publishing

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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!

Are the “Unknowns” Preventing You from Writing Your Book?

I’d like to think that I know a thing or two about allowing the “unknowns” in life take over and derail my plans…

For example, when I first started writing books of my own, I would get 80-90% of the way through the draft and then just…

stop.

Why?

Because I didn’t know what would come next. I didn’t know what editing and layout and cover design and publishing and royalties looked like.

Let’s be real:

If you never finish writing your book, you never have to figure out publishing!

If you never finish writing your book, you never have to figure out how to publish it. Is that what you REALLY want? Click To Tweet

The same thing happened to me last year when I was pregnant. I couldn’t imagine what life with a baby looked like. So a lot of my life just… stopped. I get it that nobody has a crystal ball but I just couldn’t wrap my head around how life would be the same and how it would change.

I didn’t even know where to begin. So I stayed stuck. Playing small. Being miserable (and broke) and then feeling bad about myself and my lack of “progress.”

Here’s the thing about me: I actually rarely procrastinate. But because I’m always busy doing something—and telling myself it’s an activity that is getting me closer to a goal—I can tell myself I’m making progress.

Yet, when there are so many moving parts at any one time, I get stuck knowing where to start, what to do next (or what to do first!), and how to keep everything I’m doing moving forward.

This is a classic definition of Unknowns Inducing Overwhelm or UIO.

When that negative, viscous cycle starts up in your head and you can’t sleep. When the “Whatifs” have their party – and start partying about things you didn’t even know you were worried about until you suddenly can’t sleep.

Keep Reading!

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How to Market Your Book to Best-Seller

During my time at the “Black Woman Millionaire Live Transformational Experience” I did one thing:

Focused on how to market your book to best-seller status.

It’s what I spoke about on stage (twice), it is what I focused at during the round table lunch discussions for three days, and it was what I got to talk to wonderful women about, 1-on-1 in a series of powerful conversations.

It’s why I recorded this short (2 minute, 11 second video) – because this is near and dear to my heart.


And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

 

Want to Pick My Brain?

I’m sure we’ve all experienced it: we spend hours learning a skill or process, invest thousands of dollars in the education, given up free time, sleep, and doubled-down to learn all the nuances. At the end of it all, we have a deep understanding of the complete process.

Then somebody comes along and asks to pick our brain. If that wasn’t bad enough, they want it for free.

I’ve been guilty of this myself!

After all, it’s not difficult to convince a passionate subject-matter expert to talk about their passion!

Now that I understand a little bit more about what somebody may have invested in their knowledge, I don’t expect information for nothing.

Before I created a business helping authors to finally write their books, see it published, and launched a best-seller, I spent years working on my writing craft. Like 8 years of serious study, practice, and writing really poorly!

Did you know I hold a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona?

Not to mention, I’ve invested the last decade to learn everything I could about marketing, publishing, and the book industry. Including all the “new” nuances added by self-publishing!

Keep Reading!

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The Truth About Amazon Book Reviews

Reviews – especially positive, well-written reviews – impact your book sales on Amazon. Rumor has it (because let’s face it, a LOT of what goes on at Amazon is rumor and speculation) that if your book can receive enough reviews, Amazon will more heavily promote the book to its users.

Are your book reviews getting removed from Amazon? Here's why! Click To TweetPersonally, I’ve found that a book having reviews, any reviews, is a boon to sales.

Here are Amazon’s “rules” about reviews:

  • No “objectionable” material
  • No promotional content
  • No off-topic information
  • No inappropriate content, which includes hyperlinks and references to other products

Amazon also doesn’t allow reviews that were written for any form of compensation other than a free copy of the product. This includes reviews that are a part of a paid publicity package.

Keep Reading!

3 Questions to Ask Before Self-Publishing Your Book

Your book is finally done and it’s time to start looking at your publishing options. Yippee! I give you full permission to break out the champagne and celebrate. You’ve earned it!

I firmly believe that while you can self-publish your book, that doesn’t mean you should take the DIY route. Self-publishing means that you, the author, retain control of the rights, the marketing, and major publishing decisions. You can retain this control without learning how to code eBooks or set up beautiful layouts for print books!

When you’re choosing a company to help you self-publish your book, there are three things you need to evaluate before signing a contract and making a payment.

1. Do they offer editing?

It’s the utmost rudeness to your reader if you don’t have your book professionally edited before publishing. Let me say that one more time:

Pay. For. Professional. Editing.

I don’t care how good you are or how many times you’ve read your book, there are errors that you’ve gone blind to. You need to pay (yes PAY) for a professional to edit the manuscript.

This can be done as part of the publishing package (this is what I do: all my publishing contracts include a round of copy edits) or done separately. When you’re evaluating your publishing partner, ask what, if any, editing they offer. Not all self-publishing companies offer editing (and not all editing is created equal) so you want to make sure that you’ve got an editing plan in place.
Keep Reading!

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Guest Post: Maribel Jimenez

One of the questions that people love to ask me is about launching a book. And they’re always a bit disappointed when I tell them that launching a book is like launching an online program – you follow the exact same steps.

Sorry, there is no shortcut here! You’ve got to do the launch.

But I can give you some help – let me introduce you to MY launching mentor, Maribel Jimenez. Maribel is the one who taught me the ins and outs of launching for my online programs and for my books. She took my launching efforts from “just barely there” to “Wow! That works – and I can do it again and again!”

I want you to experience the same!

Myth: To Make More Money, You Must Work More…

Today, I’m breaking this myth that in order to make more money, you must work more. I will share how not only is it NOT true, but you can actually work less AND make more.

Before I break this myth, let me start by saying I believed it to be true.

I spent most of my life working a traditional job, the statement that I needed to work more to make more was true to an extent because I worked hourly.

It was ingrained in me for years, and I never actually questioned it. I just kept working and as I earned more per hour, I earned more overall.

Then 15 years later I took the leap as an entrepreneur, and it was still second nature to me to think that. I didn’t know any other way than to put in tons of hours and work hard to be successful.

So guess what?

I put in tons of hours and worked hard… but I wasn’t successful. So I put in MORE hours because I wanted to feel like at least I was trying to be. I kept putting in the hours because I really didn’t know how to turn myself off.

In my head I carried all these beliefs that said things like – “Work hard now and play later,” “It takes hard work to be successful”, “You must put in the time to make things work”, “You must do this for your family and they will understand it’s for them”… and on and on.

Here’s the problem…it’s not about the time you put in…you can put in tons of time and not be successful. I figured that one out.

Keep Reading!

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