Jeff Goins's Blog, page 21

The Secret to Getting the Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of

We are going to do something kind of risky. For the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you 10 lessons I’ve learned about life, dreams, and pursuing work that matters. I hope it helps you set better goals for your life and encourages you to be grateful. Let’s begin.

To listen to the audio version of this post, click the player below and scroll down to read the lesson.

Lesson 1: Find Your “Who”

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about finding your “why” thanks to the efforts of the very smart Simon Sinek. But in my experience, that’s not the first question you should ask.

If you’re trying to live a life of purpose and meaning, the first thing to ask is not “why” or even “what” but “who.”

Do you know who you are?

I mean, really know? Most people don’t.

There’s a reason this is the theme of all great stories from Star Wars to The Lion King to Harry Potter to Moana.

We are lost. And we know it.

The trappist monk Thomas Merton calls this your “true self.” So many of us hide behind the false selves of achievement and status, because we are afraid for the world to truly see us for who we are. People might not like us, after all.

Once you know you who you are, you will know what to do.

Activity follows identify, as I like to say.

I learned this relatively early in my life when a friend asked what my dream was and I said I didn’t know.

“Once you know you who you are, you will know what to do.Tweet thisTweet

He said he thought I would have said “be a writer.” As soon as he said that, my heart leapt, and I knew that’s what I wanted but was just too afraid to admit. I guess I did want to be a writer, I admitted. But that would never happen.

My friend looked me in the eye and said,

Jeff, you are a writer. You just need to write.

The next day, I started writing and never looked back. That one conversation changed my life. Not because those words were magical, but because I was waiting to find out who I was before I knew what I was supposed to do with my life.

Maybe you can relate.

Right now, there is a gap between your true self and your false self, between your soul and your sole, and it’s up to you to fill it.

This is true for all of us, by the way, myself included. We are all — hopefully — becoming truer versions of ourselves, those selves that step into the light and do not hide from who we really are.

But to do this well, you need insight. You need a way to recognize your blindspots. Because we as human beings are really terrible at self-awareness, and so we need the voices of others to point out what we’re missing.

Every year, I reflect on what I’ve done with my time and how it complements or conflicts with the things that I say are important to me.

Do I call myself a writer but do very little writing?
Do I say family is first but often come home late at the end of the day?
Do I think of myself as intelligent and creative but give myself very little time to think and play?

There is a gap between who we say we are and who we really are.

And it is the mission of our life to bridge the two. We must be whole, integrated people.

And finding our “who” — that true self we were meant to be — begins with understanding who we are right now, good or bad, warts and all.

So, I dare you to do this one small thing I do every year:

Take a quick assessment that forces you to grade yourself on your life.

Are you like George Bailey and secretly living a wonderful life?

Or are you like Walter Mitty and you’re missing out on the adventure just beyond your comfort zone?

This free assessment will tell you. Click here to check it out.
You have a true self

This may be one of the most important messages and ideas in my life: this idea that you have a true self and you need to find it. I’m so passionate about this topic that I wrote a book on it.

I am often asking “is this really me?” and I hope you ask yourself that, too. It really matters, I think.

If you take the assessment and learn something, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

11 Things That Are Better Than Money (That I’m Thankful For)

I’m big on gratitude lists. The older I get, the more I understand that gratitude is essential to living a good, healthy life. Given my tendencies to compare myself to, well, pretty much everyone, this practice is much-needed. Maybe you can relate.

I write gratitude lists because of the need to remember life is so much better than I ever expected or deserved. There’s so much left to accomplish, but what’s happened thus far is pretty good, too.

Enough isn’t a number

For years, money seemed like the goal of all my ambitions. If I just had “enough,” then I would be set. But the more I acquired, the more it felt like I needed. I don’t think it was greed as much as it was this insecurity of never feeling like I was enough. You can really get addicted to that feeling if you’re not careful.

Anyway, I’ve realized there are so many more things that are better than money.

This year, I’m grateful for so much. But this past year has been a wakeup call for me regarding what really matters. About a year ago, I realized I was missing the mark in terms of my goals — I was striving for one thing when in reality I wanted something else. What did I want? Happiness. Peace of mind. Purpose. And money was not providing those things for me.

