Jeff Goins's Blog, page 91
August 23, 2012
How to Get People Excited About Anything You Write
I can’t remember how I’ve stumbled upon some of my favorite blogs (this one included). I just did. And without fail, I show up day after day, week after week, excited to read what these writers have to say.
Photo credit: Leon E. Pannetta (Creative Commons)
Maybe you’ve had this experience, as well: you remember reading through some of the latest posts on a new blog and immediately sign up for the RSS and newsletter subscriptions.
The posts were spot-on for what you needed at the time, and they always seemed to deliver exceptional value. Despite how much these blogs have grown, you’ve always felt like the person was talking just to you.
So how do you do that?
Why we like personal blogs
When someone writes words that connect with your heart, the effect of is twofold:
You like the blog, and will continue to read it.
You will probably buy/read whatever this person comes out with.
The reason those things are important to all of us interested in building our platforms is they allow us to develop and maintain relationships with our audiences. In other words, this style of writing helps us build true community.
On my own site, I’ve coached authors, writers, and bloggers on this very subject. Some call it the “catch-22” of new-age marketing:
We can’t create something and give it to people (or sell it to them) if they’re not listening to us, and we can’t get them to listen to us without giving them something valuable first.
But is that really true? The best blogs get their communities excited and passionate, and then use that momentum to create more exciting opportunities.
Go first
If you want your community to get committed, you have to commit first.
I get emails almost every day asking the question, “How can I promote my fiction book (or book on an unrelated topic) through a nonfiction blog?”
While it’s a question that might not be relevant to you, I think the illustration that I use to answer it is a great analogy:
Imagine you’re in your living room, hanging out with a close friend who’s come over to visit. You and this friend swap the usual stories—life, work, relationship updates—and then they notice your book on the coffee table.“Hey—did you write this?” they ask.
“Sure did,” you respond, “it’s about [whatever].”
Now, do you think that person is going to be interested in purchasing your book?
Absolutely, even if only wanting to help support your art. This friend is interested in your overall well-being, not just one particular interest you might have in common.
My favorite bloggers do an exceptional job making me feel like a friend, even though I’ve never met most of them in person.
When they write, it’s like I’m being invited into their living rooms to sit down to chat. When it seems fitting to mention their latest book, course, product, or whatever, I’m going to be interested—because I like this person.
How this works (for you)
I’ve received so much value from some bloggers that I’m more than happy to help them out with whatever they need: by buying their book, promoting a product, or just bragging about them to my friends.
Why? Because they’ve demonstrated a constant commitment to helping me. I’m happy to return the favor. And here’s the best part about this commitment-trust-engagement strategy: You can replicate it.
This sort of exchange is an age-old tactic to spreading ideas: Find a group of people who share an interest in something you do, and then build a relationship with them over time. The nuts-and-bolts of it looks like this:
Find an audience. You can use a blog, Twitter, or something else, but you need to find people who share your passion.
Create stuff for your audience. This can be eBooks, blog posts, newsletters, etc. These are “value adds” that help build trust.
Turn your audience into a community. After some time, your readers will start to do the heavy lifting for you. Give them the tools to share and spread your ideas, and you can turn fans and readers into “affiliates.”
That’s all there is to it. Most of what you read about “building a platform” or “developing an online presence” can be boiled down to these three components. What holds everything together is your passion and effort.
If you make it about others, they’ll make it about you. (Tweet that.)
A final word of warning
When you do this well, there’s little your readership won’t care about. If you entice me with great content, provide massive value about something I need help with, and then over-deliver on that expectation, I’m going to be a fan of yours.
Later, if you wrote a sci-fi/fantasy epic, I’m in. Since I consider you an friend, I’d be interested in hearing about any of your upcoming projects.
But there’s a limit to what we’re “safe” to promote this way. Things that are wildly off-topic (i.e. “Hey! I’m selling used cars now!”) probably won’t be well received, nor will incessant promotions in rapid succession.
Think of this as you would anything relationship in life. Would your brother, friend, or mother-in-law be excited about an upcoming project, and be willing to support you in some way? Of course they would.
