ-

ously posted blog or ezine articles are okay)»» Keep a copy of your final submission, as we are unable to provide copies of what you

submit

*IMPORTANT*You will not be able to review or make changes once you submit your piece.

*IMPORTANT*Your piece may be lightly edited for flow, spelling, grammar, punctuation errors and

word count.

We aim to make you look GOOD!

By submitting your piece, you agree to this and understand you will NOT have a chance to review it again. If we have questions regarding your content or significant

changes are required you will be contacted by phone or email.

All editorial decisions are at the discretion of Kozik Rocha, Inc.


Composing Your Bio

Your bio is an opportunity for professionals and business owners to list their contact informa-tion and credentials including email addresses and websites. Your author bio will be listed at the bottom of your entry—so when your piece catches some-one’s attention they can immediately learn more about who you are and what you do.Below are some author bio sentences you can use to pattern your own 30-word bio.

Bio Guidelines

»» Just like your submissions, this bio will be proofread and, if necessary, edited for space and content. All pertinent information will remain.

»» If you don’t have a professional website your Facebook, Twitter or email contacts are good alternatives. Evergreen contact information is best.

»» There will be a final testing of all URLs prior to printing. Any URL that is not valid by October 1st will not be included.

»» You are not required to include contact information but you must provide a bio unless you are submitting an anonymous entry.»y Your bio must be 30 words or less and should be written in the 3rd person

Bio Examples

Donna Kozik is the creator and leader of the Write a Book in a Weekend® event and the editor of The Gratitude Book Project® series. Reach her at WriteWithDonna.com.

Dina Rocha shows aspiring authors how to get their manuscripts published fast and easy. Get in touch at DoneForYouPublishing.com

If you wish, you can also make your 30-word bio both professional and fun:

Donna Kozik shows people how to get between the covers—book covers, that is!

Find out how you can be in a book with hundreds of co-authors—visit TheGratitudeBookProject.com.

*REMINDER: Bios are submitted at the same time your piece is,so be sure to have it ready to go when you submit your entry!


Stay in Touch

Get in touch with The Gratitude Book Project® Team by sending an email [email protected].

Submit your entry here: http://gratitudebookproject.com/365days/1st-submission

You can also check in at our Facebook page or visit The Gratitude Book Project® website to connect with other co-authors to stay in the loop with up to the minute information.

Main Website: http://TheGratitudeBookProject.com

Facebook: http://Facebook.com/TheGratitudeBookProject

Deadline Reminder

Entries Must Be Received No More Than 30 daysfrom the Date of Your Welcome Email.

(You will receive emails reminding you to submit your entry so you don’t miss your deadline.)

*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IF YOU DO NOT GET YOUR ENTRY IN ON TIME, YOU FORFEIT YOUR SPOT IN THE

GRATITUDE BOOK PROJECT®: CELEBRATING 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN FOR MISSING THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE.

It’s not that we want to be “mean” about it, it’s just again, we are working within tight deadlines and want the process to be fair to everyone involved.

Thank you for your cooperation!


How to Submit Your Entry…RecapAfter you have gathered the above information, composed your 4-word title, 200-word essay and your 30-word bio please go the following site and fill out your sub-mission form: http://gratitudebookproject.com/365days/1st-submission

*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*You will copy and paste (or type) your entries into the submission form.

We are unable to accept them as attachments or in any other format.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for participating in the 2013 edition ofThe Gratitude Book Project®: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude.

Your contribution will without doubt touch many lives. As always, net proceeds from national sales will go to the following charitable organizations:

»» Women for Women International

»» Feeding America

»» ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

Co-authors may purchase discounted copies from Kozik Rocha, Inc. to use as gifts, mar-keting incentives or back of room sales products. Proceeds or profit margins from such is for co-authors to do with as they please.The Gratitude Book Project® makes a great holiday gift and we aim to have it in your hands by then—so please strive to submit your piece(s) as soon as possible.We congratulate you for taking this step to becoming part of a collection of authors dedicated to expressing their gratitude out loud and often and we welcome you to our growing community of published authors.

If you still have questions after thoroughly reading your contributing author guide please email [email protected] or call 619-923-3082 PST.

Do you know of one or two other people who might be interested in being a contribut-ing author to The Gratitude Book Project®: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude?

Ask them to visit: http://TheGratitudeBookProject.com

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