Have you ever considered writing a newsletter? I’ve done one through my Website for a couple of years and I just love doing it. In fact, my blog is basically an extension of what I have in my newsletter. So for me, my newsletter layout gives me a guideline to follow in terms of what to write about on my blog. In the beginning, however, this hobby I love so much felt more like a chore.
My newsletter started off as a resource for writers who were just starting off on their writing careers—just like I was at the time. Unfortunately, it didn’t take off the way I’d hoped it would have. Maybe the information I was putting in there wasn’t exactly what readers wanted or, maybe, I just wasn’t as ‘into’ what the newsletter was representing. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing—it’s a big part of my life. But I’m not someone who enjoys writing about writing. And I’m sure that negativity reflected in the articles I wrote in there as well as the cut-and-dry stuff I added in. Not a great way to inspire readers to subscribe.
As time went on, and my writing began focusing more on advocating for children and families with sensory issues and SPD, the newsletter, as well as my Website and blog, followed that same path. And now it seems to be ‘clicking’ more with people. Why? Because it has a specific focus and purpose that I’m extremely passionate about and ever minute detail I add in reflects that passion.
Lesson learned? Taking on the challenge of writing a newsletter is definitely not a ‘must-do’ thing for writers. It can be a tremendous amount of work and very time consuming but if you have information you want to get out there, and there’s an audience for that information, it’s so worth it. Newsletters are a really good idea for several reasons:
* You can ‘show your writing stuff’ through articles, interviews and reviews you do yourself;
* You can get your name out there to places you normally couldn’t reach by the wonderful world of “Forwarding”;
* You can make valuable connections to many different people who can help ‘boost’ your own writing, speaking or authoring career;
* You can make connections to ‘experts’ who can help with your research for writing your books or articles;
* It looks really good on your writing resume or Book Proposal to say you have a newsletter with HUNDREDS of subscribers (Okay…hundreds is a dream but it can happen!).
Most importantly to me, my newsletter is a way to bring awareness to an often misdiagnosed and misunderstood disorder as well as to help validate the feelings of caregivers raising a child with SPD and other special needs. For example, I have specific sections in my newsletter where caregivers can send me their personal stories. These sorts of stories, at least I believe, help other people in similar situations feel comforted by the thought that they aren’t alone in the world. They can say, “Yes! I totally understand!” or “I’d never heard of that therapy/treatment option/resource.” or even, “Thank you for saying what was in my heart but I haven’t been able to say out loud.” That is why I do what I do and why I have a newsletter…because there wasn’t anything like that for me when I first started on my ‘sensational’ journey with my daughter, Jaimie. I guess you could say it’s like my mission now to make sure there are resources like this out there…my calling, if you will.
I guess what I’m saying is that if you feel passionate about something and you want more room to express that passion than in a 1500 word article, a newsletter is an awesome way to go. You can use Word to create one or go the fancy ‘plug-and-play’ route with Constant Contact. However you choose to do it, follow your heart and you’ll always be on the right track.
Chynna
www.lilywolfwords.ca
www.lilywolfwords.blogspot.com
Chynna's newsletter,
For those of you who keep up with the Muffin’s daily posts, you may remember a post I made back in December about the writing goals I wanted to achieve for 2010. One of my goals was to branch out into another genre that I don’t normally dabble in. Well…I did it! At the time, I was just finishing up a manuscript for a YA novel and not only did I finish it, I entered it in the
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. And now I’m so nervous.
I don’t usually enter contests. There are so many out there and competition can be stiff. But I thought the Amazon contest would be a great one. Hey! I know I may not have the highest chances of winning it but I know that I’ll get some valuable feedback I can tuck away for future projects. Plus contests like this one also give you an idea of whether you need to polish up your pitching skills.
The story is a personal experience from my early adult life that I wanted to tell but not from a Nonfiction view. So, I created an awesome fictional character to tell the story for me (He is about ten years younger than I was when I went through the same experience and, I think, made much better choices than I did.) Once I created a ‘storyteller’ so different from me, I found it was much easier to let go and tell the story. Fiction is a lot harder for me to write but, in a way, the element of telling a story is the same whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, right? You still have to capture your audience, make sure your facts are accurate and tell your story just right. Hopefully, I’ve done that. I guess we’ll see!