Your online network is the same way. They want to support you in whatever you do — if you care enough to treat them as you would a real friend or relative.
Most of the time, if you’ve done a great job getting to know us and building trust, we’ll want to hear about your stuff. In fact, we’ll help you with it, promote it, maybe even buy it. But treat us like we’re watching a late-night infomercial, and we’re done.
What do you think? Can you get people excited about whatever you write if you first show interest in them? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: Leon E. Pannetta (Creative Commons)
Disclosure: some of the above links are affiliate links.
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 21, 2012
How New Parenthood Is Slowly Making Me Crazy
There’s an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” So true.
That’s why I’m excited to contribute to the Wishing Well, a community of authors, bloggers, musicians, moms, dads, and medical professionals all talking about the trials and triumphs of raising a child.
As both a new dad and writer, it’s fun to read and share stories of this wild ride called parenthood.
This is a conversation facilitated by the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt here in Nashville and something I’m doing on a quarterly basis.
I’ll post excerpts here, but if you’re interested in following along more closely, I suggest you check out their website and subscribe to the new posts.
This first piece I wrote is about the craziness of being a new parent, which isn’t, I’m learning, an altogether bad thing.
Musings on new parenthood
Without further ado, here’s an excerpt from the piece:
I caught my wife rocking in place the other day — for no apparent reason.
Often, I find myself habitually humming lullabies without realizing it. Everywhere I turn, there are receiving blankets. We now own more plush toys than I ever would have imagined.
Yes, we are new parents. And yes, we’re a little crazy. But so are most new mommies and daddies, I’ve learned.
Read the rest here: New Parenthood Musings
More on being a (crazy) dad
The question I most often hear as a new dad is, “Do you just LOVE being a dad?!”
Um, well, yes… if I’m awake for it. Truth is it’s good, but not always easy. And I had no idea how much lack of sleep would wear me down emotionally, physically, even spiritually.
I have a newfound empathy for those “crazy parents” I used to see at the grocery store or out walking the dog. They were droopy-eyed and disheveled and a little unnerved.
Now, I realize: I am that crazy parent. I’m the guy who doesn’t shower for days or says crazy things in the middle of the night — out of sheer exhaustion.
I’m the guy who gets lullabies stuck in his head and can’t help but want to sway in public — without even noticing it.
And frankly, I’m okay with all of that. Because one look at this little guy makes it all worth it.
My son, Aiden.
What’s something that drives you crazy but is totally worth it? Share in the comments.
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 17, 2012
The Writing Class You Never Had
Let’s say you’ve never had a writing class in your life, but you really want to write. Let’s say you don’t know the first thing about grammar or the English language.
All you know is that you want to write. Good — that’s all you need to begin.
Photo credit: Christopher Sessums (Creative Commons)
Call this your first introduction to the true craft of writing. Not talking about writing or theorizing about words. Just writing. Let’s get started.
There are three parts to writing anything:
The beginning
The middle
The end
That’s it. It doesn’t get any more complicated. If you can write those three parts, you can write anything: a novel, a play, a book, a blog post. So let’s break it down a little further, step by step:
Beginning: Show up
Sit down. Firmly plant your butt in the chair and keep it there for a set time. Whether it’s five minutes or five hours, STAY PUT.
Stay put until you write something. I don’t care if you squander forty-five minutes and then rush to write 500 words in those last five minutes. Just don’t leave until you have words on the screen or paper.
Keep showing up. Do this again and again and again until it becomes a habit. It doesn’t matter for how long; just keep doing it. Frequency trumps length.
Middle: Make it ugly
Don’t wait for inspiration. Write something terrible and ugly first, so that you can make it better later.
Just write. Don’t edit, don’t think about it, don’t go back and correct. Just write. It really is that simple.
Start writing nonsense. If nothing comes to you and you aren’t sure where to begin, just start writing. I don’t care if it’s asdjkl vbnm. If you write gobbledy-gook long enough, the real words will come.
