Jonas Eriksson's Blog: Jonaswrites.com - official site of author and writer Jonas Eriksson, page 7

Did You Have Snickers In Your Sleep Again?

I would add “unhappy” to the picture above and I’m sure the cat wouldn’t have the energy to disapprove.

You wake up with a slight headache. You stumble in to the bathroom and lean your hands on the sink and look into the mirror. The close-up of your face is not to your liking. There are deep lines there you haven’t seen before and unruly hairs are jutting out from your face. But you’re too lazy to plug in your electric razor. Instead you touch your doughy belly and wonder why there are remnants of peanuts and chocolate in your underpants. Have you had a Snickers in your sleep again?

I’m not sure if you’ve ever had an experience close to the above. I have. Sort of (without the Snickers in my underwear.) And that’s when I told myself I need to get myself into shape.

This was a few years ago. Since then I’ve worked out almost every, or at least every other, morning.  It’s not like clockwork, but almost. My body craves exercise, otherwise it will feel like a loaf of bread.

So I wake up at 6-ish and head to the gym or take a jog by the ocean. It sounds like it’s always easy. It isn’t. But without it, stress and self-doubt seems to build up like a mountain of pancakes.

Without exercise, sickness creeps inside your bones like snakes in the grass and you get colds, creaking joints, a flappy stomach and because of all this – a generally negative outlook on life.

It’s so simple really, no-one will ever feel worse through exercise, which means that a 100% would feel better. If ever so slightly, it’s worth it. Sweat. It. Out.

You don’t need to go to the gym of course, you can jog, walk, play sports, do yoga or whatever is easiest for you. You just need to force it into your schedule, at least 3-4 times a week. Don’t go two days without exercise, that’s my guideline. After three days you start losing your rhythm and then it’s easy to slip back into your unhappy self.

No fat cat is happy, so let’s get some positive routines going.

If you want to read more about why your appearance matters, you can read this post.

(Talking about positive routines, this goes for everything you do. Whether it’s writing, exercising, or just making sure you take out the trash.)

One Man Marketing Band

When you’re hustling to become the next big thing and you don’t have the budget of Brangelina’s landscape architect, you need to become a one man marketing band. This goes for independent authors, musicians, artists and actors. You need to get your name out there while trying to perfect your craft – usually with limited time and money. This will sometimes feel like mission impossible. Without Tom Cruise.

But it isn’t. There are too many examples to prove the opposite, too many entrepreneurs, independent musicians, authors and artist who have made it, largely on their own, thanks to three vital ingredients: quality of work, persistence and smarts.

It’s tough to be a one man marketing band. You need to work hard on building your platform, either through social media or just networking like hell in real life. You need to produce enough quality material to drive interest and you need to make sure people come back for more. You need to be an artist, agent, social media specialist, web conversion optimizer, designer, blogger, and much more – in one.

One way of being less lonely is obviously to get a little help from your friends. You probably know some talented designers, writers or marketing people who can give you advice and possibly even help you with some of the tasks you need. I know I can attribute some of my success with my books to Etienne Bugeja who designed the covers or to Lenah who read them over and over again and came with much needed feedback. You simply can’t do it all alone.

But it does give you a good start (and you’ll learn a LOT) to do some of the things yourself. Here are some of the things I do as a “one man marketing band”:

1. Use social media to build a base of readers. I mostly use Twitter and Facebook but also G+. I tweet and post using Hootsuite.

2. WordPress to create this blog. More about my tools here.

3. Design my covers using Pixelmator and Shutterstock (unless I get help).

4. Publish books through Kindle Select, Smashwords and iTunes.

5. Use Google Analytics to measure my readership.

6. Optimize my blog and landing pages with Optimizely.

7. Format my books with the help of Calibre.

8. Purchase ad space using sites like freebooksy.com, bookbub.com etc.

9. Send out books for review to sites and magazines.

10. Run Giveaways on Goodreads.

11. Post on forums and blogs to gain visibility.

12. More stuff I can’t think of right now.

And when I don’t do all those things, I write.

 

A/B-Testing Book Covers

 

Here you have two covers of the same novel, my Hollywood love story called Hollywood Ass.

Despite positive reviews and feedback, it hasn’t really taken off in sales, the way The Wake-Up Call did, so I decided to put my online marketing cap on (an indie author is really like a  one marketing man band) and A/B-test two different book covers.

Since Amazon doesn’t allow you to see traffic to your book page or any kind of conversion figures, everything boils down to sales and setting up short links to bit.ly – but I hope I can still see a positive or negative pattern and be able to compare the two.

The funny thing is that as an independent author, one of the perks is that you don’t have to compromise with your publisher’s wishes. You are your publisher, marketing machine, agent etc. But you’re obviously still a slave to sales. Because if nobody is downloading/reading your book, what’s the point of it?

So you fiddle around with different things like book covers, descriptions, blurbs, reviews. You buy media space on different sites and networks. You stay active on Goodreads, you take an outrageously attractive author photo, and you hope to see your numbers spike.

We have to use the weapons given to us. That’s the name of the game.

