​If you've ever needed the motivation to get your life down on paper then look no further. I'd like to share 6 great reasons why writing your life story might be the best thing you’ll ever do.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about it, or maybe your children or grandchildren are nagging you to do it.

Whatever the case, you now have 6 more than compelling reasons that will make you want to put pen to paper, or hand to keyboard, straight away.

1. Leave A Legacy For Your Family

This is often the reason that resonates most with older people.

Writing the story of your life will ensure that you’re not just a name on a family tree. Think of it as achieving your own little piece of immortality.

The generations that follow you will know and understand who you were, what shaped and influenced your life, and what life was like in your era.

It’s a fundamental human need to know our past, how it links to the present and where we fit in.

By writing your life story you’ll be helping your descendants to understand where they come from and to know themselves better.

2. You Gain A Sense Of Purpose

Telling your story can give you a goal to aim for - a reason to get up in the morning.

You will feel that you are making a contribution to your family and society, that you are part of something that extends beyond yourself.

Older people in particular sometimes feel aimless, and that their life is not of much value or worth to the rest of the world.

Writing your life story is the ideal remedy!

But what if writing your whole life story is too much?

Maybe you could start with a memoir, which covers a particular time or event in your life.

3. Ignite Your Creativity

Writing your life story gives you a chance to be creative.

Transforming your life into words is one of the most creative pursuits you can engage in, and brings a terrific sense of achievement.

You don’t have to be a great writer - even if you’ve written nothing more complicated than a shopping list since you left school, don’t worry.

Just start and learn along the way.

You may surprise yourself, especially if you’ve been an avid reader all your life.

People who read a lot usually have some sort of ability when it comes to putting words on the page, because they’ve subconsciously picked it up from the books they’ve read.

It can be easier if you have a mentor to guide you.

They can help with such things as planning and structuring the book, the writing process and editing, or all three.

Purpose Publishing offers a coaching service for those who are keen to write their own life stories and I offer an obligation free discussion about the best way to approach your book.

If you want your life story written but don’t want to do it yourself, we offer ghostwriting services too.

With this service, our team will write the book for you the way you want, but you are credited as the author.

4. A Boost to Your Health

Writing your life story uses a lot of your mental resources.

Digging deep into your memories, creating the structure of the book and the process of writing it all help to keep your brain active, especially important as you get older.

And being involved in something that you find fulfilling contributes to your overall physical and mental well-being.

5. Cultivate a Connection

Storytelling is one of our most basic forms of communication and we are hardwired to respond to stories.

Through telling your story, you find parts of yourself that are mirrored in others, and vice versa.

As Michelle Obama said, ‘When we share our stories, we are reminded of the humanity in each other.

And when we take the time to understand each other’s stories, we become more forgiving, more empathetic, and more inclusive.’

When others read your life story and make comments such as, ‘I can relate to that,’ or ‘That’s exactly how I felt when that happened to me,’ it gives you a feeling of connection to that person.

Sometimes you think you’re the only person to have reacted in a certain way to an event, or to have had particular thoughts and feelings.

To discover that others have had similar experiences is gratifying - often a relief - and helps you to appreciate being part of humanity as a whole.

6. Understand You, Even Better

Socrates said, ’The unexamined life is not worth living.’

Often it is not until you put your stories down on paper and evaluate the highlights, milestones, struggles and disappointments, that you can put things in perspective and see the big picture.

While we’re in philosopher mode, Danish philosopher Kierkegaard said, ‘Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.’

Writing your story enables you to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, lessons you’ve learned and how you’ve overcome obstacles.

You can see patterns in your actions and behaviors which perhaps you hadn’t noticed before.

You'll see how everything that has happened in your life, good and bad, has led you to where you are today.

This kind of clarity and insight can only be achieved from reviewing your past can also result in changing your future.

You may decide to go on a long-desired trip, write that novel or take those art classes, visit the friend you haven’t seen in 20 years.

The feeling of accomplishment in getting your life story into print is indescribable.

It's an achievement that you can be reminded of every time you look at your bookshelf. If you need help, schedule a call with us now. We are here to help.

To Your Success,

MG

Life Changes can be major as changes come in many forms. There are adverse events like divorce, job loss or a death in the family. There are also many positive changes such as a new job, the birth of a baby or moving to a new city. Or how about the completely unexpected Covid-19 virus that has wreaked havoc on the year 2020! One thing all of these changes have in common is that they all can produce negative mental states including anxiety and depression.

Yes, even things you look forward to can cause emotional discomfort. Why? There are a number of possible reasons. For many people, a consistent routine is what feels best, and when it is altered, they experience stress. For others, a major change causes a sense of fear of the unknown. In any case, there are things you can do to minimize or eliminate the negative impact of a big life event. I’d like to share some ideas about navigating such terrain.

4 Techniques for Navigating Big Changes

When you experience a significant turning point in your life — or better yet, when you see it on the horizon or when you don’t. Please begin by taking time to prepare — try these strategies for experiencing less fear and sadness and, when possible, more excitement and joy.

  *   Acknowledge your discomfort. Often we try to hide our feelings about a major life change, not only from our family and friends but also from ourselves. Acknowledging to yourself that, “I’m worried. This situation scares me,” is a great first step toward dealing with your anxiety in a positive way. From there, making the same kind of admission to your loved ones can help even more.

  *   Focus on physical relaxation. The positive or negative state of our mind and our body go hand-in-hand. Taking time to release your physical tension can have a very positive effect on your emotions. Exercise, proper nutrition, a massage… there are many ways to sooth your body and soul.