At first it will be ugly and that’s okay. Natural even. This is not the stage for perfection. It’s time to make something; tweak later.
End: Murder all nonessentials
It’s editing time. Pull out your red pen and be brutal. When you were writing, you put the perfectionist away. Now, bring out the anal retentive jerk who’s never satisfied with anything. This is where your work begins to sing, where it truly gets good.
Kill your darlings. Cross out everything that doesn’t work, even those beautiful, irrelevant phrases that you just can’t bear to live without. Those are your “darlings;” aim and fire. They deserve to die.
Cut weak words. Any word that doesn’t absolutely need to be there needs to go. Especially lazy words like adverbs (don’t tell me he said something intelligently; show me his intelligence by what he says).
Class dismissed. (Want more of this sort of thing? Check out my upcoming writing course.)
Any questions? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: Christopher Sessums (Creative Commons)
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 15, 2012
The Athletics of Art
With the Olympics having just finished, it’s an exciting time to be a soccer fan. But it’s a lot different watching a sport as a fan after you’ve competed professionally. It’s even more surreal having played for one of the world-class coaches you see on TV.
Photo credit: Sally (Creative Commons)
I remember anticipating our first practice: When would we meet? What would we do?
This guy had worked with some of the best players in the world. Where would we begin: film study, formations, finishing techniques? Maybe, I thought, he’ll reveal some of the tactical secrets that helped him win the World Cup.
When training camp finally arrived, I couldn’t have been more disappointed. I was stunned, almost insulted. What happened was the last thing I expected but the first thing I needed.
Going back to the basics
Looking back, the experience not only changed my game; it changed my life. And now, it’s changed my approach to writing.
Here’s what I learned from a world-class coach about athletics, art, or any craft: You never get past the fundamentals.
“I want you guys to pass and receive, pass and receive,” our coach shouted at us that first practice.”Make that ball roll!”
Was this a joke? Two cones ten feet apart — it looked like something set up for the little girls playing lollypop soccer. What was going on here?
I was training with a world-class coach, and we were working on this? I didn’t get it.
The school of repetition
Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, and weeks became months. An hour a day, every day. Just passing and receiving. We had been admitted to the school of repetition.
Albert Einstein once rightly said,
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
Truth be told, no one can make us better at something. That’s our job. A coach, mentor, or teacher’s primary responsibility is to open our eyes, to show us what it takes.
Then, and only then, the decision is ours. Repetition is the key to understanding.
Revelations from repetition
The more we passed that ball back and forth, the more frustrated I became — until one day when it finally clicked.
I realized something: I was getting better at my craft than ever before. All because of repeating the same fundamentals I learned when I first kicked a soccer ball.
Einstein was right. The best teachers awaken an awareness of what it takes. Through repetition they help us realize the repetitive requirment for creating great art.
Here’s why, I learned, we need repetition:
Repetition tries our intentions. The thought of creating art is appealing to almost everyone. But the commitment and discipline required to make it is another story. People pay big money to set up a blog or get private lessons, but those same people quit quickly when nothing happens overnight. Why? Because maybe they confused a desire to create with a need for affirmation.
Repetition eliminates misconception. Have you ever watched someone playing golf and thought, “I could do that!” We all do this with something. But one trip to the driving range quickly brings us back to reality. I appreciate great writing; however, writing it is another story.
Repetition deepens our understanding. I never knew there was so much to passing a soccer ball. When you commit to mastering the fundamentals of your craft, you begin to understand what you’re dealing with. You start seeing all the moving parts. In my life, this has proven to be true with writing, leading, parenting, and so much more.
Repetition saves time. Doesn’t sound right, does it? How can doing something over and over save you time? Repetition might take time initially, but it increases efficiency. With soccer, becoming a better passer meant learning how to keep the ball on the ground, which helps it move faster and makes it easier to handle. All of this eventually saves you time.
Coaching my son’s soccer team for the time this past spring, there seemed to be an unannounced expectation for the “former pro” to show the seven-year-olds a few secrets.
To their surprise, and my satisfaction, they learned the world-class secret to success: repetition.
