Message

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A Bestselling Book Doesn’t Have to Be So Hard!

Let me lay it out for you:

You’re making your bestselling book too complicated.

You’re making it too hard.

And you’re dreams (and readers) are suffering!

I don’t {necessarily} mean your book’s topic or the writing process – although it’s been my experience that most people make that too complicated too.

Nope. I’m talking about the Idea of a Bestselling Book.

You’re getting all wrapped up with the peripherals and you’re forgetting the three things that really matter:

1. Your Message

The message you want to share in your bestselling book is the guiding light, the golden thread, it’s the REASON you’re writing at all.

I believe, deep in my heart, that your message matters to the world. That your message is the reason you’re here – and the reason you’re meant to help someone. It’s the foundation of your book and your work in the world.

And you’ve been trying to make your message fancy. And have it down pat – like an elevator speech.

Give it over, already!

Your Message Matters. (Full stop.)

Your message matters. Don't let it be missing from your book! #amwriting Click To TweetIt matters in a heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connection. It matters in a you’ve-had-a-bad-day, let-me-hold-your-hand way.

You aren’t being judged on the words you use but on your clarity of heart. Show your heart, use words that are honest and real.

2. Your Marketing

Gasp! I said… marketing.

Breathe.

Again.

It’s not a complicated Super Bowl commercial.

Marketing is the way you’ll share your message – which is the vehicle for your book.

Marketing is:

  • Being authentic.
  • Being clean and clear.
  • Being attractive.

Marketing is sharing YOU and YOUR MESSAGE in a way that excites other people.

Marketing is sharing YOU and YOUR MESSAGE in a way that excites other people. So market your book! Click To Tweet
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Boring Writing Is NOT Impactful

Being boring is the kiss of death to your book. Your reader won’t finish your book and IF they can read it at all, they won’t retain the message you’re trying to share.

My advice:

Don’t be boring.

I just wrapped up a 5-Day Writing Challenge that was ALL about how to use stories in your writing so that you can connect—heart to heart—with your reader.

In a nutshell, it was all about how NOT to be boring. Story-based writing is key to making sure readers keep turning pages so they can experience your message and so your words can touch their lives.

What Makes a Boring Book?

It’s when your reader can’t relate to the material; it doesn’t feel relevant, they can’t imagine themselves in that same situation. There’s no emotional engagement.

And when you’re not grabbing the heart of the reader… you’re certainly not grabbing her mind.

All those beautiful goals you have for her transformation won’t happen because she can’t implement what you’re trying to teach her.

Notice I said can’t.

Not won’t.

She wants the transformation you’re offering. She wants it with both hands, on her knees praying for change.

But if you can’t connect to her soul, she can’t implement the change.

And before you start to cite your flashy acronyms or trademarked 5- or 7-step systems, I want you to tell me about one of those systems YOU’VE learned, memorized, and use.

I can’t do it, even with all the tens of thousands of dollars I’ve spent in my education.

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Are You Suffering from Bright Shiny Object Syndrome?

Are You Suffering from Bright Shiny Object Syndrome?

If you’ve been around the online coaching/programs/services world at all, you’ll have heard the term “bright shiny object syndrome” which is used to describe an online entrepreneur who bounces from one marketing or promotional technique to another. It looks like this:

I’m gonna start a podcast!

Two weeks later:

I’m off to launch my VIP program!

6 weeks later:

I’m blogging!

A month after:

I’m mentoring with Ingrid Internet.

Three weeks later:

Off to write my book!

Four days later:

I’m launching a group program!

A week later:

I’m doing Facebook Ads!

And it continues through:

A yoga retreat!
Instagram Stories!
Reviving Periscope!
Home study program!

And on and on and on it goes. With this person dashing helter-skelter from one marketing technique to another, jumping from one mentor to another faster than changing socks, and even changing the entire transformation they offer nearly as quickly.

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How an ‘Unusual Conversation’ Can Lead to Your Message

Message.