“Impact is hard to measure, but its value exceeds any dollar amount.Tweet thisTweet

Here are 11 things I appreciate far more than money:

Hugs and kisses from my kids, especially when they’re unsolicited. If you don’t have kids, you don’t know what you’re missing. Maybe find somebody’s else’s kids and let them hug you. Actually, that sounds kind of weird. Don’t do that.
The satisfaction of a job well done. The joy of the work is the reward, the price of making something that’s never been made and doing it in a way that only you can do. That’s art.
That look in the eyes of a person whose life has been changed by your work. Every time someone tells me something I made — a blog post, a podcast, a course, a book, a speech, an event — any of it, all of it — I remember this is why I do what I do. Impact is hard to measure, but its value exceeds any dollar amount.
Friends who love you for who you are, not what you do.
A good meal with great people in place that has a really good vibe. These are the moments you remember decades from now
Seeing someone perform a piece of art live. This year, I saw Tom Petty play in concert just before he died. It reminded me to never miss seeing a band whose work I admire or have had the slightest curiosity about seeing at some point.
Traveling to new and exotic places where you are required to re-orient yourself around whatever cultural practices are the norm. Change is good. Discomfort is good. New experiences are good.
Going for long walks in no particular direction with no defined end. Not all who wander are lost, as Tolkien once wrote.
Great coffee enjoyed in the very early morning, just before sunrise, while gazing out into your back yard or park or wherever.
The freedom to do what you want when you want to do it without fear of judgment by others or concern that you “should” be doing something else.
You. Whoever you are. If you’re reading this, you are more valuable than money. And I’m grateful for you.

Do you have a gratitude list? Share it in the comments below (feel free to link up to your own blog post).

How to Know When Your Creative Work is Finished

How do you know when it’s done? The book, the speech, the painting — the work?

Last week, I had a speaking gig in New York City that ended earlier than expected, leaving me with six extra hours to kill. Earlier this year, I had a chance to see Hong Kong during a short layover and didn’t take it. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.

During my afternoon sprint through NYC, I:

Walked through Central Park while finishing an audiobook
Drank an amazing cup of coffee
Ate the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie
Drove across town to grab a couple slices of Brooklyn’s best pizza
Listened to Christmas jazz music the whole time

It turns out you can do a lot with a little time if you really want.

“You can do a lot with a little bit of time if you really want to.Tweet thisTweet
Leverage the wisdom of friends

Before my city adventure, I polled some friends on Facebook about what I should do, and they offered all kinds of advice. But how did I know which ones to pursue? Which activities were the right ones?

I didn’t. All I knew was I had six hours. So the right choices were the ones made before the deadline. They became the right decisions because I made them. And I don’t regret a single one, because those six hours in New York of doing something were way better than six hours in an airport doing nothing.

In our work, rarely is there one right way to do something. The work is done if it actually gets made.

“There is rarely one right way to do something.Tweet thisTweet
Art is never finished

In the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy, there are four statues called “The Unfinished Slaves” which were sculpted Michelangelo.

The edges of the statues are very rough, not polished as you’d expect a finished work to be. In some places, you can even see the raw marble jutting from the more sculpted part of the statue. This is so uncharacteristic of the perfectionistic Michelangelo that these statues have become almost infamous in the art world. Just compare these statues to the nearly-perfect David to see the contrast. Something is up here.

Here’s the back story.

Originally, the statues were commissioned by Pope Julius for his tomb, but he died before they were finished and the funding of the project ended. Eventually, the artist did “finish” the statues, leaving four of them looking quite rough and ambiguous in form.

There are lots of theories on why they remain that way, but most art historians and critics agree there is something profound about these unfinished statues and what the have to say about art, a message that Michelangelo very well may have intended.

The statues pull away at the earth, which threatens to hold them down. These slaves are trying to liberate themselves from the material world but are still bound by it. And this, perhaps, is the job of every artist.

Leonardo da Vinci once said that “art is never finished, only abandoned,” and I believe this is true. So the trick here is to not abandon your work, but to ship it, to release it in the world whether you feel ready or not.