What have you learned about art from repetition? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: Sally (Creative Commons)
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 13, 2012
My Morning Routine in 10 Simple Steps
People often ask what my writing schedule looks like. This is always a hard question to answer, because I’m not much of a structure guy. But I see the value in establishing routines, especially in the morning.
Photo credit: Roger Price (Creative Commons)
This can be a challenge, because routines are all about you and your personality. So they should vary from person to person.
I like what Seth Godin said when Brian Clark asked him how he wrote every day. Seth refused to answer, and then he said:
There is this feeling that if we ate the same breakfast cereal a Stephen King ate, that we’d be able to write like Stephen King writes.
So true. Routines are important, but only if you make them your own. Simply copying someone else’s routine probably won’t work.
Why we need routines
Routines are not fun. They’re not creative or imaginative. And frankly, I hate doing them. But routines can do a lot of good, if we can get into the regular discipline of practicing them.
Why is this? Because they help make room in our lives for other things. Having an established routine in the morning is a great way to start the day, because it gets you going in the right direction. Plus, it allows you focus on other things throughout the day.
In our busy lives, sometimes we need to do a few things by rote simply to ensure they get done. Otherwise, you spend the rest of the day playing “catch up.”
This feeling of being left behind is stressful. A morning routine can bring you peace and give the rest of your day purpose.
This is not law
The reality of routines is they’re usually so quirky and idiosyncratic that they really only work for the person practicing them.
And that’s the point: Find a system that helps you get the work done and use it.
What’s important is not what your routine looks like, but that you have one. Everyone’s is different, but creating your own process for starting the day is a helpful discipline.
So I thought it might be helpful to share my routine — not because it’s the only way to start a day, but rather because it may help you consider what your could look like.
My routine
Every day doesn’t look exactly the same for me, but this is the routine I’ve been using and it seems to be working:
Wake up. Usually around 5 or 6 am (whenever our son gets hungry). Hand the baby to my wife to feed him.
Take a shower. Then get dressed and go downstairs.
Make breakfast. Usually eggs (I try to start the day with protein, not carbs). Start boiling water for French press coffee.
Write something, anything. This can be a blog post, book chapter, article, or just some random notes to myself. For me, it’s not about what I write as much as it is important just to write. Usually, I wrote around 1000 words; sometimes less, sometimes more. As I do this, I drink coffee and listen to ambient music.
Check email. Reply to the most important items. Delete everything I don’t need from the previous day.
Check in on social media. If I’ve written a post for the day, this is when I would share it.
Finish coffee. At this point, it’s usually cold, because I forgot to drink in my haste to begin writing.
Read something. This may be a novel, the Bible, or one of many nonfiction books I am in the middle of. Whatever it is, it must be analog. I find holding a book activates a different part of my brain than reading on a screen.
Go for a walk. I often use taking the dog for a walk as an excuse to get some exercise. I use this time to think, pray, and collect my thoughts for the day.
Drink a large glass of water (at least a liter). Then sit at my “desk” (i.e. the kitchen table, couch, or actual desk) and start working (I work a day job from home).
Every day is unique and different, but that’s what my routine has looked like lately. As our son gets older, I’m sure this will change. But for now, this is what works.
Having a routine is not something that comes natural to me, but it’s nonetheless important. I discipline myself to have this structure, because it helps me be creative in other parts of my life.
Other people’s routines
To see other morning routines, check out the following:
Leo Babauta’s Morning Routine [zen habits]
Top 10 Ways to Upgrade Your Morning Routine [Lifehacker]
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast [Fast Company]
The Morning Ritual [Hack the System]
Create a Morning Writing Ritual [Freelance Switch]
Slay Your Dragons Before Breakfast [Michael Hyatt]
What does your morning routine look like? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: Roger Price (Creative Commons)
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 10, 2012
The Unexpected Path to Finding Your Dream
It’s the one question that plagues us, the apparition that haunts all our creative pursuits. We are consumed with it — this insecurity, this fear. This questioning of ourselves.
Photo credit: Eduardo Unda
What is it?