  *   Take charge of the change. Being in the uncomfortable position of wondering “What’s going to happen next?” is a major cause of depression and anxiety. One of the best ways to counteract it is to take action. For example, if you’re nervous about starting a new job, drive by the location before your first day so you have your commuting strategy in place, plan what you’ll wear the first week, grocery shop for lunch and snack food, ask the HR representative questions about company culture or your new boss about your job responsibilities. In short, be proactive.
​
  *   Cultivate an “attitude of gratitude.” For positive life events, this isn’t hard to do. The new baby, the adventure of relocating and getting to know another town or the new relationship all have many exciting aspects. Remind yourself of them regularly, and be thankful that you get to experience them. With negative life events, this strategy is more challenging. However, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and an opportunity to begin a “new chapter.” Practice mindfulness to keep your mind in the here and now. Observe thoughts and feelings from a distance without classifying them as good or bad. Keeping those things in mind can help prevent negative thoughts from dominating your thinking.

The ability to prepare for and manage major life events is a valuable skill. People think that in times like these we can’t prepare, but the truth is we should plan ahead as best we can, but stay in a posture to change plans as needed. We’ve learned in this COVID climate that being blindsided doesn’t mean we stay blind. But rather we stay ready for whatever lies ahead.


To Your Success

MG

As a writer, you are presented with so much advice; figure out what feels right for you. Enjoy the journey and stay engaged. It’s a long and glorious road, just take one step at a time.

I recently heard about a writers conference in New York and it happened to be on the same weekend of the New York Marathon.  And you know what, independent authors and marathon runners have a lot in common!

One, writing and publishing a book is certainly no sprint. Not unlike the runners on race day, a book’s release happens after weeks, months, and years of careful, meticulous work and planning. Just like the runners at the start of the race, the authors who make it to release day are truly hardy, tenacious, and driven.

I often think about all the wonderful books that will never be read because their gifted authors lacked some single quality that would otherwise have taken their book to finish line. Whether it’s a lack of self-confidence or a tribe to support and encourage them – whether it’s a lack of tenacity, self-motivation, thick skin, or work ethic necessary to hone their craft and reach their goals – without perseverance in the face of many obstacles, making it all the way to publication will always be just a dream.

Two, I meet so many ambitious authors who were hungry to learn everything they can to get their book to the next level. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Just like a runner has good days and days when shin splints keep them sidelined, an author will experience a combination of good flow days, painful editing days, no-motivation days, beautiful sentences, mixed metaphors, blocks, inspiration, re-writes, boosts of self-confidence, moments of insecurity, and a resolute finish strong attitude. (actually, it just might be harder to write and publish a book than it is to run a marathon.)

So how do we make sure we are ready and motivated to run the long race and not peter out after the fanfare of launch day? Just like a runner’s need to load carbs, writers need to stay fueled. Attending a writers conference does just that. Hanging out with fellow authors – people who truly get you – is fortifying.

There are many opportunities to get inspired, and even to get a keener sense of your own writing projects. By the end of a writers conference, attendees inevitably experience an endorphin high. Capitalizing on this state of excitement is crucial.

You will probably not feel more stoked than you do on the way home from a writers conference or workshop. Let that work for you. While some people feel lightheaded from all the information they’ve gained, and it may take a thoughtful plan to accomplish some of their new goals, I say do something immediately! As soon as you get home, or the next day, do something small. Something that will take little time and effort. It will feel productive to have taken a first step. Even the smallest adjustment could create momentum.

What’s the easiest thing you can do? Maybe take a look at your Amazon book page to see if your book description has great keywords, or maybe you want to turn on the “Ask the Author” button on your Goodreads author page, or maybe you will link your website to your Author pages on Amazon and Goodreads. After you tackle some of the simpler things, think about taking on some larger goals; perhaps you want to list a book giveaway on Goodreads. You will not feel this excited a month from now. This is the height of your “writers conference endorphin high.” Use it to your advantage!

The truth is, you won’t be able to do everything. No one does it all. At a conference, you are presented with so much advice from a variety of professionals. Some of the ideas will strike a chord with you, others will not be right for you or your projects. Figure out what feels right. What can you do on your own? What do you want to hire others to do?

Most of all, allow yourself to get excited about the small victories. This way you are enjoying the journey and staying engaged instead of feeling burned out or overwhelmed. Hopefully, it will be a long and glorious road, take one step at a time. And hey … no shin splints!
 
To Your Success,
​
MG

If you are considering entering a writing contest and wondering why it is charging an entry fee, consider the operating costs of the contest provider.

I was recently sent an email asking, “Do you think I should enter a writing contest? I, considering it, but I really don’t want to pay the fee. “I’ll sometimes find a contest that might work for me, but then the publication requests $10, $20, and sometimes more to enter. Most times I just pass. Why should I pay to present my work? I have paid a few, but generally I balk at anything over $10.” What do you think?:
 
My first reply is, “Would you fund a contest out of your own pocket and work for free?”

Contests can present remarkable opportunities for authors, particularly unpublished authors. They can expose your work to audiences and jumpstart your career – not to mention pay you for your writing. They are an oft under-appreciated chance to further a writer’s reach and reputation.

A tiny minority of writing contests out there do not charge a fee. Why? Perhaps they have a major sponsorship or the financial means to operate without having to ask for fees. Most contests simply do not have that luxury.