“Art is never finished. Only abandoned.Leonardo da VinciTweet thisTweet
Your work is done because you made it

That’s how you know. It’s finished because the deadline is here and you didn’t squander your chance to make something. You didn’t sit in the airport, waiting. You did something, and that’s what art is about.

Whether it’s polished or not, the goal is to make something. If you do that, you’re done. It won’t feel finished and won’t ever be good enough for you, but this is the burden we bear. We make books and paintings and even build businesses that aren’t perfect; but they’re better than perfect — they’re real.

Need help knowing when it’s time to ship your writing? check out Don’t Hit Publish.

When was the last time you chose to do something instead of nothing? What project are you working on that needs to ship? Share in the comments.

What It Means to be a Real Writer: An Interview With Charlie Wetzel

While you may not recognize his name you’ll definitely recognize some of the books he has written. For the last 20 years, Charlie Wetzel has been a professional writer who has published more than 80 books with John Maxwell. Together they’ve sold over 26 million copies of books like The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and Developing The Leader Within You. Nine of their books have been on the The Wall Street Journal best-seller list, and five have been on The New York Times best-seller list.

Charlie joins us today to talk about when he first realized he was a real writer, and what being a real actually means. He also discloses his writing process, and where the idea for Story Gurus came from.

The first story you’ll hear from Charlie though is how he began working with John. Charlie was a member of John’s church (John was the pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego), and Charlie’s wife worked on John’s staff.

There was an opening for a researcher to join the executive staff of the church and to work with John, Charlie was intrigued and felt it was time for a change in his career so he applied. Nine months passed and he heard nothing. But he was still feeling a need for a transition so he gave his notice to leave his role as dean of a business college.

He made a leap of faith, he felt God telling him it was time and his wife urged him to heed God’s words so he did.

That leap of faith turned out to be a smart one. Within a few weeks Charlie had been hired by John, and was quickly given the task to rewrite an existing manuscript. To add to the pressure John left for six weeks and gave Charlie no further instructions! Undaunted Charlie rewrote that manuscript, gave it to John to review who passed it on to their publisher. The publisher accepted it, and the rest is history.

That’s just one of many inspiring and incredible stories you’ll hear when you listen to this episode of The Portfolio Life!

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Charlie and I discuss:

Why was Charlie so touched by a monthly lesson John gave early in their working relationship?
What is the focus of the novel he is writing right now?
Does being a part of the audience he writes for give Charlie any advantages?
Is there any benefit to being familiar with a variety of topics as a writer?
What should you tomorrow if you want to be a professional writer?

“80% of being a writer is the grind.Tweet thisTweet
Charlie’s takeaways on when he began thinking of himself as a writer:

What is the connection between golf and The 21 Laws of Irrefutable Leadership?
What happened to the first copy of their first book they wrote together?
How many books did Charlie write in his first year working with John?
Charlie has written 89 books with John Maxwell: what has that been like?

“Creativity is essentially connecting the unconnected.Tweet thisTweet
On where ideas come from:

Can an idea be impactful if it isn’t totally original?
Where does John Maxwell’s genius reside, according to Charlie?
What do both Charlie and John think about stealing other people’s ideas?
There are two types of creativity, which type is Charlie?
What is the difference between good writers and great writers?

Resources

The Story Gurus web site
Charlie Wetzel on Twitter
Story Gurus on Facebook
Developing The Leader Within You
Developing Leaders Around You
Whitestone Motion Pictures
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes

What does it mean to you to be a real writer? Are you a real writer: why or why not? Share in the comments.

Why You Should Practice Every Day for Two Years Before You Expect to Succeed

One of the lessons I learned in researching the habits of successful creative people for my latest book is that professional artists and writers tend to develop a habit of sharing their work on a consistent basis before they ever succeed.

This is what I call “practicing in public” and in many cases, it is a process that lasts for years before the person sees any kind of measurable success. Here’s how it works.

When a young Pablo Picasso moved to Paris in 1904, he was not the world-famous painter we know him as today. Rather, he was a penniless painter whose ambitions included to “live like a pauper but with plenty of money.” And in the end, he did just that.