One simple phrase. One seemingly harmless question that keeps us in the Valley of Amateurs when we should be climbing Professional’s Peak:
What am I supposed to do?
What should I write about? Or sing about or talk about or just plain create? Where do I begin?
The answer, my friends, is ANYWHERE. Start here, start there. Just begin. This truly, verily, is indeed the hardest part. I promise you that.
“I could never do that.”
This week, I had a great phone conversation with my friend Bryan Allain, who’s doing some really amazing stuff right now.
Of particular note, he’s on his way to launching a passion business, something he’s wanted to do for 10 years (ever since he started blogging).
As he steps out into a dream, people tell Bryan, “I could never do that.” Or they say they’d like to but aren’t quite sure whereto start.
Really, at the heart of it, they’re afraid. They want a map and instead they’ve been given a globe.
Maps and globes
Maps are easy. They’re flat and predictable, easy to use to chart out a course. Maps are about points: starting points and destination points.
But maps are also unrealistic. Because the world isn’t flat; it’s not color-coded and foldable. The world is complex, which is why a globe is a better picture of how we navigate through life.
A globe spins. Really nice globes are topographical, raised in areas where there are mountains. Globes are not the easiest tools in the world to use, but they’re a good picture of our lives.
You use a map to travel from state to state, but you use a globe to travel the world. Which would you rather use for your life?
We’re not in Kansas anymore
Back to Bryan. When people ask him the specifics of how he’s pursuing his dream, he’s honest.
He doesn’t have a map. He’s not even sure what the destination is. All he cares about is moving forward. And that’s all you should care about, too.
The analogy Bryan draws is this: Say you live in Kansas. It’s not a bad place to live, but you long for the beach. You dream of the waves and sand and sunsets. But you never leave home, because you’re not quite sure exactly where on the beach you want to go.
What Bryan would say, and I would echo, is this: Get out of Kansas. That’s your first step. Begin to head towards water. As you move, you’ll find the beach, and once you’re there, you can pick whatever spot you like.
“The path to your dream is more about direction than destination.”
—Bryan Allain (Tweet this)
Your dream is bigger than you think
Most dreams aren’t small. They’re big and grandiose; that’s why they’re called “dreams.” When you start moving towards yours, you may find it’s wider than you first thought.
That’s because your dream may not be just one thing. It may be many things, and that’s okay.
The point is to not sit still and wait. To not squander your days and nights and weekends, holding out for some gatekeeper to give you permission. To not wait for someone to pick you.
Your beach is waiting. There’s an entire waterfront ready to be explored. Go find it.
Are you waiting for perfection before you begin to pursue your dream? Maybe it’s time to start moving. Share your journey in the comments.
Note: The $0.99 eBook promo for my new book, Wrecked, goes away at the end of the day today. Get your copy here.
*Photo credit: Eduardo Unda
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 7, 2012
My Personal Campaign to Defeat Fifty Shades of Grey
You don’t have to look very far to see that E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is everywhere: in the check-out line, at the bookstore, maybe even on your mom’s bedside table (just don’t go searching for it at the library).
Amazon Best Sellers List
And of course, it’s at the top of Amazon’s Best Sellers List — consistently every day, without fail, for 150 days straight.
It’s time for a change
As you know, my book just came out last week, and many of you bought it (thanks for that). It ranked as high as #18 on the Best Sellers list on Amazon and #14 on Barnes & Noble.
But we never beat Fifty Shades of Grey. And something about that just feels wrong. So I want a redo. A mulligan, if you will.
If you’re not up for some friendly competition (all in good fun), then stop reading right now. But if you are interested in joining me on my epic quest against “mommy porn,” then read on…
How the Amazon Best Sellers List works
Someone texted me the other night, asking how to get on the Top 100 Books list on Amazon. It’s not as hard as you might think.
There are actually several lists, including one for Kindle (both free and paid) as well as one for print books. Since Amazon updates its list hourly, all you really have to do is sell a decent amount of books in a short amount of time.