I managed a contest for nearly a decade, and I can tell you it was not cheap to run. Still, we offered a category that required an entry fee, and another that didn’t. To make a point, the winner of the no-entry-fee category received a meager $50 first prize, while the winner of the entry-fee category earned a more generous $500 prize.

If you are considering entering a writing contest and wondering why it is charging an entry fee, consider the operating costs of the contest provider, including:

1. Prize money. No organization has bottomless pockets. The money for operations, including prize money, has to come from somewhere. Why not entry fees?
2. Judges. If the contest boasts the participation of a reputable judge or two (or more), they have to cough up the money to pay these judges. Just as no writer should be expected to work for free, no writer, publisher, or agent who serves as a contest judge should either.
3. Advertising. You’d never hear about a contest if it were not advertised. Advertising is not free. That money has to come from somewhere.
4. Publishing. Many writing contests include publication as part of the prize. Whether print or online – but particularly in print – there are expenses affiliated with publishing.

There’s also the qualifier of setting a barrier to entry. In my experience, contests that that require an entry fee typically attract better work. The first contest we ran was a bit of an experiment, and the results confirmed what we expected: the quality of writing was higher in the entry-fee category. When there was no financial barrier to entry and writers had nothing to risk, the quality of the writing submitted was notably inferior. It wasn’t even close. That fact alone justifies the entry fee.

Back to the email I received, I look at things precisely the opposite way: if I see a contest that does not charge an entry fee, I’d advise you to  investigate more to determine how they can afford to fund the competition. Even then, I wonder why an organization would choose to forgo the income stream provided by entry fees and avoid drawing funds away from other needs in its enterprise.

In short, if you find a contest that seems legitimate and suits your writing, pay the entry fee. A reputable contest provider has the right – and the need – to charge it. Plus, it might inspire you to submit a better-quality product.
 
To Your Success,
​
MG

There can be benefits to using a pen name, but I believe there are many more downsides to using a pseudonym than upsides.

I don’t think I’ve ever talked about it here or if anyone ever asked. But I thought I’d take a little time to discuss a few notes on using pseudonyms as authors. I read about Nora Roberts, the author of more than 150 romance novels, when asked why she writes romantic suspense novels under a pseudonym. Her answer: “It’s marketing.”

She says that writing quickly makes it difficult for her publisher to publish all of her work with an appropriate amount of time between each release, so she writes works which are “edgier” than her romance novels under the pseudonym J. D. Robb. She says, “Putting it under a pseudonym helps brand it for the reader.” Children’s writers often separate their real names or their “other” writing names from their children’s work to keep work intended for children untainted.

All these reasons are absolutely valid, and there are many more. But I believe there are many more downsides to using a pseudonym than

Now, this is just my take on it and of course, you’ll personally have to weigh the pros and cons for your title and your career, but keep in mind that Ms. Roberts has a powerhouse publisher and marketing department to help her navigate the difficulties inherent in using a pseudonym.

If you are considering using a pen name, here’s 6 things you should know:

1. It is difficult to keep a pen name secret. Everyone knows who Kristie Leigh Maguire is, for example, but most know that it is a pen name. Once they know, the author has lost the privacy value of using a pseudonym.
2. If people didn’t already know that “Robb” was Nora Roberts’ pen name, most of them do now since Time magazine let the cat out of the bag in a featured interview. The magazine also revealed (big time) that Nora Roberts is also a pen name! Suddenly, I don’t feel the same affinity for her as a person or an author. I don’t even know her name. In one fell swoop her pen name lost some of its branding value.
3. It is very hard to promote a book in person when you use a pen name, especially if you choose an opposite-sex pen name. In fact, promotion of all kinds can become touchy. You may lose authenticity. That loss must be balanced against whatever reason you are using to convince yourself it’s a good idea.
4. Consider this, how hard it is to be a good liar? It requires having an amazing memory and as well as a deceptive nature. Most authors struggle enough learning to nurture the marketing, publicity, TV, radio, and speaking skills they had no idea they’d ever need when they started writing. Trying to remember all the little white lies (or big whoppers) you may find yourself telling may not be worth the effort. I mean, Nora Roberts finally gave up on the biggest fib of all: that she uses pen names. In the Time interview, she discarded pretense and became herself.
5. Then there’s the technical, time-consuming – and potentially expensive – mire of branding yourself over and over again for every pen name you have. Consider everywhere you publish your brand- websites, blog posts, email accounts, and social media exploits. And even worse, think how much less effective those efforts will be because they are diluted since you only have so much time to devote to branding each of those names. If you think you will never have to do that, that you never expect to change genres or run into a marketing misstep that forces you to return to your real name, you may be mistaken. Many multi-genre authors didn’t expect to do that when they wrote their first book. And, like the kid getting his driver’s license at sixteen, most of us don’t expect to have marketing accidents.
6. Using a pen name isn’t necessarily an effective barrier against lawsuits. But do ask your attorney.

Just a little food for thought. Of course, at the end of the day your book your name. Whether you choose your birth name or a name you birth, you’ll still have the responsibility of doing everything you can to market, promote and sell your book.
 
To your Success,
MG

Communication plays a fundamental role in all facets of business. It is therefore very important that both internal communication within your organization as well as the communication skills of your employees are effective. The following six reasons will explain why effective communication should be a focus in your business:

1. Builds and maintains relationships

Relationships are built and can be maintained by positive encounters with others. Communication will be key to this process – without effective skills, it will be difficult to properly construct and foster productive relationships.

2. Facilitates innovation

When you and those around you feel comfortable in openly communicating -new ideas, cooperation and innovation will be at an all-time high. In addition, if staff are unable to convey their ideas due to limited communication skills, it is likely that the idea will not be implemented to its full potential.

