Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Motivational Speaker

The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors!

Filed under: I'll Do It Myself: The Book — by at 5:45 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012

I'll Do It Myself on the KindleSometimes we, bloggers, break free from scheduled posts and have silly fun with memes – posts that spread throughout the blogosphere. Today, I am excited to participate in “The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors!"

I was kindly tagged by Wendy Naarup, author of Wake Up! Traveling from Good Enough to Great. As I wrote in my Amazon review, :Wake Up! is Wendy’s incredible story of overcoming adversity and becoming the happy, successful person she was meant to be. I cried, laughed and cheered. If you are living on auto-pilot, grab your Kleenex and be prepared to be awakened.“

I’m happy to keep this going by answering the following questions about my book I’ll Do It Myself – available for half price on the Amazon Kindle until Tuesday morning – and then tagging five more authors to do the same.

What is the working title of your book? My book title is I’ll Do It Myself, which reflects my independent nature. I’ve recently added the subtitle “Cerebral Palsy Can’t Stop Me” to the Kindle edition to give my book a slightly better chance of being found amidst the millions of books available on Amazon.

Where did the idea come from for the book? I dreamt of writing this book, my autobiography, since I was around the age of ten. Egotistical? Perhaps. I saw it more as part of my legacy, as my way of passing on the lessons I’ve learned in hopes of making someone else’s life a little easier, as my way of showing that having cerebral palsy is not a death sentence, but rather a life sentence.

What genre does your book fall under? My book is an autobiography, a memoir, for those who are looking for an inspiring read.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Definitely Julia Roberts! Her bubbly energy and love for fun is perfect.

Now, I am pleased to tag the following five authors who I am privileged to call friends:

Happy reading!

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Amazon Listmania: Fun for Authors and Readers Alike

Filed under: I'll Do It Myself: The Book — by at 9:25 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012

I'll Do It Myself on the KindleIn an earlier post, I shared how authors can create lists on Amazon to increase their book’s exposure and, in theory, to increase their Amazon Best Sellers Ranking.

This list-creating fun isn’t limited to only Amazon authors. Amazon readers (i.e., anyone with an Amazon account) can also partake in the fun.

Perhaps you have a list of favourite inspirational books. Or the ten books you’d want if ever stranded on a desert island. Or the most useful entrepreneurial books. Or the books every teacher/doctor/professional should read about <insert disability or issue>. Or whatever. I’m sure you get the idea. And…you don’t need to have purchased the book from Amazon; it only needs to be available on Amazon.

Go wild and see how many lists you can create! (Aim for 10 books or more per list.)

Here are the instructions directly from Amazon on how to create a Listmania list:

  1. Visit your Profile page and log into your account if requested.
  2. Click the "Edit Your Profile" button on the top right-hand corner of the page.
  3. Click the "Lists" tab in the Contributions section of Your Profile.
  4. Click the "Create your first one now" link or "Manage your Listmania Lists" link if you already have existing lists.
  5. Provide the requested information for your list and click the Preview button to review your list and Publish list when you are finished.

You will be asked to enter the following information:

  • Name Your List: Enter a friendly title for your list.
  • Your qualifications: Your qualifications should be a description of why you’re an expert in the subject of your list.
  • Introduction: You can add an optional introductory paragraph to describe the list.
  • Add a product: This is the core of your list! You can add anything from the product listings on Amazon.

For fun, I recently created the list “My Friends Who Are Authors”:

(By no means is this a comprehensive list of all of the books written by my friends. Please take no offence if I have missed your book. Please let me know, in the comments below, your title on Amazon and I’ll be sure to add it to the list.)

What lists can you come up with? (Tip: If you have a book on Amazon, be sure to include it on your list, near the bottom. This creates an internal link to your book page, which Amazon likes.)

Have fun with it and feel free to share the link to your list(s) in a comment below.


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A Binder of Inspiring Women Living with Disabilities

Filed under: I'll Do It Myself: The Book — by at 11:20 pm on Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I'll Do It Myself on the KindleDuring Michelle Vandepas’ Amazon Bootcamp, which I highly recommend for Amazon authors trying to increase their Amazon Best Sellers Rank, she shared behind-the-scene ways to increase our books’ exposure on Amazon. One such way is to create lists (through Listmania) and to include our book at the bottom of the list, creating an internal link to our book page, which Amazon likes.

