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Welcome! I’m Linda Sivertsen, and you’re at BookMama, where birthing book babies is easier than the human kind.

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Beautiful Writers Podcast “Best-Of” Part 4 Episode

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Focus.

Focus.

Focus. Focus. “Hey, you! Yeah, YOU! FOCUS! “It’s just you and me here. "Leave everything else. Out. There. "I’m all you need right now. "Give me your attention. "And I’ll come to liiiiife.” This was me a few years ago when I wrote this post, my story and I joined at...

​What do I put in my book proposal? And how do I build a “platform”?!

Breathe easy, friend - it's easier than you think. Download my Writer's Gift Pack (a detailed PDF Book Proposal Checklist + 2 juicy audios—17 Ways to Build Your Platform & The Power of Weaving a New Story) for free instant access to the BEST strategies I know.
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Daniell LaPorte uses Linda's book proposal template

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Linda Sivertsen

57 minutes ago

Linda Sivertsen
I had the honor of traveling to Vegas as Larry's guest to see his one-person show 12 years ago. Lord, how he wowed the audience with hilarious stories from his life and his more than 50-year-career. When not playing with his young sons, Chance & Cannon, who Larry ADORED, the man I was getting to know was on the serious side--whether at his home with his wife, Shawn, or at a Dodger game. But on stage, the performer in Larry came alive, and he had us all rapt. I remember him getting a big laugh talking about Marlon Brando, who he said surprised him with a big kiss after their first interview. "And, you know, I can't stop thinking of him!" Larry said. 🤣As a kid, I hoped I'd be a writer when I grew up. But I never once thought of being an interviewer. Never mind that I obsessively watched each hour of TV made by Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson, Joan Rivers, Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey, Leeza Gibbons, #BarbaraWalters, David Letterman, and Larry King—all the greats. And read their books, too. Larry's words on the page were gospel to me. And they still are. ✍️"I share my background with everyone I come in contact with. It's part of me, deep inside," he wrote in How to Talk with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere (#threeriverspress, 2007). I have a similar openness. Maybe it comes from the two of us not having our college degrees--perhaps we make up for that perceived lack in other ways? Except we both talked like crazy in class as kids, so who knows? All I know is that I'm grateful for his example and that I'll never meet another like him. ✨RIP, Larry. xx 💙🎙(Pic courtesy of @larrykingnow on IG.) ... See MoreSee Less

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Linda Sivertsen

6 hours ago

Linda Sivertsen
Want a STELLAR 2021? You've probably heard me say that I don't make a big move w/o consulting the stars via my little sis, Love Is In The Stars Carol Allen, one of the top Vedic astrologers (& love coaches!) in the country. ✨💜Her predictions are so spot on that I've learned over the decades to ignore her at my peril. For instance, she has picked EVERY one of my #carmelwritingretreat dates for the past 10 years, making sure the planet of writing, Mercury, is happy, and ditto for Venus, the planet of Love and the Arts. They're dreamy. But the one time I didn't listen to her when I wanted to host a quickie weekend retreat in Lake Arrowhead--"The stars are terrible. Don't go near that mountain!"--goodness, was it a hot mess. A freak snowstorm left one retreater (the amazing #AneseCavanaugh) stuck in a snowbank close to midnight (my guy saved her and, thankfully, we still laugh about it). The fridge broke, spoiling gorgeous food. The house alarm blared for no reason over and over, and one of the retreaters couldn't stop crying. We had to sage the house to breathe. Ha. I now do as Carol says. My FAVE thing is to ask for dates for my clients when they're pitching agents or publishers, often resulting in auctions (shout out #RhondaBritten & her 4-day bidding war, signing w/ Putnam for #FearlessLiving). Since you don't have my sis on speed-dial, you can order the next best thing--a personalized calendar that gives you the inside scoop on when to "lay low" & when to "go for it" when it comes to timing for anything. It highlights your best, mediocre, and worst days for money, love, launching something, traveling safely, selling or buying property, navigating retrograde planets and eclipses. You name it. I adore my calendar, and I'm pretty sure she thought of it to shut me up because I was always calling, saying, "Can you look at my chart and give me a good date for ____?"Sister's offering a "fire sale" for the New Year, dropping the price for the digital version from $124.97 to $39.97 (68% off, the biggest discount she's given in 20 years, in honor of these challenging times). 💜“I love, love, LOVE my calendar! I look at it every day, & it's always right on." ~ Arielle Ford, bestselling author of The Soulmate Secret"Dangerously addictive... wildly predictive..." ~ Lauren Frances, love coach and author of Dating, Mating, and Manhandling"The calendar is fabulously helpful, and I love it. I've used mine daily for years. Run, don't walk, to get yours!" ~ Chellie Campbell, financial coach and author of The Wealthy Spirit and Zero to Zillionaire and From Worry to WealthyOrder before Jan. 31st to get the discount! https://bit.ly/2Y2Pn3Y ... See MoreSee Less

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RIP, Larry. 💙🎙As an interviewer and someone who was lucky to spend time with @kingsthings, I wanted to share a few… t.co/S6MUGQu07l

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Want a STELLAR 2021? I💜getting dates for my clients when they're pitching agents or publishers. It’s magical. A per… t.co/lw4nxR24Gb

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Jaw-dropping manifestation tips, warp-speed book proposal-wrangling, communicating w/ “the soul of your book."✍️… t.co/HcvQOwlltW

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@jennsutkowski @GilbertLiz @marieforleo @PRHAudio @portfoliobooks @riverheadbooks Ah! Thank you. It was a blast. Posts soon! 😘

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