It varies every day, but you can get into the Top 1000 with a few hundred sales, maybe even the top 500 (I know this, because You Are a Writer sold around 500 books its first week and was ranked 500-something).
The Top 100 is a little trickier, but still not impossible, even for a first-time author. All it takes is a small, but dedicated tribe of readers buying your book at the same time, and you can climb the ranks quickly.
My theory
Since the list is updated hourly, I had a thought: What if someone decided to get a bunch of people to all buy a book at the same time? How many would it take to hit the Top 10, maybe even the #1 spot?
That’s where you come in.
For this week only, I talked my publisher into making the eBook version of Wrecked available for only $0.99 (which is something like a 92% discount — crazy!).
A dollar is about as cheap as we can make it, so I’m hoping those who haven’t gotten the book yet will jump on this deal. And for those who have gotten it, I hope you share this with friends. Maybe even consider picking up an extra or gifting it to someone.
Mostly, though, I hope we can conquer E.L. James and her tyrannical rule over all other worthy books. It’s time for the queen to be dethroned.
Why you should join me
Let’s be honest. Nobody’s getting rich off a 99-cent eBook. Our goal is simple (and innocent): We want to get the book into as many hands as possible. And despite the hyperbole in this post, I have absolutely no malicious intent towards Ms. James.
I’m just curious to see if you can use an online tribe to quickly climb the lists — and what that attention could mean for the future reach of your book.
As always, I’ll gladly share whatever I learn with my readers (I know many of you are writers yourselves). I did this when I experimented with giving away over 24,000 copies of my eBook (which you can read more about here), and a lot of people appreciated it.
So if you toss your buck into the pot, here’s what you get:
A great deal on a book people are already raving about (over 80 reviews on Amazon, mostly five-star).
A chance to learn what it takes to climb the Best Sellers list on Amazon.
The opportunity to be part of something epic.
Not bad, right?
So… are you in?
If you’re onboard with this experiment, and you’ve got a buck to spare, here’s what I’m inviting (not forcing) you to do:
Go buy the book. Preferably as soon as you’re done reading this. I had a clever idea about telling you do it at a certain time of day, but that just gets too complicated. Get it this week (or gift it to a friend) for only $1. Do this before Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012 (when the offer ends).
Tell your friends. The best place to send them is straight to Amazon (here’s the short link: http://amzn.to/ONaUSE). Second best is the book site. If you’re on Twitter, you can click here to tweet a message.
Don’t have an eReader? No problem. Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have free desktop apps to read eBooks on your phone, computer, or mobile device.
Ready to do this? Go grab your copy on Amazon (also available for Nook and other devices — see the full list here). Let’s see what kind of damage we can do.
Don’t do it for me. Do it for Telly.
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 6, 2012
The Most Trying Part of Living a Good Story
I watched The Lord of the Rings with my son this weekend and was struck by a particular quote. It said a lot about the hardship of life and what it takes to live a good story.
Photo credit: TheOneRing.net
Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were.
And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
Our lives as stories
I don’t know what life is like for you, but for me it can sometimes seem difficult. There are things I want to do — aspirations and dreams I have for myself.
And much to my surprise, I don’t always get to do that. So I huff and puff and throw my little tantrums. And then I remember.
It’s a simple lesson I regularly preach to the choir, one I relentlessly remind other writers and communicators about all the time. And ironically, one I am terrible at practicing.
Good stories involve conflict, which is a nice word for pain. People don’t become heroes without sacrifice, and as creatures of comfort, this is the last thing we want to endure.
Surely, our stories don’t have to require suffering in order them to be good — do they? They do, indeed.
Why am I sharing this with you?
We all have a story to tell: it’s the one we’re living. And we don’t get to tell that story by playing it safe and pretending the narrative is just about us.
No, there is something bigger happening than you getting up, drinking your coffee, taking out the garbage, and going to work. I know sometimes it feels like that, and other times it feels like the pain will never go away.
But all of this is trying to teach us something, to point us to a new revelation.
I won’t pretend like I have it all figured out; I don’t. But what I do know is there’s something liberating about letting go and realizing the story doesn’t have to be completely about me.