But how did Picasso become one of the world’s most famous and successful artists? It was not talent alone that did this. He needed the right connections, as we all do, in order to succeed; and, of course, he needed practice.

So what does a 24 year-old artist who aspires to make it big do?

Well, first he moves to one of the most creative cities in the world. In the early 1900s, Paris was just starting to become a hub of art and fashion and culture. But it was not enough for Picasso to simply relocate himself. He needed to become a integral part of the scene. And the way to do that was by finding a patron, someone who could connect him to other influencers in the art world.

In 1905, Picasso met Gertrude Stein and immediately offered to paint her. At the time, Stein was a particularly well-connected patron in the modern art scene of Paris, the same scene the young Picasso was trying to break into. Every week, the two would meet at Picasso’s studio, and he would paint her. This went one for as many as 90 sessions before the artist was finally satisfied with his work.

Most days, Stein would walk home by herself, but on Sundays, Picasso would accompany her back to her home at 27 rue de Fleurus on the other side of river. There, they would dine and discuss art, culture, and life. These dinners eventually became Stein’s weekly salons, where Paris’s leading artists, authors, and intellectuals gathered.

It was at these meetings that many artists and patrons began to hear about this new, young artist named Picasso.

How to make your work finadable

If you want to make things for a living, you have to make your work easy to discover. Which means you have to create a lot of work over a long period of time and share that work in a lot of places. The way to get found, to quote Austin Kleon, is to make yourself findable.

“The way to get found is to make yourself findable.Austin KleonTweet thisTweet

Entrepreneur Sean McCabe says if you aren’t willing to do something every single day for two years before you see the reward, then you aren’t really serious. I agree. This requires consistency and perseverance.

So let’s look back at how Picasso did this:

He didn’t just practice for any audience; he practiced for the right audience, finding a well-connected patron and offered to paint her, understanding that if she liked his work she would probably tell others about him. And she did.
He spent an incredible amount of time with her, not just painting with her but dining and conversing with her. Over time, the two became friends.
He did not settle for less than his best. Picasso painted Stein so much that he said he could no longer see her face when he looked at her. The result was a painting he was proud of and one that Gertrude was happy to hang in her home.

In short, her practiced in public. And he wasn’t the only one.

Lisa Congdon, a successful illustrator and fine artist, started sharing her visual art on Flickr every day for four years before she got paid. Eventually, though, people started offering to buy her work. The same thing happened with Stephanie Halligan, who posted a daily cartoon on her website ArtToSelf.com for two years before she sold her first print.

I wrote every day on this blog for two years before publishing my first book. Shortly after that, I published another book, launched an online course for writers, and was able to quit my job and go full-time with a writing business. My friend Ben Hardy did the same thing, writing two new articles per week on the website Medium.com for a year straight. He had been writing online for about a year before that.

Two years of steady practice. This is what it takes. But not just any practice, the kind you do in public.

The Challenge

Every day, I hear from countless creatives who have amazing work to share with the world. But they just can’t seem to break through. It’s hard these days. There’s a lot of noise and a lot of bad work out there.

Some simply give up. It just doesn’t seem worth it to try to compete with all that. This is the wrong path to pursue. It won’t make you happy, won’t fill that hole in your soul that only creation can satisfy.

If you’re serious about your art, share it. Every day. In public. This is how you get good at your craft and how you ultimately build an audience that will want to buy your work.

“If you’re serious about your art, you have to share it.Tweet thisTweet

So I want to challenge you. I’m calling this the Practice in Public Challenge. For 30 days starting today (Nov 13), I want to challenge you to one simple task:

Share one piece of your creative work every single day for thirty days straight. Tweets don’t count. Emails don’t count. Not unless you’re creating something new each time.

Do what Picasso did. Work and work and work, but do it in front of the right audience so people can see you getting better and more serious. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even begin a few conversations that could lead to something. Or maybe, worst case, you’ll just get better.

This can be anything. A blog post, a picture of a work in progress, a daily video on Facebook. The goal here is consistency and perseverance. Measure the process, not the results.