3. Builds an effective team

If open communication within our work space is encouraged, a more cohesive and effective team will emerge. Good communication within a team also tends to boost morale. When people feel that they are well informed of the company’s direction and vision, they will feel more secure within their role. Regular communication can also lead to an improved work ethic - if those who work with you are reminded of achievements and feel that they are working towards a common goal.

4. Managing Teams

When you are an effective communicator, you are more able to inform our team adequately of their responsibilities and what is expected from them. Good communication skills also helps you to provide constructive feedback to our contractors, build better relationships, and understand personal goals that our team may wish to work towards. Communicating is key to not only you as the business leader achieving your goals, but also in you helping your team achieve theirs.

5. Contributes to growth of your company or platform

A lack of communication can lead to the collapse of any organization. While that is a bold statement – without proper marketing, collateral materials and communication internally (with yourself) and externally (clients, contractors, vendors), most businesses will struggle to survive. Communication can also lead to productivity and helps to avoid unnecessary delays in the implementation of your growth strategies.

With so much in the narrative these days, I thought it important to remind us that we too have to be great communicators. So, I wanted to just pop this in. I hope you enjoyed and got a little something you can take with you as you build and grow.
 
To Your Success
MG 

Well in the super age of technology and startups, there is one that most readers aren't even aware of.  I would like to take a moment to introduce to some and present to others BookTube which is actually a  is the unofficial name given to a collection of YouTube channels that discuss all things bookish. Each day, thousands of online creators, or BookTubers, share videos about books they love (and hate), literacy, fandom and being generally crazy for reading. We are living in a time when there is something out there for EVERYBODY, including you. Huffington Post shared an article in April of last year that I thought was pretty good and I'm sharing it with you here. 


As with all things social, don't let it overwhelm you. Check it out and see if you can glean anything from there that you can use as you market, promote and share your book. If nothing else you might gain another community to collaborate with. If so, let us know. Email me at contactus@purposepublishing.com

To Your Success,
​
MG

This month I'm really trying to give you the people the things you need to make good and wise decisions concerning writing a book and how it can help you and how you can make it the best. The articles are short and sweet every week I'm sharing from around the web. With that, here's another area that I believe is SUPER important to every business bottom line, taxes. I think Jane Friedman has provided some truly sound advice when it comes to how to handle making good tax decisions as a newly (or not so new) published author. You can check out here article here. 


If you need support in making the best business decisions with your book. Contact us. We can can help at www.PurposePublishing.com.

To Your Success,
MG

 As an avid reader and writer myself, I'm always focused on how to get better. I've tried my hand at being a perfectionist and with all honesty, even as much as I've tried to with my own writing. I'm not perfect. My writing is not perfect. Such is the case with any good book, it's not impossible for you to edit it yourself. It's just highly unlikely you'll catch everything. And, your friend who got 'A's' in English back in high school just might not be the perfect person either. The truth of the matter is you really don't have to be. But, I do recommend that you invest the time and money in getting the help you need to make your book great. I recently stumbled on an article by one of the writing greats, Max Lucado, who shares some insight into his process for making sure that only the best goes into his book. You can read his advise here.  


If you've ever read any of his books, you'll testify that it's worth. Great writing makes for easy understanding and simplified application. Editing is not only important, but its critical to your writing. Don't have an editor?  Contact us. We can help at www.PurposePublishing.com.


To Your Success,

MG

I was recently on the Self-Care Inspiring Hope Show & Podcast with Traci Williams. Shout out to Traci Williams whoop-whoop!! Check Traci out LIVE Saturday mornings at 10am via Facebook Live and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Well, I was on her show and we were talking about book publishing. So, she asked me the following question, "Do you think people are writing books now?" I told her, Traci, books are the new business card." People are parlaying books into speaking opportunities, adding credibility to being a Subject Matter Expert and becoming consultants and such in short order. With that question alone, I had a lot to share. But don't just take my word for it, check out an article in Fast Company back in 2012. You can check it out here.

It's now 2020, if you don't have your book written yet. Contact us. We can help at www.PurposePublishing.com.

To Your Success,
MG

The reward of holding a copy of your published work is indescribable. But it’s just one of the many exciting milestones in your journey to self-publishing success. One key objective in your publishing journey is selling your book successfully. Here are five tips we think may help improve your efforts to increase book sales.

Build up your image as an author and a brand

Book buyers and readers gravitate to books—and authors—that appeal to them. The more you project yourself in a way that holds their attention, the more you gain their trust. Highlight the fact that you are now a published author. Add that to your email and forum signature lines. Don’t forget to add your website or social media profiles to here, as well as to your press release boilerplates. These may be small things, but they’re the building blocks to a positive image.

A quality 3rd-party review is important to successful bookselling
​
An honest and well-written 3rd-party review is invaluable. A positive review from a respected book reviewer will make your book stand out, improve its marketability and enhance your titles, as well as your, reputation. Don’t be afraid to invite readers and indie reviewers to evaluate your book. Published reviews on sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstore bolsters the credibility of your book encouraging new readers to part with their money knowing that they will get a good read in return.

Librarians are your best customers—and allies

Librarians are savvy, well-informed book buyers. They are the favorites of the traditional publishing houses, small presses, and self-publishers. If librarians like your book and trust your brand, they will likely become some of your most effective bookselling allies. Their participation and support are valuable aids to your bookselling activities—sponsoring book signings, readings, meet-and-greet affairs, and Q&A activities at their libraries. So be sure to visit your local libraries and befriend your librarians.