The cure for selfishness
Happiness is a paradox. The best way to be happy is to not try to be happy.
Why? Because happiness is a byproduct of living into your calling, and a self-centered life is ultimately a shallow, unsatisfying one.
Ever seen that show Toddlers and Tiaras? Talk about a perfect illustration of the ugliness of getting what you want.
I remember when my siblings were in their terrible twos — and threes and fours and fives. Toddlers aren’t always fun to be around (one time, my sister hit me in the face with a remote control, giving me a black eye).
But let’s face it: sometimes, we are those screaming little girls who haven’t gotten their way. We think life is about our comfort. It’s not; it’s about others.
We are our most fulfilled when pouring out our lives for something larger than us. (Of course, there is a cost to this.)
Consequences of living this way
Here’s where it gets real — where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. I don’t want to get preachy, but you’ve only got one shot at this thing. Don’t you want to make it count? If you’re feeling that dissatisfaction that plagues so many, here’s the solution:
Find a bigger story.
You making a lot of money to retire early — that’s a small story. You getting out of debt to help others live free lives — that’s a bigger story.
Still, it’s one thing to talk about this stuff and quite another to do it. So let’s say you want to live a good story. Get ready, because this is gonna hurt.
Remember these three realities:
Good stories don’t have predictable endings. So let go of your silly little plans and embrace the journey.
Heroes don’t always feel like heroes. Being heroic means doing the hard thing, which often hurts at the time.
Pain is how we grow. A character doesn’t change without it, so stop finding ways to avoid discomfort. Step into the inconvenience.
So how about it? Are you ready to start living a bigger story? Here’s a pledge I’m making (feel free to join me):
Today, I choose more than me. I invite the bigger story. (Tweet that.)
What does living a “bigger story” look like for you? Share in the comments. (If you’re looking for an example, read this post by Jeremy Statton.)
*Photo credit: TheOneRing.net
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 3, 2012
Can I Come Over to Your Place? (Introducing My Online Book Tour)
“So… will you be doing a book tour?”
Aside from being confused for Rupert Grint (AKA Ron Weasley), this is the number one question I get asked nowadays. And I always feel like a loser for how I answer it.
Photo credit: nSeika (Creative Commons)
After the book launch, will I tour the country, speaking to audiences?
N ah.
I usually tell people, “That’s not how it works anymore.”
Of course, plenty of authors still do book tours and are quite successful doing them. But fortunately, with the Internet, it’s not the only choice we have anymore. And with a newborn and day job, I’m grateful.
An online book tour? Why not?
So can you still spread the word about a book without leaving your home? Let’s figure it out together.
I’d like to do an online book tour with you, if you’re up for it. If you’ve got a blog, website, podcast, YouTube channel, or some online platform, I’d love to connect with you to share the message of my new book, Wrecked.
If you’re interested, here’s what you need to do:
Email me at jeff@goinswriter.com. In the subject line, include “Wrecked Book Tour.” In the body, share why I should visit your blog/website and what you want to do (e.g. giveaway, contest, Q&A, etc.). We can’t choose everyone, so the best ideas will win. Cutoff date for submissions will be Aug. 9.
Include a few dates that work for your schedule. My assistant Jamie will help schedule these, and we’ll get back to you about setting up a time to chat. The number of responses will determine how many we do and for how long.
Publish the post, interview, or whatever. Once it goes live, I’ll link to your post from a special “Online Book Tour” page on my blog (we’ll update this as we go).
That’s it! You don’t need a big platform to be eligible. More than anything, I’m looking for fun ideas to get the word out about the book without having to leave my family.
First stops on the tour
This week, I’ve already started doing this. Here are a few places I’ve stopped to share about Wrecked already (these are guest posts and special appearances on blogs, websites, and online communities):
The Day My Story Stopped Being About Me [Prodigal Magazine]
The Surprising Secret to Satisfaction [Ken Davis]
When You Realize You’re Living in a Bubble [Michael Hyatt]
[Seth Barnes]
The Commitment Conundrum [Catalyst]
Wrecked [The Handwritten]
What Everyone Needs to Know About Wrecked [RevTrev]
You can also read early reviews of the book here.