In light of recent remarks by a presidential candidate, I just had to compile this list entitled “A Binder of Inspiring Women Living with Disabilities” Smile 

  1. Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada
  2. Barefoot Water Skiing, From Weekend Warrior to Competitor by Karen Putz
  3. Helen Keller, Public Speaker: Sightless But Seen, Deaf But Heard (Great American Orators) by Lois J. Einhorn
  4. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor
  5. Out of the Blue: One Woman’s Story of Stroke, Love, and Survival by Bonnie Sherr Klein
  6. The Way I See It, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition by Temple Grandin
  7. Breath: A Lifetime in the Rhythm of an Iron Lung: A Memoir by Martha Mason
  8. Still I Will Praise by Renee Bondi
  9. Model Patient by Karen Duffy
  10. And, of course…I’ll Do It Myself by Glenda Watson Hyatt

Feel free to share your recommendations for books in the comment section below. I’d love to compile a second binder full of inspiring and powerful women living with disabilities, all kinds of disabilities.

Happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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3 Crazy Easy Ways to Become a Raving Amazon Reader

Filed under: I'll Do It Myself: The Book — by at 1:02 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012

I'll Do It Myself on the KindleHave you ever read a book on your Kindle (or Kindle equivalent) and then wondered how best to share it with like-minded readers?

Right after you finish reading the last page, err, screen, take a few moments to share your latest reading pleasure with others.

In her ebook Amazon Author Tips, Optimize Amazon, Move up Ranking and Sell more Books (Author Marketing Guides- Sell More Books) (a must read for all Amazon authors!), Michelle Vandepas shares tips on how to move up Amazon’s ranking system and, in turn, sell more books.

As a raving reader, you play the lead role in implementing three of these tips. Here’s how:

1. Click Like

Just like on FaceBook, click the Like button located on the Amazon book page, right below the book title:

Like button located under my book title I'll Do It Myself

Yes, the first way is really that crazy easy.

2. Tag the Book

Similar to keywords, tags help people search for other books to read and help Amazon to index or categorize books. The Tags section is located toward the bottom of the book page.

Tags Customer Associate with This Product

Currently, my book I’ll Do It Myself has the following tags:

  • cerebral palsy
  • developmental disability
  • inspirational true story
  • inspirational women
  • special education

Feel free to use these tags or other ones you deem suitable. I still need to research which tags are most desirable for this particular book. I welcome any suggestions you may have.

3. Write a Review

The last step, while the book is still fresh in your mind, is to write a honest review (without trashing the book). This does not need to be a lengthy review, although Amazon does require a minimum of 20 words.

Customer Reviews

If you can mention a tag or two in your review, while still sounding authentic, sweet!

Even though writing a review requires more effort than liking a book, Amazon loves reviews and this is key to being a raving reader. Twenty reviews or more is the goal for any author.

Like, Tag and Review…yep, it really is that easy. And, the authors will love you for it!

Thank you.

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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The Power of Sharing One’s Story: Impacting Others in Unimaginable Ways

Filed under: I'll Do It Myself: The Book — by at 6:56 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I'll Do It Myself on the KindleA few days ago I invited those who have kindly read my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself and now had questions to ask away.

My barefooting friend Karen Putz responded with “What’s the most profound lesson you’ve learned since writing the book?”

My response: What a great question, Karen! I had to give this one some thought before the answer struck, and then it was so obvious.

One of my reasons for writing the book was to help people, but what I didn’t realize until the book had been released to the world was how powerful sharing one’s story can be.

Although my story might be vaguely familiar to another’s, say, for example My Left Foot by Christy Brown, my perspective and lessons learned are what make my story unique; that is what connects, touches or inspires someone else in ways I could not have imagine.

Even though I do not consider my story to be spectacular or extraordinary, the act of sharing my story and impacting others  is where the power and magic of writing the book lies.


Now it is your turn…if you have read I’ll Do It Myself and now have a question, ask away in the comment section below.

Also, if worthy, please consider writing a review on Amazon.

Thanks kindly.

If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.

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