Here’s how it works:

Comment here saying “I’m in” if you’re in.
Join the “Real Artists Don’t Starve” Community on Facebook where you can get further encouragement and accountability. (Optional: You can pick up a copy of my latest book for only $2 until tomorrow. Click here to see where this is available.)
Post something new every day for the next 30 days.

That’s it! I’ll be using the Facebook group as the main place to encourage and challenge folks (and to share my own work), so make sure you join me there.

Who’s in? Let me know in the comments and leave a link to your blog.

How to Be a Successful Author in Both Fiction & Non-Fiction: Interview with Joanna Penn

Have you wondered what becoming a successful author actually takes, and if you can do it in both fiction and non-fiction? Our guest for today has authored 24 books, 14 in fiction and 10 in non-fiction.

Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn is here to talk about how she has created a personally-fulfilling and financially successful business as an author. We talk about her early days as a “corporate slave” and how she escaped her golden handcuff situation that so many others face but never leave.

She also shares how she broke through her own block around writing fiction, even after she was a published non-fiction author, and where she stands on hybrid publishing, indie publishing and traditional publishing.

Joanna also explains why you need to read and you need to write if you’re going to be a successful novelist. And we wrap up with a breakdown of how to write fiction. The step by step process goes something like this: pick a genre, understand the structure of a good book and set a deadline for yourself. You’ll hear more details on that process and why you need different platforms to be a successful author in fiction than you do in non-fiction.

If you want an in-depth look at the life of a financially successful writer who loves what she does then join us for episode 172 of The Portfolio Life!

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Joanna and I discuss:

Why does she have a secret pen name?
How does she transition between writing fiction and non-fiction?
What does she recommend doing if you are struggling to write a book?
Why are box sets so critical to your success as a fiction writer?
What is the biggest bookstore in the world?

“You get what you focus on.Joanna PennTweet thisTweet
Takeaways from Joanna about writing fiction and non-fiction

Are the only real writers the ones who write fiction?
How do Jung and Plato relate to writing fiction and non-fiction?
When does she knows she’s burned out?
When would she ever consider giving up non-fiction?
Why are horror writers the psychologically healthiest people she knows?!

“I don’t know what I think until I write it!Joanna PennTweet thisTweet
On the successful author mindset

Is multiple streams of income relevant to authors like it is to entrepreneurs?
Why the journey just begins when you finish writing your book.
What is the creative process of writing a book from idea to completion?
The tough love advice she has for aspiring authors.
What are two key pieces to make a living as a fiction writer?

Resources

The Creative Penn web site
The Creative Penn on Twitter
Career Change  by Joanna Penn
Stain of Fire  by Joanna Penn
How to Make a Living Writing, by Joanna Penn
The Successful Author Mindset, by Joanna Penn
Her blog posts on writing the first novel
The Story Grid: How to Write Fiction , by Shawn Coyne
National Novel Writing Month
Book Funnel
Amazon’s KDP Select
Bundle Rabbit
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes

What steps can you take to move forward on an idea or project you’ve wanted to do but have procrastinated working on? Share in the comments.

Get My Bestseller for Less Than a Latte

I have one important thing for you today.

Limited time discount on Real Artists Don’t Starve

If you’re an artist, creative, or writer who wants to make a living off your “art,” I have good news for you today.

I talked my publisher into discounting the digital version of my latest bestseller, Real Artists Don’t Starve, for a limited time so that you can pick up a copy for less than $2 on most sites (normally, it retails for $25).

To grab your digital copy of Real Artists Don’t Starve, select your preferred bookstore:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books a Million
iBooks
IndieBound

Disclaimer: This discount is not available everywhere, but it should be in most places. Just click the above links to see if it is available where you live. Unfortunately, I have zero control over this. Ultimately, it’s up to the bookseller. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Want to grab a copy of Real Artists Don’t Starve, but you don’t have a Kindle or e-reader? No problem. You can read any eBook on your phone, tablet or computer by downloading the free app for Kindle, Nook, etc.

Already have a copy of Real Artists Don’t Starve? Grab a copy for a friend or click here to share the discount with them.