And the weapon I’m using right now is A/B-testing book covers. But while I wait for the results I would love if you could comment on this blog on which one you prefer. Book cover 1 (original to the left) or 2?

Thanks for your help and have a nice weekend.

 

 

I’m Too Friendly With Cab Drivers

I sometimes get complaints from family and friends that I’m too friendly with cab drivers. This doesn’t mean I ask them for their numbers or touch their inner thighs while they drive, it just means I’m generally curious about people (in general, not only cab drivers) and think there’s always a chance I might learn something new.

But this is not about cab drivers, it’s about execution. And it’s not about executing cab drivers, because that would be a sad and horrible topic. It’s about executing ideas.

You see, an idea is not worth much in itself – it’s the execution of it that matters.

The reason I started this post about cab drivers was that a few months ago I had a conversation with a cab driver in Stockholm who just couldn’t wait to tell me about all his business ideas. This guy was brimming with energy, but there was something sad about him too, a feeling of: “but this will never happen, because I’m not that guy.”

He saw himself as a dreamer and a thinker, not the guy who got things done. A very frustrating feeling.

A lot of people have great ideas, but very few have the guts and the determination to make something out of them. I didn’t include money there, because I don’t think it’s about money. If you have the idea, the belief in it and the skills to transmit that belief, you’ll find someone to back you up financially. There are a lot of wealthy people looking for ideas to throw their money at. Go to a casino and drag them out into the sunlight.

But maybe you don’t feel confident selling your idea to people, maybe you’re more like the operations guy/girl? Then you should do what most successful entrepreneurs do, find someone to help you out.

Don’t see it as someone else getting their hands on your precious (for now, imagined) millions, see it as a way, perhaps the only way, to achieve your dreams. We can’t simply cover all aspects of a business and do everything alone – we need help and that’s fine. Besides, it’s much more fun to work together.

So maybe if the cab driver just found himself someone who could cover his weaknesses and let him focus on his strengths, maybe then he could be the next Mark Zuckerberg?

Summary (because people love bullets):

If you have lots of ideas, write them down and try to assess the most reasonable one.
Then think of someone in your network who you could trust and who would be a good match in realizing it.
Approach him or her and tell them about your idea and how they could feature in it.
If that didn’t work, think of someone else you could work with or another idea for the person you approached in the first place.
Start working together towards your dream(s).

Drive that cab forwards!

Why You Should Work On Your Storytelling

The simply answer is: because it matters. In everything we do. From the dinner table, to a conversation with a stranger on a train, even in how corporations interact with their consumers (there’s a job called corporate storyteller).

We all tell stories, anecdotes or episodes from our lives, so in a way we’re all storytellers. So even if you don’t write or tell stories for a living, you probably do it when you’re with friends or family. Our lives are made up of stories and we shouldn’t be afraid to tell them, because our stories are what makes us alive.

Sometimes when I’m at a dinner or an event and there’s a lull in the conversation (or the conversation simply wasn’t there in the first place), I think about this. Why are we talking about these mundane everyday things like how much the price has gone up on gas, or how the weather is or where you can get a really nice steak? Why don’t we share more of ourselves? Why don’t we open up and tell people about our fears and insecurities, about both good and bad things that have happened to us, why don’t we spread our learnings and become more personal?

We could be so much more entertaining and create deeper and more giving relationships by telling stories. Because everyone loves a good story. And everyone has at least one, probably many.

We watch films and books and dive deep into the lives of others through reality-TV, sitcoms and series – but we too seldom delve into the lives of each other, the people we know and hang out with daily, and into ourselves.

There’s so much there if we just open up.

And by stories I don’t only mean talking about your eye-opening year with the Buddhist monks in Nepal, I mean that and everyday stuff. Your feelings. Who you are.

What did you think about when you were waiting for the bus today? What scent brought you back to your childhood when you were shopping for groceries?  How do you feel about stuff? About your life?

From quick laughs to life-changing and inspiring events – we need to tell our stories and share our feelings and faults. That’s what makes us human and that’s what makes us interesting.

I hereby relieve you of  trying to be someone else than who you really are. Tell your stories. Dare to be a little more of yourself.

You Probably Don’t Have Time To Read This

So I better make it quick.

This is true for most things to today. Our brains are wired to juggle images and impressions at such neck-snapping speed, it’s a wonder we ever learn anything.

You need to take this into account when you write. Especially for the web.

What this means for your writing? A few things:

* You need to get to the point quicker

* Shorter sentences makes for faster grasp.

* Try to avoid complicated words and sentence structures.

* Focus on what’s important – what do you want to get across?

* Entertain (makes it more enjoyable to read).

* Tell a story (information told in a story is almost always easier to remember).

Then there are obviously more visual things to take into consideration. Make sure the text is clean and not too wide so the eye doesn’t have to travel. Avoid clutter – on your websites and in your presentations.

And if you find most websites difficult to read, you can always try the Readability app.

Take Your Writing Seriously

I know a lot of people who love to write and who write for a living. They like to put their thinking on paper, but they’re not so worried about the process, the tools, and the fundamentals. They’re content with just writing, writing, writing and they think they’re pretty good at it.