Use your social media networks to connect and sell your book

While Purpose Publishing carries all the titles of its authors in its online bookstore and through its partnerships with Amazon and Barnes and Noble, one of the most effective ways to sell you book is through social media networking. Generate news, book-related updates, and positive reviews through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and to the other online communities you belong to. Social networks are also great places to meet fellow authors and find new opportunities for selling your book.

To Your Success,

MG

#repost

People are highly visual creatures, and this holds true when we are reading. We don’t see the images in the book, we form them in our minds. Pack in brilliant verbal imagery and your readers will enjoy and remember your book.

Drawing powerful verbal imagery is a skill that defines natural-born writers, but it can also be learned. Here are five things to think about with respect to using the power of the pen to draw images.

1. Be aware of visual imagery
The first step is heightening your awareness of verbal imagery and how it works. When you read a new book, or write, take note.

We think of words as words – black ink on a white page. But they are more: they paint colorful pictures from the action, people, and settings of a story world. Check it out for yourself. Take a paragraph from any book you are reading and do an image “density test.” Count all the images that form in your mind as you read along. Is it a large and diverse number?

It depends on what you are reading, but in many books, it’ll be each sentence, or even each phrase — e.g. “Silent, he nodded and looked out the window at the windmill by the still lake.” That sentence evokes four images – a man nodding, a window, a windmill, and a lake scene.

2. Actively write in images
Many authors say they see events unfold in their own minds and then they write them down. This is a great way to get visual writing. You can heighten this by purposefully engineering memorable images into your work.

Whether or not you remember the details of any of the Godzilla movies, you know what Godzilla looks like. Often, it’s a useful technique to render an abstract idea into symbolic imagery to give it punch or make it easily understood and memorable. The scar on Harry Potter’s forehead is a brilliant example. It represents his past, his link with Voldemort, and his fate. Harry just has to show it or touch it in pain for readers to know something big is about to happen.

3. Keep the quality of your visual imagery in mind when you edit
If you can’t form an image about what is being described, likelihood is you probably don’t know exactly what is going on. So how would a reader know?

Have you ever tried editing expressly for visual content? Doing so can bring surprising rewards. You might find new ways to express abstract ideas. If you read a phrase or sentence and fail to clock an image, you might find that it wasn’t fully imagined. Editing to improve visual interest is often about making abstract things more concrete. This is ubiquitously thought of as a good thing in terms of writing advice. Why say “his car got keyed,” when you can say “his usually pristine black Porsche 911 had an ugly, uneven scar that stretched from the driver’s side mirror to the tail light.” The second one is not only a stronger image, you wince harder. Great writing is about giving a reader enough detail to let them see the world you are presenting – without overdoing it. At best, they need some wiggle room to see your story world as they want to.

4. Understand why key types of information work better as a picture
Some things just work better visually. This is because they depend on having all the knowledge at once, on some form of complex structure in space or time, or the linkages between entities. Such information clusters are hard to render in words – no matter how many you use or how artfully you arrange them on the page.

Think about a map or a family tree. These are common images printed in books – words just can’t do them justice – or fit into equal space. If you do need to describe difficult images, it’s about getting out the most important information first – the structure and the types of connection. Then come the relevant details, which a reader can now map onto a visual framework they are holding in their head.

5. Use imagery to your best advantage
We all know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The trick of images is that they present all their information simultaneously. You might want to linger over The Mona Lisa to take in her finer details and soak in the mood, but it’s all there as you lay eyes on her.

Now imagine the many words it would take to describe The Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile to give detail equivalent to seeing her in person. It’s likely not possible, no matter how meticulously you picked your words, how artfully you ordered them, or how many you allowed yourself.

So, flip this and use the power of visual imagery to your advantage. Humans have a huge range of cultural images. Save 1,000 words every time you use an apt image. Purposefully pack your writing with attention-grabbing visuals and your writing will be memorable. There won’t be any incomplete ideas or passages full of filler. It will be more fully realized and accessible to the reader.
 
To Your Success,

MG
 
 

There are many parts to all of us - our skin color, our disposition and attitudes, our occupations, our families. Plus, the plethora of other things that we see and acknowledge about one another. Often, our stance or position around people separate us and we've found ourselves hurt and hurting.

Amidst everything we've been experiencing since the death of George Floyd and too many others who have lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement. I offer some words to all my friends, colleagues, brothers and sisters who have asked me "What can I do?" I read a blog from YouVersion that brought up a timeless story that many of us know.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Although at the time the two places these individuals were from did not get along or make nice with one another, ultimately the human race valued most important.


There is something we can do. Let's do it! Read the blog here and let me know what you think. Does it makes sense? Can you help? Although many of my Christian friends may not be protesters on the front lines all of us can DO something. What will you do? What will we all do? The best thing is to take action in ways you can to build up, promote and participate in sustainable change. It can start with a change in perspective. Enjoy the read. But when you finish, look for the something YOU can do.


Blessings

MG
​
Source:
https://blog.youversion.com/2020/06/how-can-you-make-the-world-a-better-place/

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​For business leaders, writers, and everyone in between, allowing yourself to be human, and vulnerable, goes a long way toward establishing trust. That doesn’t make it easy.

You’ve been a business professional for quite a while now and have learned a lot in your time as a leader in various organizations. Your years of experience and education and your expertise and innovative ideas are what other impassioned leaders need to attain the success you’ve achieved. But do the people you serve know who you really are? They know you are a leader, but do they realize you’re human and no different from them when the veil is pulled back? Have you ever considered that the only way to establish a genuine connection with others is to be vulnerable?