Creating a Long-Term Marketing Plan For Your Book: An Interview with Michael Bungay Stanier

Our guest today landed a book deal with a traditional publishing firm by creating a long-term marketing plan for his books. Michael Bungay Stanier is a published author several times over, and he’s here to share why he focuses on the marketing game plan rather than certain sales milestones. He also explains how he got into writing, and why he didn’t stop with just one book.

Michael first became interested in writing and publishing because his grandma was a writer. He was impressed by that and was also big into reading at an early age. He also wrote a lot of stories but never made a commitment to becoming a writer until the early 2000s.

It was then that he came up with idea for his first book: a self-coaching book. He talked about doing it for 5 years until his cousin’s boss heard the idea and wanted to write it! Michael told his cousin he would write it, and he set about doing so.

By this time it was around 2007 or 2008, before self-publishing was as simple as it is today. Fortunately for Michael, he had an inheritance from his grandfather, and took that to self-publish his book. Once the book was written, published and launched (including an initial order of 3,000 that sold out within the first month), he was happy with his accomplishment. In fact, he thought it was the only book he was going to write!

He was wrong. Within two years he had an idea of another book, and went the self-publishing route again. Today on The Portfolio Life we talk about that idea and how it became a self-published book that was later picked up by a publishing firm. We will also dig into why he focuses on the process of a book launch rather than specific metrics and sales milestones.

And we close with the quick and dirty advice he’d give if you are thinking of self-publishing a book. It’s all here on Episode 171 of The Portfolio Life!

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Michael and I discuss:

How did he reach #2 on Amazon.com?
What is one of the prerequisites for being a good writer?
What book did he co-author with Seth Godin?
Will he write another book? Why or why not?
Why did he choose a long-term game plan for the marketing of The Coaching Habit?

“You can never control the outcome, only the process.Michael Bungay StanierTweet thisTweet
Takeaways from Michael about the launch of The Coaching Habit:

What is the greater metric of success: a big launch or selling more books year after year?
How many years did he decide he would market this book?
Who did he target to read his book in the pre-launch, and why did he choose those people?
Why didn’t he hire a publicist?
What type of bonuses did he offer, and which would he offer next time around?

“Try and do a few things and do them well.Michael Bungay StanierTweet thisTweet
Michael’s thoughts on self-publishing distribution and long-term book sales:

How does airport distribution work, and was it a good investment for him?
How many copies did he sell in the first week and the first 3 months?
What happened when his book was sold out on Amazon?
What long-term marketing approaches did he take with this book?
How did he sell 10,000 ebooks in a week?

Resources

Michael Bungay Stanier’s web site
Michael Bungay Stanier on Twitter
The Great Work podcast
The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier
Do More Great Work, by Michael Bungay Stanier
Get Unstuck and Get Going on the stuff that matters by Michael Bungay Stanier
Exactly How I Self-published My Book, Sold 180,000 Copies and Nearly Doubled My Revenue , Growth Lab article
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes

What steps can you take to move forward on an idea or project you’ve wanted to do but have procrastinated working on?

Last Day to Join Tribe Writers + Answers to Your Biggest Questions

Today is the final day. Your last chance to join Tribe Writers. After that, registration closes. Watch the video below to see if it’s right for you.

If you’re still trying to figure out if this is for you, I want to share with you a few questions I hear every time we launch this course.

Having taught this to over 6000 students, I know the objections and obstacles people face before encountering a major breakthrough in their writing careers. But instead of hearing me talk, I thought it’d be better for you to hear from some of my students.

Recently, I received a message from a woman named Becky who said:

I’ve clicked over to the Tribe Writers site a dozen times or more. It looks great, sounds great, probably is great. I’m not sure if my hesitation is fear or uncertainty. It’s a commitment (financial and time). I am just trying to get a writing career off the ground in the last few months, but I’m not sure of my direction. I’ll probably click over a few more times still!

Does this sound like you? If so, I want to address some important concerns that you might be having right now so that you can decide if this is right for you.

Question #1: “Is it worth it?”