I have a lot of admiration for you fiction writers out there. Thank you for giving the rest of us some inspiration to give it a try!
So, how is everyone else’s writing goals going? Has anyone else entered the Amazon contest? I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time…
Chynna Laird
The winner of Not Just Spirited by Chynna T. Laird is. . .
ELYSE!
Congratulations to Elyse! Enjoy this wonderful, hopeful, and inspirational memoir.
If you or someone you know has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), then don’t miss Chynna’s interview on Wednesday. She provides several resources and lists for parents and teachers as well as books to read about children and SPD. If you didn’t win Not Just Spirited, you can order it right from that blog post.
Thank you to everyone who read Chynna’s post and who left comments. It means a lot to both of us to know that we touched some people’s lives and provided information for a disorder that can be heartbreaking but improved with proper education!
Thank you.
I am very excited about this week’s Wacky Wednesday post because I am welcoming, Chynna Laird, on her WOW! blog tour. Chynna is the author of a must-read book for all teachers and parents, especially those of us who have a child with special needs. If you know a child with Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, you should read this book soon. It may just be the inspiration you are looking for!
This is Chynna’s second visit on Read These Books and Use Them. She also wrote a picture book called I’m Not Weird, I have SPD, which was given away to Jennifer L. in that book contest.
So, here Chynna is again, and this time with a memoir about parenting her daughter with Sensory Processing Disorder. ***BOOK GIVEAWAY CONTEST! Please leave a comment by Friday, January 8 at 6:00 pm CST for a chance to win Not Just Spirited.
Here’s a little about this wonderful book:
What would you do if your child suffered with something so severe it affected every aspect of her life?
And what if your cries for help fell on deaf ears at every turn? You’d follow your gut and fight until someone listened. And that’s what Chynna Laird did. When she was just three months old, her daughter Jaimie’s reactions to people and situations seemed odd. She refused any form of touch, she gagged at smells, she was clutzy and threw herself around, and spent most of her day screaming with her hands over her ears and eyes.
By the time she turned two, Jaimie was so fearful of her world they spent most days inside. What was wrong with Chynna’s miracle girl? Why wouldn’t anyone help her figure it out? Jaimie wasn’t “just spirited” as her physician suggested nor did she lack discipline at home. When Jaimie was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) at two-and-a-half, Chynna thought she had “the answer,” but that was just the jumping off point for years of questions. Chynna embarked on a three-year quest for the right treatments to reveal the Jaimie she loved so much. With the right diagnosis and treatment suited to Jaimie, her family finally felt hope. Not Just Spirited is an insider’s peek at one family dealing with an “invisible” disorder and fighting to find peace for their daughter.
And now for an interview with the author:
Margo: Welcome, Chynna, and thanks for taking the time to talk with us today. If you are a parent with a child who has Sensory Processing Disorder, what are three important, important things that you need to tell the school and teacher about your child?
Chynna: This is an amazing question, Margo. Jaimie did one year of pre-preschool and two years of preschool before we felt she was ready for public school. We found it incredible that, at that time, none of Jaimie’s teachers even knew what Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) was. These days, there seems to be a lot more effort being made to inform teachers about sensory issues and SPD because so many children have it, from mildly to quite severely.
So the first important thing I’d say parents need to do is INFORM. They don’t need to go into the school and conduct a full workshop on SPD; but it’s important to explain, basically, w
And the winner is. . . Jennifer L.
Thanks to Jennifer and everyone else who commented on Sunday’s post. If you have any questions about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD or also known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction or SID), please e-mail me, and I will connect you with some people who can help you and your family! My email is margodll (at) aol (dot) com
Later in the week, I will be blogging about a cute, easy chapter book series for boys with the spunky main character, Roscoe Riley!
Again, congratulations to Jennifer!
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I've thought about writing a newsletter, even if it's just to keep family and friends up on what's going on in our lives. But -- and this is a big but -- I feel newsletters are often overused. Many only contain a few sentences, more like a news blurb, and I tend to delete them and wonder why the person sent them in the first place. Now, your newsletters, Chynna, are the type that are definitely worth reading to me. I look over every word and often save them for future reference. They provide me with information that's important and help me gain a better understanding of what you're writing about.