Wearing my nonfiction book coach hat, I speak from experience. It wasn’t until I got real about my true self and who I really am that I began to attract a sustained influx of clients. Because I chose to be vulnerable, it encourages my clients to do the same and its one reason they want to work with me. It isn’t easy, but I propose it could be necessary to the success of your business — and your book.
 
As Brené Brown teaches in her TEDx talk (See the full TedX talk here), “The Power Of Vulnerability,” the gateway to intimacy is via being vulnerable about your imperfections. If you try to sugar coat your story, you miss out on the sense of connection with another human being that you can only attain when you’re letting someone see your warts and your big ugly tail. Every time you expose those imperfections — even because of those imperfections — you gain trust (or as Brown calls it, you “put marbles in the jar”). Over time, the intimacy you feel with other people depends on how many marbles are in your jar.
 
What business leader doesn’t want to establish trust amongst her staff and the customers her business serves? When trust is established with your subordinates and counterparts, success in all of your departments is guaranteed. People want to work with and for someone they trust and can relate to. The beauty of vulnerability is its ability to establish a connection with people from all different walks of life. People can connect with someone who knows how to get real.

David K. Williams, author of The 7 Non-Negotiables of Winning: Tying Soft Traits to Hard Results, describes vulnerability in business in this Forbes magazine article (see the full article here): “Vulnerability is a natural condition of the work that we do — it isn’t a choice but a consequence. To declare oneself ‘not vulnerable’ would be inauthentic and would leave a leader living in a perpetual state of denial and stress. So it’s better and more courageous for every leader to acknowledge the fact that vulnerability is there.”

As a business leader, you don’t need added stress to your life. Let go of your pride and expose your vulnerability.

Showcase your vulnerability through writing

You know deep down that you are a true leader. Writing a book not only helps to establish yourself as an expert, but it’s another way to expose your vulnerable side. Business leaders write books for a number of reasons:

• They have something to share that will benefit others.
• They want to leave a legacy that will impact the future.
• They see others struggle and have learned how to overcome obstacles.
• They want to showcase their businesses and their paths to success.
• They want to expose themselves as “real people” to their audiences.

 
In business and in life, trust is a must.
 
To Your Success,
MG

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Writing enough text to fill a book is one thing, but weaving it all together into a story with a strong arc, purpose, and impact is another. Here are some lessons that might help you in your writing process — whether your own book is an “accident” or not.

Writing that much prose is one thing, but weaving it all together into a story with a strong arc, purpose, and impact is another entirely. Here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way that might help you in your writing process — whether your own writing is an “accident” or not.

Consolidate
First, copy and paste everything into a single word processor document, in the best narrative order you can determine at the time. Having everything in one place will feel like an important milestone — your work will seem more like a cohesive book-in-progress and less like a collection of fragments, scenes, and vignettes.

Edit at will
As with the initial drafting of any book use what minutes you can find in between other activities to clarify the language, put pieces together, or review something you wrote months or even years ago. Sometimes that means searching for a particular scene or experience that’s been caught in your memory and reexamining how it fits into the overall story. Other times, it will mean scrolling randomly through the document and working on whatever paragraph catches your eye and the mouse falls on. Focus your time on what I can do right now to get yourself closer to the finish line, knowing you’ll get to it all completed real soon.

Label and shuffle
With tens of thousands of words and dozens of narrative episodes, keeping track of everything can be a challenge. To help, start labeling significant portions of your story with unsexy and utilitarian titles like, “Argument about green vs. black tea” and “Weird surveillance grocery store encounter.”

Will the chunks I’m currently defining end up as chapter partitions in the final novel? Probably not. But for now, functional titles help you know, quickly and efficiently, what the landscape of my work-in-progress looks like.

Having well-labeled portions of text also helps you put things in the best order for any narrative. Does a certain scene play better in the second third of the book? Does a character’s backstory suddenly become more resonant when presented after a traumatic incident involving an ex-lover? Cut-and-paste is a wonderful thing, and you use it to experiment with all sorts of structures and event orders.

Save versions-in-progress
After significant editing sessions, you save a new version of my document with a title like “Draft_v2.0,” Draft _v2.1,” and so on. This way, you can always go back and see previous manifestations of my ideas, as well as what I originally wrote on my phone. Having copious backups makes you more comfortable experimenting — you always know you can revert to a previous version if a creative risk you take doesn’t work in the end.

Fill in the gaps
If you discover that additional text is needed to make the story flow (and this will happen quite often), it’s always fun to return to writing mode. Either on the spot with your laptop or on your phone the next time you have a free minute, add the words, sentences, or paragraphs the story needs to smoothly flow and then go right back to editing mode.

Be patient and stay focused
It can be overwhelming to look at a 60,000-plus-word document, completely unedited, and realize it’s up to you alone to get it all in order. Try to stay micro-focused as you work, polishing only whatever sections are in front of your eyes at the moment and losing yourself in the task at hand. Just as the crafting of the original text happened gradually and organically, so too will the acts of compiling, editing, and revising.

Keep the big picture in mind
At this point, YOU know where your characters begin, the struggles and triumphs they go through, and where they will end up physically, circumstantially, and emotionally when the story concludes. You’ll want to keep this whole arc in mind as you’re editing, compiling, and reordering. In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, the big picture influences everything from word choice to plot adjustments and acts like glue, helping to stick the entire story together as a cohesive narrative.
 