I’d love to hear what ideas you have for the online book tour? See you at the event today and hope to hear from you soon!
Today, I’m hosting a free, live event to talk about my new book — how I wrote it, what it took to get published, and why I asked a group of strangers to promote it. I’ll also answer questions about blogging, writing, and building a platform. To join us at 1pm Central U.S. Time, sign up at Shindig.com.
What do you think about book tours? Are they still relevant? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: nSeika (Creative Commons)
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Have you been WRECKED?
August 1, 2012
I’ll Pay You $158 to Get Wrecked
As you may know, my first trade book, Wrecked, goes on sale today. I told you to wait to buy it — that I would make it worth your while. And now, it’s time.
I won’t spend any time telling you about the book. You can find all that, plus the 38 endorsements from people like Shane Claiborne, Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Mary DeMuth, Chris Guillebeau, Jon Acuff, and many more at the book site.
However, I do want to share with you why you shouldn’t wait any longer to get this book.
The wait is over
If you’re like me, you usually wait a few weeks or months after a book comes out before you buy it. Why? Because you want to make sure it’s good — and that it’s worth your money.
But you don’t have to do that with this book. Here’s why:
People have already read and reviewed it — and they’re raving about it.
It’s not that much money. It retails at $13.99, but you can find it on-sale at most outlets for around $10. Not too bad, right?
I’m going to offer you a crazy bribe to buy it now — one you can’t refuse.
I’m excited to share this with you; can you tell?
The “bribe”
If you order my book, Wrecked, this week, I’ll send you six amazing gifts at absolutely no cost to you:
All electronic versions of the book, including Nook, Kindle, and PDF for you to read on the device of your choosing (a $31.47 collection).
Advance download of the unabridged audiobook — three months before anyone else will be able to buy it ($29.99 value).
The 10-week “action guide” for group or individual study (an exclusive guide valued at $12.99).
A complimentary copy of my latest eBook, You Are a Writer, an Amazon bestseller — in Nook, Kindle, and PDF formats (a $14.97 value).
Free download of my hour-long audio program, The Writer’s Studio, plus a companion worksheet (a $19.98 value) .
50% off my upcoming online writing course, Tribe Writers (a value of $49.50).
That’s over $158.00 in free stuff for a book that retails at $13.99. So even if you don’t like it (which I don’t anticipate), you’re going to get a great deal.
Why I’m doing this
Traditional book publishing is a little funny. A lot of importance is placed on the first week a book is released. If it does well the first week, it has a greater opportunity for book stores to pick it up. If not, it may struggle to gain enough momentum to succeed.
These incentives are my way of rewarding my tribe and giving my book a fighting chance.
Look, I won’t be getting rich off this book. It’s not about that. What I care about is the message of Wrecked and getting it in front as many people as possible.
Will you help me do that?
How to get the book (and all the other stuff)
In order to be eligible for the six gifts, you need to do the following before Aug. 5:
Buy the book this week at your favorite online or local retailer. The hard copy is priced at $13.99, but most places are selling it for around $10. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, Christian Book Distributors, Parable, and other book stores.
Email a copy of your receipt to wrecked@goinswriter.com. If you buy online, you can just forward the email receipt you get. If you buy at a brick-and-mortar store, you’ll need to scan the receipt and email it to the address above.
Confirm you’re a real person. You’ll get an automatic response sent back to you when you submit your receipt.
Once we confirm your address, we’ll send a link to the exclusive download page where you can get your six gifts.
Again, I hope you’ll consider helping me spread the message of Wrecked by picking up a copy this week. If you pre-ordered one, consider buying one for a friend. Getting all this stuff will be worth it.
Don’t forget: This offer goes away forever on August 5, 2012, so make sure you act this week. And tell your friends! (To share this, click here to tweet and here to share on Facebook.)
Ready to get Wrecked? Click here to find out more about the book.
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Have you been WRECKED?