Tribe Writers is definitely a commitment. It’s no small amount of money. So why isn’t it cheaper?

Well, in addition to the scads of content you get (three courses with 30-50 videos per course), what you’re really paying for is access — to me, my team, and to an exclusive community of people who will help you grow into the writer you’ve always dreamed of being.

If Tribe Writers were open to everyone or available at any time, it wouldn’t be special. When you join the course, you get a membership to one of the most talented, generous groups of people I have ever met. And they are truly changing the world with their words.

Students tell me all the time after taking this course that it’s something they would have paid thousands of dollars for, as you would expect of a university class. One alum, Eric, said, “I may have a Master’s in writing, but now I feel I have the tools necessary to reach my readers.”

Does it cost money? You bet. Is what you get worth what you pay? No. It’s worth a whole lot more. (See what I mean here.)

Grace Ghazarian is a Nashville-based small business owner who, as a result of Tribe Writers, started a podcast focused on helping you thrive in your own profitable business.

Question #2: “Is this right for me?”

If you feel like you were born to be a writer, if you dream of one day publishing your work and getting your message the attention it deserves, then you need to do something about that. That’s why I created Tribe Writers.

Maybe this isn’t the right program for you. That’s fine. But please, find something. You have a responsibility to share your story, your words, your ideas, with the world. I like what one student, Pamela, said:

I don’t know if I would have signed up for Tribe Writers if I hadn’t had skin cancer last year, malignant melanoma. I kept putting off my dreams, thinking I would pursue my writing next year, or after the kids left home. Taking care of everyone else, and not taking care of myself. Skin cancer was a wake up call to live today and write my stories.

You don’t have to take a writing course to take care of yourself… Maybe taking care of yourself is to take swimming lessons, or walk around the block, or take time to read a book. But if you want to pursue writing, I do recommend Tribe Writers. It is more than just a writing class, it is a life-long community of like minded people.

Since joining Tribe Writers, Pamela has been interviewed by the Huffington Post, started a blog for her cat (you heard me), interviewed famous authors like Steven Pressfield, and began writing a book and has started selling her art online.

And she is just one of many.

Question #3: “Should I do it?”

If you’re like Becky, the woman I mentioned at the beginning of this post, and you’ve visited the Tribe Writers site more than a few times, each time considering signing up but never pulling the trigger, there’s a reason for that. I don’t know if it’s fear or resistance or something else holding you back. But for a moment, I want you to forget about that and consider what might not happen if you don’t take this step:

You might not write a book.
You might not reach someone with your message, someone who really needs your words.
You might keep dreaming of becoming a writer someday instead of being one today.

That’s why I offer a money-back guarantee. Because I want this to be right for you, and it’s the best thing I can do in lieu of letting you take a “test drive.” If you sign up for the course and it isn’t everything I’ve promised, I’ll give you your money back.

In fact, you can go through the whole course for the next 30 days and still get a refund. I’ll even let you keep the downloadable bonuses. Not a bad deal, right? What do you have to lose?

Check Out Tribe Writers

Anne Peterson has published nine books, a memoir, children’s books, and a poetry grief book since taking Tribe Writers in 2012.

Question #4: “What do I get?”

I hope you’ll consider doing this. Not for me. Not even for you. But for those people who haven’t heard what you have to say, who haven’t been changed by your message but need it.

This course will give you what it takes for you to find that tribe of readers who are ready for action. That audience who will buy every book you sell and give your words the attention they merit.

Just to refresh your memory, here’s what comes with the course:

8 weeks of original content (over 30 video lessons), which people have called “life-changing”
Access to an online forum and Facebook group
Step-by-step tutorials on setting up a blog, learning how to guest post, even publishing an eBook
Expert interviews with fiction and nonfiction authors who have built successful platforms and published their work
Access to me and my team to help you work through any obstacles you encounter
$500 in signup bonuses that you can download immediately
Two bonuses courses in blogging and social media

David Villalva became a Tribe Writer, found his voice, and now helps aspiring novelists become skilled, published storytellers.

Question #5: “Will it work?”

