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FEBRUARY 2010
WAHMZONE.COM
Where Business and Motherhood Meet
So hopefully by now you've made a smooth transition and are settling into 2010. Are you sticking to those New Years resolutions? Making strides towards achieving the goals you've set for yourself?
Maybe one of your goals this year is to up your earnings from 2009. One way to do that is through the WahmZone affiliate program. We'll pay you to help promote WahmBuilder.com. All you need to do is place a banner on your website. That's it! Whenever someone clicks on that banner and purchases a WahmBuilder package, you receive $20. It really is that easy! What are you waiting for? Start earning today by applying to become a WahmZone affiliate: http://www.highpowersites.net/affiliate-wahm.php
FEBRUARY FEATURED WAHM
Have you ever considered a career in the publishing industry? Let's go one step further. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a literary agent? If you love to read and are passionate about books, this may be a path you want to explore.
Tamela Hancock Murray is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency. She is also a published author, which gives her knowledge about both ends of the publishing business. Thank you to Tamela for taking the time to answer a few questions about what her job as a literary agent involves.
WAHMZONE: Tell us a little about what your job as literary agent entails.
TAMELA HANCOCK MURRAY: I am thrilled and privileged to work with many wonderful publishing professionals. I review author submissions and work to make them as appealing as possible to editors. I submit the proposals to the editors I think will be most interested in their particular submissions. Then, when we receive offers, I work with the author and editor to come to the best terms for all concerned, though I am the author's advocate and seek to get the best possible terms for my authors. I offer career guidance and help authors in other ways. I have high regard with my authors and the editors I work with and have developed many fond friendships in publishing over the years.
WZ: What sort of training or experience do you need to become an agent?
TAMELA: I am blessed to be an agent with Hartline Literary Agency. Joyce Hart, the founder and CEO, trained me to work with contracts and helps me in many other ways. I value her advice. I brought to the agency a B.A. with honors in Journalism, an outgoing personality, and the understanding that a literary agent is a sales professional. Joyce said one reason she was willing to give me a chance is because I am not afraid to make a phone call. A reclusive writer is romantic. A reclusive agent is not.
WZ: How many hours per week, on average, do you work?
TAMELA: I'd say at least 50 hours a week. I make myself available during the traditional business day, read manuscripts during the evening hours, and because my BlackBerry is seldom turned off, I don't look at the clock when I respond to emails. My writers are quite considerate of me and my family life, something I greatly appreciate.
WZ: Any tips on balancing your work with your family life?
TAMELA: I set boundaries by limiting non-urgent calls to the standard business day. I set aside weekends as family time.
WZ: What would you say is the best part of your job?
TAMELA: The best part of my job is helping authors make their dreams come true! I also love working in Christian publishing because of the high level of integrity I see here, and of course CBA's God-centered mission.
WZ: How about the most challenging part?
TAMELA: The most challenging part is sharing rejections with writers, and letting some writers know why their work isn't being sought by editors. No one starts out as a perfect writer and not every publishing house and author are a good fit. Publishing is challenging because everything moves slowly. The income stream is erratic in comparison to working a traditional office job where you know you'll be receiving a bi-weekly paycheck for a certain amount. The upside is the ability to hold a job you enjoy with flexible hours.
WZ: Any advice you would give a mom who wants to become an agent?
TAMELA: Personally, I recommend working under the umbrella of an established agency. If I had cold-called publishers as Tamela Hancock Murray ten years ago, I don't believe I would have received the same warm reception I did when I was able to say, "This is Tamela Hancock Murray with Hartline Literary Agency." You must have a great passion for reading, an understanding about and love for writers as individuals, the ability to be persistent, and patience. Expect to learn how publishing contracts work so you can negotiate for your authors. Being an agent is a serious business because your abilities and actions affect writers and their careers. Before undertaking the profession, be prepared to work.
WZ: Do you have a website or other link you'd like to share?
TAMELA: I'd be delighted for you to visit http://www.facebook.com/l/b8533;www.tamelahancockmurray.com, http://www.facebook.com/l/b8533;www.hartlineliterary.com, and http://www.facebook.com/l/b8533;www.hartlineliteraryagency.blogspot.com.
Thank you for having me as your guest!
FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
If you work in direct sales, you know that team motivation is a key to success in your up/down line. Here is a great article on a great way to give your team a motivational boost and increase enthusiasm for the business and product(s) you represent.
Team Online Parties
By Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank
Keeping your team motivated can be a difficult task sometimes, but oh-so-very important. Looking for a new and unique way to give your team that boost it needs? Read on ...
Instead of a traditional online party or a team meeting, how about combining the two? Hold a Team Online Party. By doing this you'll accomplish quite a few things:
First and foremost, you'll motivate your team with a fun and unique atmosphere.
Teach your team more about your products and review important information such as company policies, procedures etc.
Teach members recruiting and sales techniques.
Help your team obtain business building supplies.
The first thing you'll want to do is choose an online party room. We highly recommends MomChats.com.
Next you'll want to choose a couple of dates and times that you have available and contact your team members to vote on a day and time that works for them. You'll want to try to satisfy as many members
as possible, but remember that there's a good chance that you won't satisfy everyone.
Once you've picked a date, chosen your room, booked your party and invited your team members, you'll want to start planning your party games.
Again, you can choose traditional online party games with a twist. If your policies and procedures are not listed online, you might want to request your team members to "bring" them along to the
party. Here are a couple game ideas to get you started:
Trivia
- One of your games could be as simple as simply asking questions directly from your manual about company policies, procedures etc and have your members answer them. The team member who answers the most correctly wins.
Scavenger Hunt
- Another idea would be to help your team become more familiar with your catalogs or your company websites by holding a scavenger hunt for products. Have them tell you what page such and such is located or how much a certain product costs. Again, the member with the most correct wins.
For the prizes, you'll want to take this opportunity to let them win business building items such as information products (Ex. ebooks), business cards and other items needed for their business such as
samples. You can get very nice looking and very inexpensive business cards from Vista Print as well as many other items such as promotional magnets, calendars and stationary. Buy samples by the
bulk from your company and break them down into smaller quantities for prizes. Ebooks with information about home businesses make a wonderful and very inexpensive prize that will continue to give back to you. Remember, the more successful your team members are, the more successful you are too.
You'll also want to take this time to congratulate team members for any accomplishments. Don't forget to congratulate for even the smallest accomplishments. This is a perfect time for a little slap on the back and celebrate.
Just remember to be creative. The more creative you are, the more fun it will be. The more fun you make it, the more successful it will be. You'll want to put in as much to planning this as you would a traditional online party.
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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your next team online party such as more game and prize ideas, visit
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/team-online-party.html
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHOOSING WAHMZONE.COM. HAVE A SPECTACULAR AND PRODUCTIVE MONTH!
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