To Your Success,
MG

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Your author website is a reflection of you as a writer and of your book as a work of art. It pays to make sure it is as enticing as the story you’ve spent months (or years) laboring over. Here are three quick ways to improve your author website.

​Every author — independent, traditionally published, or otherwise — needs a website. A Facebook page doesn’t count, nor does a Twitter or LinkedIn profile. In today’s dynamic and competitive book market, you need a space that provides a complete picture of what you’re offering. That space needs to feature your writing, your various channels of engagement, and all the intangibles that set you apart. It’s a critical component of your brand. And while it’s necessary for all authors to have a website, it’s even more important for self-published authors.

Having a comprehensive website (and general web presence) is a way of leveling the playing field  and giving your book a chance to compete with the big-name authors and traditionally published books in the market.

But not every author website is created equal: I’ve even seen authors’ sites that have damaged their books’ market potential. Luckily, it’s not difficult to improve your author website to ensure it elevates your book’s potential instead of stifling it.

Tip #1: Identify the primary goal for your site
The first step in building a successful author website is establishing a mission for it. What are you hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to sell more books? Build an author platform? Start conversations with your readers? Whatever your primary goal is, define it, then use it to inform the focus of your site.
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If your goal is to sell books, make sure your book is the first thing readers see when they navigate to your site. If your goal is to build your platform, actively prompt readers to subscribe to your various social channels.

By focusing on one goal, you can ensure your site does at least one thing really well. This will give you the foundation needed to start building other features later on.

Tip #2: Collect email addressesLike all savvy marketers, successful independent authors understand that email is an invaluable channel when it comes to connecting with readers. Are you placing an emphasis on your email channel, or are you chasing Twitter followers and Facebook likes?

While building Twitter and Facebook followings are important, they’re not nearly as influential as your email list. My rule of thumb: one email subscriber is equal to 25 likes on social media. Why? Because people are simply more careful about subscribing to something via email than they are about following someone on Twitter. Then, once you have someone’s email contact, you can build a more genuine and direct relationship with them than you can through social media. With a well-crafted email newsletter, you can build fans for life.

Tip #3: Offer enticing incentives
A great way to attract readers’ attention — and entice them to provide you their personal email addresses — is to offer them with something of value. In publishing, the most common lead magnet is some kind of free content: usually chapters from your book, or perhaps even an entire eBook. This is especially common for authors who have written a series. Hook readers by giving them book one, and then contact them by email and get them to buy book two (and three, and four). Giving away content like this helps you engage with readers. It also makes readers more likely to “repay the favor” of receiving free content by buying your book.

Need a website? Contact us we can help. www.PurposePublishing.com

The Audiobook Market is Growing and Shaking Things Up
Audiobooks is the fastest growing segment in the publishing industry right now. For traditional publisher’s audiobook sales mitigated declines in e-book sales, and trade publishers are bullish on audiobooks going into 2020. Audible (owned by Amazon) still has the lion’s share of the audiobook marketing but others are trying to make inroads. 2020 may well be the year when we see new and existing players disrupt the established order.
 
Audiobooks.com was acquired by a media group in 2017, Apple’s exclusivity agreement with Audible ended last year and more players are getting into the mix with Kobo launching their own audiobook subscription service in late 2017. This gives indie authors more control and more opportunity to launch into the audiobook industry.  Digital audiobooks will remain the fastest growth area in publishing with sales increasing 30% to 40% or more. The dynamics—ease of access for consumers, lifestyle habits, increased market competition, new selling models—have all synced up to create significant staying power. It should surprise nobody when the market size of audiobooks surpasses eBooks in a few years.
 
In 2020, we expect to see independent authors empowered to capitalize on this explosive growth. Indies will take advantage of wide distribution (domestic, international, and public library), realize the advantages at key retailers of setting prices to meet consumer demand, and benefit from more discovery tools created to connect authors with their audiences outside traditional audiobook credit models.”
 
What this means for you: Producing an audiobook runs into the thousands of dollars or requires giving up significant royalties and is still a significant investment for authors. New authors who find the price tag too steep are best off focusing on building their catalog of e-books first. Authors who are looking to invest in their publishing business should definitely have audiobook expansion on their list for 2020. All authors should keep an eye on the market and look to support audiobook retailers and production companies that are author friendly.
 
Do you have a book already? Have sales slowed? Consider breathing new life into it with an Audiobook format. It’s easy and affordable! We can help. www.PurposePublishing.com
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Purpose Publishing supports and promotes authors and literature throughout the year. With that in mind, we wanted to offer some suggestions on how authors can support one another during this challenging time.

1.       Organize a free conference call or Zoom session with a few of your author friends to exchange ideas and plan for the future. Sharing your love of literature with others will be uplifting. Plus, you can share coping tips and encourage one another.  Watch for my upcoming video sessions with authors from around the city and around the nation. The sessions are called Let’s Connect! About YOU, Your Book & Your Way of Managing through COVID-19

Would you like to connect and be interviewed, click the link here to get it set up. https://purposepublishing.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php Choose the Let’s Connect session and choose a date, easy peasy.

2.       Drop a link about another author’s book (not your own) on your social media platform. Encourage your network to support this author.

3.       Download an ebook or purchase the book of an author you have never supported before.

4.       Join an author-related Facebook group, if you haven’t done so already. Do NOT use it only as an opportunity to promote your book(s) but rather as a genuine opportunity to demonstrate solidarity with your peers. Don’t forget to go in and upload your book and information in the Purpose Publishing author shared Facebook Community – Purpose Promote. This is a place for authors to share their work, their upcoming events and activities directly from our Facebook Page.

