Books are treasures, to be sure, but earning a living as a writer, or building a business using your authorship as a marketing tool, is why you wrote the book in the first place. I am quite sure you didn't plan to write it or put it up for sale (on Amazon and your website and Barnes & Noble online, and so many other places) just for your own pleasure. Read more →

Have a spreadsheet to keep quotes you want to use in the book (and why; even where, if you are able to note that) and stories you want to share. Add people you might like to interview. Read more →

It takes courage to be vulnerable and authentic to the whole world. When I meet people who say to me, "Everyone says I should write a book," I nod and ask, "What's holding you back?" Usually, they are overwhelmed by the concept. And, of course, all that writing.  Read more →

Ailey is reared in the north in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta, where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead. Read more →

You’re intent. Focused. You know what you need to do. You have your schedule for the day and you’re close to completing your top 3 tasks… all of which involve writing, writing, writing; or, shall we say, creating, creating, creating. Read more →

One of the things I like about Dorothy is her use of the word alchemy, in relation to what she does. She says her work as a copywriter is to make something out of words that didn't exist before. A formula using letters and words for her clients. Making cool stuff happen. 📌 Read more →

Innovate. Give your book idea serious attention. Be that author who cares so much about his audience, you put your best effort into your book.  Read more →

Our talk begins with book clubs because I watched a podcast Penny did that talked about how to get your book into books clubs. Read more →

You are in charge of your social proof and your social shares. You are in charge of how many people see your work and how many people who might buy are told about it. These are your fans. Your audience. The market you're selling into. People who read the kinds of books you write. They aren't searching for you. They're searching for it - the story.  Read more →

In fact, she believes she got spiritual guidance in her quest to find her father, and the long-lost relatives from that side of her family. People she had been separated from for more than 40 years. Talk about synchronicity! Talk about the stars lining up. Talk about something that was meant to be! Get the book and learn what I mean by all of that. Read more →