I talk about it a lot. This isn’t your elevator pitch, your “I help” statement, or marketing jargon. Your message goes deeper than those things into your heart. It’s not WHO you help, but the deep reason why you are called to do it. Maybe even more than called—you have to honor your message the way you have to breathe.

For something that is so important, it can be brutally hard to find it, bring it forth from your soul to your conscious mind, and then (and only then) wrap it in marketing language so other people can really hear you.

Sometimes the easiest way to find your message is to gently sidle up to it, sideways, like you would sit next to a skittish animal, not making eye contact.

Sometimes, what you really need to do is to follow a passion that lights you up, but has “nothing: to do with your business or the work you do in the world.

For me, that was how I finally unlocked my message. By honoring the parts of me that didn’t fit the books-writing-copy bits of who I am but were just as much a part of myself as my hand or foot.

I was recently on a podcast with Dan Faulknor of Unusual Conversations getting to talk about one of those parts. Listen here.
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All Roads Lead to … Your Message

As so often happens, I’ve had a collection of conversations recently that all circle the same theme:

Message.

It’s not a specific message – but the importance of knowing your message, honoring it, living it. Message, your message that you want to bring forth into the world, isn’t your elevator pitch, it’s not your branding, logo, or colors. Message isn’t a single slice of who you are or what you stand for—it’s how everything that makes you YOU come together in a way that is powerful and unique.

Take me for example. I could list out who I “am” in a bunch of bullets:

  • Author
  • Wife
  • Mother
  • Backpacker
  • Artist
  • Believer
  • Used-to-be-Blonde
  • Blue eyes
  • Woman
  • Curvy
  • Hispanic (yes, for real!)

Or I can create a list of what I believe. Or the books I love. The music that moves me. The places I’ve lived.

But no matter how much I tell you, how much I try to show you, these are all facets of myself and how I choose to show up in the world, at any given moment, and with whom I’m appearing.

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Are You Being Judged?

It’s a human, Universal truth: we want to be liked. We want to be respected. We want to be appreciated.

We don’t want to be judged.

When you’re writing, when you’re putting your precious message on to paper, it’s natural to think about the person at the other end of the message. The one who will be receiving it. The one who’ll be reading it.

And you’ll wonder…

What does that person think?

  • What does she think of the message?
  • What does she think of the writing?
  • What does she *gasp* think of me?

At some point, your brain will start to think of all the ways that unknown, unnamed, faceless, future reader will be judging you. Comparing you to… somebody. Dissecting your message. Evaluating your grammar. Eviscerating your typos or sloppy prose.

It’s a terrifying thought. To know that somebody is reading your words.

It’s often enough to keep fledgling writers from writing at all. Never mind that it’s impossible for somebody to peer over your shoulder and see your words as they’re appearing on your screen or in your notebook.

Projects stall out. Stories stay unwritten and messages unshared.

Or at the very least, you’ll write – but you won’t publish. In any way, shape, or form.

All to keep from being judged. To prevent anyone from forming an opinion about you.

Being judged is scary and unpleasant.

I’ve been judged. I’ve had bad Amazon reviews, mean emails, and negative comments left on my blogs.

I’ve had creepy comments on YouTube videos. I’ve been slandered on forums and whispered at in person. (Here’s part of that story!)

Here’s the thing though: Keep Reading!

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Message, Marketing, and Getting Messy

Let’s talk about your message – and why it is the center of your book AND your marketing.

(Don’t panic that I said ‘marketing!’)

Think about it:

Your message is the bigger reason why you’re writing your book. Why you’ve created your business. Why you get passionate and impassioned.

It’s the center to everything – and everything revolves around it.

For me, I tell you, over and over, that your message matters. That you’re worthy of writing it, sharing it, living-and-breathing it.

But your message impacts me in a bigger, deeper way.

MY message, my why, is to get these precious messages out into the world—where they can do good. Where a message (your message) can bring love and hope to somebody who is struggling, afraid, in pain.

(Not all messages are heavy! That’s important too!)

So how does your book’s message relate to your marketing?

Because all too often we try to divorce the two.

Stop trying to divorce your MESSAGE from your MARKETING! #messagematters Click To Tweet

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