5.       Post a book review online for a book you’ve read recently and enjoyed. Book reviews are important when readers are considering book purchases and downloads. Reviews help authors sell books.  

6.       Visit an author’s website and purchase a book directly from them if they are self-published. Self-published authors make more money on sales when readers order directly from them rather than through a third party (like Amazon).

 7.      Send a brief email, direct message, or text to your favorite authors letting them know how much you appreciate their work.

 8.      Participate in a virtual author book signing, meet and greet, or another virtual author event.

 9.      After the coronavirus crisis has passed, attend an author’s book signing or event in your area and purchase his/her book.

As a result of the stay-at-home edicts across America, many of the existing small and local bookstores may not survive this crisis. But remember that we are stronger TOGETHER. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. After this crisis is finally over, literature will continue to play an important role in chronicling our words and our world for the generations that come behind us. Stay safe and healthy!
 
To Your Success,
MG

Book promotion has changed a lot over the years, as have the book promotion services companies offer. Part of the reason for that is due to the surge of books that we see every day in the marketplace. We know from experience that not only does it change how various programs work, but it can also impact strategies that we’ve come to trust, like Facebook ads which don’t have the same impact they did two years ago.

So what’s working in book promotion now? Surprisingly, it’s not at all what you would expect.
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The book promotion services that work these days are less about what you’re marketing in the moment, and more about the foundation you’re creating. Let’s have a look:

1.Email Newsletters: I know, it seems odd to start with something so basic, right? But here’s the thing about newsletters. They are a direct connection to your reader unlike social media, which, technically, is not as direct a link as we’d like it to be. An email newsletter may seem like a lot of work, but it’s really not as bad as say, managing a bunch of social media platforms (we’ll get to that one in a minute).
 
2.Your Reader Fan Bases: With book publishing growing, our window for using blogs for their book promotion services keeps shrinking. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t promote your book to the blogger market, but consider this: as the window for book promotion continues to change, one thing always remains steadfast, your readers. Building excited and engaged reader fan bases is a fantastic way to build momentum for your book and letting readers help you with your book promotion by posting reviews and sharing your book release on their social stream. The longer down this road of endless books being published (so far, around 4,500 a day) the more it becomes crucial to build supportive reader fan bases.

3.Going Local: A lot of authors want to hit the big time with big media and national exposure. And while all of that is great, local media and events are often overlooked. First off, local media loves their local authors. So whether it’s a story about you publishing your first (or fifth!) book, or promoting your local event, local book promotion is a great launching pad for long-term success. Part of the reason for this isn’t because you aren’t national media-worthy, but because national media is harder than ever to get (I’ll talk more about this in later blogs). Also, many bigger shows have scouts that research local stories that are gaining momentum. Back when Oprah had her show, her producers often worked with many scouts all across the country to find their stories. So including local promotion in your list of book marketing activities is a great way to add some momentum to your book promotion campaign. And in terms of local, you may also consider doing events, whether they are library, bookstore, or gift fairs. You could also consider doing events in other non-bookstore markets like gift stores, coffee shops, and other area stores that might be interested in your topic.
 
4.Add a Goodreads Presence: Goodreads has been around for a long time and with each month that passes, the site grows more robust. Now, more than ever, it’s important to get yourself set up on that site and start networking with genre-specific groups. This site, more than any other social networking site, is really geared to readers and caters to readers in a way that no other platform does. Start by being a reader, first and foremost. Yes, you have books that you want people to read, but being heavy on the networking/socializing and less on the pushy marketer, will garner you much more attention and, in the long run, sell you more books.

5.Amazon Book Page: This is another area that authors spend a shockingly small amount of time on. I think in general, we get really outwardly focused on our book promotion and forget the all-important landing page we are sending our readers to. Your book page on Amazon should have a clear description with white space and no paragraphs crammed on top of each other. I’d also recommend enhancing your book page using your Author Central Page. From there, you can access all kinds of stuff, like adding reviews to your page, including an author interview, or book experts. Your book page should be a sampling of your personality and information helpful to the reader – helping them make a decision to decide to buy your book is a terrific way to help drive more reader engagement on your page. I have a blog post linked in the resources if you’re ready to tackle this! Or, you should write us and ask about our Amazon-specific book promotion services and campaigns, designed to ensure you’re not leaving any opportunities on the table when it comes to converting Amazon shoppers into book buyers.

6.Keeping Your Social Footprint Small: While this may sound counter-intuitive, it’s my firm belief (and based on mountains of research) that we’ve become digital-weary. Users are leaving Facebook in large numbers, or not posting regularly, Twitter has become a bigger political platform than it ever was, and Instagram is staying delightfully middle of the road, the meaning of all of the social platforms, it has the most universal appeal.
 
The problem with trying to be *everywhere* meaning on all social media platforms is that it’s hard to be engaged on all the sites, all the time. And engagement does matter, in an age of fake followers and fake accounts, the user with the most engagement, even if their numbers are small, far outperforms accounts with millions of followers. But keep in mind that a smaller social media footprint doesn’t mean less work necessarily. You’ll be less scattered, for sure, but you will still need to put the effort into that site, whichever one you decide to be on. Engaging readers on one social media platform in a consistent and fun/informative/helpful way is a far better book promotion strategy than trying to be everywhere. As I always say: it’s not about being everywhere, but everywhere that matters.

To Your Success,

MG