It will if you do. Here’s what you’ll have by the end of the course:

Confidence in your writing voice and clarity in your unique message and style
A blog and email newsletter that people are actually reading and engaging with
An eBook manifesto that will help you dramatically grow your audience
The step-by-step guide I use to connect with influential people and get my work published on popular websites and magazines
A detailed plan to publish your book and start making a living as a writer

How do I know? Because I’ve done everything I teach in this course and helped thousands of others do the same. As I like to say, “If you do the work, you’ll see the results.”

So this is your final call. Tomorrow is the LAST day to register for the course. After that, registration closes, and you won’t be able to sign up until registration opens again next year.

This really is the best time to join. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, you take no risk, get a ton of bonuses, have access to an incredible community, not to mention a whole lot more. So here’s the real question…

Do you really want this?

Caroline DePalatis has been involved in international ministry for 20+ years, and discovered the encouraging support of the Tribe Writers community.

How to get started

If you’re ready to take the next step in finding the audience your writing deserves, here’s all you have to do to get started:

Visit this page before 11:59 p.m. Pacific (U.S.) Time Friday.
Choose the Student or Premium membership.
Follow the instructions to register your username and password on the membership site.
Login and get started immediately! (If you encounter any hangups, just email me.)

Don’t forget: once you’re in, you’re in for good. There are no additional charges or hidden fees. It’s a one-time deal (unless you opt for one of our affordable payment plans). I hope to see you inside!

Still have questions? Check out the live chat support on the registration page. My team will be happy to give you a quick response to your questions. Oh, and one more thing: I want to share just a few words from James, a student who has been a part of Tribe Writers since the very beginning:

Becoming a Tribe Writer has transformed me from an amateur to a professional. But not just with my writing. With my entire life. Because if any of us are going to grow, we can’t stand still. We have to step out. We have to take risks. We have to leave our comfort zone behind. If we don’t, our lives might be safer. But we won’t become the people we were made to be. Do you really want that?

That’s a powerful question. I’ll leave it up to you to answer.

Join Tribe Writers Now

How to Sell 25,000 Self-Published Books: Interview with Frank McKinley

Frank McKinley is a Tribe Writer and he recently let slip that he has sold 25,000 of his self-published books. He’s here today to talk about how this incredible feat, including valuable lessons on writing, publishing and failure.

Frank’s journey as a writer began when he was very young, in fact he says he has been writing for as long as he can remember! Writing helped him deal with the world when he was a teenager, it was therapeutic for him.

His first writing assignment came from a job interview. It was for a sales position; they didn’t hire him for the role but asked if he would write their weekly company email for the next three months. He’s still writing that company email six years later! That one assignment has grown into public speaking and giving company-wide presentations for Frank.

There’s an equally interesting story behind the origins of his first book, you’ll have to listen to this episode of The Portfolio Life to hear the details!

Listen to the podcast

To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).

Show highlights

In this episode, Frank and I discuss:

Is it possible to know if your idea will be successful?
How did damaging a customer’s roof lead to his first book?
What would he do differently if he were launching a book tomorrow?
What surprised him about the process of writing and publishing ebooks?
What are his initial steps when promoting a new book?

“Follow what is proven rather than winging it.Frank McKinleyTweet thisTweet
Takeaways from Frank on selling 25,000 self-published books

What three qualities are needed to sell 25,000 books?
Can you sell thousands of books if you don’t have an existing large audience?
What is the most important page of your book?
How and why to build relationships with your readers.
What outlets is he selling his books on and which is the most effective?

“Be willing to try, test and fail in order to succeed.Frank McKinleyTweet thisTweet
Frank’s advice for new writers who want to be professionals

How often should you write, and who should you share it with?
Should you build a blog if you don’t have an audience for your book?
When will you have a hard time selling your book?
What he learned from his failures, and what those lessons mean to you.
When do keywords matter?

Resources:

Frank McKinley’s web site
Frank McKinely on Twitter
How to Lead Unwilling Followers
10 Steps to Effective Leadership
Strong Leadership
Public Speaking Secrets
The Success Factory
The Leadership Ladder
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes

Do you have an idea for a book? What can you do right now to make that idea a reality? Share in the comments.