Contrary to what many think, you’re not born a good writer. It requires practice and study like anything else. You definitely need the basic grammar skills (the fundamentals) and you need to work hard on what you write. In short: you need to take your writing seriously.

If you really want it to matter to someone you need to ask yourself a few questions:

* Why am I writing this?

* Who am I expecting to read it?

* What do I want them to think or feel when reading it?

* Where am I right now? How am I doing?

You need a purpose. You need to ask yourself the right questions and you need to polish your writing until it achieves the goals you’ve set up for yourself.

If you rarely rewrite something you’ve written, it’s hard to call yourself a writer.

And once is not enough. You need to “kill your darlings” over and over again and polish your writing until it truly shines.

There are many ways to improve as a writer. Here’s a short list:

* Read a lot and write a lot.

* Dare to ask the hard questions (see above).

* Read your writing out loud.

* Let others read it before it’s published /finished – don’t be afraid of criticism.

* Rewrite it until it shines (kill your darlings).

Take your writing seriously and it will be ten times more fun.

Why You Should Choose Yourself

Recently I finished the wonderful book “Choose Yourself” by James Altucher.  James writes one of the most honest and thought-provoking blogs in the world and has interesting view on just about anything. Here’s the first paragraph in the Amazon description:

The world is changing. Markets have crashed. Jobs have disappeared. Industries have been disrupted and are being remade before our eyes. Everything we aspired to for “security,” everything we thought was “safe,” no longer is: College. Employment. Retirement. Government. It’s all crumbling down. In every part of society, the middlemen are being pushed out of the picture. No longer is someone coming to hire you, to invest in your company, to sign you, to pick you. It’s on you to make the most important decision in your life: Choose Yourself.

Sounds interesting, right? It is! Check it out at Amazon. (Buying it through this affiliate link gives a tiny percentage to the maintenance of this blog for which I say thanks).

Here’s James free cheat sheet for reinventing yourself (created by Hamish Irving) which will give you a taste of what the book is about. Download cheat sheet.

Meet Your Expectations, Don’t Blow Them Up

A new CEO decided to meet every single employee as one of his starting initiatives. He set up 15-minute meetings to get to know everyone in the 350 employee company and people were shocked.

They were shocked because no other CEO had offered 15 minutes of his precious time to listen to them. It was rare and appreciated. People went into their meetings with great expectations.

I did too. I thought it would be a great opportunity to make a great impression, discuss my current work situation and get off to a good start with him. Maybe it could open up new and interesting possibilities?

When the time came for my meeting, I went into his office, we shook hands, said a few ice-breaker phrases and then the CEO proceeded to talk about himself for 15 minutes. About his achievements, his beliefs and his career. I can’t remember him asking me anything about my work situation, about my family or anything personal.

I left the meeting disillusioned. I’ve rarely held huge expectations with new management and that’s fine, I guess even normal, but when you build up expectations like the CEO had done, you have to make sure you meet them.

Those 15 minutes were probably more harmful than good and in the coming months many left the company. Maybe not because of that, but it could definitely have played a part.

Lesson: Meet Your Expectations – Don’t Blow Them Up.

How Not to Be a Great Teacher

I was talking about the school days with a friend of mine yesterday and got into the subject of teachers. We have all had a wide variety of them, ranging from good to terrible. I remember almost all my school teachers, from first grade to university. Thinking about them now as people, instead of “the maths teacher, the PE teacher” etc, paints a completely different picture. A more personal and in some cases disturbing one.

Talking about pictures, my arts teacher in year eight comes to mind. She was an obese, older lady, who almost always wore the same shirt. It was a light blue jeans shirt that was so big you only needed tent pins to get a place to stay.

I don’t remember her name, but I remember her talking constantly without pause, just stopping for a second to do a great big inhale, like she was a whale sucking in as much plankton as she could. She could be very mean as well. I didn’t care that much, because I was in a period in my life where I didn’t bother with anything, but obviously she still made an impression since I remember her many years later.

“Well it is obvious you didn’t understand the concept of the exercise”, “I can see you are not really talented with this”, “I kind of would have expected something better”, were a few of her typical feedback lines. She probably thought we had all enthusiastically signed up for this class and that we all wanted to be artists, and she wanted to dash those hopes before they had gone to our heads. Kind of the opposite of inspiration and really not needed for school-tired 15 year-olds.

But we all got our revenge at the end of the day, because when her likely miserable work day was over she had to climb into her microscopic red Lada (the car brand from Hell, or was it Russia?) which took her something like ten minutes and made all the students in the vicinity stop what they were doing just to look at her. She was almost as a big as the car and she had to bend all her massive limbs and rearrange her layers of fat in an optimal way to fit in it. As soon as she had sat down in the driver’s seat the car tilted heavily to one side and it was a wonder that it would start and that she could actually drive it with the steering wheel making an indent in her stomach.

If she once was an aspiring artist who failed and became a grumpy teacher, I don’t know. I never saw her draw and she never talked about it. But she taught us all that if we ever wanted to pursue arts, we better not, because honestly, we all sucked.

So now I’m a creative director.